Classics by the Beach: October, 2022

It’s time to come clean, acknowledge the big fib and embrace the truth: the uppermiddlepetrolhead team does choose a Car of The Day at Sandy Bay’s monthly Classics by the Beach get together! We tried to deny it but, in the end, we knew we were only kidding ourselves.

So what, you might ask, was the catalyst for our new found policy of transparency and honesty? It was this, a beautiful, literally one of a kind 1973 XB Fairmont survivor car that tipped the scales from our dogged denials to singin’ like a bird. Well, the car and it’s knowledgeable, generous and enthusiastic owner!

Original, right down to very windscreen that was fitted at the factory!

First things first: It's a completely original, matching numbers car with only the very, very tiniest few nicks and scrapes - what in more fancied publications would be called patina. Second, it has only a small number of era-appropriate mods and they do nothing to detract from its overall excellence. There's a set of Magnum alloy wheels, a deep-dish sports steering wheel - an old school leather SAAS, if I'm not mistaken - and a custom vinyl roof, and that's about it. More on the roof in a moment ... .

The third, but by no means least compelling aspect of today's UMPH CoTD is that it really is the only one to have ever left Ford's Broadmeadows plant in its particular configuration, being, as you'll soon see, more of a GT than a luxo-Fairmont. It came from the factory fitted with the following:

a K-code 351 cu Cleveland V8;
an all-synchro four speed floor-mounted transmission; and
a limited slip differential,

all being GT-spec items.

Ford Australia have also certified that it was the only example ever to have had the combination of Polar White duco, Saddle trim, the "04 code" protection pack, and a laminated windscreen with a tinted band, coupled with the GT options listed above. It is truly unique!

Craig and Kate have had the car since 1977, being only the second owners since it was sold new by Tilford Motors, Hobart, in 1974. Rather than succumbing to suggestions at the time to give the Fairmont the GT-treatment - black-out painted panels, etc - Craig opted for a more individual look and had a local company fit the vinyl roof that it still wears to this day.

The bespoke design incorporates extra vinyl extending from the C-pillar forwards, covering the tops of all four doors. It's been stitched in such a way that there are no exposed holes, thereby sealing it to better protect the steel underneath which, unlike ex-factory vinyl-roofed cars that were only primed, is fully painted. It's a wonderful nod to the 70s and very much suits the car.

Chatting with Craig, it's pretty obvious that this XB's long family history still has a way to go yet. So far, it's performed wedding car duties for two generations of his and Kate's clan, and he's keen for the occurrence of a third round of nuptials to continue the tradition. Here's to hoping that it's around way, way longer than that!

ooo OOO ooo

"Oooh! I wonder what those sexy A-F wheels are?", I hear you ask. Here's your answer: https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-x19-gets-set-of-momo-vegas.html .

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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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