2012 - Mk3 Cortina Pick-up

Let's kick off 2012 with an old car event.

I collected my much loved old armchairs from my old house, my ex had replaced the old suite with a new one and they'd come up for grabs.  After a bit of Note sending I found a fellow club member willing and able to help out with his pick-up.

The car is a Mk3 Ford Cortina with a Ford Sierra P100 bed and a 2ltr EFI Ford Granada engine

Used, abused but loved and capable.

Wirksworth

This weekend just gone, the parents and I went to Wirksworth for the art festival there.  The festival is not really of any interest to this blog, but some of the spots were.

This made us chuckle, mobility scooter with a Motorway Maintenance sticker on the back and a high visibility jacket on the seat.  I believe the women in purple skirts were part of a performing arts thing... or maybe it was just a strange coincidence.

Dad and I spotted this bike at about the same time.  The bike is a make I'm unfamiliar with, it being the first one I'd ever seen, but Dad was au fait being a bike riding type way back when.

Twingo!  Don't see these too often in the UK, they were primarily sold in France as rental cars.

Nissan Figaro.  One of the more successful attempts at a retro styled modern car which is itself now considered a retro vehicle due to its age.  Hard to believe this little 2 seater coupé is a Nissan Micra underneath it all.

Sooty Van, aka Bedford Rascal.  I believe these sleep one and a half people, are a little more unstable than the miniature van counterpart and quite rare now.  Perfect for wending your way around the narrow streets of Wirksworth though.

Moving House

When you move house almost entirely with a tiny car and a roof rack and your friends have Photoshop, this is what happens.

BAM! Hillman Imp

Garage find Imp, used regularly and restored just enough to preserve it.  Love this sort of thing.

Unlikely Bedfellows

The Standard Atlas is a clumsy looking old thing, and quite rare now.  Most Standard Atlas' have rotted away or are found seemingly solid only to have rotted away in all the important places so that they turn into a pile of old British tin at the mere tug of a door handle.

The Bosozoku movement of Japan creates clumsy looking things.

I like both, for reasons I don't yet fully understand, so when the challenge for a Bosozoku themed vehicle came up over on Retro Rides I couldn't help myself really.

I HAVE NO REGRETS!

4th July - Retro Rides Meadowhall Meet

As I make more blog posts I'm getting more familiar with what does and doesn't work.  With this in mind I'm cherry-picking the best bits from the recent Retro Rides Meadowhall Meet.

I didn't get as many snaps as I would've liked of this Cortina.  Very mean looking thing on black steels, with black paint and a black interior set off with small bits of chrome and a gold coachstripe.  Wouldn't change a thing... probably.

These two stood out at the meet for me, and for others.  The DMC Delorean is an icon thanks to the Back To The Future films and while other people love them, I'm not so keen (apart from the wheels).  The Ford Anglia in the foreground, on the other hand, is something I'd happily be around all day long and this one was clearly something special.

This was a very nice looking Citroen 2CV Dolly.  Wasn't over restored but was clearly loved and with the roof down it meant one could get a good look inside at the very basic construction and finish of the thing.  Charming, quirky and completely French, very little could be further away from the very German Audi it was parked next to.

Norton Country House - charitable event - part 6

The final part of my report on the show, and to conclude here's some of the detail shots I took.

Ford Escort Ghia wheel

Austin Somerset grille.

Austin Somerset interior.

Desmo aftermarket mirror on Austin Seven

Ford Capri trick reflection shot.

Norton Country House Show - charitable event - part 3

Part three.

Another BMW and this one with vast wheels.  I really do need to swot up on BMW models, but if I'm honest as a car they don't particularly interest me.

This Morris Oxford was a very handsome thing.  Again, owned by a super friendly chap who was more than happy to talk about his car.

This Mercedes was vast, you didn't realise just how vast until you walked down the length of it.  Full of seventies luxury including a healthy 8-track collection.

A Hillman Minx in a superb colour combination.

Fantastic little period door markers.

The oft derided MG 1100.  Looked like it had only just been collected from the showroom.

Norton Country House Show - Charitable event - part 1

As stated on my previous post, recently I attended the Norton Country House show in Sheffield.  This was the first time I'd put my car into a proper show allbeit a small charitable one.

Myself and a few of the other Motornutz club members were quite early.

left to right: Mk1 Ford Escort 4 door, Mk3 Ford Escort Ghia, Mk2 Triumph 2000, Mk2 Volkswagen Polo hatchback (that's mine).

I hadn't twigged that I'd seen this Escort before and liked it.  This time it was sporting new bumpers, new grille, new mirrors and a new black bonnet.  It was enough to make it look like an entirely different car to me.

A little later some more club members turned up.

left to right:  Range Rover Vogue SE, Mk2 Ford Escort, Mk2 Ford Cortina.

It really is a stunner this Escort, as with any car that's had this much attention paid to it by the owner, pictures really don't do it justice.

Left to right:  Range Rover Vogue SE, Mk2 Ford Escort, Mk2 Ford Cortina, AC Cobra

Throughout the show I got the distinct impression people really didn't know what to make of my car, which is good because that's what I want.

Left to right:  Mk2 Triumph 2000, Mk2 Volkswagen Polo hatchback, Range Rover Vogue SE

The blue Triumph 2000 is an interesting car in it's own right and remains a firm favourite of mine.  Here's some details for you.