I'M SURPRISED at times by the variety of things that unexpectedly bring memories of life's milestones in to sharp focus: a random stranger's mannerisms for first-love recollections; towns on maps for various lucky escapes; a Cooper S Mini like the Doctor's for my "I'm a Dad!" day; the motorcycle brand for the book that shifted my thinking.
Many of my car-memory cues involve numbers, often engine cubic-inch numbers: 239 - finally getting a 24-stud 239 'Flattie' for my '34 Ford; 272 at last becoming an OHV Y-block man 327 - my one and only crazy day out in a GTS Monaro 351 - my first rush within a whisker of 140mph (if you could believe the GT Falcon's speedo).
The brand focus for this column came from a number that popped up this morning. That number was '389; the last three digits of a mobile phone number on an invoice. Whether I wanted it or not, Pontiac's hero-engine from the 1960s - the 'Tri-Power' 389 V8 was immediately front and centre of my mind. So, why fight it? It's time to talk Pontiac with a particular focus on the mighty 389.
Bu hikaye Unique Cars dergisinin May 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Unique Cars dergisinin May 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Richard Barker 1988 MAZDA 626 TURBO
I acquired my 1988 GD Mazda 626 Turbo hatchback via an advert I saw on Gumtree. negotiated a sale price with the owner over the phone and transferred a deposit, sight unseen!
2005 VAUXHALL MONARO VXR500
BRASH, BLOWN AND BACK ON HOME SOIL, LINDA AND CHRIS DEUTER'S VAUXHALL MONARO VXR500 IS LUTON IN LABEL ONLY
THE NUMBERS GAME!
IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH IT'S A BIT LIKE A TATTSLOTTO DRAW IN ROB'S MIND, WITH ALL THOSE NUMBERS WHIZZING AROUND
GALLIC STAR
FROM BEING A ROPEY RUNNER, TO A WRITE OFF, TO A SHOW WINNER THIS CITROEN HAS HAD A DRAMATIC LIFE -
GADGET GRIPE
TECHNOLOGY CAN HAVE ITS ADVANTAGES IN THIS MODERN WORLD, AS LONG A ITS IN THE RIGHT HANDS
Fantastic FIXED HEAD
THE XK 120 WAS CREATED TO SHOWCASE ITS DOHC INLINE SIX-CYLINDER ENGINE THAT REMAINED IN SERVICE OVER FOUR DECADES
TRIPLE TREAT
Can anyone ever forget the 'man on a mission, Kowalski, in the original classic-car chase movie Vanishing Point as he fled the law in his pearl-white '70 R/T Dodge Challenger, leaving a trail of carnage, wounded cop egos and sadly, in the movie's final scene, an explosive fireball of Mopar car parts (or were they?).
MODERN CLASSICS - M 1000 R
BMW'S M-BRANDED NAKED BIKE SETS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR THE CLASS
MAZDA RX 1970-78
LOOKING MORE like something out of a washing machine, Mazda’s twinchamber rotary power unit, was an engine with performance to dwarf its compact size.
MAINTENANCE & PATIENCE
MAINTAINING OLD CLASSICS IS BOTH PAINSTAKING AND REWARDING. WILL ANYONE BOTHER WITH MORE MODERN MACHINERY?