1 Custom exhaust

THE boys at The Rod Shop know you’d rather be driving your LS-transplanted Holden than mucking around with custom exhausts, so they’ve come to the rescue with this HQ-WB exhaust system. Suitable for sedans and coupes, the twin system is TIG welded from 100 per cent stainless steel, and features huge 17/8in primaries with 31/2in collectors that flow to a 21/2in pipes. Twin 200-cell cats and stainless mufflers are also included. The system has been made with performance applications in mind, clearing both factory and 9in rear end set-ups. A set of gaskets and bolts are also included.

To find out more, check out rodshop.com.au.

2. Valvoline’s The Pump tyre inflator and sealer

THERE’S nothing worse than copping a flat tyre when you’re out and about only to discover that your spare is also unusable. It’s an especially common problem for rarely driven vehicles, where the spare may not be used for months or years at a time. Valvoline’s The Pump is a two-in-one tyre inflator and sealer that can be used with the wheel still on the car. It’ll do the job quickly on both tubed and tubeless tyres, giving you a chance to get home or to the nearest tyre shop.

Check it out at valvoline.com.

3. Ryobi heat gun

A GOOD heat gun has a multitude of uses. Beyond just warming up heat-shrink tubing, they’ll strip vinyl and paint, burn designs into wood and even rejuvenate faded car plastics. Like the rest of the ONE+ range, the Ryobi 18V Heat Gun is a cordless design that’s powered by an interchangeable battery. A reflector nozzle, spreader nozzle and two concentrated nozzles are included, so you’ll always get the right application for the job. There’s even an LED light in the housing, making under-dash work a breeze.

You’ll find out more at ryobi.com.au.

4. Sandblasting cabinet

PREPPING car parts for paint is always a bastard of a job, especially if they’re as crusty and old as Grandad’s Camira. Sandblasting is the easiest way to cut out the elbow grease when it comes to stripping and cleaning parts, and HAFCO offers this killer sandblasting cabinet that suits both the pros and the home DIY-ers. It’s a big fella, with an internal cabinet size of 835x510mm and an internal height of 360-550mm front to back. An LED internal work light, protective gloves, blast gun, hopper and stand, replacement protective screens and a bunch of ceramic tips are all included. We’ve got one of these in our Carnage workshop, and it has made the process of restoring our crusty old VE Valiant wagon so much easier.

Visit a Hare & Forbes Machinery House showroom or buy online at machineryhouse.com.au.

5. Aeroflow flexible dipsticks

UNLESS you’ve got an AU Falcon, checking your dipstick regularly is always good practice – especially in our world of highly strung donks and ’boxes. Aeroflow now offers a big range of flexible dipsticks to suit many GM or Ford mills and transmissions. They can be had in either polished or black anodised finishes, are made with a stainless-steel braided covering over a hard-wearing, high-quality PTFE liner, and have double O-rings for a proper seal. All firewall-mount transmission dipsticks are 24in (610mm) in length.

To grab one or get more info, call Rocket on (02) 8825 1900 or visit rocketind.com.

6. Edelbrock EFI system

WHILE it’s normally straightforward enough to wedge a bent-eight into your project car of choice, successfully wiring everything up is a whole different kettle of fish. Edelbrock now offers EFI systems perfectly suited to GM LS donks, Ford’s 5.0L Coyote and the Mopar Gen III Hemi. The Pro-Flo 4 Plus kits feature a standalone, self-learning ECU that adapts as you drive, as well as a super-simple wiring harness with just three plugs: battery, ignition and brake switch. The kit is designed for factory-spec engines, and you can make tune changes from your smartphone using the free E-Tuner 4 Plus software. A 7in wireless touchscreen interface is also included, which connects via Bluetooth.

Find out more at edelbrock.com.

7. Kool Wrap exhaust wrap

NOBODY likes frying the expensive components in their engine bay, which means a quality exhaust wrap is vital. New Aussie-based brand Kool Wrap offers a variety of insulating products, including a basalt titanium exhaust wrap. This wrap is created from basalt volcanic rock fibres, which are known to be 25 per cent stronger than run-of-the-mill glass fibres. Being titanium based, it’s capable of surviving under continuous 1800-degree temperatures. It’s available in lengths ranging from 4.5 to 15 metres, and each roll comes with a set of stainless-steel ties.

You can find them at koolwrap.com.au.