View Full Version : MK1 cortina conversions
ytr11it
14-05-02, 03:54 PM
what engine conversions can b done in these? i was thinking an fj20t. any other sugestion? i want some speed and prefrably a turbo but cost is a bit of an issue. anyone have major dramas doing these up?
G'day,
I suggest a CA18DET. if you can find the site, there is one in my hometown (ballarat) which is a real sleeper and the engine looks like a fairly easy fit, though the trans tunnel may need enlarging. The site basically has heaps of photos and should say everything that needs doing. FJ20 would go in, especially as people have fitted v8s into them things, but its a heavy piece of poo and a really old engine now. Also consider the toyota 4ag series engines, building a 4agte wouldn't be too expensive and look at that 1200 ute in FF&r recently, its capable of good power with stocky guts. 4agte is a 4agze (supercharged one hence the "Z") which has tougher internals than its atmo bro, and all you really do is remove the supercharger, modify the pully assemblies and fit up a turbo on a custom manifold. Or you could just run the supercharger, and good extractors, porting etc should give reasonable power and big torque, probably good low end power, though I'd tip the turbo method be better for all out grunt.
cheers,
floody
Isn't the engine bay pretty similar on these to a Mk1 Escort? If so, most fast Jap fours are just too big to fit without bodywork like moved firewalls; and that sort of thing adds up.
Those things are light, and using parts out of other Fords you can get a later-model 2.0 "Pinto" motor in there. Now, it won't have the power of a Jap import motor, but as you can get a Mk1 Escort into the 14's by just bolting a 2.0 in (and fiddling with carbs & exhaust), it'll still surprise a lot of people without too much cash being spent on it. You can also low-blow those motors with a small used turbo & an imported Ford Sierra (not Cosworth, the Cosworth badge equals dollars) manifold ... and people have apparently used Camira computers on such engines with some success.
That's obviously the lower-budget suggestion; if you've got the money then a Jap import is a "good thing" for sure. But I don't think it's a simple matter.
Oh, one other thing; Fords of that age seem to have bigger transmission tunnels if they were auto cars. So don't shun automatic cars, if you haven't bought the body yet. :)
cool, thanks for the info. ive seen one with an fj but it had a modified trans tunnel. ill just have to get the damn thing i spose then do the measurements then. thanks again...
This is the site I mentioned. I have seen it around quite a bit, seems to go good. They had to mod the tranny tunnel, but honestly, to make a 2ltr fit would be every bit as much arseing around for a big heavy shitty lump of iron that is only capable of good,reliable grunt when excessive money is thrown at it.
the site for the CA conversion is http://www.qonline.com.au/~jewels/
cheers,
floody
Crap Ute
23-05-02, 05:24 PM
My old boss had 1 of these with a 351 clevo in it -- Awesome to say the least. And it was legal in NSW.:cool: :cool:
If it was legal in NSW then it would've been so long ago that it was legal anywhere ... :)
Problem with them is a restritive trans tunnel. A bolt in conversion is the CA18DET. Search for Shirleys or something who have done this conversion. They also sell many mk 1 parts you may be interested in for a conversion. 4agte will be tight but as per most motors the gearbox will be the problem.
what about getting the TWIN CAM cossie head on to a pinto bottom end? Ive also seen a 4AGZE in one of those but i guess its limited due to it being only a 1.6L.
i always wanted to do a SR20T Rally Pack Mk2 escort when i had them. Maybe one day :D
WOW just checked that CA18 conversion from the link, thats hot looks so cool.
cossie head wont just bolt onto the pinto block it requires work. Plus not to mention the cost of a cossie head, i sourced one a long time ago and it was stacks!!! Good luck trying to track one down nowdays :(
The Cosworth head is hardly any cheaper than just buying an entire engine. I've never really understood why people made those hybrids; they must have already had engines, but the bottom-end was stuffed somehow.
i know its expensive and hard to come by, it was just a suggestion if you were looking at keeping it ford related.
I actually just saw a ZOOM mag that had a 626 or MX-6 Turbo 2ltr fitted in an escort looked pretty sweet i think it had 146kw @ wheels of a 900kg car. Wouldnt be a bad thing to drop in the cortina.
i dunno what your budget is or anything and you did ask for suggestions.
good luck :)
Ysh thats a possibility a lot of peolpe use, a Telstar TX5 Turbo motor. Gutsy motor but fairly large and heavy plus a bit of work involved being a FWD but not a bad conversion. Im gonna go down the 302 route so i dont have to stuff around with looms yet then later on efi and twin turbos.
PSI-70Y
30-05-02, 11:35 AM
or why not keep with tradition and put a lotus twin cam 1.6 engine in there -> together with the twin 40mm sidedraught webbers
my old man had an ex rally cortina with this engine and it hooned as it was rally tuned -> this was in south america where laws aren't that important hehehehhe
just a suggestion
CA18escort
31-05-02, 08:33 AM
There are several reasons for this the first would have to be the $10,000 required to build a strong twin cam engine and second would be that it will still only make around 140hp. I went for a CA18DET conversion in my MK1 Twin Cam escort for this very reason.
Cheers
Paul Nelson
Paul; you really put a Datsun engine in a real Twin Cam shell?
*faints*
PSI-70Y
31-05-02, 09:04 AM
LOL @ Forg
CA18escort
31-05-02, 09:45 AM
Matt I sure did, I haven't spoken to you for a while but we used to chat on the Osella web site a couple of years ago. I took great pains during the conversion to ensure that the standard body could be returned to normal at any stage. The car is actually in boxes at the moment because it is getting a full rebuild. I have also had an MX-5 engine in there as well as a 2lt turbo.
Cheers
Paul Nelson
The twin cam cossie thing is ridiculous-In england the sierra top ends are cheap as- buy a whole engine from the wreckers for maybe 150 pounds.People buy cossies to use the bottom end to fix their pinto over there.. Shame small ford parts suppliers bump up the prices, then someone says oh yeh, my twincam cost $100,000,0045.98 to build, and the engine builders and importers go "hey, lets take that figure and add 50%, then another 150,000 for the fitting and another 75% for the privilege of being allowed to use the conversion in your own car" honestly you'd think most "reputable" e.g sponsored by/sponsoring magazines workshops were selling movia and book rights with every conversion.
You are going to have to mod the trans tunnel what ever you do from the sounds of it, because ford engines suck (that said I'm just itching to start getting stuff from burtons to hot up my 1.6 escy...mmmm steel crank....4 bolt mains...).
I suggest a good start is (despite the above tirade) go to quickco or similar and maybe get a trans tunnel pressing for a ZF in a gp.4 escort, that should open things up a bit. Also, what about a rotor.....
cheers,
floody
Originally posted by CA18escort
Matt I sure did, I haven't spoken to you for a while but we used to chat on the Osella web site a couple of years ago.
Yeah, I remembered. :)
I thought you had an MX5 donk in there, I think I ribbed you about it in the past but then said it was OK 'cos Mazda was owned by Ford (a quip which isn't quite as fun to utter without any Mazda or Rotary fans around) :)
The Escort has definitely taken a back-seat to the Volvo though; I think whether I bother with the Escort kinda depends on the success of Project Volvo. It'd kinda be a shame to not do the Escort, we've got a few rare-ish parts & it's kinda got sentimental value now too ...
thanks for all the info guys, i had no idea id get this many responses!
it sounds like the ca18 might be the go. the thing is now i gotta find a shell to put it in. there was one for sale in here about 2 months ago for 300 bucks but when i got there it was already sold! bastards!
ps keep the info coming, and how about some pics people if u got em:D
13B turbo... well if you have to use a jap import engine why not choose something superior :D
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