Thread: Cortina Mk1 or BMW 2002?

if you want the fun to drive then the 2002 with out a doubt.

the Cortina has some inherent issues like body flex and weight. You can jack up one wheel and the other 3 will stay on the ground. twin front sway bars. you can graft on latter Cortina bits or Capri bits for suspension and brakes but its a bit of a bugger. Much easier to do if its a Mk2

i would love a 315 or better a 315 Capri

Why don't you look at a 323i e21 parts will be easier to get plus a much better m20 engine but still looks like the 2002 just make sure you don't get a pre 1980 vehicle

The Cortina would be rarer. May be easier to sell later. There are lots of 2002's on the market (compared to Cortinas).
Just another way of looking at it.

I would go for an E21 323i as noted above.

They only became available with manual AFAIR in 1979( I ordered them) and the 81 five speed was much nicer on the highway vs the 4 speed.

A real prize would be a Motorsport or JPS which I designed the graphics for as they had an LSD , Bilstien suspension and Recaros.
They still are OLD cars now and had D jetronic which will have a very old distributor now , and they also had rocker arm wear problems.

Cortina GTs are a generation older, but still OK in a vintage sort of way but mechanicals are very simple and plenty of parts around..

IMHO as a drivers car an Escort GT1600 or Twin Cam , or Capri 3.0 are also contenders , but cheap interiors would need a lot of restoration.

I had a 1600 which predated the 2002 ,but also early 2002 were 6 volt which is a pain.
Regards Philip A

Definately the 2002 but an early round tail light model preferably in Ti spec, i would avoid Tii as it is mechanical injection[kugelfisher] and obsolete[so i was told], i had a 70 model with Ti side draft solex mikuni carbs and it went like stink, leathal in the wet[no weight in the back end] but great fun for 10 years

I used to have 2 Cortina Gt MK1 and one MII
To me they are excellent cars, simple to fix beautiful reliable engine and box.
If the Cortina that you are looking is the 440 then I would go for the BMW.

I guess I have my winner - I don't want an inherently flexy car.

This will be a 'forever in my garage' car so i'm buying/building based around that assumption. A car that will put a smile on my face every time I look at it and drive it.

The E21s are worth a look in but I find the 2002's more appealling, and enthusiasts seem to hold them in higher regard. And to tell the truth I actually prefer the bimmer fours to their sixes - back in the day I owned a '90 318is and it was without a doubt the best handling car I ever owned. Nothing could match it on a twisty bit of road - and no amount of abuse was too much for that drivetrain.

As for the drivetrain - it won't be staying stock (unless I get a real tii). M42B18 and 5-speed box would be the likely transplant.

Definitely the 2002 - the later BMW mentioned is nice, is not a "classic" and does not fit the the requirements outlined.

If you were to go for a Mk1 Cortina you would then need to go to Lotus but you are not likely to find or maybe afford one of them.

Originally Posted by SlowRide

The E21s are worth a look in but I find the 2002's more appealling, and enthusiasts seem to hold them in higher regard. And to tell the truth I actually prefer the bimmer fours to their sixes - back in the day I owned a '90 318is and it was without a doubt the best handling car I ever owned. Nothing could match it on a twisty bit of road - and no amount of abuse was too much for that drivetrain.

Go the Tii - I don't agree about the handling of the 318i - in 1977 I was after a new car and I was looking at the then newly released BMW 318i, a 2 litre Alphaetta GTV and a Lancia Beta Coupe - the Lancia was the superior car in overall performance (one was a little quicker) but the worst handling was the BMW. I ended up buying the Lancia. Was in the days before I got into 4wding but still managed to do the Flinders Ranges and Wilpenna Pound - bashed in the sump, also did the the track betweeen Dargo and Mt Hotham no issues. Noting this was 36 years ago and what are now roads were just 4wd tracks at the time.

Go the BMW 2002 - one of the cars I would have liked to have owned but never did.

Garry