Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Ralph Mastroianni, 44, remembers the illegal racing in Monavale Rd, Manly, where the V8 Toranas would smoke up the tyres and roar through the streets."I'm a Holden man through and through," he says. "I just always was. I had cousins who had Toranas when I was young and most of the guys around here had Holdens."We used to go to Monavale Rd ... but that hasn't been happening there for a good 15 or 20 years." Mastroianni joined the Red team at the age of 19 when he bought a 1978 Torana SLR LX for $2500."It had been modified with a Chevy 327cu (5345cc) small-block V8 motor and two-speed Powerglide," he says. "It was in fair condition and I bought it because of the engine."I did it up about a year after I bought it but it slowly started deteriorating a bit as I did use it as an every day car at one stage." Then Mastroianni noticed similar Toranas were starting to fetch big money so he began to research the market."They were going for $30,000 and up depending on the condition," he says. "But the ones that were getting the best money were those in original condition. So I decided to strip it to the bear shell and I replaced every nut and bolt with stainless steel and polished it up."The first time I spent about $20,000 and this last rebuild cost me $13,000. In the last rebuild three years ago I put in an original 4.2-litre Holden engine and four-speed manual because I saw how much money they were fetching. That's what's on the compliance plates and I wanted to get it pretty much back to original condition. I got offered $50,000 and I have it insured for $40,000."But I don't want to sell. My son (Adam, 8), has claimed it now and I can't get my other son (Jake, 15 months) out of it. It's sort of an investment now if I ever get into any financial trouble and need the money."Mastroianni says his Torana is in "mint condition". "The engine number is the only thing that doesn't match. The compliance plate and shell match and are original," he says. "I did all the work myself and have a cousin who's a panelbeater and spray painter. There's no bog or filler anywhere in it."It's schmick." The main non-original component is the Cheviot hot-wire wheels (13 x 10 at the rear and 13 x 8 at the front)."They're not factory, but they are pretty much what the guys used to put on them," he says. From 1974, Holden made the SLR 5000 with a five-litre V8 engine. The only change for the '76-'78 LX was the trim on the seats and round headlights replacing the square models. Holden also produced six-cylinder models.Mastroianni says the 4.2-litre V8 goes well, but he can't use all of its power. "You can't give it heaps on the road any more. Twenty years ago you could have a go, but not any more," he says. "I use it as a cruiser. It's too good to take it racing. I just take it out once every four weeks around the local area."He's not into the street racing scene these days and can't understand young enthusiasts' fascination with turbo fours. "They're driving all these little buzz boxes now. I'm not really into them," he says. "They might go all right but I don't like the style of new cars."I love pre-80s cars and I prefer the sound and rumble of a V8." The Torana has more than 260,000km on the odo, but doesn't get much work these days."It's locked away in the back and takes me 20 minutes to get it out 'cause I have to move the dog, the garbage bins, the swing set and the other car."Torana SLR LXYear: 1978Price New: $4500Price Now: from $30,000Engine: 189kW, 4.2L OHV V8Transmission: 4 speed manualDid you know:  Holden produced 65,977 LX Toranas in hatchback and sedan body styles. Torana is an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly".Got a special car you'd like featured in Carsguide? Modern or classic we're interested in hearing your story. Please send a pic and brief info to mark.hinchliffe@carsguide.com.au

Shell has predicted that oil prices could fall to about $70 a barrel from current levels above $110, citing high volatility in the economy and energy markets.Australian petrol prices fluctuate according to the world price of oil and are currently soaring over $1.50 a litre.Royal Dutch Shell boss Peter Voser revealed that 2011 profits rose 54 per cent last year to $28.6bn, but said they estimated oil prices would slip "inside a $50-$90 range'' this year.He blamed "unprecedented geopolitical events" such as the Japanese earthquake, eurozone crisis and the Arab spring for a slide in oil demand and a subsequent drop in prices last year."The global economy and energy markets are likely to see continued high volatility," he said.Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) boss Richard Dudley says world oil prices will "always have a considerable beating on the price of fuel here"."However, what we are more concerned about is the discounting war by the two supermarket giants," he says.Dudley says discounting over the holiday period had blown out to up to 25c a litre, but had since increased to 35c if motorists also buy alcohol."These are just temporary discounting activities but what we are looking at a future where the independents are forced out and motorists will be at the mercy of a duopoly dictating market prices. We have lost thousands of index retailers over last decade and about 2500 have left the industry in Victoria alone. Genuine competition in the market is what we want."

Taking the special "GTHO" wraps off son James's race car for this year, Moffat declared the Blue Oval teams are ready to take it up to the Red Lions.Holden has won the past two constructor titles with 14 to 12 race wins in 2010 and a dominant display last year, winning all but four races.While no one is suggesting James Moffat is ready to win the title, his father and DJR boss Dick Johnson believe he is ready to go much better than his two fourths places at Queensland Raceway and Surfers Paradise last year."He's very brave just to take the family name to racing," Moffat says. In his first year in the main game, 27-year-old Moffat finished just 23rd, but with enough moments of brilliance to attract the attention of other drivers such as Craig Lowndes who declared Moffat the one to watch this year."That's a big compliment coming from someone of his calibre," says young Moffat. "I'm not getting too far ahead of myself and I won't say we will win every weekend; I'll just be building on my experience."The advantage this year is I know what to expect." He says his father has been "more of a help than a hindrance"."The only hindrance is the fact that people expect too much of me, which is only natural," he says. "The biggest things dad has taught me over the years are the importance of preparation and finishing." DJR preparation last year was thrown into disarray with their championship-winning chief engineer moving to Triple Eight and their replacement dying early in the season. DJR competed all year with only one full-time engineer.Johnson says the new four-car team now has a host of full-time engineers and they have sorted out the "technical issues" that haunted them late in the season. "We've now recognised the problem that was put into the cars at Queensland Raceway," he says."You don't go from being a top three qualifier to the bottom two without some dramatic change. It was a human error issue."We had a huge void in our engineering for most of the year, but now we have one of the strongest engineering teams."Johnson says his relationship with his former Ford opponent was also strong. "He's unlike the typical driver's father. He knows when not to interfere. He knows James is getting the best treatment possible."Johnson says the GTHO cover for the Moffat car had brought back a lot of good memories. "But it just shows how far technology has moved on in 40 years," he says. "The major difference is today you have more grip and stopping power."Those old race cars were basically road-going cars but damn fast. Today they are formula race cars."1973 Ford Falcon GTHO race carEngine: 5.7-litre V8Power: 224kW @ 5400rpmTorque: 515Nm @ 3400rpmTransmission: 4-speed synchro H patternTop speed: 225km/h0-100km/h: 6.4 secsQuarter mile: 14.2 secsBrakes: 286mm discs (front), 254mm drums (rear)Wheels: 6 x 14-inch steelWeight: 1524kg2012 Ford Falcon V8 SupercarEngine: 5-litrePower: 470kW @ 7250Torque: 650Nm @ 5500rpmTransmission: 6-speed sequential0-100km/h: 3.4 secsQuarter mile: 10.8 secsTop speed: 303.8km/hBrakes: 375mm discs (front), 343 discs (rear)Wheels: 11 x 17-inch alloysWeight: 1345kg

Arthur Goddard, 91, who was chief engineer of the first Land Rovers from 1947 to 1972, believes 4WDs will become victims of their size, fuel consumption and safety issues."They would use about 25 per cent more fuel than they need what with the wheels, weight and gears, plus driving the other two wheels loses a lot of efficiency," he says. "Their chassis is too stiff and they don't absorb a crash as well as a car with crumple zones."Cars will be a lot smaller in the future. There really is no reason to have an engine any bigger than one litre."Goddard believes the future for Land Rover is in the coming front-wheel-drive version of the Range Rover #aacEvoque compact SUV."The days of big 4WDs are numbered." Goddard was "discovered" by a Series 1 Land Rover owner working nearby in Brisbane, leading to the publication of a book last year about his engineering feats, called They Found Our Engineer, written by Michael Bishop.He has now been welcomed into the Series Land Owners (SLOW) historical 4WD club as founding patron. Goddard never thought such a fuss would be made over him when he was working on the first model in 1947."Our biggest challenge was to produce a suitable vehicle for agriculture and the army," he says. "We never thought anyone would be daft enough to use a 4WD with such bad fuel economy to take the kids to school."My family all have 4WDs. I'm the only one with a proper car," says the proud Hyundai Excel owner who has never owned one of his own products. Goddard says the challenge for the Series 1 Land Rover was to compete with the famed American Willys Jeep and robust farm tractors.He boasts that it was lighter and rustproof with its advanced aluminium body, had a 50 per cent stiffer box-section steel chassis, featured a four-speed gearbox rather than three and had a more efficient engine.Series models have leaf-sprung suspension, can be started with a front hand crank and could fit farming machinery to the rear, such as thrashers, ploughs and slashers. "I knew nothing about military or agriculture, just about cars," he says. "I drove number three off the line to the Amsterdam motor show in '48 and everyone was really enthusiastic."The British Army ordered 1000 vehicles. I shouldn't think they are selling too many to the farmers and armies nowadays."Goddard returned to the UK last year and drove some of the new models. "They are very fine vehicles, but they are more of a car these days," he says.Web: www.slow.org.auSeries 1 Land RoverYear: 1948Price New: $665Price Now: about $10,000-$20,000Engine: 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine, 37kWTransmission: 4-speed, 2-speed transfer boxDid you know: In 1992 Land Rover claimed that 70 per cent of all their vehicles were still in use.Got a special car you'd like featured in Carsguide? Modern or classic we're interested in hearing your story. Please send a pic and brief info to mark.hinchliffe@carsguide.com.au

The 1969 Dodge Charger, known as General Lee in the 1980s Dukes of Hazzard TV show, sat for 23 years in a junkyard in Atlanta until it was discovered in 2001. The car had been wrecked in the opening credits of the show where it was seen jumping over a Hazzard Country police car. The V8 Charger was restored to its pre-jump condition and recently bought by PGA Tour golfer Bubba Watson at an auction in Arizona. It was one of several cars used in the TV show in chases and stunts. One of the features of the car was that it had the doors welded shut, so the Duke cousins Bo and Luke had to climb in and out through the windows. It also featured a large Confederate flag on the roof and the horn played the melody from the first line of the Southern "anthem" Dixie. Its name is a reference to Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the idea came from famous bootlegger Jerry Rushing's car, which was named after Lee's favorite horse, Traveller. The car appeared in all but one Dukes of Hazzard episode.

The slot is the one vacated by Development Series dominator Andrew Thompson who is without a full-time drive for 2012. His position in the Triple Eight Race Engineering car will be occupied by British Formula Ford champion Scott Pye who has never raced in a car with a roof. "There's going to be a lot of outside pressure on me - more than from inside the team," says the 22-year-old Adelaide driver who this week moved to Brisbane to be close to team headquarters. "Everyone says the Triple Eight car was the best, but Thomo also did a fantastic job last year, so there will be a lot of pressure on me to do the same. "However, (team boss) Roland Dane has given me time to achieve my goals which are no crashes, no DNFs and learn as much as possible."  Dane yesterday announced Pye has been signed to a two-year deal with Triple Eight. "For Scott there is a two-year program because he has to learn the circuits as well as the championship," Dane says.  Pye has only raced at Queensland Raceway and Winton and will have to learn the other five circuits, including Bathurst. His lesson on Mt Panorama begins at the end of this month when he shares a Holden Astra VR-X in the Bathurst 12 Hour race. It will come just two days after his first test in a V8 Commodore at Queensland Raceway. "It will be completelty different to what I'm used to so I'm keeping an open mind and will listen to the engineers and Craig (Lowndes) and Jamie (Whincup)," he says. "But at the end of the day it's another race car that still does the same sort of things so you like to think you can adapt fairly easily." Dane says Thompson, who won the Development Series by almost 30 points, achieved his goals in 2011 and had to move on.  "When he came to us it was to do the enduro drives with Jamie and that expanded into the Development Series which he was expected to win and dominate, which he did," Dane says. "He did everything he should have done but in his situation with his epxerience he couldn't really do it again. It doesn't make sense. "I expected him to end up with a full-time drive in the main series this year. There are about two drives still left, but he's said he's not going to drive full time this year." Dane says Pye will not be expected to co-drive in the V8 endurance rounds as Thompson did last year. "We will announce our enduro pairings next week," he says. DEVELOPMENT SERIES  

He topped a Continental Tyres poll of British celebrities rated as the worst to share a 4x4 drive across the Sahara Desert. It's no wonder, given his proven lack of mechanical skills in Top Gear adventures and his controversial comments which have recently got him into trouble with the Indian and Mexican government for racial slurs and British public service workers after he suggested they be shot for striking. He was followed by model Katie Price, the former partner of Australian singer Peter Andre. Third was British Prime Minister David Cameron. Surprisingly, Formula One champion driver Lewis Hamilton scraped into the top 10. The survey of 2000 British drivers found that three our of four drivers would rather take a family member than a celebrity and valued a good sense of humour over driving and surviving skills. The tyre company is conducting a competition to find drivers for an epic trip in a Hummer across the Sahara Desert. Top 10 worst celebs to go on driving adventure with: Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear host Katie Price, model David Cameron, UK PM Kate Moss, super-thin supermodel Carol Vorderman, UK TV game show host Christine Bleakley, UK TV presenter Nick Clegg, UK politician Madonna, pop singer Simon Cowell, TV show host Lewis Hamilton, F1 champ.

Dick Johnson yesterday said reducing the tolerance of Queensland speed cameras to match the rest of Australia at about 3km/h over would "not save one life or stop one accident"."This is just another typical example of 'let's look as if we're doing something'," Johnson said. "They won't change the road toll over night with one stroke of a pen."Allan Moffat, who admits to being snapped by a speed camera at 43km/h in a 40 zone in Victoria, agrees that low speed tolerances won't reduce the road toll.The former Ford opponents are not only united on the speed camera issue, but also by Moffat's son, james, who now races for the Dick Johnson Racing team. They suggest that training young people in road safety before they learn to drive is the key to reducing the carnage."The only way they will change the road toll is to start teaching kids at eight years old about the dangers," Johnson said. "This won't be fixed over night; it will take a generation to fix."We need to use the internet and social media to educate them." Moffat believes road safety education should be "drilled into them" from the early teens."We need to bombard the youngsters that it's not a joke driving a car; it's serious," Moffat said. "Unfortunately governments don't want to have the responsibility or spend the money to do something about it."Johnson said he had worked with the police and governments for many years on road safety, but was yet to see his education plans put into action."I had a program that was ticked off by John Howard, but the bureaucrats thought it was too expensive; not for the government but for learners," he said. "The problem is people spend more money on their pets than on their kids and keeping them safe."Their comments follow calls by Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety research officer David Soole to drop the speed camera tolerance level after community consultation.

The Brisbane boat manufacturers, the Haines Group, has just launched its first caravan, the Seachange 640 Elite from $95,000. Marketing manager Martin Beeson says the company last year decided to enter the recreational vehicle market.  "We looked at industries where our expertise and existing manufacturing techniques could be easily transferred," he says. Greg Haines, son of founder John, says their decision has recession-proofed their business.  "The boat industry is down at the moment because of the economy, but when times are tough, people stay home and want to have cheaper holidays like caravanning," he says.  "The annual market for caravans is also opposite to boats. It starts about March and boat sales pick up in summer." The idea for a caravan came from their uncle who runs the Ipswich dealership.  "He asked us to build a van because of customer demand," Haines says. "We're now getting our boat customers wanting caravans because they know our reputation in the marine industry."  Haines is now the only boat builder in Australia also making vans. "It's similar skill set to making boats and we already have all the tools and machinery to do it." The Seachange 640 Elite is the result of a consultation program with caravan dealers, says Beeson.  "Once we had the long list of design features - the `must-have' list and the `must-not-have' list - we set about creating the model you see today," he says.  All major components are made at the company's Wacol factory, including the welded chassis, upholstery, cabinetry, walls, roof and shower cubicle. Parts and fittings are outsourced to other companies.  "One of the most crucial elements, the suspension and shock absorbers, are from proven suppliers to the caravan industry," says Beeson. The 6.4m Sheachange can be customised to order and its most impressive feature is the headroom.  Haines says he believes they can sell about 50 in a full year. The next caravan will be a smaller 5.5m caravan with a lightweight chassis so it can be towed by smaller vehicles. Haines says their customers also want the caravans to have off-road capability, so they have provided high clearance and a tough chassis and suspension.  Haines has caravan dealers in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, but is keen on spreading to other states. The Haines family began their marine business in the 1960s. Current brands manufactured or distributed by Haines include Signature boats, Traveller boats, Seafarer boats, Designer Stainless, Suzuki marine outboards and Walker Bay inflatables.

The feuding Teutul family of the TV show have built the Siemens-powered eChopper that will be a highlight of the Pacific2012 Maritime Exposition at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. While electric cars are only just starting to hit the market, electric scooters and bikes have been around for a few years, some of which are faster than an Enzo Ferrari. The eChopper is one of three built by the famed Orange County Choppers of New York. It uses the same technology found in submarines and naval ships. The eChopper has a top speed of 160km/h, range of 100km and the rotor blades on its wheels are designed to mirror wind and gas turbine blades. Siemens engaged with OCC to demonstrate their green technology credentials, including power electronics and battery management systems, says Siemens Australia VP David Keenan. The technology is suitable for high-performance motors or trains for the mobility industry, he says. "Siemens eChopper reinforces our Picture the Future of Mobility research, in that electric technology is a viable and sustainable fuel source for commercial ships and naval vessels providing defence, naval and maritime industries with significant productivity benefits and financial advantages,'' he says. Presumably all that white bodywork is just waiting for a tribal tattoo paint job. Or maybe a scroll with ‘death before diesel’. eChopper Top speed: 160km/h Range: 100km Dimensions: 2800 x 1200 x 1000 mm (LxWxH) Total weight: 318kg Battery: DieHard AGM, 72 V Brakes: hydraulic discs Tyres: 120/70 H21, 300/35 VR18 Lighting: LED lamps from Osram Sylvania (subsidiary of Siemens)