Upper Middle Petrol Head:

  Is the XA, XB and XC Falcon hardtop, in GT or Cobra guise, the ultimate expression of the classic Aussie muscle car?  At the risk of alienating our GMH and Chrysler loving readers, I'm going with a big yes!   Why?  It's a two door.  No more needs to be said on that account.  And just look at it!  Monaros are magnificent, as are Chargers, but they simply don't have the menacing presence of the big Ford.  Discuss ... . U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by GlamRock.

Small things amuse small minds.  And I don't mind admitting that this small spring-loaded bonnet prop amuses my small mind, not the least because I wasn't confident that I'd  ever  find one after exhausting all my regular local and international suppliers of slightly obscure Italian car parts.   A quick tart-up with some fish oil and black paint brought this up a treat! As-was in the donor car. But then I visited The Cache, where, as the photo above shows, I was able to secure this simple but very, very welcome piece of hitherto unobtainium (possibly the same as fitted to the 131?).  It's hard to appreciate just how much a basic item like this can transform a car ; now that it's been fitted, I can work on the engine without fear of knocking out the broom handle that had served as a bonnet prop and copping a slab of sheetmetal on my head.  It also means that I can refit the grille without fear of recracking it should the bonnet accidentally tilt too far forward.   B