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Rare Spares Welshpool VIP Event.

On the evening of Thursday 30th of April, the Rare Spares team at Welshpool in Perth hosted their very first VIP night, which was a huge success. Rare Spares Welshpool store owners Todd and Teena Gardner, have been selling Rare Spares products for over 20 years and two years ago became an authorised Rare Spares distributor. Todd was delighted by the turnout for their first Rare Spares event. “I literally opened the door at 5:30, let a whole pile of people in and I didn’t get to look up from the computer until 7:30 when it was all over! We were that busy,” Todd said. “It was great to hear everyone had a great time so it's likely we'll host another VIP night next year,” he added. Sausages weren’t the only thing to sizzle on the night with all Rare Spares products massively discounted by 20%. There were even Superstar drivers on hand for customers to chat to, with appearances from John Bowe and Jason Bright. To top off a wonderful night, there were some amazing prizes to be won, including double passes to the Perth Supersprint and a $100 Rare Spares gift voucher. For your chance to attend the next Rare Spares VIP event near you and get some huge savings, join the Rare Spares Rare Owners or Loyalty clubs at www.rarespares.net.au.   

RARE SPARES CONTINUES WITH THE 'BRICKLAYER' AFTER 22 YEARS

One of Australia’s longest running motorsport partnerships has strengthened with Rare Spares increasing its presence on Australian drag racing legend Graeme Cooper’s iconic ‘Bricklayer’ Holden EH Premier Station Wagon.  The long-standing partnership began in 1992 when Rare Spares provided Cooper with parts to rebuild his famous car – the Rare Spares logo featuring on the bonnet scoop of Cooper’s Bricklayer ever since.   “I told [Rare Spares director] David Ryan at the time that I’d keep the signage on the car for as long as they wanted, and we’re now entering our 23rd year together,” Cooper said.   “I don’t think David ever imagined the original Rare Spares stickers would still be on the car after all this time, but they are, and it makes me proud that he has recognised our commitment.”   With their extended arrangements, the Rare Spares logo will now also occupy the side rear windows of the wheelstanding EH wagon for the 2015 season – Cooper’s 40th year of racing the ‘Bricklayer’.   “Rare Spares’ support has helped make the ‘Brickie’ one of our sport’s most identifiable cars and I look forward to continuing the great success we’ve had together,” Cooper said.   Cooper hopes to add to his 34 ANDRA National event wins when he and his Rare Spares ‘Bricklayer’ Holden EH Premier Station Wagon contest this weekend’s third round of ANDRA’s Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series, at Adelaide International Raceway, near Virginia, South Australia.  

The Holden HD 50th Anniversary

Fifty years. Half a century. That’s a long time in anybody’s language. A significant milestone to be sure. Halfway to getting a Birthday card from the Queen herself! When we hit the big five o, it’s usually accompanied by celebrations with friends and family, party poppers and champagne. Well, put the bubbly on ice because the Holden HD turns 50 this year! Released back in February of 1965, the HD was described as Holden’s first true six seater sedan. Wheels Magazine called the HD “A dash of Buick, a scoop of Pontiac, just a whiff of Opel and lots of Holden. 1965’s HD Holden retains its Holden character while getting a glamorous new styling for the swinging sixties.” The new wider and longer kid on the block had a host of new improvements compared to the recently superseded EH. Upgrades to the chassis, suspension and equipment came as standard. There was also significant improvements to both passenger and load space. However most importantly and for the first time for Holden, disc brakes were offered as a factory fitted option. Also optional was the new 2.95 litre ‘X2’ engine, delivering an extra 19kw over the standard 2.45 litre ‘179’ power plant, which produced 86kw. This was courtesy of a new sports exhaust, twin carburettors, a modified camshaft and new ignition. A more reliable two speed Powerglide automatic transmission replaced the outgoing three speed auto, however a three speed manual transmission was still an available option. The list of models was also impressive. Not content with offering just a 4 door Standard sedan, Holden also offered the HD as a Special and Premier sedan. The 5 door station wagon also came in Standard, Special and Premier variants. There was even a Premier Panel Van and Ute option available. As a result of all these improvements and options, the HD was a sales success and the new model flew out the door at Holden dealers around the country. Such was the demand that it broke the previous sales record, held by the Holden EH, making it the company’s biggest seller to date. In spite of this sales success, the HD was never the most favourably remembered Holden. However, it is still an absolute Australian classic with pristine examples fetching well in excess of $20,000. That’s almost ten times the original asking price of $2320 which makes the Holden HD extremely collectable. And if you’re lucky enough to own one of these classics, but it’s in need of some love and attention, then Rare Spares has you covered. Rare Spares has literally hundreds of parts available for your HD restoration. To find out more about Rare Spares and for a full list of parts, visit www.rarespares.net.au 

Sands of Time Revive Sandman

The Godfather: Part II was on at the Drive-In and Stevie Wright’s “Evie” was blaring out over AM radios across the land. The year was 1974, and just as movies and music were being re-defined, the motoring landscape of Australia was about to change forever with the introduction of a soon to become legend and icon: The Holden Sandman. Zoom forward to 2015, and the legend is back. The 2015 Sandman Special Edition is derived from the award winning VF Commodore SV6 and the sporty SS-V, and is available as a ute and or sleek Sportwagon. Whilst the Sandman is much more advanced than its predecessor it still retains the instantly recognisable surf livery and the groovy, orange shagpile floor rug as an additional accessory. The original classic was available as a panelvan and a ute between 1974 and 1979, and buyers had a choice of six-cylinder or V8 power. Holden’s Executive Director of Sales, Peter Keley, said the opportunity to revive the legendary Sandman was too exciting to resist. “The Holden Sandman has been synonymous with the great Australian surf safari for decades and perfectly reflects our country’s laid back, yet adventurous attitude to life. When the opportunity came to revive Sandman, we jumped at it,” Mr Keley said. “The reborn Sandman is a statement and reflection of the Australian way of life. Most importantly, it’s about having fun.” After a twenty plus year hiatus, Sandman was finally revived as a concept car at the Sydney International Motor Show, 2000. Based on VU Commodore, this Sandman was a Holden built, Mambo designed project that won wide acclaim. The new 2015 Sandman was first unveiled to coincide with another Australian Icon, the Bells Beach Ripcurl Pro surf competition, on the 4th of April. Taking place at the at the beautiful Elephant Walk Reserve Torquay Esplanade, the Holden Sandman surf live site gave a new generation of car lovers the chance to see what all the fuss was about. Holden’s Director of Communications, Sean Poppitt said “Holden knows Australia and Australians better than any other company and the Sandman is a perfect reflection of the Aussie culture and attitude. I’m sure it will spark great memories for a lot of Australians and help create new memories for others. Let the good times roll again.” The Sandman will go on sale in June, however people are advised to contact dealers early to avoid disappointment. While the new Sandman is destined to become a future classic, the original Sandman has become a true collector’s item. Back in the day, they cost between $3500 and $5000 brand new. Today, immaculately restored examples of the Sandman and ute can fetch more than $35,000. For those fortunate enough to have an original Sandman in need of some TLC, Rare Spares can offer some parts for these rare machines. For more information, go to www.rarespares.net.au  

Man and Machine Continues Partnership With Rare Spares

Rare Spares are proud to announce the continuation of their support of the popular Man and Machine TV program as major sponsor. Man and Machine is the brainchild of passionate motoring enthusiast and TV presenter Glenn Everitt. A weekly series on the 4ME Network devoted to the car enthusiast, it’s the culmination of Glenn’s almost thirty year involvement in the automotive industry. From classic and muscle cars to modern day icons, Man and Machine is a showcase for everything that’s “fast or powerful and uses an engine to propel it”. Man and Machine often showcases the best of beautiful, restored classic machinery and the enjoyment that Glenn and the guests get out of these machines should provide the motivation to get into the shed and finish off your own project. "The team at Man and Machine is very excited to be involved with Rare Spares for our all new Season three and believe they are a perfect fit with so many passionate car enthusiasts tuning in to Man and Machine every week,” said Presenter Glen Everitt. “From a personal perspective, having spent 25 years with hands on experience in the aftermarket Automotive industry as a qualified technician and actually having used Rare Spares products myself, I have no hesitation whatsoever in providing a genuine unbiased endorsement for such a great range of products that's continually growing on a weekly basis, parts that actually fit and look as they should, in most cases even better than the original that the vehicle was manufactured with.” “From my experience not only do Rare Spares provide outstanding service with a constant pursuit of perfection to provide the very best products but they are an Australian owned company that's growing from strength to strength. For me it's a feel good partnership dealing with such a fantastic organisation and the great people behind it, people that are also passionate car enthusiasts just like me" said Everitt.      Combining Glenn’s knowledge, passion and expertise through Man and Machine with Rare Spares, Australia’s foremost restoration parts supplier, guarantees success in any car restoration project. From the smallest repair on a cherished classic to a full blown, ground up rebuild, Rare Spares and Man and Machine make an unbeatable combination. Season three is now underway, you can tune in on Monday nights at 8.30pm on the 4ME network and find links to aired episodes on our Facebook page. Further repeats may also air, so please keep an eye on TV guides if you miss any episodes. Best of all it is Free to Air, so you can sit back and enjoy for free.

Falcon GT Nationals

 Once every 10 years, a very special motoring event takes place and this year, it was the 30th Anniversary Falcon GT Nationals event.  Held at Sandown International Raceway over the Easter weekend, April 2 – 6 and hosted by the Falcon GT Club of Australia, the Falcon GT Nationals is a celebration of everything Ford Falcon GT. Entrants and enthusiast travelled from all over Australia to the once in a decade GT celebration. A total of 300 Ford’s entered, with 250 of those Falcon GT’s, so it was one of the larger collections of GT Falcon’s ever assembled in Australia. More than 3,500 spectators attended the main Saturday show day, revelling in the best of Ford’s special model designation. The weather was kind to the GT faithful throughout the weekend, which culminated in some on track action on Sunday for a number of machines and their drivers, as they took to the famous Sandown circuit for some sprints, giving them the chance to stretch the legs of their high performance GT machinery.   Rare Spares were on site displaying its large marquee and showcasing the GT Flacon parts available plus they were offering a $200 parts voucher via a special event promotion. There was strong interest in the stand and 116 people entered the promotion. “It was a great event, with nothing but positive feedback. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was the best crowd we have had a for a Nationals event,” said Falcon GT Club of Australia President Darrell Mitchell. “I want to thank all the club members who helped promote the event and also assisted in the running of the event. I also want to thank all the sponsor, including Rare Spares who supported what is a fantastic event. Finally, thank you to all the entrants and spectators who made it an event to remember,” said Mitchell. For all your Ford Falcon parts, head to www.rarespares.net.au     

BOC Model Car Promotion Winner Announced

Rare Spares recently ran the exciting BOC Model Car Promotion. The promotion, which was held between 11th February and 11th March gave entrants the chance of winning a limited edition BOC model car signed by V8 Supercar driver Jason Bright.  Entrants only had to sign up to the website and make a purchase to be eligible to enter and a total of 177 entries were received. The car is an accurate 1:18 scale Holden VF Commodore, running Jason Bright’s 2014 season BOC livery. Only 500 of these models were produced and each comes with its own certificate of authenticity.  Blair Wood, from New Zealand was excited to be announced the winner of the model car. It may news to some in Australia, however Rare Spares also has a store in New Zealand.  “Rare Spares NZ has been around seven years and Rare Spares parts are strongly in demand in New Zealand due to their quality. It’s great that a New Zealand Rare Spares customer was the recipient of the BOC promotional car” said Store Manager Ian King. For your chance to win prizes thanks to Rare Spares, join the Rare Owners Club at www.rarespares.net.au

Rare Spares Bonanza Sale

Rares Spares Bonanza Sale On Saturday 14th March Rare Spares Bayswater and Rare Spares Roxburgh Park hosted a huge 20% off ‘Bonanza’ all day sale extravaganza. Both stores received a huge influx of regular and new customers, coming to see what all the fuss was about and scoop up some bargains. “The response was overwhelming and it’s a great chance for customers to get some real savings. There was a huge amount of stock purchased during the sale” said Dylan Boyes at Rare Spares Bayswater. “When we have a spare second it’s great to talk to owners, find out about their projects, network and know we are assisting them with their projects.” Manager of the Roxburgh Park store, Brad DePasquale was equally impressed with their turnout. “A lot of interest had been created and it was very busy, with many people picking up bargains. We are looking forward to the next one” said DePasquale. A raffle was also held between the two stores with a Rare Spares $100 voucher, a Touring Car Masters merchandise pack and a Rare Spares merchandise Pack up for grabs. The winners were: Rare Spares $100 product voucher - Lance Saccuzzo Touring Car Masters merchandise pack - Peter Thorp Rare Spares Merchandise pack - Chris Smith For your chance to be part of the next Rare Spares ‘Bonanza’ sale event and to get some huge savings, join the Rare Spares Rare owners club at www.rarespares.net.au 

All Holden Day Geelong

The All Holden Day Geelong was a spectacular gathering of all things Holden, from the earliest classics, all the way through to the latest high performance machinery. The 11th annual All Holden Day was held at the Geelong Showgrounds on Saturday 14th March under the prevailing sun, which was a welcome sight to Colin Brown, President of the Geelong FX-HZ Holden Car Club Inc. With free entry for kids under 12 and over 100 trophies up for grabs for competitors, the turnout of entrants and spectators alike was fantastic. A record 850 cars were on display, with 280 opting to be judged. It is estimated more than 3,500 spectators came out to enjoy the day. “It was a fantastic, record breaking day for the club and the event” said club President Colin Brown. The All Holden Day is also closely aligned with charities and it was great to see so many donate to the good causes. “We donated $4,000 on the day to the Our Women Our Children charity for the Geelong Hospital and a further $2,000 was donated to the Isabella and Marcus Brain Stem Cancer research fund.” “Thanks to the entire committee and members for their effort putting the event together and of course our sponsors, including Rare Spares” said Brown Rare Spares Director David Ryan brought along his fully restored and significantly modified FJ Holden, which proved to be a crowd favourite.  The Rare Spares stand certainly received some extra attention as a result of the FJ on display, with the crowd providing many questions to staff and also viewing the popular Shed Talks videos. David Ryan also spent time judging vehicles at the event. With a fantastic event in 2015, Colin Brown has confirmed that in 2016 the Holden celebration will continue and Rare Spares look forward to it. For more information on events and for all your Holden parts needs, head to www.rarespares.net.au      

Rare Spares Mitchell Becomes Rare Spares Distributor

Rare Spares is proud to announce Rare Spares Mitchell is now an official distributor of Rare Spares. Rare Spares Mitchell has stocked Rare Spares products for 25 years, servicing Canberra and surrounding regions.   Owner/Manager of Rare Spares Mitchell, Laurence Erwin opened the Store in 1990 and together with his wife Rose have a huge combined experience in classic cars and parts.   “Customers come from as far away as the coast, and southern NSW for parts. We regularly send parts worldwide including the U.S, Europe and South Africa.  We are currently helping out a customer in the US restore a genuine VK Group A Blue Meanie.” said Laurence.   As a distributor for Rare Spares, Rare Spares Mitchell will now be able to provide customers an expanded range of Rare Spares products, available directly off the shelf, providing customers an improved shopping experience.   “It’s great to now step up and become a distributor for Rare Spares after being a stockist for so many years. The improved range of stock will be fantastic for existing and new customers who can purchase in store or online through http://www.rarespares.net.au/mitchell/   Importantly, after 25 years in the automotive industry Laurence has a strong knowledge of the restoration parts available from Rare Spares to enable restoration of our Aussie Classics. Laurence even owns a classic himself.   “I own a HZ wagon and when I have time, I like to tinker with it”   To see the team at Rare Spares Mitchell, opening hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm and Saturdays, 8:30am – 1:00pm. The store is located at 17 Kemble Court, Mitchell, ACT, 2911 and can be phoned on (02) 6241 1516.   To find out more about Rare Spares and for a full list of Distributors, stockists and resellers across Australia, visit www.rarespares.net.au