Looking cute and innocent is just a very small part of this supercharged 302-powered Cortina’s bag of tricks

There’s no doubt Simon Peryer’s 1963 Cortina is a great-looking car. With its green over white paint job and Minilight-style wheels, it looks for all the world like a classic rally machine. What it doesn’t look like is one of the best-fabricated vehicles to have ever graced the pages of NZV8. But appearances are deceptive. No part of the car has gone untouched, yet even if you take a close look at it, chances are you won’t notice the majority of its subtle modifications.

Some years back, as a student, Simon had a Cortina that he’d fitted with a V6. That car was never completed due to a lack of funds. So in early 2007, when he found himself in a situation where he could build a project car, a Cortina was what he chose.

Some time between the original Cortina and the more recently purchased one featured here, Simon also developed a love for superchargers. So the plan was to build a supercharged, V8-powered Cortina that looked as much like a rare Lotus Cortina as possible.

From Plan To Action

Simon was sick of looking at former race cars that had no straight panels, or cars with straight panels and a lot of rust, before friend Matthew Walters led him to the ideal shell on which to base the build.

“The firewall had already been knocked back as the guy was planning on fitting a Cosworth motor into it, so it wasn’t as dear as some of the other shells, yet was more suitable for what I was after,” Simon says. It also didn’t hurt that the shell had already been painted in the famous Lotus colours, even though it’s a paint job that perfectionist Simon says is far from perfect. However, the less-than-mint paint allows Simon to drive the car hard without fearing stone chips, and lets him park it where it may get dinged or dirty.

Because he’s confined to an office from nine to five, Simon knew he’d be better off to enlist the help of trained professionals to carry out the build, rather than struggle on it himself after hours. It wasn’t long before he settled on West Auckland’s RaceFX to take the project from a concept to a turn-key work of art. “The advantage of RaceFX was that they could do the whole job; from sourcing parts to custom fabrication to getting it road legal, they could do the lot,” Simon says.

Although the original firewall had been replaced before the vehicle was purchased, the RaceFX team rebuilt it again complete with factory-looking swage lines. It’s the small touches throughout the build ” such as making the firewall look original ” that sets it apart from the rest. This clever and detailed engineering no doubt took a lot of time and money, but the final result is well worth the complications and costs involved.

Eight Cylinders And A Blower

Between the strut towers and the recessed firewall now sits a 302 Windsor crate motor that on its own is good for around 400hp. The motor itself wasn’t a huge issue to fit in the engine bay ” unlike the massive Procharger and associated piping that now hangs off the side of it.

Purchased as a kit complete with front-mount intercooler, the Procharger is self-contained when it comes to lubrication and cooling. Fitting the intercooler, custom alloy radiator and fans behind the grille and far enough off the engine required some tricky fabrication, but as with the rest of the vehicle, the workmanship is flawless.

Sitting above the motor and Edelbrock intake manifold are custom fuel rails, with injectors monitored by a New Zealand-made Link ECU. The rest of the fuel system kicks off with a custom alloy fuel tank that sits low in the boot, and a submergible Bosch fuel pump.

As well as plenty of street use, the build plan outlined the fact the car would also be used for track days and perhaps even for the Dunlop Targa at some stage in future. Rather than find and fix weak links after the build, Simon briefed RaceFX to do it right the first time. With this in mind the driveline includes a Tremec TK0600 five-speed close-ratio gearbox and a late-model Mustang 8.75-inch diff. Due to the Cortina’s compact size the diff has been significantly narrow

All That Looks Normal

Only the trained eye would be able to pick that the car has been very slightly mini-tubbed in order to fit eight-inch-wide rear wheels. The Performance Superlight rims give the look many track and rally specced Cortinas have had over the years, a look that is part of the car’s original appeal.

Sitting the body of the car down low enough over the semi-slick Dunlop rubber wasn’t an easy task, especially as Simon demanded it also handles far better than the factory ever intended. A custom four-link with Watts linkage has been fitted to the rear end, the leading arms of which required the rear seat to be raised slightly ” although again, only the trained eye would pick it.

QA1 adjustable coil-overs have been used all round, and up front they are paired with Mustang struts and hubs along with custom arms. The five-stud hubs allow for easy fitment of Alcon four-pot front callipers and Mustang rotors, which balance braking proportion perfectly with the late-model Mustang rear brakes.

Hanging off the front of the roll cage is a Wilwood pedal box, which, along with the relocated firewall, meant the driver seat had to be moved rearwards around 130mm. To keep the driving position looking factory a long custom steering wheel boss was added to the factory column.

The seat itself is a period-styled Corbeau item that, again, thanks to the Lotus racing pedigree doesn’t look out of place.

On the other side of the enlarged trans tunnel is a seat modified to fit in the small space, and retrimmed in Lotus Cortina style.

The highlights of the interior are not the items you see but the things you don’t, such as the way the roll cage runs along the floor hard up against the sills to strengthen the body, and the late-model gauge mechanicals that have been added to the factory gauge faces. The stock-looking steering wheel is actually from a Triumph, while the badge adorning its centre is the original rear guard badge off a genuine Lotus-spec car. Similarly, Simon thought outside the square when he fitted the Lotus keyring that came with the car to the gear lever, giving a genuine look.

Fooling The Experts

There is so much attention to detail on the vehicle, both to make it look like a genuine Lotus-spec Cortina and to make it look as factory as possible, that even the experts are easily fooled. Of course, as soon as the car fires up and the almost unmuffled side pipe fills with the rumble of a V8, the game is up. The expressions on people’s faces during our photoshoot was a good indication of the looks the car gets on the streets. It’s obvious a lot of the older generation recognise and appreciate the car as a desirable Lotus model, or at least a good replica. Younger people seem to concentrate on the thought of a V8, let alone a supercharger in such a small car.

Once Simon has got the hang of driving the short-wheelbase powerhouse, the plan is to open the motor up, drop the compression ratio and raise the boost. Even as it sits, with just 4psi pushed through the motor, the car can only be described as brutal. With more power, you can just imagine the fun Simon will have behind the wheel.

Regardless of whether you’re a fan of Cortinas or not, the workmanship and thought that have gone into the build has to be appreciated. It truly is a work of art, and a vehicle many of us can learn a thing or two from.

Rather than call it subtle, I would describe it as sheer genius.

Simon Peryer – Owner Profile

Age: 40 or so
Occupation: Sit at a desk and gaze out the window
OTHER CARS CURRENTLY owned: 1965 Mustang fastback — manual, 289 A code 1972 Bolwell Nagari coupe
Build time: Just over one year
Length of ownership: Just over one year
Dream car: De Tomaso Pantera (exotic supercar with a Ford V8¦ how much better does it get than that?)
Why the Cortina: “I had a MkI Cortina with a V6 in bits when I was a student, but lack of funds meant it was never finished. I love the look of the two-door Cortina, combined with the power of a small block Ford. And I always wanted a supercharger.”
SIMON thanks: “Andy and the guys at Race FX have done a great job keeping to the concept, which was to keep the car looking as close to an original period race Lotus as possible, with only the sound to give it away. Nothing through the bonnet, single exhaust only, no drop tank, no huge wheels, and standard-looking interior. It takes a lot of effort to make it look so ordinary. Thanks to Matthew Walters for helping me find a good project car, and Clyde Walters for supplying the hard-to-get Cortina bits. And, of course, thanks to my wife for putting up with endless car stuff.”

1963 Ford Cortina two-door – Specifications

Engine: 302ci (4949cc) Windsor crate motor, 9.6:1 compression, alloy GT40 heads, custom injection, MSD throttle body, modified Edelbrock manifold, Procharger D1SC intercooled supercharger, RaceFX fuel system, custom aluminium fuel tank, MSD ignition, custom fabricated four-into-one HPC coated headers, three-inch pipe, side exit, custom radiator, header tank and overflow tank, Setrab oil cooler, Link computer, firewall recessed 356mm
Driveline: Tremec TKO600 five-speed, close ratio, overdrive fifth, narrowed 2000 Mustang 8.75-inch diff, custom driveshaft
Suspension: Custom four-link with Watts linkage, QA1 adjustable coil-overs, Mustang struts, Subaru Forester power steering rack mounted forward of the cross—member
Brakes: Alcon four-pot front callipers, Ford discs, Ford Mustang rears
Wheels/Tyres: 15×7 and 15×8-inch Performance Superlight rims, 205/55R15 and 225/55R15 Dunlop Formula R semi-slick tyres
Exterior: Subtle mini tubbing, pumped rear guards, reshaped front guards, Lotus-style paintwork
Interior: Rear—mounted seat position, Wilwood pedal box, extended steering column, Corbeau driver’s race seat, customised passenger seat, Triumph steering wheel, Smiths instruments water/oil and fuel gauges, rear half cage
Performance: Detuned to 500hp-plus (373kW-plus) at the wheels

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Dan Wakelin

“After you have owned a V8 and raced a V8 you just can’t go back, everything is boring. It is the grunt, the pull, the torque of a V8 that will get you every time”

New Zealand is growing up, evolving, becoming professional. Gone are the days of DIY and ‘she’ll be right’. People want quality and have the cash to pay for it. Not that long ago I used to read American Muscle Car mags and marvel at the craftsmanship within, and be totally blown away by the vast amounts of money being spent by clients in the chase for perfection. But now, here in little ol’ NZ, we have not only caught up, our craftsmanship has surpassed the Yanks, and we now have the clientele with enough cash to back it and demand it.

If you are wondering where these super machines are hiding, look no further than the likes of Andy Culpin and Race FX, which specialises in complete custom builds and conversions. If Henderson is too far away head to your local dairy or service station, and grab a copy of NZ Classic Car or NZV8 and check out the Ferrari F40s (NZCC 159) and Holden Monaro Targa car (NZV8 03), both hand sculpted by Andy and his team. They are both sterling examples of the level of quality that is being achieved here in NZ. What is even more staggering is that these are not just one-off specials – the F40 has two supercharged brothers in the wings, and the Monaro is just one example of the numerous Targa cars Andy has built over the years. Although the Kiwi DIY days are numbered they have left their imprint in our DNA, and it is that ‘can do’ attitude that has driven us to excel and take on the big boys at their own game. Well it must be contagious, because after 30¯years here Andy Culpin is taking American muscle, sculpting it, tweaking it, and taking it back to them in forms they could never imagine.

I visited Race FX and talked shop with Andy, and learned about the market and where we are heading.

From Butcher to Surgeon

Since the age of 15 Andy has been chopping up cars and modifying them, and it wasn’t his fault, it is in his genes, he was born with it. His father was an engineer with his own shop, and his brothers were both panel beaters and auto electricians. He was surrounded by cars being repaired, prepped and modified, and it obviously had a lasting effect. After serving his time in the forces he came to New Zealand as a butcher, and set up a chain of shops successfully until a personal tragedy saw him sell up and return to England. When he returned a friend of his asked if he could restore his E-Type Jag, and before he knew it he was working out of a barn with no less than two Ferraris, four E-Types and two Aston Martins in his possession, and so Heritage Restorations was formed.

Andy Culpin has now been in the industry for 30¯years, 12 of which were with Race FX, and he’s been involved in possibly more race cars than any other person I know. At a race meeting at Whenuapai at which there were 280 entrants he noted he had either built or been involved in the construction of 238 of the cars there. He has built up, restored and modified every car imaginable, from Ferraris to Porsches, Bentleys, Ford Escorts, Jags, Holden Monaros, Datsuns, Lamborghinis, Pre ’65s , Targa cars, muscle cars, rods, and the list goes on.

I asked him for personal favourites or preferences and he said that there weren’t really any, however, after all the different cars he has owned in his life, Andy says, “After you have owned a V8 and raced a V8 you just can’t go back, everything else is boring. It is the grunt, the pull, the torque of a V8 that will get you every time.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Talking Shop with the Doc

If you are looking for a description of what it is Race FX does and what it can do for you, it is much quicker to explain that the only things it doesn’t do is bogging and painting, and that’s simply because it is too messy. Everything else needed to completely build your automotive dream is done under the one roof; from chassis construction to suspension configuration and installation; from drivetrain set-ups to brake conversions; from both metal and fibre panel fabrication to full custom exhausts; from road to race to custom rod builds; and everything in between. Not only does FX create and modify customers’ projects they convert American muscle to right hand drive, so they can grace our roads, be it a brand-new Viper V10 or a 2005 ’Stang or a Chev pick-up truck.

Although these high-end conversions, at the moment, make up about 35¯per cent of the company’s workload, Andy reassures me that his heart is firmly set on the creation of one-offs and custom builds and, to prove it, he introduced me to his latest project; a 24-hour Le Mans Bentley eight-speed.

He is so dedicated that this car isn’t being built to order, but is coming out of his pocket and his own time because, quite simply, he always wanted one, and someone made the mistake of telling him it couldn’t be done. Telling Andy a car cannot be built is like telling Sir Edmund Hillary Everest couldn’t be climbed, the statement just set the bar.

He was also told he couldn’t build the fastest road-registered car in New Zealand and he did; the Ferrari F40s, and there are two more on the way. It’s not just his drive to push the bar higher that sets him apart, but also his attention to the details along the way. He doesn’t just put function over form and he made a point of it; You can weld a strap of steel to a car and it will look like a strap of steel. Take that same piece of steel and spend 15¯minutes on a lathe or drill, polish it up, weld it back on and it looks like a piece of art, but it’s the same piece of steel doing the same job.”

His passion is not only reflected in his work, but also in his attention and preparation of his workspace. Blown away by the quality and thoroughness of the workshop, I asked him about the set-up and organisation of Race FX.

The OR

I will remember the first time I walked in to Race FX for a very long time. It was like stepping into a small slice of heaven. And it wasn’t just because of the impressive array of power housed there, but the perfect, clean purposefulness of the place. It was cleaner than an operating room, and contained every machine and tool needed to compete any task imaginable. To his advantage the building was brand new, but I have been back since and it is always the same.

Andy is very clear on how important it is to run a workshop as cleanly and professionally as possible, because the cars he works on are not just cars, they are someone’s pride and joy or someone’s $300,000 piece of machinery, and need to be treated with the respect they deserve. And it is about efficiency. Race FX has the ability to create turn-key projects from scratch in house, which means it has total control of the project from start to finish. There is no waiting for parts to return from fabricators or parts to arrive from engineer firms, time is money, and if the guys at FX need a part they make it themselves, to their standards and their deadlines.

It is this efficiency that is attracting clients who want high performance, turn-key muscle cars that are still a pleasure to drive thanks to the mod-cons like power steering, A/C, ABS, and modern sound systems. This is a quickly expanding market of baby boomers who have always wanted their dream car or matchbox toy Camaro, and finally have the money to get it.

Diagnosis

The custom car market has exploded the world over in the last five to 10 years (despite steadily increasing fuel prices!), and because of New Zealand’s petrol-head population we have surged ahead, and the older American muscle cars are coming back with a vengeance. Despite people’s love of American muscle and retro looks today’s businessmen don’t have time for a car that leaks and needs continuous tuning, they want a car that drives like new with all the mod cons.

The resto-mod (a mix between restoring and modifying) market is one of the quickest growing at the moment, with firms like Race FX doing complete kit-outs of old cars with all modern running gear, leather interiors, cruise control and other mod cons. It is this sort of work that Andy says excites him the most. There are no rules or limits, it is up to clients to specify how far they want to go.

Just before our interview he had been approached by someone inspired by Josh Grogan’s (Fear Factor) Camaro, and wanted something of the same calibre, which is more than achievable here and for much less than it cost to have done in the States. As our economy strengthens and the resto-mod market continues to grow, and craftsmen like Andy continue to produce superb work, I for one, cannot help but look forward to all the awesome custom rides that are heading our way.