1976 Ford Cortina GL review from UK and Ireland

Front wings were quite rusty when I bought the car, so some fibreglass patching was in order.

The only really major fault happened about 3 months after I bought the car: the oil pump failed and the engine seized. A reconditioned engine for £60 and a day's work sorted out that problem.

New starter motor at 95,000 miles.

New fuel pump at 110,000 miles.

The clutch finally wore out at 154,000 miles; at this point I sold the car.

Considering the car's age and mileage, not a lot happened over the 12 years I owned the car.

I originally bought this car for £75 in 1988. Considering its age, mileage and the price I paid for it, it's been excellent mechanically.

Running costs are good - parts are very cheap, but not as fuel efficient as more modern cars.

Mediocre performance; I would have preferred a larger engined Cortina if a good one had been around when I was looking.

Seats are average for comfort, but my car had black vinyl upholstery that was torture on hot days.

Ride quality was good, but handling was less impressive - average rather than exceptional.

Rust has been an issue, which is a shame because it's likely to be the reason why there so few of these cars on the road nowadays.

My car never liked starting in the wet. I believe Ford changed the design on later Cortinas to sort this out.

After having this car for 12 years and 76,000 miles, I managed to sell it for £200 - even more than I originally paid for it. It has been the cheapest car that I have ever had to buy, run and own.