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Classics by the Beach: October, 2024 *Up-dated*

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This MkI Cortina was absolutely delightful, being as close to perfect as you could hope to see.  Everything - its paint, brightwork, cabin and engine - has been recently replaced or painstakingly refurbished to an extremely high standard.  All the work was done by the owner, other than the interior trim. The car 's not just a looker, though; it's packing a mildly worked original GT 1500 cc power-plant mated to a genuine Lotus Cortina close-ratio four speed gearbox.  The suspension has also been sorted and the handling package nicely finished off with some decent tyres on a set of Superlite- style wheels.    In keeping with those Superlights , there's also a very elegant three spoke, leather-wrapped sports steering wheel and an also era-correct bullet-style rear-view mirror.  The only thing that's strictly not 1960s’ fare is the colour, which the owner says is one aspect of his restorations that he takes a little licence with. But it's not just Cortinas that float th
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Random # 341: 1958 Series 1 SWB (86”) Land Rover

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  This Tasmanian Land Rover looks fantastic, a mere 66 years or so after it was built.  It appears to have had a comprehensive restoration, including brand new tyres, fresh paint and a canvas roof that smells like it’s just out of the box.  The interior - as spartan as it is - is also mint, with its steering wheel, gauges and seats having apparently been recently refurbished. The only obvious mods were a damper on the Pitman arm to help manage steering kick-back on extremely rough terrain and a set of early Thomas-style hand-operated free wheeling hubs.  Other than that, there was no PTO, no winch and no nothin’ else!  Which probably doesn’t matter because this old Landy’s likely to be pretty much unstoppable as it is, anyway! 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 eit
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Random # 340: Another Datsun 510 / 1600 (it won’t be the last!)

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Yes.  Another one.  This time, it’s a fabulously honest track car that wears its history with pride.  It may be a tiny bit battered and bruised - as you might expect of any competition vehicle of a similar vintage - but it's straight and looks great!  The Nippon Datsun Club badge is a cool touch. It doesn't seem to have beeen heavily modified, although there's nothing to say what sort of engine it's running.  However, it appears to be fitted with a standard brake set-up - discs upfront and finned drums at the rear - and has a nice set of 14" Superlites all 'round.  Inside, there's a race seat and sports steering wheel, a couple of extra gauges, a cage and that's about it.    The high-beam delete is a common mod, presumably to aid under-bonnet ventilation.  It also reveals a wonderful DIY olive oil catch can. Did you enjoy this post?  If so, you might also like the following two pieces.  The first features a wonderful BMW E9 CS, while the second showcas
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