Classics by the Beach: February, 2024

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You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of a mid-'80s Commodore than this ripper VL, photographed at February, 2024's, Classics by the Beach at Sandy Bay, just fifteen minutes' drive south of Hobart's CBD.  The two letter, four numeral Tasmania - Holiday Isle rego only added to the car's appeal, with the plates likely to have been with it since day dot. 

It's running some serious rubber and has upgraded stopping power, too, courtesy of some big red Brembos.  However, the owner told UMPH that the wheels have gotta go, as the rubber band tyres wrapped around those gorgeous alloys don't always fare so well on southern Tasmania's less than ideal roads. 

He also said that the car's not as quick as people might imagine, being powered by the non-turbo 3.0 litre version of Nissan's RB30E in-line six, as also fitted to their Skyline of the day.  So not outrageously fast but not really a slow coach, either.  

Another TR4 by Italian master-stylist Michelotti graces the pages of UMPH?  Not this time!  This is a silky-smooth TR5, an almost visually indistinguishable upgrade over its four cylinder little brother, packing a petrol-injected version of Triumph's 2500 cc straight-six where the former made do with a 2138 cc four pot with dual carburettors.


A bit of quickie-Wiki reveals that only 2,495 TR5s were ever built.  However, many, many more - nearly eight and a half thousand - of the otherwise identical but twin carburettored American market-only TR250s were manufactured (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_TR5, accessed 04 FEB 24).  

The TR5 trounces the TR250 in performance, making a respectable at the time 150 BHP over the US version's meagre 111 (a piddling 6 broken ponies more than the TR4!). Our friends Stateside can mainly blame their government for this; US emissions legislation ruled out the apparently dirtier PI fuel system in favour of twin Zenith Strombergs, although cost was also said to have been a factor.     












Was this you, Norm?







Did you enjoy this article?  If so, why not browse the rest of the uppermiddlepetrolhead site?  There are loads and loads of classic, sports and performance vehicles featured, as well as stacks of car shows and motorsports events.  Even better, you can follow either the 'blog itself or do so via Upper Middle Petrol Head's Facebook page.  And please do like and share!





U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)



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