January 2012 Blog Posts (67)

If Chuck Norris was a hybrid car then he'd be the Toyota TS030 - listen to this thing as it exits the pit lane, it has some Star Wars pod-racer vocal as the electric motor trundles the car out before the V8 bark takes over. 

Once out on the track the racing engine noise is like a choir of headbanging…

Never thought I'd say this but I have bought a "fast" Audi instead of an ///M car.



So a week ago "conveniently" one of my neighbours tells me he is selling his sons S3 for him due to him moving to NZ. I um'd and ar'd for literally 2 seconds and responded "ok I'll take a look", fatal mistake number one : I drove it before getting an insurance quote (ended up costing me an extra grand ). Needless to say I fell in love ! Drives great, fairly quick twinned with a fantastic…

This is Your Last Chance!

The King 50th Anniversary…

..... for months now Mr. Gilbert has been at me to set up a blog on FT about what I get up to! So watch this space for events, London Motor Museum updates and all of the stuff I get up to with Monster Energy!

Peace out!

Alvin! 

Ouch...

Last night saw the first fueltopia incarnation meet of 2012. Seeing a list over 20 cars from FT ready to show up at the Ace Cafe i knew it was going to be a good night.

Arriving at 6pm to put final details together for this years Brighton event with the guys from the ace and alowing me to have time to tuck into chilli chips and chesse the cars started to arrive. Come half 7 the car park was prity much full of some awsum four wheeled metel work and a growing crowd bad it look even…

Mint Condition 2x Rota Fighters with Tyres



WHEELS:

Selling 2x (two) Rota Fighters - PCD 5X114.3

Rim: 16x7.0JJ

Off a EK9, will fit all cars with PCD fitment above.

No buckles or dents, slight imperfections on rim, (pics below)



TYRES:

Hankook Ventus-RSZ

205/45/16

Both with 4mm of Tred.

(No cuts, bulges or uneven tyre wear)



Great for a spare rear set, hardly used.

Will post…

I'm still getting to find my feet within my new role at Monster, but yesterday was a cool day as I got to drop off a special delivery for Liam Doran at the Lydden Hill circuit in Kent.

If you don't know who Liam is then you need to get involved. Not only is a massive petrolhead, he is the guy that took down the likes of Ken Block and Co. in their own backyard at X-Games. He hails from the UK and drivers like an absolute hero - Check out the video below if you doubt my…

KIDS ZONE

What do you think so far ? 

Guide to Vauxhall Sensors



Computers are not omniscient. Actually, they’re rather dumb, a slave to proper programming and correct outside sources to function. Remember GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out. For our purposes, the input data is not from a keyboard or floppy, but rather the electronic signals from the vehicle’s sensors. They act the like the engine’s eyes and ears helping it make the most of its…

Stock-V-Aftermarket Filters



For some time now people have believed that aftermarket air filters are a must have and believe that they will see noticeable gains in engine power output by fitting one of these to their Vauxhall Nova 1.2 Merit. This is far from the truth however as there are many other variables that relate to how an engine can produce more power while retaining the efficiency of filtration of…

Ok, guys and girls, This is a common fault on the Astra G, I had to adjust one a few days ago,t so a quick How 2 guide had to be done.



All you'll need an 8mm socket.



Firstly open the bonnet.



Looking at the slam panel, on the rear face you can see a black cable that disappears into the slam panel.



Holding this in place is a small black bracket with an 8mm headed…

Wheel Diameter: 



This is the size of the wheel, such as 18". Bigger wheels are usually heavier and thus will make your car slower. If you get a bigger wheel than stock, you must get lower profile tires. More on that later. 



Wheel Width: 



This is the width of the rim, such as 7.5" or 8", as if you were looking at it from the back of the car. Wider wheels require wider tires and various offset adjustments. More on this…

This is a How 2 on the check straps inside the glove box on the astra G/Mk4 coupe. 



First of all you need to buy the straps from Vauxhall (They come as a pair). The part number is 93176479 and cost £4.15 (its called 'BOW' on the invoice)



you can also buy them separately (in three colours).



Part numbers are…

Although this may seem really obvious to a lot of people, for the people who aren't as mechanically minded as others, heres a quick guide on how to carry out an oil change, potentially saving you a fair bit of money rather than having the local garage charge loads for the pleasure. 



Note: Oil changes alone not to replace full services at the correct intervals



What you will…

There aren't many variations between the 2 fuse set-ups, however there are some exceptions which come down to the model/trim of your astra - eg - Cruise control, Traction control, passenger airbags, heated seats ect  

Under bonnet version A…

My astra coupe already has these as standard but a lot of the mk4/G models did not have the electric mirrors fitted.



I have no pictures for this guide as I already have the electric mirrors in place but I will go into detail.



Parts Required



Electric mirrors

Electric mirror…

Ok everyone, This is a very simple job to do and can be done with minimal mechanical know how.

As some of you know, I am in the process of re-building / restoring an Astra Coupe bertone edition.

This is a guide on how to change the discs and pads.

First of all you'll need to take the wheels off or do one corner at a time.

[IMG]…