Classics by the Beach: Sunday the 3rd of March, 2019

Hooray for a bit of cloud cover! It's not that I don't enjoy a nice sunny day, mind you; my camera's the entity that objects and the contrast - if you can excuse my photographer's pun - is amply demonstrated by comparing today's softly lit images to yesterday's All Japanese Day pics with their deep shadows and glaring highlights (https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2019/03/japanese-car-day-parliament-house-lawns.html).

It was great to see Herbie Burgess' MGB right side up, wrinkle-free and on the road again after its little "off" during the 2017 Club Motori Italia Lufra hill-climb (https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2017/08/2017-club-motori-italia-lufra-hillclimb.html). Not quite the relief that it was to see him out of his car, possibly shaken but not overly stirred immediately after his prang, but good to know that the car's survived, too.

Flashback to 2017: Herbie's post-bingle MGB.

I can empathise with the owner of this perfect Fiat 124 CC, as the car's almost always going to be synonymous with its previous owner, local lawyer and international racing official Steve Chopping, even though Sam's owned it for twelve years. I've had my X1/9 for fourteen or fifteen and yet, to many people in the local Italian car community, it's forever the "Klonaris Fiat" or "Dimitrious' Exxie." I reckon we can live with it, though; they're both lovely examples and arguably owe a lot to their previous owners' dedication to keeping them in such great nick (even if we have put in a fair old effort ourselves during our respective custodianships!).

The rego plate and sign writing on this totally gangster (that's as in notorious US prohibition-era criminal and not "gangsta", as it's known today with all its silent-C rap connotations!) has me worried. However, it's not violin-case toting men in double-breasted suits and shiny two-tone brogues that bothers me; my concern is that the original owner of the Nant is having a second crack at the Tasmanian distillery scene!

There are two things that got me excited about this gorgeous Packard: First, its headlight shrouds are pure Adam West-as-Batman Bat Mobile (none of these silly imposters with their ludicrous post-West Bat conveyances!); and second is its name - a Patrician (aka a nobleman). I like to think that, in his American way, Adam West was rather noble.

Mr West tending to his mobile.

Nice photobomb, cowboy!

My thanks go to the charming Margaret for telling me about the history of this lovingly restored Bedford truck and that of the 1932 Vauxhall Scooter Car that was proudly displayed on its tray. Margaret told be that the truck was built from near total ruins, with all parts other than its chassis and engine having been transported home in her small car, whereupon her husband set about rebuilding it to its current glorious condition. It features a beautiful hardwood tray on Oregon beams. I can't outline the history of the Scooter Car better than the sign that accompanied it, so I'll leave it for readers to digest the information contained a couple of photos down by themselves.

Last month, I raved about the two golden orange Leyland P76s shown above, extolling their perfection and rarity. Now there's a third P76 - a beautiful black ex-Premier's Department of Tasmania car that's undergone an amazing restoration. Its owner has gone to the trouble of producing a sandwich board outlining the car's history so, rather than blather on and plagiarise someone else's work, I've included a photos further down the page.

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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