1982 Ford Cortina XR-6 Interceptor
#161 of only 250 produced
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As distinctively marked on the C-pillar of this 1982 Ford Cortina XR6, this is number 161 of only 250 homologation version Interceptors ever produced by Ford. Exclusively built for the South African market, it is currently the only known example in the United States and has been driven only 27,350 Km (17k miles).
About the Cortina XR6:
The XR6 was a Mark V Cortina that was specific to the South African market. Only available with a 3.0L Essex V6, it had a unique aero package, integrated rally lights and a five-link rear suspension to better handle South African road conditions (replacing the standard trailing-arm setup found on non-South African models).
About the XR6 Interceptor:
Ford produced 250 special XR6 Interceptors in 1982. In appearance, it was only offered in Wild Coral (reddish-orange) with black accents with the sequence number on the C-pillar. The Interceptor package added quite a few performance enhancements to set it apart from the standard XR6. The 3.0L Essex V6 is upgraded with a more aggressive camshaft, cylinder head improvements, higher compression and factory headers. Topped off with three Weber 42 DCNF carburetors, output is increased to 160hp at 5,000 RPM making it the hottest Ford offered in South Africa at the time. Only fitted with a four-speed manual gearbox, it transfers power through a limited-slip 3:08 ratio rear-end to the 13" Ronal wheels which are fitted with Bridgestone 205/60 tires.
About this specific car:
Originally purchased by the owner of Bayswater Motors (a well-known auto dealer in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa) who imported this car to Arizona in 1994. I purchased the car from his estate in 2012. I was told the car had been stored since 1999 and taken out for periodic maintenance and shows. The car still sports a decal for Bayswater Motors in the back window.
The car is completely original except for:
A. Battery (replaced in August of 2020)
B. two tires (which appear to have been replaced in the 90's according to the date codes),
C. Pioneer stereo system with power antenna which was added when the car was new
D. Fuel tank (original has a puncture but will be included with the sale).
The not-so-nice:
The left-rear door paint appears to have been touched up. Previous owner explained that it got a scratch in the shipping container to the US. In the right light you can see the repair.
There is a scratch on the driver's (right front) door about 2 inches long. That is the extent of any paintwork that I can see, the rest is original and quite nice.
The car is currently running and driving but in need of carb cleaning. Due to my limited knowledge of Weber carburetors, I elected not to mess with them myself or have a professional mess with them. Given the very low mileage of the car and lack of evidence they have ever been touched, I expect they simply need to be cleaned. The car needs to remain partially choked to run properly so probably has some plugged jets.
The aftermarket Pioneer stereo system is likely not functional. When I powered it on (back in 2012), let's just say it "let the smoke out" and was immediately powered off and hasn't been fiddled with since.
As mentioned, the stock fuel tank developed a puncture during a recent shipping trip. I was unable to get the original repaired locally nor was I able to find a South African XR6 specific replacement tank, so I sourced and installed a brand-new replacement standard MK-V Cortina out of the UK using new hoses and fuel filters. However, the new tank has a slightly lower capacity than the original. I will include the original tank and hardware with the car.
There is no rust that I am aware of, but there is some paint bubbling below the brake master cylinder where brake fluid dripped onto the painted frame-rail.
New Parts:
August 2020: Battery, oil change, fuel change, fuel filter, rubber fuel lines (tank to hard-line, hard-line to pump, pump to carb)
Title / Registration:
While never licensed for road use in the United States (from what I can tell it has only been utilized via trip-permits), it was titled in Arizona and now in Oregon, so there should not be any trouble with title / registration. I do have copies of some export documentation as well as what appears to be a copy of the original South African title.
