Makes › Ford › Cortina › Cortina Mk3 GT Crayford Convertible · Coachbuilt Very Rare
Ford
Cortina Mk3 GT Crayford Convertible
Crayford Engineering convertible conversion of the Cortina Mk3; 400-plus sold, about ten survive
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 400 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- 1,993 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,993 cc
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Crayford (coachbuilder conversion of the Ford Cortina Mk3)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Crayford's Mk3 Cortina conversion was the firm's most profitable model according to its managing director. It was not a true convertible but a "Sunshine Conversion" with a full-length folding roof, and the GT and GXL versions with four headlights are the most sought after.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionCrayford Mk3 Cortina convertible conversions sold (club gives '400-plus') | 4001,2,3 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Crayford's Mk2 convertible had sold over 400 cars over more than four years. When Ford introduced the Mk3 Cortina in 1970, Crayford followed with a conversion that folded the sunroof-style roof all the way down to the boot. Because it kept the side windows and roof gutters, it retained more body strength and was far simpler to build than the Mk1 and Mk2 conversions, which needed the interior to be stripped and rebuilt; build speed doubled.
The club states that total production over a long run again reached 400-plus sales. A Mk3 cabriolet proposal reached the artwork stage but was not built. In Germany the equivalent was marketed as the Ford Taunus convertible.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Cortina Mk3 GT Crayford Convertible.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 1,993 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,993 cc1 Independently researchedStated for one 1976 2000 GT example; Crayford also converted other Mk3 models (the S3 lot has a 1.6 litre SOHC engine). |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | SOHC1 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Steel saloon with only the centre roof section removed; B/C pillars, side windows and roof gutters retained1,4 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
A genuine car has a full-length folding hood that retains the side windows and roof gutters, with an optional main hood support bar at the B post that drops with the hood or acts as a roll hoop when raised. The club states that any fully open Mk3 convertible is not a Crayford but home-made. The GT and GXL versions are identified by four headlights and the more American-influenced dash.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1976 Ford Cortina Crayford Sunshine Conversion lot Level B Classic Driver (Iconic Auctioneers)
- Crayford carried out over 400 Sunshine Conversions
- SOHC 97bhp 1,993cc Pinto engine
- Only the centre section of the roof was removed
-
2
The Crayford Cortina Mk.3 Level B Crayford Convertible Car Club
- total production over a long run again reached 400-plus sales
-
3
Crayford Convertible Club – Cortina Mk 3 Level B
- 400 Crayford Mk3 Cortina convertible conversions sold (club gives '400-plus')
-
4
1972 Ford Cortina GT 2L Crayford Convertible Level C Car & Classic
- they left the pillars and gutters in place
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