Upper Middle Petrol Head:

A GT Falcon slaying Torana? The editorial team at Upper Middle Petrol Head are at loggerheads, with the photographer unable to agree with the writer who, in turn, disagrees with the editor.  And the editor just disagrees with everybody on principle! Their insurmountable problem?  None of our Tri-matic Trio - who, to be fair, almost always automatically agree on everything - can decide on this year's Targa Tasmania article lead photo. Can you please help?  If you'd be so kind, take a scroll through this year's preview and nominate the image you think should grace the front of the main article (due for release this Wednesday) and explain why you reckon it deserves top-billing in the Comments section.    This XW GT? How about the Shelby Mustang shown above? The Austin featured here certainly deserves consideration, being as it is one of Targa's most consistent competitors Anything as sleek as this Lotus would be a contender, too, yo...

Picture this:  You're working on your beloved classic, some obscure but annoyingly essential component failing to submit to your will and obstinately refusing to function.  But, as an old hand, you know you can nut it out ; that all you need is a hint, a bit of guidance, perhaps reference to some diagrams and some tech specs, or, if you're really desperate, the workshop manual. The manual, as it appears on eManualOnline.com And so it was for me.  The passenger's side window assembly of my Fiat X1/9 had reluctantly yielded to my attempts at removal but, being part of the living, breathing and ever so idiosyncratic beast that is a classic Italian car, was resolutely not cooperating with the re-installation process! What to do?  The workshop manual that I share with my fellow X1/9-owning father wasn't readily available (I wanted the window fixed and fixed then and there!).   What does anybody do in the age of the interweb?  I went ...

Perhaps the owner - let's call him 'Rob' - is a dentist? This rather striking SL/R 5000 "hasn't been out of the shed for a while," according to its owner.  They say timing is everything! It's a straight SL/R, and not an L34, despite the bolt-on guards.  Therefore, it's fitted with the 5.0 litre V8 and four-speed 'box but doesn't have the engine modifications and other heavy-duty features designed primarily for competition duties at the Bathurst 1000 endurance race ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathurst_1000 ) .      None of this matters, though.  It's still an extraordinary car and an icon of Aussie motoring! Want to see more Toranas and classic Holdens?  What about other models?  Just use the search facility - the magnifying glass icon in the top right of screen - to type in what you're looking for.  There's everything from Aussie cars, through to Italian, Japanese, German, French and American marques to be s...

Two things struck UMPH about this fabulous early- to mid-1980s' Land Cruiser wagon:  First, it just looked so good, with immaculate duco, straight, rust-free panels and a really tidy interior; and, second, it was so purposefully equipped, with a heavy-duty bull bar, big driving lights, aggressive tyres on Sunraysia-style rims, side steps and a full length roof rack.  Very old school.  And very, very nice!      U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

The fact this awesome SS Torana is sporting a disc brake rear end suggests very strongly that it's the real deal, which is to say it was fitted with the A9X-option - comprising of a bonnet scoop, heavy duty axles, a 'ten bolt' diff and the  previously mentioned anchors  - making it the very pinnacle of Holden's small to mid-size car line-up.  Sadly, the LX of 1976 - '78 - the car on which A9X-optioned Toranas were based - was the last of that model to feature a V8 engine and also ended their involvement in Australian touring car racing, giving way to Holden's Commodore range.    The car shown here is in particularly fine condition. Every single aspect is perfect, right down to its period-correct  Hotwire mags and Yokahama 'A-Block' radials.  It is a very, very special vehicle indeed!  U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

A Lycoming Special Today's photos come from UMPH correspondent Culshaw, who was touring New Zealand's south island when he came across the excellent Warbirds and Wheels museum ( http://www.warbirdsandwheels.com/ ) in Wanaka.  As the museum's name suggests, there's a selection of military aircraft and civilian vehicles - cars, trucks and motorcycles - on display.   The planes ranged from First and Second World War examples - including an iconic WW2  Spitfire fighter  - through to early jets.  There was a great range of cars and trucks from the turn of last century through to 1950s and 60s models, as well as some classic motorbikes and motoring memorabilia.  The museum's clearly worth a visit!       A Metz An iconic Austin 7, produced from 1922 to 1932 A Ford Thunder (or T ) Bird A 1950s Chevrolet A 1957 Chevvy wagon There's no mistaking this as anything ...