Heatwave 76 behind the scenes ;)

[Warren t claim]

I bought it because it had an AM/ LW push button radio, 13 inch, four spoke RS alloys on it, and a remote change fitted to the gear lever tunnel. The gate on this was so narrow getting any gear was a lottery. Not that it mattered, as the clutch would slip like a bastard without the gentlest of touches on the accelerator.

The non remote gear change was a joy to use, a bit like a 4 speed Transit.

[mercrocker]

Ford gearchanges of this period were superb, especially when compared to contemporary BMC issue.

[8BAK465]

So ive changed the title of this thread and it will run concurrently with the other thread

So how did this all come about? Its Childhood Memories arnt they always

When I was 5 years old in 1977 (now you all know my age )

Life seemed magical

We lived on a council estate in Birkenhead and I was obsessed with cars even then,by 5 I knew what most cars were and as much as Mum wanted me praying with dolls I was asking for dinky cars for Christmas

Cant remember who made me them but I even had 5 year old sized overalls

I think they were made out of worn out but thoroughly washed oil overalls with locked in oil stains.

And a threadbare sweater i wore over them

Anyway when Mum passed away we found some old albums mainly of me from the summer of 77 where I was sat on the ground in my overalls in front of a lock up as my sisters then boyfriend was changing a clutch on a Mk1 Cortina GT.

I grew up with them but once I started buying cars myself i at first bypassed them then the prices went crazy and I could never afford one

With Mum passing it became one of those things were I thought if I dont do it now i never will

And with the way we are all being dictated to now there's not much time left before we are forced out of our cars so its now or never.

Then as i was looking at those old photos i thought wouldn't it be nice if i had a 70s style photo album how photos used to be and as if I was buying a car back then for hundreds rather than thousands

A world devoid of Interwebs,where your drinks came from the Alpine Man,Chips came in newspaper and where you patched stuff up and made good and just used and had to look after an old banger

So the other thread will be Cine Cameras for Video and Instamatic 110s for photos and here i may just tell the truth of what's happening in the real world now today with this hunk of junk I have purchased.

I decided to start the thread in 76 to give a background and hopefully it'll be a useable car by 1977 (next year )

Anyway back in 1977 (when I was once cute)





Enjoy

[Hooli]

Ahh the days cars fitted in garages.

[8BAK465]

So a behind the scenes update

As I go through little things its became apparent the car is a little more rotten than i had hoped

But its not a basket case,sadly the dirt was hiding some bodge ups but as it hadn't really been on the road since the 70s the bodge ups had stood still but now its a race to stabilise them before winter sets in.

My plans will be to grind off paint where needed and treat the rust and red oxide and a tidy blow over.

Back in the 70s it looks like it had a cheap respray and its reacted with what was underneath it

Then its lifted all layers in some areas to bare metal so its solid but at this point has surface rust if I can get my skates on it can be halted and saved but for this winter it wont look pretty

The guy who bought it who was a mechanic had it in the corner of his unit since the 70s he passed away and somebody bought it from his estate to stop it being scrapped but they had no interest in it they just bought it to save its fate.

Then 2011/12 there about's the guy I bought it from bought it.

He stored it outside badly for a few years then stored it in a dry barn for 8 years but that barstuard never washed it before storing it

so as a result some of the damage lays at his feet

Thing is I shouldn't of had to do now needs doing because of his incompetence and stupidity

I could of waited around for a nicer one but think I would rather save this one,it is a genuine survivor and needs that second chance its been waiting for since 1977

But when you think of it in the present time the rot it does have isn't that bad considering its 57 years old

Meanwhile see you back in 1976 my Findus crispy pancakes are going cold

[8BAK465]

Ahh the days cars fitted in garages.

Yup!

The estate is still there and now has concrete outdoor spaces on the original garage plots so plan on going there to recreate the pic next year

Cortina is now under a cover I sat looking at the shape under the cover last night and thought bloody hell that's narrow

And couldn't work out why the cover is as baggy as a jumper your nan would knit

Then I realised

A Cortina was a large car back then now its not so a large cover swamps it!
In fact its a XL cover originally bought for the yellow mustang

So i think i need a medium cover or a proper one made classic car sized

[DodgeRover]

Crispy pancakes! I remember them being advertised on the tele, never had then as they were too expensive and my mum doesn't like processed/ pre made stuff.

[Hooli]

I'd get a tailored cover, there the only ones I've not seen flap about and damage the paint.

[Hooli]

Crispy pancakes! I remember them being advertised on the tele, never had then as they were too expensive and my mum doesn't like processed/ pre made stuff.

I wanted them for years, finally tried them and what a disappointment.

[LynehamHerc]

I'd get a tailored cover, there the only ones I've not seen flap about and damage the paint.

I got a really good outdoor one for the MGB from these people:

https://www.classicadditions.com/car-co ... gL-zfD_BwE