Words: NZV8 Photos: Supplied
In the day and age of sub-standard factories around the world making knock-off parts with no understanding of what they actually do, it comes as a refreshing change when you deal with a company that designs, tests, specifies, and manufactures its own products. Australia’s Proflow is exactly that and more. Part of the VPW group of companies, a group that lives and breathes cars as much as you do, the brains behind Proflow were sick of sub-standard designs and manufacturing they were finding abroad, so they set out to build parts the right way.
It’s worked a treat, too, as Proflow has evolved over the years from a small company focusing on fluid transfer products into an automotive powerhouse with a catalogue that’s a massive 440 pages! Of course, these days, while a print catalogue is nice, we all know the real shopping is done online, and that’s a place where both Proflow and VPW have successfully made their mark. Through the proflow.com.au website, it’s easy to find the right components for your full build or next upgrade. Take intercoolers, for example, where they offer all shapes and sizes as well as a few specific-fit options for the likes of FG Falcons. The main seller, as you’d expect, is the 600x300x76mm bar and plate with 3-inch outlets. Perfect for any turbo conversion where you’re looking for a decent flow rate, minimum boost drop and maximum cooling, the bar and plate intercoolers are available in a black or raw aluminium finish.
While developing their product range, the company naturally extended to tooling to help make fitting intercoolers easier. One key item to assist in this area is their vice-mounted pipe bead roller — essential for making your own intercooler piping, and with a size range of ⅝-inch to 6-inch, it will come in handy for plenty of other workshop jobs, too. Despite its diminutive size, the pipe bead roller has been designed to last a lifetime, whether it’s being used in the home workshop or in a professional environment.
Of course, if you’re in the market for specialist tools like this, chances are your build — or builds — are getting serious, which is even more of a reason to combine shipping costs and make sure to grab all the parts you’ll need while on the Proflow site. If you’ve got a common engine, like an LS, for example, then there’s even more that the Proflow team has for you. One of the highlights of their catalogue is the new full billet-aluminium SuperMax+ LS intake manifold.
The manifolds are a CNC-machined work of art that starts life as a block of 6061 aluminium and ends up as the ultimate under-bonnet accessory. Unlike plenty of lesser quality parts, the manifolds don’t just look good, but thanks to their CFD-aided design, they offer maximum flow as well as runners to maximise top-end performance. The design works with 102mm throttle bodies (which Proflow also produce), and unlike many LS turbo manifolds, they have been designed to fit under a stock VT-VF hood, and they work with LS1, LS2, LS3, and L92 configurations.
The ability to design and manufacture high-end components like this has been born from their years of experience as well as a genuine passion for all things performance. The Proflow staff aren’t just there to sell parts but to make sure you get the right combination to suit your build goals; it’s something they pride themselves on. Of course, they’re not above supplying the more universal parts, too, such as a range of turbo beanies to help keep under-bonnet temps down, as well as turbo guards to keep stones out of where they shouldn’t be.
They even offer a range of brake-line flaring tools ranging from a budgetfriendly option to a more professional-style — and handy hint for those new to the game — much easier-to-use tool. The professional version even comes with the dies, allowing you to flare 3/8th-inch tubing and create custom fuel lines or similar. While you’re on the site, it may pay to add a thread checker kit to your cart, too. Or maybe ask Santa for one, as checking and cleaning threads is much better than stripping studs or cross threading, especially if it’s on things like your heads, as you attach a fancy new manifold. The 16-piece thread checker kit includes all common metric and imperial sizes, so it is just the thing regardless of your car’s origin.
While Kiwis obviously don’t like to give Aussies too much credit, when it comes to car parts and car trends, the battle lines have softened, and we know we can learn plenty from what goes on over the ditch. And the Proflow crew deserve plenty of credit for what they have been able to achieve since their humble beginnings. Better still, they’ve made it super easy for Kiwis to buy, too, with the website automatically displaying prices in NZ dollars, automatically calculating shipping costs, and combining shipping when you add more to your cart. Even if you’re not looking for anything specific, with so many products in their range, just browsing through the Proflow website is well worthwhile. Just don’t blame us when you find parts you can’t resist.
GO FAST BITS: proflow.com.au