The Easter Brumby - down the rabbit hole

Over Easter I traveled to Kangaroo Island with my missus and parents to spend some time on the family block. I also gave myself a second agenda - find some cool rusty Toyota's for my mate. I failed.

KI if you actually pay attention is dominated by Subaru's. I myself was getting about in my Mum's foz. They are everywhere. Forester's and Outback's dominate the island. More so than utes. It surprised me. I even crossed paths with the early boxers I love.

A new blue oval reigned supreme as the age of Falcon Farmers seemed to be no more. At one point I was getting fuel at a servo in Kingscote and decided to see what in the way of literature was on offer. The usual options, Street Machine, Unique Cars etc. But it was VW Magazine that would catch my eye. 

In the midst of giving my Subaru a birthday (40th birthday) I thought maybe a look at what Porsche and V-dub owners were doing would be beneficial. Plus a feature on the Pervis Eureka is hard to walk past when you're into flat engine wedge cars.

VW Magazine was the pick and I was glued to it over the weekend.

I took this photo when I was done reading for the night, girlfriend asleep left of me in the swag (probably annoyed & rightfully so).

There was alot to love about issue #85. Thinking I already knew a decent amount about the Eureka from a podcast episode of The Cars That Made Australia by Tim Ross I was proven wrong. Turns out some of the later ones came equipped with a rotary engine. If I was to own a rotary car this would be the one.

I think Eureka engine preference order goes rotary, flat4, pinto. And while I'm on engines...

I spent alot of time just staring at the component ads and engine prices. It all made me feel more relaxed about the pace my motor is going back together. And $ per kw.

Water pump on & power steer res - no more peeling black paint.

But the real winner article of the magazine was the two page spread on the former Volkswagen dealership in Blackwood.

Why? Well my old man grew up in Blackwood, it's where my grandparents still live. My Dad's first car was a 1964 VW Beetle he bought from someone in Blackwood and it's most likely it originally came from this dealership.

In 1973 the dealership changed hands becoming Blackwood Cars Pty Ltd. They would also eventually sell Audi's and Subaru's. My grandpa Bill owned four different Audi's that came from Blackwood Cars, and funnily enough he even test drove a red Subaru Leone which my Dad bagged, calling it boring (comparatively it was). Bill wrote off the first Audi on route to Victoria. It was later explained to him that had it been an Aussie built car he would be dead. 

Another one was light blue and required touch up paint to come from Germany (not sold here). The last one he had looked like the infamous Quattro, Dad recalls picking it up from a service where the mechanic took him for a burn through the hills and remarked how good the car was.

Blackwood Cars Pty Ltd no longer exists but I drive past the buildings that have taken its place on the way to Blackwood cars and coffee. Here is a photo of my Subaru parked next to my mates the morning after he bought it, the purchase celebrated at Blackwood Cnc. In other words I couldn't figure out how to end this... 

If you want to read about a Subaru vs Audi comparison click HERE