Classic Ford – August 2019

August 2019 103

INTERIOR

Second-hand trim is scarce, although some
reproduction items are available, such as door panels
and headlinings. Vinyl seat covers are prone to
splitting but also pay attention to the actual front seats

themselves as the frames can rust — a solid shove

should determine if the metal’s still sound. It’s more of

a concern on the rarer two-door as fi nding decent,

replacement tilting front items is near impossible.

Rust is common in the boot corners, lower rear
quarters, rear arches, slam panel and wings, chassis
rails, A-pillars, outriggers, strut tops, sills and where
the bulkhead and inner wings meet. Rear roof pillars
can also rust behind the hard-to-fi nd alloy trim piece
that is exclusive to 1500 models. Chrome is getting
very scarce, especially that of the GT and

particularly its lower trim. Repair sections and

panels are available but be wary of cheaper pattern

sills as they don’t fi t the profi le of the originals, with

the result that they throw out all the panel gaps.

Rear screen rubbers can be hard to source, a more

readily available alternative being a modifi ed Mk2

Cortina item.

BODY

“THE CORSAIR WASN’T REALLY ABOUT SPEED,

AND IT WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE

COMFORTABLE THAN THE CORTINA”

buyer’s guide: corsair 1500

BRAKES

Parts for the early 1500 Corsairs

can be hard to fi nd. Rear wheel

cylinders are usually the

hardest to source, although

remanufactured versions are

starting to surface. Sticky

callipers of seldom-used cars

can be rebuilt with readily

available kits, although a

common fi x is to swap them for

the V4’s superior items.

ELECTRICS

Corroded connections are

behind most electrical

problems — notably, a poor

earth is the cause of the

common issue of one headlight

being brighter than the other,

although more of a concern is

the sidelights having rotted

out. The GT’s pod-mounted

rev counter is notoriously

unreliable, while be very

wary of other instruments

being inoperative. It could

just be faulty senders, but it

could also be the hard-to-

replace printed dash circuit

breaking down.