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 INTRODUCTION TO THE ROD SHOPPlease take the time to study some of our services, there is sure to be one to help you with a project some time soon. For more information on our many products and services please go to one of the pages below. If you cannot find what you want, call or contact us. We are constantly adding new items to our range and you should find most of our catalogue items listed on the relevant page. You can also click on any of the photos to see a bigger picture. As the new owner of The Castlemaine Rod Shop we are giving it a new lease on life continuing with all the famous products plus updating of others as well as the development of a whole range of new products for the ever growing hot rod and street machine market. Bellhousings and Engine Transplants: With over thirty years of experience in the engine and transmission business Castlemaine Rod Shop has now produced over 100 different alloy housings. All are cast from new aluminium and all machining is carried out by our fully trained CRS staff on specially built jigs. The full range of housings for cars, trucks & 4 wheel drive vehicles is listed. Engine and Transmission Adapters: As well as new bellhousings, CRS offer many production adapters to fit different engine/gearbox combinations using your existing bellhousing, that are made to the highest standard and doweled to ensure accuracy. Most adapters come with fitting kits to make sure that the customer can complete the job with a minimum of fuss. Four Wheel Drive & Commercial Vehicle Repowering: Over the years CRS has marketed 4WD conversions for many vehicles including Landcruisers, Nissan G60, Toyota Hilux, Nissan 720, Suzuki Sierra, Holden Jackaroo, Nissan MQ Patrol, Nissan GQ, Range Rover, Landrovers etc. But of course with CRS’s machining experience any swap can be achieved if you have a special requirement. CRS can supply engine transplants for many commercial vehicles such as trucks and vans. Gearboxes are our major service and we offer our customers a full range of 4, 5 & 6 speed manual transmissions for all popular swaps. We also carry a vast array of Japanese gearboxes such as Toyota, Mazda and Mitsubishi, along with hydraulic clutch kits, brackets, throwout forks etc. See the page for a full list. We are now also official agents for Tremec gearboxes and keep spares for these and other popular gearboxes. Experimental Aircraft Repowering: Since 1992 CRS has been heavily involved in the development of a light weight powerful aircraft replacement engine and gearbox. It is based on an automotive V8 and incorporates modern technology. The page will explain the results. Engineering & Other Services Offered: Gearbox reconditioning, Custom CAD Design, Specialized Welding or Custom Machining - Carried out on an hourly rate, any job from a simple modification to the most sophisticated gearbox adapter can be carried out under the one roof. In fact almost anything that a car enthusiast could require - see us first. Chassis, Suspension and Brakes: Another major part of the CRS operation is our chassis, suspension and brake conversion section. Every enthusiast is interested in improving the handling, appearance and stopping power of their vehicle. We offer all kinds of custom chassis work, chassis kits, suspension crossmembers & a constantly expanding range of dropped axles. See the page for further details. With over 100 disc brake conversions on file, CRS can carry out swaps for your special needs, U.S. cars are especially catered for, so if you have a Desoto, Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Buick, Oldsmobile. Chev, Ford or Cadillac, it is probably one we have done. All modifications are carried out to the highest standard, disc and axle restudding are a specialty. All work is carried out on an hourly rate. As a major supplier of engine and driveline conversion kits there are numerous accessories that are required once a transplant is undertaken and CRS can supply many of these items such as alternator mounts, speedo cables of any combination, angle speedo drives, T piece drives so that Speedo’s and sensors can be driven, Corrector boxes to make speed and distance read correctly. A large number of engine mounts are fabricated and stocked by CRS, sumps and oil pickups are built or modified to requirements. We also have a range of clothing, catalogues and even car couches! CRS offer a large range of custom exhausts to match many of the engine swap kits. Go to the page to see a full listing. For applications where a popular engine is to be fitted to a non standard vehicle, self make extractor kits are available that consist of the header plates, manual U bends, 4 into 1 collectors, gaskets, bolts etc, or we will do the job for you on an hourly rate. Services in this area start from simple items such as spring saddles designed to be welded on without the risk of housing distortion. We offer a full range of popular universals; Tailshaft manufacturing, repairs and modifications; Ford 8" & 9" diff conversions are available for many popular vehicles; Diff centres with a variety of ratio’s; Diff housing straightening on Ford Diffs; Axle restudding; Discs also reworked or repaired; Handbrake cables custom made or reproduced. CRS can also assist with steering. Rack and Pinion conversions are available for such front ends as: HQ-WB-HD-HR balljoint with front or rear racks; Mitsubishi L300 with power or non power racks; 1964-66 Mustang; XK-XM Falcons; 1955-56-57 Chev to Power Steering; HK-T-G Holden front end to power or non power rack and pinion. Special modifications to steering components that need machining or welding can also be carried out. We have a range of engine mounting kits available for bolt in and weld in conversions to enable popular V8 and 6 cylinder engines to be easily fitted in non standard applications. We have a range of supercharger kits available for bolt on conversions to enable greater performance from popular V6 and Straight 6 cylinder engines. We have included links to other businesses involved in the modified car field, many of which are also based in Castlemaine. If you wish to contact us about your application or special conversions please phone us during business hours or use this page to detail your query and we will reply as soon as we can. Please provide all relevant information so that we can get back to you with the correct answers! Found something you need on one of the other pages? This will explain how to order what you want and how to contact us for further information. History of the Rod Shop.Castlemaine, situated 118 km from Melbourne along the Calder Highway in Central Victoria, has over the years, developed into the hub of the modified car industry. Castlemaine is rich in history and with its large gold deposits, more cars were sold in the area than most other areas. These cars were used then abandoned, thus over the years it has been a gold mine for Restorers and Street Rodders. National magazines on Street Rods, Vans and Restored Cars are based in the area. There is no part of car construction that can't be carried out in Castlemaine or outlying areas. Foundries, pattern makers, bodybuilders, machine shops, paint and panel shops, upholsterers and auto electricians are all in abundance. Why not take a drive to Castlemaine and do some sightseeing with your family. Castlemaine Rod Shop with it's competent staff, have the ability to produce top quality parts, as well as being able to produce one-off conversions. Open 7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8.0 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. Saturday. We deal primarily with mail order sales, so if coming to purchase parts in person, call ahead. The Castlemaine Rod Shop has built so many top cars over the years starting way back when Rod built a 1934 Ford Coupe that went on to win every event that a car of that time was able to win. Numerous other vehicles followed including a V8 powered FJ Holden, supercharged and fuel injected Chev powered Zephyr, chopped top Ford Anglia, '55 Chev Tudor, '68 Chev Camaro, '67 Chev step side pickup, chopped top EK 454 Chev panel van to name a few. The first conversion of the Castlemaine Rod Shop was a 1600 Datsun four speed gearbox to Rod's father's FB ute. Interest evolved from that swap and soon he was fitting them to other models as the word spread, finally after being convinced he should move to Castlemaine, he opened doors and advertised the swap. Castlemaine Rod Shop is now located on a nine acre site on the Pyrenees Highway, just out of Chewton and 8 km from Castlemaine, having moved from William Street in Castlemaine, where it had operated from for many years. It now features a modern up to date building with a display area, kiosk, children's playground area and a small vehicle display as well as a viewing area where cars under construction can be seen. Since our move we now have a modern up to date machine shop, known as C.R.S. Engineering, which is located behind the main building, this should enable us to keep most items in stock at all times, however on odd occasions we may be caught out, but delays will be of the shortest possible time. The accounts side of the business has received a boost with the installation of a computer programmed to suit the marketing of kits made up of various components. The "Rod Shop" name has also started to appear at Victoria's major Drag Strips, with a 1929 A Model Ford called the "Castlemaine Kid" and powered by of course a 454 Big Block Chev. On the street scene some of the vehicle produced by The Castlemaine Rod Shop include a 1934 five window Ford coupe powered by a Hemi Chrysler 396 Fire Power engine. The car was built completely as a rolling advertisement on the show scene and filled a lifetime wish to build a chopped, channeled and lengthened '34 incorporating the best of old and new design. Other projects which have been completed are a '37 Ford Roadster Pickup, a Salt lake racing experimental vehicle, a 32 Ford Roadster, a 'T' coupe and a Harley Davidson Chopper. The Castlemaine Rod Shop promotion continues on a daily basis through participation at major Street Rod, Street Machine, Racing events, trade displays and exhibitions. The major development project undertaken in recent times was the complete design and production of the CRS Rodent Big Block engine for the automotive and aircraft aftermarket. A major under- taking in itself, this project demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the Castlemaine Rod Shop to the aftermarket performance industry. Co-operation with all magazines servicing the modified vehicle market keeps Rod Shop products and services to the forefront and helps maintain a constant flow of worthwhile technical articles for the home based enthusiast. 'Visitors to Castlemaine are greeted by large signs proclaiming the city as the Street Rod Centre of Australia.'
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