1970 Ford Cortina GT

At the start of my final year of engineering in 1969 I had many big decisions to make. I imagined the things I could afford when I graduated in 1970 and began earning grown-up money, but for some reason the decision that seemed more important than any other was what car I was going to buy. I hadn’t been very interested in cars in my first three years of university, as I had been completely focused on studying hard and achieving good results in assignments and exams*. I was fortunate enough to have a decent car – a Cortina 440 – but after reading car magazines when I could afford them I decided that I wanted something exciting and sporty.

I eventually compiled a shopping list so that I’d be ready to buy such a car when I got my first pay as a graduate engineer early in 1970. I was already familiar with Cortinas, and a mate had a Mark 1 GT which performed and handled much better than my 440.
I also knew that Cortina GTs had finished first in the Armstrong 500 in 1963 and 1964, and that a GT500 had won the event in 1965. The Mark 2 Cortina was to replace the Mark 1 later in 1969, and I naturally thought that the Mark 2 GT would be an improvement on an already-great car. So a Cortina GT was first on my list of possible cars.

My next candidate was the Datsun 2000 roadster. I hadn’t decided exactly how exciting and sporty I wanted my next car to be, but reviews of the 2000 claimed that its top speed was 120mph, which sounded very exciting and sporty indeed. Luckily my best mate’s uncle owned the Newcastle Datsun dealership, and nepotism got me a test drive.
My engineering classmates had a mix of cars, but one was a real novelty, a Renault 16 TS. It had the handicap of a column shift and its body roll was alarming at first, but compared to everything else I was considering it was luxurious, with big leather seats, plenty of
gauges, big servo-assisted disc brakes in front and heated rear window. It was unorthodox, but I added it to the list.

I’d liked the look of Triumph sports cars since the TR3, and motoring magazines reported that the replacement for the TR5, the TR6, would be launched early in 1969. With its 2.5 litre fuel-injected straight six, four-wheel independent suspension, optional overdrive, leather seats and walnut dash (only veneer, sadly) it had glamour.

*This was complete rubbish, but it’s what I told my parents.
Now I had my list and could enjoy thinking about it for the rest of 1969. However when I finally graduated in 1970 I found that I had other major expenses ahead of me that I hadn’t even thought of. At the end of 1969 the lease on the terrace house overlooking the Zaara Street power station and its railway sidings that I’d been renting with another student had expired. I’d moved into a more modern apartment in one of Newcastle’s upper-middle-class suburbs, but naturally the rent was significantly more than I’d been paying.
Next concern was my wardrobe. Engineering student dress code at Newcastle University was very relaxed, and jeans and shirts and jackets from op shops were popular. However from now on I’d have to wear collar and tie and polished shoes. I hadn’t worried about what my dream car would cost, but now I was forced to, and I was shocked. Triumph TR6 convertibles cost $4,495, a Datsun 2000 $3,495, the Renault 16TS was $2,930 and the Ford Cortina GT was $2,627. I was devastated. After all my daydreaming about the glamorous car I’d be driving only the Renault and Cortina were within my budget.

Despite its exotic appeal and high equipment level the Renault’s column shift ruled it out. I’d never liked my Cortina 440’s four on the tree, and I wasn’t going to spend nearly $3,000 on another one. So the Cortina became the only acceptable choice. But my confidence that the 1.6 litre Mark 2 GT would outperform its 1.5 litre predecessor was soon disabused. With more torque, a higher power-to-weight ratio and a tighter turning circle the Mark 2 should have been quicker and at least as nimble. However the new crossflow engine felt sluggish and did not rev freely, the steering was dull and imprecise and the understeer took all the joy out of driving at speed. Improvements in top speed, zero to 60mph and fuel economy were barely perceptible.

I joined Newcastle Sporting Car and a few lap dashes at Oran Park confirmed that on the road the Cortina was a dud. Nonetheless I’d bought it and had to make the best of it, and luckily found that it was competitive in gymkhanas. With the front tyres pumped up
and a flyoff handbrake the understeer wasn’t such a problem, especially on dirt, grass or sometimes mud. But gymkhanas aren’t everything, and I had to accept that the Mark 2 GT was nothing like I’d hoped for, and it wasn’t long before I traded it in. It wasn’t the
last bad car choice I would make, but it’s the only one I’m willing to admit.

Source : “The Bayside Vehicle Restorers Club Inc. Magazine”