We spent months trying to find a decent Ford Cortina 
at the right price searched all the usual magazines and internet sites , eventually we found a half completed project . The shell was in great condition but tired, the guy had stripped the car down to a bare shell and started on the bodywork respraying part of the shell 
, but the job was not the best , we also got loads of spares from a doner car, so was too good to miss, so we put in our offer and trailered it away strarted to strip it . We removed everything down to the last nut and bolt till we had a completely bare shell , we decided we needed the car up in the air so built a Jig so we could rotate the car and work on i
t underneath the shell is in unbelievable condition , we have removed all the years of underseal and have found the original paint work and bare clean metal !!!. Meanwhile one of the engines ( we got two with the car) is one the bench have a full strip down , ready for rebuild , the best doors have been striped down to bare metal ready for respray ...........watch our weekly Blog on the full rebuild
History of the ford cortina mk 2......In 1966, Ford introduced a new Cortina. Visually it was a very different car from the outgoing Mk1. Styling was elegant and minimalist. All references to 50s America had finally disappeared and the design was very much in keeping 
with the fashion of the second half of the sixties - automotive modernism.
The new car was roomier and more comfortable than its predecessor. It had more power and was altogether a better product. Ford gave the Cortina buying man in the street something to be really proud of.
Inside the Mk2 was just as good as it was on the outside. This simple, but elegant, facia greeted the driver.
At the launch there were the De Luxe, Super and GT models. The Cortina De Luxe had the basic 1300cc engine and Ford's unique Aeroflow ventilation system - which won a safety award from the AA - for "eliminating stuffiness, and drowsiness and almost completely preventing the interior from misting."
The Cortina Super had more comfortable seats covered in "Cirrus 200", deep pile carpeting and the more powerful 1500cc engine as standard. It also had a cigar lighter and coat hooks, as well as a differently styled, padded facia. The Cortina GT boasted a more powerful engine taking the top speed to around 90mph. It also had sports car style instrumentation and a remote gear shift.
In 1968 Ford gave all the range a boost to power when the new engines were fitted with a cross-flow head and bowl-in-piston combustion chambers. This boosted power, but added to the weight and could sometimes cause vibration. 
In the same year Ford introduced the model that was perhaps the ultimate expression of the Cortina concept - the 1600E. It had the same engine as the GT, lowered suspension, special wider wheels and a luxury interior, including a smart polished wood facia and door cappings. It was truly an "executive" model and you could have all this for a mere £1073. When England defended the 1970 World Cup in Mexico every squad member was loaned a 1600E for the Summer. Imagine the joy if the current England football team were each loaned a new Mondeo Ghia by Ford Motor Company!
The Cortina Mk2 lasted until the end of the sixties. Its cult status was assured when Michael Caine drove a silver model in the cult film, "Get Carter".
