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253: Sunsilk getting ready for Bathurst

253: Sunsilk getting ready for Bathurst

All Torque Car Podcast Mar 31, 2026 37 min
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About this episode

A chaotic, banter-heavy catch-up turns into serious Bathurst prep talk. The hosts riff on breathalyzer “self-testing” gadgets, birthday casino stories, and fancy-dress mishaps, then pivot to the VSB Security BMW M4’s six-hour shakedown: bedding new rotors/pads, dialing sway bars/shocks, and wrapping the car while logistics scramble. Rick Schrupp is praised for cornering confidence as the team targets a podium with drivers Zach, Tom Shaw, and Rick. Fuel prices, electric-car charging, and camera tech also get a run-in before the next Bathurst recording setup.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

breathalyzer

"into bag. What is it? Breathalyzer. You're breathalyzing yourself now. What do you buy that for? I"

A breathalyzer is a tool that estimates how much alcohol is in your breath. It’s used to guess whether you’re over the legal driving limit.

Term

over the limit

"Grab this off. I know, that just says the rule like over the limit or near the limit. So if it goes into green, which is dumb, the red line, then you're over the limit."

“Over the limit” means you’ve had enough alcohol that you’re not legally allowed to drive. The device uses colors to show if you’re above that legal threshold.

Car

Tesla 13 Model

"...e all right. We bought a cheap, bought a 16, 20, 13 model. That one, that one didn't have the daisy on the ..."

The Tesla Model 3 is an electric car, meaning it runs on a battery instead of gasoline. The podcast mentions a specific older model year and that it didn’t have certain features. That’s relevant because different versions can include different equipment.

Concept

Bathurst

"No, it's bad enough having a racing car. Yeah, racing, Bathurst next weekend. You've been busy pretty much every weekend."

Bathurst is a big Australian motorsport event. People gather to watch race cars go around a famous track.

Concept

six hour

"So we're going to do the same again this year... But you guys have been trying to get the M4 ready. So it's production, six hour production... How do you prepare for a six hour?"

A six-hour race is a long event, so it’s not only about speed—it’s about keeping the car working well for hours. Teams do extra prep so brakes, tires, and the car’s systems don’t fall apart mid-race.

Term

shakedown

"It was good. It's a shakedown. Like we still got things to do."

A shakedown is a “make sure it’s all good” run after you’ve changed parts. The goal is to find problems early, before race day.

Concept

podium finish

"Is he? That's what we're working on, the podium finish. He reckon, he reckon he's, he's going in for the podium."

A podium finish means you place in the top three. It’s usually the best result you can aim for in a race.

Concept

Nürburgring

"He runs the RX 8 Cup. He's raced at Nürburgring."

Nürburgring is a well-known race track in Germany. It’s famous for being tough, so experience there usually means the driver is very capable.

Term

electric

"...I started in the large. Was that petrol powered or was it? No, battery, electric. I had to, I was going to have to repair the body before I went to sign writing."

They’re talking about whether the vehicle runs on gas or electricity. With electric, you don’t fill it up—you rely on battery range and charging.

Term

battery

"...No, battery, electric. I had to... But the new one... iPad, electric... You'll have to push it. Or park it. Yeah. Or change batteries."

The vehicle uses a battery to power the motor. If the battery runs low, you either need to charge it or swap batteries so it can keep going.

Term

range

"...Or for me, like 20 meters away to drive. I'm going to... Can we make a lap around Bathurst? ... With a golf cart? Yeah. I imagine halfway around it, it hasn't got the electricity to make it back."

Range means how far it can drive before the battery runs out. They’re worried it might not have enough power to finish the trip.

Term

shorted out

"once my wife was in a car and the [1401.1s] back camera shorted out in the tailgate and it started a little fire."

A “short” is when electricity takes the wrong path. In a car, that can damage wiring and sometimes cause smoke or a fire.

Term

full torque at zero RPM

"Mate, it's full torque at zero RPM as soon as you hit it. It's just like diesel trains, right? Everyone thinks they're diesel,"

With an electric motor, you get strong pull right away, even when the car isn’t moving yet. Gas engines usually need to rev up first, but EVs don’t.

Brand

BYD

"Well, BYD sort of clouted in, but... They're nice, man. So nice electric cars scooting around... but they're getting cheaper and cheaper now. BYD really."

BYD is a Chinese automaker known for large-scale EV and battery production. The segment suggests BYD’s recent impact on the EV market and also comments on differences in battery quality across cheaper models.

Term

time-lapse cassettes

"And I had cassettes, time-lapse cassettes that I'd have to take every day to record."

Time-lapse means the camera records over a long time, but the playback is sped up. “Cassettes” here means it was recorded on tape, so you had to change it.

Term

number plate recognition

"So I learnt me when this number plate turns up. Well, that's number plate recognition. Yeah."

Number plate recognition is a camera system that reads a car’s license plate automatically. Instead of a person typing it in, the computer reads it and records it.

Term

cool suit

"but I had water running through a cool... Cool suit. We've got them for Bathurst too."

A cool suit is extra gear drivers wear to stay cooler during long, hot races. It helps reduce heat so you can stay focused and not get worn out as fast.

Term

race suit

"Yeah. When I bought a race suit, because all my old ones, you know, wouldn't get a leg in them now."

A race suit is the special outfit drivers wear at the track. It’s made to be safer in a crash or fire and to fit properly with the racing harness.

Term

diesel

"Going back to the diesel, I'm thinking, I'm going to have to fill up before we go there."

“Diesel” is a type of engine that uses diesel fuel instead of petrol. It can change how far you can drive before refueling.

Term

one lane

"It's getting worked on. It's one lane. Long weekend. Coming back's going to be a fucking nightmare."

“One lane” indicates a roadworks setup where traffic is restricted to a single lane in at least one direction. This typically increases congestion and can make travel during peak periods—like race weekends—much slower and less predictable.

Concept

practice run

"I did a practice run. Get there should be a... Not too bad, but coming back's going to be a fucking nightmare."

A practice run is just a test drive before the real trip. It helps you figure out how long it takes and what parts of the route are annoying or slow.

Company

Waze

"I did a practice run on Waze, and it was still two and a half, two hours, 40."

Waze is a phone navigation app that shows traffic in real time. It can help you guess how long your drive will take based on what’s happening right now.

Concept

long weekend

"Yeah. Long weekend. I know. I know."

A long weekend is when people have extra days off. More travelers means more traffic, so getting back can take way longer.

Concept

tunnel closure / shut down

"That can't open it. That's right, yeah. And so they've shut it down. Hey, that's fucked."

Sometimes a tunnel gets closed if something looks unsafe or isn’t working right. Then the authorities stop traffic and spend time figuring out how to make it safe again.

Term

tunneling

"Well, you know, Sydney is the best country in the world for tunneling, because we're built on sandstone. Yeah, but not through there."

Tunneling means digging a passage underground—usually for roads or trains. They’re talking about whether Sydney’s ground type makes it easier to build tunnels there.

Term

convertible

"Those kids that are... Can barely even ride a bike. He went and bought them a convertible BMW."

A convertible is a car where the roof can be opened so you can drive with the top down. They’re saying he bought a BMW with that kind of roof.

Term

rust

"Was it 3C? From the Northern Beaches. Northern Beaches. Oh, no rust. No, no."

Rust is corrosion of metal, and it’s especially important on older cars and convertibles where water can get trapped. The speaker is reassuring that there’s “no rust,” which usually indicates better long-term durability and lower repair costs.

Part

painted brakes

"Just like Michael Butler. Painted brakes, painted this. One lady owner."

“Painted brakes” usually means the brake calipers are painted to look nicer. It’s mostly for looks, but the paint has to handle heat and be applied carefully so it doesn’t cause problems.

Part

lug nuts

"Now we're going to paint the lug nuts. Always garage. So we're going to paint the lug nuts."

Lug nuts are the bolts that hold your wheel onto the car. Painting them is usually just for looks, but you still want to make sure they’re tightened correctly.

Brand

BMW

"And now he brought a BMW as well to add to his story. Beautiful car. Beautiful."

They mention BMW as another car brand in the conversation. It’s basically another example of what kind of car they’re working on or buying parts for.

Concept

fleet news

"So, before we wrap up, we've got a few fleet news. [2119.0s] The Rockwood Shore is gone, the W-427."

“Fleet news” just means car updates for a company’s fleet—like what vehicles they sold, replaced, or bought. It’s not about one person’s car, it’s about a whole group of cars.

Term

16,000 kilometers

"[2203.8s] And it's got 16,000 kilometers on it. [2205.9s] Oh, that's nothing."

16,000 kilometers is pretty low for a used car. Lower mileage can mean less wear, though you still have to check the car’s condition.

Concept

factory wax underneath the chassis

"[2205.9s] Oh, that's nothing. [2207.4s] And it's got the wax from the original, [2209.3s] the factory underneath the chassis."

Some cars get a waxy coating underneath from the factory to help prevent rust. If the original coating is still there, it can suggest the car has been well protected.

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