Ford Cortina Mk3, Mk4 & Mk5 Tuning Guide

Ford had been successful with the "four-year cycle" of the previous two Cortinas in a bid to keep the model fresh. When the Mk3 was launched in 1970 they decided to try and move the Cortina up-market and enhance profitability. The Mk3 was treated to several years and kept in production for six years helping the Cortina to remain the best selling car in Britain for four years running. The mid 70s saw the "Coke Bottle" fashion passing and so the Mk4 Cortina retained essentially the same running gear but was given a much boxier body and this continued on to the Mk5 Cortina which was essentially just a facelifted Mk4 with the platform of the MK3. Engines were Crossflow and Pinto in the Mk3 and then the Cologne V6 was added to the Mk4 and 5.

The later Cortinas are far too heavy for a Crossflow so the easy and basic conversion for any Mk3,4 or 5 is a 2.0 Pinto although the rep-mobile nature of the car would probably welcome some lazy power in the form of the 3.0 Essex or the 2.8 Cologne. Both of which will fit with minimal fuss. If you want to drag your Cortina into modern times then we suggest a BOA or BOB 24 valve V6 Cosworth. If it’s mad performance that you are after then of course the Pinto based Cosworth YB Turbo will go in on standard Pinto engine mounts. Those of you looking for something different might consider the Zetec or even the Duratec engine. The engines were obviously originally intended to power the front wheels of a Mondeo but you will find the required conversion parts to turn them around the other way in this catalogue. Given that the Mk3 onwards now had a steering rack, you’ll run into less problems when it comes to mounting engines with rear-drop sumps.

You shouldn’t run into many problems when up-grading the gearbox of your late Cortina, a Type-9 five-speed should slot nicely in-place of the original four-speed and the tunnel is plenty large enough for a T5 or MT75. The Type-9 will give the Cortina a bit longer legs on motorway runs and we can supply a completely re-built unit with no need for you to find an exchange one. We also stock a wide range of bellhousings to really give you a huge choice of what engine and gearbox combination to choose. Most 2.0 and 2.3 Cortinas came with an Atlas axle but the smaller engined models had a smaller and weaker version of it. Note that most Mk5 Crusader models were also fitted with this smaller axle regardless of engine. If you’re planning any sort of power up-grade then a stronger axle from a bigger engined model is recommended. With power up-grades it is a sensible modification to fit a limited slip differential to help get the power to the floor, and if you need further advice our sales team would be happy to advise on what would best suit your application.

The later Cortinas enjoyed a new kind of suspension layout with a steering rack and wishbone suspension at the front along with coil springs at the rear. The first job for any late Cortina is certainly to uprate the bushes in the suspension and the subframes. After this a set of lowering springs will then improve handling and the looks of the car. If you want to get more serious about the handling you could then look at fitting uprated dampers all around. As luck would have it, Cortina based suspension would find its way onto many kit cars, which means that there is a wide range of brake conversions available. From a simple set of uprated discs and pads, right through to big brake conversions, the late Cortina is as well catered for as the reardrive Escort in this area. Pedal feel can be improved by simply adding some braided flexible lines.

The late Cortina is not by any means a performance vehicle but with the right modifications it can be made into a retro looking, modern day, cruiser with refinement and performance all in one.

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  1. Coolex alloy radiator (black): Ford Cortina Mk3\Mk4\Mk5 1.6\2.0 SOHC Pinto FDAB29001S
    £240.00 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £200.00

    Part Number: FDAB29001S

    Manufactured by Coolex who are one of the few remaining spec.... Learn More
    Stock Lead Time Typically 1-2 weeks
  2. Coolex alloy radiator (polished): Ford Cortina Mk3\Mk4\Mk5 1.6\2.0 SOHC Pinto FDAP29001S
    £200.00 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £166.67

    Part Number: FDAP29001S

    Manufactured by Coolex who are one of the few remaining spec.... Learn More
    Stock Lead Time Typically 1-2 weeks
  3. Motorad radiator cap 13 psi with release lever ST13
    £11.50 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £9.58

    Part Number: ST13

    Metal cap, push down and twist fit. Fits most Ford radiators.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  4. Motorad radiator cap 16 psi with release lever ST16
    £11.50 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £9.58

    Part Number: ST16

    Note: this is a competition part that will increase the cool.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  5. Motorad radiator cap 20 psi with release lever ST20
    £12.00 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £10.00

    Part Number: ST20

    Note: this is a competition part that will increase the cool.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  6. Motorad radiator cap 22 psi with release lever ST22
    £12.00 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £10.00

    Part Number: ST22

    Note: this is a competition part that will increase the cool.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  7. Motorad radiator cap 20 psi T20
    £12.00 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £10.00

    Part Number: T20

    Note: this is a competition part that will increase the cool.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  8. Motorad radiator cap 22 psi T22
    £12.00 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £10.00

    Part Number: T22

    Note: this is a competition part that will increase the cool.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  9. Motorad radiator cap 30 psi T45
    £21.60 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £18.00

    Part Number: T45

    Note: this is a competition part that will increase the cool.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  10. Top radiator water coolant hose: Ford Granada Mk1\Mk2 -08\81 SOHC, Cortina Mk4\Mk5 SOHC Pinto RH1044
    £22.30 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £18.58

    Part Number: RH1044

    Replaces OE part numbers 72GB8260KA, 72GB8260AA, 71BB8260CA Learn More
    Available From Stock
  11. Bottom lower radiator water coolant hose: Ford Granada Mk1\2 -08\81, Cortina Mk3\4\5 03\73- SOHC Pinto RH1045
    £22.50 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £18.75

    Part Number: RH1045

    Replaces OE part numbers 72GB8286BC, EKF117, 1554664, 71BB82.... Learn More
    Stock Lead Time Typically 4-7 days
  12. Top radiator water coolant hose: Ford Cortina Mk4 V6 2.3 & Taunus TCS\TC2 V6 RH1227
    £21.30 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £17.75

    Part Number: RH1227

    Available From Stock
  13. Bottom lower radiator water coolant hose: Ford Cortina Mk4 V6 2.3 & Taunus TCS\TC2 V6 RH1228
    £22.90 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £19.08

    Part Number: RH1228

    Available From Stock
  14. Top radiator water coolant hose: Ford Capri Mk3 2.0\2.3\2.8 V6 & Cortina Mk5 2.3 V6 RH1517
    £21.70 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £18.08

    Part Number: RH1517

    Stock Lead Time Typically 1-2 weeks
  15. Bottom lower radiator water coolant hose: Ford Cortina Mk5 V6 2.3 & Taunus TC3 V6 RH1518
    £22.75 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £18.96

    Part Number: RH1518

    Available From Stock
  16. Samco black water coolant silicone hose set (4 hoses): Ford Cortina Mk4\Mk5 1.6\2.0 DGV manual choke TCS-585\C(BLACK)
    £143.95 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £119.96

    Part Number: TCS-585/C(BLACK)

    Hand made from premium quality silicone rubber, SamcoSport h.... Learn More
    Available From Stock
  17. Top radiator water coolant hose: Ford Cortina Mk2\Mk3\Mk4\Mk5 OHV & Capri Mk1\Mk2\Mk3 OHV RH759
    £21.50 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £17.92

    Part Number: RH759

    Available From Stock
  18. Top radiator water coolant hose: Ford Cortina Mk3 1.6\2.0 SOHC 73-76 RH519
    £20.75 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £17.29

    Part Number: RH519

    Available From Stock
  19. Bottom lower radiator water coolant hose: Ford Cortina Mk3 1.6\2.0 SOHC -08\73 RH520
    £21.25 (inc VAT)
    (ex VAT) £17.71

    Part Number: RH520

    Available From Stock
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