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News
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Top New Items - 2010-02-17
After 2 years of economic contraction the brands around the world have been hesitant to invest in new product development - to the extent that even the large car marques themselves have withheld on releasing entirely new chassis's in fear of a lull in cash flow. However, we are finally beginning to see numerous new products hit the shelves as the markets around the world stabalize so we've picked some new products - released or to be released - to keep an eye on as the market hots up!
Defi Sports Cluster
A Sports cluster isn't necessarily a new thing - electronic dash boards have been around for 10's of years, but Defi have combined their racing gauge monitoring know-how with their stepping motor technology and an advanced display design to create the Defi Super Sports Cluster. Along with the Sard Stack, this is one of Japan's few genuine efforts to compete with offerings from the West with the added bonus of all of Defi's monitoring know-how. Keep an eye on the English version to be released but if you can handle Japanese then we would easily give this unit the nod as the preferred Japanese option.
Amuse Vestito Aero Kit
It is of concern when some of the more 'stable' Japanese brands keep quiet for a couple of years on end. Particularly when it's a brand that has such a loyal following as Amuse. But within the last 6 months Amuse have stepped up their offerings with a batch of new releases - from titanium manifolds and coilover kits through to new body kits - such as the Vestito Aero Kit for the 370Z Nissan. We'd even go so far as saying it's currently our favourite - though the Uras 180SX GT and Amuse GT1 S2000 are still right up there also! However it is significant in that Amuse is very much a top-shelf niche brand and such brands are the first to close up or restart when it comes to recession and recovery. The fact that they have restarted illustrates that positivity is again flowing within and out of Japan and ultimately our customers will benefit. 'A' for styling and 'A' for effort we think!
TBD - Blox Composite Intake Manifold
Soon to be released will be the Blox Composite Honda and Mitsubishi intake manifold kits. They will be cast using advanced composite materials which offer not only a lighter weight (reducing overall chassis mass) but also better heat-soak resistance properties and a genuinely enlarged chamber and bore design for the ability to support greater power. Keep an eye on our web site for release information - composite materials are now industry standard in aviation design and construction, so a move into consumer automotive markets on the back of successful uses in aviation is a positive and welcome move.
TDC - Toda Race Engine Blocks
Toda Racing already offer race engines to privateer customers, however in recent years Toda has been investigating offering new block and head packages for consumers the world over. This stems from the demand for high quality engine heads because of the strong but poor casting designs from OEM manufacturers. The Toda Machining shop and Finishing shop has been producing trial blocks and heads for over a year now and we expect public offerings to be available within a year to cater for the high demand in simple yet highly tunable last-decade engines.
Today we've launched our 2010 Stock Clearance sale in order to turn over product that has been on the shelves for more than 4 months. As the YEN has continued to rise, it is now viable to begin re-stocking items and therefore we need to rotate the current items in stock to make way! You can see the large list of specials (be patient, page load time may be slow for modem users because it is image intense) here:
http://www.fortyone.co.nz/grab.php
We will be adding more items over the next few days, but get in quick, these prices will never be repeated and most items are over 40% off!
New Brands At Fortyone Automotive - 2010-01-05
2010 is kicking off with a bang as we add to our exclusive product line up. This time round we have welcomed the full line up from Nismo Japan (excluding items which need machine work with Nismo - please contact us to organise this in advance) who specialise in providing aftermarket parts for the Nissan stable. Nismo, like the aftermarket partners of Honda, Toyota and Mazda, focus their attention on track, street and drift environments which enables them to offer performance orientated products for your chassis - tested and used by some of the premier teams in Japan such as Xanavi!
The second offering for 2010 comes from Five Axis Design, USA. In late 2001 the new Honda Integra was released and at this time Acura (Honda's US wing) released a custom designed Integra for the L.A. Auto Show. We loved the design and the wheels, only to establish by fluke in 2009 that the project was part of the Five Axis stable. After some conversations towards the end of 2009 we were very happy to organise distribution of 5:AD (Five Axis) wheels here in New Zealand. The designs from 5:AD are cutting edge, futuristic and advanced in design. Particularly, they suit modern Z cars, show cars and VIP cars!
Also, more positive news can be offered to boost your mood for 2010 as the YEN continues to slowly rise in a positive direction (part prices slowly come down) and the US Dollar again remains high. Because of the volatility of the YEN we would urge you to not sit and wait for it to peek as it goes up slow but returns much faster!
As a closing footnote, we will be somewhat 'closed' from 8/1/2010 to 10/1/2010 as expansion work here at Fortyone Automotive will result in a relocation of our office set up to another area within our establishment, resulting in down time.
Fortyone Automotive wish to extend our well wishes for New Year celebrations what ever you may be doing to commemorate the occasion. We'd also wish to remind you all to take care on the roads and look out for other drivers - there's no knowing what everyone else has been up to on the roads!
As a small piece of New Years cheer, the US Dollar and the Japanese YEN have surged resulting in (especially in the case of Japanese products) cheaper part prices for the start of 2010! Keep an eye out as we expect the YEN to climb a little more resulting in part prices coming down further.
Top 10 Products of 2009 - 2009-12-22
As the year draws to a close, we thought we'd celebrate what has been a tumultuous year by honoring the products which have stood out despite all that 2009 could through at them. The following products make our 2009 Top 10 list because their sales volumes, quality and benefits to our buyers have seen them stand out during the recession.
10 - Zerosports Sequential ControllerThere seems to be a disproportionate number of Subaru Legacy's in New Zealand - either that or the controller speaks volumes as to how well it performs! It is quite uncommon for an expensive electronic item to make the top 10 list because buyers generally orientate around interior tweaks, wheels and intake kits. But because it creates such a difference to the performance of the Subaru Legacy Twin Turbo people have flocked to buying it like it's going out of style. For this reason it makes our top 10.
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J's Racing Wheel NutsIt is quite a sight when boxes of wheel nuts arrive in shop here and we have to shelve them for storage. The J's Racing wheel nuts make the top 10 list because of the volumes they sell in. Priced nicely between the expensive Japanese options and the no name alternatives, they are so prolific that people often buy one or two extra sets just in case they lose one. They are light and strong, which enables you to shed unsprung weight without the risk of the nut cracking. Because of the volume sold, they easily make our Top 10 list of 2009.
8 -
Skunk2 Pro Series Intake ManifoldThe Skunk2 Pro Series intake manifold makes the list for a number of reasons - sales volumes, benefits, quality, simplicity. They are a particular favourite of our customers because they are proven to give you bolt in power and torque gains. Secondly, they are able to be bored out to a maximum of 75mm, making it possible for your manifold to be coupled with an aftermarket throttle body (see Blox, below) creating a powerful air flow combination. Lastly, they are designed to slot straight in with the minimum of hassle making them easy to work with and cost efficient to install. For these reasons the Skunk2 Pro Series manifold makes number 8 on our list.
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HKS SSQV Blow Off ValveWhen something isn't broke, you don't fix it. Quite clearly HKS have listened. In 2009 the HKS unit was by far the most popular blow off valve sold especially when compared against the Trust Type RS option (which is cheaper) and the Blitz / ARC equivalents. Despite being the most expensive on the list it's simple design, great sound and bullet-proof functionality means that customers keep buying the HKS SSQV Blow Off Valve over the alternatives. As we said.. if it isn't broke...
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Sparco 345 Steering WheelIt's not a surprise to see an interior item slip on to the Top 10 list because everyone loves to visually upgrade the 'office'. And it's not surprising to see a Sparco item on the list either because Sparco, Quality and Volume go hand in hand. The Sparco 345 wheel is the Richie McCaw of Steering wheels - always a solid performer, simple but aggressive in its approach, proven results. In particular, customers love the feel of the wheel - the width is aimed at quick lock-to-lock movement, the grip thickness suits most race drivers by default, and the grip levels are about the best around. We could have listed many other Sparco wheels, but the 345 wins because it was the most popular of the Sparco range this year.
5 -
J's Racing Titanium FX ExhaustThe J's Racing Titanium exhaust is what we call an Apex product here at Fortyone Automotive. By this we mean that there is essentially nothing compromised about its offerings and it fulfils many different needs all in the one product. It is, without spending $10,000 per meter more with Inconel, the lightest yet strongest material you can use for exhausts whilst also being highly anti-corrosive. It is also a powerful system - the straight through larger-diameter design frees up power trapped by restrictive systems. Lastly, it looks great - titanium always does by default! It's certainly not hard to convince customers that it's the best exhaust option available - primarily because of the weight loss (sometimes up to 30kg / system) - and the quantity sold this year easily nudges it into the 5th spot on our Top 10 list. Customers love them!
4 -
APR GT3 Race MirrorsCarbon Fiber to enthusiasts represents the end-game when it comes to material fabrication. What we mean is, when a product uses carbon fibre in its design, you can be assured that it will get no lighter or no stronger in any other form - game over. Any product (unless it's purely cosmetic) made in carbon always gets the thumbs up at the office here which is why the APR Carbon Fibre GT3 mirrors makes the list. Because they look great, have been installed on cars from Hondas to Sabre's to Holdens, and because customers love the looks they make the list at number 4. Light, strong, stylish and especially cheap when compared to other alternatives, the APR Mirrors exceed in terms of quality and quantity sold. They also offer aerodynamic benefits whilst minimising the exterior 'impact' of your car. Definitely recommended for low sports cars.
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HKS EVC SHKS released their new HKS EVC-S in 2009 and we thought it would be a smart idea to get in 10 of them to see if the market liked the new boost-controller / valve controller unit. We sold out in 3 weeks. Customers loved the step up from the older EVC units - the new design sits perfectly in newer generation cars with modern interiors. Customers used them in standard road cars right through to custom built track weapons and all were overly happy with the results. Simple to use and most performance sparkys already know how to install them! A great new offering at a solid price!
2 -
Blox Throttle BodyIt was never going to be hard to find a spot on the list for the Blox Throttle Body. It was always going to be hard to choose where in the top 3 it would end up. The Blox Throttle body has earnt a reputation amongst Honda owners as being a simple, cheap, bolt-in, never-stick aftermarket unit which creates power and torque - especially when bolted to the side of the Skunk2 Pro Series manifold (see above). But this year, Blox took the offering a step further and released it for the K-Series engine - Hondas current generation of desirable N/A performance engines. Again we thought it would be smart to bring a box-full over, and again they sold out within 2 weeks. Customers informed us the Blox Throttle Body it was simple to install on either B or K-Series engines, that they had no issues with the butterfly sticking (a common issue on poorly designed alternatives) and that the additional noise created (a deep throttle tone) was a nice perk when using the unit. And of course, peak dyno numbers helped cement the Blox Throttle Body in a Top-3 spot on our list. A great addition to any N/A Honda engine (where applicable) for those looking to gain extra inhalation flow and velocity.
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JUN Cam ShaftsIt was a tough decision between the HKS EVC-S, the Blox Throttle Body and the JUN Cam Shafts as to which one would end up in the top spot. HKS lost out because (and not to its detriment) it was only released after mid-year, meaning customers have only had access to it for under 6 months and therefore the sheer volume was not as high as the JUN Cam Shafts, and the Blox Throttle body lost out because it's range was limited to only Honda Engines (we pray for Mitsubishi and Subaru options to be released, they would be easily 1/2 the price of current offerings and would be one of very few genuine options for Subaru and Mitsubishi owners). Which brings us to the JUN Cam Shafts.People in the industry (those in the know..) know that on price and performance alone, JUN rank as high as any other. They also know that JUN makes cams for many other brands (which we won't be getting in to here) and can therefore appreciate the amount of work JUN does for the industry. What we know is that our customers love them - powerful, reliable (0 failures or issues in 5 years of retail!) and one of the cheapest options out. Few people know that when HKS, Blitz or Trust work on new Turbo kit options, JUN is always at hand to develop cams along side. This is why JUN Cam Shafts operate so well with other brand's turbo kits! Based on customer feedback alone (everyone loves more power) the JUN Cam Shafts would win outright, but we believe that reliability, price, quality and the ethics of the brand behind the name also factor in to the equation. For these reasons the JUN Cam Shafts take number 1 spot on our Top 10 list for 2009.
As we near closer to Christmas the special offers, Grab-A-Deal offers and voucher give-away promotions will come to a close. By the end of today (22/12/2009) all special discount vouchers will be up for grabs via online sales, Tell-A-Friend pages or hidden on random product pages. Because finding vouchers on our product pages is the easiest approach, slightly more vouchers are available via the Tell-A-Friend forms and through web site purchases, so bear this in mind when trying to secure your own!
Also, we wish to draw people to our updated Terms and Conditions. As a result of the drawn out recession of 2008/2009 (and, it's lingering affects into 2010) nearly every brand we work with - from ARP who make bolts, through to Toda who make engine components - now manufacturers many of their products to order, to their own manufacturing schedule. It is too costly for the brands (they inform us) to keep product in massive quantities on the shelves in anticipation of sales. As 2009 evolved and the world economies started to contract, the brands slowly but consciously switched from a warehouse-based sales operation towards more of a manufacturing-to-order role.
It is now common for many items to be made to order, no matter how big or small. As a result, our Terms and Conditions now highlight this fact and allow up to 6 months for the brands to produce even the largest items and get them to you. We therefore stress, via our Terms and Conditions, that you contact us first to establish any lead time or delay associated with your order. Whilst it is entirely possible (as is the case with current orders) for the majority of orders to arrive within 3 weeks, we have had to address this issue once and for all because of the increased frequency in which delays are occurring with seemingly simple parts.
As a parting word, please remember to keep safe over the Holiday period. We will be working right through organising orders as best we can so keep firing the orders and emails through. Take care and we'll see you in 2010!
Fortyone Automotive would like to extend a Thank You to all our customers, visitors and friends who have helped us this year as the World came to terms with the recession. Close business partners, friends and competitors have all struggled - some closed - as we wrestled with 2009. Again we offer our Thanks for sticking with us in a year full or turmoil.
We want to wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that all your hopes and aspirations for Christmas come true in the following weeks. We'd also like to remind you to keep safe over the Christmas and New Years period - there's no shame in being cautious on the road as the Party Season settles in, and there's every reason to be proud when it comes to making safe partying and driving decisions. Keep safe, and all the best for 2010!
Email Slowness - 2009-12-10
Sorry for any lack of email replies to our customers over the last 2 days - Clear is having problems and we're assured the resolution will be today. We can send about 5 emails an hour however, randomly (some go, some don't) so please sit tight. And, if you are wondering how this email got out, it's sent through our web hosts who are not on the Clear network!
Christmas Sales Begin! - 2009-12-03
Christmas Specials
We've kicked off December with some great specials for our visitors and members which include heavily discounted prices on FIA Approved race seats and JUN Basic and Custom stroker kits! As December progresses we will continue to offer items for sale which include heavy Christmas discounts. Keep an eye on www.fortyone.co.nz each day as we will be updating frequently!
Christmas Voucher Giveaway
A new giveaway has begun this month which offers buyers, visitors and forum members the chance to receive a little extra Christmas buzz by way of Fortyone Automotive giving away discount vouchers hidden within our web site. Each voucher is unique and can be found either by making an online purchase (discount vouchers are emailed, at random, to buyers), by Telling A Friend (at the bottom of an individual product page) or simply by browsing through our web site (vouchers are hidden on random pages, the first to report the voucher numbers wins!). Visit this page for more information.
Site Updates
A small change has taken place through the site to make it more visual and user friendly. After many positive comments about the new look one question kept remained - "have you done away with the red livery". The short answer was no, we just needed to find a way to incorporate it! Therefore, the updates you see now not only create a stronger brand identity but help to seperate the navigation aspect of the page from the results aspect.
Exchange Rates Settle
Good news for pre-Christmas buyers, the US$ has managed to claw back some of the large losses at the end of November and again sits at a healthy level above 70. The YEN however (after dropping to 59 in November) is back to near 62. This is good news for Christmas shoppers - the stronger the rates the cheaper the part prices!
New Package Deals!
At the end of November we added a new system to our web site which allows us to offer packages of products (many parts bundled into one specially priced package) in order to continue to offer the best prices available. Products packaged together a cheaper to purchase because combined shipping rates are cheaper, ordering many parts at once from the brands is cheaper, and clearance of products is cheaper when shipped together. To keep an eye on the packages on offer, please click here and if you have an idea for a package simply email us!
As the Thanks Giving weekend hits the USA the exchange rates have also decided to pack up and head home. After a reasonably high month with the US Dollar and a stable Yen, both have taken a hit - especially the YEN - pushing prices up 5% and 10% respectively. Further, the holiday in the USA means that any existing orders will be delayed by a few days until they return to work next Tuesday our time.
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