I would love a Mk2 built to today's standards, impossible of course with modern safety legislation. Just think though, no expensive and fragile computerised gadgetry or catalytic nonsense. A simple car you can service yourself and where some obscure electrical fault doesn't cost you two months salary and make the car a write off if it is more than six years old.
Good grief , I think I'm turning into my father!
Edited by Webmaster on 27/07/2008 at 00:42
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Was sort of raised on Cortinas. Had 4 of them but all the later (Mk4 ?) model.
The 2.0s were easy to drift. There is a rather elegant Georgian Square in Edinburgh which was a favourite late night proving ground for this particular.......er.....skill. Not that it was off the beaten track. On the contrary, it was / is in the city centre. Best attempted on icy nights or even after light snowfall. Hero status assured for getting all the way round without losing the drift or being caught.
Very silly and a lifetime ago. Not recommended then and impossible due to road layout now but it was awfy good fun !
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My dad had a Mk1 Consul Cortina, they moved the game along very much like the Focus did in 1998, cars stopped being just black (IYKWIM) he had a 1970 MK2 in metallic blue, this had a two way radio fitted (because of the nature of his work then), it also had a particular smell unique to Fords.
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it also had a particular smell unique to Fords.
They never had showers at Dagenham in the seventies.
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My dad had a Mk II. Four door in Seafoam Blue with a 1.2 engine, IIRC. Darker blue seats and rubber on the floor. Must have been a fairly basic trim level, I suppose.
It led a sort of dual existence because he drove it relatively sedately to and from work and I, just passed test, threw it around whenever I could get my hands on it.
It was actually quite a roomy and comfortable car for the time with a reasonable sized boot and not a bad looker, either. I recall it was not a great starter but I think that may have been true of many Fords of the time.
He kept it long enough to fit a re-con engine but, as others have said, it was rust that killed it off.
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Never owned a Mk II but drove a couple of 1600s. They were quite brisk for their class and time and easily tweakable to be very brisk, in typical Ford fashion. In their day too, cheap and relatively easy to fix. But they felt trashy and looked trashy. If I was looking for an early Lotus Cortina I would much prefer a Mk I. It was far better looking and I suspect a better car, but the reason really is that I saw Mk Is driven in anger by the best drivers of the day, who in those days sportingly ventured outside F1, rubbing door handles on three wheels round Paddock Bend at Brands Hatch followed by a jostling herd of Mini-Coopers...
To my eye the Mk I was a cleaner, purer design. They sold the Mk II by producing lots of variants with semi-sporting feel and/or looks, and I believe the Ghia badge was first applied to a Mk II Cortina, the 'executive' version... But the Mk II was ugly by comparison to its predecessor.
I suppose the thing to look for is rust, bad restoration work (there's a lot of it about) and sources of parts.
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There is a MK2 Lotus Cortina on e-bay.
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You didn't really need a Lotus version. I remember a thrashed hired Mk I 1500 Estate with some affection. It could top 100 on Salisbury Plain and you could catch its tail on slippery bits. It had a very fine gearbox with strong synchromesh on which I learned to do clutchless changes too.
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my first car was a 1600 Super mkII Cortina in white, 'G' reg
I too had a broken rear leaf spring, which made handling 'entertaining'. The only other vice I can remember was the steering box was most disconcerting and despite changing it the steering was always vague, with a fair amount of play. Was told this was a characteristic of the model.
I seem to remember acres of room in the engine bay, the beginnings of rust on the top of the front suspension (in the engine bay), quite basic inside, even for those days, but apart from that a dependable work horse.
I enjoyed it and only got rid when my cash flow changed for the good.
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Ran a 1600 de luxe 4dr for years-ultra reliable.Just watch out for rust-particularly at top of struts.
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If it's only £500 and from a dealer at that, it's either the deal of the century or a shed. Check out the back of Practical Classics magazine for some idea of values. Just about any Cortina or Escort is now worth good money.
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Thanks all for the contributions, i'll check out the car some time in the week.
Rust seems to be the issue then, which isn't a huge surprise, i'd just forgotten how bad it used to be. Good to know this car's particular rust traps.
mare
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My first car was a !600E. I had it from 18months old for 12 or more years.
I had new wings fitted.
I had aluminium wheel arch liners - Lokari, made in Finland so that tells you abour rust!
Needed a steering box ( due to standard box but wide wheels).
Needed chassis plated for the new box.
Fortunately an easy car to work on.
(I donated my Haynes to Brooklands S/H bookshop this week)
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My car first car was also the attractive 1600E in Fern green. It was about 9 years old when I brought it. The wood veneer on the dash and door cappings looked good, along with the 4 guage instrument binacle on centre of dash. Nice car to drive, although cornering a bit soft. Fairly close ratio gearbox seemed to allow it to get away quite quickly, for those days. It was stolen (Krooklock and aluminiun spoked steering wheel not the best deterrent!) and later found by the Police for sale in a garage in Glasgow 330 miles away. Had to bring it back myself! Later on holidaying in Wales piston rings gave out during some spirited driving. Had to leave it at a local garage for a week while they sourced some new pistons and rings. Happy days.
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insert rude word
It's been sold. I'm too late.
Never mind. It's sparked an interest
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They sold the Mk II by producing lots of variants with semi-sporting feel and/or looks and I believe the Ghia badge was first applied to a Mk II Cortina the 'executive' version... But the Mk II was ugly by comparison to its predecessor.
Forgive me for being a bit of an anorak here. The luxury version of the MKII was the 1600E - I so wanted one!. My grandfather came close to buying a Corsair 2000E, but went for a 1969 MKII Cortina, in white (don't think he was too sure of the V4 idea!).
MKIII Cortinas up to late '73 used 'GXL' to denote the top of the range model (twin headlamps), and from late '73, they went back to using the 'E' designation, with the 2000E. I had two of them, one an orange/red colour automatic with grey velour, and one a metallic green manual with tan velour. (not really velour, more like brushed nylon).
The Ghia badge did not appear until the MkIV Cortina, in 1976.
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>>The luxury version of the MKII was the 1600E
and there were two versions , both four door, in the UK
There were some two door ones for export. My four door had seats from a two door.
I had the later vesion with bucket seats in the rear, revised remote change on the gearbox, aux gauges in the dash not in a binnacle and painted not chrome Rostyle wheels.
No HRW was available off the production line but I obtained one of a trial batch of HRWs and had it retro fitted.
Of course it was white with an Everflex black roof.
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>Of course it was white with an Everflex black roof.
Mine was silver with a flaking roof - all the metallics did it.
Kevin...
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>Of course it was white with an Everflex black roof.
i.e it was properly stitched and the whole central area had some sort of padding under it.
It was already equiped when I bought it S/H.
All passengers noted how much quieter my 1600E was than those withnormal roofs.Mine was silver with a flaking roof - all the metallics did it.
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I certainly recall it especially the Orchid ( or Orchard in some lists) colour.
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The 2.0s were easy to drift. There is a rather elegant Georgian Square in Edinburgh which was a favourite late night proving ground for this particular.......er.....skill.
Well I never... was that Charlotte or St. Andrew's? :-)
Couldn't really get excited about the Mk.II, it had that late-60s boring boxy look that also afflicted the Viva HB and Hillman Hunter. Both its predecessor and successor were more attractive IMHO.
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Cough.....Charlotte. The camber was wrong on St Andrews. It tipped inward on Charlotte. ( So I'm told by those who tried it of course ) ..........Cough, splutter !
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Was the Paperback bookshop still there when you were enjoying those wet smooth Caledonian granite cobbles, HB? Rhinoceros head hanging on the wall outside, huge American in a kilt with sporran and his Doberman Pinscher as bouncers? If so you must be jolly old... or perhaps it's me and that wasn't Charlotte Square...
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I spent my childhood and early adulthood in Edinburgh Lud and went to school in the city centre. Haven't really lived there for 25 years or more, although I do venture back when possible. Can't remember your Rhino but then Edinburgh has always had a ready supply of mind altering pastimes !
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CE 22015 - 1600 auto, 69 model, my first car *sob*...
29000 miles, little old lady's car.
I see other owners enjoyed theirs in Seacoast Blue and Fern green.
I dunno what 'ford' colour mine was - sort of darkish turquoise. Damed ugly as well!
For future reference, things that can go wrong: propshaft often needs balancing. Tie rod ends area sod to get off.
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