Can there possibly be a cleaner, more honest, rust-free and stock Cortina Mk 1 in this Universe? I realize there are some very nicely restored Lotus Cortinas out there, as well as some Cortina GTs and some very nice fake Lotuses. Something tells me it is highly unlikely that there is another bench seat, 4 speed on the column Mk 1 this nice. If there is, someone please let me know about it!

I purchased this car for my own use back in 2011 because ‘Cortina’ was on my “bucket list”. Remarkably, much of the car is ORIGINAL (including most of the PAINT!). The peripheral mechanicals and some of the cosmetics were restored before my purchase (have a look at the photos of the undercarriage!). It had been stored for a time before I received it so my technicians went through it so that it would be absolutely reliable so that my wife and I could tour in it. It has been my occasional daily driver and needs nothing – just get in and go!

Based upon discussions with the past owner, the shop which performed the maintenance and objective observations (upholstery, pedal wear, etc.) it appears that she has only been driven 33,654 actual miles.

NOTE: See more description and history below the photos…
{Click on any photo to see its full size version}

Here is a list of the main things that were done in our workshops:

1) Drain old fuel and purge lines
2) New fuel filter & battery
3) Bleed brakes & clutch hydraulics
4) Re-core radiator, replace all hoses, thermostat & cap
5) Adjust valves, replace valve cover gasket
6) Rebuild carburettor
7) Rebuild rear brake wheel cylinders
8) Rebuild clutch complete, including hydraulics
9) Replace the seat backrest cap upholstery (retaining the original seating surface upholstery)
10) Replace front crankshaft seal
11) Install new center muffler

Trips we’ve done in “Tina”:
1) Temecula, CA wine tasting
2) Alpine, CA Alpine Brewery beer tasting
3) Pine Valley, CA Tenth anniversary photo shoot

You don’t even want to think about what it would cost to duplicate this car in a professional restoration shop.