In search of my old Mk1 Cortina.

[tinarotor]

G’day All,
Although new to the forum, I’m more than familiar with the sports sedan category, and life story aside … if it’s still out there, I’d like to locate and buy my old race car back!
A short life story … after religiously following the class for years, late in ’89 I joined ASSA (NSW) with the intention of building/buying a car and going racing, initially at NSWRRC/ARDC club level.
After a meeting or two at the infamous Greyhound Club, it was more than apparent that the NSW chapter of the Association was about to disappear up its own fundamental, primarily due to the lack of interest in participating in what was a fragmented, almost non-existent schedule of events, offered to the category at an open level.
The membership numbers were so low at the bi-monthly meetings, each attendee could have shouted the room twice … and nobody would have gone home pissed!
As a new, somewhat disillusioned recruit, I raised my hand at the ’90 AGM and was elected Vice President … and began the process of rebuilding the ASSA (NSW) with Ollie (President), my wife Jo (Secretary) and an extremely focussed committee.
In ’91 I was elected President and amongst other State based successes and achievements generated by the hardworking ASSA NSW committee … we took the sports sedan category to Bathurst as the primary Saturday support event, with television coverage and sponsorship from Spies Hecker to pay our way.
The greater percentage went to the ARDC might I add, due to Mr. Stibbard’s ‘take it or leave it’ attitude … but we did have a few bob left over to spend on a sizeable marquee in the pits, a few beers and a post event dinner. The memory of Jeff Barnes impersonating Buddy Holly with my wife’s ‘90’s look Jonathan Sceats glasses planted on his head will never leave me!
The following year we pulled together a NSW series, with the most welcome financial assistance from a very enthusiastic Ron O’Brien (O’Brien Aluminium).
In ’93 Ron took the ASSA NSW helm, as I went onto join Oran Park Motorsport, initially as Media Manager, then Motorsport & Media Manager when Mal Halligan retired.
That aside … I need your collective assistance to help me hopefully find my old race car.
In a Jan 11, ’10 posting (ASSA Hall of Champions), ‘2002 Turbo’ alluded to my ASSA NSW involvement and mentioned I had a rotary powered Mk 1 Cortina.
The fact is I never got to finish and therefore race the car, as life, Oran Park (at the time), subsequent professional gigs, a very young family and a move to the Central Coast took precedent … so it, with a well build, light weight trailer, was sold to a guy by the name of Glenn Rae, who resided somewhere in Sydney’s western suburbs.
I’d love to find out whether Glenn did anything with it, moved it on, or heaven forbid scrapped it. The contact numbers I have for Glenn are disconnected, so I’ve run aground.
The car was log booked, briefly run by the previous owner, but needed some serious sorting. I sold it as a roller, set up for a rotary with fabricated suspension. It had previously been painted maroon and silver and I recall it had 13’’ Mawer wheels with new Bridgestone slicks.
If I can find it, and pending condition, I’d like to try to buy it back.
Alternatively, and considering the potential growth of the Group U Historic category, I’d like to chase down something similar (rotary powered Mk1 Cortina, 105E Anglia, Mk1 Escort etc.) … and have a go in some way (super sprints, club activity), before I turn turtle.
Any advice or leads on my old Tina or an alternative proposition would be sincerely appreciated … please feel free to call me (0431 771 722).
Many thanks,
Chris
Chris Sullivan T. 0431 771 722.

[jd yort]

Hi Chris,

Welcome to the forum. You would know my old man from you OP Motorsport days (D Miller). I have a bit of a soft spot for the Mk1's myself with a 2dr and a 4dr in the garage. I did a bit of research on Mk1's a few years back.

Have you seen this link before?
http://www.cortina-mk1classifieds.com/f ... rts-Sedans

[tinarotor]

Thanks for the reply jd yort.

Regarding your dad, please give me a little more info on where he fitted in at OP. Twenty plus years on, I, certainly to some degree, struggle to remember the names ... no necessarily the faces, but certainly the names. The only Miller that quickly comes to mind is Jamie (Mk1 Escort sports sedan competitor).

Regarding Mk1 Cortinas, you clearly possess the same passion for the marque. If I can't locate my old jigger (and it appears I probably won't), I'll be chasing you down to hopefully convince you to sell me one of yours!

I've owned four Mk1s over time ... starting with a pretty basic crossflow powered example which I parted out, but kept the fibreglass panels, early race seat (which I'm currently sitting on), disc braked diff, adjustable struts, Koni shocks, reversed eyed springs, Capri rotors etc, etc. This was followed by the maroon/silver car I'm currently trying to find. Whilst rebuilding the maroon/silver car, I purchased a very light weight yellow 2 door (full fibreglass rear quarters/boot, nose cone etc), powered by a 12A bridgeport, which I subsequently sold. I then bought a very nice fully restored, road registered '64 GT 2 door which I also eventually sold ... to a tosser who not long after purchasing it, rolled and destroyed it. I vaguely recall receiving word that he was trying to blame me for an alleged mechanical failure that caused the accident. Of course when I fronted him, he all but denied the allocations.

So yes, I have a passion for them ... and yes I've reviewed your Mk1 link on several occasions, great stuff. The Mk1s of Geoff Boyd (also owned by Warren Aubin (ex Bathurst) and then a Western Sydney guy by the name of Ray), Danny Tracey (red/blue on white), Lindsay Butler and others, where always a hit with me ... Geoff's yellow and green Mk1 in particular.

If I can't locate my old 'Tina, I'm hopeful of unearthing something similar ... an English Ford based barn find, be it a 105e Anglia, a Mk1 Cortina or even a Mk1 Escort, that was modded and raced (certainly to some degree) back in the day.

Aside to this posting, do you have any tips on where and how I might spread the net further ... other websites and/or forums, related car sale sites and so on? I think I've just about exhausted most avenues, but any advice would be most welcome.

Cheers,
Chris.

[jd yort]

Aside to this posting, do you have any tips on where and how I might spread the net further ... other websites and/or forums, related car sale sites and so on? I think I've just about exhausted most avenues, but any advice would be most welcome.

The only one I have recently come up for sale was that black one on My105. I kick myself for not buying it at the time, it ended up being purchased back by the guy who built in which is a good thing. Think he lives Lithgow direction.
In VIC that red / green car was racing 2005ish in the U2L series, not sure if that had an old history or not. It may of become the white highly modified thing that is doing Supersprints in VIC. Zombie from the Mk1 forum he had one of them and it ended up as being scrap. I would not be surprised if there is no others left. The best place to ask would be on the Cortina Forum in that thread and on the Sports Sedan facebook group which has a large base. There is a lot of people there who know what cars are sitting in which garages.

(my old man was the starter, he worked there from the time OP opened until it closed. One of the 3 that did the entire journey)