Filed under: Luxury, Coupe, Aftermarket, Celebrities, Canada, Ferrari, Videos, Design/Style, Specialty, Performance

Love it or hate it, the bright blue Nyan Cat wrapped Ferrari belonging to none other than Deadmau5 underwent quite a transformation in order to become the highly recognizable Purrari we know today.

While wrapping a car in a different colour, texture, graphic or design may sound as simple as applying a giant sticker, the complex car wrap experts at Sekanskin in Mississauga, Ontario can be seen hard at work in the video above. The detailed clip actually captures the making of the Deadmau5 Nyan cat Ferrari in under two-minutes, thanks to a terrific time lapse video shot by Rick Skyler while the Purrari was coming to life at the shop.

Click here to play the video and then read our 15 things you didn’t know about car wraps. If you still want to know more or really like what you see, the Deadmau5 Purrari is actually up for sale too and the team at Sekanskin is always busy working on something new.

The making of Deadmau5 Nyan Cat Purrari in under two minutes originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Tue, 29 Jul 2014 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rolling Along — Pontiac’s Iron Duke. Also referred to as the Tech 4 or Tech IV.

Introduced: 1977 Pontiac Astre

Last Year In Production: 1994 USPS Grumman Postal Truck

After being stung by the unreliable Vega ­engine, Pontiac played it safe with the Iron Duke 2.5L I4 engine .

Compared to the Vega engine, this was a step back to an iron block and push rods.

But, the Iron Duke was ­designed to last a long time and give American drivers the low-end torque they expected.

When Iron Duke was put in the Pontiac Fiero for 1984, it got a bad reputation for throwing rods and catching the car on fire.

According to inside GM sources, a bad patch of connecting rods (due to poor metallurgy) made it past quality control.

The bad rods were mixed in with the good rods and sorted for length and put into sets.

Some engines had one bad rod, some did not — it was a lottery for the owner of the vehicle.

When a rod would fail (this was often hastened by hard driving and low oil), it would punch through the block, dump oil on the catalytic converter and cause a fire.

Specs:
Power: 85-110 hp
Torque: 123-135 lb·ft

Innovations:
• One of the first all-metric fastener engines from GM.
• Throttle Body Injection
By 1988, the Iron Duke had a roller camshaft, balance shaft and even a distributorless ignition system.

Other improvements over the years included new pistons, rods, crankshaft and an in-pan oiling system.

The engine was super reliable and produced most of its power below 3,000 rpm.

Some Iron Dukes still deliver your mail as the engine in the Grumman postal truck.

Why does this engine deserve some respect?

While many of the high-revving, aluminum cast four-cylinder engines of the 1980s have long been sent to the scrap yard, you can still hear the drone of an Iron Duke as it delivers your mail or being flogged by a young driver.

You can’t kill the Duke.

Source: Underhood Service

The post Riding with the Iron Duke appeared first on Engine Builder Magazine.

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Filed under: Luxury, Aftermarket, Classics, Canada, Design/Style, Concept Cars, Specialty, Racing, Performance

HIGHLIGHTS: Importfest 2014 takes over downtown Toronto originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Mon, 28 Jul 2014 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automotive Video Innovations (AVI) has announced the availability of a variety of new courses available this month. From building better communication skills to tightening up your technical expertise, a number of new courses are now available from AVI to help fine-tune your abilities and bring more business into the shop.

New courses available from AVI this month include:

Mysteries of GDI

Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines are starting to make their way into new vehicle models at a fast pace. Instructor Ron Bilyue predicts that in less than five years most new gasoline engines will be GDI, largely due to this engine’s fuel economy and performance potential. Familiarize yourself with this up-and-coming technology with AVI’s newest course, “Mysteries of GDI.” Learn how a GDI system works, how different manufacturers produce GDI, scan tool diagnostics, common troubleshooting and much more. Like all AVI training courses, this video production comes with a supplemental manual, a post knowledge assessment and a certificate of course completion.

Service Writing Made Simple

Service writing is the first-line of defense at any repair shop. This is where the communication starts and the transaction is completed. In this course, presented by longtime training specialist Greg Marchand, customer retention and loyalty is broken down into a detailed art form. Identify the specific types of customer and how to handle them, lean how to increase labor sales, the importance of the write-up process, internal relationships and everything in between to maximize your customer satisfaction and increase profits.

MACS Temperature Testing

Steven Schaeber from the Mobile Air Conditioning Society has teamed up with AVI to shoot a brand new HVAC diagnostic class that is sure to help you narrow down the root of any A/C problem. Schaeber uses temperature testing probes to test for the difference in temperature between two points of an A/C component. Components like the condenser, evaporator and orifice tube can all be used as diagnostic guides to bring you one step closer to a precise diagnosis. Also covered are expansion valve A/C systems that require a somewhat different approach but the same method. This class is available to you streaming online with a digital manual and in a DVD with a printed manual.

GM Performance

Take a look under the hood of just about every GM vehicle for the past 15 years with GM Performance presented by veteran instructor Wally Mouradian. This class goes into great detail about the way to research, diagnose and solve almost every GM system. System and diagnostic training is explained in the ignition, fuel, air and ignition systems along with PCM strategies and common trouble codes. This class is more than 3 hours in length and comes in DVD and online formats along with a study guide, knowledge assessment and a certificate of completion for online users.

For more information, visit http://www.auto-video.com/eb

The post New Courses Available This Month From AVI appeared first on Engine Builder Magazine.

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AVI (Automotive Video Innovations) is giving back to the automotive community that has given so much opportunity to the Florida-based video company.

To carry out that mission, AVI reports that it is pledging to give away 1 million dollars worth of training to students, technicians, shop owners or teachers with the desire to expand their automotive knowledge. The course is a collaboration of electrical and electronic systems education that covers everything from electrical theory to understanding circuits, meter usage, diagnostics and more.

“NO credit card required, NO surveys and NO hassle, just a big thank you from us to you,” said Paul Louwers, president of AVI.

Louwers said the courses are broken down into easy-to-navigate chapters and come with an online study guide, comprehensive knowledge assessment and a certificate of completion; everything you can expect from AVI training.

“Train online anywhere you have an Internet connection,” he continued.

Those who sign up will also receive free ongoing training tips, newly-issued training video notifications covering topics like ASE Test Prep, Hybrids, Diesel, HVAC, Management and more!

Simple Enrollment

1. Get Started Now: Sign-Up is free and the class is free. Click the link http://aviondemand.com/million-dollar-giveaway to fill out the form and sign yourself up for an exclusive AVI on Demand access pass.

2. Enter Your FREE Course: Either Log-in with your new credentials or existing users simply sign-in.

3. Comprehensive and Interactive Content: Go to the “My Courses” menu at the top and find your free class. Start viewing it right away!

Participants receive a satisfactory score on the knowledge assessment and earn a certificate after completing each course.

Click the link below to get started!

http://aviondemand.com/million-dollar-giveaway

For more information, visit www.auto-video.com

The post AVI To Provide Technicians with $1 Million in Free Training appeared first on Engine Builder Magazine.

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Spectra Premium Industries has announced a customer satisfaction warranty on its Mass Air Flow Sensors, Ignition Coils, Distributors, CAM & Crank Sensors and Synchronizers, effective immediately.

Spectra Premium strives to provide premium quality products and excellent after-sales support, therefore this warranty will ensure customers are satisfied with their Engine Management products. “With our recent acquisition of Rich Porter Technology, our combined knowledge of quality control processes, progressive engineering, and continuous improvements remain the foundation of Spectra Premium and our Engine Management categories. These rigorous processes allowed an effortless decision to back it up by a Customer Satisfaction warranty”, says Jason Best, Sr. Vice President of Aftermarket Sales & Business Development at Spectra Premium Industries.

Several key factors also facilitated their decision making process, including their state-of-the-art, fully automated manufacturing facility which ensures that all units are produced to OE specifications. The integration of premium quality material will ensure the consistent performance and durability of its Engine Management products, and a seamless transition towards this warranty.

The post Spectra Premium Engine Customer Satisfaction Warranty appeared first on Engine Builder Magazine.

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The aftermarket tuner car scene isn’t quite what it used to be, but Importfest 2014 continues to prove why it’s touted as “Canada’s biggest, baddest car show” (where “bad” is meant to be good). Taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Saturday July 26 from 12pm-12am, this late night car show plans to take over the heart of Toronto’s downtown core.

With roots dating back to 2001, Importfest organizer’s have certainly earned some bragging rights over this show’s long history with plenty of successful Toronto and Vancouver based events to show for it. Wondering just what kind of cars will turn up this year? Well, you’ll have to check out our photo gallery from last year to get a first hand look at what to expect at Importfest 2014 and watch the preview video below for more.

Importfest 2014 brings top tuners to Toronto this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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