RE: Ford Cortina 1.6 GL: PH Carpool
Discussion
I am a little odd but... I don't remember these being very good cars - iconic of their age but it wasn't that great a car to own or enjoy, a 323i yes all day long but a Cortina? For me it is the same thing as with the Marina and Maxi, just cos my dad had one and there are not many left doesn't make them good cars, just rare cars, so I don't see the attraction of driving a not very good car of its time.
My dad had a 2.0GLS in that wonderful beige complete with Recaro fishnets...first car he loved since he was forced to sell his 2.0GT mkI Capri when I was born. He replaced it with a brand new 1990 reg 1.8LX Mondeo Sapphire which sucked balls.
Enjoy your car OP, great to still see them about
Enjoy your car OP, great to still see them about
I've been hankering after another Cortina (I had two in the late 80's). Narrowly missed out on a 2.0Ghia with 30k on it.
My old ones whilst not handling fantastic could generate levels of grip way higher than any other car I have ever driven. I know people won't believe me but I have been down roads at speeds in a Cortina that in a Mk2 Escort I should be dead. I have since been down that same road in my old GT4 Celica and at 20mph slower it felt way too fast.
Happy days indeed.
My old ones whilst not handling fantastic could generate levels of grip way higher than any other car I have ever driven. I know people won't believe me but I have been down roads at speeds in a Cortina that in a Mk2 Escort I should be dead. I have since been down that same road in my old GT4 Celica and at 20mph slower it felt way too fast.
Happy days indeed.
Looks nice can't be too many Cortina's left in good condition as they rusted away quickly.
As said above there was nothing special about a Cortina when the mk5 models (like this one) were current they were already well out of date.
I briefly had a mk5 2.3 GL 4 speed in about 1989 and the one thing I remember about it was oversteer it was so easy to get it sideways it felt like it had no grip at all, and it was great at doing donuts - in a big car park it would spin round and round like a top.
As said above there was nothing special about a Cortina when the mk5 models (like this one) were current they were already well out of date.
I briefly had a mk5 2.3 GL 4 speed in about 1989 and the one thing I remember about it was oversteer it was so easy to get it sideways it felt like it had no grip at all, and it was great at doing donuts - in a big car park it would spin round and round like a top.
Numeric said:
I am a little odd but... I don't remember these being very good cars - iconic of their age but it wasn't that great a car to own or enjoy, a 323i yes all day long but a Cortina? For me it is the same thing as with the Marina and Maxi, just cos my dad had one and there are not many left doesn't make them good cars, just rare cars, so I don't see the attraction of driving a not very good car of its time.
It wallows. It doesn't have much power. It has a four-speed gearbox and no power steering. But, when I get behind the wheel of it, my heart-rate lowers, my blood pressure lowers and my stress disappears one mile at a time. My previous Subaru Forester was the best handling and most fun car I've owned, but I enjoy the Cortina more. Logic doesn't come into it.cullenster said:
It wallows. It doesn't have much power. It has a four-speed gearbox and no power steering. But, when I get behind the wheel of it, my heart-rate lowers, my blood pressure lowers and my stress disappears one mile at a time. My previous Subaru Forester was the best handling and most fun car I've owned, but I enjoy the Cortina more. Logic doesn't come into it.
Reminds me of driving a Ford Fiesta diesel (non turbo). It was so slow that you didn't bother even trying to go quickly, you just chilled out and slowly cruised everywhere.
These are such nice classics because everybody can relate to them.
My own "my dad had one" story is a little different. Grew up in South Africa, and Dad bought a local specialty, a white MkV Cortina XR6 when they came out in around 1980. Had the 3.0 V6 and a 4 speed box. Very long gearing, but nice soft suspension and loads of torque. I remember a dual carriageway with a set of lights at the start, a '4 way stop' (cross-roads with stop signs all round) halfway along, and then it went into a single lane at the end. Sitting at the lights quietly, a 911 SC pulled up alongside with a total knob driving - the guy actually revved his engine and looked across, wanting to race. My dad played it cool, pretended to be ignoring him, Mum rolled her eyes, and then Dad nailed it once the lights changed. Caught him off-guard and left the SC for dead (more a reflection of the driver, I know) who eventually pulled past us at around 140km/h. Dad then passed him at the 4-way stop, using harder braking, fancy footwork and double-declutching (apparently) to stop, get into gear and pull away again - pulling out another advantage, the SC finally getting past at something like 160km/h. Dad was victorious, Mum was really cross and I was beaming like an idiot.
Some of the quieter roads were still not tarmac'd back then, a mixture of gravel and sand, and there was a fair bit of sliding to be done there - car was perfect for that too!
Happy days. Replaced by a Mk1 Golf GTI, also great, but somehow not quite the same!
My own "my dad had one" story is a little different. Grew up in South Africa, and Dad bought a local specialty, a white MkV Cortina XR6 when they came out in around 1980. Had the 3.0 V6 and a 4 speed box. Very long gearing, but nice soft suspension and loads of torque. I remember a dual carriageway with a set of lights at the start, a '4 way stop' (cross-roads with stop signs all round) halfway along, and then it went into a single lane at the end. Sitting at the lights quietly, a 911 SC pulled up alongside with a total knob driving - the guy actually revved his engine and looked across, wanting to race. My dad played it cool, pretended to be ignoring him, Mum rolled her eyes, and then Dad nailed it once the lights changed. Caught him off-guard and left the SC for dead (more a reflection of the driver, I know) who eventually pulled past us at around 140km/h. Dad then passed him at the 4-way stop, using harder braking, fancy footwork and double-declutching (apparently) to stop, get into gear and pull away again - pulling out another advantage, the SC finally getting past at something like 160km/h. Dad was victorious, Mum was really cross and I was beaming like an idiot.
Some of the quieter roads were still not tarmac'd back then, a mixture of gravel and sand, and there was a fair bit of sliding to be done there - car was perfect for that too!
Happy days. Replaced by a Mk1 Golf GTI, also great, but somehow not quite the same!
WarnieV6GT said:
gl20 said:
This car gave me speedo envy. Where my Dad's Audi 80 had a speedometer that went to 130mph, many a friend of mine had the upper hand with their Dad's Cortina clock going up to 140mph. Ergo it must be faster...
Brilliant!!This was always the rule! I was car mad as a kid and peering through the drivers window to see a 140mph speedo was amazing because that was how fast it went, right? At that time in the mid to late eighties for me the rover 3500vitesse was king around our way. That was the biggest engine and I'm sure the speedo went up to 150mph?
It ranks alongside walking home from school ribbing your mate he was going to die first because his birthday came before yours...just me then
Interesting comparison between the Cortina and the Escort, on the Banger/Bomber tracks the Cortina, Capri and Escort always seemed to handle in pretty much the same way, after all they all had similar underpinnings, all had live axles but the Cortina had double wishbones at the front which in theory is a better solution.
So, a 2.0 Cortina vs an RS 2000, was there that much in it in terms of performance and handling ? the RS had the same engine with a couple of tweaks
to make another 8 or so bhp, suspect the Cortina was a smidge heavier but I think in reality that there wouldnt be a whole lot in it given similar engine tune.
So, a 2.0 Cortina vs an RS 2000, was there that much in it in terms of performance and handling ? the RS had the same engine with a couple of tweaks
to make another 8 or so bhp, suspect the Cortina was a smidge heavier but I think in reality that there wouldnt be a whole lot in it given similar engine tune.
crossy67 said:
The suspension on the MK4 & 5 Cortinas was totally different to the Escort using double wishbones up front and coil with trailing arms and all links (void bushes) rear. The Escort used struts front and leaf springs with a axle bolted to it.
Yeah, I mentioned the front wishbones, forgot about the coils at the rear and void bushes, that came with that two inch shift to the left as drive was taken up when they were knackered.But was the RS2000 that much faster point to point ?
J4CKO said:
void bushes, that came with that two inch shift to the left as drive was taken up when they were knackered.
That's got a name now, patina I believe lol.Having driven many of both really at the limit I really preferred the Cortina it might have handled wallowy but it had more grip.
J4CKO said:
I remember that, i.e. the top speed on the speedo was how fast the car went, I remember telling my dad that his Capri wasnt as fast as next doors new 1.6L MK3 in beige as it had 140 mph and his was only 120 and him trying to explain that the speedo did not mean that is how fast it could go, in the same conversation he tried to explain this thing called "Acceleration" which sounded boring, its was all about that number on the dial.
remember looking in a Jag XJS and it saying 160 mph and my brain not comprehending that kind of speed.
The Sapphire Cosworth went up to 170mph! (Maybe the Sierra 3 door Cosworth as well?)remember looking in a Jag XJS and it saying 160 mph and my brain not comprehending that kind of speed.
Edited by J4CKO on Monday 1st June 16:52
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