MikeC 7 Posted March 15, 2019 Ok I have been looking into why the battery on my mk2 is on the passenger side. A few people have i have spoken too don't believe me till I show them a picture. I don't blame them as I have never seen it before either. I have no idea why, the only reason i can think of is it would allow room for the smog pump on the o/s of the engine to be mounted. Maybe the font of all knowledge Hans can shed some light on this. I have also been looking for pictures of export/ american spec cortina's and cannot find many. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mk2sav 42 Posted March 15, 2019 Yes , that's because its an export car - my estate is the same - for markets with an extended servo and master cylinder , similar to Escorts . My estate also has an indent on the drivers side inner wing to take the tower with the servo and master cylinder . Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ady 28 Posted March 15, 2019 My mk1 battery tray is on the LHS as well. I've no idea why though. I suspect it isn't original! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
consul315 180 Posted March 16, 2019 hmm Mike, that is strange, battery tray on all my lhd cars is on the rh side (though this is passenger side as in my case) will see if i find thg in my "archive" late eve. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
consul315 180 Posted March 16, 2019 unfortunately i m not too familiar with the new forum search, so i can t find a pic of my S2 1600E , but meanwhile here a S1 car: https://www.buysellcortina.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/40615-plenty-of-beasts-in-my-barn/&do=findComment&comment=361044 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeC 7 Posted March 16, 2019 thanks for looking into it Han., If mine is an export the battery tray should be on o/s, As where it is now would be in the way of a servo setup. this mk2 is definatly a weird one off I do not have the indent in mine either. I do like the all red rear lights too I might have to keep that look Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mk2sav 42 Posted March 16, 2019 Just to show , tray on left and dent for servo on tower . Trouble is with saying export , not all export markets had the same specs . Mine was ordered in this country but to Maltese specs as the original owner was being posted there (a Naval surgeon , no less ) . Some had dual circuits , some had 2 remote servos and so on . Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TinaInTheForest 1 Posted April 10, 2019 Just spotted this topic. I bought a 2 door 1600E from Zimbabwe last year, and it has an identical layout to that above from Mk2SAV. I understand it's called an 'Export Specification RHD' layout, used for cars with dual circuit braking and a servo, and that required a tower to extend it all forward to clear the carburettor. That in turn meant that the battery tray had to move to the left side, and that pushed the washer hooks away, and instead, the cars had a washer bottle, as per the Lotus Cortina. The indent in the inner wing is a giveaway for it being one of these! I believe that many 1600Es that went to Ireland, Malta and Cyprus had this spec engine bay, and when 1600Es were ordered specially for other markets that didn't make them there such as Australia, NZ and South Africa (and Zimbabwe!). Here's my engine bay when it was in Africa...a bit dusty, but littel rust as it turned out (a stroke of luck!) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GhiaMk4/5 207 Posted April 11, 2019 19 hours ago, TinaInTheForest said: Just spotted this topic. I bought a 2 door 1600E from Zimbabwe last year, and it has an identical layout to that above from Mk2SAV. I understand it's called an 'Export Specification RHD' layout, used for cars with dual circuit braking and a servo, and that required a tower to extend it all forward to clear the carburettor. That in turn meant that the battery tray had to move to the left side, and that pushed the washer hooks away, and instead, the cars had a washer bottle, as per the Lotus Cortina. The indent in the inner wing is a giveaway for it being one of these! I believe that many 1600Es that went to Ireland, Malta and Cyprus had this spec engine bay, and when 1600Es were ordered specially for other markets that didn't make them there such as Australia, NZ and South Africa (and Zimbabwe!). Here's my engine bay when it was in Africa...a bit dusty, but littel rust as it turned out (a stroke of luck!) Need some more pictures of this car, please. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TinaInTheForest 1 Posted April 11, 2019 (edited) There are a few on my website at the bottom of the 2 door 1600E topic.... http://www.lotuscortinainfo.com/?page_id=3704 I have about 1500 photos of it so far as it was when it was in Zimbabwe, when it arrived here, as it was being stripped down and now, of it's restoration. It's been in the bodyshop for 4 months now, and the repairs / fabrication on the shell have just been completed. It's kept all it's outer panels other than outer sills, front valance and bonnet! Unfortunately, the bonnet had flipped open at some time, bending it side to side and front to back. The guy doing the work is a magician, but even he recommended a better bonnet be found! Edited April 11, 2019 by TinaInTheForest Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mk2sav 42 Posted April 11, 2019 Hi Mark - just had a read through your site . The Aubergine 2 door E was being restored by a chap called Kevin around the London area - he bought some new doors off me years ago but didn't finish the resto . He told me it was sold to a man in Ireland . It was around the Plymouth area for years , back to when there was a 1600e owners club branch in Plymouth - a lot of years have passed since then mind . I saw it for sale in Cornwall in the late 90s but it was very rough by that time . Steve. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GhiaMk4/5 207 Posted April 11, 2019 5 hours ago, TinaInTheForest said: There are a few on my website at the bottom of the 2 door 1600E topic.... http://www.lotuscortinainfo.com/?page_id=3704 I have about 1500 photos of it so far as it was when it was in Zimbabwe, when it arrived here, as it was being stripped down and now, of it's restoration. It's been in the bodyshop for 4 months now, and the repairs / fabrication on the shell have just been completed. It's kept all it's outer panels other than outer sills, front valance and bonnet! Unfortunately, the bonnet had flipped open at some time, bending it side to side and front to back. The guy doing the work is a magician, but even he recommended a better bonnet be found! Brilliant, what a find, blue mink is a great colour for an E. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TinaInTheForest 1 Posted April 12, 2019 I was hopeful that the Aubergine 2 door was still around, tucked away awaiting restoration, but if it was rough at the end of the 90s, maybe not. The only other survivor that I know of for sure is also Blue Mink, and being made in July 1970, is probably the last one made. We've de-coded the oblong body tags now, which are definitive in terms of the cars being 2 door RHD 1600Es, and the two survivors have identical body tags, except for the sequence number. I learned a lot about 2 door 1600Es on here around 10 years ago, and I'd love to know what happened to the re-shelled Black RHD car...the one that was re-shelled into a Tawney LHD 2 door, and re-painted Fern Green, the original colour of the black car. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeC 7 Posted April 14, 2019 This is why I love this site, you never stop learning. I love that blue 2 dooor E would have been great to leave as is and just get it roadworthy. I still cannot decide whether to RHD mine or not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
