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as you go. Or, you can just click on the section above you're interested
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If you're looking to buy a Mk5 Cortina, you may wish to take this guide
with you.
To do that, Right
click on this white line and select 'Save Target As' and you
can save this invaluable guide to your PC and print off to take with
you.
Although less likely to be as rusty as previous Cortinas,
these Fords still find enthusiasm for tinworm.
The usual suspects are the front wings, with grot collecting at the top
(in the front corners particularly) as well as the trailing edges.
They also go around the supporting flitch panel. This you can't see from
outside, but look inside the engine bay, and it's behind the bonnet hinge
support panel. Repairing this, involves removing the wing, although the
outer panels are bolt-on.
Look out for scuttle rot. If the screen seal fails, water will get below
it, and start to destroy the bulkhead. It's the same story with the rear
screen too. To put right any damage, you'll at least need to take the
windscreen out, and more than likely, will be a lot more complicated
than that.
Cars with sunroofs can suffer very individual problems. If the drain
pipes aren't kept clear, water can get into all manner of strange places
where it can cause havoc. It's not unknown for the main chassis legs
to end up rotting, thanks to water that started it's journey up near
the roof of the car! Chassis rails should be checked even if the car doesn't
have a sunroof, as there are other ways for water to find it's way inside.
Generally, though, the front rails usually escape unscathed.
Don't expect the jacking points to have escaped without some form of
corrosion. That's assuming they're still there at all, because a common
MOT trick is to just remove them and then plate over the gap. If they
are still there, it's obviously not a good idea to actually use them
for the purpose for which they were intended, even if they do look OK.
The sills go too, often around the rear jacking point. Visible corrosion
at the back end of the sill, usually mean a good eight or nine inches
of bad metal you can't see. Problems can also set in at the top of the
sills, where the door shuts. water gets below the rubber seals and does
it's worst. If you're checking here, it's also a good opportunity to
check for rust in the doors themselves, as blocked drain holes don't
help the steel.
Poor fitting headlamps and grille suggest the car has been in an accident
and not repaired properly.
Another
area to look at up first, is the valance. Especially where it joins onto the
front wings.
Rear wheel arches can suffer around their edges, where the outer panel
meets the inner one. The boot too also breeds trouble, underneath it's
floor covering. Lift that up and check the fuel filler neck, wheel arch
seams and the point where the rear panel meets the boot floor. Often,
the lefthand side of the boot goes rusty above the exhaust, and of course
there's the spare wheel well. A prime spot for corroding on most classics.
The final Cortinas had sound deadening material in the boot, which not
only traps water, but also smells less than pleasant as well when it's
gets old and damp. If you buy a car with it in, one of your first jobs
should be to get rid of it.
Rear axels are bush-suspended and these can wear out.
If the handling becomes careless, this is one probable reason. A new
set of bushes - polyurethane ones are best - easily sort things out.
Steering should be quite light (especially on the V6 cars, which came
with power steering as standard) but any heaviness suggests worn balljoints
and trackrod ends.
The electrical side of things is usually trouble-free, save for the headlamp fuse which can overheat and melt the fusebox, signalled by the lights suddenly not working. Don't worry about it too much, replacements are cheap enough if it happens.
These last Cortinas were powered by a fairly representative
cross section of Ford engines of the era.
1300's had a Kent engine, the 1600 and two-litre models came with Pinto
power, and the 2.3 litre examples sported a Cologne V6. Obviously, on
all the engines, excess smoke from the exhaust and worrying noises from
within are not good signs. However, because these are Fords, nothing
will cost too much to put right or even upgrade, often the better proposition,
unless you prize originality.
Kent Engine - You'll find few of these left. The engines are usually
good for 100,000 miles, although get noisier as they get closer to that
milestone, especially the tappets. Oil fumes when revved - from the oil
filler cap or the breather pipe - suggests worn pistons, rings or cylinder
bores. Timing chains also go rattley, although some wear can always be
adjusted out using the tensioner.
Pinto Engine - The most common type of engine and also the one
that needs the most looking after.
Regular oil changes are crucial, otherwise the camshaft's oil-feeding spray bar
can become clogged and cause wear in the cam and followers. Don't forget
too, that cambelts need to be changed every 30,000 miles. Look for evidence
that this has been done if the engine is overdue one of it's intervals.
Check the cambelt cover is still on, as often it gets left off. Then,
if it gets wet, the belt can snap. The 2000 engine generally survives
better than the 1600 if the belt does go, but you don't want to try and
test that out with a car you've just bought.
The original Ford W Carburettors found on some examples picked up a reputation
for spindle wear and diaphragm splits. Best solution is to simply bin
the item and fit the much better Weber 32/36 DGAV twin-choke used on
some other Cortinas.
V6 Engine - The tough nut of the bunch and very strong. Tappet
clatter is quite common, and a very wise move is to swop the fibre cam
timing
gear for stronger steel replacements to eradicate the risk of the teeth
being stripped and wrecking the engine.
You can check the condition of the inner sills from
the inside the car, paying close attention to the seat belt mountings,
a notorious grot spot and one handily hidden by the carpets. Footwells
suffer, as a result of shot screen seals or water running off the bonnet
and draining it's way through porous front wings.
Little is available to replace worn interiors, unless you find it secondhand.
Bear in mind that, in the Ghias, there's the state of the wood trim to
consider as well. Ford weren't known for durable upholstery, and the
cloth can easily suffer from wear, particularly the edges.
None of the gearboxes - manual or automatic - suffer many faults, assuming the oil is kept in check. And if something does goes wrong, replacements are not only cheap and cheerful, but also quite desirable too. Why? Because a Sierra 5 speed 'box will fit in a Cortina with no modifications and give you that useful extra cruising gear. Obviously on a test, feel for any difficult changes, but the transmission really is likely to be the least of your worries.
The Cortina is fine on corners, so long as you don't
get too enthusiastic. Brakes and steering are all more than adequate
for what the car is likely to be asked to do, without actually excelling.
One aspect that the car does score highly on, is the gearbox. Changing
gear is so easy, you probably won't even notice you're doing it. Except
when you reach for fifth, and it isn't there! The V6 is the most fun,
it's excess of power make it a lively performer as well as a comfortable
and quiet long distance cruiser. The two litre cars aren't far behind,
but after the V6, you'll think, 'could be better'. Avoid the 1300, you'll
be doing yourself no favours.
Buying a Mk5 Cortina should be a relatively low budget
affair.
Prices can start as low as £100, but you will be buying a dog.
Realistically, you need to spend upward of £600 to get a reasonable
condition Cortina. Safe money would be from £850, don't
spend over
£1800. You really will be going over the odds - unless it's in
showroom condition - has less than 10,000 miles on the clock and is a
2.3V6 Ghia
S but this is unlikely! Don't settle for less than
a 1.6GL.
To find out where to buy, look at the 'Cars
For Sale' page
on this site.
Finally,
to work out which year your Cortina was registered in, check the guide below;
Letter |
Year |
T |
August 1978 onwards |
V |
August 1979 onwards |
W |
August 1980 onwards |
X |
August 1981 onwards |
Y |
August 1982 - July 1983 |
Many thanks to:
Richard Gunn at Classic Car Weekly for
giving permission to reproduce the buyers guide from the 14 July
2004 Edition.
Of course, once you've bought your dream 'Tina, you'll
need to insure it!
I'm gathering information on companies which provide specialist insurance
for classic cars.
The list is small at the moment, but if you know of a good, reputable
classic car insurance company, please
let me know!
© Dave Barker