greengartside

Right, this is in the yard next door to where I work. A December 1982 build/registered Sierra!

For spares, engine and box have been removed. The rest of it is there apart from the O/S rear lamp as far as I can see. Reg is JDY 573Y for all the car check guys out there. Last taxed 1997. 

Right, this is in the yard next door to where I work. A December 1982 build/registered Sierra!

For spares, engine and box have been removed. The rest of it is there apart from the O/S rear lamp as far as I can see. Reg is JDY 573Y for all the car check guys out there. Last taxed 1997. 

Right, this is in the yard next door to where I work. A December 1982 build/registered Sierra!

For spares, engine and box have been removed. The rest of it is there apart from the O/S rear lamp as far as I can see. Reg is JDY 573Y for all the car check guys out there. Last taxed 1997. 

Right, this is in the yard next door to where I work. A December 1982 build/registered Sierra!

For spares, engine and box have been removed. The rest of it is there apart from the O/S rear lamp as far as I can see. Reg is JDY 573Y for all the car check guys out there. Last taxed 1997. 

It is (was) a 1.6.

Right, this is in the yard next door to where I work. A December 1982 build/registered Sierra!

For spares, engine and box have been removed. The rest of it is there apart from the O/S rear lamp as far as I can see. Reg is JDY 573Y for all the car check guys out there. Last taxed 1997. 

Found a few tucked away this afternoon 

I checked the VIN number, it's the same on the V5 as it is on the car. A matching numbers classic Ford, eat your fucking heart out Wayne Carini.
Plan for today was to have a good poke in every nook and  cranny and check for rust. Earlier this week I had an initial look and everything seemed ok but now I wanted to know exactly what I am up against in terms of bodywork repairs.
I removed the boot carpet, underlay and side trim panels. There's plenty of dirt but no rust to worry about.


I started poking around the back of the offside sill, where the end section of the sill has been previously repaired.
Beneath loose paint there is only surface corrosion.

The repair panel is solid but not very pretty. I will wob over the uneven sections of metal to make it look a little less gash.


The upper side of the rear arches are solid and do not appear to have been messed with in the past.

The floorpan to sill seam is solid and tidy on the outer side. On the inner side, I need to scrape off the loose sealant but the metal underneath is all solid.

This is the section behind the rear wheel arch, the panel that conceals the fuel filler neck.

Rear wheel arch is solid all the way around and there is no evidence of any previous repairs.


A couple of rusty patches on the top side of the sill but nothing serious.


Rear door, with the crusty sealant removed, the bottom of the door is solid.

The front door is the same.

Bottom of the inner side of the front wing and inner wing.

A post and inner wing, both factory fresh.

Front wheel arch is solid all the way around and there is no evidence of any previous repairs. The plastic arch trim fixing points have surface corrosion but nothing serious.


Offside front chassis leg is straight and solid.

Ditto the right one.

All good along the front of the car, between the radiator and bumper.

Crossmember is covered in gunk, which has kept it solid.

Nearside now, bottom of the inner side of the front wing and inner wing.

A post and inner wing, all good.

Front wheel arch is the same as the offside.


Nearside sill looks great.

Nothing to worry about the top section along the length of the front door.

The same as the offside along the back of the B post.

Localised surface corrosion beneath sealant to sections of the floorpan.

The repair carried out to the back of the nearside sill looks better quality than what was done on the other side.

This section of the underside is usually mostly concealed by the exhaust back box.

Rear nearside arch is very good.


Nearside front door is perfect underneath. The colour of this door doesn't quite match the rest of the car and has either been replaced or properly repaired in the past.

The back door is in the same condition as the offside doors, nothing to worry about.

Diff is dry. The subframe is covered in dirt and surface corrosion but all looks very solid.


Floorplan and transmission tunnel have been sealed in the past, are completely solid and just need cleaning.


After two hours of poking, all I have is one dust pan mostly full of dirt. Not bad for a Ford.

Before I undertake any bodywork repairs, I must first pull the Sierra out of the workshop, put it back on axle stands and pressure wash the underside, allow it to dry before putting the car back in the garage and lifting it up again. Due to birthday and work commitments, this won't happen for the next couple of weeks.
I found this sticker on the back of the driver's door. I Googled Great Chart Motors, they still exist. I will contact them and ask if they have any info about the Sierra.

The front brakes have had recent work done. The discs and pads are brand new and the calipers look fresh too.

I visited a paint shop yesterday, where they can scan any surface and produce a colour matched paint. I can't remember the brand of the paint now but the chap in the shop told me that it is far superior to Hammerite. It should be, it costs £50 for one litre. As I don't have a panel that I can bring into the shop (I tried removing the fuel filler flap but I have no idea how it comes off), I decided to buy a can of aerosol....

.... which I squirted on a piece of metal....

..... which looks a fairly good match to the Sierra's paint....

.... at least it will be once I have polished the paintwork.
I have been advised by numerous people that matching Ford Maritime blue is virtually impossible. That's fine, the idea is that I will use the brush on stuff to coat the visible low level areas (sills and wheel arches) and the aerosol to sort out the cosmetics on the upper panels. The concealed areas will be treated with black spray on Hammerite. This is how I renovated my most recent W124 and I was pleased with the results. 
I have ordered a new cam belt and fan belt.
As matters stand, the Sierra owes me:
Purchase = £3,600  Transport = £400 Timing belt = £18.99 Fan belt = £9.99 Mid exhaust section = £86.06 Rear exhaust section = £69.84 Aerosol x 1 = £7.49 Total = £4,192.37
I would be pleased if I could drive out of the MoT station in May with a fresh ticket and a sub £5k total outlay. Wish me luck.
 
 
 

The WD40 had no effect on the seized nut.
I decided to take advice from our resident experts and grind the nut off the bolt.
I clamped the manifold in a vice, it's always good to have a safe and comfortable working environment when working with abrasive tools.

Using an angle grinder, I reduced the size of the nut up to the point where the remaining metal got thin.

Out came a more precision tool. More of the same but now with finesse.

I got enough of the nut off to enable removal without causing significant damage to the bolt thread.

I fitted a couple of right sized nuts, job done. As I tightened the new nuts, I could see the joint getting narrower. I made sure the new nuts were tight without overtightening, breaking the bolt and fucking up all my hard work.

I fired up the unsilenced Pinto (the exhaust system has been removed). Amazing how an OHC Ford four banger can sound like a top fuel dragster. Despite the deafening noise coming from the end of the downpipe, I couldn't hear or feel any blowing from the manifold to downpipe joint. Win.
I'm off to order a new exhaust.
In other news, the V5 arrived today. I now three pieces of paper in the service history. The seller apparently posted the service history documents yesterday. All being well, I will get them by the end of the week. I have SORNed the Sierra as of today. 
 

Rolf Harris lived not far from me but he's no longer available.

Have a pez shot. It will be a while before this bitch makes it to a petrol station under her own steam.

I added a splash of this stuff, I'm sure it won't hurt.

I kept the fuel receipt for the service history. The number of documents has doubled.

Precisely what I didn't want, the E46 outside and the Sierra hogging the workshop.

Whilst looking in the boot, I noticed this arrangement of cables, which extends to the boot lock. Looks like we have central locking. Whether it works is another matter.

Up she goes.

I removed all four wheel arch liners. They came out ok, just need cleaning and removal of blue overspray paint.

This is where the story gets a lot better.
Yes, there is surface corrosion and flaking paint just about everywhere but there is no sign of any significant corrosion anywhere in the arches. The new front brake discs are a nice touch.




The fronts of the A-posts and the inside of the front wings are just fine.


The fuel tank has light surface corrosion, nothing that can't be easily sorted.

The underside is totally solid. No sign of any significant corrosion, most of the paint / sealer is still intact. Only the sill to floorpan seams need a tidy up, but they are all solid.





Daisy told me that she likes the shiny brake discs.

I created a warm, dry and comfortable working environment.

Whilst access is great, the three bolts that secure the downpipe to the manifold are fucking tight. 

It was easier to remove the downpipe with the manifold attached.

And here we are, the reason why the joint is blowing.

The securing nut is on very tight. I have left the downpipe in an upright position and will spray WD40 on the nut and bolt for a couple of days. Can't do any harm.

I removed the exhaust system. Looks nice and shiny, doesn't it?

Until you look at the underside of the middle box.

And the back box.

Depending on whether I can sort out the manifold to downpipe joint without fucking up the downpipe, I will be ordering at least a new middle and back box from the eBay supplier in Poland. I've used the same or similar company in the past, they provided a replacement exhaust for my W124. The parts were good quality and fitted perfectly.
Finally, I removed the cam belt cover to reveal the cam belt.

It's not cracked but it's not box fresh either. I will replace it. I will also replace the fan belt, which is worn and squealed like a pig when I fired up the Sierra whilst negotiating it into the garage. 
I wasn't looking for a project of this scale. Based on my (possibly too high) expectations, I was planning to take delivery of the Sierra, tax it and take it for a maiden voyage to Windsor for a work appointment. Instead, it is now in bits in my workshop and will cost me £££ before it can safely turn a wheel. Never mind, things could have been worse. I could have had cort16's C6 in my garage by now.
 

Right, I've calmed down a bit now.
Let's get one thing straight, I was not expecting a minter. I saw the off colour front nearside door in the photos and the seller advised that the paint is not perfect. He wasn't lying. 
This is the situation:
I reckon that the car has been standing for a long time, badly protected by a tarp or cover. Consequently, paint has worn through to bare metal in all four corners and along the roof edges.





I also reckon that at some point in the not too distant past, the car had a cheap blow over. There is overspray on various plastics.



Then there's rust, which affects just about every panel, apart from the roof.







No doubt the blow over is concealing lashings of wob. 
The underside looks ok but I haven't had the car up in the air yet.
The rear bumper is fucked - scratched, badly painted, with a lovely peeling patina.



The front bumper is better but far from perfect.

I removed the shitty stickers and faded AA badge. For a car with such low mileage (more on that later), it's been all over the British Isles and had stickers to prove it.




Under the bonnet, things are looking a bit better. The inner wings and turrets look solid. Engine bay is filthy.

The 1.8 Pinto starts and runs ok. It's silent, no cam issues. Engine oil is clean. No idea when the cam belt was last replaced, so that's on the list. Piss easy job.

Cam cover oil leak will be easy to fix.

Bad blow in the manifold to downpipe needs fixing asap. The centre and back exhaust boxes look silver and shiny but something is blowing, badly. I'm so looking forward to lying under the Sierra and fixing a leaking exhaust. 

The boot is clean, no sign of any rust.


The interior is in good condition, however there are a few issues. The front window winders were broken, so I swapped them for the rear ones. One of the rear door ashtrays is missing. The plastic handbrake lever surround has a small chunk missing. The dash has no cracks, which is nice.  The headlining is mint. The original ICE works and sounds pretty good.





I gave the Sierra a wash. There was some localised water beading but all the paint needs a good cut and polish.

It looks better after a wash but nothing as good as it did in the seller's photos.




I gave the interior plastics a wipe over and hoovered the seats and carpets. I love the interior. So 1980s Ford. The driver's door cannot be locked / unlocked, either from the inside or by key. I suspect a seized mechanism. Car is currently parked behind tall gates, out of sight and I live in a quiet cul-de-sac, so the Sierra is safe for now. 

The car was supposed to come with enough history to back up the low mileage of 33k. The odometer is showing 31k - hmm. There was nothing in the car on delivery, I called the seller, he apologised, the documents pack is still on his side table. He will post the docs tomorrow, including the green slip, which I need to tax the car. Actually, I won't bother for now, I will SORN it until I sort out the exhaust blows and replace the cam belt. 
Is the mileage genuine? The interior is mint and the engine is silent, so maybe yes. 1980s Fords rust, so the condition of the bodywork and paint should not be a factor. Let's see what the documents reveal, although I am not holding my breath.
I paid £4k for the Sierra, which includes transport costs from Northern Ireland to my house. Not a fortune, I know. I also know that Sierra prices have gone up and this example is not a complete shed. Let's say it has potential. Would I have paid £4k for it if I had seen it in the flesh before shaking hands with the seller? No.
The plan is to get the mechanicals into decent shape, tidy up the bits that need cleaning, like the engine bay, polish the paintwork, treat the corrosion and paint over with colour matched Hammerite type paint. I am not paying £10k for a weldathon and bare metal respray. Considering how poor the paint is, I am now less concerned about keeping the Sierra outside. It won't fit in the third garage and I am not kicking out my mint W123 or E46 to make space for the Sierra, at least not a permanent basis.
More soon.
 

Fuck me.
I’ve got it but it’s nothing like what it looks like in the seller’s photos. It’s rusty and filthy.
I’m late for work.

Barry McGuigan was small and Irish and he got the job done ok.

First destination reached, a port in Belfast.

The Sierra is making the crossing tonight and is scheduled to be with me by either Tuesday or Wednesday morning, depending on logistics.
It will be making the journey on the back of this thing.

 
So far so good.

Are you going to do some moustached detectiving as well?
I can't see a blue Sierra, regardless of shape, without thinking Frost...

Just received confirmation email from the DVLA that the car is mine.
The seller has sent me one more photo.

The Sierra may start its journey tomorrow instead of Monday, details to be confirmed tomorrow morning.
Excitement level is high.

Just received these photos, the Sierra is ready for it’s trip to the UK.

I was stopped by plain clothes police drugs squad officers for overtaking them down the Dock Road in Liverpool. It was a week after I passed my driving test. In my dad's dangly mirror beige base 1.6 estate.  Probably doing 80 mph in what is Now a 30.  I think it was a 60 in those days. Got a bit of advice at the side of the road. 
Not taking the advice I spun that car on the coast road at Southport about 6 months later. No visible damage. 🤔
A few years later I got his Sapphire 1.8LX up to an indicated 136 on a German Autobahn at 2 am heading for Stuttgart. He was asleep. When he woke up he was complaining about how much fuel I'd used. 
He took me off the insurance when I got his 2.0 16V ghia estate sideways on a motorway roundabout in the dry.  Probably shouldn't have done it with him in the passenger seat.  30 years later he still won't put me on his insurance. 

I have a large collection of What Car? magazines that date back from mid 1980s to mid 1990s. I should get them laminated really, as I get quite aroused whenever I peruse them. 

Details taken from a magazine that dates back to 1987, same as the incoming Sapphire.


Sierras of all shapes and specifications often featured in road tests and similar articles. They usually did well, scored average points, were said to be comfortable, reliable and cheap to run but dated. Makes sense.

I sold my Sierra from Kent and it went to Northern Ireland! (2006). Well bought.

My 1.8L - one of the first CVH cars. Bought it for £80 with minor damage which I got repaired.
I especially liked it as it was Regency Red and my dad had an E reg 2.0i GLS Sapphire in the same colour at the time 
Replacing the fuel tank on the Saph
Funny enough my hatchback went to Ireland to be a tarmac rally car