Post up your favorite cars and car stories!

[stevewool]

Here is another nice car, BUT I don’t think I and many others could fit in it, and if we did can you imagine getting out of it.

Austin Healey 1966 — £8500.

[stevewool]

3 hours ago, graham59 said:

(Marina)

The BL stop-gap car, intended to compete in the company rep' fleet market, using mainly old tried and trusted mechanics , ugly booted variety, or more stylish 'fastback'.  

At that time I had one of its direct competitors,  a brand new Hillman Avenger . Lovely, great handling car,  and driven very (too) enthusiastically by Graham the 20 year-old trainee rep'.  Gave it back in after 12 months and 32,000 miles... most of the body panels having been repaired or replaced during that time. 

I think £7,500 is a bit rich for what was a very mundane, basic vehicle.   A rarer 1.8 TC,  perhaps. 

Back in the day, all us young reps wanted was a lovely big MK3 Cortina . The dream machine they were. 

My next job... that's exactly what I was given. Yey !  

For that money,  I'd be looking for a minter of one of those... or a Capri maybe.  

I had the avenger coloured green with the gold/ yellow stripe , and the mk3 cortina  2 ltr E that was a big car , never had a Capri mates did.

[graham59]

38 minutes ago, stevewool said:

Here is another nice car, BUT I don’t think I and many others could fit in it, and if we did can you imagine getting out of it.

Austin Healey 1966 — £8500.

You're right about the tight fit Steve.  My mate had the MG version. Just not enough leg room for a six footer like me. Steering wheel in my chest.

My Lotus 7 was a better fit for leg room (but a fat person would never fit in the narrow seat). 

The MGB is a much more comfortable car all round.  Sprite and Midget are really  for ..... little people.  

[graham59]

40 minutes ago, stevewool said:

I had the avenger coloured green with the gold/ yellow stripe , and the mk3 cortina  2 ltr E that was a big car , never had a Capri mates did.

My last Cortina MK3 was the (now much sought-after) 2 litre GXL model... with the twin headlights. My own, not a company car.

Anyway, I stripped that one down to a bare shell, re-built it all, with up-rated suspension, brakes, etc, and put a 3 litre Capri engine in it. 

Made a lovely car... and quick ! 

[GeoffH]

10 hours ago, graham59 said:

Made a lovely car... and quick ! 

Ford sold a version of the Cortina in Australia fitted with the Australian 4.1 liter inline 6 cylinder.

They were quick... off the line they were faster than my V8 GTS Holden.

 

[graham59]

Yes, I do recall those Aussie ones Geoff. the X6  ?

They were the later (in UK...MK4 and MK5) squared off bodyshape though...the one in your pic. Not as nice to look at as the 'mini-Camaro' flowing lines of the earlier MK3. The mechanics and underpinnings were almost identical however.

Of course the Capri 3 litre was a V6, ('Essex' engine) rather than a straight 6 though. 

South Africa Ford produced a pickup (ute') version of the Cortina Mk3, complete with 3 litre V6 as standard.  

I also had an 'estate' model, which I put a V6 3 litre into. 

The later 2.8 'Cologne' V6's were a much easier fit, but not as much power or torque...except in the injection version. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by graham59

[graham59]

This is what a stationary  MK4 Cortina Estate (mine) looked like, after having been hit up the arse by a Ford Capri doing 65mph . 

.

 

[Jack Peterson]

36 minutes ago, graham59 said:

South Africa Ford produced a pickup (ute') version of the Cortina Mk3, complete with 3 litre V6 as standard.  

 Graham is that the one they called the P100?

[graham59]

21 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Graham is that the one they called the P100?

The P100 ws a later pickup....also available in the UK.

This is the V6 MK3  South African (only)model:

 

[Jack Peterson]

4 minutes ago, graham59 said:

The P100 ws a later pickup....also available in the UK.

This is the V6 MK3  South African (only)model:

 

 Yes! had one and now I understand why it was so expensive if they were imported but our senior Officers almost demanded for the work it was to perform, I guess they were Imported?