Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

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There is a thread currently running on cars you never see anymore and the Ford P100 pick up range was mentioned and perhaps you would be interested in reading about the experience of somebody who actually owned one. Me.

Built in South Africa the Mark 5 Cortina based 1.6 litre was first sold in the UK from early 1982 on. There were just two versions, a base with a vinyl bench seat and vinyl floor coverings and the P100L which had a cloth bench seat, carpets, radio and some silver graphics.

I bought a 1983 P100L in the October 1988 and thereby experienced P100 motoring for 10 months and the experience was not a pleasant one.
Rated at being able to carry a one tonne payload, I confidently loaded it with about that weight of paving slabs and drove 20 miles home in it.
I knew I was in trouble when the brakes just about managed to stop it leaving the builder's yard.
I don't recall ever gritting my teeth driving anything but I did that morning. It wallowed and struggled it's way from Denbigh over the Denbigh Moors road back home. Climbing some hills I had change down to 1st gear but descending them was worse.
The example I had bought had only "done" 50k miles, was in good condition and with a new MOT.

"Built like a truck and drives worse than any" should have been the advertising slogan for it. The 1.6 OHC engine was underpowered and 20 mpg was the norm. Steering was by Schwarzenegger.

One day the gearlever jumped out of 3rd. A 1.6 Mark 4 or 5 Cortina gearbox would not fit, one from a 2.0 litre did but with a crazy speedo reading. The correct one should have been a P100 specific but a Ford Granada gearbox would have fitted but the gear ratios would have been wrong. I opted for the 2.0 litre Cortina 'box.

Although I believe no figures have been released the Mark 5 Cortina based P100 sold very well but few lived beyond their 4rd or 5th MOT due to terminal rust in the chassis, sills, front wings and the actual pick up body.

My P100 was "T" boned by a Mitsubishi Colt one Sunday morning exiting from the car park of a hotel 100 yards away from my home. It was going to be written off by the Insurers due to the non availability of the driver's door and the likely rental cost of a vehicle for me. It was repaired by adapting a Mark 5 Cortina Estate front door but once repaired I sold it on "as seen" because it seemed to "corkscrew" in corners.

The second generation Sierra based P100 was a much better vehicle, the 2.0 litre 5 speed petrol was capable of 100mph + but I waited until the 1800 diesel was available. However when I test drove one you could not see the rear end through the mirror and the tailgate was invisible due to the rising shape of the load bed.

I bought a VW Caddy pick up instead.

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There is one Sierra based P100 in the area, a diesel which is in good order but most rusted away within 6 or 7 years.
Later "hot machine" owners have shoehorned Sierra Cosworth and Granada 2.8 engines, even the Granada Cosworth V6's in the engine bays of P100s. They must be very entertaining to drive.[/img]
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Dipster]

Not one of Henry`s best then? Did the VW fare better?

[colwyn500]

I had a P100 for my landscaping business back in 1987; I don't know how old it was but it looked OK when I bought it. Within three months I had to remove the pickup body and make a flatbed. The rear spring hangers are on a tubular chassis member on which the welds broke loose through corrosion and the whole thing rotated in its housing.
Incredibly, replacements were available to be welded in, which I did, turning the tube a little whilst deliberately forcing the springs to sit higher.
It was a heap of scrap within six months and if I had the money I would have ot a Peugeot 504 pickup to replace it.

[Ellis]

[MikeEdwards]

I used to see a Cortina-based P100 quite regularly on the way home from work (up to about three years ago) but always at a point where I couldn't get a photo. I'm sure there's a Sierra-based one around here as well.

[Jonv8]

My father bought a new P100L - TMW717Y from Earle of Chippenham,the local Ford dealer. We used it in the family business,my recollection was of the dangerous handling when the rear tyres wore out and were replaced with Avon's - they were awful !
The truck itself was OK,apart from being underpowered,the Pinto engine managed to stretch its first replacement cambelt and stop 1/2 a mile up the lane with a full load on the way to work...
I've recently bought a Skoda pickup with about 48,000m on it,a year 2k one.Much better in every respect apart from the useless tying loops on the back.My 1950 AJS trials bike fits very snugly in the back !

[MONTBREHAIN]

The Cortina style P100 was ok,ish but the Sierra style one was the worst pickup I have ever owned ! (after a Dacia) "MO"
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A vehicle can be restored at any time, But is original only once !

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

the reason your speedo was wrong was due to the car & P100 having different diff ratios, it needed the speedo drive gear swapping for the original when the box was swapped (a 2 min job).

if you think they could rot you should've seen the equivelant jap stuff.
i'd like to have seen you get a tonne load in a caddy!

a lot of handleing probs are caused by people fitting car tyres to 1 tonners rather than the dearer reinforced commercial ones.

if you want an ill handling, underpowered & underbraked light commercial look no further than the marina/ital. range.

[emmerson]

There's a K reg Sierra Pick up near Abergavenny. Saw it twice yesterday.

[Bitumen Boy]

[emmerson]

[Ellis]

I found a photo of the South African predecessor of the Mark V Cortina based pick up which was introduced here in 1981.

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Based on a Mark 111 Ford Cortina and this example has the 2.5 V6 engine.
It looks quite good but was it a horror to drive like the 1981-1987 version sold in this country.
Apparently South Africans refer to pick up as "backies".[/img]
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet