Ignition Magazine New Zealand | September 2023

Classic / Member Ride:

KINGSWOOD HOLDEN

DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

Learn from four Members with a proven track record.

FOUR COMMON MANAGEMENT MISTAKES

And how to avoid them.

Puzzle game WINNERS

Parts Connection’s New Promotion

Capricorn Preferred Supplier, Parts Connection, is proud to announce the next round of winners of their ‘The Puzzle Game’ promotion. Each time you purchase parts from any Parts Connection supplier, you'll receive a lucky Puzzle Piece. When you get one, check to see if you’re an instant $1,000 winner or have earned a piece to use when playing The Puzzle Game online. Members have until 30 November 2023 to participate. The list of lucky recent winners and prizes includes:

EASTERN SUBURBS PANEL & PAINT $1,000

KEYTE AUTOMOTIVE $1,000

HUGH MUNRO PANELBEATERS $1,000

AUTOMOTIVE NEW LYNN $1,000

A big thank you to all Members who have participated in the promotion so far!

David Fraser Group CEO

CEO’s message

Here’s a question for you to ponder. Is “good enough” ever really good enough?

Is it “good enough” to fit that non-standard part when the customer has paid for a genuine one? Is it “good enough” for your best technician to regularly turn up to work half an hour late? Is it “good enough” to turn away a loyal customer because you don’t have the skills or equipment to fix their problem?

Whether any of us thinks any of the situations above are good enough or not, one thing remains true: When you are a leader, whatever standard you say is “good enough” is the standard your team will work to. As business leaders, we always set the level. The standard we accept is the standard others follow.

So, taking that into consideration, is good enough really ever good enough? Shouldn’t we all be aiming higher? Shouldn’t we all have our sights set on excellence?

That’s what this month’s Ignition magazine is all about. We’re exploring what it means to create a culture of excellence in our workshops. We’ve got articles with tips and advice, including how to avoid some of the common management mistakes that can so easily stop us from achieving excellence. We look at how networking can build our reputations as leaders in our industry and in our community, and what that means for achieving excellence in our workshops.

We’ve also spoken to several Members who have created a culture of excellence in their own workshops, to get their insights into how they’ve done it. These Members all have one thing in common— their apprentices were in the Top 5 Finalists of this year’s Capricorn Rising Stars award. They’ve all very generously shared ideas both large and small for engendering a culture of excellence.

Take this advice from Member John Edwards, of John Edwards Automotive in Queensland, for example.“Sometimes it’s just the little things, leading by example,” he said. “If there’s some rubbish or litter in the driveway, just pick it up. Let people see you care for your place, that you’re prepared to do the crap. When they see it, hopefully, it brings them along. Most people react favourably to that kind of servant leadership— leadership that’s not high and mighty.”

In other words, if it’s good enough for John to pick up the litter, it’s good enough for his team to do the same. It’s a very small gesture, but in doing it he’s setting a standard, an expectation and an example for his team.

Speaking of setting a standard – it’s always been a part of Capricorn’s mission to provide Members with the highest standards of support and technical expertise. That’s why we’re so pleased to have recently announced that we’ve entered into a joint venture agreement with Repairify Australia Holdings Pty Ltd (Repairify) to deliver advanced automotive remote diagnostic services to repairers across Australia and New Zealand.

This will help Members to be better equipped with the right connected technology to professionally deal with modern vehicle servicing across the vast and ever-changing Australian and New Zealand car parc. We’ll provide more information on this new chapter for Capricorn over the coming months, so stay tuned.

CONTENTS

David Fraser Group CEO

FEBRUARY 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023

4 2023 NEW ZEALAND CAPRICORN DIRECTOR ELECTIONS

Meet the candidates. Vote opens on 12 September 2023!

5 CAPRICORN SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Save the date of this year's AGM on 18 October 2023.

6 FOUR COMMON MANAGEMENT MISTAKES And how to avoid them.

8 DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

Learn from four Members with a proven track record.

12 A TIDY WORKSHOP IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Is it time that you cleaned up your act?

14 CLASSIC/MEMBER RIDE: HOLDEN KINGSWOOD

King of the road!

18 2023 FORD MUSTANG MACH-E AWD

Is Ford’s first fully electric SUV really a Mustang?

24 THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING AND COMMUNITY

Why we’re stronger together!

27 MORE FORMULA 1 RACES THAN EVER BEFORE

Your 2024 race calendar is ready!

2023 New Zealand Capricorn Director Elections and Capricorn Society Annual General Meeting

Capricorn is a member-based organisation and Member representation on the Board helps ensure Members’ interests are safeguarded. While the AGM is an important enabler of Member representation and allows Members to influence the direction of Capricorn, Member Directors ensure Capricorn is delivering for Members, reflecting Members’ interests and living up to Capricorn’s promises and values.

2023 New Zealand Capricorn Director Elections

From: Tuesday, 12 September 2023

To: Tuesday, 10 October 2023

This year Capricorn Members in New Zealand are invited to vote for a new Member Director to represent their zone on the Capricorn Board. There are three candidates from whom Members can choose: James Candish, Phil Saxton* or Robert Braun.

Members will be invited to vote via an email containing a link to the ballot or you can vote via the myCAP Shareholder portal. Remember that all Members - regardless of how many shares they own - have just one vote, so every Member and every vote is equally important.

*denotes sitting Director

Meet the candidates

The successful candidate will be announced at the AGM on Wednesday, 18 October 2023.

James Candish James has been a successful mechanical services business owner in Ashhurst for the last 16 years. He is known for his strong work ethic and community spirit. He has actively served in roles within the Motor Trade Association (MTA), the local school board and Parent Teacher Association, and as the Regional Chair on the MTA Council. His passion for industry teaching and apprentice training has driven him to address critical issues in this area through collaboration with local training institutes. Additionally, James brings an approachable personality and commitment to the industry.

Phil Saxton

Phil is a current Capricorn Board Director seeking re-election for his final term. He has also served as Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee for three years. With prior experience on the Board, Phil understands the Capricorn business and its cooperative principles and values. His skills in critical thinking, governance, strategy and cooperative knowledge equip him to make informed board-level decisions. Phil is committed to creating long-term value for Capricorn Members and has contributed to the Board's efforts in enhancing Member value.

Robert Braun

Robert is a passionate individual with a keen interest in building and nurturing people, teams and businesses. He has pursued self-education to focus on performance-driven strategies and long-term vision. In the rapidly changing automotive industry, Robert recognises the challenges, posed by technology, ownership and logistics and is eager to confront these challenges and position Capricorn effectively. As a Director, he will bring his knowledge, strategic vision and commitment to personal development to steer Capricorn toward a successful future.

Your participation in the Director Elections and in the Capricorn Society Annual General Meeting (AGM) helps ensure Capricorn remains a vibrant and healthy cooperative.

Capricorn Society Annual General Meeting

Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023

Time: 8am AWST | 11am AEDT | 1pm NZDT

All eligible Capricorn Members are invited to this year's AGM.

The meeting will be hosted as a hybrid event allowing Members throughout Australia and New Zealand to vote and attend online. We also welcome Members to attend the meeting at Capricorn’s West Perth office.

A key function of the AGM is the consideration of the items of business for Member voting. Members are asked to consider three items of business:

Reviewing the financial statements, the Director’s Report and the Auditor’s Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2023.

Ratifying the reappointment of Ms Donna Vinci as an Independent Director for a term ending on 31 July 2027.

Approving a selective share buyback resolution (explained in the AGM Information Statement).

More information for each item of business is provided in the Notice of Meeting which will be sent via email to eligible Members on Friday, 22 September 2023.

How to vote and attend the Capricorn Society AGM

We strongly urge you to vote on the AGM motions online prior to the AGM.

Voting in the AGM can take place before and during the meeting.

To facilitate voting prior to the AGM, towards the end of September all eligible Members will be sent an email providing a link to the myCAP Shareholder Portal, where you can then proceed to the Vote Now platform. An SMS message will also be sent alerting Members to the email communication. The same link to the Vote Now platform can be used to attend the AGM on Wednesday, 18 October 2023.

Members can also directly sign in via the myCAP Shareholder portal to access the Vote Now platform. Eligible Members can also vote online whilst attending the live AGM or in person at the meeting at Capricorn’s registered office at 28 Troode Street, West Perth WA 6005. cap.coop/AGM

management mistakes TO AVOID

Leadership is hard. Whether you’ve got one person under you or a hundred, leadership brings with it a myriad of responsibilities and a whole range of new skills to master.

Often, in the automotive industry in particular, our leaders are self-taught. Tired of working for others, we’ve started our own businesses. We’ve got busy, so we’ve hired a technician. Before long, we’ve found ourselves with a team of people and a range of management headaches and responsibilities our apprenticeship didn’t prepare us for. But whether you’ve learned leadership “on the job” or you’ve trained for it, it’s still easy to make mistakes.

Here are four common management mistakes and how

to avoid them.

1. Not encouraging open communication

Open communication channels are your first line of defence against small problems becoming big ones. Everyone in your business, at every level, including yourself, should feel comfortable being open and honest with everyone else about any issues that arise. The last thing you want is an apprentice who’s afraid to ask questions or a technician who tries to hide their mistakes. Make time for your team.

Be clear about what you expect from team members both in performance and behaviour.

Give staff clear feedback, encouragement, praise and guidance.

Ask for staff feedback, listen to it, and make improvements.

Share your business goals with your team (and get them on board).

Encourage the open discussion of mistakes, without judgement.

2. Not sharing the workload

When it’s your own business, it’s natural to take on a lot of responsibility. But when one person takes the bulk of the burden on their shoulders, that’s when mistakes get made, jobs don’t get finished and standards begin to slide.

Identify tasks you can delegate to team members (if no team members are qualified to do the work, provide training to get them up to speed—but DO NOT micromanage them).

Look for opportunities to outsource in the name of efficiency (for example, getting a bookkeeper to look after your accounts).

Look at delegation as an opportunity to upskill, reward and promote your team.

3. Not planning for the future

True excellence in management means being prepared for every eventuality—because things don’t always run smoothly—and planning for growth.

Have one, five and ten-year business plans drawn up, so you know where you’re headed. Ensure you have a fully recorded inventory and all your insurance is up to date, and have contingency plans in place in case key staff members leave or get sick, the power goes out, or a hoist breaks. Have a written succession plan so everyone knows what happens when you retire or in case tragedy strikes.

4. Not leading by example

The standard you set is the standard you accept from your staff. You cannot expect them to perform better or care more than you do yourself. Lead by example.

Set boundaries, have clear and clearly communicated core values, and live by them.

You set the tone, so show courtesy and respect to everyone in the business: your customers, your suppliers and your industry colleagues.

Let your team see you take responsibility for mistakes and make improvements.

Have a good attitude and encourage and reward a good attitude in your team.

Running a successful business, let alone one with a culture of excellence, requires great management skills. The great news is these skills can be learned—and it’s never too late to innovate, educate and improve.

How to develop a culture of excellence

A culture of excellence in your workshop is a fine goal, but how do you actually achieve it? What does it look like in practice?

excellence

To find out, we reached out to four Members who, by virtue of having an apprentice among the Top 5 Finalists in this year’s Capricorn Rising Stars, have a proven track record when it comes to excellence.

Define what excellence means in your workshop

Terry and Anita Seng run Paramount Automotive & Performance in Toowoomba, Queensland. They have three full-time staff members.

“Being a performance shop, we guarantee the highest quality of workmanship,” Anita said. “We’re working on $300,000 to $400,000 cars, so that forces you to strive to be the best—not only because you’re working on that quality of cars but because your customers expect it.”

This is a culture of excellence in microcosm— because the standard you settle for in the service you deliver is, de facto, the level of your culture. That standard is set from the top. Reilly Sanders is the workshop manager at Tatiara Truck and Trailers in Bordertown, South Australia—a business with more than 60 staff.

“Our culture is driven by a very passionate man who started the business 40 years ago,” Reilly said. “John (Jenkin) is 67 years old and he’s still here 100 per cent every day. He pushes himself beyond what anyone else would do. He has a huge amount of respect, but I think he also demands it, subconsciously. Everyone knows that he’s the boss and if you can be half the man he is, then you’re on the right track.”

Tatiara’s company values are listed on its website. The first one is “family is everything”—a point we’ll revisit later. The others are summed up in a mission statement that goes a long way to helping define a culture of excellence: “We are a successful, family founded and locally owned business that delivers a quality service, communicates customer needs, takes ownership in everything, commits to continuous improvement, embraces creativity and innovation, builds a positive team environment and is active in our community.”

How to develop a culture of

excellence

Model what excellence looks like at your workshop

What John Jenkin is doing very effectively at Tatiara is modelling what excellence looks like to his team. John Edwards, from John Edwards Automotive in Geebung, Queensland, also believes in setting an example. “My father was in business and I saw the way he conducted himself and the way that he was held in high regard in the community,” John said. “I saw it work for him and I suppose it carried over for me.”

For John, that can mean something as central as living by the company values, or as simple as picking up litter on the forecourt. “Sometimes it’s just the little things, leading by example,” he said. “Let people see you care for your place, that you’re prepared to do the crap. When they see it, hopefully it brings them along.”

Setting a good model also extends to the way you treat your team. John follows the golden rule of always treating others as you’d like to be treated, as well as that old Australian ethos of giving everyone “a fair go”.

“I think that goes a fair way to being a success in business because people like to be told that they’ve done good, that they’re important and that they’re respected. Treat everyone as if you can learn something from them.”

At Rees Automotive Repairs in Cooma, New South Wales, Paul and Kathy Rees leave their team (and their customers) in no doubt about the standard expected. “We’ve always said in our advertising, ‘Always get it done right the first time. Take it to Reesy’,” Kathy said. “We don’t do comebacks. We always like to make sure everyone’s happy when they walk out the door.”

Rees is doing something right: they’re booked up eight to 10 weeks in advance. Back at Paramount Automotive & Performance, Anita says the key to creating a culture of excellence is creating a proper sense of being a team—not just of everyone belonging, but of everyone being valued, respected and professional. “We all have a uniform and it’s a good uniform,” Kathy said. “It costs us a couple of hundred dollars for each outfit. But when you put that on in the morning, it makes you feel like you want to be the best.”

Encourage and empower excellence within your team

All our Members said creating a culture of excellence meant both hiring the right people and training them appropriately.

When hiring, John Edwards looks for soft skills, like empathy and communication. Attitude in the interview is also key. He said the right candidate asks questions about training or about how to treat customers before they ask questions about money.

At Tatiara, the onboarding process includes spending a week in every department within the business—from administration to spare parts to sales to workplace health and safety. It’s all about giving the new starter a deep grounding in both the business and its culture.

At Paramount, Anita said: “When somebody comes here looking for a job, we basically try to talk them out of it. It takes a lot of effort to work at a shop like ours, when you’re modifying things beyond manufacturer specifications. You really have to use your brain every single day. It gets a bit daunting for new people.”

If someone turns out not to be a good fit for the team, they let them go quickly. “The saying that one piece of rotten fruit spoils the rest really is the truth.” When it comes to training, Anita said it’s best to gravitate towards an employee’s strengths and interests.

“We have one guy here who loves wiring and electrics, so we’ve really gone above and beyond to get him involved in all the aftermarket ECUs and all the little tips and tricks for neat wiring and all of those sort of things,” she said.

They also make training a team-building activity. “If Terry is doing a Dyno and it’s a bit out of the ordinary, he’ll say to the guys, ‘Okay, this Wednesday at 4pm, I’m starting this Dyno’. Obviously, it’ll be a couple of hours so they might have to stay back late, but the guys are just happy to be a part of it and to be learning and to be involved.”

Recognise and reward excellence in your team

Having good, respectful and open communication channels between all members of a team is a critical factor to success common to all these workshops. It’s particularly vital in a workshop like Paramount, where creative solutions are often a team effort.

“We are very big on communicating—on keeping everyone updated with what’s going on in the workshop, what customers are expecting with certain jobs or when they’re expecting them,” Anita said. “If our team have any issues, they know that they can come and talk to us and we’ll listen. If they’ve got any ideas on how something might be done better, we’ll listen to it. We do a lot of brainstorming and I think that comes from being approachable and listening and being human.”

At Tatiara, as with all our workshops, part of the approach is to treat employees like members of the family.

“Anytime they need help with anything, whether it’s in work hours or outside of work hours, we’ll help them where we can,” Reilly said. “In the last five years, we’ve put a big focus into retention and keeping quality staff and making sure they’re happy. I’ve noticed myself, and having instilled it in other people in leadership positions in our business, that something as simple as a thank you can make a big difference. That open and honest feedback—a ‘thank you, great job, you’ve done so well’—it also gives you leverage when perhaps something hasn’t gone quite right. Then staff are also open to that and they look for that feedback as well.”

Feedback at Tatiara is also formalised, ensuring everyone is clear on their roles, responsibilities and performance. Feedback flows in both directions—from management to employees and vice versa.

John Edwards said he tries to encourage his team as much as he possibly can, even when there’s a problem. “If there’s a problem we’ll have a bit of a group discussion and ask, ‘how can we improve this? We didn’t do this well yesterday, we had a car come back, what went wrong? How can we all deal with it?’ It’s non-judgemental. We’re always trying to build a person up, not tear them down. Because it’s easy to tear someone down, but it’s difficult to build them up again.”

A tidy workshop is good for business

by Geoff Mutton

What is the importance of maintaining a tidy and organised workshop?

How can this positively impact staff morale, performance and recruitment?

Is customer perception affected by it?

Can a tidy workshop improve productivity and profitability?

Of the many auto workshops I visit as part of my job, some of them are immaculate, while others are so messy it astounds me that they are still in business.

The messy workshops try to justify their appearance by claiming to be too busy to care. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. I am yet to walk into an untidy workshop that is staffed by highly productive technicians. No surprise then that the most efficiently run workshops, with highly productive employees, are the tidiest.

An untidy and poorly presented workshop sends out a lot of negative messages to customers as well as staff. There are a number of well-documented benefits of operating a tidy workspace, but in summary, it can improve the functionality of the entire team, and pave the way for a smooth-running work environment.

Staff morale and performance

Nobody enjoys having to move in and out of the workshop space everyday cars that haven’t been worked on for months, or looking for tools that are never put away in the right place, or eating in a lunch room with overflowing rubbish bins and the sink full of dirty coffee mugs, or using a bathroom that hasn’t been cleaned for a month. The health hazards alone are serious enough, but staff morale and performance will undoubtedly suffer if they have to work in a pigsty day after day.

Staff recruitment

In the minds of potential employees, expectations of work environment standards are very different today than they were perhaps 30 years ago when an apprenticeship was a privilege. With staff shortages almost out of control in the auto aftermarket, workshops need to use every trick in the book to attract good people of any age. A messy workshop won’t help a recruitment campaign.

Customer perception

A workshop’s impact on a new customer just turning into your driveway begins at the front door. Even if they overlook the dead pot plants and the rubbish blown around in the car park, they may think differently about their decision to give your workshop a go when they see the mess in the office, and an untidy and unprofessional looking workshop. It’s not just the quality of the workmanship that they will question, but the monetary value of the work.

Like most things in a workshop, the standard is set by the owner or manager. If they don’t put their tools away in the right place, they can hardly expect staff to do so. Changing the look and culture of a workshop is never easy, but once the mood for change has been adopted by all, positive results can occur quite quickly.

Five

1 Throw out unnecessary junk and clutter

This is a non-negotiable first step because it reinforces to staff that you mean business and are serious about making changes. Included in the throw-out should be any personal belongings that lax procedures have allowed to accumulate around the building.

2 Get rid of dead cars

Workshops can often end up like auto junkyards, and keeping dead cars is often justified ‘for the parts’. So, use any slack periods to salvage anything of real value and toss the rest. Limiting car movements first thing every morning just adds more working time to the day and that’s got to be good for profitability.

3 Draw up a cleaning roster

Once the owner or manager sets the pattern, staff will begin to assume some responsibility for keeping the place tidy. Make a cleaning roster a regular routine, with staff having to sign off for each job done. If the budget is healthy enough, engage professional cleaners on a daily or weekly basis.

4 Give every tool or piece of equipment a documented home

Time wasted looking for tools is lost income. Every tool should have a home and the address should be documented so everybody knows where it lives. Give your apprentice this job to fill in during downtime and that will serve two purposes — the second one being that the apprentice will quickly become familiar with the tool inventory of the workshop and hopefully take an interest in its welfare.

5 Damaged equipment logbook

Damaged equipment is also lost income. Institute a system to encourage staff to report damaged equipment in a log, so that action can be taken quickly and regularly to have equipment repaired or replaced.

Don’t think of a workshop as being just a shed where repair work can be carried out. It has a much bigger role to play in the success and profitability of a business. It must reflect the personality and quality of your work and leave your customers with the impression that their vehicle is being looked after in a professional and competent workplace. Then stand back and watch productivity and profitability improve.

The business owner or manager must make the first move. It is their job to put the systems in place that will encourage total staff adoption, and my guess is that they will thank you for it.

tips that might help

KING OF THE ROAD! THE HOLDEN KINGSWOOD IS A VEHICLE WITH A LONG SHADOW.

Despite going out of production more than four decades ago, it retains a place in the Australian consciousness in a way that very few other makes can claim. It is a true icon of antipodean motoring.

In 1968, when Holden launched the original six-cylinder HK Kingswood to replace the mid-sized Holden Special in its revamped production line-up (a line-up which included the Monaro), it was available as a sedan, a station wagon, a ute and a panel van. They were larger, heavier and completely redesigned from the HR series they replaced. It was a winning formula and the ensuing generations of Kingswood models became so popular they quickly became ubiquitous on Aussie roads (almost 200,000 were sold). Later, they would introduce the “one-tonner” cab chassis, which would become a workhorse for an entire generation of tradies and farmers.

In 1971, Holden launched the second generation of Kingswoods, starting with the HQ. This was a radical redesign—with either 2.85 or 3.3 litre six-cylinder engines or 4.2 or 5.0 litre V8 engines, a coil-spring rear suspension and a semi-monocoque construction. It was a thing of beauty. Holden’s advertising told us the HQ was “the great way to move”, and Australians agreed. It became Holden’s bestselling car, with the company shifting almost half a million of them in the ensuing years.

As the motoring website classicrally.com.au put it: “The Kingswood was the car a real Aussie bloke would drive. A proper, big, tough, no bull kind of a car. You could ‘hang the tail out’ on a dirt road, and if you had the wagon, you could also chuck your kids in the boot. And your mate’s kids.

“Of course, he’d only had Holdens before — like his father before him. Of course, he would never consider buying a Ford. His Kingswood was a much better car than the model he’d had before, and that was what mattered. And was the only method of judgement.”

Those who were buying Fords were buying Valiants or, a year later, Falcons. When the XB Falcon started outselling the Kingswood, Holden fought back with the HX—the most enduring icon of this model being the “Sandman” panel van, with its distinctive 70’s logo on the tailgate, which could be seen parked up at popular surfing beaches around the country for the next couple of decades.

In 1977, Holden introduced the HZ—it’s final iteration of the beloved Kingswood. There were few real changes to the design or the engineering, although it did include Radial Tuned Suspension and the introduction of radial tyres. By the time the hapless Ted Bullpit on the classic (if now incredibly dated) 1980s comedy Kingswood Country was shouting, “you’re not taking the Kingswood” at his family on our TV screens, the vehicle itself had gone out of production. Kingswood production was cancelled in 1980, absorbed into and replaced by the smaller Holden Commodore.

There was perhaps a time, for a while there, where the Kingswood was daggy. The Sandman fell out of popularity with young people. The only people hanging onto their HQs were the real-life Ted Bullpits of this world. But a classic is still a classic—and by the late 90s, Holden fans were seeking out Kingswoods for restoration jobs.

Among the Kingswood fanboys is Capricorn Member Joshua Doutch, managing director of WA-based autoelectrical business Voltaic—who is the proud owner of a HZ.

“I bought it around 12 years ago, back in the days when AutoTrader magazine was still popular for classic cars,” he said. “I noticed this blue HZ Holden in a number of issues. “At the time I had been working for my employer for 13 years and had just received my long service leave. This is the company I did both my mechanics and auto electrician apprenticeships with. I was only in my mid-thirties and I thought myself too young to take long service leave, so I had it paid out and used the money to buy the HZ. It became my personal reward for completing those years of work. It’s now a car that represents a trophy for the completion of the start of a career that has directed my life.”

Over the years Joshua has made a lot of improvements. The engine bottom end has been fully rebuilt and decked, with forged internals and the heads reworked and valved to flow at 500 hp. The HZ now has Crane Cams roller rockers and hydraulic lifters, the heads and manifolds have been port matched, and an electronic ignition has been installed, as has a 650 Quick Fuel carburetor, a 100 shot NOS kit, and a bug catcher. It has a new Hughes TH400 transmission with trans-brake, along with a 2600 rpm stall converter, a Quicksilver shifter, and Pedders bushes on the suspension.

The interior has been reupholstered and an Alpine stereo system installed, along with an Autometer tachometer. In time, he hopes to install a big block. It might not quite be the Kingswood Ted Bullpit would recognise, but it’s certainly a classic that’ll catch the eye of any car fanatic who sees it.

Aussie roads might no longer be dominated by the Kingswood, but Joshua’s HZ will always be the king of any road it’s on. “A few times a year I get to bring back my youth, and cruise,” Joshua said. It’s great to see this absolute classic still being driven and enjoyed.

Model/year: HZ Kingswood 1978

Value: $60,000

Country of origin: Australia

Engine size/type: 308

Horsepower: 340 + 100 shot of NOS

Torque: 515

Transmission: Turbo 400 with manual shift kit, trans-brake, 2600 rpm stall converter

Diff: Ford 9 with Detroit locker

Wheels/tyres: Crager

Quarter mile time: 12.00

Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD

There’s been a lot of angst both locally and internationally over the new Ford Mustang Mach-E. Most (if not all) of that angst, has been over the name, with many people wondering what on earth Ford was thinking to give an electric vehicle the iconic Mustang name.

At DriveLife, we aren’t here to judge the Mexican-built Mach-E on its name. We’re here to give our unbiased opinion on Ford’s first fully electric SUV. After heading to the launch in Auckland, we immediately drove 600 km home to Wellington and then spent the next three weeks and almost 3,000 km behind the wheel.

What we like and dislike about the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD

What we like

Design

Interior space

Infotainment clarity and use

Intelligent adaptive cruise control

Intelligent speed limiter

Driving dynamics

What we don’t like

No tow rating

No Vehicle-To-Load functionality

No heads-up display Charge port location

Ease of day-to-day use

Driving position

Standard safety equipment

What’s in the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E range?

New Zealand sees three models available:

Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) with a 75.7 kWh battery (Standard Battery) at $79,990 (drive away pricing)

All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with a 98.7 kWh battery (Extended Battery) at $109,990 (tested)

GT (AWD) with a 98.7 kWh battery (Extended Battery) at $124,990.

How does the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD compare to its competition?

All prices below exclude the refund or additional cost of the New Zealand Clean Car Programme.

First impressions of the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD

Regardless of its name, the Mustang Mach-E looks great. But, that’s just my view; others gagged a little, possibly that is still related to hang-ups on Ford calling it a Mustang.

For me, the buyers of the Mustang Mach-E are those who would not buy, for example, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Ioniq 6 — because they’re just too out there in their design. While we at DriveLife like the design of those cars, other buyers want something a bit more contemporary and simple. The Mustang Mach-E is both of those things, and manages to pull across design features from the petrol-powered Mustang. One of those design cues is bonnet bulges. Again maybe just for me, these were a step too far. There is no V8 under the hood, so please no bonnet bulges. That’s not to say they don’t look good — especially from the driver’s seat — but they’re really out of place on an EV.

What’s the interior like in the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD?

Since the Mach-E is built on an EV-only chassis, that means gallons of room inside, and a flat floor, front and rear. The doors all open wide to make for an easy entrance, but you can certainly see the battery pack in the sill. The sill is enormous and while this doesn’t make getting into the car that much more difficult, it’s an inyour-face reminder that this is an EV.

The interior itself is pretty much all normal Ford stuff: same controls, and the same huge centre screen that we saw in the Ranger and Everest. There is lots of shoulder room, leg room and headroom for all, and the (fixed) panoramic sunroof lets in a load of natural light. Like the Model Y, there’s no blind or electronic dimming of the roof.

The interior of our test car was finished in black, and the car really needed that panoramic sunroof to make it a little lighter in there. During the launch, we sampled a car with a light interior, and it was far better for making the car feel brighter inside.

All through the cabin there was red contrasting stitching in our test car: across the seats, centre console, steering wheel and dash. I love red stitching with a black interior — very sporty. That centre console is a double-height unit, with plenty of storage.

Further back is a rotary transmission dial, like we’ve seen before in the Focus. It might make some people apprehensive, but it’s pretty simple to use — just turn it left or right.

There is a 12-volt socket in the centre cubby, but that’s the only one in the front. Front-seat passengers get access to a USB-A port and a USB-C port, and it’s the same for rear passengers.

The AWD model has seven choices for ambient lighting, and the interior is a nice place to be on a night drive. That huge centre screen does dominate, but it’s pleasant enough to be able to spend many hours in darkness on the road. Around the back of the car, there’s a relatively high load height into the boot. Storage space is listed at 519 litres with the rear seats up, and

under the floor is the bag containing a tether cable, for charging at stations where you need one (rarely), and a tyre pump. There is no spare tyre for the Mach-E. The false floor does offer some extra but slim storage space, and the boot itself has a 12-volt socket and two hooks for bags.

The Mach-E does not offer any sort of VehicleTo-Load (V2L) capability, so you can’t plug any appliances, etc. into the car and run them off the drive battery.

What’s the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD like to drive?

After driving the Mach-E 600 km from Auckland to Wellington, it was time to do some commuting.

On that daily drive, visibility is mostly good. The small rear windows don’t help there, but blindspot monitoring should keep you safe at least. The A pillars are fairly chunky, as are the B pillars. This is one of those cars where you need to move your head some to see around the pillars when backing out of a driveway.

The Mach-E has no variable regenerative braking, so there are no paddles on the steering wheel. Your options for regenerative braking (regen) are One Pedal, or off. That’s it. I’m guessing Ford has tried to make it simple, although having some adjustments on the move would have been nice. One Pedal driving is the mode I used most of the time; as you lift your foot off the accelerator, the car will start slowing with regen. It does mean you almost never need to touch the brake pedal. One Pedal driving isn’t ideal on the motorway or open road, so I turned it off for those times.

You get to choose from three drive modes: Whisper, Active, or Untamed. A nice touch that we rarely see is that the car will remember the drive mode after you turn it off. If you want to show off to your mates, switching the car to Untamed will give you the most performance available, getting the Mach-E to 100 kmh in 5.1 seconds.

The user interface is quick, and the definition is excellent. It takes very little time to get the hang of the menus and screens. I’m guessing to keep things simple Ford has opted to not have any fancy EV screens. There’s little EV info to be found on the centre screen, other than your normal trip meters, which give a kWh/100km energy economy number.

One surprising omission in the Mach-E is a heads-up display (HUD). At $110K, this should be standard, and even the GT model at $125K doesn’t have one. You do get a 360-degree camera, but it’s a two-button operation to get to it. On the plus side, if you get too close to an object, the 360-degree camera does turn on by itself.

I guess we need to talk about charging in the Mach-E. For starters, the charging port is on the left-front guard. That means it’s a bit painful to use, compared to ports that are on the front or rear of the car. More than once I had to edge the car forward to get the cable to reach when using a public charger. Secondly, the Mach-E does not come with a 230-volt, standard 10-amp trickle charger. Ford does not approve of using these, and so does not supply one with the car, or sell one. When asked, Ford suggested it’s because it would take around 40 hours to charge the car from flat to full on such a charger. But most EV drivers do not let their cars get that low very often. They will simply top it up each night at home, maybe taking 4-8 hours to get the car back up to full. You can of course simply buy your own trickle charger, if you wanted to.

So, what about actually driving the Mach-E?

Other than the brake regen we’ve discussed and performance in the different modes, it drives very well. Wind and road noise are extremely well subdued, and tyre noise is not too bad — even on coarse-chip seal.

Ride quality is a bit so-so; usually EVs as heavy as this ride very well due to their weight. It can get a little jiggly in the Mach-E, but apparently there’s been a change in suspension settings that all New Zealand models will get. We look forward to driving one of those to see if the ride improves.

Since our test car is AWD, grip is always excellent in all weather conditions. The available grip in rain is excellent, although you can always feel that two tons of weight lurking about, reminding the driver this is a heavy car. Doing a roundabout test shows the car is composed when pushing on, and you can really feel the weight at all times — but it’s all very controllable and safe. On the open road, the car is a joy to drive; it’s quiet and comfortable, and it sits on the road well. I think over our almost 3,000 km of testing this was one of the biggest points noted.

The AWD model is fitted with adaptive LED headlights, and like other brands, they work well. The spread is deep and wide, and having the sides of hills lit up while you follow other drivers is excellent for safety.

Like the Ranger and Everest, the Mach-E has intelligent adaptive cruise control. This means that if you are driving using cruise control and pass a speed limit sign, the cruise control will drop down (or speed up) to the new limit. It means the driver can really focus on what’s happening around the car instead of worrying about missing a change in speed limits.

This intelligence also runs to the speed limiter. You can turn the speed limiter on, and it will stop you driving over the speed limit (except downhill) and will change with any new speed limit signs it comes across. It’s a brilliant system and I desperately hope it filters down to other brands as well.

2023 Ford Mustang

Mach-E AWD Summary

Well, this could be controversial. But first, the name. Do you remember when there were only BMW M cars, and they were something special. Then BMW thought they’d cash in on the name and brought out watered-down versions comprising M-Performance and M-Sport, that last one having only cosmetic changes. For many of us, it devalued the M brand badly. Every BMW you saw driving around seemed to have an M badge, and that stands true today.

I know people who are Ford lovers who will not buy the Mach-E — and these are people that don’t own a Mustang at all. They are simply that adamant that this car should never have been called a Mustang. During my time with the Mach-E, I lost count of the number of times I heard the comment (from people I know), “that’s not a real Mustang”. Sadly, I have to agree. I can see why Ford called it a Mustang, but I don’t believe it was a good idea.

But what about the Mustang Mach-E as an SUV? It has a whole lot going for it: it’s spacious, it’s quiet in all respects, the driving dynamics are excellent, and it looks good. There’s a whole lot to love about the 2023 Mustang Mach-E.

On the other hand, if it’s supposed to be an SUV, why isn’t it rated for towing? Ford says you can still attach a tow ball for a bike rack, but that’s it — the chassis is not rated to take the weight of

a trailer. It has a GVM of 2,690 kg. At 2,182 kg in weight, if you add in five adult passengers, there’s no capacity left for a trailer. Regardless of its name, this could be a deal-breaker for some buyers.

There are so many EV haters out there, and add in that new group of people who hate that Ford has called this a Mustang and both groups are missing the point. For me, after driving it almost 3,000 km, the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E is excellent.

Have

The IMPORTANCE of NET WORKING and COMMUNITY

Why

The IMPORTANCE of NETWORKING and COMMUNITY

Why we’re stronger together!

The term “networking” gets a bad rap. It conjures up images of sad events with dry canapes and cheap wine and making small talk with some guy who is desperately trying to sell you something you don’t want. Spoiler alert: that is not what networking is—and if you’re avoiding networking because that’s been your experience of it, then you could be doing yourself a massive disservice.

In this article, we’ll look at what networking is, what it looks like in the automotive aftermarket in Australia and New Zealand (including how we approach it at Capricorn) and how getting involved can help you solve your business problems and supercharge your success.

What is networking?

Any time you’re having a conversation with someone, in person or online, where you exchange information about your business, you’re networking. This is true whether you mean to do business with the other person or not, and whether you’re in a formal or informal setting. When you meet other technicians at a training day and swap advice on tools or techniques, that’s networking. When you chat to other workshop owners at a Capricorn Gala and compare your struggles finding qualified staff, that’s networking. When you meet a stranger at a barbecue and they tell you all about their business building websites and you ask their advice while you’re turning over the sausages, that’s networking.

Any time you’re exchanging ideas and information with anyone who shares a common profession or special interest— whether they’re more experienced, less experienced, have something to sell or not—that is networking. You’re making a connection with someone who, whether it’s obvious at the time or not, might one day turn out to be someone who is really useful to know. The important thing is, you’re making a connection with someone you feel you can trust

Why is networking important?

Networking is about forging mutually beneficial relationships. While that can be about generating income, it certainly doesn’t have to be. It can just be about having a mate who understands what you’re going through, someone who you can call in a crisis.

When you expand your network of people in your field, or with whom you share common interests, you’re expanding your ability to solve any problem that emerges. Here are three ways networking truly matters in business.

Networking builds your reputation

Whether it’s in your local community (for example, your local Lions Club, footy club or Chamber of Commerce) or within the automotive industry itself, becoming known by people is the best way to build your reputation. If they see you being active, supportive and reliable, or generously sharing your expertise with others—whatever it might be—you will begin to be seen as a leader. That can open up opportunities for you and your business. The keys to a good reputation are to be a good listener, and to offer help and support when you can, however you can. It’s through building a good reputation that amazing opportunities arise.

Networking strengthens your support network

No matter how great you are as a technician or a business owner, at some point you’re going to hit a problem you need help with—whether that’s a tricky diagnostics problem with a customer’s car or a difficult predicament in your personal life. Who do you turn to in that moment? Having a network of people who understand what you’re going through, who’ve maybe been there, done that, can be crucial to you successfully navigating the same waters. It certainly can’t hurt, right? Everyone wants a champion in their corner.

Networking helps grow your business

There are a myriad of ways networking can help you grow your business. Getting involved in your community raises awareness of your business, which can lead to more customers through the door. It can be as simple as that. But, having a network that includes operators you respect, admire and can lean on for advice can lead to you having insights and knowledge that will put you ahead of your competitors and improve your service and help you make investment decisions, seize opportunities, boost your bottom line, or grow your business.

How we approach networking at Capricorn

At Capricorn, we believe that we’re stronger together. We understand that many Members are operating small businesses where, day-to-day, they feel isolated from other workshop owners and colleagues. It’s one reason we provide opportunities like our Galas and Conventions for Members to get away from the workshop and get together. We have found at our Escapades, for example, that many Members like to take advantage of the welcome and farewell functions on the first and last nights as an opportunity to chat with like-minded people. It’s a time to meet other Members who know what they’re going through and understand the issues. Great friendships are forged at these events—and no one feels like anyone is putting on the hard sell!

When Capricorn hosts our Gala Dinners, Trade Shows and our Regional Member Nights, we like to think we’re helping foster our community of Members. We’re bringing people together who have shared interests, with no expectations of anything more than having a good night. Whether you think of it as networking is up to you, but we know the benefits of the relationships forged at these events are huge.

If you’re keen to come along to a Capricorn event, you can grab your tickets through the events section on myCAP. We look forward to seeing you there.

cap.coop/events

MORE

FORMULA1

races than ever in

2024

by Paul Marinelli

The season starts with two Saturday night Grands Prix, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in February and early March. This makes them the only two other than Las Vegas to stage their Grand Prix events on a Saturday night as opposed to being held on Sunday afternoons or evenings.

The Australian Grand Prix moves back into its March slot (after having been held in April this year) with the eyes of the world on Melbourne’s Albert Park Street Circuit from March 22 to 24.

The Japanese Grand Prix moves out of the country’s Monsoon Season (at long last) to slot into early April, with China making its long-awaited return to the Formula 1 calendar at the Shanghai International Circuit two weeks later.

Another reason for grouping the Asian region races together is Formula 1’s commitment to regionalising its calendar as much as possible. This is to reduce the sport’s travel and air freight carbon footprint, while also reducing repeated long haul travel on Formula One and team personnel as much as possible.

Next up is Miami, Imola and Monaco — all in the bumper motorsport month of May — and it will be great to see the return of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, after the region was decimated by floods this year.

The rest of the calendar isn’t too different from last season, with the exception of Azerbaijan, which moves to September, one week ahead of the spectacular Singapore Grand Prix night race.

Speaking of spectacular, the Las Vegas Grand Prix returns to the same November timeslot followed by the season-ending Arabian races. Qatar has been moved from earlier in the season to late November and Abu Dhabi to early December.

According to Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, making the calendar more sustainable was a key goal, while also trying to take the sport to as many locations as possible to meet global demand.

“Formula 1 has made clear its intention to move towards greater calendar regionalisation, reducing logistical burdens and making the 2024 season more sustainable.

“By moving Japan to April, Azerbaijan to September and Qatar back to back with Abu Dhabi, this calendar creates a better flow of races in certain regions. This work will continue while being realistic to the fact that as a world championship, with climactic and contractual constraints, there will always be travel required that cannot be completely regionalised,” he stated.

“There is huge global interest and continued demand for Formula 1, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues,” Mr Domenicali concluded.

As the FIA Formula 1 World Championship continues to grow in popularity all over the world, so does the global series calendar, which will see more races held in 2024 than ever before.

2024 FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

DATE

February 29 – March 2

March 7 – 9

March 22 – 24

April 5 – 7

April 19 – 21

May 3 – 5

May 17 – 19

May 24 – 26

June 7 – 9

June 21 – 23

June 28 – 30

July 5 – 7

July 19 – 21

July 26 – 28

August 23 – 25

August 30 – September 1

September 13 – 15

September 20 – 22

October 18 – 20

October 25 – 27

November 1 – 3

November 21 – 23

November 29 – December 1

December 6 – 8

*Subject to FIA circuit homologation

GRAND PRIX VENUE

Bahrain

Saudi Arabia

Australia

Japan

China

Miami

Emilia Romagna

Monaco

Canada

Spain

Austria

United Kingdom

Hungary

Belgium

Netherlands

Italy

Azerbaijan

Singapore

USA

Mexico

Brazil

Las Vegas

Qatar

Abu Dhabi

Sakhir

Jeddah

Melbourne

Suzuka

Shanghai

Miami

Imola

Monaco

Montreal

Barcelona

Spielberg

Silverstone

Budapest

Spa

Zandvoort

Monza

Baku

Singapore

Austin

Mexico City

Sao Paulo

Las Vegas

Lusail

Yas Marina

PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROFILES

Keith Andrews is New Zealand's largest commercial vehicle dealer backed by three decades of expertise. From its Whangarei roots in 1991 as a dedicated Fuso dealership, the company has expanded to nine locations across the North Island, boasting a team of 280 skilled professionals. As an authorised dealer for Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso, designated by Daimler Trucks and Buses, Keith Andrews provides comprehensive sales, parts and service. As a trusted name in the commercial vehicle industry, Keith Andrews prides itself on its commitment to customer success. Their seamless sales, parts and service network has been designed to

meet the unique needs of commercial vehicle operators, enabling them to achieve their business goals efficiently. Through close collaboration with customers, the company shares a common vision of driving business achievements and providing unparalleled support.

Their commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction has firmly established Keith Andrews as the premier commercial vehicle dealer in the North Island, making them the preferred choice for businesses in need of top-notch trucks, parts and service.

keithandrews.co.nz

KEITH ANDREWS TRUCKS AND VANS NEW ZEALAND

FUN ZONE

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Email your entries to ignition@capricorn.coop before the 30 September 2023. Winners will be selected by a random draw of the correct Member entries occurring in West Perth on 2 October 2023. The winners’ names will be published in the November edition of Ignition. Please ensure you include your Member number and email address when submitting your entry.

June Winners

1st Prize - MOTUEKA FARM MACHINERY - 4,000 Bonus Rewards Points

2nd Prize - GALLEHAWKS BP SERVICE - 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

WORD HUNTER

Find the 15 words hidden in the jumble. They could be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or backwards. See if you can find them all!

ALERTING ANNUAL CONNECTED CULTURE

DIRECTLY EXPECTATION GUARANTEE IGNITION

LEADER ORGANISATION

PASSIONATE

PLATFORM

QUALITY

TECHNICIAN

TECHNOLOGY