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In case anyone is interested, I thought I would post about the Cortinas to Cortina 2022 run which I took part in this year. After spending the last 18 months or so getting the Cortina ready for the 2000 odd mile trip on 2nd September we were ready to go:- Day 1  I set off from home in darkest Surrey late morning, heading for Harwich for the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland. Ever since I had the new exhaust I felt I was getting fumes in the cockpit - so I thought I'd pop into Car Builder Solutions in Kent which was sort of en-route (it wasn't really, but man logic applies in this case). The helpful chaps at CBS provided a solution in the form of a boy racer exhaust tip which took the end of the exhaust a bit further past the bumper to hopefully fix the problem - it looks daft but if it works....  Boy racer accessory attached it was back to the M25 - just in time for the start of the Friday rush hour, which was less than fun sitting at lorry exhaust height. A helpful chap told me only one of my brake lights was working! After crawling up to the Dartford tunnel, the traffic eased up the other side - so A12 and A120 towards Harwich. We were supposed to meet up at The Museum of Power in Essex, but the M25 traffic meant I was going to turn up just as it closed - so I headed on to the next rendezvous - a retail park near Colchester. However, bombing along the A120 the fuel gauge was getting lower and no sign of any petrol stations - so I had to stop in a layby to fill up from the jerry cans I keep in the boot for long trips as the standard Cortina fuel tank really isn't very big (about 20l). So I got to the retail park - no one there! Drove around a bit - no sign of any Cortinas! So I thought I would take a look at the brake lights while I was waiting for people to turn up. With the aid of a convenient shop window, I deduced that only the high level brake light I had fitted for safety before the trip was working! Turned out to be the bullet connector into which the high level brake light had been tapped, was loose - however I thought squeezing it a bit was a good idea and then found it wouldn't fit! So replacing the bullet connectors was in order - surprisingly it didn't take too long, and worked at the end of it - which is not the normal course of events with me and car electrics!  After a while a single Cortina appeared, with the others apparently having got lost en-route - a good start. After some texts and phone calls, it seemed most of the group where in a different retail park nearby - so we headed off to find them. Having tracked them down, it was time for dinner at Nandos (adequate) before heading towards the ferry at Harwich.  Some of the Mk2s  Waiting for the ferry (or holding up the traffic while taking pics?)  After a bit of a wait we were on the ferry! Found my cabin, which was small but clean and en-suite - so all good, and then up to the bar to meet up with a few of the group. |
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Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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Day 2 Hook of Holland to Nijmegen via Louwman Museum After a rather rude tannoy announcement at 5.30am to tell me that the restaurant was now open and serving breakfast and perhaps I should consider getting up, I breakfasted on a very passable full English. Back to the cabin - pack and then go and sit by the inevitable long queue to get down to the car deck. Then off onto foreign soil.  Having gone through customs, we met up in a carpark just outside the ferry port - the first time when the whole group of 20 odd cars were together - not a bad sight!    We were supposed to be travelling in convoy to the Louwman Museum, but when the time came to set off the car wouldn't start - typical! It was the problem I always have when sitting idling for an extended period - it'll spin but not fire. My pal Steve and his son Rob offered to wait until it fired up, while the rest of the convoy headed off - as they were blocking the port exit! After a few minutes the Cortina backfired and fired up - thank goodness! We headed off, following the sat nav, through some of the most complicated junctions I've ever seen - the Dutch seem to like creative road design! Well we got to the Louwman Museum - and as we were in old cars got to park in the forecourt outside the main entrance. Its an amazing place - containing cars of all eras, and stuff relating to cars - everything from models, to ceramics, to posters, plus a few bikes and aeroplanes. So here are a few photos:   Local Citroen CX parked outside  Main hall                After spending the morning at the museum, we headed off to find some windmills.  On a ferry across a river. Well we found some windmills, but strangely I didn't photograph them! We then headed for our destination for the day, Nijmegen - to be honest the dutch motorways are a bit boring - pretty flat! We got to Nijmegen ok, but I lost the convoy I was with about half a mile from the hotel - had to stop at some lights everyone else got through. So I then proceed to drive around the town centre as my sat-nav wanted to take me to a pedestrianised station forecourt! eventually, I took a different road and saw Rob standing by the side of the road - he hopped in and directed me to the hotel carpark (which was on the station forecourt but accessed from the other side). Parked up, checked in, had a shower and then down to the bar for a beer before heading out for dinner. Outside the hotel was the biggest bike park I have ever seen (I guess the Dutch like their bikes!)  We found a restaurant/bar in the town square, which seemed to be the place for the young and hip to hang out - so we were a little bit old! Good food though! Off to Cologne tomorrow. |
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Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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This is definitely a trip I want to make once I stop faffing with USA metal and get my Mk2 estate finished. Great write up👍
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2014 - Audi A6 Avant 3.0Tdi Quattro
1958 - Chevrolet Apache Panel Truck
1959 - Plymouth Custom Suburban
1952 - Chevrolet 2dr Hardtop
1985 - Ford Econoline E350 Quadravan
2009 - Ovlov V70 2.5T
1970 - Cortina Mk2 Estate
2007 - Fiat Ducato LWB 120Multijet
2014 - Honda Civic 2.2 CTDi ES
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Day 3 Nijmegen to Cologne Ready to go bright and early - so a few pics of the group and other random cars in the hotel carpark.   Mk2 with a Zetec  Don't often see a W8 Passat  Eventually, we set off for the Overloon War Museum in Overloon. It is an extraordinary place if you have any interest in big bits of machinery painted in khaki drab! Here's a few pics of some of the choicest bits.         From Overloon, we set off for Cologne. Steve, who we were convoying with used to work for the MOD in Germany, and we were passing close to where he used to live so we went to try and find his old house.... We found the nearest town and pulled in to check maps.  (my car in standard parked up condition (bonnet up to cool down so it'll start again) while we were parked up, a local classic car run seemed to be underway, with many old cars driving past - a Taunus was relevant to our interests.  Maps consulted we set off following Steve. Down single track roads through fields which quickly became rutted forest tracks:  (it was bumpy!)    Rob's concours Mk2 Savage was getting an experience it wasn't used to! Eventually we found some locals and stopped to chat     We eventually found some houses - not exactly where Steve lived but close - the whole massive housing estate has been left to re-wild. Abandoned to nature. We met a head teacher from Dusseldorf who lived next to the former military housing estate, who was very friendly and interested in our trip and happy to chat about the area, having seen the transition from an active community to a ghost town. I would think in the UK a place like this would be vandalised and burnt out - but it seems in Germany it is simply decaying on its own! After that we got on the road to Cologne, heading for the V8 Hotel - which is in the former airport buildings and contains a car museum, car storage plus car sales alongside restaurants and the hotel itself.  This was in the hotel lobby:-  The lifts which played the sound of a racing car accelerating away each time they moved was interesting the first time...... More soon. |
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Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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I find it very interesting that the former military base has been abandoned and is being allowed to revert to nature. Could not this land and its built infrastructure have been put to some productive use? Does Germany have such a surplus of housing that nobody wanted to occupy the vacant properties?
Also are GB plates on cars travelling to the continent not a thing anymore? Been replaced by UK plates?
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75swb
Beta Tester
Posts: 1,015
Club RR Member Number: 181
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Cortinas to Cortina 2022 75swb
@75swb
Club Retro Rides Member 181
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Yep, a condition of brexit i think. It was weird going home and seeing the uk car stickers everywhere
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But GB plates predated the Common Market / European Union. I remember a reference to them in a Biggles book published in 1940 and set in the immediate prewar period.
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,597
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Does Germany have such a surplus of housing...? Absolutely NO! But if not enough profit is in there for certain parties, problems are rather left unsolved! btw. thanks for this road trip report, will be following! |
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Last Edit: Oct 10, 2022 7:42:33 GMT by braaap
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Thanks for the positive comments: I find it very interesting that the former military base has been abandoned and is being allowed to revert to nature. Could not this land and its built infrastructure have been put to some productive use? Does Germany have such a surplus of housing that nobody wanted to occupy the vacant properties? Also are GB plates on cars travelling to the continent not a thing anymore? Been replaced by UK plates? The lady we spoke to who lived next door said that various uses had been considered including housing refugees, but it seemed nothing was deemed viable, so all the plumbing was stripped out and the houses left to rot. UK stickers have replaced GB now - not sure why. |
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Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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Great trip report and some of that military hardware looks awesome. Oddly I quite like that 6 wheeler Jeep wondering if it's 6x6 which I think it might be on closer inspection. |
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Oct 11, 2022 18:19:58 GMT
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Following with interest, we've got 3 cortinas (all mk2's) but none roadworthy, would also love to get involved if (when??) one of them is up to it.
Btw for anyone interested, the massive amphibious landing craft has a twin in Hunstanton, Norfolk, it's called the wash monster, painted appropriately, and you can go for rides out to sea from the beach in it 😁
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Oct 12, 2022 12:24:08 GMT
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Following with interest, we've got 3 cortinas (all mk2's) but none roadworthy, would also love to get involved if (when??) one of them is up to it. Btw for anyone interested, the massive amphibious landing craft has a twin in Hunstanton, Norfolk, it's called the wash monster, painted appropriately, and you can go for rides out to sea from the beach in it 😁 Well you've got 10 years to get one of them on the road - as we tend to do Cortinas to Cortina on the anniversary of the launch of the Cortina in 1962 - so 2032 will be the next one (hopefully, if we are still allowed to drive petrol powered cars!) Interesting that there is one of those huge landing craft in this country - I'll have to track it down! |
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Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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Oct 12, 2022 12:41:34 GMT
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Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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Oct 12, 2022 13:02:51 GMT
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Last Edit: Oct 12, 2022 13:05:12 GMT by cortinaman
Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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Oct 12, 2022 17:50:28 GMT
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Woooot.
Excellent trip this.
Great report and -pics.
Thanks for taking the time to share with those of us at home.
I really appreciate it when people make the effort rather than just taking and taking.
Uploading has been made so easy, you could upload you breakfast every day, in your sleep.
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Oct 12, 2022 19:09:45 GMT
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Thanks grizz its good to share the experience! Speyer is a pleasant little town - we had dinner at a wonderful German restaurant where the waitresses wore dirndls and the menu was pretty much entirely meat! When we drove into Speyer you catch a glimpse of what looks like a low flying Boeing 747 between the buildings - not quite low flying but stood on an impressive structure about three storeys off the ground. Having been to the other Technic Museum in Sinshiem (which has Concorde and Concordski on the roof) 10 years ago it would be rude not to take a look. Here's a few pics of what we found - its a pretty eclectic mix.  Russian Space Shuttle (never went into space)  not sure what this was all about - Rat look Miura?        Precurser to the Merc G-Wagen!    Tomorrow, off to Mittenwald on the Austrian border - mountains! |
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Last Edit: Oct 12, 2022 19:11:42 GMT by cortinaman
Old Fords never die they just go sideways
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Jonny69
Part of things
Posts: 827
Member is Online
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Oct 12, 2022 19:46:52 GMT
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Really enjoying this so far…
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