Ford Cortina MkV 1.6 GL (1981)
"VW Jetta Mk2, Mercedes C180, Volvo S80, Subaru Forester, Volvo V70 (daily driver)."
Cortina has had - and gets - plenty of love
"I had paid off my previous car loan and decided that rather than buy one car, I was going to buy two; a classic and a daily driver. I'd been scanning websites for classic Cortinas for several months in advance and it came down to a choice between this beige car or a royal blue one. I went for the beige. The owner was very honest about it and wanted to see it go to a good home, so he didn't want or take any profit on it (he showed me his original receipt)."
What I wish I'd known:
"If I'd known the kind of reaction it would get, I would have bought one sooner! The car hasn't been faultless and problems with the wiring kept it off the road for almost six months (although that was traced to a poorly fitted 80s car alarm). Looking back I also might have gone for one without a dealer-fit sunroof, because the thing leaked like colander when I first took it out in the rain."
Once an everyday sight, now a bona fide classic
"I keep telling people 'any day I drive this car, is a better day' and I'm not lying. The 1.6-litre Pinto will not smoke the tyres, but it has enough grunt to keep up with modern traffic and has a beautiful exhaust note to boot.
"Everyone, it seems, has a 'Cortina story'. I've had so many people come up and say they, their parents or some member of their family had one. And, there are so few MkVs on the road, they make Ford Capris look like bicycles in Beijing.
"This particular car was meticulously cared for in the UK (before being imported to Ireland four years ago). I have a lot of history with it, including a brown hardback notebook which has details of every time the second owner went for petrol, including how much fuel he bought (in litres and in £) and what was showing on the odometer every time. I also have the original brochures from the car and all the old service bills and MoTs."
Two extremes of the weekend car philosophy
"Not being able to drive it because of Ireland's horrible weather. Living on the North West coast of Ireland with its salty air, I'm also conscious of any minor spots of rust, which I will have to get treated this coming winter. If I let the car get wet, I genuinely feel like I've let it down, that I've failed it as an owner."
Costs:
"Tax and insurance are laughably cheap - 56 euros tax for the year and 240 euros for comprehensive, limited-mileage insurance - compared to my Volvo's 800 euros tax, 650 euros insurance. I will have to spend some money getting some minor rust spots treated, but none of it is structural. My mechanic, who deals with modern cars all day, loves to get his hands on this machine, so servicing is a bit cheaper than usual."
A time machine Doc Brown would be proud of
"I live in a really picturesque part of Ireland, with mountains and narrow twisting roads criss-crossing the countryside. I've done one or two long trips (well, four hours one way) but mostly I just pick a direction and drive around the lakes and mountain tarmac for hours at a time."
What next?
"I won't be parting with my Cortina any time soon. I will put her into hibernation in October, but I might take the opportunity to get some work done on her. I'd like to fit an unleaded head to the engine and help it breathe better. I want to swap out the standard steel wheels for a set of wider banded ones. If the budget allows I will also get her resprayed, but that might have to wait until next year. In the meantine, I'll just enjoy her. As I say, any day I get to drive her, is a better day!"
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