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Read-only historical archive.
Browse the preserved forum and gallery. Registration, login, uploads and account changes are no longer available.

Read-only historical archive.
Browse the preserved forum and gallery. Registration, login, uploads and account changes are no longer available.

Read-only historical archive.
Browse the preserved forum and gallery. Registration, login, uploads and account changes are no longer available.
October 17, 2026, 04:34:29 AM

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[TCCoupeLover]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post as a new member. I think i'm posting this in the right place but please excuse any errors in methodology.
My primary reason for joining this site is that memories have been stirred following my viewing recently of the TV program 'Life On Mars'.
You see, once upon a time, i experienced true love in my life.
It came in the form of my affection for a car i owned waaay back in the 80's.
That car was a '73 TC Cortina Coupe' 2.0 litre 4sp manual that was a lime green/babysick yellow colour. It's side rear windows had been replaced (before i bought it) with some smoke coloured perspex. The interior was all black without the customary 'plastic woodgrain' of other TC's. It had a very practical four gauge instrument panel integrated with the centre console.
My memory is that the driver's seating position was slightly off centre though one soon adjusted to that.
I was living in Brisbane at the time. I recall having difficulty selling the car to car dealers (ignorant buggers at time) as the car did not have the 'standard' compliance plates.
Even Ford Australia didn't really want to know about the car. At one stage they did a 'recall' on the TC 2.0 litre due to a dodgy fuel connection at the carby and, when i 'fronted up' for my free repair, i had to argue to qualify as the car was NOT manufactured by Ford Australia. I thought it was German (going by some of the writing around various plates etc.) but, in hindsight, it may have been Belgian.
I have many happy memories associated with that car and I would love to track the current whereabouts of that car and it's current condition perhaps with a view to re-acquiring it.
If you can help, please post some info here and i WILL get back to you.
Thanks for reading this.

Phil

[BigNorm]

g'day phil, i think i know the car you are talking about. i used to own a mk3 coupe which i bought from a bloke in ipswich. it was yellow(ish) and black, black interior, perpex rear quarter windows and the gt guages u speak of in the console.

theres a bit on it incl photos at http://spyderbyte.com.au and then click on the mkiii coupe episode 1

if its the same one lemme know and i'll tell you as much as i know about it

[TCCoupeLover]

Hi TaraHymen,

Just to clarify... The coupe which you bought from Canberra is NOT the same one is it? I do hope not. I also thank you for posting the info on how poorly you were treated by your 'friend'. Not a good guy i think.
The one you bought from Ipswich however...that certainly bears an uncanny resemblence to my 'lost love'.
It would appear she had a hard life after we seperated though.
I have no knowledge of any pop rivets having ever been used in repair before or during my ownership.
I did have a small front end collision (most damage to left front) but i was lead to believe that was repaired 'conventionally'.
I know she was in need of TLC when we parted ways and that was why we did. I did not have the financial resources at that time to treat her as she deserved.
I do recall running into a guy ( i think it may have been the Ipswich owner) when i was working for an exhaust outlet in Archerfield (Brisbane) who claimed he had 'big plans' for the car. If that's what he did to her, he did her no favours.
I do praise you for your efforts on the 'rebuild'. Though there is now little remaining of the car i recall, what you created from her remains seems admirable in it's own right.
I would certainly appreciate further info you may feel like sharing as to the whereabouts and current condition of the vehicle.
Thanks for your response too by the way. I didn't anticipate anything so quickly!

[BigNorm]

the one i bought from canberra is definitely not the one i'm talking about.

the first coupe i had i bought from a bloke in ipswich. i bought it from a bloke who gets around different forums calling himself beatnu. he was mates with a bloke named greg which his nick escapes me now but it was something along the lines tf351 or similar. beatnu still gets around but havent seen greg for years. from what greg told me, his mate was looking for a cortina and they'd spotted this one half dumped, parked under a tree with a tarp over it. beatnu went around to have a look and unbeknown to him  of it's rarity didnt want it cos it was only a 2dr. with that greg bought it only because it was a 2dr and no other reason or plans for it. it sat in gregs yard for years and then got sold to beatnu who had it for another couple of years and never got around to fixing it up either. thats when i bought it.

in the meantime i found a few people who know the car. from what i can gather, the same owner who put the v6 in it is also the same person who butchered everything else up. a couple of people had told me they saw the car advertised early 90's and went to have a look. by then it had been bastardised and the owner wanted a million dollars for it. one of his selling points was photos of the car at the drags. from that owner to the owner who parked it under a tree is unknown.

i sold it to a bloke who lives in rockingham just south of perth. i've got no idea what he plans on doing with it. when i sold the car it didnt have any glass and i told him when it arrives i'll ring him to come collect it. that was 18 months ago(ish)and repeated attempts to phone him i cant get a hold of him and he's never contacted me about it

[TCCoupeLover]

Hello again and thanks for the update.
It is certainly disappointing (and that's an understatement) to learn of the cars journey since we parted ways.
I can see from your gallery that your intentions (and abilities) were admirable.
To take a car with the potential that i believe that one had and to completely screw it up must be a sin on some level. It must have been heartbreaking to see what was done to it. I know it was for me.
If the 'new owner' has looked closely at the pics, i can understand the reluctance to pick the car up. Getting it to a worthwhile place again would take a major commitment of both time and funds.
It does seem foolish to have 'bought it' without taking ownership though.
I did start this quest with a vague intention of perhaps regaining the car and finally giving the work it deserved.
I doubt i'd have the patience now given it's current state.
I do thank you though. I believe that if the vehicle had remained within your control (or that of reputable tradepeople) the result would have been a great car.
I wish you well in all future projects. I see you have a love of the genre' and believe you contribute to it's reputation favourably.

[BigNorm]

the owner has the car, he doesnt have the glass for it.

[TCCoupeLover]

Ah. Sorry. I misunderstood.
I also just wanted to be sure you didn't misunderstand my last post.
What i was trying to convey was that i felt that your work and efforts were admirable. It was that which was done without your direct oversight which was questionable (at best).