ShiteRiders' fleet. The vectard edition.

[Asimo]

Consider this thread "liked" all over.

[ShiteRider]

As you say, that estate hasnt faired too badly at all really. Do you know much of its history?

Not really, i'm the latest owner but there were 15 before me. I got it from a lad in east Leicester,who got it from a mate of his who got it from 'Bortaf', an internet ford legend. I believe he collected it for scrap around 7or8 years ago. I think it'd been restored around 15 years ago and then left on a drive for whatever reason.

I'm assuming it was either one of fords own cars or was at least owned by a ford employee originally with it being such a high spec, late car. It is a proper 2.3 ghia S, combined with all the options this would been comparable cost wise with a 2.8 capri/granada.

Sheffield cortina centre may know more than me, i'm not really that involved in the cortina world and i think he knows 'Bortaf' in the real world.

I'm planning on sending off a V888 form, i'm intersested in where it's been myself.

[ShiteRider]

May get lynched for this but i pulled off the vinyl roof, it may of looked cool but it trapped water like a bastard and i'd rather replace a vinyl than a roof skin....

[ShiteRider]

I think the "fun" part of the recomission will be dealing with the this copper spaghetti, bearing in mind this lived in essex in the 80's it was no doubt fitted with all kinds of electrickery.

[ShiteRider]

Think you're all pretty much upto date now, i'll add more later in the week when cutty weldy siz starts on the estate.

[ShiteRider]

6 months later virtually fuck all has happened with the various turds i own*.

Actually that's not strictly true, i've done bits and pieces but i've either not taken pictures or i'd be too ashamed to show the depths of bodgery i'd be willing to sink to.

* i do ocassionaly take pictures of stuff, but it ends up in grin/grump/news.

 

Couple of weeks ago i hit a big patch of standing water a broke my exhaust front pipe, this was cobbled together with a shoelace until a more permanent repair could be done............guess how long the permanent repair lasted?

Previous qualz temp reparation.

Permanent repair consisted of 3" of weld in a horse shoe style and then shitloads of firegum FTW.

[ShiteRider]

This morning i tear arsed into the yard, bouncing through all the shit filled pot holes. Nothing unusual there except, i've not driven the car for a week and forgot about the dodgey exhaust........started blowing as i pulled up, thought fuck it, i'll chop it and sleeve it tonight after work.

I got her jacked up, no messing about cut the joint out and then trimmed the pipes square. It was then, when it was on the floor i bothered to pay more attention and realised two things;

1) it hadn't cracked again, simple blown the gasket.

2) we've loads of sleeves on the shelf, but they all look a lot bigger than my pipe

[ShiteRider]

Bollocks, all the local factors are shut, all the firms vehicles are either in use or immobile. It's dark and raining so i'm not going into the graveyard to cut a piece pipe off a junker, the only exhausts we've got inside are for german twatmobiles and are therefore 9" bore.......time to get unleash the inner macgyver.

Old cortina airbox donated some semi flexible ali tubing, if it can handle heat of a pinto about 4" from the head it should laugh it the face of anything the fezzbomb will throw at it.

[ShiteRider]

Would it fit?

Coure it did.

Da da dar dada dar, dada dar dar dar (theme from A team, because i can't remember magyver :'( )

[ShiteRider]

I'm fairly confident it'll take the heat okay, quick start up and hard rev showed that it's gastight! It was a bugger to get on, requiring a twisting screw action to get it on.

Next concern was to increase torsional rigidity. A quick root around the boot revealed a part of the factory jack would fulfill requirements.

Further foraging revealed a source of jubilee clips.

[ShiteRider]

And there we have it, grade A repair carried out used bits of cortina, fiesta and astra gsi (filter).

What i have realised from this is, after two years and 46k this WBOD is not long for this world.

Both front wish bone bushes are knackered, the axle bushes needed doing last year but the tester let it slide, it needs a bearing on the back and a sticky caliper cleaning on the front, as well as two tyres.

I think the tax runs till the end of january, if it lasts till then i'll be happy.

[ShiteRider]

Mummy shiterider has a vectra C. This one in fact.

It's been "getting damp".

No shit mum.

[ShiteRider]

Assumed it was leaking taillight seals.

So had a look in the boot expecting a floating spare wheel.

Well it was a little wet, and fungus-y but i think thats more condensation than anything else. I knocked a bunk out to let it drain whilst i tackled the cabin.

[ShiteRider]

Instead of pissballing about with sponges and a wet-vac i just stripped everything out.

[ShiteRider]

Dried it out with paper towels. I then took it out back and got one the lads to steam it around the doors and tailgate while i checked for leaks.

Only one very minor drip was apparent, seemingly from where the tailgate electrics pass into the body.

It was a helluva lot of water for such a small leak. I then turned the car around and was greeted with the sound of running water.

It poured out of the underseat vents. Shitbollox.

[ShiteRider]

Quick googling reveals there is a bung/drain in the chamber where the pollen filter lives, when this blocks up the water rises till it starts to flow into the heat fan assembly and the ventilation pipes.

[ShiteRider]

This is the trouble causer, i've trimmed an inch of it to open it up and hopefully prevent further blockages.

I'll put a new pollen filter in it as well (see as this doesn't look like it's seen daylight in a decade.

[ShiteRider]

Current state of play has the bungs knocked out the floor, with the front jacked up to let it drain some more. The seats aren't overly bad but the carpet and underfelt is thoroughly sodden and will be left hanging till saturday when i go back to work to screw the fucker together.

I'll put some glow plugs in as well, as it takes some cranking to fire.

I've got to say, i'm quite impressed with the vectra. I've driven hundreds of the buggers but rarely over any distance, it drives well (the rides a little firmer than i like). I've come home in a focus diesel the same age.......i wish i was in the vectra.

Though one advantage the focus has is the water would just pour out the rat holes in floor.

[ShiteRider]

I've been putting this of as long as possible but the reality is i need at least two of these gone asap.

Beige beasty £2250, mot'd till june but will need suspension work for next one. Just bushes as they're all factory original. 25k from new i'm second owner and have owned it four years.

Blue estate £1200 runs well but sticky brakes and needs a long weekend of welding. Looks tatty as, but got potential.

Blue saloon £600 needs a week of welding to get to mot standard has had bits pinched for other cars.

I'll elaborate on my next break at 3.

Also got a shit ton of parts body, trim, mechanical etc

[HMC]

Sorry to hear the collection has to go, used to like reading your cortina updates. Had I space/ money I'd love the Ghia estate as a project. A factory s? That's got to be mega rare in estate form!

[oldford]

If you're on Facebook, sign up to the Fanatics group and advertise them on there.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1511621059123626/

[ShiteRider]

If you're on Facebook, sign up to the Fanatics group and advertise them on there.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1511621059123626/

Cheers for that, didn't know that existed. I'm not on facebook myself but i've a few mates who are.

I'm going to put the beige one in for a pre-mot tomorrow, i think it'll need tiebar bushes at least.

[spartacus]

I'm gutted for you. I'd not seen this thread until today and it's a proper enjoyable read. I hope that whatever's in store in the future involves more welding/fixing/etc shenanigans.

[HillmanImp]

I would love to take on one of these but as usual i have a million reasons why I can't which outweigh the reason that I should.

 

GLWTS

[ShiteRider]

Any interest? Beige one passed MOT last week with no advisories.

[cort16]

Have you got any recent pictures?

[ShiteRider]

I can take some today.

I'm not good at selling cars, it's something i've very rarely done and never enjoyed.

Should also say the car has four 6k/4yr old vredesteins and had a cambelt+waterpump at christmas and the axle end voids are powerflex polys.

[monza]

Having bought SBO from this bloke I can testify that the bodywork he does is of lasting quality. I loaded it with cavity wax and it is holding up superbly.

 

Ford Cortina, RAF Burtonwood, 16.8.15 by Jeff, on Flickr

[ShiteRider]

I'm really shit at keeping this updated, but in my defence i'm shit at most things.

Recent developments, cosmos blue saloon is currently the subject of a bare shell restoration by it's new owner. The estate has changed hands again and now resides in st helens, the subject of a rolling resto. And the beige beast.....it got driven to the MOT station, passed with a clean sheet and hasn't moved since.....

So why the update, a mate of the gaffer owns a salvage firm, a mate of his imports varied shite from sowt afrikaar.

The most recent arrival consisted of several hipster spec sunbleached dubs and this giant lump of isopon carved in the shape of a car.

Unfortunately it came adrift in the container, spending the journey resting atop a karman ghia and bouncing off the doors.

[ShiteRider]

I'm not sure what the exact model is........i think it's a base due the low height door cards, textured rubber floor covering, non servo brakes, lack of exterior brightwork etc until some paperwork turns up i'm not even sure of the year. I've a feeling it's a '71.

It's not mine.....but i want it, i've never even been that fussed with mk3s and truth be told i'm bored of cortinas full stop but there's just something about it. You'd think being south african it'd be rust free but you'd be wrong, very wrong. It's got copious amounts of filler in the bottom 10"s all around and looks like it's bee

n painted with nail varnish by michael j fox whilst suffering arc eye.

I've dubbed it Oscar, as it won't run without help, is south african and may not be going far in the future.

It has some good points though, a smoke free high comp x/flow, atlas axle and 2000e box, tombstone buckets etc

Really has a feel of a 70's boyracer car.

Anyone have an idea what it's worth? I thinking maybe £1500 as it has a lot of good parts but at least needs a boot floor and four doors + rear arches to be solid.