Mk1 Nationals - U.K.

[Dr Danger]

2007 Mk1 Cortina owners club annual meeting. Stratford-on-Avon, England, October 23rd.

Lets start with this years grand champion. It's not a genuine Lotus but it was both the best restoration and Grand Champion so it must have been good. I guess. I had only a cursory glance at it because it was done up as a Lotus and basically I don't care much for them. It was basically better than new, but non-genuine.
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo13.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo14.jpg
Some interesting pinstriping...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo11.jpg
A really nicely finished Estate, daily driven.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo19.jpg

The best Super or Delux on the day. Really clean car originally from NZ.

[Dr Danger]

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo10-1.jpg
This is the 12 second Pre-crossflow. Really impressive and if you peered in the bonet region, you would be hard pressed to pick that it has a claimed 200hp hiding in there. Claims are best backed up with results, and the car has results. Beautifully finished off too.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo15.jpg
My personal favorite of the day. Straight, not over done GT with the best looking pinstripping by a long way.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo17.jpg
Steve is one of the bigwigs in the club. He restored this 63 2door GT (the one on the owners club website) and it is really schmiko lemme tell ya.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo20.jpg
This was another nice Estate which had a Pinto in it I think. There were only 2 cars I think with Pinto's and 3 with Ztecs, didn't see any Cosworth powered ones. A couple had V6 Essex motors and a couple of nicely done V8's also but that was about it for engine swaps. The vast majority were 1500 or crossflow.

[Dr Danger]

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo24.jpg
Another 63 GT 2 door. Also better than when it left the factory.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo9-1.jpg
2 door Estate. Custom made and tastefully done. Essex. Mk1's look good in light blue. Apparently England didn't get Silver Blue metallic paint so I had a hard time describing the colour of my car.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo8.jpg
Another personal fav. I really liked the colour but I think the slightly softer yellow that we got is better.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo6.jpg
A genuine Mk1 GT Estate. Resprayed but not restored as far as the owner could work out. I have no reason to doubt him.

[Dr Danger]

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo5.jpg
64 Estate fitted with wood. Not originally a Woody but still a very nice clean car. Just needs roofracks and a surfboard on top.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo12.jpg
Deep reds and dark green look nice too.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo18.jpg
Many don't, but I like the chromework on Mk1's. Finishes them off.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/Dr_Danger/photo2.jpg
And finally, last years Grand champion. Surpurb. 63 Woody Estate. It's actually much greener than it looks in the photo's I have seen. If i had the perfect Estate, it would be a slammed Yellow Woody with the above mentioned surfboard attached. And it wouldn't be pushrod powered...

So all in all there were over 100 Mk1's present on the Sunday! Kick in a few Mk2's, Capri's, Mk1 Escorts and Focus' and I think over 200 cars or there abouts? The weather held out (just) for the entire day and I'm happy to confirm that I am still yet to meet a Mk1 Cortina owner that isn't a really nice person. The U.K. Mk1 Owners Club really has there act together and it is really great to see all the support they get from members. They certainly won me over and I will be joining up very soon. The spare parts tent apparently was all but looted on the Saturday so there were only a few bargins to pick over on the Sunday when I got there. Ahh well, can't win them all.

A great day all round.

[Dr Danger]

A double of the last post popped up and I could see no way of deleting it. So I edited it and just replaced the contents with this message. Delete at will Miss Moderater.

[jewels]

thanx for the great pics al

really appreciate it

[geoff]

thanx al for all the pix

good stuff you know i like it

geoff m8

[jewels]

geez...
that was actually geoff typing in that one :eek:

[Dr Danger]

No problems my friends. No problems at all. :) You could say it was a real pleasure in fact.

[jewels]

Coverage is now in the gallery
here (http://www.cortina-mk1.com/gallery.php)

2 albums to view
thanx Dr D.

[Dr Danger]

Good stuff

[geoff]

al its me again
typing i mite even
get used to it
good corty pix thou
thanks again

[a1topdog]

The Lotus look-a-like that was this years champion is running a 1600cc Ford Zetec engine. There is a feature on this car in this months (February) UK magazine called Retro Ford. It does look like a very well put togther car , done in a short space of time.

[jewels]

zetec really i dint know that..

i must admit i never looked closely

[Dr Danger]

Are you absolutely sure there a1topdog? It looked pretty Lotus to me. And it would have been in the modified section, not resoration section of the judging...? Think it might be a different car perhaps? Unless it was a VERY clever mockup of a Zetec to a Lotus?

[zombie289]

Its a Zetec, you can see the cam cover in the pic, the radiator hose rail and the valve cover although good, has the wrong font style, they also do a BDA cover for the zetecs..

[Dr Danger]

Well there you go. Goes to show how little I looked at the car now doesn't it! Still now quite sure how it won best resto and not best modified but anyway, perhaps it fooled a few more punters than just myself. Never looked at a Twink nor a Zetec in much detail before though, so it's not saying much by fooling me.

[a1topdog]

Yep - as Zombie says the water rail is a dead give away. It is also running a 5 speed box and a few other modifications.

[antos]

yep, what was said above. 1.6ltr zetec with the rocker cover custom made (shaved with lotus letters put onto it) when i read the article double glanced then realised myself. The under side of that thing was clean enough to eat off and is a daily driver. couldnt tell from that first pick but the front gave it away to me.

[a1topdog]

Anyone going to this years National? I'm aiming to get to there on Sunday if anyone fancies meeting up.

[jewels]

it clashes with battlebridge this year correct?
why do some choose that event over the mk1 nationals?

it is because one is classic ford and the other cortina mk1 ?

i would love to go but bit far here in Oz :D

[a1topdog]

Yep clash with Battlesbridge. The reason I normally go the MK1 National is mainly for the spares shop. They sometimes have stuff that is not listed in the club mag , or to get items that are too big to post.

This year i am not really after spares (hence going on the Sunday) , but I will use it as an opportunity to get reference photo's to help with my MK1 restoration.

Also the banter with other like minded people is good.

[jewels]

yes it would be good.
we here in Oz have nothing like that
as its to big of distance between places
best we can manage is a state events