Where it all started.
Back in 1989 when I was 19 years old and just obtained my drivers licence, I started looking for my first car.
Growing up in Australia and learning to drive in a HQ Holden Kingswood, I wanted something a little smaller and something that didn't drive like a couch. My first choice was a LC Torana fitted with a straight six engine, but even back in the late 80's these cars were getting on for 20 years old and were becoming harder to find.
My next choice was a Mk3 Cortina like my two brother before me. Both had owned TD (Mk3 Facelift) Cortinas fitted with 2.0lt "pinto" engines. My older brother was about to trade in his on a Japanese car and was offered $1500 trade in. Unfortunately, I hadn't the funds to cover that so I missed out on his but after months of saving I managed to scrape together enough money to buy a rusty TC Cortina of my own.
This was the days before digital cameras so this unfortunately is the only photo I have of the car.....Which is not a bad thing, really. It had rust on just about every panel and the front bumper was rusted through as well. You can just make it out in this photo.
The most striking feature was the brown drivers down which I attempted to paint orange to match the rest of the car but is was completely the wrong shade of orange.
Apart from the mis-matched paint, it wasn't a bad first car. It was reasonable reliable, stopped and drove quite well and was pretty good of fuel....this was back when you could fill up for about $10 (Aust.)
The old Corty was a great first car and served its purpose right up to when I headed off to Uni in 1993. By this time it was a little smokey and was using more oil than petrol but it kept on going.
I went to University in Geelong, or as it was known back then as "Ford Town". It was where the engine plant was so there were lots of old Fords getting about. I would head back to Melbourne on the weekends and quite often I would be caught up in the traffic leaving the Engine plant. Many of the Ford Employee drove the product and it was about this time I started thinking about looking for my next Ford.
Growing up in Australia and learning to drive in a HQ Holden Kingswood, I wanted something a little smaller and something that didn't drive like a couch. My first choice was a LC Torana fitted with a straight six engine, but even back in the late 80's these cars were getting on for 20 years old and were becoming harder to find.
My next choice was a Mk3 Cortina like my two brother before me. Both had owned TD (Mk3 Facelift) Cortinas fitted with 2.0lt "pinto" engines. My older brother was about to trade in his on a Japanese car and was offered $1500 trade in. Unfortunately, I hadn't the funds to cover that so I missed out on his but after months of saving I managed to scrape together enough money to buy a rusty TC Cortina of my own.
The most striking feature was the brown drivers down which I attempted to paint orange to match the rest of the car but is was completely the wrong shade of orange.
Apart from the mis-matched paint, it wasn't a bad first car. It was reasonable reliable, stopped and drove quite well and was pretty good of fuel....this was back when you could fill up for about $10 (Aust.)
The old Corty was a great first car and served its purpose right up to when I headed off to Uni in 1993. By this time it was a little smokey and was using more oil than petrol but it kept on going.
I went to University in Geelong, or as it was known back then as "Ford Town". It was where the engine plant was so there were lots of old Fords getting about. I would head back to Melbourne on the weekends and quite often I would be caught up in the traffic leaving the Engine plant. Many of the Ford Employee drove the product and it was about this time I started thinking about looking for my next Ford.
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