Y plate Sierra Ghia. A little prang.

[Stixy]

All Sierra's had electronic ignition  but not all still do    , Take the distributor cap off and have a look 

[mat_the_cat]

Why would anybody want to go back to points?! I'm split in my mind over the benefits of injection versus carbs, but firmly in favour of electronic ignition over points! Mind you, I'm probably biased after years of points problems on my old mower...

[Stixy]

When modules or distributors  pack up  it was cheaper to fit a Cortina or Capri Points distributor   ,ive done a few myself  as its not much fun on a a dark wet night  when the engine just dies 

[Stixy]

New modules are cheap now 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Sietra-1-3-1-6-1-8-Transit-1-6-2-0-Ignition-Module-Switch-83BB12A199B3A-New-/131091541266?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AFord%7CModel%3ASierra&hash=item1e85aa2d12

 

at this price its worth getting one as a spare and keeping it in the glovebox just in case 

 

strange though in the weird world of ebay secondhand 25 year old ones cost a lot more ?

[fordperv]

cheers for posting that link stixy i cant get over how cheap these are now, seeming as my capri has sierra ignition and my 3 door is a pinto car i may have to get a few of them

[laser wheels]

Pay has been paid, bits have been bought. So -

 

1x eBay temp sensor (said OEM in the listing, but who knows)

2x Bosch windscreen wipers + SPOILERS!!

1x 'premium' Oil filter

1x Pierburg fuel filter

4x Bosch spark plugs

1x Bosch set of ignition leads

1x Beru Distributor cap

1x ContiTech timing belt

2x Sachs OEM rear dampers

 

Total spend this month so far = £79.85

 

I can live with that.

 

Have also realised that the fuel additive I have been using says to add 1/5 of a bottle per tank not 1/2 of a bottle, so I'll save a few quid there then ...

 

Also, had an odd experience last night driving through Sunderland city centre when someone pulled up to me at the lights and asked if the car was for sale. Apparently his mate has been looking for one for ages. That has definitely never happened to me before.

 

[greengartside]

Awesome work laser wheels! Sounds like it's getting the treatment it deserves. Just needs an old-style number plate at the front to finish it off. There is a site that does them but it's not dealer-tagged, just plain.

 

http://www.platesforcars.co.uk/designer.php#numberplates - then on 'font' tab, scroll to 'UK Old Font'.

[Grundig]

I remember both Glebe Garage & Dougherty's in Runcorn, I'll get some pics of what they look like now - Ex works price is dealer stock, cars in the showroom ready to go, rather than ordering a factory one to be built to your spec 

 

..Okey dokey then, I've been out n about wiv me camera n took some pics -

 

This was Glebe Garage, this was the show room part, I think it's an accountants offices now 

& this was part of the workshop, still used for vehicle repairs

Glebe garage was in Widnes so back over to Runcorn to Dougherty's - Polar Ford moved to new premises last year & the site has now been cleared

 

Before it was a Ford dealer Dougherty's sold Vauxhalls & the fuel station next door was branded AMOCO (it's now BP) as a kid in the 70's, I remember being worried about the petrol station not having any petrol because of the Amoco Cadiz disaster  

[laser wheels]

Replaced wipers for +10 man points. Feeling newly empowered I decided to have a crack at the temp sensor, but to no avail as it will not budge, which is a good thing really as it appears the item I have been sent is for a Mondeo, or possibly an Escort, Fiesta, or Transit, or even Apollo 13 for all I know but certainly not for a MK1 Sierra. However, what I have found while poking around is that it may not be the sensor at all, but the wiring as quite frankly the connector looks like a right bodge. I also have distributor cap, leads, and plugs so may have a go at that tomorrow as quite frankly I can't be bothered right now.

[laser wheels]

Updates!

 

So, had the oil and filter changed and coolant checked and topped up this morning - and not a minute too soon! Apparently, there was but a mere dribble left in the sump, however there appears to be no damage done and car is running sweetly now. On the plus side, one of the lads in the workshop mentioned that FHF919Y is indeed minty mint underneath and 'solid as a rock'. Yay! Next up is get the new plugs fitted then renew the suspension, and also see to the ARB bushes that were mentioned on the last MOT. Also tempted to poly-bush but not sure about that yet. Then it's gut the interior and a full spring clean!

 

In the meantime I have also noticed that the mileage is in fact 106500 not 165000 - as recorded on the MOT - which works out at an average of only 3300 miles per year! Other than that 1500 miles of trouble free and very compfy motoring, except on Monday when I ran out of fuel 10 feet from the pump.

[burraston2006]

Updates!

 

So on Monday when I ran out of fuel 10 feet from the pump.

 

I feel a new competition for professional autoshitters: How close to the pump can you get before you run out ? I feel that we already have the gold ( beige ) medalist here!

[oldford]

I feel a new competition for professional autoshitters: How close to the pump can you get before you run out ? I feel that we already have the gold ( beige ) medalist here!

Good news on the Sierra updates, 106000 miles, my 1991 Sierra has just clicked over to that.

 

 

I went and collected a rental minibus from Sizewell one day, it was a LDV Convoy for extra shite points.  Driving into Leiston it gave a cough and a splutter and ran out of fuel, luckily I managed to roll it onto a garage forecourt about a foot short of the pump hose reaching the fuel filler.

[Pillock]

I ran out on the long sweeping curve entering Tibshelf services on the M1. Dipped the clutch and let it roll up to the pump, luckily I was doing a decent speed when it went.

 

Also ran out halfway down the hill from Broad Street into the centre of Sheffield. Thankfully there's a garage half way down the hill so I did about a quarter of a mile in neutral and timed the junctions right.

[xtriple]

Had an 'A' reg one of these back in the day. I think the colour was called 'Sand' or somesuch, it was gold with a hint of pink! I really liked the colour. I'm sure the radio/cassette in your car is wrong, seem to remember mine was quite a posh looking thing.

 

Ran it up to 80,000 miles and it was dead reliable, just used to smoke on start up as the valve stem seals seemed to have prematurely aged! Lovely car and well done for saving the old lass.

[laser wheels]

Just realised I haven't posted much lately, but things are moving along. Currently stocking up on parts ready for the big refresh this summer - suspension, brakes, bushes, most probably new tyres, too - and going to gut the interior for a real deep clean as well and at the same time try to get the central locking working on the driver door. One thing I did do last week in the works car park was rip of that wind deflector. Amazed at how much cleaner - from a design point of view, at least - the car looks after 10 minutes of tat removal. Not exactly a high-tech bit of kit mind you - just screwed into the bodywork with two now-very-rusty wood screws. I can also now see how knackered the rubber is, but at least it appears to be keeping the wet out, and the actual sunroof, er, hole(?) appears to be grot free!

 

A picture.

 

 

 

[RoadworkUK]

Laser, I'm jealous as buggery, I really am. My Dad's one was A794MEW. It was either Glacier or Miami blue (we never could quite find a touch-up that matched properly). 2.0 Ghia manual, no optional rear blinds (you lucky bastard) but it did have the rear wash wipe, which is what the blanking plate near your foglight switch represents. Other than that it was exactly the same as yours inside, I always wished his had electric rear windows and heated seats; the switches for which would have been either side of the ashtray.

 

My favourite interior feature was the bar of warning lights above the graphic information module, which is all dark until it lights up. Oh, and the directional reading lights which were intensely cool for 1983....

 

I'm so glad this is on the road. Really. Thank you.

[warren t claim]

Brill! Interesting having had a later one to

See all the details that mark out the earlier of the species.

 

But what the hells the thing on the rear parcel shelf?

A Filofax is a perfect fit.

[lisbon_road]

I do have a stock of bits for central locking for Mk1 Sierras if you find you need something.

 

Good car, well done for sorting it.  Watch the rust!

[laser wheels]

I do have a stock of bits for central locking for Mk1 Sierras if you find you need something.

 

Good car, well done for sorting it.  Watch the rust!

 

Thanks for that.

 

Luckily the original owner had the car rust proofed from new and apart from a bit on the rear arches the mechanic I took it to last month confirmed it is rock solid underneath - he was actually rather gob-smacked by how nice it was!

[lisbon_road]

The Belgian built Sierras were quite good.  Mine was also pretty good, and I can remember a bewildered MOT examiner coming out from the car in disbelief and asking why it wasn't all rusty as (sadly) the Dagenham Mk1s were terrible.  Most of the Ghias and GLs seemed to come from Belgium bizzarely so weren't just better equipped, also better built.  Thats my impression anyway.

 

I rebuilt mine with a new shell, and when I stripped the shell it was, of course, rather worse than I had realised.  It had done 194,000 though so can't complain.

[Stixy]

The central locking on the drivers door is only a switch that operates the other 3 locking solenoids there isnt a solenoid on the drivers door lock    so it should only central lock from the drivers door as there isnt a switch on the passenger door lock 

[laser wheels]

The central locking on the drivers door is only a switch that operates the other 3 locking solenoids there isnt a solenoid on the drivers door lock    so it should only central lock from the drivers door as there isnt a switch on the passenger door lock 

 

Yes, what I have to do is unlock from the passenger side then reach over to open the drivers side to open that side from inside. The central locking works fine from the inside, but when you try to open the drivers side from outside ie with a key the lock/barrel doesn't appear to be properly attached to anything.

[Stixy]

Take the door trim off and see if the locking rod is still connected , sometimes the plastic clips break and the whole lot goes sloppy 

[laser wheels]

Take the door trim off and see if the locking rod is still connected , sometimes the plastic clips break and the whole lot goes sloppy 

 

'Sloppy' - that's the word I was looking for! It actually worked the other day with a bit of persuasion, but then normal service was soon resumed. Fingers crossed it will just be a clip/rod or some such. I really don't want to start replacing locks as I want to keep all the keys matching!

[laser wheels]

Timing belt roulette FAIL.

 

The 2.0 Pinto is non-interference, right?

 

Right?

 

 

[trigger]

Whoops. I believe it is though, hopefully.

[phil_lihp]

Bad luck, fingers crossed it's survived.

[saucedoctor]

Aye, 2.0 Pinto is freewheeling. You'll be grand.

[fordperv]

time it up, slap a belt on and it will be fine

[phil_lihp]

Presumably 'non-interference' simply means there's enough clearance between the valves and the pistons that they can never make contact even when the belt/chain snaps?