'A pile of poo with indicators': Why the Ford Cortina was a lemon

Yesterday at 01:45 PM

Original story by Peter McKay published in Drive on 8 January, 2000

The last of a very mediocre Ford Cortina crop, though technically a pile of poo with indicators, the TF will always be remembered as a large part of the Aussie street scene.

Generally speaking, it was a car that your old man wouldn't drive. Its quality control was an embarrassment and, although it could hit the ton in seconds, its hard ride numbed your bum even quicker. Still, with a large six under the bonnet and no weight in the back, it could spin its wheels like no other and this was the attraction for young petrol-heads who could smell rubber from miles away.

RELATED: When Australia made a good car bad

Able to slide around corners like Torvill and Dean (the number of these Cortinas that actually missed the corner and ended up in the panel beaters soon had it rechristened the 'Concertina'), the TF was responsible for more donuts on the bitumen than a roadside snack van.

But despite its reputation of shoddy workmanship, many a hoon proudly held his revving head high in one, considering it a worthy asset in any street drag. And it wasn't just because of engine performance. Its rear parcel shelf had room for three fuzzy dice and at least one of those little dogs whose head went "boing -boing" when you got really moving. Peter McKay

Was the Ford TF Cortina really so bad?

In a word, yes.

By the time the TF rolled around in 1980, Ford Australia should have ironed out the issues that plagued the Cortina with the introduction of six-cylinder models in 1972 (TC Cortina).

Instead, relying on the Aussie buying public's appetite for six-cylinder grunt, the TF was plagued by the same issues that had blighted the TC, TD and TE models before it.

Undoubtedly fast in a straight line, thanks a choice of either 200ci (3.3-litre) or 250ci (4.1-litre) straight-six mumbo, the TF fell in a handling hole as soon as the road deviated from the straight and narrow.

The extra weight of the big-sixes over the front wheels ensured the rear of the TF was light on for traction and for handling. 'Diabolical' was a commonly used adjective to describe the TF's handling, especially in the wet.

Throw in dubious build quality and it's reasonable to suggest the TF Cortina sits firmly in the 'Lemon' ledger of the new car column.

Ford killed the TF Cortina in 1981, less than two years after its introduction to Australian dealerships in 1980. It was a mercy killing.

Is the Ford TF Cortina now a collector's car?

Despite their poor reputation for build quality and inherent handling issues, prices for the last Cortina continue to rise.

Today, anyone after a six-cylinder TF Cortina can expect to pay in the region of $28,000 to $30,000 for a clean, unmolested example with the bigger 4.1-litre six.

That's if you can find a clean example, the popularity of the big-six with the street machine community ensuring its scarcity today. RM

So, how about you? Have you ever owned a TF Cortina? Do you own one now? Tell us a bit about your experience in the comments below.

The post 'A pile of poo with indicators': Why the Ford Cortina was a lemon appeared first on Drive.