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Unique Cars and Parts: News Archive |
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Unique Cars and Parts
Events:
We have recently upgraded our
Unique and Classic Car event
calendar, it now providing the
ability to not only notify your
friends, but you can also send
yourself reminders so that you will
never miss that Swap Meet or Car
Show again. If you are from a Car
Club, make sure you let us know if
any event is missing. Click here to check out
the calendar.
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Free Classifieds:
For over 7 years we have provided
an absolutely free service to the
Classic Car enthusiast, be it
buying or selling a classic to
helping find that elusive spare
part. Since 1999 several thousand
classic car owners have sold their
vehicles or spare parts via the
site at no cost, with no obligation
and no hassle. Got a question?, click here |
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FJ Holden Special:
It may have been a long time coming, but the latest David Irving Limited Edition Print was certainly worth the wait. This brilliant artwork captures the beauty of the FJ, from the highly detailed grille and front end bright work, to the white wall tyres and two-piece windscreen. It is available now in the Unique Cars and Parts Online Shop, in the "Aussie Icons" section, right next to the GTR XU-1.
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Whatever
happened to the Holden-Isuzu Piazza, and who cares?
It seems Tasmanian public servants Chris Warr and Joe
Kremzer sure do. They have set out on a quest to track
down the remaining Piazza's - and by their reckoning
there will be around 75 left on Australian soil. As teenagers,
Chris and Joe remember quiz king Cary Young winning a
Piazza on Sale of the Century - and it seems they have
been fascinated with the car ever since. The Piazza may
have looked the goods, but under the skin lurked a thoroughly
ordinary Japanese sedan that compensated for its poor handling by adding copious amounts of electronic gadgets,
the electronic dash being the standout. Only around 200
Piazza’s found a home in the Aussie garage, which
makes it less successful than the Lightburn Zeta, also
featured on this site. |
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It's
a small world:
Approximately 12 months after the UC&P editor’s
wife noted that the "beat up old Merc" had
disappeared from the work car-park, it came as a surprise
for her to stumble across it at the recent RACV British
and European Motoring Show (click image at left to enlarge).
Now resplendent in its original colour (yes, even we
questioned it), owner Gerry was at hand to answer any
questions, and it clearly demonstrated the value of belonging
to the Mercedes-Benz Club of Victoria. For more information
on the club, why not visit their web site at www.mbcv.org.au |
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The
Bulldog - can you guess who made it?
The latest addition to our car gallery pages is the little
known "Bulldog". The creation of one of the
worlds greatest automobile designers, it is rumoured
that the car only came to be after a Middle Eastern Sheik
underwrote the entire project. Incredibly futuristic
for 1980, we will let you judge the merit of the sharply
angled design. And the manufacturer? Well let you figure
that one out too... |
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Out
of the way, sheep shagger!
Every so often the Unique Cars and Parts "Inbox
from Hell" delivers up a true gem, such as the Toyota
Hilux commercial sent by a visitor to the site from New
Zealand. The commercial can be viewed via our Media -
Movies section, and we are sure it will bring a smile
to your face. And remember we are always happy to receive
your contributions to the site, even if it does take
us a little while to respond... |
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Chronicles
- a look back in time:
Ever wondered what the major events were in the decade,
or even year, that your pride and joy was made. Still
very much a work in progress, we are attempting to create
a series of articles covering the major events of each
year, naturally through the eyes of a motoring buff.
If you would like to contribute, please feel free to
send an email. In the meantime, you can check out our
work to date... The
'50's, The
'60's, The
'70's, The
80's ... |
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Sought
after by all the wrong people:
And for all the wrong reasons! Victorian Police Minister
Tim Holding recently cited the Holden Commodore built
between 1979 and 1991 as the favourite target for car
thieves. It is claimed that, in Victoria alone, some
9 Commodores from this era are stolen each day. Easy
to break into and little or no installed security system
or immobilizer make it the target of choice for the joyrider
seeking quick and easy transporation. Later models are
not quite so easy to steal, but provide a revenue source
on the car parts black market. For more information (and
especially it would seem if you live in Frankston!),
visit: www.crimeprevention.vic.gov.au. |
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The
classic Datsun 1600:
When I searched the gallery and could not find
a reference to the classic Datsun 1600, I was shocked!
So wrote Richard from Gippsland, but rather than whinge
he set about writing a critique for the gallery section,
complete with images of not only his own car, but more
famous racing and rally specials. We have received numerous
emails asking why the 1600 was not listed - our thanks
to Richard for fixing the omission. Click
here to go to the gallery page... |
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Morris
Garages:
Our latest addition to the Heritage section of the
site details the rise and fall of Morris Garages.
Many would be aware of the incestuous relationship
British car manufacturers had, and this tale is no
different with Morris, Wolseley, Austin, BMC and
British Leyland all playing a part in the marques
success, and ultimate demise. But perhaps one of
the most interesting aspects of the story involves
the 1955 Le Mans, where the tragedy that beset that year’s
race would not only have ramifications for Mercedes… |
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If
you build it, he will come:
Who will come? It should be pretty obvious to most. A
wonderful commercial for the new Ford Mustang, a car
that, like the ad, will probably never be seen in Australia.
For most of us this will be the closest we will get,
which we think is a great shame. Go to Media, Movies
to check out the Mustang commercial... |
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Custom
Number Plates - a good investment?
Although only a handful of custom plates have been sold
via this site, one of the most difficult questions we
are asked by prospective purchasers is "Are they
a good investment?". They remain difficult to quantify
- but what we do know for certain is that, on Tuesday
the 22nd October, 1985, the notion of custom plates was
introduced to Victoria, and it kicked off with an auction
held at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Complex. Click here to view a list of what was auctioned, and what the plates
fetched. Nearly 20 years on, it will be up to you to decide
if these did turn out to be worth the effort. |
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