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Restoration Project Advice

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  • 19-09-2004 6:07pm
    #1
    Banjo013
    Closed Accounts Posts: 168 ✭✭


    Hi.

    Wanted an old car to restore for ages. Then last week I discovered that my uncle (who has been dead 24 years) had a 1974 MkIII "Coke Bottle" Ford Cortina parked outside in his shed all this time. Nobody has lived in his house since he passed away so it was just left there untouched.

    Got quiet a bit of rust on it and not even sure if it runs. Still I'm up for the challenge. Need a few pointers though - anybody know anything about this sort of thing ?

    First, how do I get ownership of the thing ? It's been sitting there 24 years and there are no papers (or even keys) that I'm aware of. How do I approach this one ?

    Also, I've heard that it's possible to put in a 3.0 V8 Rover engine. Anyone know anything about that ? Don't even know what kind of Rover it comes from, but apparently it slots in nicely.

    Any and all advice is appreciated, thanks !


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    #2
    BrianD3
    Registered Users Posts: 8,392 ✭✭✭BrianD3


    The car probably has some structural rust, in which case it will probably be uneconomic to restore. The Mk3 Cortina is not really seen as a desirable classic and is worth very little even in concours (show) condition. That may change somewhat in the future but it'll never appreciate significantly.

    You could easily spend 10 times what the car will be worth on a restoration.

    However, if you have plenty of time/money and wish to restore the car and keep it for sentimental reasons, then most of the above is pretty irrelevant! IMO the Mk3 is a cool car and something I'd like to have to spin around in, especially if it had been owned by a dead relative. The Mk3 is an helluva lot cooler than say something like a VW Beetle which is seen as desirable by daft hippies who know nothing about cars, resulting in Beetles being very popular and expensive to buy.

    Mechanically, the Cortinas are very simple and easy to work on. A DIY restorer could probably teach himself enough to manage the mechanical part. Bodywork is a different story and requires more specialist skills that are beyond most DIYers. That's why it can get so expensive.

    I would forget about the Rover V8 option for the moment, you're only adding extra difficulty to an already difficult task.

    The motor tax office will advise you about the ownership. Do a google search for Cortina owners clubs in the UK and Ireland, you should get some useful contacts and advice from them. Don't know about the keys, but I would say something could easily be sorted out later on. Right now your priority should be bodywork.

    BrianD3


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