Classics by the Beach: June, 2021

-

Finding a suitable adjective for this 1986 Zimmer Quicksilver is proving to be harder than I thought it'd be.  I was considering "villainous" and possibly "sinister," not because it's reprehensible, but because it strikes me as a having a sort of shady Manhattan vibe about it.  I mean, if you were waiting for Lou Reed's man, "... all dressed in black, beat-up shoes and a big straw hat," this is what he'd be driving, right? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yPXBjVYLYA.)  Anyway ... .  

According to a handy plaque the car's owner provided, the Quicksilver is powered by a mid-mounted 3.8 litre V6 which car guru Graham M tells me is the same Buick-sourced engine that powered the Commodore range from the VN to the VZ.  He also explained that the Zimmer Motorcars Corporation belongs to the same family that manufacture the eponymous walking frames.  

Live long and prosper

The underpinnings are based on a lengthened Pontiac Fiero platform, while the steel and fibreglass reinforced plastic body was designed by GM employee D A Johnson.  There's a three speed auto transmission, four-wheel-disc brakes, and a fur-lined front "froot" and rear boot with matching lining, although in American parlance they're probably called a "frunk" and a trunk, respectively.

The Quicksilver was both exclusive and expensive, coming in at approximately U$52,000 when new, which in today's money is approximately AU$143,000.  Only 170 were ever sold.  However, there's no indication if further cars were built and, if so, what's happened to them.  

That's all I've got.  Thanks to owner John for his informative plaque!  😃.  Please enjoy the rest of the photos of the Quicksilver and the other great cars that follow.















Rhys!
























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 their own . So what exactly are those diffe
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 well as car shows and motorsports events - for you t
Read more