Street Machine Australia - May 2018

SOME PEOPLE GET IT; OTHERS DON’T AND WAIL THINGS LIKE: ‘HOW

COULD YOU BUTCHER A LOTUS CORTINA!’

the iconic green on white to resemble Ford’s
first Lotus-assembled race/rally specials of
the 1960s.
Plenty of retro-resto attention was put
into the interior: those sassy chrome-ringed
gauges and the vinyl trim all mimic glorious
60-era classic correctness! What’s not so
noticeable is Simon’s new seating position
in his Corbeau seat; it’s around 150mm
further rearward than standard, thanks to an
extended steering column. The rollcage holds

the Wilwood pedal box under the dash and

adds rigidity to the shell by extending forward

to the engine bay.

But it’s the mechanicals that really get the

attention – and piss off the purists!

“I wanted to make the car look like a Lotus

Cortina even though it isn’t,” Simon concludes

with a laugh. “Some people get it; others don’t

and wail things like: ‘How could you butcher

a Lotus Cortina!’”

We reckon the joke’s on them, Simon. s

SIMON PERYER
1962 FORD CORTINA
Paint: Lotus-inspired green
over white

ENGINE
Brand: Ford 302ci/5.0L
Windsor V8

Induction: ProCharger

ECU: Holley

Heads: Ford Motorsport alloy

Camshaft: Blower grind

Pistons: Forged

Cooling: Fabricated

alloy radiator

Exhaust: 3in dual system,

hidden right-hand tailpipe

Ignition: MSD

TRANSMISSION

Gearbox: Tremec TKO

five-speed

Diff: Ford Mustang 8¾in,

narrowed

SUSPENSION &

BRAKES

Front suspension: Bilstein

shocks, Ford Mustang struts

Rear suspension: Four-

link with Watt’s link, QA1

coil-overs

Brakes: Ford Mustang discs

with Alcon calipers (f), Ford

Mustang discs (r)

WHEELS & TYRES

Rims: Performance Superlite;

15x7 (f), 15x8 (r)

Rubber: Dunlop Formula R;

205/55 (f), 225/55 (r)

INTERIOR

Simon’s stuck to a factory-spec

replication of the Lotus Cortina’s

wonderfully 1960s interior, with the

obvious exceptions of the rollcage,

Corbeau driver’s seat and extended

steering column