We have been driving, maintaining, modifying and trading in Cortina Mk1s for over 25 years. We travel some distance to find them too. So if you know of one sitting in a yard or paddock that may be going to meet its end in a scrap yard please contact us...
January 2nd
MK1 replacement sill panels no longer in production from Rare Spares. Disappointing news
...............................................
December 23
NEW! Phil in his cossie powered MK1 has run a 11.6 more details here.
...............................................
MK1 Cortina UK Nationals New to the gallery ! Our coverage from the '07 MK1 UK Nationals...The biggest MK1 gathering in the UK...here
...............................................
No changeover boosters Still unable to offer changeover VH40 & VH44 boosters. We are sorry for the inconvenience but we still require your unit for recondition.
Achievements Recorded a 7.31 ET on the 1/8th mile. 97 MPH. On 1/4 mile 11.5 @123 MPH. Calder park. 280 rwkw
Identification codes
The two main areas you need to identify you MK1 Cortina are the 'MODEL' and the 'SERIAL PREFIX' Once you have these two numbers from your own Cortina you will be able to find out what it was from the Ford factory. If your 'ID' tag is missing from the driver side inner guard, there should be a body number stamped into the front radiator support panel. These numbers will be on the passenger side, about a quarter of an inch high. This number, 'SERIAL PREFIX' will match the 'ID' tag. Ford Australia can trace VIN identification from models 1969 onwards. Anything earlier cannot be verified by Ford Australia as they destroyed all records.
Where are the numbers on a MK1 ? Want to know where to find body or VIN and model numbers stamped by the factory? If yes, heres some info to help you out. Firstly, the VIN or body number on all MK1s is found on the drivers side (RHD cars) under the bonnet on the inner guard (wing) near the strut top.
This VIN or body number above ^ sometimes curves around as the factory never stamped them very straight.
To find the model number which should always match the ID tag of you MK1 look on the radiator support panel pictured above. Early models will indicate numbers EG: 28112 while later 65 to 66 models will have EG: CG74. Early models will have more numbers which will match the SIDO number on the ID tag.
British ID tagged cars use a completely different system to Australian cars. See below for a brief description
Australian tagged cars used 3 different types of tags over the MK1 range.
NOTE: 113E, 118E, 122E & 125E were all Right Hand Drive vehicles. 114E & 119E were Left Hand Drive. 113E were 1200cc and 118E were 1500cc 122E were GT engine.
NOTE: If SERIAL PREFIX says EG: CBRGC... 'CB' means Australian assembled, 'R' right hand drive, 'G' month of build and 'C' year of build. Have not found accurate details printed on decoding this yet, so i will not post until i can be certain.
First letter C = Australia built
Second letter G = Broadmeadows, H = Brisbane, K = Sydney.
The two numbers are next as below this table
Followed by another two letters which refers to year and date of manufacturer
NOTE: Early models (pre-airflow) had the month then the year. Models from '65 onwards had the year first then the month.
Australian Identification plate used between 62 and early 64 (CB & CE)
Consol Cortina CB model 11/62/65/3
MODEL CODE
DESCRITPION
ENGINE
TYRE SIZE
REAR AXLE
28112
2 door
Deluxe
1200cc
5.20
x 13
4:125:1
28132
2 door
Deluxe
1500cc
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
28212
4 door
Deluxe*
1200cc
5.20
x 13
4:125:1
28232
4 door
Deluxe*
1500cc
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
28312
4 door
Deluxe
1200cc
5.20
x 13
4:125:1
28332
4 door
Deluxe
1500cc
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
27132
2 door
GT
1500cc
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
27232
4 door
GT
1500cc
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
*Also: 'Cortina developed by Lotus' : 125E from January 1963 * Bucket seats
..............................................................................................................................................
ID Plate had a minor change in late 1964 until late 1965 to this one.
SUMMARY
OF MODEL, WITH BODY TYPE CODES (CE) 65-67
ENGINE
SIZE 1198cc 113E
ENGINE
SIZE 1498cc 118E
2 door Standard
CG 71
CG 71
4 door Standard
CG 72
CG 72
2 door DeLuxe, column change
CG 73
CG 73
2 door DeLuxe, floor change
CG 74
CG 74*
4 door DeLuxe column change
CG 75
CG 75
4 door DeLuxe floor change
CG 76
CG 76
2 door 'GT'
N/A
CG 77**
4 door 'GT'
N/A
CG 78
Estate Car DeLuxe column
change
N/A
88
Estate Car DeLuxe floor
change
N/A
89
* Bucket seats **Also: 'Cortina developed by Harry Firth for Bathurst 500' Called the GT 500 122E
ID plate used until July 1966
Cortina CE model 65/3 until July 1966
MODEL
CODE
DESCRIPTION
ENGINE
TYRE
SIZE
REAR
AXLE
28014
2dr
Std 220
1200
5.20
x 13
4:4:1
28034
2dr
Std 220
1500
5.60
x 13
4:1:1
28114
2dr
Deluxe 240
1200
5.20
x 13
4:4:1
28134
2dr
Deluxe 240
1500
5.60
x 13
4:1:1
28214
4dr
Deluxe 440*
1200
5.20
x 13
4:4:1
28334
4dr
Deluxe 440*
1500
5.60
x13
4:1:1
28314
4dr
Deluxe 440
1200
5.20
x 13
4:4:1
28334
4dr
Deluxe 440
1500
5.60
x 13
4:1:1
28344**
4dr
Deluxe Auto**
1500
5.60
x 13
4:1:1
27234
4
door GT
1500
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
27134
2
door GT500
1500
5.60
x 13
3:9:1
*Bucket seats **Automatic column change have also been found with MODEL CODE of 28244
New ID plate for CE Cortina's from July 1966
Model type
MODEL
CODE
BODY
TYPE
12412
'220'
2 door bucket seats
12414
'240'
2 door Deluxe bucket seats
12433
'440'
4 door Deluxe bench seat
12434
'440'
4 door Deluxe buckets seats
12437
'GT'
Sedan 4 door bucket seats
Engine code
ENGINE
CODE
B
D
F
TYPE
1200cc
1500cc
1500cc
'GT'
Transmission code
TRANSMISSION CODE
V
T
X
Z
TYPE
4
speed Floor shift
4
speed Column shift
4
speed 'GT'
3
speed Automatic
Rear axle
REAR
AXLE CODE
L
N
P
RATIO
4.1:1*
4.4:1*
3.9:1
*due to typographical error from the source document these two may swap
Brief description on English ID tags
The English Cortina's had a tag with the main area being called 'VEHICLE NUMBER' the underneath had the PAINT CODE. The vehicle number worked like this...EG: BA75EM12345 ( The first 2 letters are not the paint code)
To decipher this is easy 'B' means Built in Britain. 'A' Means the assembly plant' Dagenham' Next 2 number indicate the body type.75 = 4 door deluxe column change. Next two numbers indicate the year and month of build = July 1965. The rest of the numbers are just the VIN.
All efforts are made to keep data as accurate as possible.