Readly RF Feb 20

YOUR COOL PROJECTS
We all have our reasons for the old
Ford cars we own, for some, it’s the
looks, others it’s the power matched
to a nimble chassis! Then there is
the nostalgia… Jumping behind the
wheel of an old car that can invoke memories, the smell
(old Fords all seem to have the same scent). The driving
position can be like slipping on a pair of familiar old
comfy shoes. Whatever it is, if it makes you smile, and
manages to take you away from the drudgery of daily
life, then it’s a winner in our book!
Les, the owner of this Mk5 Cortina, bought the car to
re-live some old memories of a car that got away, in fact
it was the first car that Les managed to buy brand new!
“I was a young lad in the Army at the time, and I had
a second-hand Capri on finance. But I got the chance
to buy a brand-new car, and I really wanted a Cortina,
so I sold the Capri to a lad on the understanding that he
would take on the finance. This allowed me to buy a
1981 Mk5 Cortina 1.6L in Stratos silver! I was over the
moon with it, but unfortunately, it was short-lived….
as the guy that bought my Capri defaulted on the
payments! The loan was still in my name, so I was in
trouble! The result was that my beloved Cortina had to
go.” Says Les.
Sadly, for Les, this was the end of Cortina ownership
for the best part of 30 years, but then he found himself
in a position where maybe he could right the wrong that
had been forced upon him all those years ago!
“I came across a Cortina for sale, but it wasn’t just
any Cortina this time, it was a South African import 3.0L
See our behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine 097