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It's in a similar vein to people fitting uprated/heavy duty bearings etc. They don't necessarily contribute directly to increased performance, but they do help the engine to last longer with the increased loads you're now putting on it. For example on mine, I have heavy duty main and big end bearings, ARP big end bolts, main bearing cap bolts and fly wheel bolts. It's also using replacement steel con rods. Plus lighter, higher compression pistons. Arguably only the pistons in that list make a direct contribution to performance - dues to the higher CR, but the others all allow the engine to rev much higher than intended, which in turn, with the cams I use, allows the engine to develop much more power than when it rolled off the production line.

Just did an oil and filter change of the Ferrari Coupe this week, total = just under £15 (thanks to Halfords 4ltr 10w40 semi-synth for £10 and filter from GSF for £4.49 delivered)

TotalKitCar magazine are organising a kit car show at Blyton Driving Centre on Saturday 21 September. I shall have a go at them at the the Donington show for you Scott and then follow that up at Blyton in September if they have not got their act together! To all that are going to the Donington show, I and my better half Rosie, shall have our (modest) gazebo at the Westfield park area and will be offering drinks (tea, coffee and soft drinks) at 50pence each and the generous donation of cakes from kind members at 50pence/slice, all proceeds going to charity. See you there!

It's a safety measure. Much stronger rod bolts will take the greatly increased loads on the con rods when you start upping the power output and revving the engine harder and higher than uncle Henry designed it to do.

Did work experience in the construction site office of a new major bank headquarters near Wiesbaden in Germany, many years ago. The plant rooms needed two very tall metal "chimneys" installing, c 50 m, these needed craning in over three above ground storeys and two basement levels. The construction company had the tallest mobile crane in Europe booked to come in, set up, and move the stacks into position. Months worth of planning, endless licenses and notifications to official bodies. The crane would need to park up on the curved main road running parallel to the site, due to the curve, and the rest of the above gound bank complex being five storey, there was one spot where the crane could operate from. For a month before hand, there were warning notices everywhere of the road closure, the polizei had it plastered with cones and no parking signs for two days before hand. The day of the job, some plonker has parked right at the apex of the curve in the road, so the main crane can't get in. I forget now what it was costing per hour to hire, but even in the early nineties it was eye watering. Fortunately, main crane, came with a smaller, (but still big) travelling crane, that was used to assemble the big one on site, so the site foreman who was an evil b******* at best, jumped in, got his lads to sling some lifting strops round the car and they moved it a hundred metres down the road. But the best bit; the access road was nicely tree lined, they found two trees with a gap barely wider than the cars length and dropped it down in there. The car was still there months later when I left to come back to the UK.

My favourite was when I went to an air show at RAF Mildenhall. The USAF were in charge of the base of course, so things were run in a very USA way. Most of the week prior, C-130s had been arriving filled with American food and drink (USA beef, American Coca-Cola, Budweiser, etc. - you know, health food ). There was even a huge burger stand called "SAC Donalds". (SAC = Strategic Air Command) I arrived and followed verbal instructions and hand signals on parking from the large number of USAF personnel directing traffic - all the parking spaces on the grass had been carefully pre-planned to maximise capacity and traffic flow. I parked up and the small young USAF lady in her dress uniform smiled and thanked me, all good, all friendly. But the guy now parking next to me decided he knew better, and didn't follow instructions, leaving his M5 parallel to mine but half a car length back so he could take two spaces, hopped out and locked his car. Not a good move. Young lady: "Sir, you need to move your car forward please." M5 Driver: "No. I don't want my expensive car jammed in that tight, something might happen to it." YL: "Sir, your car will be fine. Please move it forward." MD: "No - there's plenty of room for all the cars, me taking two spaces isn't a problem." YL: "Sir, parking layout has been demarcated to maximise capacity, and your car is taking two spots. You must move your car forward please, sir." MD: "No - I'm parked there and that is that." YL, in a very firm voice: "Sir, I am in charge of this area. You WILL get back in your car and you WILL move it to the prescribed parking space NOW, or I will be forced to move it for you, sir." MD: "No - it's just a parking spot! I'm leaving!", and walked off. I stuck around to see what would happen next. She got on the radio, and within a minute, four USAF MPs showed up. The young lady took her baton and smashed the driver's window, leaned in and undid the hand brake. The MPs then pushed his car forward into the space, the hand brake was put back on, and another car directed in behind his. A note was then left on his windscreen that said, "You were told your car would be moved if you didn't do it as directed, and it was. As you failed to follow clear instructions given to you on this base by USAF personnel, the US Air Force are not liable for any damages caused by your failure to comply. Nonetheless, we hope you enjoyed the air show."

probably be a close race against my 1300cdti company combo van