Cortina £1100 ono. Advice needed, Store or break?

[ShiteRider]

I bought this last august as a WBOD,but i have two other cortinas that need to suckle on my financial teet so it's time this moved on.
I'm not going to put this on ebay (i really don't have that kind of patience, if however someone here wants to do that feel free). It's going on here tonight, then the blue tomorrow. The insurance is due at the end of the month and i have neither the cash to pay for it or somewhere to keep it offroad.
Now that bollocks is out the way, it's a 1980 mk5 1.6gl which is taxed and tested till august.
*Body
cosmos blue with a BVR (no rips, tears, or more importantly bubbles of woe), It's had the front wings replaced at some point, as well as the rear valance. The front valance apears to have seen the spray gun as well as the rear arches. The front scuttle panel (the bit between the windscreen and bonnet) is slightly bubbly on the passenger side and very bubbley on the drivers side. They are the worst bits. The 'A' posts look good, the boot floor is mint and the sills and underside are solid. The chrome bumpers are straight and in remakable condition, all the trim is there, though the drivers side rear light is sun bleached.
I'd say it's definiely a 20 footer, but all in all a good solid survivor that does attract complements.
*Interior
An awesomely sensual brown interior (velour+vinyl baby) will greet you upon the door creaking open. Everything works to some degree, bar the temperature gauge (the engine does get warm) the drivers seat is a bit baggy but two as new matching front seats are available. There is no radio fitted, it was like that when i got it, though it does have speakers. It also somewhat unusually has rear seat belts fitted.
The heater doesn't blow hot, not because it isn't capable, but because the heater controls in the dash are booloo and jammed on the cold setting but it does come with a complete functioning control unit as a spare
*Mecahanicals
It shows 86k on the clock, but i've been led to believe it's had a replacement engine, the mileage or origin of which i have no idea. It looks like it could be a sierra lump, because of the thicker flanged rocker cover and twin downpipes on the exhaust manifold. That said it could be a low comp transit motor for all i know.
It's on a weber 34ich with manual choke (i'm assuming this replaced a dog shit V V) it starts easily, and runs pretty good. I've replaced the plugs, leads, and coil aswell as fitting a recon dizzy that's been converted to electronic ignition.
I've not changed the cam belt while i've had it, but i've been lead to believe it has had one. (keep in mind a 1600 pinto WILL bend valves).
The handling is typical cortina, ie boat like. The brakes are fairly crap, this is down to slightly sticky calipers (bigg red does a seal kit with new pistons for £45)
i could do with flexis as well to be honest simply because they look ancient.
Summary
It's a good car. I've listed all the faults i can think of, off the top of my head but there could be more, It is after all a 34 year old cortina.
When all is said and done it's a 30 odd year old ford going cheap, your unlikley to lose money on this as prices are climbing year on year and even today it'll break for at least a grand.
This would not be for sale if i could afford to keep it.
Rob


P.S all comment good or bad welcome. Car located in Lancashire

[Jim Bell]

I have good comment. That car is win. And cheaps. End of comment.

[Ghosty]

I think I remember this being on eBay. Wanted it then, still want it now, still not justifiable. Gah!

[CortinaDave]

Love. Not got £1500 tho

[ShiteRider]

A mate of a mate is coming to have a look at this tomorrow.

He wants to put an isuzu diesel in it.............

[ShiteRider]

Mate of a mate turned out to be an inside out womb, with a wallet full moths and a gob full of shite.

£1200 ono

Forgot to mention it's got a nearly new exhaust, and four near new vredstein t-tracs on refurbed capri ghia alloys. Or these can be swapped for five capri four spokes with very good tyres.

I get paid on the 23rd and want it gone before then, otherwise i'll spend red bill money on it. (because i'm a child with no self control)

[ShiteRider]

This car seems to be as popular as herpes (though that could* be because i'm shit at selling stuff), so i'm going to ask your advice as regards it's future.

So do i.........

A) Store it away, in the hope it's value increases**

Or (and so far this seems more likely at the minute)

B ) Break it for bits, many of which would be put to good use on my other two Mk5's and would save me a fortune dodging OSF scene tax on twatbay.

C) Face the drooling hoards of the aforementioned twatbay, 99p start, no reserve and see where the dice land.(The least likely outcome so far, everything i've sold on ebay has been to mouth breathers who know the price of everything but the value of fuck all)

D) Any other you might suggest

 

 

 

*This is undoubtedly the cause

** Unlikely as it's falling apart so fast, i think it must have looked into the ark of the covenant

[CortinaDave]

I'm almost tempted to buy this to rob a few bits for my MK4 S and punt it on ebay for profit. That would make me a cock though.

[ShiteRider]

I'm thinking fuck it, instead of paying £bumrape for bits on twatbay i'll strip the fucker myself.

[CortinaDave]

Would be a shame - Theres very few early MK5's out there . The V and W reg ones were made from lousy metal so have fared less well than the later ones. Plus its a nice looking car. Ebay it - I'm sure you'll get near 1500 for it - theres been a few very average ones recently all pushing above that and yours looks honest and tidy.

 

Give it a whirl - If you get mucked about then look again at breaking it. You've only a week or so to lose.

[trigger]

I like the look of it but there's a few issues which put me off, I was offered an 1980 1.6 GL but in dark blue last year for £800 but turned it down as I didn't like the colour, it ended up selling for £1000. I would eBay yours and see how you get on. Take some nice photos though, that seems to help (unless it's a white Honda Civic your selling)

[Negative Creep]

Have to agree some better photos, especially of the engine bay and interior would help the sale. Also, whilst I appreciate it isn't that important at this time of year, fix the heater

[lisbon_road]

I think you can list cars on ebay free today only - I have just listed one free with I believe no final value fee.  Whether anyone can do it I don't know.

 

Would be a real shame to break it, looks far too good.  Ultimately it is yours and up to you but there are hardly any left now.

[Alexg]

Ebay on a classified ad with a fixed price and make it clear that you don't negotiate on the phone or by text message. This should flush out 83% of ebay helmets - plus it's cheaper! Some nice pics together with a sensible honest ad as you've written here and I'd expect to see the £1500 you originally wanted being slapped on your kitchen table within days.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Ebay is not the only place to sell cars... I prefer advertising my shitters on Car&Classic, which seems to reach a far more honest and reliable audience than Ebay Morons Motors.

[New POD]

This week there have been 3 cars in 4 days which I want and can not justify. I think you should advertise on Pistonheads.

[Wilko220]

Isn't there a Cortina or classic Ford forum? Got to be worth listing on something like that.

[ShiteRider]

It's been on BSC (the cortina owners site) for a while now, the comments on the thread have been very complementary.

Unfortunately every pm i've had has been from people trying to chisel the price down without even bothering to look at the car or even ask for further pictures or info.

It's kinda pissed me off.

As to the car looking a good 'un, it is from a distance, but it was only after i got home did i realise the bloke i bought it from is the same one who did the MOT test..........

It needs a weekend of welding and about £150's worth of odds'n'sods to get another......the way the scuttles' rotting out the next would be the last anyway. I've think i've made my mind up now, the wealth of bits i'd get off it would put my beige one back on the road in a week and go a long way to shortening the "parts required" list for the estate.

[HMC]

Thread resurrection!!!

 

Do you still have this?

[ShiteRider]

Yeah. But i did what i said and have been using it as parts car.......

[trigger]

[ShiteRider]

It's putting two others back on the road (one tomorrow, hopefully one next week).

All the bits removed are bolt on and replaceable, and i've load of new/good secondhand panels for it when the time comes.

I was offered £400 last year for it as oval fodder, but it seems a shame for it's story to end there...

[Ghosty]

That's a real shame.

[MarvinsMom]

it would be a crime for that old thing to end its days on the short oval, and it makes me sad seeing it sat there......

[beko1987]

Its helping others to live though, i think thats a good thing

[sloth]

dammit id save thisif i was uk based. grrrr.

[RoadworkUK]

Ironically, in its semi-stripped state it could possibly find a better calibre of punter. One who will actually restore it properly rather than doing a "rolling resto" that never happens until it inevitable tumbles into ratlook / Onslow territory.