1. Mishimoto heat-shielding products

KEEPING the heat down and the horsepower up is always a struggle, but heat-wrapping and shielding is one of the pain-free ways of keeping a lid on those unwanted temps. Mishimoto now offers a killer new range of heat-shielding products, including this gold reflective self-adhesive sheeting. Made from metalised Polyamide polymer laminated glass cloth, it can withstand temps of up to 454°C, and can be cut to size to fit any firewall, fuel cell, floorpan and just about anywhere else you need to stay cool. You can find out more at mishimoto.com.au.

2. Ryobi’s electric caulking gun

SOMETIMES a tool comes along like a ratcheting spanner and you wonder why it took so long, and then other times a tool pops up that makes you wonder if it’s actually necessary at all. You could be forgiven for thinking the latter when you first lay eyes on Ryobi’s electric caulking gun, but having used it in the Carnage workshop, we will happily attest to its beautness. When you’ve got an entire sump, intake manifold or diff housing that needs to be sealed up, the prospect of doing it in half the time without destroying all the muscles in your hands and forearm makes this electric caulking gun one of the best things to have in your toolkit. You can find out more at ryobi.com.au.

3. Turbosmart electronic wastegates

THE Turbosmart team know their stuff when it comes to controlling that deliciously addictive boost, and they just about broke the internet when they unveiled their electronic wastegates at SEMA this year. Dubbed the e-WG range, the big deal with these wastegates is that they have no springs at all. Instead, they actuate boost against extreme levels of back-pressure while being controlled by your ECU. If you’re worried about speed, they can achieve full travel in 600ms, and also feature a special ‘zero-backdrive’ to further bolster their ability against high drive pressures. They bolt straight up to all Gen-V Turbosmart products, so there’s no need for new flanges or fittings. You can find out more at turbosmart.com.

4. Pro-Flo 4 EFI System kit

THROWING some new-school EFI onto your old-school donk is almost a no-brainer these days, especially with the super-simple kits that are now available for us car fettlers. For the Chrysler folk among us, Edelbrock now offers a simple plug-and-play solution for the small-block 318-360ci family. The Pro-Flo 4 EFI System kit includes a 4150-style single-plane intake manifold, injectors that can support up to 550hp, a single-plug distributor, fully terminated engine harness, and of course a Pro-Flo ECU. The neat bit is, you need not visit a tuner once the kit is installed. The ECU has Bluetooth, which in conjunction with the Pro-Flo E-Tuner app means you can modify the self-learning EFI as you wish, so you can just turn the key and start motoring. You can find out more on (03) 8710 3000 or at eagleautoparts.com.au.

5. Haltech IC-7 digital dash

NEW gearhead tech is always something to get excited about, and when it’s coming from the wizards at Haltech, you know it’s going to go onto the want list. The newly released Haltech IC-7 digital dash is a top-notch piece of kit, a perfect replacement for outdated gauges while allowing you to see all the inputs and data from your Haltech ECU in real time. The kit comes with all the wiring needed, and optional mounts can be had to suit just about any location. There are six different display modes as standard, programmable shift and warning lights, and heaps of adjustability. You can find out more at haltech.com.

6. Summit Racing Ridetech MUSCLEbars

AS MUCH fun as it is throwing more horsepower down the road, there’s no point doing so if your mad machine can’t take the next corner without flopping into the nearest ditch. Upgraded suspension is the way to go, and a beefy set of sway-bars is always a good way of curing that nasty bodyroll. Summit Racing now offers Ridetech MUSCLEbars, which are CNC-bent with Delrin-lined frame mounts, spherical end links with barrel lock nuts, and don’t just have the good old flat-beaten ends that most aftermarket sway-bars have. They’re available for a whole range of classic and modern Chrysler, GM and Ford rides. You can find out more at summitracing.com.

7. Hare & Forbes hydraulic chassis punch set

THIS hydraulic chassis punch set from our mates at Hare & Forbes is just the thing for punching holes in sheet metal. Consisting of a hydraulic punch with interchangeable dies, it’ll punch through mild steel of 1.6mm thickness in 22.5, 28.3, 34.6, 43.2, 49.6 and 61.5mm-diameter holes, and will do 22.5 and 28.3mm holes in mild steel sheet up to 2mm thick. The swivel punch head allows for better pump positioning, and it comes complete with a blow-mould carry case. For more information, head along to machineryhouse.com.au/P020.