Classics by the Beach: Sunday the 1st of April, 2018

-

What's better than a GC Galant hardtop?  Two GC Galant hardtops, obviously!  Here are two of the south of Tasmania's more regularly seen examples - Daniel's excellent fully original white 1974 edition and the not so standard, but still era-appropriate, red '75 Upper Middle Petrol Head version - photographed at the April Fools' Day Classics by the Beach in Sandy Bay.  

There's another GC hardtop - an immaculate and highly modified green one - in the Hobart area and there's a further red example that's rumoured to be making a comeback to our our roads soon.  However, they seem to be the only ones still about; UMPH hasn't seen the yellow one that used to live on the Eastern shore for several years, nor does he know what's happened to the light green one from West Hobart, either.  

There was a black 2.6 litre hardtop with Hotwire wheels many, many years ago but it now seems only to exist in Galant fans' distant memories.  If you know what's happened to it - or either of the other 'missing' hardtops - please leave a comment below.

Both Daniel's and the UMPH hardtop are featured in more detail elsewhere on this 'blog, as is the green one mentioned above.  If you'd like to read more about each car and view further photos of them, please enter the word Galant into the search facility (the magnifying glass icon on the top right of screen) to find them.  You can also locate other featured cars in the same way.  For example, you may like to search Fiat X1/9, EH Holden or Bugatti (to mention just a few marques shown on uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au).     





This is Cliff's very tidy XE Falcon Sportpac.  He admits that the duco could be better but, considering the car's age and its originality, it's pretty impressive example of the model.



UMPH initially though this was Paul Smith's GT Cortina.  However, despite its visual similarities and it also being in quite exceptional condition, it turned out to belong to somebody that wasn't even slightly Paul.







This lovely low-light Morris Minor was recently bought from the Launceston area.  According to its proud owner, he had looked about for some time before finding it and was very pleased to have eventually located the type of car he'd been after.  He also said that he drove it straight home and hasn't had any problems with it at all.  But if he does have any issues starting it, he'll be okay, as it still has a functional crank-handle that he likes to use occasionally. 







This 'rubber-nose' MGB must be an awesome beast to drive, given its V8 engine and quad two-barrel carbies!  Not sure if it's a Rover V8 or, if it is, whether it's a 3.5 litre - as fitted to factory MGB V8s - or the bigger 4.4 version.  Either way, it's likely to be quick.  Very quick indeed!











" ... the wonderful, wonderful cat!"






Onya, Liz!


Just part of the very large British contingent on the day


UMPH is very careful not to appear to be partisan when it comes to attendees' vehicles.  If, however, he were to relent, this particular MGA would easily be his favourite car of the day (and one of his all-time picks for best in show).  

 It was, quite simply, perfect.  The paint, chrome and interior were all immaculate.  Even the engine bay was pristine without so much as a smudged fingerprint or a single wire out of place.  The fact that it was a twin cam, fitted with factory four-wheel discs, just added to its excellence!  It genuinely would be difficult to imagine a finer example of the marque!   















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)

-
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