Streetfighter

Got her home now.. Body wise it's better than I hoped, suspension wise it's worse.. And she's broken one of my original 70s Wolfrace wheels..

On the truck with the front suspension snapped, door damage etc.. I'm going to the yard tomorrow, find out the situation.. Been the hardest bank holiday of my life..

It's stored in my local police yard, they arranged arranged the pickup and storage because it's so obviously not my fault. All for free.

Luckily I had some Cobra bucket seats, she lifted the car off the ground.. Had I still had the crappy original seats fitted I'd have ended up in the boot I think..

I've never been so upset and angry in my life. It's my only car, I use it for work and life. Luckily she admitted full liability to the police and there was a witness. But I can't imagine I'll get even close to the value of it to repair it.

So it genuinely pains me to say, but My 65' Cortina has been written off.. On a roundabout and a doris ploughed straight on into the rear quarter, lifted the car off the ground and pushed my front on into a concrete island.. Absolutely devastated, had it since I was 18, first and only car I've ever had.. CA18DET engine, uprated everything.. Gone.. Temporarily. She's not going in the scrap, no way.. Project Phoenix begins ASAP..

So I've been away for a while getting the Cortina semi sorted bodywork wise and it's getting to the point the axle and diff aren't happy.. So an upgrade is needed.. Since Atlas axle prices are an absolute joke (seriously it's a few bits or steel and bearings!), need shortening, an LSD putting in them (the list goes on) i'm starting to get to grips with the idea of an independent setup.. The existing running gear is already S13 200SX and has been used and proven everyday for the last year I figure go S13 back end as well.. BUT.. I can't find any acceptable photos or diagrams of an IRS setup on a Cortina (or Escort), so I need as much information and as many photos as possible so I have some idea of where to start regarding actual mounting and fitment..

E30 mounts look a good candidate, but also like they'd drop the ride height about 2 inches.. Also look like they need alot of modification.. Has anyone successfully fitted them to a Cortina or similar?

By the looks of it Volvo 240 ones can be used as well. That would be useful as they will be more readily available and a load cheaper.

I had considered doing the unthinkable and selling the Cortina after the CA18DET suffered a near impossible to find, intermittant fault that turned out to be fuel feed/pressure regulated.. But I threw money, time and patience at it and it's been fine for a few weeks now and i'm loving having it back. A daily driver isn't worth having unless it's a Old School Ford.

Not been on for a while, I had a catastrophic fuel pressure/feed issue on my CA18DET powered MK1 Cortina and since that's now fixed i'm hitting the suspension and bodywork. However, MK1 Cortina top mounts are a nightmare to get quickly, so my question is.. Exactly what is involved in fitting MK1 Escort etc top mounts to a Cortina?

Definitely about the clutch and throttle to get the poor old girl rotating.. Just about holds on a hill now though. Win Haha

Down in Portsmouth.. I may go 9" drums on the rear or just leave them. They are ample enough but the brolly brake is a tad rubbish..

That makes a lot of sense.. And it can be done anytime..

I've had the shafts out before.. And they'll need to come out slightly when I fit an LSD in the housing. It's just the whole taking them somewhere to be done etc. Its my daily driver so all the stuff I do has to be done in a day. (Except the CA18DET that now sits between the wings)

So what's the exact set up that works well and doesn't need halfshaft machining?

205? What calipers etc would have to be used?

Is it possible to fit rear discs, with a brolly handbrake onto an english axle (MK1 Cortina) without pulling and machining the half shafts? It seems alot of effort for not a massive gain and means the car has to be off the road again

Gonna be difficult with no idle control valve hooked up to stop it stalling but I'm sure I can manage a wee burnout or doughnut..

Not seen the car for a week.. I've had ebola for a week. Maybe a cold though. Will snap some tomorrow before I take her for the first test =)

I'm at my Dad's workshop today so I'll get a few. It's not pretty, more of a ghetto build compared to some of the things people have done on here..

Was never going to be a banzai spoiler.. Just a few tasteful additions to go with an engine that'll finally pull rice pudding skin off Used to be an auto so I've not had to modify the tunnel yet so that's not an option. Frame connectors etc are okay, but no cages, stripped interiors or obvious things..

Trying not to cut the floor etc.. As it is I'm trying to devise a way of adding "chassis" strength and stiffness whilst avoiding a roll cage as that'll totally defeat the purpose of my street sleeper.. As it is the FMIC is totally hidden and painted behind the grille. The exhaust is about an inch from the floor and about 5mm away from the rails.

Got the prop and finished the engine wiring yesterday, took it out for a spin, exhaust isn't finished yet though, no silencers and it finishes in front of the rear wheel.. Not running totally well though but that's partly due to me not knowing how to wire the idle control valve up.. Definitely quicker than the warm Pinto it had previously. Not bad for 2 months work and 2.5 weeks off after I broke my hand, leg and foot when a doris wrote my Ducati off with me on it Haha..

Can't really lower it anymore, exhaust is 3" and too low. It's more for looks and to try and solve the issue of the steering getting light at high speeds. Hence my concern being more front end than rear.