'oldpinger' the old Cortina would be worth something now. Funny how they where worthless after a few years use but now pretty much any car made in the 70's for Eg is worth coin!
Oh BTW I had the same stuck clutch problem with an old Honda SL100 motor bike, had to ride it like a mad man in first gear(once I got it started) whilst holding the clutch lever in. When the clutch finally let got the revs near went off the clock!:-)BTW just for the record leaving a car in neutral makes no diff to the clutches position
The clutch plate will still be locked tight against the flywheel & the pressure plate regardless of whether the box is in neutral or in gear.
The only way you can release the clutch plate is to depress the clutch pedal & hold it there for however long ya want to keep the car in storage. Go check the old Cortina now someone might still be in there with his foot locked on the clutch pedal after all these years!
God I'd had hoped I had 4gotten all that motor mech stuff by now..........
Wmk2