Saturday 10th May - A job I had been dreading for a long time!

 Since owning the Green Cortina I've always felt that the steering had a lot of play in it. I'd always put it down to the fact that it was due to it having a steering box, rather than rack and pinion steering which is far more accurate.

However when you compare it to driving the Zetec Cortina the two cars are worlds apart. The Zetec steering feels nice and tight while the Green car resembles sailing a boat in force nine gales. 

While the engine is out of the Green car I felt that now would be the best time to remove the steering box and get it refurbished. Having no engine in the car gives you a lot more room to work. So after speaking to a few Cortina friends for advice and reading the workshop several times, I decided to bite the bullet and get stuck in. In situations like this, I always think back to what one of my ex-girlfriends, Amanda, said to me, which was: 'Sometimes, the THOUGHT of doing something is worse than the actual doing it'. 

So with this ringing in my ears I made a start. I'd had to work as well today, but started very early so that I could have a good few hours in the afternoon to get the job done. (I had to deliver one car to Margate in Kent, then come back and deliver another car to Maldon in Essex. I started at 5am and was finished by 12pm. 

Anyway, I digress, so I drank my cup of coffee while staring into my empty engine bay while trying to figure out how the hell the steering box (and column-they cant be disconnected whilst in the car) would be able to exit the car from underneath. (That's what the workshop manual had said!)

The first job was to remove the steering wheel, then the indicator and headlight arm and then the column shroud. I then found two crosshead screws that had to be removed to relieve grip on the column. Next was to remove the parcel shelf so that I could remove another bolt that holds the column to the pedal box. The last to do inside the car was undo the metal plate that the column goes through via the firewall. This also has a foam gasket which I knew was completely knackered, but luckily my friend Keith has one for sale and will be bringing it to the Battlesbridge autojumble for me to collect. 

Work then moved to inside the engine bay where I had to disconnect the pitman arm on the steering box from the steering link. This caused no problems and I was now at the stage where the car had to be jacked up and placed on axle stands to provide enough room to manoeuvre the steering box out from underneath. 

I also found out at this point that it's easier to remove the offside front wheel to gain access to the three bolts that secure the steering box to the chassis rail. (The workshop manual didn't mention that!) Once I'd removed the three bolts the steering box was free, but I still couldn't find enough room from underneath to remove it. I then decided to disconnect the track rod from the drop arm and this then gave me enough room to 'manoeuvre' the steering box out of the car. (The workshop manual never mentioned that either!) 

So the job that I had been dreading for months and months was now complete. It took just under two hours. It will now be taken to a steering box specialist in West Thurrock in Essex when time permits. I'm not sure I would have fancied doing it with the engine in place though, so I definitely wont be refitting the engine until the steering box is refurbished and back in the car! 😊

Saturday 3rd May - Zetec Cortina MOT time!

 The 365 days since the last MOT had come round really quick and so it was time for the Zetec Cortina to be checked over again. I know that classic cars don't need an MOT, but it's a condition of my classic car insurance that this one does because it's classed as modified. (It produces twice as much brake horse power as it did when it left the factory!)

It would also be interesting to see what kind of brake readings I would get on the brake rollers seeing as I have recently carried out a rear disc brake conversion on the car.

The guy doing to the Mot was impressed with the car and the brake readings were spot on. I was worried that the new callipers on the rear would have a better braking efficiency than the fronts, (which is not allowed) but this wasn't the case. In fact, the total braking efficiency of my car was 69%, which apparently, is better than most modern cars. That's pretty good considering I haven't even got a servo fitted. 

The car passed with no advisories and I celebrated by driving round to Gavin's house and we both went to his local cafe for breakfast. A very good, successful day. 😊

(Look how small the Cortina is compared to the BMW!) 

Sunday 27th April - Battlesbridge Breakfast Meet.

 This was the first Battlesbridge meeting of the season and due to the bright sunshine I expected it to be quite packed. I was able to have a 'proper' drive today on unrestricted roads and test the new 3:31 ratio in the differential I'd just had built. I was really pleased with the result and I now don't feel as though the car needs a five speed gearbox. 

Even though I arrived early, there were still people that had got there before me. It looked like it was going to be a busy day. 

Good friends Gavin and Peter arrived shortly after I'd arrived so we headed to the marquee for breakfast and coffee. Cars were pouring in at a good rate and pretty soon they were starting to use the second field to get everyone in. 

It was a beautiful morning weather wise and a pleasure to be out in the sunshine again. I like this meet because as well as the regulars, there are always cars that I've never seen before which makes it very interesting. 

About lunch time I called it a day as I had things to do at home, plus I had to run some parts down to my engine builder. Hopefully he'll have my engine repaired soon and I'll be able to get the Green Cortina back on the road. 

Saturday 26th April. Billericay breakfast meet.

 At last the weather was getting a bit warmer, so a visit to the Billericay breakfast meet was on the agenda. It would also be the fist proper drive for the Zetec since the fitting of the 3:31 differential and the rear disc brakes. 

I left early in case I had any issues and as a result, I was the first one there. The only trouble with the drive down to Billericay is the roads are all 50mph speed limits, so I couldn't get up to the speed I wanted to to test the diff. 

After a while other people started arriving and a few of my friends as well. We enjoyed a bacon roll and a coffee and spent time looking at the other cars. While I was there I received a text reminder that the MOT was due  on the Zetec Cortina in the next couple of weeks, so I rang the garage and booked it in for the following Saturday. 

All too soon it was time to head home and hope that the traffic wasn't too bad. (The A127 can be a nightmare when the sun comes out, because everyone heads for Southend!) Luckily, the A127 was fairly quiet and I was home in no time at all. It had been a good morning and nice to finally go out without needing a coat! 

Friday 18th April - Work continues!

 Despite suffering a flu bug, I ended up in the garage again today as Dave Maton was free to come over again and help finish of the brakes on the Zetec Cortina. 

We gave the cafe a miss this time and got started in the garage as soon as he arrived. I'd had the brake pipes made up during the week, so these were fitted and we were then able to connect the new handbrake cables. 

We then bled the brakes to get all of the air out of the system, going round twice to be sure. Then we refitted the back wheels and went for a test drive. The brakes felt good and I was happy with our work. 

It was still fairly early and Dave was here for the day, so the next job on the agenda was to turn the Green Cortina around and get it in the garage backwards. My recent attempts at curing the oil leak hadn't worked, so the next stage was to take the engine out. (Again!)

It didn't take long to push the Cortina out and turn it around. (I couldn't drive it because it would have pissed oil all over my new drive)

Once the car was back in the garage, we both got stuck into it and before long, we had the cylinder head off. I then set up the engine crane and after not much longer we had the rest of the engine out and on the floor. This is now the third time this engine has been out since I've had this car, so this time it needs to be done right. It will be going to an engine specialist soon and hopefully, all the problems will be rectified. 

Sunday 13th April - Rear disc brake conversion

 Today I was lucky in that good friend Dave Maton was free to come over and help with my proposed rear disc brake conversion on my Zetec Cortina. 

We had a quick meet in the local cafe for breakfast before work commenced, but then got stuck into it. The first job was to get the  car up on axle stands, remove the rear wheels and then remove the drums, shoes and backing plates. 

The rear disc brake conversion is a fairly new kit from RetroFord and at present there are no instructions with it, so some educated guesswork was required. 

By mid afternoon we had done all we could do. I now need to get some brake pipes made up and then once they are fitted and the brakes bled, then we can connect the new handbrake cables. 

I was quite pleased with the days progress even though it left the car unusable. Another couple of hours work once the brakes pipes are done will see it back on the road. 

Saturday & Sunday 5th & 6th April - Club Triumph Historic Counties Rally.

 I hadn't planned to enter this event this year, but good friend Richard Warr wanted to do it. The only snag was that his car is still in the workshop having some major work done, so I agreed to do it with him and use my Triumph. 

The only snag with that was that my Triumph was in storage at Colin Wake's place in North Essex. Luckily, Colin joined us as a third crew member for the event, so he spent a couple of days using the car for work to make sure it was all ok. 

Richard made the journey to my place and stayed over on the Friday night in readiness for the event start at Saturday tea time. We just had a few drinks on the Friday night and a takeaway as we didn't want to feel like crap Saturday morning with so many miles ahead of us. 

Saturday morning saw us make the 50 mile journey to Colin's to collect him and the car and then after a good breakfast in a local cafe, we made the 200 mile journey to the start. 

The start was at 'The Great British Car Journey' museum at Ambergate in Derbyshire. We met up with the other crews and after dining on jacket potato's and plotting part of the route, we set out into the evening. 

The theme for this event was motor sport, so extra points could be gained by visiting race tracks and race car manufacturers, so the first part of our route took us through Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, before nipping into Leicestershire on our way to the halfway point at Rugby Services. 

After a mandatory 30 minute break, we set out through Leicestershire, (again!) Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire before heading for the finish in Northamptonshire. We visited some great places including Snetterton Raceway, Silverstone, Rockingham and many others. 

By 8am we were at the finish and awaiting the results. Colin had done really well and had acted as navigator and spent all night plotting and directing. Richard and I took turns to drive. 

The finish was an interesting place as well with plenty to look at while we enjoyed a bacon bap and a much needed coffee. 

The results were announced and Colin's hard work had paid off as we were rewarded with 2nd place. (We weren't that bothered about winning, as the winners have to organise next years event.😉)

We all had a great time, although we were pretty shattered by Sunday morning. Colin still hadn't had enough and wanted to drive home as he hadn't driven on the event. We were back at his by about 11.30am and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the sunshine before making our separate journey's home. 

The car did well and we reckon we covered just over 750 miles in total. The only time we opened the bonnet was to check the oil before heading for home. It seems to be back to its old reliable self. 😁