Llanbourne North Wales in the 80s.

[P.C.M]

Hi James,

Yours looks good, do you mean the black line right at the bottom of the body? I will have to look at some pics.

I turned the wheels down by pulling one wheel off then put it in a mini drill and file it down, go steady though beacause the tryes come off quite easy plus I almost melted one. once you have done one take the tyre off and swap it rather than changing the whole wheel. I lowed the car by removing the body and filing away the lugs, metal at the front plastic at the back. Hope that helps more than it confuses you.

 

Cheers Peter.

[James Hilton]

Peter - thanks that's great info

[Melly]

Did the base models have a black stripe along the bottom of the body too? This is on the XR3is as I added it to mine

 

Yes I believe it did. I had one of the 'Launch Models'; they were the first 500 imported (so i was told) and came with headlamp washers, sunroof and electric windows. Sunburst red on the W plate. I'll check my photo's when I get home as I think the black window surround on the rear 3/4 window extended down toward a point. Loved that car - even after the timing belt went and cylinders and valves had a coming together Don't forget the compulsory 'racing stripes' at the recess 1/3 of the way up and the crease on the bodyside at 2/3 up .

[Neil_S_Wood]

Nice pictures Peter, The Cortina's really good.

 

cheers

 

Neil

[BernardTPM]

Most Mk.3 Escorts had a rubbing strip along the lower flanks, apart from the base models and early 'L'. They tended to be thicker on the more expensive models, particularly the Ghia, and there was a tendency 'uprate' the lower models as time went on. If you add one, don't forget to gap the rubbing strip at the doors!

The Escort wheels I do are really suited to base/L models. I might do a proper set of 'cloverleaf' wheels specifically for the Oxford XR3i. Correctly there's a spoiler cast into the front that flares down ahead of the front wheels and up the leading edge of the wheelarch, but isn't normally picked out. The black window area should extend to the gutter lines. This is a really clear view of the front and here the back too. Note the middle metal part of the bumper is body coloured.

By way of comparison, this is the version my kit covers. Much less black trim.

[P.C.M]

Thanks Neil,

 

Thanks Bernard, thats some useful info and pics I think mine needs a bit of extra work, I have a silver XR3i to do as well so the extra info will be useful for that.

I have a Becon models MK 5 Cortina painted like the one I owned but I am not happy with the wheels do you do any to suit, I could use Capri wheels I think they were the same size.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Melly]

Yes I believe it did. I had one of the 'Launch Models'; they were the first 500 imported (so i was told) and came with headlamp washers, sunroof and electric windows. Sunburst red on the W plate. I'll check my photo's when I get home as I think the black window surround on the rear 3/4 window extended down toward a point. Loved that car - even after the timing belt went and cylinders and valves had a coming together Don't forget the compulsory 'racing stripes' at the recess 1/3 of the way up and the crease on the bodyside at 2/3 up .

 

The real thing as once owned by me - mind you the insurance at 19 was £45 per month 3rd party

[Pete Harvey]

A very Very long time ago Melly.

 

Pete

[marsa69]

Who got the time machine out then?

[SRman]

Love the brick handbrake, Melly!

[BernardTPM]

I have a Becon models MK 5 Cortina painted like the one I owned but I am not happy with the wheels do you do any to suit?

 

I'm not sure. There's nothing suitable at present, but I did have centres etched for Ford's 'steel sport' pattern wheel as shown here that might suit some late Cortinas.

[P.C.M]

I'm not sure. There's nothing suitable at present, but I did have centres etched for Ford's 'steel sport' pattern wheel as shown here that might suit some late Cortinas.

 

 

Hi Bernard,

Pretty sure they are the wheels that were on my Cortina and my friends Capri.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

The real thing as once owned by me - mind you the insurance at 19 was £45 per month 3rd party

 

 

Hi Melly,

Nice car, I only ever owned sh1t heaps so an XR3i was out of my price range, insurance was always an issue for us young blokes anything sporty and they used to sting you.

 

Cheers Peter.

[BernardTPM]

Pretty sure they are the wheels that were on my Cortina and my friends Capri.

 

They were a quite widely used type from the early '70s to early '80s so they would be suitable for both the Oxford Mk.3 Cortina and late Capri, depending on variant of course! I believe they replaced the Rostyles on the Cortina GXL around 1971/2 (probably to save cost).

[MRDBLUE17]

Hi Pete,

 

Great to see an update, the buffer stop is looking good and the detailing on the cars really brings them to life. It is interesting to see more info on here about road vehicles as it helps to get the details right for all those little cameo scenes that really help make a layout come to life. Keep up the good work,

 

Mark

[P.C.M]

They were a quite widely used type from the early '70s to early '80s so they would be suitable for both the Oxford Mk.3 Cortina and late Capri, depending on variant of course! I believe they replaced the Rostyles on the Cortina GXL around 1971/2 (probably to save cost).

 

 

Thanks Bernard,

I found a pic of my friends Capri W reg and in the same pic is a friends Cortina T reg both have the same wheels.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

Hi Pete,

 

Great to see an update, the buffer stop is looking good and the detailing on the cars really brings them to life. It is interesting to see more info on here about road vehicles as it helps to get the details right for all those little cameo scenes that really help make a layout come to life. Keep up the good work,

 

Mark

 

Hi Mark,

I am happy with the buffer stops, I really need to do some more work on the extension but cars have taken my interest at the moment. A VW camper and another Capri arrived today.

 

The workbench is a bit full at the moment, cars a class 47 two Lima Seacows and I have started a small building to add onto the side of the warehouse. Hopfully I will add some more pics this week, I am having trouble finding time to get out there at the moment.

 

Cheers Peter.

[beast66606]

Thanks Bernard,

I found a pic of my friends Capri W reg and in the same pic is a friends Cortina T reg both have the same wheels.

 

Cheers Peter.

 

Neither of my Capris had those wheels - KEM991P (originally brown and then flame red after a respray) had alloys, off the S versions which were acquired by the previous owner, a policeman after an RTA involving a 3.0S ! and DAW660T (light blue) was a 2.0S and had the alloys as standard - and some other bits which weren't

 

My brothers MkIII Cortina (Red) - PCA432M had normal steels but had a vinyl roof.

 

All had "Cib Bees" fitted

 

 

All of these cars were frequent visitors to North Wales from 1980 onwards B)

 

signalbox

[Pennine MC]

I believe they replaced the Rostyles on the Cortina GXL around 1971/2 (probably to save cost).

 

That ties in with my recollection, Bernard (and also on the GT). I had a 1972 2000GT with plain wheels and hubcaps, which could be useful - I never found out what it had had as original, they apparently got nicked off the car lot before I bought it... As you and Peter have said, the later type (IIRC we called them the 'knobblies') were fitted widely to Capris and 'Tinas until into the '80s

[P.C.M]

Neither of my Capris had those wheels - KEM991P (originally brown and then flame red after a respray) had alloys, off the S versions which were acquired by the previous owner, a policeman after an RTA involving a 3.0S ! and DAW660T (light blue) was a 2.0S and had the alloys as standard - and some other bits which weren't

 

My brothers MkIII Cortina (Red) - PCA432M had normal steels but had a vinyl roof.

 

All had "Cib Bees" fitted

 

 

All of these cars were frequent visitors to North Wales from 1980 onwards

 

signalbox

 

 

Hi Dave,

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, I did read your post then forgot all about it. I would quite like a red Capri so I may do your one at some point, I didn't have Cib Bees on my mk2 Escort but had some cheapie spot lights from Halfords, I think they are still in Dads garage.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

Keeping the car theam going I have just finished an XR3i and I have changed a 2.8i Capri to look like a friends 1.6 GL with vinyl roof, we had a few good trips in this car so it had to be done.

We did brake down once though, coming back from Reading after seeing 'New Model Army' play at Reading Uni. We were on the Motorway just outside Winchester at about 1.00 in the morning and the temp gauge went off the dial we coasted to a stop, and had a look under the bonnet, we had lost all water so I grabbed a bait box and went down the embankment to look for water. I didn't have a torch so I am not sure how I would have found any. Next thing I know is the Police are shinning a light on me and telling to come back to the car. they looked at the car and having a torch helped as they noticed the water pump had a crack in it. So no amount of water would have helped.

Anyway after some negotiation they agreed to give us a lift to Eastleigh as they were going there anyway. I sat in the back behind the passenger seat and could see the speed we were doing at one point the BMW was doing a steady 130 mph. I didn't take long to get to Eastleigh station and we managed to get on a staff train home.

 

I have also been working on a couple of old Lima Sealions, I have given them some Cambrian bogies and added steps I wont be adding the safety cages as I have a pic of some during 1987 without them. These wagons will go into a mixed rake with Dogfist and Catfish and my newer Bachmann Seacows will be mixed with a Whale or two that I haven't built yet.

 

47106 is also nearer to being finished I put the glazing and handrails back on today.

 

Cheers Peter.

[DougN]

You've been busy again Peter. I am a little envious of the time that you have to play with things!

 

Oh well back to putting the bath room back together.. I think we might need it for the BRMA meeting!. You lot don't need the shower, bath or tiling just the basin to wash the old hands!

[P.C.M]

You've been busy again Peter. I am a little envious of the time that you have to play with things!

 

Oh well back to putting the bath room back together.. I think we might need it for the BRMA meeting!. You lot don't need the shower, bath or tiling just the basin to wash the old hands!

 

 

Thanks Doug,

I don't get that much time the 47 has taken ages to get this far. I try and get Four or Five nights a week plus today I had a few hours this afternoon during the week I try and get a few hours a night. Plus I am not rebuilding my House.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Pete Harvey]

Peter

 

Have you got any pictures of the progress on the section of your layout?

 

Pete

[P.C.M]

Peter

 

Have you got any pictures of the progress on the section of your layout?

 

Pete

 

 

Hi Pete,

Last pics I took are from March, I haven't done much since, apart from add some buffer stops which are pictured on page 17. I have ordered some wills stone and girder bits so I can make a start on the bridge that leads to the fiddle yard. I am also planning to add detail around the trackwork, Point motors etc. I was going to buy the Peco ones but I noticed North Wales has smaller ones. Here are a few pics taken in March. It's all up and running i just need to get a couple more Kadee uncoupling magnets.

 

Cheers Peter.