robw
Part of things
Posts: 90 
|
|
Jan 20, 2014 11:59:46 GMT
|
I've never been a blogger, but I figured I might start here. My Grandfather told me a friend of his had lost her licence years ago and had put her 'little old car' in the shed. Now, years later she was going to call the wreckers to come get it - was I interested? Hellyes says I! SO I go not knowing what to find, and what I find is a mk2 Cortina with 37000 original miles! And she was going to get it scrapped!! So we came to a deal and now it's mine. I told her what it was worth on the market - and that I couldn't afford that but I would sell it for her if she needed the money. Luckilly she didn't need the money and accepted my offer. So here it is! After being in storage for a while the brakes were 'iffy' and there was a real vibration in it...but surprisingly she fired up straight away with a new battery and some ether. So I've had all the brakes overhauled and fixed a small amount of rust in the guard. Added a discreet CD player and tined the windows. Other stuff such as reco'd the original radiator, alternator, serviced, new ball joints and tierod ends where needed.    So this was all about a year ago. This year I couldn't afford rego so it's been in the shed for a bit....so naturally it's time for me to pull it apart. I'm going to try and document her build up here. Please be patient with me I've never blogged before! |
| |
|
|
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
Jan 20, 2014 12:02:24 GMT
|
Oops - this is what she looked like after RWC with new tint on the windows and some pretty silver paint on the wheels.  Yeah - gotta drop that front a bit... |
| |
Last Edit: Jan 20, 2014 12:03:51 GMT by robw
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 20, 2014 12:03:35 GMT
|
|
37k?! looks great, you can't beat an older person's car for being a perfectly preserved time capsule (future generations'll be cursing me then...) love it
|
| |
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
Jan 20, 2014 23:41:35 GMT
|
|
Yep that shot of the speedo on 37,735 is when it came off the tilt-tray at home. The tyres didn't appear to be the originals but were that hard that they'd light up on my concrete driveway with the lightest touch. Would have been scary to drive in the rain like that!
She only ever drove it around town and it's pretty good generally. A few shopping accidents and where she hit the gate which prompted her to garage it. She never got married or had kids, hence just keeping it and driving it all those years.
So last night I attacked a couple of suspicious bubbles in the front passenger door which revealed about 1/2" of bog over some rust (cheap repair) much more damage there than I expected - but is it ever any different? I've got the angle grinder into it! Will take picks soon.
|
| |
|
|
jpsmit
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,274
|
|
|
|
|
I must admit I dream of finds like that - well done, and cudos for being straight with her about the value. It makes the ride sweeter I hope.
|
| |
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
Well I'm not religous but that doesn't stop me trying to be the best person I can  When my grandfather told me about it he wasn't sure what it was (he hadn't seen it for years)- he thought it may have been a vauxhall. My mind was racing through so many possibilites on the way over! Shame she wasn't a lotus fan 'back in the day', hey? |
| |
|
|
jpsmit
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,274
|
|
|
|
Religious or not, well done. In terms of the lotus, don't push your luck |
| |
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
Jan 21, 2014 10:45:50 GMT
|
So a bit of exploratory surgey found some repaired rust...that will need *ahem* repairing. Still, there's only this and a few little spots like it. This is the worst. The yellow is primer I put on to protect the bare steel (I live next to the beach) after I forgot to take a 'before' shot and one in bare metal. Oops! But still - it'll be interesting for me I've never done bodywork properly but this time I'm keen to learn as opposed to farming it out.  This is the worst of it.  |
| |
|
|
Kroney
Part of things
Posts: 58
|
|
Jan 21, 2014 12:12:53 GMT
|
|
Some people get all the luck. What I wouldn't give to be offered some old bus in a garage. Lovely motor.
|
| |
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
A bit more surgery to remove the 'tinworm' today. Also started knocking out some small dents around the bumpers.... I think the bumperless look is growing on me....    Sorry for the dubious photoquality from my ph! |
| |
|
|
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
|
Ok, so I know that after all the welding threads on here that this is cheating.... but I just managed to get 2 NOS doors to replace those with rust! I *think* I got them at a good price of $300AUDea. Let me know if you think I done well or got ripped. This was in consultation with a mate of mine who's a panel beater and knows my (lack of) skills. He suggested they were good buying at that price. I rang some local wreckers who specialise in Ford and they said IF you could get a decent door you'd be looking at $250-$350 depending on condition... So I think it's ok....Now I just have to tell the GF :S
|
| |
|
|
ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,309
Club RR Member Number: 170
|
My Mk2 Cortina thread.ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
|
|
|
|
I do love a Mk2 'Tina. That does look like one fantastic find.
|
| |
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
|
Not much has been happening with the Corty yet...just sanding sanding sanding in prep for paint!
|
| |
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
Well she's been sitting in the shed untouched for ages, due to other commitments and a general apathy from me. But no more! I've bitten the bullet and we're going to try and shoehorn a rover v8 in there. Rover gear isn't as easy to find over here as in the UK so I'm just now looking for a block and transmission to start measuring up. ...and locating an engineer who will guide me through what's required to make it all safe and legal! Hopefully this thread will be come more exiting soon  |
| |
|
|
mattrb
Part of things
Posts: 78
|
|
|
|
|
Nice car. Love the colours and bench seat.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
what a lovely motor,what are the 440 badges on it? perhaps you should fit a mopar engine!
|
| |
too many toys..too little time...and usually too little money.
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
|
LOL a Mopar would be GREAT...but no way legal here! The '440' badges are the model designation that we got here in Oz. The two door was a 240. No idea why....! I have a love-hate relationship with the colour, I'm seriously thinking of painting it Big Bad Orange when the time comes.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
that's an interesting fact I never knew.i absolutely love that colour by the way.
|
| |
too many toys..too little time...and usually too little money.
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
The colour is listed as 'Bronze wine' and looks better in those photo's than it ever does in natural light lol. As I'm painting it myself I'm thinking a solid colour will give me less hassel. I may (will) never own a 'Mexico' but I can make up something in a similar vein. ;)Just been googling and 'Vista Orange' might be the go. Either black or silver bumble-bee stripe on the tail, too I think. Just for some 70's mojo. A set of mags, white lettering on the tyres and it's a car of my boyhood dreams |
| |
Last Edit: Jan 4, 2015 3:32:32 GMT by robw
|
|
robw
Part of things
Posts: 90
|
|
|
|
|
Well there's no photo's yet but today I picked up 2 Rover 3.5L v8's. After playing with cast iron v8's I was amazed how light these things are! Awesome!. Also picked up a BW65 box. Now I have a block and a box I can perform a kent-ectimy and start figuring out how to stuff that v8 sucker in.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
