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Resto with grunt: BK Race Engines XA GT

Bill unfortunately had to part ways with his 1972 XA GT. Heartbroken, he promised himself that he will have another one day. After lots of convincing, he bought his mate's GT decades later with a build date just two months apart from his old car. A simple tidy-up then quickly became an engine rebuild and Bill finally gets the 'pinned into the seat' feeling he was wanting with the help of an impressive 670hp. [More]

Ford Announce 50th Anniversary Bullitt Edition Mustang

At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month speculation was rife that Ford Motor Company had a special release up their sleeves. While there were a few murmurings of a special edition Mustang on its way, the huge crowd was still a gasp when the covers were pulled off a Dark Highland Green 50th Anniversary Bullitt Edition Mustang. The attractive coupe of course pays homage to the ’68 Mustang Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 classic film “Bullitt”, which features a car chase that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest in film history. While the Bullitt is definitely quite the looker thanks to its unique wheels, de-badged grille, cue ball shifter and Recaro seats - the real gains come under the hood. With a bigger radiator, larger throttle bodies, a GT350 intake manifold and open air filter element the Bullitt will produce an impressive 354kw (475hp) off the showroom floor, an increase of 15hp over the premium GT offering on the regular 2018 Mustang. Handling is kept under control by Brembo six-piston front brakes, a larger anti-roll bar and a Torsen LSD, meaning that the coupe will certainly have no issues in getting from ‘0 to the speed limit’ in a flash. If the classic Dark Highland Green isn’t to your liking the car will also have the option of coming in Shadow Black, with both colours receiving a special Bullitt rear badge to let others know that this isn’t just a regular Mustang. In a throwback to ‘the good old days’ the Ford special will come in manual only and set customers back somewhere between $US45,000 and $55,000, however the first edition has already been sold at a heavily inflated price. Build no.1 was sold at auction in Arizona for an incredible $US300,000, with one hundred percent of that figure going to charity – Steve McQueen’s former school for troubled youths. This year’s 50th anniversary edition isn’t the first Bullitt edition Mustang released, with the option first available in 2001 when 5,500 were produced with a host of features not included on the regular GT. The concept was revisited in 2008, with a $US3,300 upgrade package offered to the standard GT Premium. Now to the question many of you will be asking, will we see this car on Australian shores? Unfortunately no plans have been announced for the export of the special pony car. Ford hasn’t exactly rushed to bring any of the Mustang’s other premium offerings such as the GT350 over here either. Although with the Mustang already Australia’s hottest selling sports car, and the relative ease of RHD conversion, hopefully a premium edition Mustang isn’t just a pipedream. What are your thoughts on the new Bullitt Mustang? Does it live up to the “Bullitt” name? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.

The Kia Stinger - a New Favourite?

The long awaited Kia Stinger has finally hit Australian roads over the past 6 weeks and we are getting our first look at how the Australian public is reacting to the Korean hatch/sedan which is being dubbed as a potential Commodore and Falcon replacement. While it’s by no means perfect, initial reviews of the range-topping Stinger GT have been overwhelmingly positive. The Stinger GT has to get a number of runs under its belt before it can truly be considered a car that will replace some of Australia’s most loved cars; but it has gotten off to a great start! The Good Straight off the bat, the appearance of the Stinger GT is great, and the latest and greatest in a line of Kia’s over the last 10 years that have progressively gotten better and better in terms of both appearance and performance. The sleek lines of the Stinger result in an exceptionally efficient aerodynamic package while large vents in the front and at all four corners serve to keep both the 3.3 litre twin-turbo’d engine and Brembo brakes cool. Packing 272kw and 510nm the GT has plenty of go, and will at least match, if not better 0-100 times of both the Commodore SS and XR6 Turbo Falcon of years past. The interior is neat, polished and will rival that of any in the sub $60K price bracket, with a ‘squared-off’ steering wheel and a sporty driving position contributing to the overall premium feel of the car. The 8 Speed Automatic Transmission is a truly impressive unit, taking like a duck to water to Australia’s driving conditions and contributing towards a ‘real-life’ fuel consumption of around 8L/100km on the open roads and around 11.5L/100km during normal city driving. The GT’s suspension has also received positive reviews, with a sports mode coping with all but the most spirited of driving while the comfort mode provides a compliant ride in more traditional driving scenarios. Overall, there is a lot to like about Kia’s new Halo car. The Not So Good One of the major reasons both the Commodore and Falcon were so popular for so many years was the ability to comfortably seat 5 adults, and a family holiday with 3 kids and the Caravan in tow was a walk in the park. Unless your name was Aaron Sandilands you probably weren’t going to be complaining of a lack of head room either. This is one area that the Stinger falls flat, as a result of the slightly smaller dimensions all round, the Stinger will not comfortably carry 5 adults, nor will it provide ample headroom for those of us north of 6-feet tall. Towing Capacity is at 1500kg while the down-ball rating is a meagre 75kgs, which means this will likely not be a suitable option for those with caravans, larger boats or anything particularly heavy that requires towing. Perhaps the most griped about disappointment is the sound coming out of the Stinger GT’s standard exhaust. The GT, with the standard exhaust is quiet, too quiet for a performance car. Fortunately Kia realised the issue and has fast-tracked an optional bi-modal exhaust which should be available before year end for $2659.99. Videos of the new exhaust system show a much throatier sounding note, more akin to that of typical sports cars. The Verdict The Stinger GT is a very good car which is sure to prove itself a hit with the Australian public, is it a like-for-like replacement for the departing Aussie classics? Not quite. While it ticks the RWD and performance boxes, it doesn’t quite match the Commodore and Falcon in terms of usability or ‘street-cred’. The Stinger GT however will be considered one of the best value for money sports sedans in the world, taking the fight to many higher credential offerings from its European rivals. What do you think of the new Kia Stinger GT? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.

All Ford Sunday

Rare Spares were proud to sponsor the 24th annual Kiwanis All Ford Day. Held on Sunday 15th Feb at Deakin University, Waun Ponds Geelong in Victoria, the All Ford Day  turned on some beautiful summer weather which resulted in the largest event on record.   Over 7,000 spectators joined in the automotive celebrations of all things Ford, to view over 1,300 vehicles on display. There was a great range of all type of Fords, young and old and included both racing machinery and street cars.  Event Organiser Graeme Munro was in awe at the success of the event this year. “It was a magnificent event and the best we have ever held over our 24 year history. The quality of the cars was up on previous years, the huge crowds enjoyed it and the weather was perfect.”    “The All Ford Sunday is the biggest Ford show in Australia and we are looking forward to going again in 2015” Rare Spares set up a trade stand at the event and were inundated by restoration enthusiasts, making part enquiries and entering the Rare Spares promotion, where a lucky spectator had a chance to win a Rare Spares product voucher. “We are very happy to have Rare Spares involved and they are one of our club’s gold sponsors. They also assisted in getting John Bowe to attend the event, so we are very thankful to their support” said Munro. Rare Spares Ambassador and Ford man John Bowe was on hand at the Rare Spares stand signing autographs and taking part in the trophy presentation amongst other motor racing legends including Allan Moffat and Jim Richards. For more information on the event, head to www.allfordday.org.au You can find out more about local events by joining the Rare Spares Loyalty Club at https://www.rarespares.net.au/Loyalty/default.aspx 

GT Forever

Earlier this year, Ford, Holden and Toyota all announced their withdrawal from Australian Manufacturing over the next 3-4 years. This was a deep cut to Australia’s proud heritage of producing world class vehicles and an industry we were proud of.  With this realisation, Ford announced it would also retire the ‘GT’ designation, signalling an end to a famous badge that portrays performance and an incredible motorsport heritage for Ford lovers. What are your first thoughts when you hear someone say “Falcon GT”. Racing pedigree, XY GHTO Phase 3, Allan Moffat and Bathurst are just some of the terms that come to mind and it is sad to hear that this iconic Australian title will soon be no more.  GT’s have been part of Ford Australia’s Heritage since 1967 when GT became the badge given to the performance variants of the Falcon range. Starting with the XR Falcon, the GT designation continued with the XT, the XW, XY, XA and XB model’s. The XW and XY model’s also saw the ‘HO’ designation added, which stood for 'Handling Options' and is synonymous with the XY GTHO Falcon’s that are so commonly mentioned when discussion turns to famous Ford’s. The GT badge was rested for 16 years before being revived for a 25th anniversary edition, used with the 1992 EB Falcon. In 1997 the 30th anniversary edition was offered for the EL Falcon. As of 2003 Ford Performance Vehicles inherited the badge and have used the GT designation throughout the BA, BF and FG model ranges. The last Ford Falcon to carry the GT badge will be the 2014 Ford Falcon GT-F, which pays homage to its famous forebears and will carry the famous 351 badge signifying the engine’s power output of 351kw’s. The GT-F will also be the most powerful Falcon ever produced at Broadmeadows.   The ‘F’ designation will represent ‘Final’ version of the GT. 500 vehicles will be sold total, with 500 allocated for Australia and the other 50 heading to New Zealand.   “This is a celebration of the best of the best,” said President and CEO of Ford Motor Company Australia Bob Graziano. All 500 of the GT-F’s have been ‘accounted for’ due to the interest of the Ford Faithful and will all be sold at recommended retail pricing according to one Ford dealer, as the interest in obtaining one of these vehicles is so high. Although sad that GT is no longer, we are sure the memories and the success around GT will live on forever with the Ford Faithful."