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cgclassics

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Everything posted by cgclassics

  1. I'm looking at improving the dash lights on both my Mk2 Series 1 Lotus Cortina and my Mk2 Series 2 Savage. I find the existing illumination pretty weak and difficult to read the gauges at night, even if new bulbs. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but what recommendations are there for replacement LEDs that can dramatically improve the lighting? I don't really want to chance some of the rubbish lottery ones on Ebay, so would like any advice from someone who has done this with good results, ideally with which bulbs and the supplier. I would want to replace all gauges, clock etc. I have both Series 1 and Series 2 cars. Not sure if there is a difference in the bulbs in the instruments between the two without checking. Thanks
  2. Thanks that's helpful and solves a puzzle as to why I couldn't seem to quite match the rad pattern up to anything else in the Ford range from that era. Think the best route is a recore with a modern high efficiency core as you suggest, then it still looks right.
  3. What is the original application for the Mk2 Savage big header tank radiator? Is it Capri or something else. Any ideas what drain plug fits?
  4. I've cut a laminated screen using a diamond wheel cutter before, but my understanding was that toughened glass was much harder. Never tried is myself, but would be interested to hear if it works out of curiosity. I've decided to get a new laminated Series 1 screen but accept it is an expensive solution if an existing one can be cut down instead. Might be a question for the custom car boys.
  5. Yes - the info I have is that the 3523 is the early screen and is in stock at least here in the UK. It is listed for 1967-68 cars in the catalogue here as follows: 3523 FORD CORTINA MKII 67-68 top-to-bottom 576mm against 1371 widest (in stock) OE part no: 3014E7303102E C
  6. Hi John - here's what I found out. The seal that some sell on Ebay as a combined Series 1 and Series 2 seal just doesn't work with a Series 2 580mm screen despite what is claimed = 1600E OC confirmed this as well. I tried fitting mine with a 580mm screen, and Paul Ralhan of Glasstec (the guy who does a lot of stuff on Pistonheads) also tried and couldn't get the screen in - it is just wrong. Speaking to the various owners clubs, it seems the solution is to find a Series 1 screen or buy a new one from Pilkington (they have the Series 1 screens in stock which are 576mm tall). In short it seems that if you have the 580mm screen it is very unlikely you will be able to fit a new seal to it. COH Baines over here used to list two seals , early and late - but now they just have one seal which works on the early screens. Unfortunately unless you can find a good secondhand series 1 screen without scratches, there is a solution but it is expensive.
  7. Looking for a good condition Mk2 Cortina Front Windscreen the earlier smaller one 575mm measured width in the centre. Alternatively if anyone has one of the genuine Series 2 windscreen seals for the 580mm later screen that would work. I have a later screen but have tried one of these universal seals that apparently work with both types of screen and TBH they are rubbish. I am in the Salisbury/Southampton/New Forest Area, happy to travel a reasonable distance.
  8. Update on the top hose issue. I bought a 1502513 - top hose for Mk2 Capri V6. The shape is about right but the 270deg bend is a little more open than the hose that was on there. Thermostat end is fine and the other end if fine once you chop 2 inches off. I have the old kenlow capillary stat so used a new Holden red silicone stat gasket, which makes the fitting of the hose tight. That said I think it is better than the hose that was on there which was quite large at the rad end and had been screwed down tightly with the hose clip. So the main issue with the Mk2 Capri 3.0L is that the bend is a bit too open. I got what I think is an acceptable fit, but any tighter and the hose would kink shut. I don't know what the old hose was from. Photos below
  9. Thanks that would be great. Would be good to meet him. Seen some of his previous posts and did chuckle a bit. As you say I think he speaks his mind, but that's fine. What would be really good is if I could get some old photos pre- and post-restoration. If he's interested in speaking please let me know - I could easily drive over and buy him a pint for his time if he is still around Ellesborough area. Let me know what he says. I have tried also to contact him through someone on LinkedIn who seems to own or run his building company, but not heard back.
  10. Yep correct 3.09 Capri back axle. Just don't think it has an LSD in which the dealers has said it did. Will open it up on a rainy day to check.
  11. Thanks Neil - I've contacted him through the forum.
  12. It has an Atlas, believed to be off a Capri. It was advertised asxhaving an LSD but it hasn't. Nit sure it needs one with an Auto box as it's really a motorway cruiser rather than out and out performance machine. Not sure on ratio think there's a tag on it which I can check if you are interested. C
  13. Yes it is. One of the two estates he had restored and later sold. I did think about the white one but TBH prefer the history behind BYC as it was Jeff's personal car. I have some files with the car including Jeff's notebook, but the stuff around tge restoration and photos are not with the car any more. I tried contacting Stav through here but undersyand he's not on the forum and moved onto Triumphs after the Savages.
  14. Thanks - yep C4 is a bit overkill for the power, but a decent box to have. Not sure what it's from but assuming a Mustang, Falcon or similar. The torque converter is a bit of a one-off as far as I can make out. The ring gear is on the converter not the flex plate and it is an air cooled unit with extra holes in the bellhousing and some cooling fin/slot arrangement on the converter. I've put on a proper Setrab oil cooler and spin on filter unit now to keep temps down and the oil clean. That said it has run for 20 odd years without a cooler.
  15. Thanks - useful history. I was under the impression that Jeff had it resprayed red rather than bought it after the respray? It's of course back to silver fox, but there are traces of the red overspray behind the trim panels. I'd like to know if he had the D1 Dunlops on it or whether that was added during the last restoration. I think I saw a photo of the car when he had it but it had normal steels on, but for the life of me I can't find it. On another matter - It has a C4 auto box in (despite the auction details saying it was a Borg Warner 35) but uses a normal UK Ford shifter from something like a Zodiac, Granada or Escort. It kinda works but the cable movement on that shifter seems to be just a little less than the C4 box input selector would like. So you set it spot on for engagement in Park, but at the other end of the range 1st is just a bit marginally engaged. Fix 1st and Park is marginal. When I got it the Park pawls were not engaging properly and someone had forced the gear shifter out of Park breaking the engagement tab at the base of the gearstick. Probably the result of too many dealers moving the car and not understanding it and some idiot not realising you have to press the button on the side of the gearstick to get it out of Park. Anyhow, the box was rebuilt by Paul Evans with a slightly upgraded shift speed and I replaced the gear selector unit. I may need to find a proper matching selector unit from say a Mustang to get the cable movement a bit more perfect for the box, or modify the existing UK Ford selector unit to change the pivot point. Again one of the longer term niggles to sort, but I just wonder I Jeff ran it like this or if it has been bu**ered about with afterwards. I am assuming in all this that Jeff did install a C4 and not a BW 35. What box did he use in other Savage Autos?
  16. Yes that's the one. The guy who restored it did two, this one and a white Estate with a bonnet vent on. The silver one appealed as it was Jeff's old car and even has a notebook that Jeff kept. Both went for sale through various dealers over a few years which wasn't great. Signs off unsympathetic fiddling on the car when I got it, some real silly things, but nothing that couldn't be sorted. Worst was some poor electrics with the dreaded pre-insulated crimp connectors and things not working or wrongly wired, fan mounting, wrong wheel nuts, painted exhaust without masking the underside. But all fixed. I have some other longer term improvements I'd like to do on paintwork and panel gaps, but not urgent. Craig
  17. Thanks for the comments chaps - agree on the NOS it's a risk - but if I can find the right one then I have a pattern for a black silicone Samco one. I ended up with silicone ones on my other Mk2 for reliability for exactly the same reason. On the V6 Capri one - I have gone with the listing description of V6 Capri Mk2 (see photo). The part number is also the same as a Ford Granada or Consul V6. Hopefully it will be the right size for the thermostat outlet - as you say they are big on the V6. The car I have is the ex-Jeff Uren silver fox Automatic Estate. Bought it 3 years ago and have had it in storage for a couple of years whilst I moved home. Had it back now for nearly a year and been through the wiring, fuel system, full service, reconditioned the C4 auto box (twice - don't ask but it wasn't my fault. The ******* who did the torque converter blasted it and left blast media inside in the vanes - and yes it was one of the two big torque converter remanufacturers in the UK who should know better - the other one opened it up and cleaned it all out to fix the problem whilst the transmission was rebuilt again.....). Also put rear telescopic shocks on as getting the leaking lever arm dampers reconditioned was proving very slow and problematic. Otherwise it is on the road and running and drives very well. The car is fundamentally good, but suffering from changing hands too many times before I got it. Just need a new luggage bay mat (the original has shrunk 2 inches).
  18. Thanks Steve. The existing hose has a rubber sleeve underneath and a kenlowe capillary thermostat going in under the hose. Unsurprisingly it's weeping, so I have ordered a silicone slotted sleeve from Holden which should be better. Whether that means the Corsair hose is still right or a larger Capri one is better I don't know. The hose on there looks bigger than the rad inlet stub but it has the rubber sleeve in place. I've already ordered the Capri one but it is too sloppy I'll try the Corsair one and report back. Thanks for your input. Craig
  19. Thanks - shape of the RH695 looks about right - but can't see any decent ones for sale apart from an old one on Ebay (had bad experience with NOS hoses in the past). Looks like RH695 is a bottom rad hose for the V4 Corsair. I've ordered 1502513 to try which is a Ford Capri V6 top hose. Again shape is right and it should fit the thermostat housing. Will post back if it works.
  20. Does anyone know what application the top hose from a Mk2 Cortina Savage comes from. It looks a bit like a Capri or Zodiac top hose, but hard to tell if the length on those is right. Anyone know? Thanks
  21. Should also add that main Mk2 production bonnets and bootlids were steel skins on steel frames. Some early works cars had aluminium bonnets and boots but these were very few in number. I guess a cheaper option would be aluminium skins on steel original frames but not sure thats a good solution with electrolytic corrosion in mind, plus the front lip on the bonnet should be spot welded to the frame front lip - not sure what you'd do with an aluminium skin and steel frame in this respect. I'm interested in the swap for weight saving - have already fitted aluminium diff casing, lightweight brake drums, aluminium bellhousing, aluminium hubs and a lightweight battery.
  22. From their website the bonnet skin steel is listed at £690 and bonnet skin aluminium at £1000 but is NLA. No prices on the bootlid on the website. Looks like steel is about 70 percent the price of aluminium.
  23. I was talking to Mike at Expressed Steel at the NEC classics car show in November. For the Mk2 they list aluminium skins for bonnet and bootlid but these are NLA. Mike indicated that they can tool up for a limited run of complete Mk2 bonnet and bootlid panels including skin and frames in aluminium fully assembled, but the minimum order is 10 panels of each. Price for each bootlid would be around £1300-1400 and I guess the bonnets would be similar. I'm only after one of each and can understand that at these prices interest is likely to be limited. Production time is 6 months from order. If there is interest from others for a group buy for these lightweight panels please reply to the posting or PM me. I'm not a dealer BTW. C
  24. Thanks. Will be trying to pull together some of the history in the coming weeks. Quite a bit on the forum and web. C
  25. Well fast forward 6 years and pleased to say I've just bought Savage BYC831J today,to go alongside my Mk2 Lotus. Looking forward to finding outmore abour the car. Bit of an impulse buy after seeing it at the NEC on Friday. C
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