Upper Middle Petrol Head:

This is what happens every time I think I've cured myself of my classic Land Rover fetish.  Well, maybe a mate doesn't necessarily send me some sexy pics of a Defender he's spotted in Hong Kong but somehow, somewhere, a Landie crops up and reminds me that I really do need to own one.   Why does a slab-sided, basic as a backyard dunny off-roader that's barely changed in sixty years excite me so much?  Maybe that's just it ; perhaps it's because Landies have been such a constant that they've come to epitomise what a proper four-wheel-drive is. It's also quite likely because they're one of the few truly customisable rides left in a world of generic plastic crap!.  A classic Landie is a blokey thing, just begging to have accessories bolted to it, like this example's ancillary lights, bull bar, winch, jerrycan-themed snorkel, big wheels, flares (on flares!), and side-steps.  These are things that men can install themselves using satisfyingl

Progress has continued apace with Operation Alfa having progressed to some rust remediation.  As you can see from the following photos, rotten metal has been completely excised from the trailing edge of the front passenger side guard, with a new section being welded into place, ground back and then sanded smooth.  The rear passenger side guard looks less rot-affected ; it appears that it's been taken back to bare metal but there hasn't been any penetration there.   U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos supplied.

Andrew Johnston in his 105 GTV on the hammer of either Graeme Mitchell or Peter Lowe in their shared 75 A field of around twenty competitors lined up for this year's CMI Supersprints, held at the Baskerville Raceway in Tasmania's south, on an absolute cracker of an early autumn day.  The on-track action was well worth a look, with plenty of skill on display as groups of four similarly matched cars hit the circuit all at a time and their drivers set about to achieve their best possible elapsed times.   "Personalised", model-specific racing numbers.  Cute! Event rules stipulate that whilst overtaking is permitted, racing is not.  The on-track groups are selected after drivers participate in timed qualifying sessions, ensuring that there are no major disparities between cars competing in any particular session and, as a result, not a lot of passing occurs anyway.    This doesn't mean that the driving was tame, though ; a lot of talent was on show, w