Jump to content

Mk5 Cortina 2.3 GLS Roadtest 1979


autofive

Recommended Posts

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an idea that the Recaros came later; every 'S' that I've ever seen was W, X or Y-reg, and they all had them ;)

 

For the record, the Cortina 80 is one of my favourite cars, and I lament the fact that I will probably never own one, due to rarity and scene tax; if only I was born in 1967... :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an idea that the Recaros came later; every 'S' that I've ever seen was W, X or Y-reg, and they all had them ;)

 

For the record, the Cortina 80 is one of my favourite cars, and I lament the fact that I will probably never own one, due to rarity and scene tax; if only I was born in 1967... :(

 

 

you can still pick up for around 500 quid

 

example: http://www.autoshite.co.uk/phpbb3/viewt ... b17bf33085

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alot of journos knocked the Cortina, but I always liked them. I had a 2.0GLS in 1988, CBW818V was Midnight blue with the Recaro type seats.

 

 

I had a mark 4 2.0GL when a lot of my mates had Fiesta 1.4S and the like. It was pretty cheap to insure, and went like stink after my mate's Dad had worked a little magic on it. Comfy and pretty quick. WIN, I'd say.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's very good, as the whole underside, and innerwings have been waxoiled every year from new. really needs a pair of wings to make it right, but i ll wait until spring before i change them.

 

i have a bit of a cortina fetish, which im currently keeping under control......

 

IM038287a.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Tony Hayers
IM038287a.jpg

 

So thats where all the Mk4 5 Cortinas' went to, your yard. And not as first thought, being redlined round the oval in 2nd gear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 2.3 was a waste of time really. No faster than a good 2.0 and they were shocking on fuel - a nice sounding engine but that was it. I liked the VV equipped 1600 the best - as long as the diaphragms were in good nick the carb worked well. The 1600 was a much smoother and sweeter engine plus the smaller gearbox had a slightly better shift.

I ran one as a long distance daily 20 years ago, an early Mark 5 1.6L in (I think) Fjord blue. RMB90V, black vinyl roof and bog standard. I bought it in 1988 from Witney auctions, put a pair of new wings on and sold it. Bought it back in 1990 and put around 60k on it in 18 months. I had a recon axle fitted at around 130'000 but apart from a seized alternator, it never broke down. One of the best cars I had really.

 

My first ever Cortina was a W plate Mark 5 L 4 door in Diamond White back in 1987. It was as rotten as a carrot (two wings, four doors and sills) but it was £250 from a trader. I paid the Man, drove it home and thought 'fuck me, this is a bit slow'.

 

 

It was, as you've guessed by now, a 1300.......... :lol::roll:

 

Still, I panelled it up, blew it over in the booth at work and sold it for 800 quid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 2.3 was a waste of time really. No faster than a good 2.0 and they were shocking on fuel - a nice sounding engine but that was it. I liked the VV equipped 1600 the best - as long as the diaphragms were in good nick the carb worked well. The 1600 was a much smoother and sweeter engine plus the smaller gearbox had a slightly better shift.

I ran one as a long distance daily 20 years ago, an early Mark 5 1.6L in (I think) Fjord blue. RMB90V, black vinyl roof and bog standard. I bought it in 1988 from Witney auctions, put a pair of new wings on and sold it. Bought it back in 1990 and put around 60k on it in 18 months. I had a recon axle fitted at around 130'000 but apart from a seized alternator, it never broke down. One of the best cars I had really.

 

My first ever Cortina was a W plate Mark 5 L 4 door in Diamond White back in 1987. It was as rotten as a carrot (two wings, four doors and sills) but it was £250 from a trader. I paid the Man, drove it home and thought 'fuck me, this is a bit slow'.

 

 

It was, as you've guessed by now, a 1300.......... :lol::roll:

 

Still, I panelled it up, blew it over in the booth at work and sold it for 800 quid.

 

the obvious advantage of the 2.3 over the pinto was when towing, the pinto 2 litre struggled to climb hills with a load aboard. The 2.3 (in manual form 4-speed) tops out at about 120 at 4k revs, but the 2 litre pinto at 120 requires over 6k revs. I found my 2.3 manual was doing roughly the same mpg as a 2 litre pinto with a manual box, and came to the conclusion the main reason for the belief in the v6 cologne giving shocking mpg was the c3 autobox.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 2.3 (in manual form 4-speed) tops out at about 120 at 4k revs

 

The 2.3 had the same rear axle as the 2.0 which was about a 3.45 ratio. On the standard 165 tyres, they were geared up to do around 20mph/1000 rpm. And no way would a Cortina 2.3 do 120 mph unless you believed the lying Ford speedo!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at Triggers road tests (I'm a bit slow), the axles are the same. The 2.0 is also faster to 60. I didn't mind the 2.3, but it was a lazy old thing and really breathless when pushed. The Pinto was quite harsh but they were very pokey. 116 bhp for the 2.3 is also very optimistic - the 2.0 Pinto was good for no more than 95 bhp in reality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mother in law has a granada with the 2.4 cologne V6. Really a bit of an oddball, not much more powerful than a 2.0 with fuel consumption similar to a 2.9 - you would just go and get a 2.9 anyway. I actually had a 2.9 and it was surprising the difference in performance.

 

My 2.3 SD1 was a slug, but looking at the figures, it would still see off the cortina.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So what about the 2.8 lump that got dropped in to loads of Cortinas? Would a carbed one have made that much more of a difference over the 2.3?

I knew a young lad years ago, who worked in the BT workshops, who dropped in a carbed 2.8 and lowered it all round ( years before all that "hit it with a stick shite" that people think they have just invented) and it bloody flew!!

Id like to do that one day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes it makes a difference, and with an xr4i type9 a lot of difference, mine also has a ported inlet manifold and injection camshaft

 

its odd that ford claimed 160 bhp for the 2.8i in the capri, but only 135 for the same engine, with the same cam in the Granada

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...