Classics by the Beach: 03 January, 2016

-
Body image is a serious problem.  It's not just an issue for teen-aged girls, either; it has also been known to afflict those of middle-age.      

Some, like this lean and mean XB GT Falcon, have got chiseled bodies that belie their advancing years.  It takes a lot of work to keep a body looking this good! 





Others are ... more, umm, rounded, shall we say?  Take for example this immaculate looking Beetle.  A whole lotta work has gone into this body, too. 


(Damned pole!)




So why should we feel insecure about our bodies?  The owner of an identically rounded vehicle - one could say curvaceous, depending on your perspective - couldn't bring himself to park his amongst the main pack.  

Vehicles don't have to be exquisitely restored or highly regarded exotica to hold a place in the pantheon of classics.  So, whether your car is of a rare and highly esteemed marque, a study in restoration excellence, or a work in progress, an older daily-driver, a long-time faithful family hack or a model that you've coveted since you were a kid, there's always going to be someone that wants to share the love.  

And that's how the classic car scene should be and, in UMPH's experience, is.  Hobart's classic car people are a pretty friendly lot.  Even the ones with the really buff bodies!

This genuine two previous owners Datsun 1600 is a case in point.  UMPH was chuffed to catch up with its current custodian, Marcus, as he's often seen the car around Hobart but had never had the chance to see it at close quarters.         



Please enjoy the following photographs.  Wherever possible, UMPH has tried to take shots of cars that he hasn't seen quite so much of at previous events.




OK, you may have seen this 1975 Galant hardtop once or twice before.



Meet NUMPH (that's niece of UMPH, in case you're wondering).





They've got a bigger truck now, haven't they?




UMPH tried to get a clear shot of this excellent looking Ford Customline but, such was the interest it created, he couldn't.  The car has belonged to the one extended family since it was purchased new in Launceston in the late 1950s.  The new owner is the nephew of the people who first bought it and, other than a respray to mitigate a few scratches and chips, it's in totally original condition. 





Hoping to see you on the road ...
U M P H.

 (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au).

Comments

  1. Unknown3 January 2016 at 15:39

    The old man with the well patinaed VW appreciates the sentiment...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

-
Image
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 th...
Read more

An Electric Fiat X1/9

-
Image
For several years, there have been whispers that an electric X had been constructed in Tasmania's south.  However, no one seemed to know much about the car and how it had been built. That's not to say that it was some kind of skunkworks project; it seems to have simply been an under-the-radar affair, quietly put together by a bloke in his shed.  It was actually so U-T-R that I'd seen it at least twice without me realising that it'd been electrified. The car's since been sold but this is what I could glean from its current owner:  - It's a 1980 model and, as such, was delivered to Australia as a "Series 1.5," meaning that it originally had the Series 1's 1300 cc / four-speed in a Series 2 body with impact-absorbing bumpers and the higher engine compartment lid, as well as the latter's interior; - The motor is a 120 volt DC unit from US company Advanced Motors and Drives, rated at 10 HP / 7.355 kW ( http://evalbum.com/advdc , accessed 03 JUN 24);...
Read more

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

-
Image
  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. Hello, reader! I've noticed that this seems to be a particularly popular post.  Something to do with Google's algorithms, I guess ... .  But it's not my best piece!  Sure, it's ok, but there are so, so many more interesting classic, sports and performance cars on this site - as wel...
Read more