An interesting project Ford saloon ripe for full restoration and recommissioning
A South African made XLE model fitted with a factory Essex 3L V6 engine
Recently registered in the UK on a current V5 and ready for bringing back to the road
The Appeal
The Ford Cortina, the company’s mid-sized family saloon, first appeared in 1962 and almost immediately became a success based on its blend of practicality and value for money. It was a worldwide hit, too, with Cortinas being produced in a number of offshore locations including South Africa between 1971 and 1984.
This 1974, MKIII car is a South African built model in a configuration not available in the UK. This XLE (Extra Luxury Edition) was only produced for the South African and Australasian markets. Its key differentiator lay under the bonnet being fitted with the three-litre, V6 Essex engine, a factory configuration that made many UK Cortina fans somewhat envious.
The XLE model featured the more generously proportioned XL style seats
These are finished in the original tan vinyl and feature the padded box pattern
The driver’s seat is ripped at the bolster and at the front of the squab
The top of the seat back features an earlier repair
The passenger front seat also exhibits rips to both base and backrest
The rear bench has split along a central seam
The rear, individual back rests are in good overall shape, however
The carpet set is in a heavily deteriorated condition and will require replacement
The door cars are in reasonable condition with just the odd small trim pieces missing
The perforated headlining is dirty and ripped in several places
The driver’s side sun visor is missing
The dashboard front and top are in a decent, original condition
The “boomerang” wheel is original but taped up in places
The boot seems to lacking its carpet with just some insulation in evidence
A spare wheel is present
Whilst clearly in need of some specialist attention, the interior is complete enough to give you the sense of what a roomy and nicely appointed this cabin would have been in 1974. There is plenty of original fittings in here that can be salvaged too. New seat covers and new carpets would go a long way towards transforming this Cortina’s cabin.
This MKIII Cortina is finished in its original Copper Brown paintwork
To help mark out a luxury model, a brown vinyl roof is fitted
It seems likely that the bodywork has benefitted from a life in a temperate climate
Although exhibiting some areas of corrosion the paint and bodywork are reasonable
There are some areas of cracking to the paint which are pictured
The nearside front wing has been scuffed at some point
There was some corrosion noted on the door bottoms
The vinyl roof is in quite poor shape having been sun-bleached and ripped in numerous places
The front light lenses appear to be in decent shape and seemingly original
The rear lenses do exhibit cracks and light damage
The chrome bumpers and rear panel appear to be in reasonable used condition
The cabin glass presents well with no major imperfections noted
All the correct badge work is in place with the exception of the front grill badge
The steel wheels are fitted with three, non-standard plastic wheel trims
The tyres are a mix of Dunlop, Firestone, and an economy brand
Whilst they look in reasonable condition, they may need changing from an age perspective
The vinyl roof appears to have fared worst under the South African sun having deteriorated significantly. It is likely, however, that other aspects of the car’s paint and body work have benefitted from the more benign climate. Most panels appear to be in a decent, solid condition and the original trim pieces and badges are mostly present.
Like the interior, there is potential to improve the presentation of this car quite dramatically with a modest input, such as addressing the wheels and tyres and attending to the vinyl roof.
The car is fitted with what is thought to be the original Essex V6 engine
A proven and respected engine, it was originally rated at around 138bhp
These engines have a significant tuning potential and have been used widely in competition
Power is fed to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic gearbox
The car is currently a non-runner and has not been run since being imported to the UK
The current owner believes the engine spins but is unable to verify the mechanical condition
It is thought that the indicated mileage is accurate, however, which suggests light use
Its non-running status means that condition of none of the mechanical systems is known
The underside of the car appears to be in good condition for the car’s age
No major areas of damage or corrosion were noted from the underside photographs
The respected “Essex” V6, so called because the majority were built in Dagenham in Essex, is a popular and much utilised engine. This means that parts are readily available and there is active tuning and competition support for the mechanicals.
In its day, with its healthy power output and smooth automatic gearbox this would have been a comfortable boulevard cruiser and an accomplished long-distance tourer. This is a car that deserves to be returned to that former glory.
Fords of this era are enjoying a very solid renaissance currently. The attributes that made them so popular as new cars apply equally well to them as classic cars. This means anything wearing the blue oval that’s a bit different and has age and mileage on its side is a promising proposition, both now and in the future.
In that regard, this MKIII Cortina ticks all the boxes. It’s an interesting specification that didn’t originally come to the UK, it has been lightly used and the South African climate has likely done its condition some favours. There is plenty of salvageable originality here too so don’t miss out and bid today for an interesting and rare project car.
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