Another New Guy From California

A place for new (and old) members to introduce themselves.
rodsgarage
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:55 pm
Location: Pinetown

Another New Guy From California

Post by rodsgarage »

Greetings from Rod in Westwood, California.

I happened upon this site looking for paint codes for Mark I Capri�s. Thanks for all the information posted and all the member posts.

My brother and I have always owned Fords and both had Mark II GT Cortina�s new in �67 and �68 and had friends in the early �70�s who had hot rodded Capri�s while we were drag racing early �70�s Pinto�s. We drag raced the Cortina�s too. We had hot rodded �54 and �57 fords prior to that with a FE engines and T10 4 speeds. I had a �65 Mustang I ordered with the handling suspension, disc brakes, 289, and 4 speed and established a track stock class record with it at the old Irwindale Raceway drag strip. I still have the track record certificate hanging on the wall but one of the exxes threw all the old trophies in a dumpster. Thank you dear. My brother had a �62 Anglia he was hot rodding when we had the Cortina�s and Pinto�s new but I asked him what ever happened to it the other day and he said he honestly could not remember.

Now I have 2 �68 Cortina GT�s, 8 Mark I Capri�s, 1 2000, 3 2600�s, 4 2800�s, all 4 speeds, a �73 Pinto sedan 2000 4 speed, a �72 Pinto wagon 2000 4 speed, a �64 � Mustang 289 4 speed, and my brother has a �67 Ranchero that I regretfully sold to him that he has completed with a modified 351w.

We go to hot august nights in Reno for a week every year with the American cars and one year I took a Cortina and another year a Capri.

I picked up 2 mid �80�s Thunderbird Turbo Coupes with T5�s to transplant drive trains into a couple of the little cars but we�ll see if we ever get to them.

Anyway I attached some pictures of some of the little Fords that I have from old floppy discs since I didn�t back up everything on my old desktop and the hard drive went south a couple of months ago along with all my pictures. The orange Capri is a �74 with �72 bumpers and a �72 interior. It is a 2800 4speed. The wheels are 14 inch Carroll Shelby�s from the �60�s or �70�s that I got from a guy who had ran them on a Sunbeam Tiger. It has a personalized license plate now that reads LTL FORD. The Cortina is apparently an early �68 because it has the gauges atop the dash but has a cross flow and my other �68 has them in the dash as did the one I had new. It is running 50 series tires on 13 inch American Racing rims I bought in the early �70�s. It is stock otherwise and now has a new ebrake cable (no wheel chock), wiper arms, and a personalized license that says 68 GT 4D. The white Capri is a �73 with a modified 2800 with the same manifold and headers as the orange car but with ported heads. It pulled 158 hp at the rear wheels the only time it was on a dyno.
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Last edited by rodsgarage on Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
zephyrgary
Posts: 1237
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:55 pm
Location: cave creek,az

Post by zephyrgary »

Welcome and nice collection you have there. A loyal Ford fan indeed! Thanks for posting the pics. It's rare to see a Capri in such good shape these days.
Gary
the older i get,the faster i went...
Kiwi Cortina
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Novato Ca

Post by Kiwi Cortina »

Welcome Rod, really nice collection you have there.
fomoco
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:01 pm
Location: kansas

Post by fomoco »

Awesome looking group of cars, my dad had the same year and color cortina!
rodsgarage
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:55 pm
Location: Pinetown

Welcome

Post by rodsgarage »

Thanks for the welcome guys.

Isn't that the truth Gary, the older I get the faster I went? But that is part of the fun.

I have been fortunate over the years to find cars and parts for the little Fords and my American cars. Back in the '70's and later in the’80’s and 90's I searched for things daily. I walked through every boneyard in Southern California in the early ‘70’s and Northern California and the Reno area later many times when they actually had old cars. I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything. I don't remember seeing any Zephyr's only an occasional Capri. I will never forget a car in Orland, CA. Nice Capri with a 2600 4 speed and at that time I was looking for the left rear quarter window and I got it and called back a couple of days later to get the entire car. They had crushed it.

So I guess we should get faster as we get older.

Boy Kiwi.

I went to the bay area many times over the years for cars and parts. Two of the Capri’s I found were in the San Mateo area. I remember taking my car trailer across the bridge that had such narrow lanes my life flashed before my eyes many times. What a joy that was with a wife who was separating at the time. I trailered one back while she drove the other. And then we got back to the sierras and of course it was snowing and somehow we survived with her in the lead in a’74 Capri with low tread tires.
Thanks for the memories.

Fomoco.

What a name. I still have old parts containers with that logo. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. I hope your dad enjoyed that car as much as we did when they were new. My brother and I grew up with FOMOCO at the parts counters in our early days. The green Cortina is probably going to be my brother’s sometime soon. We have been talking about it. His ’67 was identical in color for the interior and exterior and had the gauge pod atop the dash. Of course it was a 1500 with the pre cross flow head. My old ’68 was always about a half second faster in the quarter mile. And he had a third member with welded spider gears that we would install at the strip but still couldn’t go as quick. I think the other ‘68 I have now came from Kansas. I had it shipped here and it is complete and I was lucky enough to fine a NOS GT dash pad about ten years ago that I treasure for whatever I end up doing with it.

Can you guys steer me in the direction on the site where I can see your cars and or projects. I will post more pictures of things here when the snow melts but we still have a couple of feet of snow.

Rod
Kiwi Cortina
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Novato Ca

Post by Kiwi Cortina »

Rod

I drive trucks here in the Bay Area so those lanes are never wide enough. My project is at this website. www.kiwicortina.com
fomoco
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:01 pm
Location: kansas

Post by fomoco »

Rod,
You can see my cortina mk3 under readers rides on this forum. I tried to get FOMOCO for my plates but of course it was already taken!
rodsgarage
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:55 pm
Location: Pinetown

'70 Mark II GT

Post by rodsgarage »

Kiwi,

Well you certainly have done a lot of work on it in the pictures. Do you and your son do all of the work? What have you had to do to the drivetrain? How many parts cars do you have now? Is it getting close to paint?
rodsgarage
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:55 pm
Location: Pinetown

Cortina Mark III

Post by rodsgarage »

Fomoco,

I really like your Mark III. You are fortunate that it is in such fine condition. I imagine finding parts for it would be worse than Mark I’s and II’s and that is troublesome in itself. Is it all original including paint? Have you had to find any parts for it?
Kiwi Cortina
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Novato Ca

Post by Kiwi Cortina »

Rod, Yes my son and I have been doing all the work. Not ready for paint yet but hope to have it rolling by the end of the summer. The drive train is all there and working, will do the brakes and it should be good to go. The engine runs great.
angliagt
Posts: 931
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:01 pm
Location: Roanoke,Virginia

Post by angliagt »

Rod,

Welcome! Nice looking cars!I had to look at the pictures twice,
isn't Westwood in the LA area?
If you ever get up this way,please let me know.There's a car
Show in Woodland,CA (just North of Sacramento) on May 19th - the
biggest one in Northern California.

- Doug
Remember - Nobody EVER says "COOL PRIUS!"
fomoco
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:01 pm
Location: kansas

Post by fomoco »

Rod,
I have been lucky and haven't had to fix much, the engine is the same as the 2.0 Capri so parts for the engine are available. Some things like the exterior handles are the same as the Capri II.
Some trim bits are rare but eBay has been great!!
The car is all original except for a couple areas painted over the years, dad got rear ended when we were in a traffic jam going to tour the ford plant in dagenham, he was so mad he jumped out of the car while it was still in gear and bumped the car in front!!
rodsgarage
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:55 pm
Location: Pinetown

Post by rodsgarage »

Thanks Doug,

I am actually about five hours east of you in the northern sierras. Westwood is a old logging town east of Lake Almanor. I might have talked to you via email about ten years ago if you are the guy who was selling a Mark I GT on ebay. I was looking for Mark II's at the time. If you are that guy you had a few cars and I see you have a Mark II wagon. Very nice. I almost bought one of those a few years ago and was going to do the same thing since I have a couple of extra 2000's out of Pintos just sitting around. What all do you have now?

What is the name of the show in Woodland? Do they sponsors have a website?

Rod
66gt
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:55 pm
Location: Ferndale,WA

Post by 66gt »

Welcome Rod!

Very nice collection of Fords!

Steve
66gt
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:55 pm
Location: Ferndale,WA

Post by 66gt »

Welcome Rod!

Very nice collection of Fords!

Steve
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