Ford Cortina – The car of our childhood
#1
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Thread Starter
Ford Cortina – The car of our childhood
There once was a time when Cortinas were everywhere. Your dad had one, your uncle had one, your mate’s dad had one – you couldn’t turn a street corner without being met with the best-selling car of the 70s.
Five generations and 4.3million cars later, production finally ended in 1982 – but the British love affair with the Cortina still hasn’t gone away.
We’ve been exploring the history and cult status of the Cortina to find out just what has made it such an icon.
You can read our article over on the new Cult Classics website, along with articles about some of our other favourites from years gone by:
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/cult-cl.../ford-cortina/
Did you or your family used to drive a Cortina? Do you still drive one today? Share your memories and pictures below!
Five generations and 4.3million cars later, production finally ended in 1982 – but the British love affair with the Cortina still hasn’t gone away.
We’ve been exploring the history and cult status of the Cortina to find out just what has made it such an icon.
You can read our article over on the new Cult Classics website, along with articles about some of our other favourites from years gone by:
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/cult-cl.../ford-cortina/
Did you or your family used to drive a Cortina? Do you still drive one today? Share your memories and pictures below!
#4
Sponsor
Thread Starter
We didn't have a 'Tina but we had a Sierra Ghia in light blue with the pepperpots.. Can't remember the whole reg but it was B***XAV. Sat on the drive for 2 years with a seized gearbox before being scrapped!
#5
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
Remember our family cortina like it was yesterday, took us everywhere as a family of 5, it was a mk5 in beige 1.6L with a brown interior reg SCK 503X, was pretty rotten when we traded it in, passenger foot well and bottoms of all doors, very reliable car and cheap to run compared to the Austin princess it replaced, we traded the Tina for an A reg Sierra 2.0L GL A677 YTN which was also a great car.
#6
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Old chap had a red mk4 Cortina... Eventually upgraded in 1985 for a 3 year old mk2 Granada Alm 693y...
Proper cars back then...
Proper cars back then...
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#8
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Did you see the very rapid black mk2 Cortina wasting the modern Fords at the Pod on Sunday?
I had an ex London to Sydney rally 1600e when I lived in Adelaide, put a stage 3 1760cc cross-flow in it.Loved the sound the twin side draught Webers made!
Had a genuine Uren 1600e Savage and also a mk2 Lotus Cortina which I put a big valve Elan 2+2 engine in and electronic ignition which was just coming out.
Sold them for peanuts in the 80s to what they would be worth now!
I had an ex London to Sydney rally 1600e when I lived in Adelaide, put a stage 3 1760cc cross-flow in it.Loved the sound the twin side draught Webers made!
Had a genuine Uren 1600e Savage and also a mk2 Lotus Cortina which I put a big valve Elan 2+2 engine in and electronic ignition which was just coming out.
Sold them for peanuts in the 80s to what they would be worth now!
#9
Happily retired
Sold a Sports car as a house deposit in 1972 took a mk1 Cortina GT in Lotus green/cream in PX. Allowed the guy Ł80 for the GT. Sold it on for Ł85 a month later it was not a good or bad car just not for me.
#10
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
See the previous article was about the Porsche 912, I actually sold my MK2 1600 GT about 10 years ago to buy a Porsche 912.
The MK1s and 2s were such a pretty car, think if I was to have another, bonkers priced lotus' aside it would have to be a 1600 E for me in mustard colour!
The MK1s and 2s were such a pretty car, think if I was to have another, bonkers priced lotus' aside it would have to be a 1600 E for me in mustard colour!
#11
Glennvestite
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My dad had a mk4 and mk5 cortina when i was really young.
The mk5 cortina got pinched from where my mam used to work and was found 4 days later sat on waste land with no wheels on it and they had nicked the radio and speakers.
The mk5 cortina got pinched from where my mam used to work and was found 4 days later sat on waste land with no wheels on it and they had nicked the radio and speakers.
#12
10K+ Poster!!
I still want one, my dad owned a mk1 4 door in his youth, was a blue 4 door with a gold stripe, was written off when someone overtook a car over a brow in the road and side swiped it.
#13
Moderator
iTrader: (11)
Did you see the very rapid black mk2 Cortina wasting the modern Fords at the Pod on Sunday?
I had an ex London to Sydney rally 1600e when I lived in Adelaide, put a stage 3 1760cc cross-flow in it.Loved the sound the twin side draught Webers made!
Had a genuine Uren 1600e Savage and also a mk2 Lotus Cortina which I put a big valve Elan 2+2 engine in and electronic ignition which was just coming out.
Sold them for peanuts in the 80s to what they would be worth now!
I had an ex London to Sydney rally 1600e when I lived in Adelaide, put a stage 3 1760cc cross-flow in it.Loved the sound the twin side draught Webers made!
Had a genuine Uren 1600e Savage and also a mk2 Lotus Cortina which I put a big valve Elan 2+2 engine in and electronic ignition which was just coming out.
Sold them for peanuts in the 80s to what they would be worth now!
#15
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Does anyone remember the matt black one that used to destroy most of the other cars at the Pod a few years back, I think it was a mk3 with a cossy lump in it.
#17
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
#19
Regular Contributor
my first car when I passed my test in 1987 was a Cortina mk4 1.6L NWG 777R.
was finished in baby shit green! paid 175 quid for it.
was a great car, traded it in for an a reg mk3 escort a few months later.
was finished in baby shit green! paid 175 quid for it.
was a great car, traded it in for an a reg mk3 escort a few months later.
#20
PassionFord Regular
Never seen a MkII GT estate until a couple of weeks ago when a dealer put a red one on eBay. Now there's Jamie's dads'. Can't think that I ever saw one on the road back in the day...weird how they have the GT badge higher up than the saloon.
Jamie's black one is just a dream. Old Skool but up to date if that makes sense.
I started with a 1600 Super, then built a 3.0 V6 1600E then, in 1990 bought an F reg Mk11 Lotus in red which been restored. But the engine was a dog so sold it on after a few months for about a grand.
Jamie's black one is just a dream. Old Skool but up to date if that makes sense.
I started with a 1600 Super, then built a 3.0 V6 1600E then, in 1990 bought an F reg Mk11 Lotus in red which been restored. But the engine was a dog so sold it on after a few months for about a grand.
#21
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
My Dad has had is Mk2 estate since 1970 ! it was the family car, was only 4 weeks old when we did a 4000 mile around trip to the south of Italy in it (a trip i just took myself 3 weeks ago).
He still uses it regularly, i was only talking about on Tuesday as he is taking it for a Mot next week.
Will try and get some photos of it.
He still uses it regularly, i was only talking about on Tuesday as he is taking it for a Mot next week.
Will try and get some photos of it.
#22
PassionFord Post Whore!!
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Ford Cortina – The car of our childhood
My dad had a cortina estate, can't remember what mk it was but looked like a smaller version of the Granada of the time. Think it was a y reg. I had a mk2 1600e many years ago and sold it for ÂŁ175 lol, no one wanted it back then
#25
PassionFord Post Whore!!
yes mate it looked awesome, I had a savage last year which I took in p/x when I sold my rs3.1 capri after 31 yrs of ownership but a mate made me an offer I could not turn down, and the only other mk2 I had was in 1984 but swapped it for a rover P6 V8, I will find another one day
#26
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
Who'd have thought 35 years ago that the modern version, although called Mondeo, would look like an Aston Martin ?
The conversation would have gone like this, whilst working on their Cortina....
"Here Dave, been thinking and I reckon Ford will make all their cars look like Aston Martins in about 30 years."
"Fuck off Kev, you twat, pass me the void bush remover."
"I just hope they re-design these cunting void bushes as my car fails its MOT every year on the fucking things."
The conversation would have gone like this, whilst working on their Cortina....
"Here Dave, been thinking and I reckon Ford will make all their cars look like Aston Martins in about 30 years."
"Fuck off Kev, you twat, pass me the void bush remover."
"I just hope they re-design these cunting void bushes as my car fails its MOT every year on the fucking things."
#29
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
From this Sunday,
12.87 @ 110
12.65 @ 113
13.33 @ 111
12.71 @ 111
Variation seams to come from my starts, going over the line at the same rev's each time I have worked out a 1.5'' taller tyre should take me up to 120+ at the same rev's and hopefully just in to the 11's which is my goal.
Or I could go on a diet and loose 10st and properly achieve the same thing
12.87 @ 110
12.65 @ 113
13.33 @ 111
12.71 @ 111
Variation seams to come from my starts, going over the line at the same rev's each time I have worked out a 1.5'' taller tyre should take me up to 120+ at the same rev's and hopefully just in to the 11's which is my goal.
Or I could go on a diet and loose 10st and properly achieve the same thing
#31
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
The engine was dyno'ed at 389 when built, its running a atlas with a 3.75 I started out with a 3.44 but got talked in to changing it when I smashed the drive shafts and had the axle rebuilt.
The 3.75 I think is to high a ratio for me it screams on the road cruising at 70, currently doing 6800 rpm when crossing the line and always around 111-113mph, if I don't get where I want to be with the tyre change I will go back to the 3.44 with a smaller tyre.
#33
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
#36
ELASTIC BAND
never been a fan of cortinas, of any Mk! But after the Pod last weekend, i for some strange reason want a Mk2
Still will probably never get one, as a mk2 fiesta is on the cards for me
Still will probably never get one, as a mk2 fiesta is on the cards for me
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