1967 Ford Cortina 1600 GT
Comprehensively restored between 2021 and 2024

Registration No: 994 JXG
Chassis No: BA97GU18450
MOT: Exempt

• Purchased by the vendor, a serial Ford restorer, in 2021 from Northern Ireland
• Lavished with an exhaustive restoration with including full bodywork restoration and repaint in Blue Mink
• Over £8,000 spent on new panels alone
• Restoration completed in 2024 and presenting excellently!

Introduced in autumn, 1966, the Ford Cortina Mk. II was styled in-house by Roy Haynes. Employing much the same floorpan as its predecessor complete with independent front suspension, a live rear axle and front disc and rear drum brakes, it nevertheless benefitted from a wider track and revised steering geometry. Second only to the Mk. II Cortina-Lotus, the Mk. II Cortina GT was initially powered by a pre-Crossflow 1498cc OHV four-cylinder engine allied with a four-speed manual transmission (complete with new diaphragm clutch and three-rail remote gearchange). With some 78bhp and 97lb ft of torque on tap, the model had a suitably sporty feel. Further boasting an enlarged fuel tank, optional radial tyres and dashtop-mounted auxiliary instrument binnacle, it was supplanted by the more powerful 1600cc Crossflow version in August, 1967.

Four years ago, this 1600 GT was in a sorry state. The vendor found it on eBay, where it was being offered from Northern Ireland as a total restoration project. As a serial restorer of old Fords, he decided to save it. The chassis was pretty good, but the bodywork had deteriorated badly. After the shell was stripped and sandblasted, almost every panel had to be replaced. The vendor spent over £8000 at Ex-Pressed Steel Panels buying new old-stock inner and outer wings, front and rear panels, cabin and boot floors, and sills.

The mechanical side needed a lot of attention, too, though the engine maintained good oil pressure. The vendor invested in a new water pump, alternator, starter motor and coil, and was satisfied with the carburettors after giving them a check-over. The radiator was recored, the brakes were completely overhauled with new parts, a completely new wiring loom, and the suspension received new springs at the front and new shock absorbers at the rear. Throughout the project, all new parts were sourced through club-recommended suppliers.

As the car came together, the vendor tracked down a lot of new trim, plus new wheels and tyres. The body was beautifully painted in Ford’s Blue Mink metallic and all the chrome was replated, while the interior received a new headlining and some partial retrimming, but much of it had survived in fairly good condition and the vendor elected to preserve the original material wherever possible.

The project was completed in early 2024, and since then the Cortina has mainly been used for shows. Upon inspection, the quality of the restoration becomes self-evident, and it is a notably nicely presented example. The project has clearly been a labour of love and the vendor has been meticulous in ensuring that the car presents virtually as it would have done when new. Cortina 1600 GTs are an extremely rare sight these days, and this must be one of the best there is.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452