Ford Cortina 1969 News

   

If you are looking for a reasonably priced British classic cars, then don't overlook a Vauxhall, especially the Detroit inspired "PA" models from the late 50s and early 60s and the mid-sixties Mark II Ford Cortina. Compared to Holdens and Falcons of the same era, the Vauxhalls were way ahead on luxury, equipment and power. They were also way ahead on styling. Make no mistake, these cars stand out. With severely wrapped front and rear windows and tail fins rising from the rear mudguards, the PA Vauxhall was right in tune with contemporary American styling ideas. There were two models in the range, which were sold through Holden dealers: the basic Velox and the more upmarket Cresta. Whilst the Velox made do with vinyl seats and rubber floor mats, the Cresta gave buyers the option of real leather or nylon seats combined with carpeted floors and extra bright trim. The pre-1960 versions had three-section rear windows which also featured on the 1957 Oldsmobiles and Buicks. They come with 2.2 litre six cylinder engines and all-synchromesh three speed gearbox. Post 1960 cars have a 2.6-litre engine. The three-speed manual transmission was standard. What made them attractive on the local market were the options of the Hydramatic transmission and power-assisted front disc brakes. In short, the Velox and Cresta filled the marketing space above the Holden Special until the Premier was released in 1962. Spare parts for these cars are simple to obtain, mainly from the UK and New Zealand, where there are websites and parts sellers devoted to the PA models. Prices vary given the condition of the cars, but no one ought to pay over $10,000 for one, and reasonable examples can be had for around $5,000. The lower the price, however, the more likely there is rust. PA Vauxhalls have many nooks and crevices into which water and dirt finds its way. Meanwhile, if it is a classic Ford you desire, and do not wish to spend big money, then think about the Mark II Cortina. The second incarnation of the popular Cortina was launched in Australia in 1967 and was produced until 1972. These sprightly, four cylinder cars are gaining in popularity because they are well built, parts are plentiful and the cost of buying and owning one is within reach of those wanting to get into the classic car scene without spending much money. About $3,000 should see you into a high calibre Cortina 440 (that's the four door). The two door 240 goes for the same money. Cars requiring a little bit of rust repair and a paint job can be found for about $1,500. The Hunter British Ford Group is one of a number of growing groups dedicated to Cortinas, and other Fords of UK origin. Retroautos.com.au  

It was Britain bestselling car from 1972 through 1982, when it was replaced by the Serria. All up, Ford sold over four million Cortinas worldwide. That concept of the Cortina was for a simple, basic car that was easy to maintain and cheap to build. On this platform they built two and four doors sedans and wagons, in various guises, from poverty pack through to a sports /luxury "GT" model. When the boys at Lotus got a hold of the GT they turned it into a legendary winning race car. Even the Formula One jocks such as Jim Clark strapped into Lotus Cortinas for a bit of Sunday afternoon hi jinx against the Mustang of yet another Formula One star, Sir Jack Brabham. A Lotus Cortina was used as a getaway car in the 1963 Great Train Robbery. The exact car used by Ronnie Biggs and others in the famous heist is now owned by a car collector in Exeter, UK. In Australia, the Cortina was Ford's entry into the "mid-sized" market, sitting below the Falcon in size and price. Locally, Ford followed the British market strategy, with inexpensive two door price leaders enticing the buyers to dealerships and the top of the range "GT" as the eye candy. Harry Firth was given the task of making the GT a race winner and the car dominated the (then) Bathurst 500 in 1963 and 1964. For the 1965 race Firth and Ford developed the GT500, essentially a local Lotus, and it won again. The Cortina went through four more series in Europe and in Australia. But there the similarities end. In the UK and Europe Ford stuck with four cylinder power, while in Australia, the success of the Torana 6 and V8s motivated Ford Australia to shoehorn in its 3.3 and 4.1 litre sixes into the tight confines of the engine bay, in addition to the four cylinder engines. The result was plenty of power and torque. The handling characteristics were what most motoring writers focused on. As with so many classic cars, the six cylinder Cortinas might not have been widely popular when new, but they are sought after now.  Ford Australia finally pensioned off the Cortina in 1982 when they cloned the Mazda 626 and labelled it Telstar. In July this year, to mark the 50th anniversary, the first Cortina Nationals will be held in Albury. We expect a big roll up. Retroautos

"I didn't want to have to rebuild later, so I've done a proper job first time."  His 1969 Ford Cortina GT Mk 2 is painted 1968 zircon green and is a shining example of committed restoration. Firth, 62, has moved to Brisbane from Port Macquarie after selling his child restraint fitting business and now plans to semi-retire and spend more time driving his GT.  "It is the first car I've ever restored and probably will be the last," he says. "It's not a concourse car because of the non-original parts. It's just for fun. I just want to enjoy it."  But that's not entirely true.  A year ago — just one week after he got it on the road following a laborious and expensive seven-year restoration job — Firth took it to a Baby Boomers Week car show at Forster. "I just parked it and left it to look at the other cars and when I came back I found I'd won a couple of trophies for best British car and sponsor's choice," he says.  "Then I won another trophy in Port Macquarie a month later. "It's done its show bit and now we just want to enjoy it."  Firth bought the Cortina in 2001 for $1500."It was a bit of a mess," he says.  "It wasn't registered. I think 64 people had had a go at restoring it and given up in disgust. "There was a lot of rust in it and it needed a fair bit of surgery on it.  "I cut the boot off and grafted on another one from another car, replaced all the door sills and just kept at it and did something to it each weekend."  The GT is powered by a 69 kilowatt 1600cc cross flow engine, but not the original. "I suspect it came out of a Capris like the gearbox.  "I know that because reverse is up beside first while the Cortina had it beside fourth."  Firth says it may only have 69kW, but it more than makes up for it with loads of torque. "My wife has a Honda Civic Sport and I have a VW Caddy van, but the torque of this old Cortina motor is so much better than the high-revving engines of modern cars," he says.  "There are a couple of hills out here and it just accelerates up them in top whereas the others I have to drop down a gear or two." The GT has a dual-throat down-draft Webber carby, GT disc brakes on the front with drums on the rear, Stratos seats, inertia reel seatbelts, adjustable strut tops, Koni shocks and 13-inch Cheviot Turbo 6x13 alloys replacing the original steel wheels. "I`ve spent an undisclosed figure on it because my wife is within earshot," he says.  "We just wanted to make it a bit more comfortable so we can drive it around," he says.  "The only thing I haven't got around to yet is the diff, but I've since got hold of a 3.5 ratio out of a two-litre Escort and that's a job I will get on to. "The standard ratio is 3.9, so I just wanted to go down for quieter highway cruising which is what I built it for. It's not going to be a race car."  Firth has a long history in motorsport having been a member of the Thornleigh Car Club in Sydney since he was 12. "My sister and her husband used to run around in motorkhana and I used to hang out the window and do the flag pick-up," he says.  He has mainly competed in club events and hillclimbs, worked on his son's motor racing ventures and plans to go to Bathurst for the 12-hour race next weekend (FEBRUARY 12-14) to help his friend and race driver Andrew Miedecke. Firth's first car was a 1962 Austin A40 Farina, followed by a Morris 1100, a series of Hillman Imps "during the funny era of cheap motorsport" and a Cortina 440 Mk 2.  "I had about nine Hillman Imps over two or three years. People used to give them to us and we'd play around with them and get the parts we needed and throw the rest out. "We had one working road car and one working race car and the total cost was $250."  He decided to restore a Cortina because he thought it would also be cheap.  "All the mechanical parts are still available but the body parts are actually hard to come by," he says. "It was just something to do after our son decided to sell his race car.  "I thought it wouldn't take long and cost much, but seven years and a truck load of money later ... Nevermind. I'll keep it another 40 years and the kids might recover what it cost to build it, so that's their inheritance."