Cortina wagons in Oz/NZ?

[benny]

I've always wanted a Cortina wagon (estate), but they are totally non-existent in the States.

In less than a month, I'll be going on my honeymoon to NZ, and was just wondering what the chances are that there are some Mk.1 Wagons knocking around there.....that would be a nice little keep-sake to remember the honeymoon by, wouldn't it?

[jewels]

benny yes estates /wagons did go to NZ

there is many more there than in australia there are a few around but you could count them on one hand
i have had 4 over the years
now i have one which will be 'done up' later on

a 1966 super estate see pics etc HERE (http://www.cortina-mk1.com/sest.php)

[Bertil]

Benny, I can sell you a MkII estate. Left hand drive, 2 litre OHC and 5 speed box. Interested? The car is in Sweden.

[benny]

Jewels,

Interesting. I'll have to keep my eyes open. We'll be honeymooning on the South Island.

Bertil,

Thanks for the kind offer, but my motto is "It's a Mk.1, or it's nothing!"...all my cars are Mk.1's....both my Cortinas, both my Minis, my MGB, and my E-type. I guess I'm just a Mk.1 kinda guy.

[Dr Danger]

There was one advertised in the states about a year ago on e-bay along with a couple of Loti. South East coast from memory? Painted in Lotus colours and almost complete I think. Perhaps a private import?

[benny]

Oh, they brought them here, but the number in the country could probably be counted on two hands.

That car was also a major project, and I've got enough of those for one lifetime.

[Dr Danger]

I see, this quote clearly confused me. :)

"I've always wanted a Cortina wagon (estate), but they are totally non-existent in the States."

I have one that is a big project also but fortunately I only have one major project on the go. :) Now...

You should be able to dig one up in NZ but not sure of a ballpark figure for one that isn't a 'big project'. Good luck. Hope the future wife is okay with you trapsing around NZ to find a Mk1 Estate! A mate of mine went on a trout fishing 'honeymoon' there not so long ago. He was a popular man by the end... :)

[benny]

Totally non-existent, rare as hen's teeth.....what's a little hyperbole when you are probably talking about a dozen or so cars in a country this size?

As for how to handle the new wife, I'm way ahead of you there.....I've already told her that if we just happen to find one, it will be "her car".

[Dr Danger]

That sounds amazingly familiar... re 'her car' :)

Depends on how much of a rush you are in to get an Estate I guess. I had to bide my time but we eventually found 2 of them in one go. There isn't many left here either and we are almost as big as the US. I still submit though that 'totally non existent' is somewhat different to 'rare as hens teeth'. :)

Regardless, there are more in NZ than the US and Oz put together probably.

[Bertil]

I think there are about 10-15 MkI estates in sweden, and somewhat the same in norway. I know of a -64 in very good condition that is for sale in finland and one quite nice with Stromberg Lotus tc engine for sale in france.

I´ve got two, one in quite good condition and one for parts. The good one got an automatic gearbox, VERY VERY rare indeed!

I mention this only to point out that there are not many LHD estates around.

[speryer]

I've seen quite a few wagons in NZ.
The main place to buy cars in NZ is a site called Trademe.
The attached link shows a typical Mk1 for sale:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Ford/auction-147641931.htm?key=140832
Of course all the cars are right hand drive!

I can't see any wagons for sale at the moment, but I will ask around.
I spent 2 weeks driving around the South Island of NZ in Feb this year and it's absoltely beautiful roads to drive. Very little traffic and fantastic scenery.

Regards,
Simon

[benny]

You know, Simon, even if I didn't find one on my honeymoon, I'd still be interested after the fact. I'll have to keep an eye on that website, and if you ever hear of any for sale, please let me know.

I'll have to move at least one of my current cars out of the stable to get another one (I'm currently at or above my limit), so I'm really not in huge rush.

To be honest, RHD would be a bit of a plus as I've always wanted an RHD car over here.

[benny]

I just got back from my honeymoon in NZ, and didn't see a single old car of note (except a 4-dr Morris Minor in the first 5 minutes) in a week of travelling the south island.....guess the driving season is well and truly over.

In any case, I wasn't able to come home with a wagon-shaped souvenir. One of these days soon, when I've culled my flock a bit, I'm going to be looking for a wagon, and I think NZ might be the best spot to watch.

If anyone sees one for sale, please let me know, I'll gladly pay a finder's fee.

[jewels]

i wonder whether the show winning rotary wagon get sold.
it was on tradme with a start price of $15K

this one

a favorite of dr danger

[benny]

It's still on Trademe, and is up to something like $18K. I admire the workmanship that has gone into that car, but it is nothing like my style......also not in the price bracket I'm looking for!

When I get a wagon some day, it'll be a very inconspuous color, steel wheels, original interior, but with a 300 hp 302 under the hood.

[Dr Danger]

Nagh, it basically is not getting sold now Jewels. Unless he gets stupid money for it. He now wants to do a rack conversion to it so he might pop up here sometime soon.

[speryer]

There's a 66 Mk1 wagon for sale in NZ... just came up

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Ford/auction-156190809.htm

... and a Lotus too!

[benny]

That figures.....a week after I leave, and a wagon comes up for sale! Does that site show whereabouts in NZ the cars are, I couldn't figure out the location of that car.

Does $4,000 sound like the "going rate" for a wagon in that shape? (i.e. still needing a fair amount of love).

[Dr Danger]

If it's as good as he says then perhaps that is a good price? Not sure about NZ but there hasn't been too many good ones change hands in Oz lately to judge. The ones that we got hold of were incomplete rust buckets for $500 each. They just don't exist.

[speryer]

The location is found in the lower section "payment/shipping".
The wagon is in Featherston, around 1 hour north of Wellington.

It's hard to say what a wagon is worth in NZ, but I would think $4k is not bad if the body is "fully restored". Mind you, restored can mean different things to different people!

If it was closer I could have checked it out.

[toxicbugman]

pity you weren't here a few years ago
the wagon went for scrap along with all the others !!!!

[Dr Danger]

That makes me sad... :(

[geoff]

shit,another 10 cortinas
gone to god../ a black day
in the eye of the true cortina
believer.i hang my head and pray....:) :) hihihi...

[Dr Danger]

Where is Timmy when you need him? This thread now needs some poetry.

[toxicbugman]

You say Ten, two more in old tin shed with
a collection of S/H panels and around at
the back of that brick building were another
three.

[Dr Danger]

At least one 2 door to boot. What a waste. Not your doing I hope Toxic...?

[benny]

Not trying to pass judgement on toxicbugman, but this seems to be a common, and strange part of the pack-rat psyche......even stranger than being a pack-rat in the first place, that is.

I've known a few people who had amassed large collections of things.......Cortinas, Minis, old toys, bicycles, whatever. They usually build their collection without paying more than a few pennies for each piece.

Then one day, they inevitably get tired of sitting on all of this stuff, and they offer it for sale to all of the people who have admired their collection over the years. Trouble is, they almost always offer it at absolute top dollar prices......far more than they ever would have dreamed of paying while building the collection.

Once they realize that nobody else thinks it is worth what they feel it is worth, things start turning dark, and they decide to shit-can it all for next to nothing. The last step in this strange dance is to tell everyone what they have done out of spite.....very strange behavior. I've seen it many times.

[geoff]

i have seen it to
benny,may 1000
fleas infest thier
asses... :D

[toxicbugman]

Benny,
you young wippersnapper ,i will take
your point, but comming from a Lotus Cortina owner,
it sounds like sour grapes.

[pimtina]

Hold on there Toxic! Just because it's white with a green flash doesn't mean it's a Lotus Cortina!

[benny]

Benny,
you young wippersnapper ,i will take
your point, but comming from a Lotus Cortina owner,
it sounds like sour grapes.

I don't own a Lotus Cortina

[Dr Danger]

Maybe Toxic does...?

I think he's just stiring the pot. Relax fellas.

[toxicbugman]

Refrase that 65 GT, sour grapes!!

[toxicbugman]

Dr Danger
forget about the two door cars, look
closely at the green and white roof four door
see the chrome vent window and the stainless
steel mouldings, look closely at that pic, GT!!
Lotus owner !!! WHAT !! and end up like those pompous
pommie owners, need the secert "Mason" handshake
to enter there site !

[Dr Danger]

Tell us they wern't yours Toxic!

I seem to remember you had a LHD Lotus in your workshop at one stage? Got rid of that one? Along with that nice Honda RC45... Did that ever get screwed back together?

I'll admit that SOME (ok, most) of the Pommy Lotus owners get a bit carried away with things but that's okay, I know some scandinavian owners that make up for them. :)

[garyeanderson]

I had a 65 Estate back in 1978. I got it from a woman that used it at her summer house to block the end of a dead end street that lead onto a beach. I had to get another car to replace the Estate as it also made it look like someone lived in the house on the beach. My friend lost a VW Bug to a ocean storm, so the Beetle was exchanged for the Cortina. My Elan also went for a swim in the same storm so the Twin Cam engine was pulled out and cleaned and installed in the Estate along with the ultra close ratio gearbox. I had a lot of fun terrorizing the locals and it also made a fine car for consuming beer. I drove it for a couple of years but it didn't like to start in the winter and let me down a lot. I draged it around for another 2 or 3 years until I bought a fix-it house with a garage and moved it there. About a year after that the local kids broke every window in the Estate. That was the end of that car and all of the memories that went along with it. I scraped it shortly after that as I didn't want the vandelizing to continue with the house. So another one bit the dust in a way that just sucked. I never saw an mk1 Estate before I owned it, while I owned it or since in the New England area.
I now own three mk1 GT's and a Mk1 Lotus Cortina, at least one of the GT's is a parts car so the gene pool will probably continue to shrink...

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/landofooz/LoCort/P6190001a.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/landofooz/notcleanmk1.jpg


http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/landofooz/mk1issues.jpg

[toxicbugman]

Dr Danger,
as a Biologist your good at fishing !!!!!!!

answer to your questions
yes, no,no.no,no, what was the
other question ?????? ooohh
yessss shown in pic!

[benny]

I now own three mk1 GT's and a Mk1 Lotus Cortina, at least one of the GT's is a parts car so the gene pool will probably continue to shrink...



http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/landofooz/notcleanmk1.jpg




Did that Dark Green car come from SoCal, Garry? I feel like I know that car from somewhere.

[Dr Danger]

Sad Toxic... :(

Oh, that's right, you had an ex rally Mk1 in there too?

Any remnant Estate bits you know of?

What's happening with the RC45? I could come over and drool on it. :) Again.

You still got them Lada's still rusting away out the back? :)

[speryer]

Thought you might like to see some of the cars I looked at in NZ when looking for a good straight 2 door.
My friends wouldn't let me destroy the green 2 door since it was a concourse GT, even though it would have been more economical than doing up another car.
The purple car is now back on the road... my friend bought it after I turned it down.
The Lotus relica had dodgy Wagon ownership papers and plates!
And the owner of the orange car told me he abhored the idea of putting a V8 into a Cortina and wouldn't sell me his car!
These Cortina owners are a funny bunch!

[a1topdog]

Toxic - I'm not sure if your sense of humour doesn't prevail on the web forums , but virtually every post I have ever seen of yours on various forums over the years always ends up in an argument , with you being the instigator and then just continuing to stir it up. How can a perfectly civil topic about wagons turn into Lotus Owners this and that , sour grapes etc? Am I the only one who doesn't get it?

If I'm having a sense of humour failure then I appogise in advance.

[jewels]

well that would have to be the rustiest mk1 ive ever seen !
wow thats quite a collection of 'project cars'

:)

[garyeanderson]

Did that Dark Green car come from SoCal, Garry? I feel like I know that car from somewhere.
Hi Benny
I have two green GT's, The green 2 door in the photo is out of Connecticut. The floor is real good but it has lots of rust issues. Both front wing tops, both strut tops, rear inner wings and fire wall, both front outer and inner sills and some other problems. The other green car is one of Mike Haynes that he sold to me and I picked up last August. Its in a bit better shape as far as rust goes but still needs everything.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/landofooz/Mikes%20Cortina%20GT/P5280581a.jpg

[benny]

Hi Benny
The other green car is one of Mike Haynes that he sold to me and I picked up last August. Its in a bit better shape as far as rust goes but still needs everything.


Ah, OK.....I DO know the other green car then....in fact, I almost owned it at one point! Funny how these things get around.

[Dr Danger]

Thought you might like to see some of the cars I looked at in NZ when looking for a good straight 2 door.
My friends wouldn't let me destroy the green 2 door since it was a concourse GT, even though it would have been more economical than doing up another car.
And the owner of the orange car told me he abhored the idea of putting a V8 into a Cortina and wouldn't sell me his car!
These Cortina owners are a funny bunch!

So what did the car that you ended up 'destroying' look like when you started? It's okay, the main protagonists on this site condone your sort of destroying... :)

[toxicbugman]

a1topdog,


Lotus Cortina and owner !!!

[jewels]

toxic, ive seen that pic before a few times
been around the net for sme time
and ozzie rego car ....

[Dr Danger]

Victoria - Garden State none-the-less!

[a1topdog]

Now that is funny. I'd imagine that the sort of pic you would receive when you ask an ebay scammer to prove the car they are selling does really exist. :-)

[speryer]

So what did the car that you ended up 'destroying' look like when you started? It's okay, the main protagonists on this site condone your sort of destroying... :)

The car I bought was perfect for the job... already in Lotus colours, but missing all the running gear and most interior. And the firewall had been hacked ready for a Cosworth. It was an unfinished project that got all too hard.

Note that the NZ Lotus owners I have approached to take photos to ensure accuracy of my "replica" have been only too willing and helpful!! In fact most people at the race track are more than happy to have a chat to anyone who asks a question. Maybe there's just less airs and graces out in the colonies

[Dr Danger]

Choice shell Bro.

Yes, my feeling is also that we are a bit (lot) more relaxed about things away from the motherland. Having said that - a Zetec'd Lotus replica did take out last years Grand Champion at the Mk1 Owners national meet...

[toxicbugman]

Now that is funny. I'd imagine that the sort of pic you would receive when you ask an ebay scammer to prove the car they are selling does really exist. :-)


WHAT!!!!!! you suggesting this Lotus doesn't exist !!

Dr Danger you can visit any time you like.
got a little jigger fitted with a "cabin blower"
from a Spitfire aircraft. 8/4 mon/fri 9/5/sat/sun.

[Dr Danger]

Cheers Toxic. Gotta remember where you are now. Williamstown if I remember correctly...

[benny]

The car I bought was perfect for the job... already in Lotus colours, but missing all the running gear and most interior. And the firewall had been hacked ready for a Cosworth. It was an unfinished project that got all too hard.



That'd be nerve-wracking build, doing all that fab work around nice paint......jeez!

[speryer]

That'd be nerve-wracking build, doing all that fab work around nice paint......jeez!

Although the body is very straight, the paint job is a bit average, and there have been areas to respray like under the bonnet, around the rear guards where they were eased out...and chips and stratches from the workshop.

There's a nice 2 door GT for sale in NZ for NZ$25k. Looks good, but that's not cheap!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Ford/auction-158391649.htm

[garyeanderson]

http://www.lotuscorps.org/albums/Bobs-next-projects/P1140101.sized.jpg
more photos here
http://www.lotuscorps.org/gallery/Bobs-next-projects?page=1


Hi Benny

The 64 Estate in the above link was on ebay (it was in the Carolina's
somewhere) earlier this year or late last year. I was looking around this morning and saw it again. Bob Herzog in Chicago area now has it and just bought a S1 Elan so it may be surplus to his needs. It might be worth looking into as they are a little bit on the thin on the ground in the U.S., especially the pre-airflow estates.

Gary

[benny]

Gary,

Thanks for the heads-up, do you have an e-mail address for him?

[garyeanderson]

Hi Benny

Did you get the mail I sent? I don't like sending out other folks email in a public forum, just not proper you know...

Gary

[benny]

Yes, got it, thanks.....just been too busy to reply.

I have to give this one some thought before bothering him. I'd love a wagon, but I need another project-car like I need a hole in the head......don't want to end up with cars stored under my porch ;)

[jewels]

nothing wrong with that benny

yer see you still have space :D

[garyeanderson]

Yes, got it, thanks.....just been too busy to reply.

I have to give this one some thought before bothering him. I'd love a wagon, but I need another project-car like I need a hole in the head......don't want to end up with cars stored under my porch ;)

Hi Benny

Thanks for letting me know. When I don't here back from people I don't know if the yahoo mail got stuck in a spam trap or not. I have lots of mail come back after a week that never got through. Free mail acounts are only worth what you pay. The pm on this site doesn't let you know either on most sites I am on it stays in an out box until its read and then it gets put in "sent" mail.

As far as the wagon goes, Bob does the projects they don't sit around. The S1 came up a couple weeks ago and it was a bargain, I couldn't act as I got to much stuff and no money. Bob did and may have put himself in a position where he has one to many projects.
Snooze and loose or mail and sail...

Gary

[antos]

my father had 2 when he was younger, ended up selling them both. I believe they are both sitting in a wrecking yard at redcliffe on brisbanes northside now. unless they were crushed.

[jewels]

yes these days there is more money in crushing them unforntunatley