Classics by the Beach: Sunday the 5th of January, 2020

For several years now, Upper Middle Petrol Head has been bringing you all the most desirable cars. I think you'll agree that the photo above is a case in point and a great introduction to 2020!

See! There's not just Daniel's white one, but this truly magnificent red example, too, resplendent with its awesome Cibie lighting array. Seriously, who doesn't love a Galant hardtop?!

This lovely rust-free and apparently original Serie Speciale Fiat X1/9 is also very cool. It still has its ladder stripes, features the optional Cromodora alloy wheels and would appear to be about as honest an unrestored example as you might ever find. Here's hoping that it's soon joined by a certain metallic orange, ex-UK version featured elsewhere on this 'blog!

I'm very taken by this no-nonsense 'step-nose' Alfa 105. It's a testament to the styling of the 105 that they almost look better the sparer their accessories list, with this one looking great sans bumpers and optioned with only a set of Superlite style alloys and a tasty Nardi sports steering wheel.

Some people's options lists go a bit further than others', running to marque-themed clothing. Mike's looking dapper in his period Porsche gear and there's no doubt that Woody's acing his Pantera-couture!

While we're on a Pantera theme, Woody and the team at Talon Bodyworks, Moonah, have done a brilliant job repainting the engine bay of the V8-powered behemoth shown above and below. It's hard to credit how well it's come up, given that it was until recently coated in a heavy black tar-style paint. Nice work, men!

This EK Holden is old-school cool in its purest form! It is ostensibly stock, save the five-spoke Aunger wheels and period-perfect Venetian blinds, and is also in pristine nick. I'm sure its owner is thrilled with it.

Talking of old school cool, this excellent XR Falcon also has it in spades! A 289 cu V8 coupled to a four-speed floor shift, low-back bucket seats, an early GT steering wheel, immaculate duco and a set of nifty black and white Superlites has the look nailed!

Whereas the EK Holden and XR Falcon shown earlier both have a bit of the bad boy about them, this mint-condition HR Premier has 'one owner, only ever driven to church on Sundays' written all over it! Except that its current owner clearly prefers being at Hobart's best free car show over hymns and homilies, and that's what sees the car gracing Sandy Bay's Long Beach and not the car park at St David's Cathedral!

Jeremy 'To Be Frank, Can Be A Bit Of A Tosser' Clarkson describes the Alfa 147 GTA as a 'bonkers' car. Yep. Hard to argue that particular point, Jezza! A 3.2 litre V6 driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual - or a Selespeed 'box, if that floats your boat - apparently makes for a wild and wilful beast. Even the 'lesser' 2.0 litre four cylinder twin spark version is said to be lively, so the extra 1,200 cc is bound to add a fair chunk of excitement!

For me, this interior is sooo Italian and is what sets Alfas apart from other brands. Similarly, Alfa's stylists have let one of the car's greatest features - its engine - speak for itself, being proudly displayed in its raw state and without being hidden beneath some cheesy plastic cover like the majority of other contemporary cars' motors are. I'm told it sounds awesome, too!

That's it for the first Classics by the Beach for 2020. However, there are plenty more car shows and automotive-themed events coming up, including a display at this year's Sandy Bay Regatta on Sunday the 26th of January. I might see you there!

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

EJ or EH Holden? (Up-dated December, 2022)

EJ or the later EH? Several years ago, I posed the question: Can somebody please explain the difference between an EJ and an EH Holden ute or van? The response at the time wasn't overwhelming, so I did a bit of Googling and ferreting through my photos and came up with my own rough guide to EJ and EH identification. Sedans and wagons are easy to tell apart ; the EH's vertical rectangular tail lights are a dead give-away. However, the workhorse versions of both models share the rear-end treatment of the earlier EJ, making it harder to identify one from the other. No super obvious hints here. Or here ... . It turns out that the main clues are in the placement of the front H O L D E N lettering and GMH lion emblems, the style of the radiator grille and the width of the vents in front of the windscreen, with all EJs - sedans, wagons, utes and vans - having one combination and the EH line-up having their own . So what exactly are those diffe

Vick Auto Prima Fiat X1/9 Brakes: An Owner’s Assessment

At the end of 2022, I fitted a set of Vick Autosport Prima front brakes to my mildly worked 1.5 litre Series 1 Fiat X1/9 . I was fortunate, having picked them up at a very, very reasonable price, brand new but surplus to the needs of a fellow X1/9 Australia member who had imported them from the US. The kit included: New single pot callipers , new vented rotors (standard X1/9 front rotors are smaller, non-vented items), DOT approved stainless steel brake hoses, and all the necessary mounting hardware. They are a value proposition, being particularly well priced compared to other manufacturers’ packages - even at RRP - with everyone I’ve spoken to saying they’re made to a high standard, too. Here's a link to a piece that I wrote about them at that time, including some costings: https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-x19-gets-prima-brake-upgrade.html . Initial Assessment: I was a little underwhelmed by the brakes' performance, finding that although they had a tiny

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

Once upon a time - six or seven years ago, actually - there was a lovely pale yellow GC Galant station wagon getting around Hobart. It was totally nanna-spec; its paint was umarked, the chrome work and hubcaps were immaculate, and its very original interior was pristine. Then someone stuck feathers in its dashboard. Next, the windows were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags. And a hubcap went missing. And the the rear bumper was pushed in, mangling the bodywork behind it. And a mudguard got dented. And rust set in. I fear for this sweet, innocent KE36 Corolla. Somebody please save it before it's too late. Nanna needs you to do it. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by GlamRock.

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