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Rare Spares Distributor of the Year

The Rare Spares Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 29th August 2015 and is the yearly opportunity for the Rare Spares family of Distributors to come together from around Australia and New Zealand, celebrate, network and award their Distributor of the Year. Rare Spares has recognised the efforts of their network since 1981 with the Distributor of the Year (DOTY) award which recognises dedication, support, improvement and the desire to strive for excellence. For 2015, the award was presented to Rare Spares Christchurch and received by store manager and owner Ian King. “It’s a great feeling to be awarded Rare Spares Distributor of the Year and I and the team are very happy. We are very fortunate to have been awarded DOTY five times over our 28 year existence, but receiving it once again is much appreciated and still a surprise,” said Ian. Rare Spares Christchurch has been flying the Rare Spares flag for 28 years in New Zealand, as the country’s only Rare Spares Distributor. The team of eight provide a comprehensive range of Rare Spares parts as well as the relatively unique offering of a full mechanical workshop that specialises in classic vehicles.   “There is always room for improvement, but being passionate and having a team passionate about cars means we have the experience and expertise to provide great service and really understand customer’s needs,” said Ian. “Ian and the team at Rare Spares Christchurch are always operating at a high level and this year we are proud to honour them again for their commitment to both Rare Spares and their customers,” said Rare Spares Director Lance Corby, who presented the award. “Rare Spares Christchurch is regularly a contender for the award and this year showed why, thanks to their dedication, customer service and continual improvement,” said Melissa McVeigh, Marketing Manager/Director of Rare Spares. Rare Spares are proud of their Distributor network and want to congratulate Rare Spares Christchurch and also runner up DOTY Rare Spares Welshpool for their outstanding performances over the past year.  To find out more about Rare Spares and for a full list of Distributors, stockists and resellers across Australia, visit www.rarespares.net.au

Vale Bill Pye

On the 29th of July, the Australian Motorsport community lost one of its own when Bill Pye was tragically killed in a light plane crash near one of his properties just north of Deniliquin in New South Wales. Bill, 54, a competitor and race winner in the Touring Car Masters series since 2010, first drove the Chevrolet Camaro previously driven by John Bowe. He then went on to drive a Porsche 911 before returning to another Camaro. TCM paid tribute to Bill on the day of the accident. “The Touring Car Masters family is shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of our friend, fellow competitor and great racer, Bill Pye,” read the tribute. “Bill was a committed and competitive racer and was a fantastic part of the TCM paddock at every round. He was a fighter on the track, a great part of our paddock off it and he will be missed." “The Touring Car Masters management team, on behalf of the broader TCM family, offers their support and thoughts to the Pye family and their friends at this time.” As a successful sheep and wool producer, Bill was able to indulge in his passion for motorsport. He also competed in the Heritage Touring Cars series in an ex-Dick Johnson Ford Mustang, a car which he loved. He’d recently added an ex-Peter Jackson Glenn Seton two-litre turbo Sierra RS500 to his collection, which he had hoped to run at HTC’s Muscle Car Masters round in September. Bill also competed in the Targa Tasmania nine times between 1999 -2010 with his navigator and mechanic, Grant Geelan. The pair successfully placed many times in their Porsche 911 Carrera, highlighted by two second place finishes in the Classic Outright, and a win in 2007 in the Classic Handicap. Rare Spares would like pass on our sincere condolences to Bill’s family and friends.

A Car Is Born

In an age of automation, computerisation, Instatwit and Snapbook, it’s difficult for some of us, and impossible for others to remember that there are real people behind the products we use. Even in our beloved auto industry, modern production methods have meant that humans are increasingly taking a back seat in the manufacture of the machines we love, only to be replaced by a team of cheap and reliable robots. For those of you with a hankering for some nostalgia, look no further than “XA Falcon Assembly.” This charming mini movie from the early seventies takes place in New Zealand and shows the production of an icon of Australian motoring, the Ford XA Falcon. It obviously lacks the modern day Hollywood production values and cutting edge CGI, but that’s what makes it so charming. Real people with real skills making things. From the unboxing of the parts, the welding of panels, the grinding, bolting, sanding, painting, polishing, gluing, hammering and drilling. All performed by hand by people that had a pride in what they did and cared about what they made. Sure, the haircuts and the fashion sense may have been a little dodgy. And the commentary and background music could have done with a few tweaks, but that’s missing the point. The beauty of these iconic cars like the XA Falcon is that with the help of Rare Spares, a trip down memory lane in your very own hand made classic is possible. Whether you’re into Fords, Holdens, or the many other makes and models we cater for, Rare Spares have literally thousands of parts in stock to help you with bringing an old classic like the one in the movie, back to life. To find out how, head over to www.rarespares.net.au And to check out the "XA Falcon Assembly,” head to the link: https://youtu.be/7VUrNWRY7dw

Rare Spares and Men’s Shed Building Men’s Health Together

Rare Spares is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Australian Men’s Shed Association as part of Rare Spares’ commitment to Men’s Health issues. The new partnership will see Rare Spares and Men’s Shed work together on numerous initiatives to further the Men’s Shed cause. The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) is a not-for-profit organisation that formed in 2007 with the idea of using sheds around the country to offer men a comfortable environment to tackle various projects together, form friendships, break down barriers and in turn open up and communicate on issues that are affecting them.  “Partnering with Rare Spares is a perfect fit for the Men’s Shed initiative considering the number of men that use Rare Spares parts to work on their vehicles in their own sheds at home. We’re happy to have the opportunity to work with Rare Spares and look forward to the positive effects this will bring to men around the country,” said David Helmers, Executive Officer of the AMSA. “There has been little encouragement for men to take an interest in their own health and well-being. Many men are reluctant to talk about their emotions or problems and that means that they usually don’t ask for help.” Men who are struggling to cope with no outlet often turn to alcohol, take risks and suffer more from isolation, loneliness and depression. Relationship breakdowns, retrenchment or early retirement from a job, loss of children following divorce, physical or mental illness are just some of the problems that men find hard to deal with on their own. The AMSA provide opportunities to broach these subjects in a familiar environment. “Rare Spares is proud to announce this partnership with the Australian Men’s Shed Association. The AMSA cause is a noble one and resonates with our team. I’m sure the greater Rare Spares community will also get behind the initiative and make a difference to men’s lives across the country,” said Melissa McVeigh, Marketing Manager/Director at Rare Spares. “Rare Spares will be launching a dollar donation campaign online and in store at the Roxburgh Park and Bayswater stores to raise funds for the AMSA. Further initiatives are planned starting in early September with the E-bay auction of a V8 Supercar Hot Lap ride with Jason Bright, where the winning bid amount will be donated to the AMSA.” To find out more about the Australian Men’s Shed Association or to find your nearest Shed call 1300 550 009 or head to http://www.mensshed.org/ To find out more about Rare Spares head to www.rarespares.net.au  

Bayswater VIP Night

On the evening of Wednesday 19th August, the Rare Spares team at Bayswater, just east of Melbourne, hosted another very successful sales night. “Like our last sales event in March, it gives our customers the opportunity to make some great savings and we love talking to them about any projects they have on the go and if we can help,” said Bayswater branch manager Dylan Boyes. “We can’t wait for our next one in November!” he added. The Rare Spares sales nights heave become hugely popular with our customers and for good reason. A massive 20% off all Rare Spares products that aren’t already on sale would be reason enough to head on down. But it wasn't just the bargains drawing over 60 customers to this successful VIP Night. Where else but Rare Spares can you chat to an icon of motorsport like John Bowe whilst filling your basket full of bargains? That’s right, JB himself was on hand to mingle with the customers, have a chat and of course have a few photos taken. If bargains and sporting icons weren’t enough, there was also the chance to win some awesome prizes. A $100 Rare Spares voucher, Touring Car Masters Merchandise Pack and a Rare Spares Merchandise Pack went to three lucky winners. And with the sale running from 6:00 until 8:30, any customers feeling a little peckish were well catered for with heaps of pizza on hand. Four great reasons why the Rare Spares sales nights are so popular and four great reasons why you should head on down to the next Rare Spares sales night near you. To  find out where and when the next sales night will be, join the Rare Spares Rare Owners or Loyalty clubs at www.rarespares.net.au/register

Prospect Sales Day

Saturday 15th of August saw yet another fantastic opportunity for Rare Spares customers to not only snap up some bargains, but to also have the chance to win some more awesome prizes. This time the venue was Rare Spares Prospect, just west of Sydney. A Sydney SuperSprint double pass, a Muscle Car Masters double pass and a Sydney SuperSprint Hot Lap were all up for grabs, making the three lucky winners very happy indeed! Dean Oakey, a Rare Spares owner and manager for 21 years was very happy with the all-day sales event.  “The weather was with us and we had a good turnout. Plenty of people came down and the place was buzzing,” said Dean. “We’re really looking forward to our Birthday sales event in February.” If the chance to win some amazing prizes wasn’t enough, a huge 20% off all Rare Spares products was sure to put a smile on the faces of everyone that came down to the Rowood Road store. With the doors opening at 9, customers had all day to browse and bag a bargain. And what Rare Spares Saturday morning sales event would be complete without a sausage sizzle and a cuppa? Well, the team down at Rare Spares Prospect had that covered too. For a chance to bag a bargain of your own and be in the running for some amazing prizes, head to the Rare Spares website at www.rarespares.com.au to find out when and where the next Rare Spares sales event will be near you.

Aussie Muscle Car Run

The Leukaemia Foundation is calling for car enthusiasts to take part in its Aussie Muscle Car Run events in WA and SA this year and Rare Spares is proud to be a supporting partner of this wonderful event. This unique fundraising event provides owners of cars manufactured during the period 1963-1977 with an opportunity to show case their cars in a seven day cruise throughout Western Australia in October and throughout South Australia in November. The Leukaemia Foundation’s Aussie Muscle Car Run has been held in South Australia since 2012 and has been a huge success, raising over $1.1 million to support people with blood cancer. This year is the first time the event will be held in WA and the Foundation invites Australians to get involved in both events and help raise funds to support its important work helping people with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related blood disorders. The events are leisure paced motoring runs, providing Aussie Muscle Car owners with the opportunity to show case their cars to the wider community while having an adventure of a lifetime. “We invite car clubs and car owners to sign up and register for our events in WA and SA. It is an iconic event for car owners from this era and with places limited, it is an event not to be missed,” said Adrian Collins, CEO of the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia. The registration fee covers accommodation, breakfasts, dinners, motor sport, car livery, overnight security for the vehicles and more. Once registered, participants are then required to fundraise a minimum of $4000 per car to be eligible to participate. There are also places open for ‘special interest’ cars to participate (as determined by the event organisers). Modern muscle cars and other racing vehicles will be considered for entry. “Across both states, we are aiming to raise $500,000 from this event, to invest in the provision of accommodation at no charge for families from regional Australia who need to relocate to capital cities for blood cancer treatment,” said Adrian Collins. For more information about the event or to register visit www.aussiemusclecarrun.com or contact the Aussie Muscle Car teams on 08 8169 6042 for SA or 08 6241 1000 for WA.

Brisbane South Sales Night

It was Rare Spares Brisbane South’s turn to host its annual sales night recently on the 29th of July. Customers were greeted with the sweet aroma only a traditional Aussie sausage sizzle can provide, thanks to The East Coast Muscle Car Club, and the evening only got sweeter as the night progressed. With the doors opening at 6pm, the attention went from sausages to sales with a massive 20% off everything storewide. V8 Supercar Royalty and Rare Spares Ambassador John Bowe, along with fellow Rare Spares Ambassador and V8 Supercar Superstar Jason Bright were on hand to chat and sign autographs for customers. They were joined by Jason Gomersall and Ian Palmer. Manager and owner for the last seven years, Bruce Waldie was extremely happy with how the evening went. “The night went really well! Everything went to plan and with over 300 customers, turnover was great,” said Bruce. “The drivers stayed about 2 hours and appeared to have a great time. My wife Lyn looked after them. We were so busy I never had time to get outside until after the draws were over.” To top off a fantastic evening, customers, many of whom bought along their own cars to display, were given the chance to win a Double Pass to the Ipswich Supersprint, a $100 Rare Spares voucher or a Touring Car Masters Merchandise Pack. If you like your sausages followed by sales and superstars, find out where and when the next Rare Spares Sales Night will be by registering with us at www.rarespares.net.au

The Assembly Line

In May 2013, Ford Australia announced it would close its Australian plants by October 2016. A similar announcement from Holden was to follow, which put shock waves through the Australian automotive industry. With such massive change facing the industry, it’s timely to reflect on a cornerstone of the industry, which in itself has seen massive change; the assembly line. Henry Ford will always be associated with the assembly line, and although he didn’t invent it, he helped sponsor its development so he could mass produce his famous Model T, which in turn revolutionized the world. Before the Model T, cars were made individually by hand. This was prohibitively expensive for all but the very wealthy. Ford’s assembly line changed all that because the cost of production dropped dramatically. The very first Holden to roll off an assembly line in Australia was the FX at Fishermen's Bend on 29 November 1948. For the time, it was as cutting edge as you get but more importantly, it was affordable. At £733, it still meant the average worker would take a whopping 94 weeks to save up for one, however it was now achievable and this was all down to the assembly line. In 1948, approximately ten cars per day would roll off the line at Fishermen’s Bend. During the 1950s, the industry as a whole was producing approximately 160 cars per day. Fast forward to the 1970s and thanks to technology coming along in leaps and bounds, that figure got as high as 1300! Whilst technology, due in no small part to computerization has helped increase production, the actual tooling used in the assembly line, the moulds and presses that actually make the parts and panels for the cars we drive, still need to physically do their job. Understandably, these are very expensive pieces of equipment. The tooling required on an assembly line to press out a simple bumper bar will cost $200k plus. Multiply that cost by every panel on every model and we are talking serious money. With the industry’s announcement that it’s about to shut up shop, one might think it will be a sad day for us the car enthusiasts. Surely if the assembly line stops, the tooling gets put in moth balls and will last person to leave please turn off the lights? Well, not quite. This is where Rare Spares comes to the rescue with its line of Holden and Ford Restoration Parts (HRP and FRP), a line of parts, where products are built as close to the original specifications as possible and comprise the use of genuine Holden and Ford drawings and original Holden and Ford tooling where available.  Rare Spares has acquired as much of the original tooling as possible to provide its customers with parts that are as close as possible to what rolled off the original assembly line. The industry’s closure will be the end of an era and a sad day, however Rare Spares will continue to keep the restoration market alive with a continuing growth of parts incorporating the HRP and FRP range.

New 2015 Ford Mustang

When it comes to motoring legends, they don’t come much bigger than the Ford Mustang. Ask any car or movie buff for a short list of the greatest ever Hollywood car chases and invariably at the top will be Bullitt, the cult classic starring “The King of Cool” himself, Steve McQueen, driving the other star of the show and poster pin-up car of the sixties, the Ford Mustang. Released in 1964, it has truly become a motoring icon and now the legend returns with a brand new version for 2015. The new “Stang” started making waves before it was even built. "The buyer response for the 2015 Ford Mustang has been extraordinary," says David Blackwood, Dealer Principal of the Bayford Group in Victoria. "As soon as Ford announced Mustang was coming to Australia (in December 2013) our phones started ringing. A few customers even made deposits before pricing and specifications were confirmed. I've never seen anything quite like it." Indeed, when the first batch of 500 became available in Europe, they all sold out in 30 seconds! If you would like to get your hands on one, then be prepared to wait. Put an order in today and you probably won’t see your new car until next June, such is the demand. You won’t even get to see one in the showroom until December. So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, quite a lot actually. The new Mustang will be available in two variants; the EcoBoost model featuring the all-new twin-scroll turbocharged 2.3L I-4 engine pumping out 310 horsepower, giving you awesome performance (0-100kph in about 5.5seconds) with reduced fuel consumption. The other option is the 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 engine, putting out a whopping 420 horsepower launching it to 100kph half a second quicker than its smaller sibling. While sports suspension is an option in the US, all Australian cars will come with the performance pack (stiffer suspension and limited slip diff) as standard. The technical advancements found in the new Mustang are just as impressive. Keyless entry and push button start is just the beginning. Selectable Drive Modes let you dial in handling dynamics to your liking. The system adjusts its handling and response characteristics for enhanced control in changing conditions. Toggle between “normal”, “snow/wet”, “sport”, and “track”. Mustang’s SelectShift gives you the thrill of using a manual transmission with the ease of an automatic. Simply toggle the race car-inspired Paddle Shifters on the steering wheel to shift gears up or down, for smooth and effortless gear changes without having to use a clutch. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control System (TCS) work in unison to understand changing road conditions and your responses, reducing the risk of skidding, sliding sideways and over- and under-steering in corners. Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) balances brake force between front and rear wheels, while the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) prevents wheels from locking. And Electric Power Assisted Steering lets you adjust your steering effort between comfort, sport and normal. Inside you’ll find all the creature comforts you’ll ever need. From the fully integrated voice activation system that lets you use your favourite devices while your hands stay firmly on the wheel, satellite navigation system, customisable 8” colour LCD touch screen and rear view camera, to MyKey, where parents can program their key to restrict driving modes that promote good driving habits, the new Ford Mustang looks set to continue the legend. I think Steve McQueen would be impressed, don’t you? The 2015 Mustang ranges in price from $44,990 for the four-cylinder manual coupe, to $63,990 for the V8 automatic convertible.