Jdm Parts On An Aussie V8 Supercar :)

[TheTunersGroup]

You can view the video of it in the V8 at Bathurst & Phillip Island and see what Neil Crompton had to say about it here.

Click on this link to play the video ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/Videos/Works_Be..._GTC_Video.html

[2rismo]

We were talking about this bit of gear at the workshop the other day and commenting that it was probably the best way to get tubby-guts drivers in and out of a race car. Great idea and a great product. Good job.

[GTS4WD]

Just another reason why Ingall is awesome!

[TheTunersGroup]

We were talking about this bit of gear at the workshop the other day and commenting that it was probably the best way to get tubby-guts drivers in and out of a race car. Great idea and a great product. Good job.

Thanks 2rismo !

Yes it's definitely a very well designed and thought out product.

Plus it's just great to see JDM gear on an Aussie V8

- Adam

[2rismo]

Adam,

What is the story with legality on this mechanism? Not so concerned about road regs but more FIA stuff. I guess if it was allowed in V8 Supercar, GTC cars etc then it's going to be rated for this type of use and also for high g-force incidents but just wanted to be sure.

Cheers,

Adrian

[TheTunersGroup]

Adam,

What is the story with legality on this mechanism? Not so concerned about road regs but more FIA stuff. I guess if it was allowed in V8 Supercar, GTC cars etc then it's going to be rated for this type of use and also for high g-force incidents but just wanted to be sure.

Cheers,

Adrian

Hi Adrian,

We have some info about that on the Rapfix GTC-R product info page on our site ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/Online_Store/Wo...lt_System.html 

[2rismo]

All great information. Thanks.

I suppose the most relevant part for race cars will be the general FIA approval. Should make for less dramas with CAMS/ANDRA in the interim, anyway.

[TheTunersGroup]

All great information. Thanks.

I just received this from the technical department at ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association) http://www.andra.com.au ...

"The ANDRA Rulebook does not have a great deal on steering ...

 

The following is out of the current ANDRA Rulebook:

 

4.3.3 Steering

Each car’s steering system may be inspected to determine its condition and must be considered safe by the Scrutineer/Auditor. Steering wheel play must be at a minimum. Drag link and tie-rods must be secured and keyed. All altered or modified steering systems may be closely checked for insecure welds and faulty parts. All rod ends must be a minimum of 10mm (3/8 inch) shank diameter, except in Junior Dragster where a minimum of 8mm (5/16 inch) will be permitted. The use of rod ends using grease nipples, or not suitable for racing applications for any other reason will not be permitted. The use of female rod ends is not permitted except in the installation of rack and pinion steering where a rod end is used to replace the original ball joint and no welding is involved. Rod ends must be installed with flat washers to prevent bearing pullout. All steering boxes, sectors and shafts must be mounted to the frame or suitable cross member and cannot be mounted in any case to the bell housing or shield. Any vehicle with a beam axle and rack and pinion steering must have the rack mounted on the axle with a universal joint steering shaft. The length of shaft forward of the joint must be equal to, and travel through the same arc as the radius rods locating the axle."

- Adam

[TheTunersGroup]

All great information. Thanks.

I suppose the most relevant part for race cars will be the general FIA approval. Should make for less dramas with CAMS/ANDRA in the interim, anyway.

Hi 2rismo,

We just got a reply from Japan on FIA approval.

Works Bell spoke to the agent of the FIA in Japan and were advised that the FIA do not have any rules on quick releases.

FIA rules are more about which parts are homologated for cars in FIA championships etc. FIA production car homologation is why you see "homologation specials" as in many cases FIA Homologation is all about homologating parts to set a baseline for how cars can be modified in certain classes of racing (particular classes where cars are supposed to be as close to stock as possible).

So it looks like regulations on quick releases are handled on a racing class basis, either by the national governing body, or in some cases the management of a particular series if that series sets their own rules.

We have sent detailed tech specs of all the Works Bell Quick Releases to both ANDRA and CAMS today for their technical people to look at (see the info that ANDRA sent us today in my earlier post). I'll let you know as soon as we get any info back from CAMS or ANDRA.

If anyone is unsure if you can run a Rapfix GTC or GTC-R in your particular racing class, best thing will be to contact the people who manage that class or racing series and see if they have any particular rules on quick releases.

- Adam

[Iron Chef]

Why do I feel like I've just read an advertorial...

[funkymonkey]

because you just have Kris

great device, good to see the V8 landbarges finally getting quick release/tilt systems that they've been using in JGTC and DTM for a while now.

Just gotta be caregul that the car's not moving or rolling when its tilted, otherwise it looks like you could get a nasty blow to the meat n veges/kneecaps.

[2rismo]

What are they worth for the glove-friendly release version and wheel? Bearing in mind I plan on winning the one on your site.... lol

[TheTunersGroup]

Why do I feel like I've just read an advertorial...

Hi Iron Chef, 

With the greatest respect, we are an official business trader / sponsor of the Skyline's forum (see the "Business Trader" icon on the left under our username), so the revenue we provide to the forum helps the forum pay their bills and cover the massive costs of hosting a forum this large.

The topic of this thread is "JDM Parts On An Aussie V8 Supercar" not "Buy A Works Bell Rapfix GTC-R Quick Release". The reason this topic was posted is because JDM parts being fitted to an Aussie V8 for a race like the Bathurst 1000 is both newsworthy and of interest to forum members.

Some forum members on a number of forums seem to be very quick to criticise anyone posting any posts which mention products they sell (even from official business traders / sponsors), but without the revenue provided to forums by companies like ours, many forums would simply not exist.

So arguably without support from companies like ours who sponsor forums, forums would have no revenue, and potentially there would simply be no forums. Unlike magazines, many forums' only source of revenue is from official forum business traders and sponsors like us.

- Adam

[TheTunersGroup]

We were stoked to get Works Bell parts onto an Aussie V8, and even more stoked when we saw what Neil Crompton had to say about the Works Bell parts on the TV telecasts at both the L&H 500 at Phillip Island, and at the Bathurst 1000.

You can view the video of it in the V8 at Bathurst & Phillip Island and see what Neil Crompton had to say about it here.

Click on this link to play the video ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/Videos/Works_Be..._GTC_Video.html

And by the way, Neil Crompton's comments in the TV telecast were not solicited by us - I met & spoke to Neil Crompton for the first time last Wednesday, at a product launch for another manufacturer which Neil was the guest speaker at, 11 days AFTER the Bathurst telecast. 

Morris & Ingall's team called us prior to the L&H 500 at Phillip Island wanting to get a Works Bell Rapfix GTC-R for their V8 Supercar. One of Morris' engineers had heard about Works Bell's products and they wanted to fit a tilting GTC-R because Morris is taller than Ingall, and Morris was having issues getting in and out of the car with the car set up in a driving position that both Morris & Ingall could use comfortably.

The simple fact of the matter is that when you are a company like ours that only sells the very highest quality products available, it is inevitable that those parts are going to end up on race cars at the very highest levels of motorsport, and when those parts provide a competitive advantage to the teams that use them, they get mentioned in TV coverage.

You simply can't buy that kind of publicity - the only way to get it is by making the highest quality quick releases in the world.

- Adam

[raps86]

I was having a look at this when i was workin at the mount and its a nifty bit of gear that would b money well spent in a car that has a race seat and a roll cage and would usually b difficult 2 get in and out of.

[TheTunersGroup]

What are they worth for the glove-friendly release version and wheel?

Hi 2rismo,

Our prices change regularly depending on the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar vs the Japanese Yen, but the current price is always on our site.

The version for 6-bolt Momo & 6 bolt Nardi road car style steering wheels is called the GTC. You can check the latest price on it here ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/Online_Store/Wo...ck_Release.html

The version for 3-bolt competition steering wheels is called the GTC-R. You can check the latest price on it here ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/Online_Store/Wo...ilt_System.html

I'm not sure which steering wheel you are asking about. You can check the latest price on the Works Bell Steering Wheels here ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/Online_Store/br...ing_Wheels.html

RELEASE HANDLES

The glove friendly release handle from the GTC-R, and the smaller release handle from the GTC are interchangeable, so we are talking to Works Bell in Japan at the moment about the options to have the 6-bolt Momo & 6 bolt Nardi road car style steering wheels compatible version (the GTC) available with the glove friendly release handle from the GTC-R.

If you look at the photo above of the GTC, you can see where the left side of the modular release handle bolts to the release lever, so it is pretty simple to unbolt the GTC's standard release lever (shown in the photo above) and bolt on the glove friendly release handle from the Rapfix GTC-R (see photo below).

This is the glove friendly release handle as shown on the GTC-R ...

So that way, we'd have a version that is compatible with 6-bolt Momo & 6-bolt Nardi road car style steering wheels but with the glove friendly release handle.

The end of the Rapfix GTC that attaches to the steering boss / hub has a 6 bolt (PCD 70mm) bolt pattern, the same bolt pattern as used on Momo steering bosses / hubs, so it can be bolted straight into any car with a compatible Momo boss kit / hub.

Works Bell also makes a short boss designed to compensate for the additional length of a quick release and prevents setting the steering wheel too close to the driver. Here's a photo of it ...

And if you have a Nardi boss kit / hub, Works Bell makes a Momo <=> Nardi Conversion spacer, so the quick release can be attached to a Nardi pattern boss kit / hub. The conversion spacer is a very useful product which allows you to fit compatible Momo bolt pattern products to Nardi bolt pattern products and vice versa.

Here's a photo of it ...

Bearing in mind I plan on winning the one on your site.... lol

Yep our Works Bell Rapfix II Quick Release and Works Bell Original Steering Wheel giveaway is still open.

Details on it are here ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/win.html

- Adam

[Iron Chef]

Hi Iron Chef, 

With the greatest respect, we are an official business trader / sponsor of the Skyline's forum (see the "Business Trader" icon on the left under our username), so the revenue we provide to the forum helps the forum pay their bills and cover the massive costs of hosting a forum this large.

The topic of this thread is "JDM Parts On An Aussie V8 Supercar" not "Buy A Works Bell Rapfix GTC-R Quick Release". The reason this topic was posted is because JDM parts being fitted to an Aussie V8 for a race like the Bathurst 1000 is both newsworthy and of interest to forum members.

Some forum members on a number of forums seem to be very quick to criticise anyone posting any posts which mention products they sell (even from official business traders / sponsors), but without the revenue provided to forums by companies like ours, many forums would simply not exist.

So arguably without support from companies like ours who sponsor forums, forums would have no revenue, and potentially there would simply be no forums. Unlike magazines, many forums' only source of revenue is from official forum business traders and sponsors like us.

And again with the greatest respect Iron Chef, your forum avatar is a logo with a business name on it, you have a link to a business in your profile, your forum signature is "I import cars. Want one? Ask." ... and yet I don't see a "Business Trader" icon next to your username, so you do you really think it's appropriate for you to be making any comment like "Why do I feel like I've just read an advertorial" in response to a clearly newsworthy post from an official business trader / forum sponsor like us who provides revenue to this forum ?

- Adam

Get off your high horse son - I support a whole heap of forums financially, just not this one. I actually believe that there are other ways forums can also be supported, rather than just paying money, like offering free advice, which I do quite regularly on here.

I was making the point because if the aim of this thread is to sell more of your product, then you'll probably fail. Forum members can smell advertising masquerading as a news thread a mile away. You'll do far better if the people who you sell the Works Bell kits to like them enough to mention it on here, and mention where they got it from. I have a Works Bell kit on my RX-7 and think it works brilliantly. The quality of it is excellent and I will quite happily tell others if and when I'm asked.

See? Free advice

On the topic at hand, it's probably about time Japan got a few parts on Aussie cars, seeing just about every track and drift car in Japan runs a Hollinger gearbox lol

Edited October 30, 2008 by Iron Chef

[TheTunersGroup]

I support a whole heap of forums financially, just not this one. I actually believe that there are other ways forums can also be supported, rather than just paying money, like offering free advice, which I do quite regularly on here.

Hi Iron Chef,

I had actually removed the final paragraph of my post before you posted your reply. If you want to leave it in your reply, that's up to you.

As you may be aware, there are currently some issues with various companies producing quick releases that are not genuine Works Bell quick releases, and there have been some recent issues where when we have posted in some forums about that, negative comments are posted in reply ... so I assumed that your post was just more of that.

So apologies if I misinterpreted your reply. I didn't mean anything personal by it.

I normally just post a link to this article in response ...

http://www.bespokeventures.com/blog/?p=1002

And then this one ...

http://www.tunersgroup.com/TunerWire_Live/...eit_Wheels.html

We had some success this week when we managed to have some quick releases which were not genuine Works Bell quick releases removed from Yahoo Japan.

Any thread in which products are mentioned which are sold by the people posting the thread are always seen as commercial by some people.

Of course many forum members on various forums simply don't understand that without companies like us who provide revenue to forums thru sponsorship, there would simply be no forums.

Any posts from forum sponsors are often going to have some overlap between editorial content and product info - it's simply unavoidable. It'd be ridiculous if we said ...

"Un-named parts from an un-named Japanese manufacturer fitted to V8 Supercar"

I have a Works Bell kit on my RX-7 and think it works brilliantly. The quality of it is excellent and I will quite happily tell others if and when I'm asked.

See? Free advice

Great to hear you're happy with it They really are an absolutely top quality bit of gear.

On the topic at hand, it's probably about time Japan got a few parts on Aussie cars, seeing just about every track and drift car in Japan runs a Hollinger gearbox lol

Yes I agree completely !

- Adam

[funkymonkey]

Sponsor or not, the rules of the forum apply to everyone, including those about spamming.

That said, I wouldn't consider this a spam thread, as it is genuinely informational (although since its about a particular product, the link dropping is kinda inevitable).

Keep up the good work, congrats on the television coverage, and thanks for your support.

[scathing]

On the topic at hand, it's probably about time Japan got a few parts on Aussie cars, seeing just about every track and drift car in Japan runs a Hollinger gearbox lol

How many race cars internationally run MoTeC ECUs as well? The "JDM yo" 350Zs in Tokyo Drift were running APS twin turbo kits.

Seeing Japanese parts on Aussie cars is happening a bit more these days. I was reading in Motor recently, and Herrod's demo ute runs Tein suspension.