Normal + Lotus Cortina shell differences?

[boXXer]

Are they any different from each other? bit like type 49's and normal ones on mk1 escorts?

 

any references that make them different would be cool

 

Thanks!

Mike

[morcheen]

mk1 or 2's ?

[Rick]

good question

[oliwally]

Badges have different mounting holes on rear 1/4.

bowler hat type hump in boot.

early cars had alloy wings.

there are a few other things but cant remember.

[boXXer]

both mk1 and mk2 please

 

What was the "bowler hat" type thing in the boot for?

[Chris!]

Badges have different mounting holes on rear 1/4.

bowler hat type hump in boot.

early cars had alloy wings.

there are a few other things but cant remember.

early cars had alloy boot bonnet and doors(not wings), the horn bracket is removed on late cars, the battery tray is removed and relocated into the boot, the early and late shells have different humps, the rear suspension set up is different on the early cars (a frame)

MK1!!

[Chris!]

both mk1 and mk2 please

 

What was the "bowler hat" type thing in the boot for?

its a lump in the boot floor so the axle doesnt hit the floor when going over a bump due to the lotus' lowered suspension!

[Chris!]

this is an early lump

[Rick]

alloy parts!

[Chris!]

early a frame rear suspension!

[boXXer]

thanks very much mate. What about the mk2's? might be buying one soon, so need to know whether its a proper one or not....

[Guest MK1gaz]

thanks very much mate. What about the mk2's? might be buying one soon, so need to know whether its a proper one or not....

Factory battery tray in the boot (check for signs of removing from the front) is the best way to tell as it's very difficult not to leave a trace

[boXXer]

nice one mate

[V8ian]

thanks very much mate. What about the mk2's? might be buying one soon, so need to know whether its a proper one or not....

Factory battery tray in the boot (check for signs of removing from the front) is the best way to tell as it's very difficult not to leave a trace

Gaz, all the cortinas originally had battery trays in the engine bay, and as such will have to have had the battery tray removed even if it is a clone, so all cortinas should have removal signs,

I beleive there were over 20 mods done to th eMk1 shell to make it different to a standars shell,

The mk2 however was only slightly different from stock, Look inside the car thru the windscreen, and I think there should be 4 fresh air vents to clear the screen, not 2, in the boot floor there should be a 3/8 hole to hold down the tool roll, all interiors on the Mk2 had satin black door tops and rear caps, chrome trims on the window surrounds externally, the strut tops should have a short double skin strenghener like the 1600e,

Mk2s were available in any colour from the product range as were interior colours, and the stripe was a dealer option, not factory, I had a s1 Lotus in Alipna green and a tan interior, all mk 2 lotus should have umbrella type handbrake handles and centre consoles, and there were I beleive 6, 4 door Lotii made for a certain police force, the battery tray is bolted into the drivers side toolwell with 6? bolts that can be accessed from the underside, they were NOT welded in position

[morcheen]

s1 had umbrella handbrake s2 was located behind the gearstick. any details on the car you might be buying? get the lotus cortina forum to check if they have any info on the car too.

[V8ian]

Another thing that may indicate that the shell might not be original apart from the air vents, and often overlooked, Series 1 cars had a slight hook forward on the bottom of the front gutter where the S2 was straight, I say this because its very often missed when swapping shells, Series 1 should have the extra clocks on top of the dash, and S2 in the dash, both had 140mph speedos and 7k tachs, I think Lotus has 5 pack leaf springs as well where normal cars had 4, I seem to also remember the late S2 had the tramp bars deleted, S1s deffo had them.

Common to all S1 & 2s S2s had the FORD scripts on boot and bonnet, also have a look in the boot at the back of the otus badge, there should only be 2 pins holding it on, any more indicate its a GT shell

[lotusless]

as there are so many "fakes" about i will give you

one peice of advice, as mk1's + 2's are both top

money now get in touch with the lotus cortina register

try + buy a known motor ie one that has been about

for a while + well known to them. be very wary of

recently restored cars with no history. if your going

to spend that sort of money see if you can get a

club member to veiw any car with you, they have

done it before + if you have to give em £30 for

petrol to have a look rather that than spend £15k

on a gt with lotus badges there are lots of

differences mostly on the mk1, i dont think anyone's

mentioned the handbrake on the mk1 lotus its chrome

+ the gt is black, even the tca's are different on the lotus.

the mk2's are harder to spot but again you can do it.

they had both dash + tunnel handbrakes(not dash only)

[morcheen]

all mk2 lotus cortinas had tramp bars,but i think late gt's had them deleted

[twincam richard]

the mk 2 was the only cortina with a factory fitted servo as standard , there is a bracket on the drivers side bulkhead near the bonnet hinge for the throttle cable to attach to as only the lotus had a cable operated throttle all the others were rod operated , these are 2 distinctive differences between a lotus and all other cortinas, i know because i got one and a 1600E