Skip to main content

Classics by the Beach: March, 2020


As a photographer and avowed sports and classic car obsessive, it's always gratifying to be able to present a few cars that haven't previously featured at the Classics by the Beach gathering held on the first Sunday of every month at Hobart's Sandy Bay.  Fortunately, there is always something new, a car never seen there before or some progress on a project under restoration.







I'm sure that Ford's new line of Mustangs has earned itself some well-deserved fans but, for me, the original is always the best.  And of those originals, the Shelby GT350 is the absolute best of the best!






Whilst the US muscle car scene has been reinvigorated by the likes of the new Mustang, GM's Chevrolet Camaro and (Fiat) / Chrysler's Charger models, there's being biblically known's chance that one of Australia's greatest-ever cars - our own take on the Charger - will ever see such a revival.  Oh how I wish that our local manufacturing sector hadn't been allowed to go mammalians-up!    




Like I said before, original is best!  Granted, this isn't the very first of the Corvette Stingrays but it has to be one of the most strikingly beautiful cars to have ever come out of America.  






Another example of a magnificent Australian car, our own version of the Ford LTD.  This one is genuinely in show-room nick with barely a mark on it anywhere.
















Pop quiz:  Classic or BMW's admittedly quite clever take on the original Mini?  I think you can guess where I stand.  Mr G Woodheap's pretty pleased with his recent purchase, too.    








For sale:  $6,500.  Some assembly required.  



Given the small size of the Jensen-owning community in Tasmania, it's a fair bet that the Jensen Healey shown here and John Regis' red example - to feature in this coming Wednesday's UMPH post - are quite rare in the island state.  This one looks magnificent with its blue duco, cream interior and Superlites.  






This XY Fairmont wagon was one of my favourite cars of the day.  It appears to be unrestored, featuring lustrous, apparently original paint and chrome, a lovely interior and nice period accessories, including bumper over-riders, twelve-slot wheels, a sun visor, Venetians and a hearse-style roof rack.  It's a V8, so I imagine it'd be the perfect cruiser.  Nice!








Another never to be repeated Aussie classic!  Plenty of people know that the later Commodore-based Monaros were sold in the US, badged as Pontiacs, but how many realise that early versions, like this one, were sold in South Africa and Indonesia wearing Chevrolet nameplates?  Now that the Holden name has been euthanised, we won't even get to see some sort of re-badged GM variant pretending to be a Monaro.  Sad.  Very, very sad indeed.  







U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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
9 comments
Read more

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
Post a Comment
Read more

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.
Post a Comment
Read more