Project Memoirs from the Hard Shoulder: bASeman's Spot of the Year award.

[sierraman]

Even when I had a Sierra, and were going back 12-13 years ago, an uncracked dash was very rare, when they came up they were £££. The mk1 was much worse in this respect.

 

Don't give up though, sometimes on the off chance you can come across stuff in surprising places. I was once offered what was described as a spare switch off a Mondeo, said I'd have it, partly to be polite as it was a friend of the wife's grandparents. Anyway, it arrived and it was a brand new old stock Escort indicator switch, it had the red inlay where the horn or whatever it was on the end of the stalk, these went that awful pale pink in the sun within a year or two, this one hadn't even been out the box so it was as new. Complete unobtainium. Ended up selling it for them on eBay to someone restoring one. So.. You never know...

[Skizzer]

In a move that I’m certain the entire internet car fraternity will abhor, I’ve removed the Sierra's roof bars for the time being.

First and foremost, I want to polish and wax the roof. It’s the only part of the car that hasn’t had any attention at all, and consequently it looks at odds with the rest of the vehicle.

Secondly, they howl like mad at anything over 50mph. I’ve got some good distance to travel over the next month or so, and there’s no radio to drown out the deafening noise of "Wind vs Paddy Hopkirk."

Thirdly, and this is me being painfully honest, I don’t like them. I understand the previous owner had some fitted, but he also had a beige anorak and a Mormon viewpoint. I’m not about to adopt either of those either. I will keep them here for special occasions and shows, but if they’re wanted back then that’s fine (I think Skizzer bought them?)

Anyway, we went in to town earlier to collect my son’s new glasses (it’s his favourite car of ours)

Here it is parked in St Neots earlier.

I didn't buy the roof bars, I inherited them from my father and donated them to the Sierra at popular request...or maybe not. I’ll gladly have them back if you don't want them.

[Felly Magic]

Perhaps we could have a shiters meet at the buttery biscuit base on the front? Would probably do us all good to have a bit of banter, and snap some of us doing a Woollard or the Wayne's World 'we're not worthy' for this beige forum legend? 

[lisbon_road]

Hmm, this 'maybe a dash will turn up'.  Possible perhaps, but the temptation to flog it if one did and pay of the mortgage might be too much.

[BorniteIdentity]

Hmm, this 'maybe a dash will turn up'. Possible perhaps, but the temptation to flog it if one did and pay of the mortgage might be too much.

Somehow, Sean of this parish not only has a completely perfect one in his 85 Sierra, but picked up another one not too long ago for a fair price.

 

It’s not unheard of them to reach around the £1000 mark in the right colour.

[BorniteIdentity]

I didn't buy the roof bars, I inherited them from my father and donated them to the Sierra at popular request...or maybe not. I’ll gladly have them back if you don't want them.

I have to say that I prefer the “sans bars” look, and it’s a lot LOT quieter at 65mph - especially with the windows down.

 

I drove the car the 100 mile round trip to work today, which it did with aplomb. I had to stick about a litre of oil in it which has disappeared over the course of about 4,000 miles. That’s fair enough, especially when you consider most of it is on my garage floor. It’s still using/losing water too. Can you put a dye in coolant to help trace where a bloody leak is? I’ve got a new water pump, radiator and two hoses to fit - but none of them look ill. The interior is also dry, leading me to think it’s not the (admittedly blocked) matrix.

 

 

Preparation H(ertfordshire)

 

 

 

 

I’ve had to remove the air intake pipe. It was very loose, and I can’t get enough purchase with zip ties to make it stick. My concern is that it might fall off onto a moving belt or hot engine, so I need to buy another.

 

I’m chuffed that the car successfully completed the journey. Ashamedly it only did 650 miles last year, so more use required.

 

I’m going to take it to the cricket club tonight. You know, lower the tone a bit.

 

 

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[BorniteIdentity]

 

Mission Complete

 

[danthecapriman]

Best looking car there by a mile! And it’s in a proper colour not mono chrome! I trust you left a dirty oil patch on their lawn?

[BorniteIdentity]

Best looking car there by a mile! And it’s in a proper colour not mono chrome! I trust you left a dirty oil patch on their lawn?

Still here having a beer whilst my lad perfects his daisy cutter. Quietly confident that the outfield will be a bit slower on our departure than on our arrival!

 

 

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[quicksilver]

Blimey, the old dear does look 10 years younger. That dashboard though...

 

As for the pap of Hyacinth’s driveway, shame the cars were on the drive, and it wasn’t 18 months ago. You could have parked the pogweaseled Sierra at a pissed angle in front of the garage, for maximum ‘I don’t wish to keep up appearances’ effect.

 

That would have been ace. Perhaps when Onslow's Cortina eventually gave up the ghost he might have upgraded to a battered base Sierra and proudly popped round to Hyacinth's to show off his new wheels.

 

Old Cardinal Greygrille sure scrubs up well. It looks like a different car from when it appeared at Shitefest 16.

[Mrs6C]

I knew I'd seen that somewhere before!

[Zelandeth]

Sorry to be terribly sad, but can I ask for a decently close up instrument panel photo with as much lit up as possible?

 

When I was a kid the design of instrumentation fascinated me (heck, still does!), And I remember the first time I saw the one on an early Sierra definitely got my attention as it was very different to what I was used to. Are the legends next to the lights lit with the dash lighting like they are on the Mk 2?

 

One of my favourite dash design features ever was on a number of Fords in the 80s (for me most notably my dad's work Transit) was the little tabs above and below the warning lights that lit up as well. Totally pointless but to a five year old me, massively cool.

 

Likewise the indicator tell tale in the Lada being actually shaped like the symbol rather than having a separate legend... that's my earliest memory of a Lada, and I was three at the time! The dash is one of my favourite features in it too...

 

Love the fact that this is being so cherished.

 

Ps. Sorry for the dashboard geekery.

[Noel Tidybeard]

the buttery biscuit base clocks will be front/side lit so the warning symbols will appear to be lit in a green hue

[greengartside]

Sorry to be terribly sad, but can I ask for a decently close up instrument panel photo with as much lit up as possible?

 

When I was a kid the design of instrumentation fascinated me (heck, still does!), And I remember the first time I saw the one on an early Sierra definitely got my attention as it was very different to what I was used to. Are the legends next to the lights lit with the dash lighting like they are on the Mk 2?

 

One of my favourite dash design features ever was on a number of Fords in the 80s (for me most notably my dad's work Transit) was the little tabs above and below the warning lights that lit up as well. Totally pointless but to a five year old me, massively cool.

 

Likewise the indicator tell tale in the Lada being actually shaped like the symbol rather than having a separate legend... that's my earliest memory of a Lada, and I was three at the time! The dash is one of my favourite features in it too...

 

Love the fact that this is being so cherished.

 

Ps. Sorry for the dashboard geekery.

I too like these designs, right back to the Escort Mk2 / Cortina Mk5’s that my dad had in the 90’s

 

Here’s a dashboard from a 1987 Transit I saw a while back.

 

[BorniteIdentity]

Sorry to be terribly sad, but can I ask for a decently close up instrument panel photo with as much lit up as possible?

 

Love the fact that this is being so cherished.

No need to apologise. This car has been better for my mental wellbeing than any CBT or drug ever could have been. Nostalgia is a great therapy.

 

I’m not much of a photographer, but will give it a go.

[Spottedlaurel]

Make sure you come and find me today, got something for you in my boot.

[BorniteIdentity]

Make sure you come and find me today, got something for you in my boot.

 

Ooh! Looking forward to seeing you chap.

 

We’re setting off in a bit!

 

 

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[BorniteIdentity]

Make sure you come and find me today, got something for you in my boot.

 

Ooh! Looking forward to seeing you chap.

 

We’re setting off in a bit!

 

 

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[HillmanImp]

Make sure you come and find me today, got something for you in my boot.

[SierraMikeHotel]

Sorry to be terribly sad, but can I ask for a decently close up instrument panel photo with as much lit up as possible?...Ps. Sorry for the dashboard geekery.

You're not the only one mate! Blame it on my parents having a mk1 Sierra then a mk1 BX. I really like these little details.

 

Getting used to the current 9-5, I like how the tell-tales are invisible until they're lit up, it makes the display really clean and uncluttered.

[BorniteIdentity]

Flies around shit.

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[Guest Hooli]

Flies around shit.

 

 

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Holy smoke!

 

(I assume you were quoting Maiden lyrics?)

[Felly Magic]

Nice meeting you Daniel, and the utterly magnifishite Ace of bASe, sheme you were shoved at the arse end, I think you would have looked brilliant next to a vintage Rolls Royce

[trigger]

Nice to see you again Dan, but it was even nicer to see the bASe in the flesh at last, what a grand conveyance. How did it perform in the traffic to Felixstowe? You was a couple of cars ahead of me and I saw you having to reverse on the the end of the prom, they made us park on the far end, you was the last car and I was the first at one point, just about 2 miles apart!

 

 

[Zelandeth]

She's looking bloody lovely. While red cars are a royal pain to keep shiny, they do look good when polished up.

[Felly Magic]

It's danglymirror tastic, you and Triggs were basically the event bookends, the Autoshite Y reg red hatchback Massiv! 'It's my Ford Sierra Y reg, Y reg, Y reg, don't keep asking me Why Reg? It just happens to be that year' to plagiarise a certain John Shuttleworth song 

[greengartside]

She looks absolutely beautiful! One day I shall meet this fine steed.

 

New listing for a Mk1 being broken for spares.....

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F292545479759

[Felly Magic]

Back bumper off that would be perfect for the base, plus if it has an OSR light unit

[Shep Shepherd]

Get the driver's door and the rear bumper replaced and it will be MEGA 

 

It would be nice to see the car again, as the first (and only) time I've seen it up close was before it was titivated (oo-er!).

[Felly Magic]

I thought it looked great, new doors on the offside are one of the next job so Daniel says, will be 'fun' for him swapping the electric window mech over on the front door, and I think all those involved in saving this unloved old thing deserve a hearty handshake. If I lived more local, I would offer to help, done a door swap on a Mk1 Sierra before, that was a 2.0 GL that was seriously leggy, and you didn't need to use the clutch to change gear, had a gasflowed head & fast road cam, so was pretty nippy. I think someone in the Autoshite collective needs to go and see what that Sierra shell has to offer. I saw the sign yesterday and it was totally ace of bASe.