CLB
Well-Known Member
I would be very happy to own and drive a MK2 Cortina, especially if it was a 1600E in aubergine :encouragement:
Anyone drive a MK2 Cortina?
- Thread starter Tomahawk
- Start date
I would be very happy to own and drive a MK2 Cortina, especially if it was a 1600E in aubergine :encouragement:
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
Have you seen the price genuine Mk1 Lotus Cortinas are fetching?
Hoolie
Well-Known Member
I had an old Post Office van that did that. It turned out to be a fractured lead to the distributor that went open circuit when the vacuum advance rotated the distributor body.
halcyon
Well-Known Member
The only car to knock the 1100 of the number 1 spot, during it's 10 year run as best UK seller.
Brian
dragonvc
Well-Known Member
Used to drive a mk2 cortina as a spare car but not the best of drives but there were a lot of bad ones in those days.The 1600E was a decent car handled well and decent ride.I had succession of sports cars then including a Sunbeam Alpine,2 triumph gt 6 s followed by a triumph Dolomite Sprint which had the usual cylinder head problems but a very quick nice handling car .If I owned these now would be worth a tidy sum.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I had a friend with one of the 1980s Peugeot 505 estates - the ones which looked like hearses - which was designed with such fine disregard for maintenance that you had to remove the radiator in order to fit a fan belt.
And they there were cassette points. The horror, the horror.
DS maintenance tens to be complicated but straightforward, as you have to remove lots of simple parts and make lots of simple adjustments. Modern cars tend to have far fewer but far more complicated parts, which makes repair easy if you have th eparts and a living nightmare if you haven't.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Noted! I'll check that. I fitted a 1-2-3 electronic distributor to the DS last year. It has generally been excellent, but died completely on me returning from the UK rally in June. Turned out that, despite charging ~€300 for the distributor, 1-2-3 use stupidly cheap crimp connectors on the supply wires, and the power supply one had a fatigue fracture inside its plastic sheathing. It looked absolutely fine, and even held together fine when pulled. Luckily I carry a continuity tester and a suspicious mind, and we were on the go again after 10 minutes.
RichardS
N/A
I had the same with a Skoda. On full vacuum and centrifugal advance the locating pin for the points shorted out across to the body earth and the engine misfired, which retarded the timing so the short was removed and the engine would fire again .... a sort of unwanted rev limiter!
It was a bugger to diagnose with many false conclusions. :ambivalence:
Richard
DownWest
Well-Known Member
After I passed my test in early '65, I am trying to remember how often I had a car quit on the road. Three times, but all due to expecting over tuned engines to stay together. Cam chains X two and crank X one.;
I did have a 1962 R4 strip it's timing gear (tufnol)in '74, so that's four.. Much later, I had another R4 stop at a junction. The fuel pump had failed, but a 5 ltr can on the roof rack with a bit of tube sorted that, so I do not count that.
But, in 87 snow shorted out the ignition on a R5, I hitched to the next garage and bought some WD40, fixed. So, one could count that.
Since then, they got me home..
The current Scenic does have a mind of its own and I might be re-thinking this..
I did have a 1962 R4 strip it's timing gear (tufnol)in '74, so that's four.. Much later, I had another R4 stop at a junction. The fuel pump had failed, but a 5 ltr can on the roof rack with a bit of tube sorted that, so I do not count that.
But, in 87 snow shorted out the ignition on a R5, I hitched to the next garage and bought some WD40, fixed. So, one could count that.
Since then, they got me home..
The current Scenic does have a mind of its own and I might be re-thinking this..
johnalison
Well-Known Member
My favourite failure, which was even more fun than the big end going on my father's Ford Popular Gothic Perpendicular, was when I started hooting at cars on the A41 roundabouts in my original Mini. It was a few roundabouts in the dark and wet, before I worked out that my ill manners occurred each time I pressed the brake pedal. My temporary solution was to avoid using the brakes, and when we got to our destination to pull the wires out of the horn.
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
I cant say I ever had one of the 'old' cars break down on me. The closest I suppose I got was when the big ends started to rattle on an MGB on the M4 heading to my parents one weekend. It got me there, Sat morning we sourced two variations of big end shells 'sale or return' and a sump gasket and oil and by 6 oclock we had dropped the sump, fitted what turned out to be standard shells and cleaned up in time to drive to the pub.
The only other time perhaps was when I had to change the water pump on a mini on the side of the road, whilst wearing a suit taking a girlfriend out for the evening. She wasnt impressed with my skills it seems, I didnt see her again!
The only other time perhaps was when I had to change the water pump on a mini on the side of the road, whilst wearing a suit taking a girlfriend out for the evening. She wasnt impressed with my skills it seems, I didnt see her again!
lw395
Well-Known Member
Suits have a bad effect on some cars.
I was driving an old banger back from an interview once, changed into top gear, or 'fourth' as it was known in those days, and the gear lever fell on the floor.
As the suit was worth more than the car, I drove home in top.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
As one did in the past ! I changed a timing chain in a car park in Salford on a 220/8 Mercedes about 1978. Had no back up whatsoever and minimal cash. Just had to be done. Most people then accepted doing stuff on your own. I just carried most of a workshop toolkit everywhere.. Don't ask what I have on the boat for tools and spares
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
The gear lever of my 2CV came away in my hand as I turned into the hospital car park in Dumfries. My wife was beside me. She was in labour. That has not been forgotten.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Original Mk1 Cortina with the long direct gear lever had a weld attaching the vertical bit to the cranked bit. When it failed it just went all wobbly. My wife broke at least 2 but it was still my fault!
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Mine was gold. Had it for 10 years including two lots of welding up the front bulkhead inner wing area. gave it to a lad up the road who did it properly and got another 10 years or so out of it.
Fond memories, particularly stopping at the side of the road as the milometer rolled round to all the zeros.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
Another 'save':
Driving round Trafalgar Sq. in a 2T Saab, the gear lever dropped in my lap. It was Sunday morn and quite quiet, so I just stopped her on the side of the island and had a look. A pin had dropped out of the universal joint. Humm, it can't be far, so I walked back in the road about 50mtrs and found it!Back at the car, I noticed two policemen observing me and looking a bit stern... Put the pin in and wrapped some sticky tape round it and fired up. As I drove off the police gave me a handclap..Different days. Prob '73.
Driving round Trafalgar Sq. in a 2T Saab, the gear lever dropped in my lap. It was Sunday morn and quite quiet, so I just stopped her on the side of the island and had a look. A pin had dropped out of the universal joint. Humm, it can't be far, so I walked back in the road about 50mtrs and found it!Back at the car, I noticed two policemen observing me and looking a bit stern... Put the pin in and wrapped some sticky tape round it and fired up. As I drove off the police gave me a handclap..Different days. Prob '73.
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
I forgot about that! I was on my driving test in an HB Viva, as I lifted the gear lever for reverse it came away in my hand, luckily as it was not the first time it had happened I just put it back and screwed down the retainer, it was almost like the screw top of a jar. I think the examiner had a word with my instructor about maintenance!
PS I passed, first time.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
That reminds me - my first 3 company cars were HB viva, Hillman Avenger 1250 and Morris Marina 1800. Still can't decide which was the worst even by the standards of the day.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
The Marina 1800TC was the Citroën Saxo VTR of its day. By the time they were getting on a bit they were cheap but (comparatively) fast, and no pimpled nineteen year old would be seen without one, silencer gutted, rear suspension raised and fifteen year old girlfriend in the front seat.