HERITAGE: Cortina City
Pete Crompton’s on a mission to save Mk3 Cortinas — we find out why and check out his current collection.
You likely believe the last brand-new Mk3 Cortina was built in 1976, but Pete Crompton’s comprehensive restorations have virtually put them back into production. “I like a challenge,” explains Pete. “My dad and brother had Cortinas. I got my first Mk3 when I was 21, I love the Coke bottle styling, there’s not a bad angle on the car. I like finding really rotten Cortinas and saving them.”
“The silver 2000 GXL is a rare two-door and rarer still for being an automatic,” explains Pete. “Built in January 1972 it had sat in a field in Tewkesbury since 1983. I saw photos of it taken by a fellow Mk3 Cortina Owner’s Club member (www.cortinamk3club.com) so drove the 150 miles down there, left my details and got a call from the owner’s daughter in 2016. I’d just started another restoration but I returned to collect the car, got it running and driving, then displayed it as a barn-find for a couple of years with all the brambles still attached. I’d trailer it to shows then drive it in.”
The restoration began in 2018 with a complete stripdown. “The roof was clearly bad where it had rotted under the vinyl but after an acid dip it also needed a boot floor, inner sills and floorpan which came from Ex-Pressed Steel Panels (www.steelpanels.co.uk) I went front to back on the body and dissected every spot weld. I saved about half of the front metalwork and part of the bulkhead — about a third of the metal remains original. A local bodyshop do all my final paintwork — I prefer to leave that to the experts — and painted it my preferred Granada shade, Silver Birch rather than the original Silver Fox.”
Jem Engines (01324 633266, www.jemengines.co.uk) rebuilt the bottom end with a Kent FR30 cam. “I did the top end and ancillaries, there’s a stainless steel custom exhaust, too. I wanted to build a continental cruiser so I’ve added upgrades such as Mk4 Cortina power steering, a full MP3 system, uprated airflow and heater, even heated screen-washers with rain sensors.
“The gearbox is a Mk3 Granada A4LD four-speed automatic with electronic torque lock up — I built a speed controller to run it. The ’box bolts straight to the Cortina’s Pinto but it’s 115 mm longer so I had the propshaft shortened and fabricated new mounts. I bought a complete 2-litre Granada and stripped it for parts. The rear end is a stock 3.75:1 so at 70 mph the engine is doing 3000 rpm. I’ve added cruise control from the Granada too, using the original sensor from the A4LD gearbox. It’s all hidden away, the only clue being the control stalk which I’ve engraved in the original Ford font.
“I rebuilt and powdercoated the suspension. The brakes are standard but, like every one of my restorations, each single bolt and seal of this car has been cleaned, refurbished or replaced. The interior is ColorBond dyed vinyl and retrimmed by Kew Coach Trimmers (01704 536787, www.kewcoachtrimmers.co.uk) with heating pads sewn inside. All the wood trim inlays were hydro dipped and wrapped and I added a Mondeo self-dimming rear view mirror. The headlights are Osram Night Breaker bulbs and there’s Cree LED taillights — I always use branded ones, the cheap bulbs can be dangerous.
“THE BLUE GXL WAS FOUND IN A HEDGE WITH A TREE GROWING THROUGH IT”
“It’s a driver’s car; I love motorway driving. I do 200 miles a week and there’s no rattles, no wind noise. I’m obsessive about it being perfect. I wanted to finish these cars while I was still young enough to enjoy them, I gave myself three years to complete this Cortina and finished it in two, it took 2800 hours with 30 hours a week until midnight every night.”
All about the base
The estate is a 1300L from 1972. “It’s a base model; I hadn’t seen one with a vinyl roof. I saved it from banger racers in 2017. It was originally a Co-op television repair car then was bought by a mechanic who’d died and it’d sat on his ramp since 1977. It was largely surface rust and came with two brand-new wings and the original 1972 battery. Being dry-stored even the rubber carpeting was still good. I prefer saloons so sold it to another enthusiast recently. I just wanted to prevent it being raced.”
The yellow car is a November 1971 2-litre GXL. “It was an unfinished project,” explains Pete, “a good body that was stripped with no engine or interior. A blank canvas. I bought it in 2016 because at the time that two-door wasn’t available, then suddenly it was. This car is now Maize Yellow, I copied the colour scheme from an original Corgi model.
“I replaced the outer sills and one inner wing, it was a test bed for the silver car and so has the same A4LD gearbox conversion, a Jem-built 205 block, power steering, cruise control, and so no. I’ll definitely be keeping this one; it’s lowered an inch and is polybushed with Spax 240 lb springs so it’s a sporty go-kart ride. I love the handling. There’s 2600 hours in this car — again every piece was rechromed and each screw and seal refurbished or replaced, I added a new vinyl roof too. It’s been to France and Italy, I even drove it to Cortina.”
Essex boy
The blue Cortina is an October 1971, 2-litre manual GXL. “I’d rebuilt a green one in 2011 and was on a forum looking at a ‘Left to rot’ thread when I noticed photos of this Cortina in a swamp,” remembers Pete. “I got in touch with the photographer, a lorry driver who had been on a detour in Maldon, Essex when he saw the car. Using Google Earth I found the location and in November 2011 drove down there in my green car to find it. In was in a hedge with a tree growing
through it. I knocked on doors but couldn’t find the owner so I went through the Land Registry for a name and drove back down two months later.
“The Cortina had been parked up in 1987 after the owner died and his brother hadn’t returned to the car since. I gave him £200 and my promise that I would restore it then bring it back to show him.
“Every panel was rotten including the roof, which started to crack apart as we craned it out... It needed a new roof, door skins, floor, boot… every panel was replaced. It was my first proper restoration.
“Fellow enthusiast, Mad Mike spent a year helping me, and showing me metal techniques and welding. I finished the car in 2014 after 3200 hours of work — we were probably able to save about a third of it since all the running gear is still original. I did the engine’s head and ancillaries and the interior was completely retrimmed.
“When I drove it back to Essex completed, the brother and his mum were in tears. Corgi found out about the story and made a model of the car.
“The key with these restorations is to do one section at a time or it overwhelms you.
You have to organise things such as rechroming months in advance and have alternatives in place in case you get let down. Because I make YouTube and Patreon videos I feel I have to offer value for money for my followers, they give me the adrenaline and urge to keep going. I have to provide regular content and the viewer’s feedback keeps me enthusiastic — I do it for them as much as for myself.”
“THE ESTATE IS A EX-TV REPAIR CAR I SAVED FROM THE BANGER TRACK”
Follow Pete and see his restoration videos at www.youtube.com (search for Pete C), or at www.patreon.com/cortina.