Upper Middle Petrol Head:

The Galant parked outside the unassuming-looking The Wharf, home of some of Tasmania's best seafood. Don't be fooled by the unassuming facade of Bicheno's The Wharf fish and chippery ( https://www.tascoastalseafoods.com/ ) on Tasmania's east coast, approximately two and a half hours' drive from the island state's capital city, Hobart.   Located in The Gulch, a narrow stretch of water protected from the Tasman Sea by Governor Island, The Wharf is one of those magically evolved places that has grown from local business Tasmanian Coastal Seafoods and has taken on an atmosphere that a hundred hipsters, intent on designing the very best of authentic experiences, could not possibly hope to conjure up.      Take-aways at the front; dining to the rear. Like the revered Dunalley Fish Market in Tasmania's south-east (https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/chips-fish-n-chips.html), The Wharf is simply an addition to an already successful sea...

This striking FX Holden ute was just perfect, combining old-school styling with contemporary upgrades.  The bright orange duco was magnificent, the matching hard-top tray cover was a nice touch and the alloy wheels complemented the look very well indeed.  The HQ-HZ ute / van / wagon taillights were the only ostensible change to the actual panel work but were done so well that they worked aesthetically, too.  U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au,) All iPhone images

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to save these two critically endangered  Wartburgs from certain rusty death. * Each one appears to be salvageable, notwithstanding that they're fairly weathered, but may at least provide some much sought-after parts if deemed too far gone to restore as whole cars.  Wartburgs are an all but unknown marque within Australia but do have a following in Europe and, more especially, in Germany where they were manufactured. They're both located at New Norfolk, about 35 minutes' drive from Hobart, the capital city of Australia's island state of Tasmania.     UMPH has no financial or other interest at all in their sale ; he is simply a classic car nutter who would rather see these two unusual cars salvaged or at least know their parts were being put to good use, instead of them just rotting into the ground.   If you require further details of the cars' locatio...

This clean, tidy and apparently recently re-sprayed Mini van was a beauty!  There were a few tiny bits of trim - badges, mainly - that were absent, suggesting that the car may be in the final stages of reassembly.  Lovely! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

UMPH was struck by the simple combination of white and black on this very understated, yet totally cool, late 80s / early 90s Volvo 240 estate wagon.  It was ostensibly standard with only a set of black-accented five-spoke Performance alloy wheels, specially sourced from the mainland, and heavily tinted  - almost black - windows setting it apart from other Volvos of a similar era. The car was in great nick, with straight, rust-free panels, blemish-free duco and first-rate bumpers and trim.  If it weren't for the wheels, one might mistake it for a more garden-variety Volvo.   However, its owner has plans to extract 300 bhp from it without resorting to the insertion of a Chev V8 or any of the more popular - crude, one might say - big engine replacements.  He will instead be sourcing and fitting various components from other Volvo power-plants - including Volvo's Penta marine range - that share the common block featured in the automotive 24...

En route:  the Galant at a coffee break in Tarraleah It's easy to forget - ignore, even - the beauty of your own home state when its very proximity and ease of access renders it almost invisible.  That's how it was for the UMPHs, who had spent so much time travelling to places other than their island home they were missing out on the excellent touring options within Tasmania. For international readers who may not know, Tasmania is the small, triangle-shaped island that sits below (south of) the better-known, and significantly bigger, east coast mainland Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.  Tasmania may be small but it makes up for its lack of size in so many ways. Here we are! Tasmania is an extremely popular destination for outdoors types, keen on wilderness pursuits like bush-walking, mountain-biking and kayaking in the midst of stunning natural scenery, and those who enjoy seriously high-end food, wines,...

What's not to love about the mighty MG Midget and its twin, the Austin Healey Sprite?  Both cars are virtually identical, as is the case with so many British cars that share bodies and mechanical packages - with slight variations within the ranges - such as the Morris and Austin Minis, their Riley and Wolseley variants ( Elfs and Hornets , respectively); Morris, Austin, Wolseley, and MG sedans; and some of the Jaguar Daimler models - to name a few. In the case of "Spridgets," as some people like to call them, variations are very minor, with only a bit of chrome here and there and sometimes the provision of wire wheels over steel rims separating the two variants   (usually on the slightly fancier MG models) .  However, it should be noted that there was never a "Frog Eye" (or "Bug Eye" if you're an American) Midget, meaning that model - officially known as the Mk I - was a stand-alone Austin Healey-only product.  This also explains why the ye...