The 2.3 was a cologne engine, not an Essex, and the 1600 crossflow was only fitted to mk3s in the UK Market, not the mk4 and mk5, if you wanted a 1600 it was pinto only in the UK for the mk4 and 5
Good video. Still a handsome and desirable model after all these years. I can't think of any modern mainstream family car that can hold a candle to it in terms of styling. Ford did a great job with the '79 refresh.
I got a one-year-old Mk5 in October 1981 as a company car. Rust fairly quickly started occurring in the rear wheel arches. The car couldn't start on a number of occasions but, after several visits to the garage, the problem was finally sorted after I had given my notice. In terms of performance (assuming the car started!) and comfort, it was a good car. The rear-wheel drive was a challenge when we had snow on the ground for seven weeks before and after Christmas 1981. My next car was a brand-new front-wheel drive Vauxhall Cavalier and it was a much better car.
@Dirt-Diggler, tell me about it. I tried to source that interior for my old Cortina Mk4 2.0S replica with no success. I even tried a contact of mine in Germany and an automotive upholstery wholesaler in the Netherlands with no joy either.
Currently looking at a Mk 5, although in a way I prefer the looks of the Mk 4. Has that je ne sais quoi extra classic feel, even if the Mk 5 seems to be a superior car
A mate of mine has a X- reg Mk5 in beige with a tan vinyl roof, 1.6L there is a few alterations subtle ones, he has change the L wheels for GL wheels with chrome rims, the dash and clocks from the Ghia got the rev counter ,the original dash had some cracking and fitted a gear box from a 1985 Capri 1.6 laser a 5 speed and a set of driving lamps , to be honest it is a nice car
Nice video. That example looks well cared for and is a good colour. One point - I think by the time you get to the mk 4 & 5 the 1.6s were all Pintos, only crossflows were the 1.3s.
I ❤ Ford Cortina Mk5’s Crusaders / Corousel’s / Ghia’s / Ford Cortina 80 MK5. Their My Favourite Cars of All Time I would Definitely Have That Brown Cortina Mk5’ to keep Permanently
My father had a 2.3 Ghia. He wanted the torque for towing. I seem to have in the back of my mind that a common fault was the adjustment mechanism for the clutch failing. It was made of plastic.
Back in the day for us kids the ONLY car to have was a Cortina. Escorts were seen as a cheap alternative. My personal Cortina history is a 1970 MK2 1600E bought for £400 which I added to with a 1977 MK3 1600L for £800. Happy memories.
I loved the early mark 3 four headlamp Ford Cortina GT 2.0 Pinto, with no GXL vinyl roof. I hated and still hate vinyl roofs. With those four clocks in a single binnacle and sloping upsidedown looking dash, I felt like a jet pilot.
I had a Mark 5 Cortina once, none other a Y reg Ford Cortina Ghia, 2.0 Pinto. Got it from my father when he bought a top spec Rover 400 GSi something or other. Cortina had wood.
@@The-Ink-Black-Heart probably cost, mk3 GXL had fake wood on the PFL, face-lift 2000E was wood dash, just a lighter stain than the Mk4, the door caps were allways plastic with wood veneer probably due to the complex shape ?
As you say it was called the Cortina 80 by Ford, not the MK5. There was no MK5. Ford updated all Cortina models mid cycle and if every facelift was given a new model number, the MK4 would have been the MK7 and the facelift ( Cortina 80) would have been the MK8! On the engines, the 1.6 crossflow was discontinued when the MK3 facelift came out in September/October 73. The 2.3 was the Cologne, not the Essex.
The battery trays don't suffer from rot unlike the later escorts. Only the sunroof panel & it's tray rot both are unavailable,normal roofs don't give problems. EST & 2dr rear corners of side window rot but saloon rear screens don't give problems. All models the front screen lower corners leak rotting the scuttle, bulkhead ,lower kick panel & front foot wells if ignored. The lower front subframe mounting area rots as does the lower rear axle y piece mounting area adjacent to the end of the sills. Rear axle void bushes deteriorate badly at the axle end on both upper & lower mounts these are best replaced by good quality poly ones from super flex or power flex. The the 1.3 ohv & 1.6 ohc were originally fitted with the VV carb most like the 1.6 shown have been replaced by the twinchoke Weber from a 2.0 or single choke down draught. The 2.3 cologne V6 had a pierburg carb that was also unreliable & again plenty have been replaced by a 3.0 Weber (38dgas carb) suitably rejected. The running gear is otherwise very reliable as long as oil levels are maintained. 5speed conversions are common & a good upgrade. The 82 cars have a different brake master cylinder by ATE ( identified by the 13 mm mounting nuts)replacements are hard to find but can be swapped for the earlier more common girling one complete with matching servo. The ratchet adjuster mechanism of the 8 in brake shoes ( on the 1.3/1.6) is unobtainable & when worn causes the handbrake to become ineffective noticeable by excessive travel of both foot & handbrake often people try to fix by over tightening the handbrake cable which then pulls through the backplate. The later can be fixed with a large washer to reinstate the correct size hole. Unfortunately there's no fix for the worn adjusters. Front brakes give no problems unless unused for along period which can lead to siezed pistons. Be aware that saloon & estates have different windscreens the saloon is approx 25 mm taller.also there are two different sizes of each which require screen & rubber to be fitted as a matched pair ( the change happed in late 81) earlier screens are marked triplex later securit. There were NO factory ghiaX or standalone "S" models or 2 door models above L trim level these were all 1.3 manuals (1.6 auto was avl under the motobility scheme). There were NO 2.3 crusaders or factory 5 speed cortinas, electric widows, central locking or leather trim options The best allround cortina is a 2.0 with 5 speed , the 2.3 is thirsty & no more powerful due to the extra engine weight.the 1.3 is underpowered. 2.3 exhaust systems are only available from Europe, the rear silencer is different between saloon & estate for all models. Interior trim is only available used. Sheffield cortina centre.
I have a '81 Ford Taunus 2.0 GLS. It's like a MK5 Cortina in LHD. It has the 2.0 Pinto engine and the S-pack with thicker antiroll bars, differnt springs and alloys.
As with most classic cars they still have the exact same rust and corrosion issues as they did 40 or more years ago, owning a classic you still need to keep on top of corrosion particularly with Ford's do not forget most cars from the 1980s were sold without any kind of Rust protection and very often the bodies were painted haphazardly to get them through the factory and sold on dealer forecourts. The good thing today is that there are hundreds of products available to help protect the car
12mm upper control arm bushes from 1973 up to 1979, and 14mm bushes from 1980 onwards and also a different upper shock mount on front , older than 79 looks like a T pipe and after 1980 its sawed off on one side with a little bush on one side.
My dad had a 2.0 ghia mk 5 cortina in dark metallic blue. It was W reg. The regnumber was TLA99W if anyone knows if its still around please let me know.
Had 2 x 2litre GL versions plus a very rough 1.6litre L mk 4 (which I kept topping up with water and it froze up that winter.... I forgot about the antifreeze mix ! )When we used to get proper winter snow and ice that lasted. Void bushes (!) yes... and alternators..... dont think I had any other problems. My first GL in corsican blue was lovely and really fast back then, eventually the sills started to go and I sold it too cheap. Happy days looking back, mostly ...... Bet they are just awful to drive now though - having been spoiled by new exec cars for years..... 🙂. Would love a go in one again just to take me back.... No ABS, airbags, traction assist, brake force adapt/assist etc. just power steering on GL and upwards (?) and that was your 'technology' to help driving..... gulp. Ps, 2 wing mirrors too 😮
Essex V6 was SA only IIRC ? Well appart from the Savage and other aftermarket conversion companies, early Mk3 used the 1600 XF before using the pinto 👍
I'd hate to think how many Cortina's I owned back in the day. I'm 55 now and I'm fortunate enough to own a Ford that I loved when I was a lad. A 1984 Granada Mk2 2.8Ghia X in beautiful condition inside and out. As far as I'm concerned the Granny Mk2 was the best Ford the UK has ever had. Yes I'm biased but Cossie's / XR's / RS's etc do nothing for me whatsoever but I love the Granny's and Tina's. If a nice Cortina Mk4 or 80 came up at the right price I'd grab it as a stablemate for my Granada.
I love the 3 litre bakkies 😎👍 My rarest and most treasured cortina accessory was an XR6 front spoiler, very rare in the UK, you sure had some nice cars in SA 👌
I can’t get over how cars like this, and others, eg escort & fiesta are now classics. All of these models of car were, at one point throw away 2nd or 3rd hand. They became more expensive to fix than they were worth. So from what I understand from this video, Ford kept offering the poverty spec 1.3 engine all the way thru to the mk5.
First car I remember from childhood was my dads company car silver 2.3 Ghia on a V-reg, think it had a vinyl roof as he wouldn't take it through the money enclosure at Longleat to our annoyance. Also used to keep a something heavy like a paving slab in the boot for traction driving in winter :-)
The 2.3 was a cologne engine, not an Essex, and the 1600 crossflow was only fitted to mk3s in the UK Market, not the mk4 and mk5, if you wanted a 1600 it was pinto only in the UK for the mk4 and 5
Good video. Still a handsome and desirable model after all these years. I can't think of any modern mainstream family car that can hold a candle to it in terms of styling. Ford did a great job with the '79 refresh.
Couldn't agree more!
Ps think the car in your vid has Ghia wheels.... what a geek I am 😮
I got a one-year-old Mk5 in October 1981 as a company car. Rust fairly quickly started occurring in the rear wheel arches. The car couldn't start on a number of occasions but, after several visits to the garage, the problem was finally sorted after I had given my notice. In terms of performance (assuming the car started!) and comfort, it was a good car. The rear-wheel drive was a challenge when we had snow on the ground for seven weeks before and after Christmas 1981. My next car was a brand-new front-wheel drive Vauxhall Cavalier and it was a much better car.
2.0 S MK4 (pref in silver) or another 1600E MK2 would be my favored options nowadays.
The cadiz trim in the S is so hard to find 😞
@Dirt-Diggler, tell me about it. I tried to source that interior for my old Cortina Mk4 2.0S replica with no success. I even tried a contact of mine in Germany and an automotive upholstery wholesaler in the Netherlands with no joy either.
Currently looking at a Mk 5, although in a way I prefer the looks of the Mk 4. Has that je ne sais quoi extra classic feel, even if the Mk 5 seems to be a superior car
@@bttmfg7010 Don't think there was a huge difference between the MK4 and MK5.
A mate of mine has a X- reg Mk5 in beige with a tan vinyl roof, 1.6L there is a few alterations subtle ones, he has change the L wheels for GL wheels with chrome rims, the dash and clocks from the Ghia got the rev counter ,the original dash had some cracking and fitted a gear box from a 1985 Capri 1.6 laser a 5 speed and a set of driving lamps , to be honest it is a nice car
Nice video. That example looks well cared for and is a good colour. One point - I think by the time you get to the mk 4 & 5 the 1.6s were all Pintos, only crossflows were the 1.3s.
I ❤ Ford Cortina Mk5’s Crusaders / Corousel’s / Ghia’s / Ford Cortina 80 MK5. Their My Favourite Cars of All Time I would Definitely Have That Brown Cortina Mk5’ to keep Permanently
My father had a 2.3 Ghia. He wanted the torque for towing. I seem to have in the back of my mind that a common fault was the adjustment mechanism for the clutch failing. It was made of plastic.
Yup, mk5 has an auto ratcheting clutch adjuster on the pedal 👍
The 2.3 was a Cologne V6 - the Essex (2.5 and 3.0) only saw service in Jeff Uren’s Savage Cortinas and South African built models
Back in the day for us kids the ONLY car to have was a Cortina. Escorts were seen as a cheap alternative. My personal Cortina history is a 1970 MK2 1600E bought for £400 which I added to with a 1977 MK3 1600L for £800. Happy memories.
I loved the early mark 3 four headlamp Ford Cortina GT 2.0 Pinto, with no GXL vinyl roof. I hated and still hate vinyl roofs. With those four clocks in a single binnacle and sloping upsidedown looking dash, I felt like a jet pilot.
Yes I also loved the earlier dash's in MK3's. My MK3 had the later MK4 type dash.@@huwzebediahthomas9193
I had a Mark 5 Cortina once, none other a Y reg Ford Cortina Ghia, 2.0 Pinto. Got it from my father when he bought a top spec Rover 400 GSi something or other. Cortina had wood.
Well, fake plastic wood at least, mk4 had real wood dash, mk5 was plastic, door caps where plastic with veneer on them 👍
@@The-Ink-Black-Heart probably cost, mk3 GXL had fake wood on the PFL, face-lift 2000E was wood dash, just a lighter stain than the Mk4, the door caps were allways plastic with wood veneer probably due to the complex shape ?
As you say it was called the Cortina 80 by Ford, not the MK5. There was no MK5.
Ford updated all Cortina models mid cycle and if every facelift was given a new model number, the MK4 would have been the MK7 and the facelift ( Cortina 80) would have been the MK8!
On the engines, the 1.6 crossflow was discontinued when the MK3 facelift came out in September/October 73.
The 2.3 was the Cologne, not the Essex.
No Kent 1600 pushrod in the Mark 5 only pinto 1600 OHC
In SA its a Kent X flow 1600 and only 2L Pinto...and V6 Essex 3L
The battery trays don't suffer from rot unlike the later escorts. Only the sunroof panel & it's tray rot both are unavailable,normal roofs don't give problems.
EST & 2dr rear corners of side window rot but saloon rear screens don't give problems.
All models the front screen lower corners leak rotting the scuttle, bulkhead ,lower kick panel & front foot wells if ignored.
The lower front subframe mounting area rots as does the lower rear axle y piece mounting area adjacent to the end of the sills.
Rear axle void bushes deteriorate badly at the axle end on both upper & lower mounts these are best replaced by good quality poly ones from super flex or power flex.
The the 1.3 ohv & 1.6 ohc were originally fitted with the VV carb most like the 1.6 shown have been replaced by the twinchoke Weber from a 2.0 or single choke down draught.
The 2.3 cologne V6 had a pierburg carb that was also unreliable & again plenty have been replaced by a 3.0 Weber (38dgas carb) suitably rejected.
The running gear is otherwise very reliable as long as oil levels are maintained.
5speed conversions are common & a good upgrade.
The 82 cars have a different brake master cylinder by ATE ( identified by the 13 mm mounting nuts)replacements are hard to find but can be swapped for the earlier more common girling one complete with matching servo.
The ratchet adjuster mechanism of the 8 in brake shoes ( on the 1.3/1.6) is unobtainable & when worn causes the handbrake to become ineffective noticeable by excessive travel of both foot & handbrake often people try to fix by over tightening the handbrake cable which then pulls through the backplate.
The later can be fixed with a large washer to reinstate the correct size hole.
Unfortunately there's no fix for the worn adjusters.
Front brakes give no problems unless unused for along period which can lead to siezed pistons.
Be aware that saloon & estates have different windscreens the saloon is approx 25 mm taller.also there are two different sizes of each which require screen & rubber to be fitted as a matched pair ( the change happed in late 81) earlier screens are marked triplex later securit.
There were NO factory ghiaX or standalone "S" models or 2 door models above L trim level these were all 1.3 manuals (1.6 auto was avl under the motobility scheme).
There were NO 2.3 crusaders or factory 5 speed cortinas, electric widows, central locking or leather trim options
The best allround cortina is a 2.0 with 5 speed , the 2.3 is thirsty & no more powerful due to the extra engine weight.the 1.3 is underpowered.
2.3 exhaust systems are only available from Europe, the rear silencer is different between saloon & estate for all models.
Interior trim is only available used.
Sheffield cortina centre.
I have a '81 Ford Taunus 2.0 GLS. It's like a MK5 Cortina in LHD.
It has the 2.0 Pinto engine and the S-pack with thicker antiroll bars, differnt springs and alloys.
My last cortina was a 2.3 Ghia S estate, I preferd the GLS as it had the recaro fishnet seats, GhiaS just had the usual Ford seat 😞
@@Dirt-Diggler Mine has the standard seats.
Alternator bracket kept breaking on the Mk.5 Cortina I had - pesky reoccurring thing that was. Crap forging they were.
As with most classic cars they still have the exact same rust and corrosion issues as they did 40 or more years ago, owning a classic you still need to keep on top of corrosion particularly with Ford's do not forget most cars from the 1980s were sold without any kind of Rust protection and very often the bodies were painted haphazardly to get them through the factory and sold on dealer forecourts. The good thing today is that there are hundreds of products available to help protect the car
Cortina’s were awesome and still look so good today….what happened to the headrests on this car ?
12mm upper control arm bushes from 1973 up to 1979, and 14mm bushes from 1980 onwards and also a different upper shock mount on front , older than 79 looks like a T pipe and after 1980 its sawed off on one side with a little bush on one side.
My dad had a 2.0 ghia mk 5 cortina in dark metallic blue. It was W reg. The regnumber was TLA99W if anyone knows if its still around please let me know.
Had 2 x 2litre GL versions plus a very rough 1.6litre L mk 4 (which I kept topping up with water and it froze up that winter.... I forgot about the antifreeze mix ! )When we used to get proper winter snow and ice that lasted. Void bushes (!) yes... and alternators..... dont think I had any other problems. My first GL in corsican blue was lovely and really fast back then, eventually the sills started to go and I sold it too cheap. Happy days looking back, mostly ...... Bet they are just awful to drive now though - having been spoiled by new exec cars for years..... 🙂. Would love a go in one again just to take me back.... No ABS, airbags, traction assist, brake force adapt/assist etc. just power steering on GL and upwards (?) and that was your 'technology' to help driving..... gulp. Ps, 2 wing mirrors too 😮
P/S was an option, very rare on the 2L 4cyl cars, standard on the V6 👍
I was fortunate then, on both my GL cars 👍
Great looking car
Don’t remember the Essex V6 been used in mk4 or mk 5
Or the cross flow 1.6
Essex V6 was SA only IIRC ?
Well appart from the Savage and other aftermarket conversion companies, early Mk3 used the 1600 XF before using the pinto 👍
I'd hate to think how many Cortina's I owned back in the day. I'm 55 now and I'm fortunate enough to own a Ford that I loved when I was a lad. A 1984 Granada Mk2 2.8Ghia X in beautiful condition inside and out. As far as I'm concerned the Granny Mk2 was the best Ford the UK has ever had. Yes I'm biased but Cossie's / XR's / RS's etc do nothing for me whatsoever but I love the Granny's and Tina's. If a nice Cortina Mk4 or 80 came up at the right price I'd grab it as a stablemate for my Granada.
In South Africa we had the 3 litre XR6 and XR6 interceptor with triple carbs. We always had special cars just for our country.
I love the 3 litre bakkies 😎👍
My rarest and most treasured cortina accessory was an XR6 front spoiler, very rare in the UK, you sure had some nice cars in SA 👌
Slight error…. The 2.3 was a Cologne engine not an Essex.
Had my plastic bumper ends nicked a couple of times.
I had a 2 door 1.3 rare beast now
Very rare!
Yup pretty dam rare, most 2 doors were 1300 😞 there were a few 1600 ones , mostly disability cars 👍
@@Dirt-Diggler the 1600, 2 door were fitted with an automatic gear box
@shaun30-3-mg9zs yup, as I said ment for disabled drivers , I allways thought the 1300s handled well, the 2.3 was terrible, way too nose heavy 🤔
I've a 1.3 2 door in a beautiful shade of Meadow Green, had it 18 years. Bought off a scrap dealer
I can’t get over how cars like this, and others, eg escort & fiesta are now classics.
All of these models of car were, at one point throw away 2nd or 3rd hand. They became more expensive to fix than they were worth.
So from what I understand from this video, Ford kept offering the poverty spec 1.3 engine all the way thru to the mk5.
First car I remember from childhood was my dads company car silver 2.3 Ghia on a V-reg, think it had a vinyl roof as he wouldn't take it through the money enclosure at Longleat to our annoyance. Also used to keep a something heavy like a paving slab in the boot for traction driving in winter :-)
Great Taunus. 2.3 GL is great
Good video 👍👍👏👏⭐️⭐️👏
none of the pintos were interference so cambelt breaking never hurts the valves
you can't go wrong with a cortina👍
Front suspension top turrets too.
Top turrets 🤔
It has double wishbone front suspension, not struts 👍
fair comment@@Dirt-Diggler
Buying guide 2024: if you see one for sale Buy it. If not for sale, ask the owner to consider selling. Next step, enjoy the car.
This car doesn't have rotten sills because it doesn't have a sunroof to drain water through them.
Cortina 80.
That must be a 1981 / 82 Ford Cortina Mk5
Cortina had lots of issues!
Still a handsome looking car compared to the hideously ugly SUV's nowadays.
Stop saying uhm ffs 🤦🏻♂️
I prefer this chap to the young ‘wanna be 80’s top gear presenter’. The guy is knowledgeable and isn’t putting on a weird voice.
Make your own better videos if you dont like it
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