BUYING: Corsair 1500
A Mk1 Cortina under the skin, the Corsair was longer, more comfortable and arguably more stylish, too.
What you need to know if you’re in search of some ’60s style.
K een to replace the gap left by the short-lived Classic and offer customers a seemingly more upmarket alternative to the Cortina, Ford ushered in the Consul Corsair in October 1963.
But while it was pitched as a more refined big brother to the Cortina, the new arrival had much more in common with its smaller sibling than its swoopy looks suggested.
Its distinctive appearance might have had more than a passing resemblance to the 1961 Thunderbird, but despite its longer body and stretched wheelbase, the Corsair shared the Cortina’s track, some inner engine bay panels, scuttle, bulkhead, door shells and windscreen. The three-bearing 1498cc Pre-Crossflow engine was also donated by the Cortina Super. Car buyers could choose from three versions — standard, Deluxe and GT. The availability of two and four-door body styles, 11 paint shades and such options as the Borg Warner automatic transmission and cloth trim added to the Corsair’s appeal.
Most customers skipped the ‘standard’ level of trim though, instead opting for the plusher Deluxe, which added such luxuries as pile carpet, two-tone paint schemes, two sun visors, dooroperated courtesy light, full width parcel shelf beneath the dash and no less than three ashtrays.
The Deluxe could also be ordered with bucket seats and a floor gear change, while both were standard on the GT. The sporty flagship also benefited from stiffer suspension, a centre console, rev counter, oil pressure gauge and ammeter. It also got another 19 bhp courtesy of a Weber carburettor and better manifolds.
However, the Corsair wasn’t really about speed and while Ford had perhaps oversold its executive status, it was considerably more comfortable than the Cortina thanks to its superior seating and nearly 10 cm more knee and legroom.
A 12-week waiting list soon ensued but only two years later Ford upset its popular package with the introduction of the more powerful V4 engine.
Ford’s hasty engine swap and the effects of over 55 years mean that 1498cc-engined Corsairs are thin on the ground, but these early examples are arguably more desirable than the later versions. You should always buy a Corsair on condition, regardless of what’s under the bonnet, but there’s a very good case that the sweeterrunning original really is the best. THE OWNER Geoff Hall With a history of classic Fords and a preference for the more obscure models, such as the Edsel and Galaxie, it was only a matter of time before Geoff added a Corsair to his garage. Taken in part-exchange against a 1960 Mercury, the low mileage, never-been-welded 1963 Deluxe has only been in his ownership some six months but it’s already one of his favourites in his collection. “It’s only had a few owners and it’s in really great condition. I haven’t seen a nicer one,” says Geoff, who runs businesses specialising in buying, selling and renting classic electric milk floats, cars and even a vintage bus. “I love the originality and I like the fact that the Corsair is one of the rarer old Fords. I’m surprised that despite its rarity it’s sensibly priced compared to more common classic Fords.”
“THE CORSAIR WASN’T REALLY ABOUT SPEED, AND IT WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE COMFORTABLE THAN THE CORTINA”
BODY
Rust is common in the boot corners, lower rear quarters, rear arches, slam panel and wings, chassis rails, A-pillars, outriggers, strut tops, sills and where the bulkhead and inner wings meet. Rear roof pillars can also rust behind the hard-to-find alloy trim piece that is exclusive to 1500 models. Chrome is getting very scarce, especially that of the GT and particularly its lower trim. Repair sections and panels are available but be wary of cheaper pattern sills as they don’t fit the profile of the originals, with the result that they throw out all the panel gaps. Rear screen rubbers can be hard to source, a more readily available alternative being a modified Mk2 Cortina item.
INTERIOR
Second-hand trim is scarce, although some reproduction items are available, such as door panels and headlinings. Vinyl seat covers are prone to splitting but also pay attention to the actual front seats themselves as the frames can rust — a solid shove should determine if the metal’s still sound. It’s more of a concern on the rarer two-door as finding decent, replacement tilting front items is near impossible.
ELECTRICS
Corroded connections are behind most electrical problems — notably, a poor earth is the cause of the common issue of one headlight being brighter than the other, although more of a concern is the sidelights having rotted out.The GT’s pod-mounted rev counter is notoriously unreliable, while be very wary of other instruments being inoperative. It could just be faulty senders, but it could also be the hard-toreplace printed dash circuit breaking down.
BRAKES
Parts for the early 1500 Corsairs can be hard to find. Rear wheel cylinders are usually the hardest to source, although remanufactured versions are starting to surface. Sticky callipers of seldom-used cars can be rebuilt with readily available kits, although a common fix is to swap them for the V4’s superior items.
TRANSMISSION
Rumbling that increases with speed and jumping out of gear are signs of advanced wear in the three-rail ‘box. A buzzing noise on cars equipped with a column change is a telltale of wear in the mechanism where the gearlever attaches to the gearbox, while also ensure that there’s no hanging in gears or a reluctance to shift. Rear end is reliable and any whine usually emits from the half shaft bearings rather than the axle. Watch for oil leaks from the diff and halfshafts.
SUSPENSION
Track control arm (TCA) bushes commonly fail, the symptoms being a clunking noise over bumps and vague steering.To boot, the pressed steelTCAs on the non-GT cars are prone to rot. Unresponsive steering can also be down to play in the steering box and while it can be adjusted out, any tight spots when turning the wheel mean it’s beyond help. The ‘box’s bottom oil seal is prone to leaking oil down the idler arm, which in turn rots out the steering linkage bushes. Unfortunately, if the idler arm itself is unserviceable, it can’t be swapped with the V4’s.The front struts aren’t interchangeable with the V4 items either.
ENGINE
Signs of a terminally-tired engine are blue exhaust smoke and a rumbling bottom end. Heavy breathing is another sign of advanced wear, often meaning the piston rings aren’t sealing properly, but if the 1498cc Kent motor seems otherwise healthy, then it’s worth checking that the breather pipes aren’t simply blocked. Core plugs commonly rust, while the crankshaft oil seal and timing gear cover have a habit of weeping oil. Don’t be alarmed by a bit of tapping from the top end, but a rattling sound is a sign that the timing chain assembly needs replacing.
“YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BUY A CORSAIR ON CONDITION, REGARDLESS OF WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET”
ONE TO BUY
1500 Deluxe
On sale at: internet auction site Pros: condition, two-door Cons: higher end of the price scale Registered in April 1964, the Corsair is believed to have covered only 46,000 miles. It comes with a comprehensive history file, which includes evidence of a full engine-out respray and an unleaded cylinder head conversion. A rare two-door model, the 1500 Deluxe is described as being in excellent condition and having been well maintained throughout its life. Other than the head work, the Corsair is standard aside from Lotus Cortina rims shod with new 185 tyres.
TECH SPEC Body
Four-door or two-door saloon, pressed steel monocoque
Engine
1498cc, four cylinders, in-line, pushrod OHV, chain-driven camshaft, cast iron cylinder head and block, five-bearing crankshaft, Zenith 33VN2 downdraught carburettor, centrifugal and vacuum ignition. Power: 60 bhp @ 4600 rpm, 81.5 lb.ft @ 2300 rpm
Gearbox
Four-speed manual, allsynchromesh. Column lever or central remote floor lever
Suspension
Front: independent by coil springs, MacPherson struts, telescopic dampers and anti-roll bar
Rear: live rear axle with half-elliptic leaf springs, Armstrong telescopic dampers
Steering
Burman recirculating ball
Brakes
Girling hydraulic Front: 241 mm solid discs Rear: 203 mm drums
Wheels and tyres
4x13 in steel disc wheels, 5.60-13 tyres
Performance
0-60 mph: 19 seconds Max speed: 84 mph
Price when launched
£701.40
Thanks
Geoff Hall and Paul Watts