General Couple of questions...

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General Couple of questions...

The shell is a Mk3 ford cortina....only just noticed the engine :) the creme de la creme of the era was the 2000 glx

Very well spotted Alan. It is indeed a mk3 Cortina, the 2000E (Executive) model that superceeded the GXL as top model from 1973 to 1976. It was originally fitted with the 1998cc Pinto ohc engine. The 2000E had twin rectangular lights instead of the GXL's quad round headlights, and also had the later dashboard/ interior that was of a similar design to the mk4 and 5 Cortinas. I retrofitted the GXL lights and grill into my 2000E simply because they look so much cooler :cool:

As for the engine in mine, it's a fully rebuilt 2.8 litre V6 from a 1982 Granada Ghia. It's actually quite a simple swap to do using 99% original Ford parts. All you need is a 2.3 V6 mk4/ 5 Cortina and its running gear. As the mk3/4/5 Cortinas use the same floorpan the 2.3 running gear swaps straight into a mk3 shell. And as the 2.3 is just the smaller capacity version of the 2.8 V6 (both known as 'Cologne' engines), that means the 2.8 V6 swaps straight over (much like fitting a 1242 FIRE in place of a 999cc FIRE). Some people have even fitted the 3.0 litre (or was it 2.9?) Cosworth V6 from the mk3 Granada Cosworth/ 90's Scorpio as this was still based on the Cologne engine. 210bhp as standard :devil:

I originally built mine back in the early 90's so things like the Cossie engine were out of reach. Now you can pick them up for next to nothing :cry:

It was one of the first mkIII's on a J plate with single lights and the chrome grille. Bought it for £100 in the early 90's and sold it at 1000% profit :)

Wow, that was a good deal for you! (y) Plus a 'J' plate would be the first year they were made so it would be a very early mk3. Like you I paid not a lot for mine (£275 with 6 months MOT in 1990, standard apart from rust) but have no idea what it's worth now. It's probably a bit difficult to value being modified and also with the price of fuel as it is it's not going to be economical to run - I reckon low 20's to the gallon, maybe more on a run.

Anyway, I might be getting it on the road if it's viable as this is the last summer I will have a chance to do something with it. I might try and get it road legal, drive it for a month or so and then sell it :)() and put the money towards my degree course next year.

Time will tell what will happen. First thing I've got to do is get it moving as the brakes are seized solid...
 
Anyway, I might be getting it on the road if it's viable as this is the last summer I will have a chance to do something with it. I might try and get it road legal, drive it for a month or so and then sell it :)() and put the money towards my degree course next year.

WOW. What a bargin at just under £300.

So why is this the last summer you can do anything with it? Because of Degree?

Jon.
 
WOW. What a bargin at just under £300.

So why is this the last summer you can do anything with it? Because of Degree?

Jon.

Back in the late 80's/ early 90's the mk3 Cortina was seen as just an old banger. They weren't regarded as classic cars back then and could be picked up for peanuts - how things have changed!

This is the last summer I can do something with it as next year I won't get as long a summer break due to my final year work placements being longer in duration. Then when I qualify I will be looking to start work virtually straight away, and my long term goal is to emigrate too. Thus I won't have the amount of time in the future that I have now to get it sorted, and I was planning on selling it anyway so I can put the money towards my degree next year. My way of thinking is that if I can get it sorted this summer I can A: actually drive it after owning it for 18.5 years :)o) and B: it will be worth more money running and with an MOT.

But I know the problem will be that if I get it running and on the road then I won't want to sell it. Plus the sound of the V6 engine is absolutely gorgeous :yum:

Oh yes, it has a vinyl roof (I have ARRIVED!) It also has a full length sliding vinyl roof (Weathershields of Birmingham, similar to Webasto) for added coolness :cool:
 
Fill it up with as much weight as possible and tow it a few yards forward and a few yards backwards may loosten may not but it's an easy way to break them free if they are of the mind to release. I wish you good luck

Good idea Alan, but the problem is that it is wedged right up against the wall of the lock-up and there's so little room to manoeuvre. I'd also worry that if I dragged it out then I'll never get it back in again if I can't free off the brakes!

I've already tried putting it in gear to free them off but nothing. The car doesn't want to go anywhere. I also tried alternating between drive and reverse (it's an auto) but still nothing, even giving it some stick. What I'm going to do is jack up the car and try and take the brakes apart on one side. Oh, and it was left with the handbrake OFF so it's definitely the rear drums rusting that are causing the worst of the problems.

If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to find another rear axle with unseized brakes and swap them over... :cry:

Anyway, I now have to go and work on a Micra. :yuck:
 
If you left the handbrake off, it should technically be free as it's the shoes sticking to the drums that normally sieze. With the handbrake off the shoes should have been away from the drums?

Yes, they should technically be free but they aren't :( The handbrake has actually seized in the 'off' position! I rebuilt the rear brakes with overhauled cylinders and new shoes back in 1992, plus had the drums cleaned out and painted on the outside. I think the problem is the fact that it hasn't moved for ten years and the lock-up gets damp, causing rust to build up on the inside of the drums. Still, I was amazed that I actually got the engine running so with a bit of luck I'll get the brakes freed off too :)

Sorry for hi-jacking the Panda section by the way :eek:
 
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