Well Saturday morning I took the train out to Stoke (Em even dropped me off at the station, she must have been feeling sorry for me) and it seemed like the sun was out and the birds were singing in the trees. Elsewhere, obviously, not in central Nottingham.
I like travelling by train. Theres a definite sense of occasion going somewhere by train. Oh, and then theres the fact that its a freakshow on a 50 wheels as well, but I try keep my head down and enjoy the show. Shaz's hen night, off up to Newcastle I suspect with "Hen Party - Any Cock'l Doodle-do!" tee shirts. Classy. Very classy.
Well, I amused myself with a copy of some Fordy magazine I bought in the station Smiths and watching the world go by. I spotted a yard full of pre war cars all in bits I did not know about - when I get chance I'll go exploring for them - and when I got to the startion at Stoke Andy the vendor was there to meet me as arranged.
I have to say Andy is a top geezer. TBH the last couple of buy & sells I've had not go so well, and I was feeling decidedly nervous, but I paid over my cash and Andy even had made a CD of all the "before, during and after" photos of the car while he'd had it. Which is a nice touch.
"A few parts" included. Well, there was just enough space for me to sit and that it really LOL. Em was suitably pleased to see them all arrive...
So I set out home with the beasty and the clutch bites a little high which I did intially find a little un-nerving, but you get used to the cars foibles don't you...
Its not that harsh riding considering its lowered and fully polly bushed, I don't recall which shocks it has now either. Its firm and corners pretty level even without an anti-roll bar (thats one of the parts which was included...)
The exhaust is not loud at all. Almost disapointingly so, even though I was worried about it being too loud from the description... But she makes a great induction road when the secondary choke opens. Yee-haw. 7 MPG for me as I go everywhere at what to hear it snarling...
Now because the 1.6 crossflow is a gutless lump, and the Mk3 Cortina is fairly portly, cars so equipped come with lower ratio diffs and also a lower 1st & 2nd gear. This beasty has a 2 litre Pinto, Weber, K&N, Ashley etc. - and the crossflow box and back axle....
I believe 1st gear is there mostly for the spinning of the rear tyres... An indicated 77 MPH is a "busy" sounding 5000 RPM. And as thats probably 70 MPH in reality... Hmmmm.... On the plus side it means that at cruising speed you are right in the power so just tickle the accelerator and she goes without hesitation.
One thing I have to say is thatin a 1.6 crosser Mk3 you really notice the gap between 2nd and 3rd. In fact get it wrong and the car pretty much falls on its face. With the pinto the gear spacing seems OK.
Maybe a 5 speed conversion is on the cards...
Two things I'd forgotten, being as I've been drivng the Mazda andselect yanks of late...
1. Bloody hell, black vinyl seats on a hot day!!!!! Ouch!!!
2. Why is it that people can't be overtaken by an old car? Some 50+ prat in a Galaxy MPV thing doing 60, I pass him and he immediately gives chase, passes and then a mile up the road I pass him doing 60 again... After a couple of rounds of this he takes to speeding up when he sees me coming in his mirror....
He wasn;t the only one either.
Anyway appart from the junk which came with it (4 stock wheels, stainless downpipe (not used with the Ashley manifold), 2 piece prop (sinle piece on the car) 2 light grill, spare lights, head set, etc etc set of door cards, set of custom made speaker pods, stock steering wheel, a box of stuff I haven't investigated, another centre console/odment tray, stock clocks etc...
All that basically....
Well, Em likes it. Which is good.
And I like it. A lot.
I just need to change the pads and shims as she's squealing badly on braking and making a LOT of dust, and get the ballance/tracing looked at (62-66 mph wheel wobble) and its all 100%.
Interesting story to the car. She started her life out as a hire car used for weddings. Then passed on to the guy who'd run her. Hense the low miles (49K on the clock, alledgedly 1st time around)
So here's some more pics of the beasty now she's at home.
very clean engine bay. Note K&N and Ashley manifold.
Command centre... I think thats a RS steering wheel with a Momo centre. At least thats whay I was told it was. Thats the full GT dash. all of it works except the oil pressure guage.
Scortchio!
Excuse the many photos.
Anyway, Em's two favourite features are the mirrors and the wheels. Oddly the two features I had thought of changing.
Its a funny one this, Andy built the car exactly how I would have. So I need to change nothing. But you just have to change SOMETHING right?
We'll see.
I like travelling by train. Theres a definite sense of occasion going somewhere by train. Oh, and then theres the fact that its a freakshow on a 50 wheels as well, but I try keep my head down and enjoy the show. Shaz's hen night, off up to Newcastle I suspect with "Hen Party - Any Cock'l Doodle-do!" tee shirts. Classy. Very classy.
Well, I amused myself with a copy of some Fordy magazine I bought in the station Smiths and watching the world go by. I spotted a yard full of pre war cars all in bits I did not know about - when I get chance I'll go exploring for them - and when I got to the startion at Stoke Andy the vendor was there to meet me as arranged.
I have to say Andy is a top geezer. TBH the last couple of buy & sells I've had not go so well, and I was feeling decidedly nervous, but I paid over my cash and Andy even had made a CD of all the "before, during and after" photos of the car while he'd had it. Which is a nice touch.
"A few parts" included. Well, there was just enough space for me to sit and that it really LOL. Em was suitably pleased to see them all arrive...
So I set out home with the beasty and the clutch bites a little high which I did intially find a little un-nerving, but you get used to the cars foibles don't you...
Its not that harsh riding considering its lowered and fully polly bushed, I don't recall which shocks it has now either. Its firm and corners pretty level even without an anti-roll bar (thats one of the parts which was included...)
The exhaust is not loud at all. Almost disapointingly so, even though I was worried about it being too loud from the description... But she makes a great induction road when the secondary choke opens. Yee-haw. 7 MPG for me as I go everywhere at what to hear it snarling...
Now because the 1.6 crossflow is a gutless lump, and the Mk3 Cortina is fairly portly, cars so equipped come with lower ratio diffs and also a lower 1st & 2nd gear. This beasty has a 2 litre Pinto, Weber, K&N, Ashley etc. - and the crossflow box and back axle....
I believe 1st gear is there mostly for the spinning of the rear tyres... An indicated 77 MPH is a "busy" sounding 5000 RPM. And as thats probably 70 MPH in reality... Hmmmm.... On the plus side it means that at cruising speed you are right in the power so just tickle the accelerator and she goes without hesitation.
One thing I have to say is thatin a 1.6 crosser Mk3 you really notice the gap between 2nd and 3rd. In fact get it wrong and the car pretty much falls on its face. With the pinto the gear spacing seems OK.
Maybe a 5 speed conversion is on the cards...
Two things I'd forgotten, being as I've been drivng the Mazda andselect yanks of late...
1. Bloody hell, black vinyl seats on a hot day!!!!! Ouch!!!
2. Why is it that people can't be overtaken by an old car? Some 50+ prat in a Galaxy MPV thing doing 60, I pass him and he immediately gives chase, passes and then a mile up the road I pass him doing 60 again... After a couple of rounds of this he takes to speeding up when he sees me coming in his mirror....
He wasn;t the only one either.
Anyway appart from the junk which came with it (4 stock wheels, stainless downpipe (not used with the Ashley manifold), 2 piece prop (sinle piece on the car) 2 light grill, spare lights, head set, etc etc set of door cards, set of custom made speaker pods, stock steering wheel, a box of stuff I haven't investigated, another centre console/odment tray, stock clocks etc...
All that basically....
Well, Em likes it. Which is good.
And I like it. A lot.
I just need to change the pads and shims as she's squealing badly on braking and making a LOT of dust, and get the ballance/tracing looked at (62-66 mph wheel wobble) and its all 100%.
Interesting story to the car. She started her life out as a hire car used for weddings. Then passed on to the guy who'd run her. Hense the low miles (49K on the clock, alledgedly 1st time around)
So here's some more pics of the beasty now she's at home.
very clean engine bay. Note K&N and Ashley manifold.
Command centre... I think thats a RS steering wheel with a Momo centre. At least thats whay I was told it was. Thats the full GT dash. all of it works except the oil pressure guage.
Scortchio!
Excuse the many photos.
Anyway, Em's two favourite features are the mirrors and the wheels. Oddly the two features I had thought of changing.
Its a funny one this, Andy built the car exactly how I would have. So I need to change nothing. But you just have to change SOMETHING right?
We'll see.