Question for the UK members...

[Subaru ETA]

Righto, my father is a cortina / escort nut. he has owned every model of GT Cortina. his favourite 2 were his Mk 1 GT's. one was a 4 door and the other 2 door.
he sold both cars when mum got pregnanat with me. but now the kids have left home he is on the look out for another MK1 GT.

now, my question is, are these common in the UK? what sort of coin would they go for?

He has found one in nz that has been parked up for 10 years. it is a 2 door and apparantly has the "flat top" engine (flat top engine is the lotus one)

also what sort of money would a genuine lotus cortina go for over there? these cars are getting very rare over here and the 2 door is the only one that he has been able to find!

[ANTHONY]

hi mate just checked autotrader for you and there is one on there.:unbeleeva

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201021359631862/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/cortina/make/ford/page/1/postcode/da158be/radius/1501?logcode=p

[bradc]

Well that link goes to show he never should have sold it!

[ANTHONY]

so in your money about 81,838.87 NZD /JawDroppi

[Subaru ETA]

JESUS! my dads one wasnt a genuine lotus though. it was a GT but looked EXACTLY like that.

a couple of years ago there was a 2 door at the melbourne motorshow. it went up for auction and start bid was $70,000 australian.

we are going to go look at the 2 door that he has found on sunday arvo

[stuey]

few bargains if you don't mind doing the work too..


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1635618.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1778374.htm

[Subaru ETA]

Update - that 2 door we went to have a look at was in fact a gt with a lotus engine. The old guy has been humming and harring about selling it - he has owned it since new.

My dad just found out that he has given it to his meat head son, who has lowered it, put ridiculous looking wheels on it and but a rotary in it!

[Subaru ETA]

Update on this - the guys son has decided that he no longer like rotarys. He has pulled the engine out and given it back to his dad!

My dad has gone to have a look at it and the half wit has butchered it! He has cut all the front panel / radiator support, the grill and the bumper to put the intercooler in!!! Why do people do this to classic cars??

So now my dad is in the process of seeing if it is repairable

[kiteman]

Update - that 2 door we went to have a look at was in fact a gt with a lotus engine. The old guy has been humming and harring about selling it - he has owned it since new.

My dad just found out that he has given it to his meat head son, who has lowered it, put ridiculous looking wheels on it and but a rotary in it!

Tell your dad he should put out a hit on the meat head son of the original owner

[Davezj]

save the cortina they are great cars, if this guy has had the car from new and it was a |GT with a factory fitted lotus engine, but is not a lotus cortina it could be a prototype lotus cotina and if it is then could be worth more than an original lotus when restored.
i don't remember ford doing a cortina with a lotus engine in it that was not a lotus badged car. could be very rear.
but then i could be wrong.

[Subaru ETA]

Dad knows the story but I think early on the engine went pop in it, so he got the local ford dealer to put the lotus engine in. That said it may not get the lotus one put back in as the guy is not on speaking terms with his son and the engine ain't with the car!

The biggest problem is that the car is dereged, which means it needs to be recompiled before it can go back on the road. Now that it has been cut up it needs an engineers report done. My dad was a panelbeater for 30 year and is now an automotive structural engineer, but he can't do the report on his own car!!

[wintertidenz]

Why would you do that to a classic that's worth a TON of money?! Rotary engines are just stupid anyway.

Hopefully it's salvageable.

[Subaru ETA]

Because rotary people are stupid that's why!!

[jpsnorton]

there this one in nz http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=472066548's

[SEAN-NZ]

rotarys should be kept in mazdas, not in a classic ford, what a waste of a car, hope it all works out though

[Davezj]

Dad knows the story but I think early on the engine went pop in it, so he got the local ford dealer to put the lotus engine in. That said it may not get the lotus one put back in as the guy is not on speaking terms with his son and the engine ain't with the car!

The biggest problem is that the car is dereged, which means it needs to be recompiled before it can go back on the road. Now that it has been cut up it needs an engineers report done. My dad was a panelbeater for 30 year and is now an automotive structural engineer, but he can't do the report on his own car!!

why don't you register the car in your name get the work done by your dad, then your dad can do the structural report because it is effectively your car and not his, then once it is all finished you can transfer the car into your dads name.
or if you can not do it get a mate to do it.

[Subaru ETA]

Link not working?

And, I should have mentioned, if he does the report, he can't do the repairs by law. The engineers such as my dad are contractors to the transport authority so he will have to pay someone else the money (could be alot) to do the report

[wintertidenz]

Can't he "supervise" the repairs? Or do they have to be done by a structural engineer?

[Subaru ETA]

A qualified panelbeater registered with the LTSA has to do the repairs, which he still is. He will then have to get someone else to do the report.

Other problem is it will need the cut parts replaced, they can't be repaired. So now he is looking for parts or another car he can raid

[SEAN-NZ]

there a bit harsh to not let it be repaired, couldnt it potentially be a stronger fix if it is repaired rather than replaced?

[Subaru ETA]

It has been cut right through a structural part of the car. I would say the reason the dumb ass gave up on it was because he realised how hard it was going to be to get it on the road after he did it!

When it needs a repair cert a structural bit like that need to be to manufactures spec unless it was to be certed as a race car, which we won't want

[SEAN-NZ]

ahh, still sounds like a pain, , sounds too strict though, although understandable to stop those who would do a half assed job

[Subaru ETA]

All you can do is laugh. Just spoke to my dad who is still trying to convince the old guy to sell.

The dumb ass son decided since he was just getting rid of the engine he would rev it until it spat a conrod out the side of the block. While he was doing this he had the temperature gauge sitting off the clock in the red so it would appear the lotus engine is toast.

On the bright side he has found the parts to fix it including a genuine GT engine, which we will rebuild. Just gotta convince the owner to sell!

[horndog]

All you can do is laugh. Just spoke to my dad who is still trying to convince the old guy to sell.

The dumb ass son decided since he was just getting rid of the engine he would rev it until it spat a conrod out the side of the block. While he was doing this he had the temperature gauge sitting off the clock in the red so it would appear the lotus engine is toast.



how do people this stupid manage to get through life!

[elnevio]

Yeah, that guy seriously needs to become a recipient of a Darwin Award, preferably sooner rather than later! :rolleyes4 /lol