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Showing posts from May 30, 2021

Random # 397: Circa 1975 Toyota Celica

I'm not uncommonly told to act may age.  Sad but true.  I think this immaculate Celica might be able to steer me in that direction.  How?  Ten years ago, maybe five, very probably less, I'd have reimagined it from stock-standard time machine to period-sympathetic, resto-modded JDM classic in a jiffy. 15" Superlights or  Wattanabes : ✅; bolt-on flares:  ✅;  suspension dropped by two inches, tightened up with heavier springs, gas shocks and thicker sway bars: ✅; big brake upgrade:  ✅;  twin-cam transplant with 45 mm sidedraft Webers, extractors and a fat exhaust: ✅; and a Momo or Nardi classic steering wheel, Recaro buckets and full VDO guages:  ✅. And now?  Maybe a set of wheels.  Breakerless ignition, perhaps.  Otherwise, leave it the F alone!  It's absolutely perfect as it is!   Please don't judge me.  I'm a victim of my year of birth. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) iPhone images.

Auto Italia, 2021, Part 5: Italian Cars that Aren't Fiats, Lancias or Alfas

Regular readers might remember that the UMPH team were a tad ticked off when vast majority of the Ferrar-o-Lambo brigade racked off just as soon as 2021's Auto Italia organisers had handed out the trophies, all air horns bleeping, engines revving and look at me (while you can!), a good ninety minutes before the event was due to end.   Thanks for nothing, ya up yourselves w⚓s! A bit harsh?  Not so!  One generous soul suggested that a lot of the "supercar" owners had travelled a long way just to exhibit their flashy toys and needed to leave in plenty of time to get home.  So the Fiat, Lancia and Alfa people somehow time-travelled back to their abodes?  It doesn't wash as an excuse. Fortunately, the owners of these two classics - a stunning Lamborghini Miura and a 1960s Maserati saloon of such elegance that it made your equivalent Jag of the era look decidedly frumpish - had the courtesy to stay to the end of the show!  Event patrons certainly appreciated it, even if the