MK4 Estate with an Essex V6

[STEVE440 12]

A friend of a friend rung me today. He is clearing his late Uncles house and in the garage there is a Cortina Estate MK4 with an Essex V6. He knows it has not been on the road for at least 20 years but he seems to think it was purchased new with this engine by his Uncle as a retirement present to himself. Did they ever make them like this or was it a conversion ?

I have no idea of its condition and I am due to have a look at it after work tomorrow.

I must say it has got me interested even though I promised the wife I would not be buying any more cars.

I am not expecting much but fingers crossed.

 

 

[sebspeed 23]

i think superspeed built some.

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

To best of my knowledge by time of the MK4 only superspeed & race proved ( savage is the model not the make) where the only ones still doing the conversion. Both would've had a plate under the bonnet stating this ( not necessarily still there) only other way would be a south African import ( these had an official id plate in English & Afrikaans) saying " product of ford motor company south Africa) depending on condition any of these should have a decent value.

Any other will likely be a DIY conversion.

 

I would guess it's more likely to be a std 2.3 Cortina & quick easy check is the distributor location 

 

If it's at the back of the eng it's a  German cologne V6 & nothing special these were available in GL & this spec in estate plus sport in saloon ( very rare now).

 

If it's at the front of the engine it's an English Essex V6  if a conversion could be any trim level, if South African it would be a ghia.

 

I'd guess it's a std UK 2.3 GL/ghia estate be nice if it's one of the others, keep us posted.

[STEVE440 12]

Yes will do. 

[John Mack 329]

2 minutes ago, STEVE440 said:

Yes will do. 

Would be good to see some pictures if possible ?

 

[STEVE440 12]

That was a waste of time. 

The car is a total basket case. Every panel has holes and the roof has numerous large dents. There is hardly any paint on the car but it looks like it was originally chocolate brown. The bonnet is missing the first 6 to 8 inches and as we lifted it broke away from the hinges

The engine has dropped and is at an odd angle. The interior is rodent damaged ,covered in mold and stinks.

It is an Essex engine and most of the wiring in the engine bay is destroyed . Oddly one tyre seems to have some air in it.

The shed it has been stored in leaks and I reckon will collapse when the car is extracted. as some of the uprights are leaning against the passenger side. 

I looked over the car to see if anything could be salvaged but I dont think even the engine is worth extracting as it I suspect it is seized solid looking at the state of it. ( One rocker cover has a rust hole in it )

I didnt bother with any pictures as it was very gloomy in the shed and dont think you would have seen anything.

 

 

 

 

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

What a shame it was a pretty rare care by the sounds of it,  the surviving superspeed EST is also dark metallic brown with a tan int. Fitted with a 3.0 auto & is a ghia, it was owned for a very long time by a man called Alan Ceyster  if I remember correctly.

Unfortunately details on these conversions are sketchy as the businesses & people are long gone & weren't expected to last this long or become collectable.

[John Mack 329]

1 hour ago, STEVE440 said:

That was a waste of time. ...

 

I bet it was interesting to see though?!    My mind would be asking my imagination to cast up an image as to what it used to look like  !

Shame it was a "no go".  

 

 

[STEVE440 12]

Yes good to look at but even with the best optimistic vision I could never see it was even worth dragging it out. I expect once it comes out of the shed it could look even worse and might even start to disintegrate. I will ask him to take some photos when it gets pulled out. He said he will give some scrapyards a call to see if any want  to collect it.

I did look to see if I could see any badges to identify it but nothing was visible. 

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

Was there a reg number?

[STEVE440 12]

I dont remember seeing one but I will ask him.

[STEVE440 12]

So no reg number as it had been on a personal plate he thinks. 

He rung a couple of scrap yards and neither were interested unless he delivered it. He is going to ring a scrap metal merchant tomorrow who apparently is more likely to want it, there is other scrap metal around the site including an old digger that is in a worse state than the Cortina,

[John Mack 329]

A sad ending to a possibly unique car.  

[STEVE440 12]

52 minutes ago, John Mack said:

A sad ending to a possibly unique car.  

I think it has been past saving for a long time, maybe it would have been a source for some parts a few years ago but I have seen better cars in scrapyards. 

Sadly all out pride and joys will end up this way one day.

A few years ago I was asked to look at an XR3i that had less than 9k on the clock. It had been put in a damp garage when it was about a year old. It was so rotten the drivers door fell off the A post as I opened it, the front seats were on the garage floor as the floor was so rotten and the battery had fallen through the bulkhead and landed on the floor by the seats.

 

[Beeper 81]

All this talk of damp garages has me even more worried now. It's not icing sugar, it's dried cement that's left when the water evaporates!

 

Edited February 16 by Beeper