v12s

Turn It On The Right Way

2012-02-03T09:29:00.008-05:00

The proper way to control an aftermarket electric cooling fan system is to activate the fans from a temperature reading that comes from cylinder head coolant.

That means fitting a fan switch/housing, such as the device pictured, in the coolant hose that comes from one or more cylinder heads. We can supply these as a kit for all cars. They are supplied with either a 75C (carbureted engines) or 82C (EFI engines) fan switches.

Capillary tube measurement devices that fit in between the fins of your radiator core, fan switches installed in a radiator tank and fan switches installed in the water pump inlet hose are all subject to incorrect coolant temperature readings when a radiator is clogged with debris or aftermarket additives that settle and solidify when your car is stored for extended periods.

Use an infrared temperature gauge to check your coolant hoses, radiator tanks, radiator core, water pump housing, thermostat housings and cylinder heads if you suspect a coolant problem that may not be accurately displayed by your dashboard temperature gauge.

Please email us via our website with your requirement.

Get Ready for the Jaguar XJS 40th Anniversary

2012-01-26T09:29:00.013-05:00

Now that we've celebrated Jaguar's E-Type 50th Anniversary, it's time to focus on the next great car from Coventry's luxury car manufacturer - the Jaguar XJS V12.

We've already explained, in a previous post, how to make your Jaguar XJS reliable, so here is how we updated our Jaguar XJS V12:

1. the smoothness of the Jaguar suspension is wonderful when driving forwards, but when going around corners it feels sloppy, especially in an almost 40 year old car. Replacing all the suspension bushings with modern polyurethane bushings doesn't detract from the smoothness of the Jaguar ride but it certainly brings your cornering into the 21st Century - the whole car is transformed into a modern smooth-riding sure-footed luxury machine.

2. Although I think that the lantern-style lighting on horse-drawn carriages is quaint, I don't believe it belongs on a car. The Jaguar XJS rear tail light assembly, although large, has very dim lighting as the bulbs are installed vertically, like candles, and rely on the often corroded reflectors to provide light. Our LED upgrades correct this poor lighting once and for all. Our surface-mount technology diodes bath the brake light housing in a vibrant red that will alert drivers that you really are stopping. Our rear turn signal LEDs, whether in amber or red, will provide the same bright sense of urgency as they blink on and off - no doubt shall remain in the thoughts of those behind you as to your intentions!

3. Oh my, every time you even look at your engine wiring it seems to disintegrate. Mix that little electrical short with some fuel vapor from your leaking fuel hoses and it's the 4th of July. We have most wiring harnesses for most models of Jaguar XJS now, those we don't have we can recreate with your good sample.

4. There's no way a healthy V12 engine should ever run hot, if it has adequate fluids and ventilation - the Jaguar XJS had neither. We provide the only range of aluminum alloy electric cooling fan systems for Jaguar XJS V12 that are proven to actually work in all climates. Combined with our aluminum alloy radiator, our cooling solution is second to none.

If you combine the above steps with the steps already outlined in our previous post covering making your Jaguar XJS reliable then you will have a truly reliable world-class machine. Get your updates at v12s today.

The Battle Between 'Original' and Common Sense

2012-01-21T16:10:00.005-05:00

I hear it all the time ... "my car will be worth more if I keep it original".

Whether that is true or not is debatable.

What is not debatable is that you can always put the old OEM parts back in your car when you sell it if you really feel that strongly about it.

When we urge customers at v12s (http://www.v12s.com) to solve their cooling problems, their lighting issues, their sloppy suspension problems, their shorted out wiring hazards, we do it because it will make your car a more reliable, safer and enjoyable car.

Would you really rather spend $8,000+ repairing your V12 because it overheated, because you wanted to keep it 'original' or would you rather enjoy driving it knowing it is staying cool in all traffic. After all, if your engine has a meltdown, and is repaired, it is no longer 'original' anyway.

The only time your car was ever really 'original' is when it left the factory.

Fans of Our Fans

2012-01-19T10:38:00.007-05:00

Nice comments about our proprietary handcrafted electric cooling fan systems are always so gratifying - we really appreciate it!

Here are just a few of the comments from our customers:

"Really good quality product, well packed. I'm delighted with the fans. Thank you"
Bill, Great Britain - Twin Electric Fan System in Aluminum (Daimler Double Six V12)

"Your fans are very very good for my Ferrari!"
Ilario, France - Dual Aluminum Fan System (Ferrari 456 V12)

"By the way the fan system itself is stunning! I love it."
Andrew, Australia - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928 1982)

"I purchased your twin fan and thermostatic switch for my XJRS back in 2005, and it's still working great by the way.."
Ken, Great Britain - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJR-S V12)

"I am recommending to my friend. I really like this, thank you!"
Fumio, Japan - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928S)

"Works like a champ and worth every penny!"
Matt, Florida - Dual Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"... oh yeah, quite a noticeable difference in many ways, thank you so very much."
Dominic, U.K. - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928)

"I have had your fan system on my 1992 XJS for several years - and it works flawlessly. Thank You."
Charles, Alabama - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"I love the fans and shroud. Beautiful build and fit!"
Mark, New Jersey - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2)

"Packaged very well, shipped fast , and fit on car is perfect!"
Duncan, Canada - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2)

"I received the radiator and fans today. They look very good. Can't wait to show them to my Porsche Dealer. Thanks I am impressed."
Edward, Tennessee - Aluminum Radiator & Ultimate Twin Fan System (Porsche 928S 1985)

"... works great. I'm glad I bought it!"
Brian, Texas - Dual Fan System (Jaguar XJS V12)

"I purchased a dual fan system from you back in summer of 2006, for the '82 XJS V12 5.3 that I owned then. The fan system worked exactly as I'd hoped, and the build-quality was impressive."
Austin, Virginia - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Beaut fans! Better value than buying another new fan clutch. Cleans up the engine compartment, looks much more up to date now. Temp needle doesn't budge above normal anymore, stoked!"
Mark, Australia - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928S 1985)

"It was 95 and sunny yesterday ... the temperature just barely reached the "N" and that was with a fair amount of idling in traffic!"
J, Texas - Ultimate II Dual Fan System (Jaguar XJS V12)

"A note to let you know that i have now fitted my electric fan kit, i started on tuesday 20th and finished friday 23rd, Following your Instructions i removed the top radatior mounting/fans/shroud, The radatior was removed cleaned interanly and exteranly, any bent fins strightend and resprayed in mat black. Oil cooler and A/C condenser blown out, All hoses checked, fan studs removed, header tank checked repainted, New Thermostatic fan switch installed, New radatior sealing foams all round fitted, new fan system fitted, new Jaguar anti-freeze (green). I mounted the new relay on a small bracket just above the H/tank on end of relays power taken from horn relay supply, I used the live power terminal on your driver side bulkhead for the fan feed with in line fuse fitted (checked voltage 12.3 v engine not running). On start up an running the car the fan speed increases, The tempature gauge does not climb as high as it use to ( mid normal). It now runs at just below the "N" on the gauge, the 2nd fan comes in at around mid "N" on gauge. I am very pleased with the conversion the car seems livier and we have noticed more MPG on the trip computer, Our petrol is £ 1.15 p PER LITRE UNLEADED . Thanks for your help and for suplying the fans."
Lewis, Great Britain - Ultimate II Dual Fan System (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Just tooling around, stop and go, they (fans) cycle on and off regularly, which is what I would expect, and so far the temp guage has not even reached 'N'. Will probably get there after I get the AC charged and start using it. I have a lot of experience with hot rods and electric fans, and I can tell you that these work very well! thanks again!"
Bob, Arizona - Dual Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Finally I have my twin fan setup installed and running in my V12 XJS. Anyone who owns an XJS with a V12 should have this mod done immediately. You have to experience the difference to know . . . and I am sure that my car could now operate in the Mojave Desert without any problem with AC on! Thank you, thank you."
Stan, Virginia - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"... this is the best fans for sure. This is good I must buy from America for my Porsche. Thanks for the advice my Porsche now runs cool ..."
Manfried, Germany - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928S 1985)

"I received your product today. And, it is very good. I am very satisfied."
Teruhiko, Japan - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (V12 Jaguar E-Type)

"Real nice quality! Man, it makes a difference, looks so awesome, idles real cool now! Thanks!!"
Zig, Texas - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928S 1986)

"By the way, sincere compliments on your engineering of this fan system. It really is superbly put together, and was packed very, very well. Boy..it fits like a glove ..."
Peter, Australia - Dual Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJ12)

"The fan is F A N T A S T I C !!"
Antonio, Spain - Dual Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"You did a great job on the fabrication of the fan assembly..."
John, Florida - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"First of all, thanks for the well packaged and prompt delivery. What’s more the obvious quality of the fans stood out, well done."
Ken, U.K. - Twin Fan System in Black Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"We are very pleased with the fans, the shroud and the temp sensor."
Stew, Connecticut - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type V12)

"I'm very impressed ... the fans look the business!"
Simon, U.K. - Twin Fan System in Aluminium (Jaguar E-Type V12)

"My dad luvs it! Bought it as a b'day prez for his fav Porsche. Had it painted to match, did the install myself, ez ... he's happy, I still don't get to drive it!"
Haley, California - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928 1980)

"... I search for the fans for a long time, some they have price that is really stupide, it is baeutiful that you make this fans. Merci et bonne chance!"
Yannick, France - Twin Fan System (Porsche 928 1978)

"The product looks excellent ..."
Mark, U.K. - Twin Fan System in Aluminium (Jaguar E-Type V12)

"Love the look and works beautifully ..."
Kerry, California - Twin Fan System in Steel (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Great looking and functional fan system. No hassle purchase and shipment."
Kent, Washington - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12).

"Just wanted to drop you a note to say the fan setup looks great! and fits PERFECT!.. Thanks a million. Best money I ever spent."
Todd, California - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Excellent product..."
Larry, Georgia - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2)

"... (my mechanic) is very impressed with the whole set-up and is going to recommend it to his customers here in Florida."
George, Florida - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"... quality indistinguishable from, and as good as, Jaguar."
Don, Florida - Twin Fan System in Steel (Jaguar XJS V12)

"... incidently (my mechanic) says the build and component quality is excellent."
Stan, Virginia - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"... a great fan system!"
Norm, Colorado - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Quality piece of machining!"
Carol, Virginia - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2)

"I received the E-Type fans yesterday. Looks great!"
Bryan, Arizona - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar XJS V12 & Jaguar E-Type V12)

"...I bought a twin fan system for my Jaguar XJ-S, it works great and was a snap to install!"
Garry, Hawaii - Twin Fan System in Steel (Jaguar XJS V12)

"Fans work well and are at least twice as powerful as the old ones..."
Robert, Florida - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2).

"I finally got it installed by my mechanic and runs great!"
Dennis, California - Twin Fan System in Steel (Jaguar XJS V12).

"Beautiful fans, perfect fit."
Gavin, Montana - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2)

"Thank you for good service and very fine products."
Christian, Norway - Twin Fan System in Aluminum (Jaguar E-Type 4.2)

See The Light - Update Your Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer

2012-01-12T12:21:00.007-05:00

Modernize your Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer with a v12s LED set, available at v12s now.

Our Ferrari 512 BB LED set includes all the exterior bulb replacement LEDs, as well as the required LED turn signal/flasher relay unit.

This is an easy afternoon project for any Ferrari enthusiast, with visible results.

Each of our rear brake LEDs have 18-24 high-powered long-lasting surface mount diodes that provide a more intense and vibrant red light than could ever be achieved with an old-fashioned bulb, yet all our LEDs remain cool to the touch and protect your lenses from any heat damage, easier on your wiring too! All v12s LED sets include installation instructions and have a Lifetime Warranty (VIN# required for warranty).

Dear Ferrari, may we suggest some changes ...

2012-01-07T19:49:00.008-05:00

We realize Ferrari is a Goliath in the supercar world and humble v12s is just a little business, but we would like to suggest some changes for your Ferrari 550 v12 (and other models) to improve the marginal engine cooling facing your customers in hotter climates.

We understand your guiding philosophy adheres to racing design, and so does ours.

A healthy V12 engine only gets hot under two conditions:

1. idling in a hot climate
2. sustained maximum rpm

So here goes, please don't send your lawyers. The Ferrari 550 V12 water radiator is too small, sorry, no one wants to hear that.

Yes, your concept of having the engine oil cooling radiator next to the water coolant radiator and being cooled by the aluminum twin electric cooling fan system is clever packaging but this compromise has made the engine water radiator too small.

The v12s redesign is simple, yet freakishly brilliant (thank you Raj).

Our design calls for a full-size water radiator, in aluminum of course, to add more cooling core area and more coolant, and an increase in the electric cooling fan shroud size to cover all of the core area, not a mere 85% of it, and while we are at it we use a fan divider to isolate the air draw-through of each fan - this is important as one fan can rob air from the other fan if they are not perfectly balanced in their performance.

Then we move your engine oil radiator behind the fan system just like we do on the v12s Jaguar V12 E-Type, XJS, Rolls-Royce and Bentley fan systems (see our website http://www.v12s.com) that we developed a decade ago, this allows for spent air to cool the engine oil cooler - in our v12s this design has provided an additional engine cooling of 10 degrees Centigrade, you know this is a big deal.

Voila, bellisimo - the Ferrari 550 V12 now stays cool even when idling in Death Valley or screaming its valves out at 8000 rpm.

So, dear Ferrari, please consider using our design.

Stop It Or You'll Die

2011-12-10T09:58:00.008-05:00

A new Volkswagen Jetta will stop in less distance from 60-0 MPH than a Porsche 928, a Ferrari 308, a Maserati Merak, a Jaguar XJS and many many more classic high-performance cars.

According to Motor Trend magazine (October 20, 2010) the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta will stop from 60 MPH to 0 in just 113ft. According to the same magazine, (in a test from December 1981), the Porsche 928 takes 142ft to stop from 60 MPH to o - that is 29 extra feet!

60-0 MPH braking distance, ranked from best to worst:

1. 142ft. – Porsche 928
2. 144ft. – DeLorean
3. 147ft. – Chevrolet Corvette
4. 164ft. – Ferrari Mondial
5. 167ft. – Maserati Merak

Popular Mechanics magazine (January 1984) does a comparison test between a number of high-performance cars and the 60-0 MPH results are as follows:

Car 60-0mph (feet)

1. Porsche 928 - 125ft.
2. Porsche 944 - 139ft.
3. BMW 633CSI - 170ft.
4. Ferrari 308 GTS - 166ft.
5. Jaguar XJS HE - 154ft.

... and there are more results but we'll stop here (pun intended).

If I was going to do a race and I had a choice of cars to compete against any of the above then I would have to choose the 2011 VW Jetta - this could be a fun comparison (probably already done by Top Gear), especially against the BMW 633 CSI.

Before you make your classic high-performance car go faster, ie. supercharging, turbocharging, nitrous etc., consider improving the handling and braking capability.

There are now many aftermarket products to reduce the braking distance of your car, better brake discs/rotors, better friction material (pads), better brake fluids, better brake lines, better shock absorbers, better suspension bushings, better tires etc. etc.

As an example, in 1984 before I did my first professional car race, I took a standard street-driven Audi 200 Turbo to my local road race track, without any changes to the car my lap time was around 84 seconds. I drove home and made a number of changes, these included: racing brake pads, KONI double adjustable shocks, Toyo tires shaved down and inflated to 50 psi, that was it for the first round of changes.

I drove back to the track and my lap time was now 72 seconds. Twelve seconds a lap improvement is enormous, and that was achieved just by improving the handling and braking of my car - nothing else was done to the car. I had a reputation for late-braking.

So, before you buy that supercharger think about improving the handling and stopping distance of your car, it may very well save your life or the lives of the people in the car in front of you.

LED Lights Conversion for Ferrari 328 and 308

2011-12-03T11:39:00.006-05:00

Our LED light upgrades for all Ferrari, including Ferrari 328 and 308, have just been updated to the latest technology and, even better, this has enabled us to once again provide even more competitive pricing, go check it out at our website http://www.v12s.com now.

Each LED set is compiled to provide the brightest illumination for each specific application, ie. brakes, position, side marker lights etc.

Our LED sets comply with local vehicle design rules and laws, meaning that each LED has the correct color and intensity and installs without any modification to your prized-possession.

Watch out for people offering 'white' LEDs for brake light applications, this is completely wrong and your car will fail local inspection if you do this as only red LEDs can be used in brake lights, in fact you may even be ticketed by the police.

This holiday season buy a LED set for the one that you really love, and then get something for your spouse too!

Caveat Emptor? Caveat Venditor!!

2011-11-29T16:25:00.004-05:00

Occasionally I search Ebay for a good deal on an interesting European or British sports car, after all I have bought a few on Ebay and, although none were described honestly by the sellers, they were an OK deal.

Recently I came across a car that I liked, it was offered at $9,000, it was a reasonable price for the year model if it was truly as described. The seller had a good feedback rating, no revised feedback, and was an Ebay 'Top Rated Seller'.

The seller had taken a lot of photos, I enlarged each photo on my computer as far as it would go and examined it as best I could. The exterior looked OK, didn't appear to have any repainting done. The interior looked spotty, perhaps lighting in the photo, or some bad vinyl spray job. Underneath, the car looked OK, no visible dents or corrosion. The engine looked a little dirty, not well cared for, and some paint flaking off the intake runners. There seemed to be an oily dirty film on top of the radiator. Photos of the tires looked as though the tires had cracks in the tread area, this is something I really don't like to see as it usually means that the tires are way too old.

So, I contacted the seller and asked if he could provide more information, he answered most of my questions. He described the car as a "well maintained southern car with service records, low mileage, only two owners, everything works, etc. etc.".

The car had a CarFax report that went back only as far as when the car was already 7 years old, but it did indicate a CarFax 'score' of 68, which was above average for this model of car, and it did appear to have only two owners.

Two things that I did request of the seller were "do you have service records back to when the car was new?", and "do you have a service record with mileage and date of the most recent timing belt service?" - haven't heard from the seller since I asked those questions, so I did some checking on the web.

I started by googling the VIN# that was provided on the Ebay listing, the results were quick and very interesting.

The car had been sold in April of this year for $4550 by a dealer that described the car as having been in storage for a 'long' time, it appeared to be somewhere around 7 years, needing a complete brake job, crack in the windshield, interior needing work, all original except for aftermarket wheels and tires, and it had been a southern car but only for the first few years of its life.

At this point I understood why the seller wasn't forthcoming with any more details, there probably weren't any service records and the timing belt probably hadn't been done for at least 7 years. This car would most likely require thousands in immediate service, timing belt, tires, windshield and who know what else - at least $5000+.

I went back to Ebay and had another look at the all the details in the description in the Ebay listing.

That's odd! The Carfax report, which is apparently updated in real time, unlike the Ebay listing, now indicated a CarFax 'score' of '60' meaning only average, and it now showed 4 owners not 2!

Caveat Emptor for sure, but had I foolishly bought this car then upon inspection I would have shipped it back and Caveat Venditor! Ebay does provide a guarantee to cover cars that are not as described, so hold them to it and don't get ripped-off!

Once a Supercar Always a Supercar!

2011-11-05T10:14:00.005-04:00

Once upon a time the Porsche 928 was the fastest car sold in North America (and most other parts of the world), worthy of Supercar status. (Watch the in-car video of the v12s Porsche 928S at our YouTube channel, link available via our website.)

Today, the Porsche 928 is still one of the very fastest cars anywhere and certainly one of the best handling Porsches ever designed.

Rarer than any other Porsche and probably more expensive to maintain as well, the Porsche 928 is an advanced car in many respects.

Porsche made use of much aluminum, coil-over race car inspired suspension and superb weight distribution to create a car that performed and handled like a supercar ahead of its time, and certainly better than any Porsche 911 of the day.

As with most high performance cars, they are relatively cheap to buy because of astronomical maintenance costs. I set aside $2 per mile for every mile that I drive, this is over and above the cost of filling the tank with premium fuel, registration fees and insurance.

We currently have several products to update your Porsche 928, our primary product is our aluminum alloy twin electric cooling fan system, handcrafted and with fans matched to your specific VIN#. The second product is our LED upgrade, we have this for the exterior now and will be adding the full interior LED set soon - these items are available at http://www.v12s.com now.

What a Vulgar Sound!

2011-11-04T15:10:00.007-04:00

Have you ever heard a V12, like the racing car at the right, at full song?

The Jaguar XJS V12, Jaguar's most successful racing car, has a shrill sound that is quite unique and doesn't bear any resemblance to the street-driven Jaguar XJS V12 you see driving down the road.

Everything about the Jaguar XJS V12 was built to be quiet, a fast grand tourer without the vulgar noises emitted by other V12 car manufacturers.

Well, we happen to like those 'vulgar' V12 sounds and think that the Jaguar XJS V12 is far too quiet, in fact it sounds like a lowly 6 cylinder car.

To turn that 6 cylinder sound into something more befitting of a V12-engined car you can do something quite simple.

Jaguar's XJS V12 has two seperate exhaust systems. At the downpipes, there are catalytic converters which must remain in tact for emmissions and everyone's air quality. Further down the line there is a center muffler on each side, most states allow the removal of these mufflers as long as you leave the rear, final, mufflers or resonators.

Check with your state DMV and if it is legal to remove the center mufflers then have your local muffler technician do this and add a x-pipe or balance tube. This will give you an instant power increase and provide a sound more suitable of a vulgar V12.

If you'd like to hear this Jaguar racing car at full song then go to the v12s website and scroll down to the bottom of the introduction page to play the video - at http://www.v12s.com - enjoy!

The Rolls-Royce Motor Car Update

2011-10-28T09:26:00.007-04:00

If Henry Royce had access to electric cooling fans then he would have surely used them in his cars.

You now have the opportunity to update your Rolls-Royce with a modern twin electric cooling fan system and brighter LED lights.

I still feel that the 1965-1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Corniche and Silver Wraith II are the best looking, most majestic, Rolls-Royce ever designed.

As with all cars of that era, whether British or European, their drawbacks in the areas of engine cooling and electric lighting were universal. No fault of the car designers, just a lack on the part of innovative component suppliers.

But here we are in the 21st Century and all of these issues are now being cured by the car manufacturers. Look at the latest offerings from Rolls-Royce and Bentley and you shall see electric cooling fan systems and a healthy dose of LED lighting.

Updating your Rolls-Royce with an electric cooling fan system and LEDs is quite a lot less expensive than buying a new Rolls-Royce Phantom (my favorite), so you are invited to visit v12s and update your motor car.

Weapon of Choice

2011-10-26T07:49:00.007-04:00

The nemesis of the V12 engine is excessive heat.

Our weapons of choice are shown on the right, the v12s aluminum alloy twin electric cooling fan system for Jaguar E-Type with either an integrated automatic transmission oil cooler or engine oil cooler.

Your V12 engine needs to run at the correct temperature so we do not recommend changing the engine thermostats to colder ones or removing them, never remove the thermostats.

Running colder thermostats will cause carbon build up and excessive emissions. In certain jurisdictions your car may fail its air quality/pollution test, this information may appear in history reports such as Carfax.

By removing the burden of heat in your radiator from the automatic transmission or engine oil you will immediately lower your radiator coolant temperature by about 10 degrees Celsius, this is a big deal in an engine where overheating can quickly get out of control.

Activating the electric cooling fans at a lower temperature before the thermostats open is the correct way to ensure proper radiator coolant temperature, we use either a 82 degree Celsius or 75 degree Celsius fan controller on V12 E-Types.

Our Ultimate fan systems can also be configured to run after the ignition has been switched off, this helps provide post-shutdown cooling, and usually runs for just a few minutes to get the job done.

Choose your weapon at http://www.v12s.com today and stay cool my friend!

Cars & Coffee Lamborghini Aventador

2011-10-17T08:37:00.005-04:00

we attended Cars & Coffee at the Herb Chambers Lexus dealership on Saturday morning and what an event it was!

Our goal was to see three supercars at one time and admire all the other attendees' cars on show in the parking lot.

We saw the Bugatti Veyron, a Lexus LFA and a McLaren F1 but the biggest surprise was that Herb Chambers had one of his people bring along the first Lamborghini Aventador LP700 in New England.

It was spectacular, finished in a satin black paint it looked menacing and very much like a stealth jet fighter.

The angular and sharp lines of the Aventador remind me of the Countach - it really suits today's re-iteration of a modern supercar.

List price for this beautiful machine? A mere US$420,000 and a bargain compared to the Bugatti Veyron and McLaren F1.

Video of the Aventador at v12s YouTube channel and many photos at our v12s Picasa photo album, all can be accessed via our website http://www.v12s.com - Enjoy!

Restoring Your Ferrari Dino 246 GT & GTS

2011-09-30T09:03:00.006-04:00

I've always admired the Ferrari Dino for its classically beautiful curvy shape.

In the late '70s I had the opportunity, and privelige, to briefly drive a gold 1972 Dino 246 GT on the streets of Sydney, Australia.

Performance, although good, wasn't spectacular but that didn't matter because you can't help but have a great big grin on your face when driving a special car.

The other thing that was evident was the lack of headroom, I can understand why the GTS is popular.

The sound of the V6 was like music, although it did feel a little odd having an engine sit right behind me.

Noticeable was the handling, it felt light but I had complete confidence in its handling knowing its reputation for having a center of gravity below street level, it displayed completely flat cornering as though a magnet was pulling it back to earth.

As with most performance cars of the period, engine cooling was an issue, so the first thing that we did when parking was to open the bonnet/engine lid and hope for adequate cooling of the expensive engine.

Last week I was excited to see another Ferrari Dino 246 GT up close once again since I hadn't seen one for several decades, that's the car on the right. These cars are now much more expensive than when new, once again reinforcing my claim that your classic car is now your best investment (read my blog entry on this subject here).

There are two products that we can currently supply at v12s for Ferrari Dinos, the first is the complete set of wiring harnesses for around $2,000, what a bargain compared to having your restorer recreate the wiring.

The other is our complete LED upgrade for less than $300 to improve the lighting without any changes to your light bulb receptacles or wiring.

We would also love to provide an improved electric cooling fan assembly but have not had the opportunity as yet, so if you own a Dino and are interested in staying cool let us know.

Upgrading Your Mercedes-Benz Sports Cars

2011-09-26T11:48:00.004-04:00

we have two major upgrades to modernize Mercedes-Benz sports cars.

The first is our aluminum alloy electric cooling fan systems. These are designed to fit a variety of platforms including: W113, R107 and R129 with a variety of engine displacements including 6 cylinder, V8 and of course our favorite - the V12.

Each aluminum alloy electric cooling fan system comes complete with a composite fan control unit comprised of a fan switch, relay and composite housing.

The LED Upgrades are specifically for R107 series sports cars and include all the LEDs for exterior lighting conversion, without any wiring or bulb receptacle alterations, and a new custom flasher relay that is installed just like the original OEM unit - simple!

Both product lines carry a Lifetime Warranty. Buy them now at v12s and regains some horsepower and improve your visibility to others.

New LED Tail Light Sets for Ferrari

2011-09-23T17:45:00.009-04:00

What is the oldest technology used in your Ferrari?

That's right, the incandescent light bulb - technology (if you can call it that) that goes back to the 19th Century.

So, what are you going to do about it?

We have new brake/tail light sets available now for Ferrari 355, 360, 430, 512M, 550, 575 and even F50.

These new design LEDs will illuminate your Ferrari tail light lens in a brilliant and instant red glow that is brighter than your current bulbs. Also, since LEDs are cool to the touch you never have to worry about melting your expensive tail light lenses ever again.

We provide detailed installation instructions with your LED purchase to make it super easy.

If you love your Ferrari you will buy v12s LED sets at v12s today!

Get Wired!

2011-09-14T08:59:00.007-04:00

v12s introduces a new comprehensive range of electric wiring harnesses, available at v12s, for all Jaguar E-Type, including the Series 2 pictured on the right.

All wire harnesses, where offered in complete sets, are also available individually.

Makes restoration of your Jaguar E-Type car faster and far less expensive.

Each harness has the correct plugs and connectors, and firmly adheres to the original dimensions and shape - a faithful reproduction albeit with modern materials.

Need an electric wiring harness that isn't listed for your restoration? Inquire with your specific model, year, chassis or VIN# and required harness.

v12s wire harnesses are the only wire harnesses with a Lifetime Warranty (from 1/1/2007) - if it breaks it will be replaced for free!

For example, our complete wire harness set for Jaguar E-Type V12 includes ALL wire harnesses listed below:

+ battery cable
- battery cable
choke warning light
choke panel illumination
rev counter illumination
fuel pump extension lead
fuel pump lead
starter solenoid lead
reverse lamp extension
brake fluid reservoir
pressure switch valve
engine harness
air conditioning harness
left hand body harness
right hand body harness
fan relay harness
panel harness
bonnet harness
bulkhead harness
forward harness
... and a complete new set of rubber grommets to protect your new wiring harnesses
..... and a Full color large-format wiring diagram for easy exact installation.

Buy it now at v12s and enjoy your new-found electrical reliability.

Porschefest 2011

2011-09-11T10:18:00.008-04:00

What a great turnout at Porschefest 2011 yesterday!

The weather was ideal for a car show in Boston and a large number of Porsche turned up at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for a fun day.

For once, at a car show, it was refreshing to see a significant number of Porsche 928 and other models aside from the usual range of 911 series.

All the photos and videos can be found via our website v12s - enjoy.

Jaguar XJS V12 - The 8 Step Reliability Program

2011-09-09T09:44:00.006-04:00

The V12 Jaguar XJS is a nice car, in fact I own one and it's lack of reliability is the reason that my business, v12s, exists.

There is no shortage of critics of old sports cars, including the Jaguar XJS V12, but there are few with any constructive ideas.

In the 1970s when the Jaguar XJS V12 was designed the engineers didn't have access to the modern components and materials that we enjoy today. They had to make do with 1970s components and materials, so criticizing them is short-sighted.

We have the advantage to modernize and update our classic sports cars and make them reliable and a joy to drive.

So here's my 8 step reliability program for the Jaguar XJS V12 but you can apply it to most cars.

1. All classic sports cars suffered from a lack of cooling, you can cure that with an electric cooling fan system, an aluminum radiator, seperate oil or transmission coolers, more efficient fan switches, new thermostats of the correct temperature rating and change all coolant hoses including the ones that lead to your cabin heating - not much worse than 200 degree coolant on your legs when your heating hoses split.

2. Fuel hoses used to be just rubber, now they are more sophisticated. Change all your rubber fuel hoses, whether low pressure carburetor hoses or high pressure fuel injection hoses and leading to and from the fuel tank. Don't let your car become another burn victim.

3. Change your brake hoses to modern braided steel re-enforced brake hoses and replace all the rubber seals in your brake calipers.

4. Have a look at, but don't touch, that wiring in your car, especially the wiring in the engine bay, I bet it looks a little sorry. Most of the engine wiring insulation will crumble upon touch and then cause short circuits, which then lead to a whole bunch of new problems. Renew your wiring harnesses.

5. Change the relays and fuses, they've probably been there since the middle of the last century. The relays being mechanical devices, similar to the old ignition points in their mechanical actuation, have probably had enough by now. Relays aren't that much and replacing them will save you from calling that AAA truck at the least convenient time. You may even discover that you now have accessories that you never new existed because they now function. Changing all the fuses in your car cost very little, takes minimal time and will again ensure reliability.

6. Change all fluids in your car, even the 20 year old fluid in your differential. Never mix fluids from different manufacturers regardless of what they tell you. Use only fresh fluids.

7. You like driving fast? You like those G forces when you fly around corners? You are only a broken wheel bearing away from getting a close-up of that tree on the corner. Change your wheel bearings, they probably are the original ones fitted at the factory.

8. Update those squishy old rubber bushings in your suspension with polyurethane, it'll transform your car from old to new without any harshness in the ride.

I'm not a 'specialist' in any particular car make or model, in fact anyone other than the original designers that claims to be a 'specialist' is delusional, and sure there's more that can be done but this is a starting point to making your car a reliable fun machine. Start at v12s now.

Cool Oil

2011-08-26T09:01:00.003-04:00

I've always thought that having oil filters upside down on your engine was not a good idea.

The more that you can protect your expensive engine from wear the better.

Rare earth magnets attached to your oil filter can help trap metal particles from re-entering your lubrication system, but not all magnets are the same.

It's important to find magnets that will hold their strength at high temperatures otherwise when they fall off they will release potentially large amounts of debris that they have accumulated in their magnetic field back into your oil - this is not good.

Our magnets are specifically designed to withstand high temperatures and are suitable for use in automotive applications.

Buy one for your car, they are available now at http://www.v12s.com on the 'Cool Oil' page.

Transformational Change For Your Jaguar XJ12

2011-08-25T07:42:00.005-04:00

the Jaguar XJ12 is a beautiful car, in need of subtle modernization for the 21st Century. Transformational change, how?

Available at v12s we have complete interior and exterior LED conversions, all the wiring harnesses to restore your whole car, fuel injection rebuild sets, polyurethane suspension bushings and our advanced aluminum alloy twin electric cooling fan system with integrated automatic transmission oil cooler = this is how we do it.

Fan Guide or Truth vs Marketing

2011-08-24T06:38:00.007-04:00

Some fan sellers appear to defy Ohm's Law when describing their fans, apparently they haven't heard of Ohm's Law.

As an example, a 14 inch fan with a 90 watt motor draws approximately 7.5 amps, not 10.2 amps, at 12 volts DC. The same 14 inch fan with 90 watt motor draws approximately 6.7 amps, not 10.2 amps, at 13.5 volts DC. Check out Ohm's Law to determine if the fan seller's claim's match the fan being sold.

Some fan sellers promote CFM as being the only important consideration, but it's not.

As an example, a 16 inch fan with a 250 watt motor (apparently only 10 amps at 13 volts?) - is claimed to generate over 3600 CFM at zero static air pressure- that's 3,600 Cubic Feet of Air Per Minute, or presented another way - enough power to move all the air out of a room that measures more than 22 feet by 20 feet with an 8 foot ceiling in just 1 minute - what load of bull!

Here's another good joke - a 13 inch fan with an 8 amp fan motor (about 100 watt motor) claimed to pull 2900 CFM, more bull, divide the CFM by 2.

I would welcome fan manufacturers enlightening me with their scientific proof but they ignore requests for independent lab data showing their CFM figures, in fact one fan manufacturer specifically told his sales rep not to talk to me - they can't handle having their BS claims challenged.

A word about quality: there's plenty of cheap $5 fans available that look the part but are nothing more than mere inferior copies of brand name fans. Did you know that the plastics used in cheaper fans are inferior polyproylene mixes? This makes these inferior fans less impact resistant and less capable of coping with high temperatures - ie. brittle. Quality cooling fans are made with plastic composed of glass-filled nylon. You get what you pay for, right? Some people don't care about what they sell to you, we do, we give a lifetime free replacement warranty, every fan supplier should give a lifetime free replacement warranty - don't buy a fan without a lifetime free replacement warranty.

I've built over 2,000 electric cooling fan assemblies for v12-engined cars and others, so I have some experience in choosing the right electric fan and weeding out the fact from fiction. My fans are 70% more powerful than the common fans available elsewhere. So, here's what I look for when choosing fans.

Firstly, some things to think about before buying an electric cooling fan:
- does your car have a/c condenser mounted in front of the radiator?
- does your car have a seperate oil cooler mounted in front of your radiator and/or a/c condensor?

A 10 inch fan with an 80 watt is fine for most applications where only a 10 inch fan could fit - this excludes all V8, V10, V12 and bigger engines.

A 14 inch fan with a 90 watt motor that spins very fast may be OK if you have a thin radiator and no A/C condensor or other coolers in front of it - it's not OK for a V12.

If you have A/C then I would choose a fan that has a 120 - 160 watt fan motor.

If you have an A/C condensor and another oil cooler in front it then you would want to use a fan that has a 160 - 225 watt fan motor.

When you bought a shop vac what did you buy? The weakest or the most powerful?

Of course current draw is important, but that doesn't mean sacrificing engine cooling. If your classic doesn't have enough amps to get the job done properly then buy a more powerful alternator and battery. Destroyed engines due to a lack of cooling, especially in classic cars, are an expensive and foolish error.

And what about curved blade fans versus straight blade fans? The patent for curved blade fans only claims that they are quieter than straight blade fans, there are no claims of more airflow (all things being equal).

In conclusion, this Fan 101 isn't meant to cover everything but it is meant to highlight some fact from fiction.

Just Because You're Small ...

2011-08-22T10:37:00.006-04:00

Just because you're small doesn't mean that you don't need some extra cooling, right?

And just because we can cool 600 hp v12s doesn't mean that we shouldn't help our smaller friends keep cool, right?

Right! So, here is our new aluminum alloy electric cooling fan system for Classic Mini, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper S, Mini Clubman and Mini Moke.

This electric fan system replaces the old-fashioned mechanical cooling fan. It will provide more consistent and improved cooling and give you back a couple of horsepower. It looks fabulous too!

Stay cool my Mini friend ...

Living in the Past

2011-08-19T20:15:00.007-04:00

I recently had the privelege of seeing a McLaren FI up close and personal.

I spent a considerable amount of time walking around examing every inch, inside and out, the engine bay, the interior, the underneath, the trunk ... all of it!

It is a magnificent piece of design, engineering and machining. Parts of the engine compartment are lined in pure gold, including the engine lid ... appreciating as I write at $1800+ per ounce.

Yet this $1,000,000 car is living in the past, it is still using good old-fashioned light bulbs.

Shouldn't McLaren F1 owners have LED lights too? Yes they should and v12s is the only one that can convert that $1,000,000 Mclaren F1 to 21st century LED lights.

Emerge from the dark ages, don't keep living in the past, buy your McLaren F1 an LED upgrade at v12s today.