Shaun's Sculptures

Our service manager Shaun has an interesting hobby in building metal art sculptures. He designs and fabricates everything himself in his garage at home and sometimes incorporates strange items such as car parts and kitchen utensils. His sculptures are now being shown in various galleries and he is making quite a name for himself in the metal art industry. Check out his website at www.shaunrennell.co.nz

Josh’s Starlet

Apprentice mechanic and sales assistant Josh has a Toyota Starlet rally car which he races. It has a 4AGE 1600cc twin-cam engine and an independent rear suspension/driveline setup from a Nissan Pulsar GTIR. The car is used mostly for shingle events such as sprints, hillclimbs and rallies, although Josh has raced it at Ruapuna a few times.

Brendon's Jet Engines

Workshop mechanic Brendon is currently experimenting with pulse jet engines. The idea behind a pulse jet is that it has very little or no moving parts, and once ignited uses its own heat to keep combustion occurring. Brendon is hoping that once he perfects a design that runs reliably he could possibly strap it to the side of a bicycle or something equally as exciting.

Lynda's Cycling

Our receptionist Lynda is an avid cyclist and is training for the 101km Grape Ride in Marlborough. She spends around 5 hours every weekend on her bike and her favourite ride is over Gebbies Pass to Lyttelton and back.

Trusted Names Renowned for Sales and Service

Two names are inextricably linked on the Christchurch motoring scene - they are of course Subaru and Trevor Crowe. Trevor's business, CroweSport, is renowned for Subaru sales and service... 

The cars they bring in to the country to sell are hand chosen Trevor explains, and they all come with a warranty. His knowledge of the brand is extensive - from 1987 to 1995 he ran the city's Subaru dealership, and says he believes in the brand because of its safety in all weather conditions. "Being four-wheel drive, it is equally safe on and off-road and drives much better in wet, slippery conditions than two-wheel drive vehicles."

The team of six mechanics in the CroweSport workshop specialises in servicing and repairing Subaru vehicles, but they also have a wide variety of experience in servicing all makes and models. "We can handle just about everything under the bonnet, from major repairs to tune-ups, wheel alignments, in fact, all aspects of servicing, plus Warrants of Fitness," Trevor says. "As well as our expertise, one of the key factors that our customers like is the fact that we provide loan cars. That means they can simply drop their vehicle off, and take a loan car and go on their way. It's very convenient for people."

As many people will know, over his lifetime much of Trevor's expertise has been gained through practical experience on the race track and in rally driving. "That keeps us at the sharp end of technology, and what we learn in racing we can then apply in the workshop." A fourth placing at Bathurst and class win in 1988 is something Trevor is especially proud of. "As anyone who follows motor racing will know, Bathurst is one of the hardest races in the world."

In terms of his business, Trevor says it is a great industry to be in, and he is pleased to note that the workshop and car sales have been very busy lately, despite the economic conditions. "We are in an ideal location, at the stadium end of Moorhouse Avenue." Or as he also likes to call it, "the Sumner end", referring to the place he calls home, Sumner. 

Bay Harbour News, 18 November 2009

Looking for more fuel economy? 

Keep tyre pressures up (around 32psi for a normal car) and your right foot soft... 

...and ski boxes and racks create a fair amount of drag so we suggest you only fit them when you need them.

We have had a couple of clients cars saved from theft recently by their alarm immobilisers. We fit these for around $450.

Contact us today to find out more about the options that are right for your car.

Not sure if you want to change your car or not? If you decide to keep it, how about restoring it? 

This is basically the process we would put it through if we traded it - mechanical check, service, paint repair if needed, full groom, and road test to make it just like a new car.

Contact us for more information on what we can do.

• Brake fluid removes paint - be careful.
• Antifreeze is needed all year round to stop corrosion.
• Air conditioning should be turned on regularly, even in winter (prevents the system from developing leaks).
• Tow bars come in different sizes- 1 15/16" and 50mm, make sure they match your trailer coupling.
• Cambelts need changing every 80,000 to 90,000kms. Failure to do so can be very expensive as breakage can cause an internal hemorrhage.
• Space saver wheels should not be driven at or above 100kph.
• It's not a good idea to turn off your key while mobile as the steering may lock (i.e. when being towed).
• Jump starting without special anti-spike jumper leads can destruct your cars computer.
• Batteries should be disconnected from the car before charging.
• If your brakes are damp, leaving the handbrake on at the ski field can result in a frozen up brake.
• The higher mileage your car has, the more often you should change the oil (not less often as tends to happen).