Sunday 15th September 2002
Cortina
40 years of the Ford classic
Discussion
They are a rare sight nowadays, but they were a cracking motor in their day.
My Dad had a much cherished 2.0 GL as a company hack. Kept it clean, always checked the oil etc. - very dilligent considering it wasn't his own motor - then a year or so after he got rid of it, we saw it being pranged by Pete Beal on Eastenders. We were gutted.
>>> Edited by DIGGA on Tuesday 17th September 17:02
My Dad had a much cherished 2.0 GL as a company hack. Kept it clean, always checked the oil etc. - very dilligent considering it wasn't his own motor - then a year or so after he got rid of it, we saw it being pranged by Pete Beal on Eastenders. We were gutted.
>>> Edited by DIGGA on Tuesday 17th September 17:02
Okay, so they weren't generally paragons of reliability (although our 'tina, admittedly new at the time, ran faultlessly) but you kind of wonder how kids will get on with the current generation of cars in 10 years time, with all the elecrtickery they have.
My mates first car was a hand-me-down 'tina from his Dad (via his mother too), and it was great. Easy & cheap to fix, and with the multi-coloured panells it would cut a swathe through any BMW and Mercedes populated rush hour. No one wanted to trade paint with that thing!
My mates first car was a hand-me-down 'tina from his Dad (via his mother too), and it was great. Easy & cheap to fix, and with the multi-coloured panells it would cut a swathe through any BMW and Mercedes populated rush hour. No one wanted to trade paint with that thing!
http://pages.unisonfree.net/anni/et_classes/super_pro_et_cars/steve_green/
Just tought I would share that with you.
Yep the MK1 Cortina is more hands on that the current crop of cars. Im not greatly mechanically minded but on my red MK1 I changed the gearbox, clutch master cylinder, adjusted the tappets and generally maintained it myself if the problem was not to big.
Driving in london was fun as it had a 1600cc X flow so was quite nippy and launchig out ot junctions no one wanted to trade paint. It was not in top nick just good rear wheel fun for a young lad (well I was then).
I would love another MK1 but this time it would have to be a 2 door GT. I think they have so much more cariture that cars now days which is why they are reintroducing old models like the GT40 and Thunderbird. But it they reintroudced the MK1 again they would sanitise it and it would be the same.
If I had the money I would rebuild one from the ground up with a cooking 1740cc X flow and just have a laugh
Paul
Just tought I would share that with you.
Yep the MK1 Cortina is more hands on that the current crop of cars. Im not greatly mechanically minded but on my red MK1 I changed the gearbox, clutch master cylinder, adjusted the tappets and generally maintained it myself if the problem was not to big.
Driving in london was fun as it had a 1600cc X flow so was quite nippy and launchig out ot junctions no one wanted to trade paint. It was not in top nick just good rear wheel fun for a young lad (well I was then).
I would love another MK1 but this time it would have to be a 2 door GT. I think they have so much more cariture that cars now days which is why they are reintroducing old models like the GT40 and Thunderbird. But it they reintroudced the MK1 again they would sanitise it and it would be the same.
If I had the money I would rebuild one from the ground up with a cooking 1740cc X flow and just have a laugh
Paul
I had (still have it, waiting a re-build) a Mk1 Estate (1966 / D) as my first car.
It had a 1300 pre-crossflow engine from a Classic, leaking oil from every seal.
Excellant side-ways fun once you could get the bus like steering wheel twirling, easy mechanicals to maintian, ohh fun days.
It is now living next to my friends Mk1 (4 door) in deserted pig sheds on his farm. Both cars waiting for an injection of cash and renewed enthusiasm!
It had a 1300 pre-crossflow engine from a Classic, leaking oil from every seal.
Excellant side-ways fun once you could get the bus like steering wheel twirling, easy mechanicals to maintian, ohh fun days.
It is now living next to my friends Mk1 (4 door) in deserted pig sheds on his farm. Both cars waiting for an injection of cash and renewed enthusiasm!
Lots of songs about it but here's a snippet of the best
good evening i'm from essex
in case you couldn't tell
my given name is Dickie, I come from Billericay
and I'm doing very well
had a love affair with Nina
in the back of my Cortina
a seasoned up hyena could not have been more obscener
she took me to the cleaners
and other misdemeanours
but I got right up between her
rum and her Ribena
Another classic
good evening i'm from essex
in case you couldn't tell
my given name is Dickie, I come from Billericay
and I'm doing very well
had a love affair with Nina
in the back of my Cortina
a seasoned up hyena could not have been more obscener
she took me to the cleaners
and other misdemeanours
but I got right up between her
rum and her Ribena
Another classic
Hello From... Literly the Kid of the Pony Maker... (Phil Clark's daughter).. I was researching my father's journal's. Seems he remarks that he designed the badge for the 1967 Cortina. What does that look like? By the way, I was born in Billericy in Essex. I am now in US. Any help would be greatly appreciated! KidofPonyMaker@aol.com
smeagol said:
The Ford cortina we had was okay but I can certainly remember pushing it when the morning was damp. How did the starter go? wrrrrr, wrrrrrr, wrrrrrr, wuuuuuuuurrrr, wuuuuurrrrrrr, ....Clack!!
All you needed was a bit of WD40.
I've had loads, from brand new company MK3s to V6 Capri-engined ones that I re-built myself.
Wonderful uncomplicated machines with character, rather than computer-designed blobs on which you have to search out the name, so as to differentiate from other such blobs.
Daytona Yellow Mk III with a 17M Taunus engine and a four-speed Gertrag gearbox onto a Quaife diff. Weber 32/38 DGS carb, Kent fast road cam and a Larkspeed twin-box 2 inch chimney. Bloody fantastic - all my own work as well. Came to me as a 1600 GL, left as a Beemer eater. MLH 252P, I wish I had it now!
I had a Mk 1 1200, a Mk II 1300 and a 1600E. They were all pretty disappointing cars to be honest and if anything, lacked any real character. I had an A-series engined Austin A40 that had character in spadefuls and the Cortinas were pretty bland in comparison. I didn't keep any of them very long. The Mk 1 was replaced with an Alfasud Ti, the 1600E was excused for an Alfetta and the Mk II for a Viva 1800 which were all better. I did hanker after a 2000E but perhaps not buying one has preserved it's mystique a little as the Mk IV was very bland.
I remember my grandads blue Mk4 2 litre "crusader" model. God knows what crusader meant? It felt like a good solid car though. 
It was the first and only time I ever shut my finger in a car door.
I think I was about 5 at the time. As I remember there were no breaks, but there was a lot of blood and no finger nail left.
It was the first and only time I ever shut my finger in a car door.
I think I was about 5 at the time. As I remember there were no breaks, but there was a lot of blood and no finger nail left.Remember my Dad getting a brand new white R reg MK4 still remember the plate SUR870R every cold morning my mum had to tow start him in her beat up Morris 1300 so he could get going!! The shame of the only new car in the road needed towing in the morning.
I remember his boss eventually taking all the Fords off the staff and replacing them with Opel Asconas. Opel run happily for 120000 miles and he then brought it off the company and sold it to my mates dad who run it for another 20000 miles. No wonder German cars got such a good name!!!
Same colour too!
I remember his boss eventually taking all the Fords off the staff and replacing them with Opel Asconas. Opel run happily for 120000 miles and he then brought it off the company and sold it to my mates dad who run it for another 20000 miles. No wonder German cars got such a good name!!!
Same colour too!
bennyboysvuk said:
I remember my grandads blue Mk4 2 litre "crusader" model. God knows what crusader meant? It felt like a good solid car though.
It was the first and only time I ever shut my finger in a car door.
The Cortina Crusader was an 'end of line' promotion in connection with the Daily Express, hence the Crusader tag.
Mine Mk lV was shunted and written off but even before then I was concerned about rot below the windscreen. If this was common it might explain why so few remain.
Anyone else have problems with the dreadful VV carb?
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