2024 Kingston Neighbourhood House Car Show

The organisers of 2024's Kingston Neighbourhood House Car Show must be really chuffed with the way the event turned out! Not only was it very, very well attended with a wide variety of beautiful vehicles on display, the weather was unseasonably lovely for late April, too.

This stylish Fiat 124 CC proudly waved the flag for the Italian car industry alongside the Upper Middle Petrol Head X1/9. They weren't the only Fiats present, though; there was another example, albeit heavily disguised ... .

Admittedly, it was hard to pick it. There was only one - four, in fairness - external clues to the mystery fourth Fiat’s identity.

Cromodora CD3s on a Morrie?

Ok. To actually call it a Fiat might be a stretch. However, this gorgeous old Morris 1000 ute is arguably as much a Fiat as it is a product of the Nuffield Organisation - later Leyland - as it's running a 1600 cc twin cam engine, five-speed gearbox and the four wheel disc set-up from a Fiat 125. And although it wasn’t explicitly stated on the handy info sheet provided by its owner, it seems probable that the whole rear end is also ex-125, as that would seem to be an easier swap than trying to graft rear discs onto spindly old Morris axles.

The grandaddy of them all: an original mid-60s fastback Mustang! This one - a fairly rare right hand drive version - packing the Hi-Po 289 ci "small block" V8 couldn't have been better!

Yeah, Baby!

Whoever owns this early WRX Impreza should be rightfully pleased, it being an absolute stand-out for originality with only a set of aftermarket wheels setting it apart from showroom spec. And that's no mean feat! When was the last time you saw an apparently unmolested WRX with what looks to be original duco in relatively unblemished condition, and an unmarked interior? It's definitely one of those "I had one of them once and wish I'd never sold it" cars.

When it comes to early Commodores, this VH wagon is pretty special, too. It’s in great nick, presenting very nicely with glossy paint, an old school sun visor, Venetians and a tasty set of gold Simmons wheels. But what really sets it apart is a set of XU-1 Torana-style triple Strombergs carbies bolted to its six cylinder “blue” motor.

Was the LX Torana peak Holden? We at Upper Middle Petrol Head think so, especially in hatch-back form. And this one - resplendent in glorious red with nifty alloy wheels that mimic the classic GMH steelies used on the 1970s Monaro / GTS and Sandman lineups, as well as SL/R Toranas - is particularly tidy.

Readers will be pleased to know that this slightly worse for wear Escort RS2000 is about to get a full restoration. It’s a totally original survivor car - other than the boot lid, which copped a fairly recent rear-ender - and is packing all the RS go-faster bits, as well as the Scheel racing style seats, three spoke sports steering wheel, centre console and extra instrumentation that completed the RS package. The only departure from standard is a Toyota Supra five-speed ‘box, which the owner says makes the car infinitely nicer to drive at highway speeds. It’ll be great to see it returned to its original glory!

This rare and rather impressive 300ZX would’ve been right at home as part of the display!

Did you enjoy this article? If so, why not browse the rest of the uppermiddlepetrolhead site? There are loads and loads of classic, sports and performance vehicles featured, as well as stacks of car shows and motorsports events. Even better, you can follow either the 'blog itself or do so via Upper Middle Petrol Head's Facebook page. And please do like and share!

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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