Motors & Me: Eamonn Long and his 1966 MK 1 Cortina Estate
It’s a 1966 Cortina Estate. I have quite a few other vintage cars as well, and normally take one of them out for a drive every day. My family car is Audi A4 and my wife drives a Ford Ka.
Love at first sight. I bought it from a friend of mine in Glanmire, Co Cork. It was in a hay barn. I had to put an engine into it and do it all up – start from scratch. I was attracted to it because it’s a very rare car, there aren’t too many of them around.
I fitted a 1,600cc GT Crossflow to it. The original engine was a 1,500cc Freeflow, but the Crossflow worked so well, I left it in it. I didn’t do a whole pile of work on the body itself, a few panels had to be made for it. The only place you can source parts for the Cortina is the UK.
I’ve worked with vintage cars all my life. I served my time in them, going back as far as 1968. I always had a love for vintage cars. You always go to back to what you had first.
My first car was a Mini. It was a63. I bought it in 1969. I still have three of them. I had an Anglia, and then a whole host of vintage cars after that.
I love cars, especially the vintage stuff. I drive a different one every day. My favourite over the years — I had a few nice MGs — an MG GBT and an MG Midget. I have a few VW Beatles, I like the Beatles — they’re trouble free.
My favourite has to be the Cortina, but I have a nice Morris Minor as well.
Of all the cars across the world I suppose a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. But again it would have to be a vintage. I prefer vintage any day of the week over a new car. Vintage cars go up in value everyday, whereas a new car goes down in value. Route 66 has to be everyone’s dream road. That’s the one I would pick.
Dream passenger is Nathan Carter. I love the country stuff.
I can’t think of anyone.
I don’t listen to music in the vintage car. Even though the original radio is inside in the Cortina, I don’t listen to it.
