HERITAGE: Cortina Estate
Original classic Fords: Available as a special order, the GT version of the Mk2 Cortina Estate is now a seriously rare classic Ford, and Eddie Borley is on a mission to keep his Series 2 version in tip-top shape.
Super rare GT in all it’s Fern Green glory.
Any Mk2 Cortina Estate is a rare sight today — they often led harder lives than their saloon-based cousins, after all. As with most of Ford’s range, the Cortina Estate was available in various specifications, but few people realise there was a range topping GT version within the line up, too.
Eddie Borley has been a huge fan of the GT Estate since as long ago as 1977, which happens to coincide with the year he bought this very car. “I grew up with my Dad, Joe driving around in 100Es and an Escort van, I was Ford man through and through,” Eddie laughs, “but I’d never heard of a Cortina GT Estate until I saw this one!”
Back in 1977, Eddie was part of the construction team building the M20 Motorway in Kent. “I was invited to a wedding down in Biggin Hill and by chance I spotted this Cortina for sale in the car park,” Eddie recalls. ”I asked my cousin’s husband who was selling it as I’d never seen one before and quite liked the look of it.” Eddie soon managed to track down the vendor who was asking a reasonable £650 for the Mk2, but there was an immediate problem coming up with the funds. “I didn’t want to miss out on this car as I was unlikely to come across another, so I went back to my construction site at the M20 and after asking around all the workers chipped in so I could pay for it,” Eddie laughs, “we were all a close team and they knew I’d pay them back by the end of the month.”
Full use
Being pretty chuffed with his new purchase, Eddie was pleased to discover his Cortina only had two previous owners and had been well cared for. “It went on to be my daily driver and unofficial company car right up to 1990,” Eddie recalls, “I slept in it many a time working away and it was often to be found on construction sites normally the reserve of Land Rovers and plant machinery!”
Eddie was always aware this was a rare example of a Mk2 Cortina, but it wasn’t until 2018 where a chance encounter at the NEC with one of the former AVO production line workers was able to supply a few interesting facts about the car.
Launched in 1967, he discovered all GT Estates were built to SVO (Special Vehicle Order) using the mainstream Cortina 1600 Super as a base. “The engine, front disc brakes, larger rear drums and GT Rostyle wheels were all sourced from the 1600GT saloon,” Eddie explains. “The paint options were the same as the GT too, as was the interior, though the brightwork was retained from the 1600 Super.” The Series 2 model took over in 1968 and Eddie’s rare Fern Green example happens to be one of the last built in June 1970.
Everyday duties continued throughout the 1980s for Eddie’s GT, though by 1982 the sills and certain panels were beginning to show their age. “These were all replaced, though two of the doors, the tailgate and bonnet are still original to the car,” Eddie points out, “and the rear wheel arches have been replaced too.”
By 1990, after 20 years hard service, Eddie decided to relegate everyday duties to a van and the Cortina went into storage in his garage,
“Lack of use meant things started to seize up,” Eddie laughs. “The brake callipers had to be replaced soon after and the paintwork was starting to look tired.” A full respray was carried out in 1992. “The original black vinyl roof was looking rough around the edges, so I had this replaced with an olive-green roof as this blends in nicely with the paintwork,” Eddie tells us.
Classic period
By the mid 1990s, Mk2 Cortinas were becoming a rare sight, most were lucky to make it beyond the 1980s and Eddie began to notice his car was attracting a lot of interest. “I started to get involved with the Cortina clubs in 1997 and in
“EDDIE’S 1970 GT ESTATE IS ONE OF THE LAST BUILT”
2003 I entered the car into its first show,” Eddie recalls. “I’d just had another doors-off, glass-out respray in early 2003 so the car was looking its best again by then.” The original 1600 Crossflow had proved itself to be utterly reliable and had so far never missed a beat. “Around the time of the last respray it was beginning to show signs of wear so I took it to a specialist for a rebuild,” Eddie remembers. “Sadly while the engine was in their possession, the company went bust and I never got it back.”
All was not lost and Eddie managed to track down a genuine Cortina GT engine, the same spec and year as his lost original, “I had this rebuilt by Ashby & Anderson in Leeds before
refitting and its been fine ever since,” he explains, “It’s now on only its second gearbox, third clutch and the car has covered 183,000 miles — it had 96,000 on the clock when I bought it in 1977!” The rear wiper Eddie has also fitted while the stainless exhaust came courtesy of Tony Banks more recently.
The interior remains its totally original GT spec with black vinyl seats and GT clocks, other than the wood trim that Eddie decided to fit back in the day.
“I always liked the 1600E spec wood trim and managed to source a second-hand set,” he points out, “as they never made a 1600E estate I had a cabinet maker produce the 2 rear sections for the load area to match.”
Having owned this car for so long, one thing Eddie has noticed is that spares have become much harder to find in recent years and prices have risen dramatically. Back in the day a pair of new front wings cost just £70 from Ford, while now a piece of trim he may have to import from Malta, Australia or South Africa at great cost.
“Both the Mk2 Cortina clubs have been invaluable when it comes to sourcing parts too,” Eddie tells us, “and their technical advice is always spot-on as well.”
You won’t be surprised to hear Eddie plans to keep hold of his rare loadlugger for as long as he can, “It’ll be a Viking style funeral for me and the GT,” he laughs. Thanks to: the Cortina Mk2 Owners’ Club (www.fordcortinamk2oc.co.uk), the Cortina Mk2 & 1600E Owners’ Club (www.mk2cortina-1600e.co.uk), Peter Marsden and Dewsbury RLFC.