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36-580: The Cortina Savage is a custom performance automobile based on the Ford Cortina . The car was designed and produced by Jeff Uren and his companies, Race Proved Performance and Racing Equipment Ltd., and Jeff Uren Ltd. Production of the conversion started in the mid-1960s and was applied to multiple generations of the Cortina, with the Mk2 Savage built in the largest numbers. Uren started out as

72-495: A Jaguar E-Type V12. To accommodate the increased power, torque, and weight that came with the V6 engine, several changes were made to the Cortina. A larger radiator and thermostatically controlled fan were installed. Shorter coil springs were selected, and spring rates adjusted, as were damper settings. The strut attachment points were reinforced, and the front suspension geometry was changed to add negative camber. A front anti-roll bar

108-468: A Weathershields sliding roof adding £90, £35, and just over £41 respectively. The cost of a new Mk3 Cortina Savage in the early 1970s started at around £2,000, plus the cost of the options selected by the buyer. The all-in price for the 1971 Cortina Savage SS PI was £2665. Beside the 3.0 L Savage, the company also offered the Cortina Cheetah model that used the 2.5 L Essex V6. In 1978 it

144-477: A Willment Cortina Mk1 that came from the back of the pack to win its debut outing. Uren was involved with the development of Willment's "Super Sprint" and "Sprint GT" Mk1 Cortinas, and his own company continued to produce the Sprint GT model after Willment's departure. In 1966 John Willment left to establish J.W. Automotive Engineering (JWAE). Partnering with John Wyer , this new company took over construction of

180-585: A common modification involving taking the engine from one car and putting it into another, often one that did not initially come with that engine. A few of the most common engines swapped into other vehicles include the BMW M54 , Chevy small block , Chevy LS , Chrysler Hemi , Cummins B Series , Ford Barra , Ford Coyote , Ford flathead V8 , Honda B , Honda K , Mazda 13B , Nissan RB , Nissan SR , Subaru EJ , Toyota JZ , Toyota UZ , Toyota S , and Volkswagen VR6 . Completing an engine swap typically requires

216-561: A factory car was a 218 bhp (162.6 kW) version based on the Weslake 190 with Tecalemit fuel-injection and a "Mati" exhaust system from Perkins Commercial Services. This engine was installed in a model named the Cortina Savage SS PI, where "SS" stands for "Savage Special", and "PI" stands for "Petrol Injection". A 1972 comparison test revealed that this model could accelerate 0–60 mph (0–100 km/h) as quickly as

252-424: A high level of modification and fabrication to fit the engine and connect it to the host vehicle's body, transmission, and electrics. Many companies sell kits for common engine swaps that include adapter plates for the transmission, K member, engine mounts, front subframe, and more, depending on what ss required for the particular swap. Some engine swaps will use the vehicle's original transmission, while others opt for

288-464: A lot of 1600E Cortinas for us to convert although they were very scarce at the time. He approved of the Savage because it put Fords into the hands of a different class of user — older people, quite well-off, who bought them as fun cars. For twenty years, starting in 1971 and ending in 1991, a Cortina Savage was Uren's personal vehicle. This particular car was one of two reported estate car conversions, and

324-545: A tuner and race driver, winning the 1959 British Saloon Car Champion as a privateer driving a Ford Zephyr Mark 2 . He later managed the Ford Works team before joining John Willment's race team, which initially operated as the Willment Racing Division of the parent John Willment Automobiles (JWA) organisation, and later as Race Proved by Willment . The first racing win ever by a Cortina was taken by

360-519: A year later, in 1951 the National Hot Rod Association was formed. In the following years, more drag strips were built across the country, leading to a rise in the popularity of drag racing among both amateurs and professionals. In the post- World War II era, Japan's automotive industry grew, eventually leading to the country becoming the world's largest vehicle producer. This led to a unique car customization culture within

396-652: Is considered part of custom car history, as companies and individuals built custom bodies to be fitted to early cars and inspired later customizers. Hot rods were an early type of custom car first popularized in the United States, considered to be one of the earliest defined car customization movements. The origins of the first hot rods are typically considered to be early race cars built to race on dirt tracks and dry lake beds, often stripped down Ford Model Ts , Model As , and other pre- World War II cars made into speedsters and "gow jobs". The "gow job" morphed into

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432-1037: The Detroit Autorama since 1964 in honor of show promoter Don Ridler. With one of the most unusual car show entry requirements, the Ridler Award winners are selected as the most outstanding among cars being shown for the first time. This prompts builders of many high-end roadsters to enter Autorama first and then the Grand National show to have the chance to win top honors at both shows. Few cars and owners can claim this achievement. Some customs gained attention for winning awards at shows or for their outlandish styling. Some examples include Silhouette and Ed Roth 's Mysterion . Some notable custom cars have been turned into Hot Wheels cars or other scale models, such as The Red Baron . Other custom cars became notable for appearances in film (such as Ala Kart {1958}, The California Kid three-window {1973},

468-760: The Escort -based Navajo and Apache, and the Capri -based Comanche and Stampede. Five surviving Mk3 Cortina Savages are known to the Cortina Mark Three Club, two of which are still on the road. A review of the Mk2 in the August 1967 issue of Autocar magazine stated it really does hitch its skirts and get moving in the open roads in a manner that will leave practically everything else standing while Motor Sport magazine stated The outstanding feature of

504-544: The Ford GT40 from Ford Advanced Vehicles, as well as the racing operation. In 1967 Uren established Race Proved Performance and Racing Equipment Ltd. By the early 1970s most advertising referred to Jeff Uren Ltd. Original development of the Cortina Savage was done based on Mk1 Cortinas. Some sources claim that as many as six Mk1 Cortina Savages were built, and that some still exist. The provenance of these cars, and

540-414: The 1960s. These took many coats to produce a brilliant effect – which tended to flake off in hot climates. This process and style of paint job were invented by Joe Bailon , a customizer from Northern California. Painting has become such a part of the custom car scene that in many custom car competitions, awards for custom paint are as highly sought after as awards for the cars themselves. Engine swaps are

576-764: The 2016 America's Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) trophy with a custom Deuce) Harry Westergaard , Dave Stuckey , Dean Jeffries , Barry Lobeck , Phil Cool (who won the 1978 AMBR trophy with a bright orange Deuce, cover car for the July 1978 issue of Hot Rod ), Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods , Doane Spencer (builder of a 1940s Deuce considered the template for the hiboy), "Posie" , Ron Clark and Bob Kaiser (of Clarkaiser Customs ), Joe Bailon (inventor of candy apple paint), Gene Winfield , Rick Dore Joe Wilhelm , "Magoo" , Chip Foose , and Pete Chapouris . Others, such as Von Dutch , are best known as custom painters. Several customizers have become famous beyond

612-460: The Savage is how enjoyable, yet effortless, it is to drive The Mk3 was reviewed by Motor , who called it the absolute ultimate in hot Cortinas Custom car Custom cars are not to be confused with coachbuilt automobiles, historically rolling chassis fitted with luxury bodywork by specialty auto body builders. Some of the earliest examples of modified cars were cars modified for racing or off-roading . The coachbuilding industry

648-413: The automobile community, including Barris, Jeffries, and Coddington, thanks to their proximity to Hollywood ; Barris designed TV's Batmobile , while Chapouris built the flamed '34 three-window coupé in the eponymous telefilm " The California Kid ". Another Barris creation, Ala Kart (a '29 Ford Model A roadster pickup), made numerous appearances in film after taking two AMBR wins in a row. One of

684-410: The boot. Other changes included fitting 5.5 in (140 mm) Lotus-Cortina road wheels shod with Goodyear G800 radial ply tyres, anti-fade brake pads and linings and, on the interior, a leather-wrapped alloy spoke steering wheel, a wooden shift knob, a dead pedal , Contour racing-style front seats, and a speedometer calibrated to 140 mph (225 km/h). V6 badging on the boot and a stripe along

720-588: The bottom of the sides were added to the exterior. A distinctive optional feature offered on the Mk3 Cortina Savage was a custom fibreglass bonnet made by Specialised Mouldings. Other options included Mati headers and power pipes, Dunlop wheels, adjustable monotube dampers, and various brake upgrades. In 1967, pricing for the Mk2 Cortina Savage started at £1365, with options such as magnesium wheels, Cox GT3 seats and inertia-reel belts, and

756-471: The car and painting inside them, painting over lace , overlaying gold leaf , and more. Some customizers will also opt for vinyl wraps , vinyl decals, or plastidip in place of a traditional paint job. In addition to paint, individual parts of a car may also be chromed, gold plated, or engraved. Transparent but wildly colored candy-apple paint, applied atop a metallic undercoat, and metalflake paint, with aluminum glitter within candy-apple paint, appeared in

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792-440: The continued popularity of highway racing. Japan also embraced American customization styles, importing and building their muscle cars, lowriders, minitrucks, and more. Modified cars can be significantly different from their stock counterparts. A common factor among owners/modifiers is to emulate the visual and/or performance characteristics of established styles and design principles. These similarities may be unintentional. Some of

828-523: The film ("Runnin' Wild"), it is one of the most iconic 1950s customs. The same year, Neil Emory and Clayton Jensen of Valley Custom Shop built Polynesian for Jack Stewart, starting with a 1950 Holiday 88 sedan . Polynesian made the cover of Hot Rod in August, and saw 54 pages of construction details in Motor Trend Custom Car Annual in 1954. Dead pedal Too Many Requests If you report this error to

864-616: The hot rod in the 1940s to 1950s. The modified cars used in the Prohibition era by bootleggers to evade revenue agents and other law enforcement are also considered a predecessor to the hot rod. Hot rods gained popularity after World War II , particularly in California, because many returning soldiers had received technical training. Many cars were "hopped up" with engine modifications such as adding additional carburetors, high compression heads, and dual exhausts. The suspension

900-469: The many different styles and visual influences to car modification are: Custom paint jobs play an essential role in the culture around customized cars. Builders will often use special painting techniques to produce unique finishes, including the use of candy paint, metalflake , and color shifting paint. Additionally, builders will often create paint jobs with intricate designs or patterns by pinstriping, painting by hand, airbrushing , taping out patterns on

936-668: The most coveted awards for American customizers is the AMBR ( America's Most Beautiful Roadster ) trophy, presented annually at the Grand National Roadster Show since 1948 (also known within the customizer community as the Oakland Roadster Show until it was moved to Southern California in 2003). This competition has produced famous and radical customs. Another is the Ridler Award , presented at

972-470: The nation. Some of the early custom cars in Japan, starting in the late 1970s through the 1980s, included Kaido Racers, Japanese cars modified with homemade parts to look like racecars of the time; imported and modified American and European cars; cars modified for top-speed and highway racing; and Dekotora decorated trucks. The 1990s saw the rise of cars modified for drifting , VIP style luxury sedans, and

1008-528: The sheet metal and remove bits to make the car lower, weld it back together, and add lead to make the resulting form smooth. They would also chop the roof to make it lower, section the body to make it thinner from top to bottom, and channel the body by cutting notches in the floorpan where the body touches the frame to lower the whole body. The first drag strip in the United States opened in 1950 on an airfield in Southern California, and

1044-411: The surplus of army Jeeps led to a growth in the popularity of off-roading as a hobby. Starting in the early 1940s, some US car customizers began to modify cars with a stronger emphasis on looks and self-expression. This led to styles of modification such as lowriders , kustoms and lead sleds emerging and growing. 1950s kustom car builders would often swap trim and panels from other cars, cut through

1080-555: The transmission from the donor car, or a different transmission entirely. Solid axle swap (SAS): replacing independent front suspension (IFS) with solid axle . Examples of notable American customizers include George Barris , Vini Bergeman , Bill Cushenbery , the Alexander Brothers , Bo Huff , Gil Ayala , Darryl Starbird, Roy Brizio , Troy Trepanier (of Rad Rides by Troy ), Boyd Coddington , Darryl Hollenbeck (working out of at Vintage Color Studios; winner of

1116-480: The type of engines powering them, are unconfirmed. The first car generally recognised as having received the "Savage" treatment was the Mk2 Cortina. Conversions of Cortina Mk3s, Mk4s and even a one-off Mk5 followed. A Cortina Savage could be had as a two door or four door saloon , or an estate car . Regarding his supply of Cortinas, Uren recalled Walter Hayes (the then head of Ford GB's PR), wangled us quite

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1152-659: The yellow deuce from " American Graffiti " {1973}, the Batmobiles from Batman, the Pursuit Special from Mad Max , and more) or television (such as The Monkeemobile from the "Munsters" , and KITT from Knight Rider ). Other notable customs exemplified a trend. One of these is the 1951 Merc built by the Barris brothers for Bob Hirohata in 1953, known as the Hirohata Merc . Even without an appearance in

1188-467: Was added. Power went to the rear axle through a 4-speed manual transmission from the Ford Corsair V4 GT or 2000E, with an automatic transmission as an option. The rear axle included a Powr-Lok limited-slip differential with a 3.77:1 ratio and strengthened axles. To extend driving range, an extra fuel tank holding 8 imp gal (36.4 L; 9.6 US gal) was mounted in

1224-415: Was also possible for the home mechanic to buy a complete installation kit for £315 and install a 2.5 L or 3.0 L Essex engine that they supplied themselves. Production of all versions is estimated to have been between 1,000 and 1,100 Savages, all but 50 to 100 of which were Mk2 conversions. Uren is believed to have built a total of 1,700 vehicles, including the Cortina Savage and other models such as

1260-520: Was often altered, and engine swaps were to install the most powerful engine in the lightest possible frame and body combination. Another example of early automobile customization were the first off-road vehicles . Some of the earliest dedicated offroad vehicles were made using the Kégresse track system, starting in the late 1910s, which affixed tracks to an ordinary car in place of the rear wheels for improved off-road traction. After World War II ,

1296-556: Was one of the few with an automatic transmission. The defining feature of the Cortina Savage is its 3.0 L Ford Essex V6 engine upgrade. Weslake provided engine tuning services for factory conversions. Customers could choose from several levels of tune, starting with a standard specification Ford 3.0 L Essex with 138 bhp (102.9 kW) and 182 ft⋅lb (246.8 N⋅m) of torque, or engines making 170 bhp (126.8 kW), 180 bhp (134.2 kW), or 190 bhp (141.7 kW). The highest output engine offered in

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