In response to customer demand, leading suspension specialists GAZ has now produced a double adjustable coilover race damper specifically for Hillman Imps used in competition or for serious track day use where extra damper adjusting parameters are required.
The body of the dampers sport two multi point adjustable control knobs, a blue one for the bump and a red one for the rebound adjustment.
Although these are brand new dampers they include all the popular GAZ features. They are manufactured from high tensile alloy with induction hardened piston rods, are filled with high viscosity index fluid to help prevent fade and have an internal gas cell to alleviate cavitation.
GAZ dampers come with the option of self lubricating spherical bearings and progressive bump stops. GAZ Double Adjustable Coilover Shock Absorbers are available in a range of body diameters, strokes and lengths. Springs can be supplied with a rate appropriate to the intended use. Front dampers (TA 2251) have ride height adjustment by means of a threaded spring platform. Rear dampers (TA 2253) have a lower than stock ride height.
The complete kit of dampers and springs has a RRP of £965.00 + carriage & VAT.
For further details visit the GAZ website: www.gazshocks.com
Here’s a way to extract some extra performance from the five bearing ‘B’ Series 1800cc engine as used in the 1968-1980 MGB without making any modifications to the engine internals.
A Fidanza lightweight flywheel can easily be installed when you replace the clutch and will bring the following benefits:
• Faster throttle response and quicker acceleration • Additional horsepower to the wheels (reduced parasitic losses) • Smoother, faster shifting • Easier braking, better slowing (due to reduced rotational mass) • Reduced clutch wear and improved efficiency (from better heat dissipation) • Cost savings and longevity (thanks to Fidanza’s replaceable green friction plate – no need to replace entire flywheel when worn) • Potential for increased fuel economy (if you can keep your foot off the gas!) • Quality and reliability (made in the USA from top grade materials)
The Fidanza flywheel incorporates a 127 tooth ring gear and is suitable for the 4-Synchro gearbox.
It can be ordered as part number 126801 and retails at USD $405.38 plus ship-ping and tax.
For more information on Fidanza’s aluminium flywheels, adjustable cam gears, premium clutches and other great products, or to find a dealer in your area, visit www.fidanza.com
Purchase directly from www.fidanza.com as part number 126801
Winter’s on its way. Time to check or change your antifreeze! Before you do, though, make sure your cooling system is in tip-top condition by flushing out all the rust debris and mineral deposits left behind from the radiator core and hose lines with DEI’s Radiator Relief™ Cooling System Flush.
Radiator Relief™ Cooling System Flush is a concentrated cleansing agent that effectively removes rust and mineral deposits left behind in the radiator core and hose lines. This advanced treatment also dissolves oily residue build-up left behind in old anti-freeze and coolant mixtures due to external contaminants. Radiator Relief™ Cooling System Flush helps maintain optimum efficiency and prevent cylinder head corrosion on both alloy and cast iron heads.
Now you’ve restored the efficiency of your cooling system, give it a boost with DEI’s Heater Hotter™.
Heater Hotter™ is formulated specifically to accelerate the transfer of heat from the engine to the cooling system in cold conditions and thereby reduce engine wear.
Heater Hotter’s™ unique formula allows your vehicle’s heater to warm up 50% faster in even sub-zero temperatures and is safe to mix with all types of anti-freeze. Simply add to the radiator. Winter driving will be more comfortable and safer when the heater reaches temperature faster and the windows demist quicker. Minimise engine wear is an added bonus.
Order DEI Radiator Relief™ Cooling System Flush as part number 040202 and DEI Heater Hotter™ as part number 040206 . Both have a recommended retail price of £10.94 inc. VAT per 473ml bottle. Available in the UK from www.demon-tweeks.com.
For more information about this and DEI’s complete line of performance heat and sound control products, visit www.DesignEngineering.com.
To keep up with the very latest DEI product introductions and company news connect with DEI on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to DEI’s You Tube channel.
Burton Power is pleased to announce it can now offer its own fully reconditioned Type 9 (also referred to as a ‘Type N’ gearbox in some workshop manuals) Five-Speed gearbox as an outright sale; no exchange is required.
The gearbox comes with standard gear ratios: 3.65/1.97/1.37/1:1/0.82 and is suitable for Ford Sierra and similar Ford four cylinder engines requiring a short input shaft.
It was an original fitment in the following: Ford Capri Mk3 1.6/2.0 02/1983-1986 Ford Granada Mk2 2.0 1983-1985 Ford Granada/Scorpio Mk3 2.0 1985-1988 Ford Sierra 1.6/1.8/2.0 1983-1988 Ford Transit Mk3 2.0 1985-1988
This was Ford’s first rear-wheel-drive five-speed box, based on the four-speed Type E. It features a cast iron main case with an alloy tail housing. This gearbox is the most commonly used for five-speed conversions on older vehicles, not just for classic Fords but also for other classic makes such as MG and Triumph as well as kit cars.
Order as part number GBT9150 at £1,416.00 inc. VAT
for further details contact Burton Power on 0208 554 2281 www.burtonpower.com
Burton Power has produced a reproduction of the Escort RS2000 Mk1/2 aluminium sump especially for use on all Escorts using an SOHC Pinto engine. As can be seen from the photograph additional clearance has been provided around the crossmember and steering rack.
In the process of reproducing this sump, Burton has also redesigned the baffle so that it provides far more protection from oil surge than the original version. The modified baffle has been configured to keep oil surrounding the pick-up at all times, especially under much more extreme conditions than those for which the original sump was created for. The Burton sump features a one-way gate that allows oil movement towards the pickup pipe but not away from it.
Kit includes: sump pan, baffle, sump mounting bolts, drain plug and washer. Order as part number FT655K at £289.90 inc. VAT.
An RS2000 pickup pipe (part number FT651) and a dipstick and tube (part number FT653) will be required – also available from Burton Power.
for further details contact Burton Power on 0208 554 2281 www.burtonpower.com
Team ABT Sportsline started the second half of the DTM season at the Nürburgring with a double podium. In the first race after the summer break, Kelvin van der Linde and Ricardo Feller made it two ABT drivers together on the podium for the first time this season. On Sunday, Kelvin van der Linde finished fourth as the best Audi driver after a strong qualifying. The South African thus scored more points at the Nürburgring than any other driver on the grid.
DTM Nürburgring 2022
Foto: DTM/ITR/Christians
Saturday was initially marked by thick fog and long waiting for better visibility. Qualifying had to be cancelled, the race started with a delay of almost four hours and a starting grid according to the championship standings – actually an advantage for René Rast, who started the race from third as the third-placed driver in the standings. The three-time DTM champion had his sights set on second place in difficult conditions on a damp track before he was spun around by a competitor. Two points for ninth place were a meagre haul.
On Sunday, things got even worse for Rast: In the hectic opening phase he was again spun around by a competitor – this time with the gravel bed as the final destination. Rast’s deficit in the overall standings grew to a total of 29 points at the Nürburgring.
Kelvin van der Linde, on the other hand, improved from 13th to seventh place in the championship. The South African scored a total of 33 points at the Nürburgring. On Saturday, van der Linde moved up from 20th to second place on the slippery track. On Sunday, he managed an (almost) perfect qualifying lap, which secured him second place on the grid. In the race, he successfully fended off all attacks from Mirko Bortolotti in the Lamborghini, who was breathing down his neck almost the entire time.
Ricardo Feller managed the second podium of his still young DTM career on Saturday with third place – much to the delight of several hundred customers and employees of ABT partner Scherer, who followed the race at the Nürburgring on site. On Sunday, Feller had to park his ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II early due to a brake problem.
Despite Feller’s retirement in the second race, Team ABT Sportsline reduced the gap to Schubert Motorsport in the team standings to 21 points. In the drivers’ standings, the three ABT drivers René Rast, Kelvin van der Linde and Ricardo Feller are in positions four, seven and eight.
The DTM season continues in 14 days at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
ABT Sportsline has signed its dream duo for Formula E: Robin Frijns and Nico Müller will compete in the German team’s comeback in the electric world championship. For both of them, joining ABT is like coming home: after successful years with ABT in the DTM, Frijns and Müller are now embarking on their next adventure together in the electric world championship. The duo brings with them the experience of 91 races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
“Robin and Nico were our absolute dream team right from the start, because they have everything we need for our Formula E comeback: speed, experience and the right spirit,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, Managing Partner of ABT. “If we want to hold our own against the big factory teams in the new season, we need a small and powerful team. And that’s where Robin and Nico fit in perfectly.” ABT CEO Thomas Biermaier is optimistic: “We know from our years together in the DTM that they are fast, true team players and share ABT’s passion. The fact that they both chose us, despite other tempting offers, shows how important the ABT family is to them and makes us a bit proud.”
Swiss driver Nico Müller raced for ABT in the DTM from 2016 to 2020, celebrating 31 podium finishes, ten victories and he twice finished runner-up in the championship standings during that time. In the sixth and seventh Formula E seasons, he completed 17 races for the Dragon team. He also supported the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team with testing and work in the simulator. “After our great years together in the DTM, I’m really looking forward to this new chapter with ABT and to my return to Formula E,” says Nico Müller, who lives in Switzerland with his wife and son.
Müller is particularly excited about his teammate: “And then, I’m also racing together with Robin, with whom I simply had a great time on and off the track – I think there are some good ingredients coming together that will put us in a good position for this new challenge. Personally, I still have a score to settle with Formula E after my difficult year and a half anyway, and I’m happy to have the chance to settle it together with this team.”
Dutchman Robin Frijns raced for the ABT team in the DTM for three years, from 2018 to 2020, scoring 18 podiums and three wins. He also competed in Formula E for Andretti and Envision Racing for six seasons, taking two wins and 13 trophies. “I know the ABT team and Nico from the DTM, where we had a great atmosphere in the team and were very successful,” says Frijns. “That’s exactly how we want to continue in Formula E. Of course, it is a big step for all of us and we will have to learn a lot and also quickly. But I have full confidence in the ABT team, which has caused a stir in every racing series in its history. It’s great to be a part of it again.”
On 14 January 2023, the Formula E World Championship will begin its ninth season in Mexico City with a completely new generation of vehicle. ABT was a founding member of the series and competed in every race during the first seven years. Its greatest successes include winning the first race in Formula E history on 13 September 2014 in Beijing, Lucas di Grassi’s drivers’ championship title in 2017 and winning the teams’ championship a year later. Still a private team from 2014 to 2017, the Kempten-based company was responsible for running the race cars for Audi from 2017 to 2021.
After an unusually long summer break, the second half of the DTM season begins next weekend. In a 14-day rhythm, races will be held at the Nürburgring, Spa, the Red Bull Ring and Hockenheim, before the new DTM champion will be crowned. René Rast, in his ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II, is only ten points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti in the Lamborghini. Of the three ABT drivers, Rast has the best chances of winning the title. Below we have an interview with the three-time DTM champion before the two DTM races at the Nürburgring (Both races will be live on ProSieben from 1 PM CEST on Saturday and Sunday).
The DTM had an unusually long summer break – what did you get up to? Where and how did the Rast family go on holiday? At home, in Bregenz in Austria. We had a fantastic summer. For me, a holiday is when I’m at home. That’s why it was a great time. I did a lot of sports, went hiking or cycling every day. I enjoyed the days off and just spent some time with my family. It was a very nice holiday. Of course, I also did a bit of training.
Right after the Norisring, your management invited all of the drivers to a joint fitness week in Kitzbühel – including Sheldon van der Linde, one of your biggest rivals in the title fight … I’ve known Kelvin and Sheldon for a long time. Of course, Sheldon is a competitor, but only on the track when we have our helmets on. When we’re meeting up privately, we’re good friends. There’s no rivalry at all. That’s why it was very relaxed in Kitzbühel. We simply have a good relationship.
Before the second half of the season, you are only ten points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti. How do you rate your chances of winning the title? It’s difficult to judge. Of course, it doesn’t look that bad now. But there are still four weekends to go. There are still one or two tracks that might not suit us so well – the Red Bull Ring, for example. We have to wait and see how the season develops. We always have to be among the front runners and not make any mistakes – then we have a chance. But I think it will be very difficult. The Lamborghini, especially, is very strong this year.
You tested at Spa during the summer break. What did you learn from the test? The Spa test was for us to gather setup data. We ticked off the most important points, although it wasn’t an easy test, because there were a lot of red flags. We had to compromise on what we tested, because of the reduced time. Hopefully we found out the right things and drew the right conclusions.
During the season’s final phase, there will now be races every 14 days. What will be the important points for this? Preparation is not as crucial as it used to be in Class 1 or Formula E. It’s mainly about maximising the weekends. No stupid mistakes. Getting everything spot on, especially in qualifying. Scoring points in the races is crucial. Don’t make any mistakes there either, don’t risk any penalties. Good pit stops, good strategy. These are the key factors. We are only halfway through the season, so a lot can still happen.
At the beginning of May, ABT Sportsline announced its comeback in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and now another important building block for its entry in the next season is in place: ABT Sportsline is cooperating with Mahindra Racing and will compete with the powertrain of the Indian company, which is also a founding member of Formula E. The two CEOs of the companies, Dilbagh Gill and Thomas Biermaier, have now signed the corresponding contract and at the same time agreed to work closely together on development.
“We are looking forward to this new Allgäu-India connection and are grateful that Mahindra Racing and its partners are supporting us in our comeback in Formula E,” says Thomas Biermaier. “Mahindra Racing and ABT have a long history together: both brands were founding members of Formula E almost a decade ago, have had many great battles and have jointly driven the development of the series off the track. Now we are continuing our journey within an intense technical collaboration.”
Dilbagh Gill, CEO and Team Principal at Mahindra Racing, commented: “ABT is one of the top-level race outfits in the world and we’ve long-enjoyed racing competitively against them. It’s an honour to be able to take our powertrain, developed in partnership with ZF, and support the team in its return to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Both Mahindra Racing and ABT Sportsline were championship founding teams and its absence in the paddock has been felt hugely. We look forward to seeing the team back winning races from 2023 and we are committed to supporting them with whatever they need to succeed.”
Mahindra is the only Indian team in Formula E and the first to receive the FIA’s three-star environmental accreditation. Founded in 1945, Mahindra Group is a multinational group of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. The company is a leader in India in agricultural machinery, commercial vehicles and information technology, as well as financial services and has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate.
In the ninth season of Formula E, which starts on 14 January 2023 in Mexico City, the third generation of purely-electric racing cars will be used for the first time, the so-called Gen3 model. “As a customer team, we also want to bring our experience from seven years of Formula E with over 80 races and over a decade of electric mobility at ABT Sportsline to the partnership,” says Thomas Biermaier.
Dramatic end to an exciting finale: After Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah had taken second place in the Extreme E event in Sardinia, the German-Qatari duo was disqualified afterwards. The reason for this: The safety belt was not fully fastened when Kleinschmidt returned to the track in the lead after the driver change. Thus, the strong performance of the ABT CUPRA XE once again went unrewarded. Al-Attiyah in particular was one of the most impressive drivers in Sardinia: In the final he completed the fastest starting lap of the entire week in the CUPRA Tavascan XE.
CAPO TEULADA, SARDINIA, ITALY – JULY 10: Jutta Kleinschmidt (GER) / Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT), Abt Cupra XE, leads Emma Gilmour (NZL) / Tanner Foust (USA), NEOM McLaren Extreme E during the Sardinia II on July 10, 2022 in Capo Teulada, Sardinia, Italy. (Photo by Colin McMaster)
“My lap in the final was almost perfect and was really fun against guys like Sébastien (Loeb), Johan (Kristoffersson) and Carlos (Sainz),” said Al-Attiyah. Once again, ABT CUPRA XE had clearly won the GridPlay vote of the fans and in return was allowed to choose the best starting position for the final. “I took the lead, extended the gap and handed the car over in first place – unfortunately then the mistake happened that cost us the podium.” Nevertheless, the four-time Dakar winner also takes positives from Italy: “We know since today at the latest that we can win races in Extreme E if we have a zero-mistake day. The car was perfectly prepared and great to drive all week. All this gives us extra confidence for the rest of the season.”
Sardinia was the first time that two races in the all-electric SUV series were held in the space of a week. In the first edition on Wednesday and Thursday, which set new records in the live broadcast on German television, Kleinschmidt and Al-Attiyah had to admit defeat after a hard-fought qualifying in the so-called Crazy Race and thus did not reach the final.
After the season opener in Saudi Arabia and the two events in Sardinia, Extreme E returns to the race track in September: On September 24 and 25, the Copper X Prix will be held in a mine site in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Then, on November 26 and 27, the finale of the second season is scheduled in Punta del Este (Uruguay).
