Mods and Consequences
Ford Cortina MkIV/ V
‘You can t a Zetec or Duratec engine straight out of a Mondeo’
The Cortina MkIV arrived in September 1976 with a choice of 1.3-, 1.6- or 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines, in saloon or estate configurations. The car looked all-new but it was effectively a facelifted Cortina MkIII, with the mechanicals carried over.
A year later a 2.3-litre Cologne V6 joined the range, with power steering and firmer suspension. A facelift in August 1979 led to Ford announcing a new Cortina (MkV) but the changes were only cosmetic – there were no mechanical updates at all.
While the 1.6- and 2.0-litre cars have overhead cam Pinto engines the 1.3-litre is the overhead valve Kent unit. Most surviving Cortinas have a 1300 or 1600 engine, but there are some V6s around. All have tuning potential, and because the Cortina’s engine bay is so spacious you can fit pretty much anything you like.
Using a 1.6- or 2.0-litre unit as your start point makes sense, especially the latter. You can then tune this in all sorts of ways (exhaust, fuelling, tweaked cylinder head, etc) – or you could fit a Cosworth YB Turbo powerplant which you can tune to just about whatever output you want.
If you’re starting with a 2.3 V6 it’s easy enough to fit a 2.8i unit instead – although it makes more sense to just go for the later 2.9i lump, which in 24-valve Cosworth form gives you 195bhp without any tweaks. Alternatively you can fit a Zetec or Duratec engine straight out of a Mondeo – the bits are readily available to convert it from front- to rear-wheel drive, too.
In terms of transmissions you can easily fit a Type 9, MT75 or BorgWarner T5 gearbox and there’s a multitude of differential ratios available. If you’re going for power overload, it’s worth opting for a limited-slip unit for about £800. You can install the internals from a Capri unit into your Cortina back axle, but as the casings aren’t the same you can’t just fit the Capri item wholesale.