Cockpit/Coffin
A rough mock-up just to make sure I’ll fit.
ACBC
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman
Rear Brakes
Cortina MkII Estate brakes. Not the biggest, but should be just fine.
Input Shaft
Cortina input shaft to convert the Pinto transmission.
Gear Selector
Needs a little work, but it will do.
Girling
Master cylinders.
Tires
A nice Craigslist find. The guy selling them actually bought them for a 7.
Wheels
Picked up a nice set of Cortina GT wheels from Cortina Phil. 13 x 4.5, not to fat, not to thin. Extra bonus, they’re all date coded to 1969, that’s just about right for the look I’m going for.
Driveshaft
Out of a Cortina estate I used to own. Hopefully I can polish up that input shaft.
Dave Bean
I built these for Dave Bean around 1988-1989. Wish I still had one to choose from! 1700 Non X-Flow 185 hp TC 1700 BDR
Authentic Nardi
I think this was purchased in Italy by my dad in 1963. He had it on his Sprite, then I had it on my Sunbeam Alpine in the 1980s. I sold it with the car by mistake then had to track down the new owner and beg for it back. Wish I could use it on the 7, but I’m not sure if the diameter will work.
Final Drive
3.9 rear end froma Cortina GT. Supposedly it ran well. I’m going to see if I can get away with cleaning it up and not taking it apart. We’ll see…
Guages
I’ve been collecting gauges from ebay whenever I see a good deal. These are Smiths from MGB and Spridget applications. Maybe not exactly correct, but they match and are suited for the period.
Steering Rack
Spitfire steering rack. Hope I can get it back together!
Transmission
Pinto transmission courtesy of Cortina Phil. It’s a wide-ration, but it will do just fine for now. The goal is to get this on the road in 2 years. Once it’s drive-able, I’ll think about upgrading to a close or semi-close ratio. Although, this might turn out to be just fine.
Upper Wishbones
Once I figured out the geometry, I had these custom made by Xtra Special Sevens.
Lower Wishbones
Sourced Xtra Special Sevens in England. Poor man’s measuring jig. Figuring out some suspension geometry.
Rear Axle
Cortina rear axle from a MKII estate. Cleaning up, ready for some modifications.
Front Suspension Bits
Craigslist find. Discovered a guy with multiple garages full of triumph bits. I’m using Triumph Spitfire uprights.
An Easier Build
This one went a lot quicker.
Cortina Estate
My friendly neighborhood Cortina parts supplier. This used to be my estate. Maybe I’ll get it back someday, though not likely. 🙁
Chassis Sketches
This chassis is a hybrid using multiple sources. S2, DSK, Prince, etc. Trying to stay as close as possible to original S2/S3 chassis proportions, especially keeping a low hood line. Stretching a few tings just enough so I can actually fit in it and drive comfortably. Although “comfort” is a relative term.
Style Reference
The goal is to build a convincing tribute, but not quite a replica. S2/3 style with traditional components. Clean street style.