Y plate Sierra Ghia. A little prang.

[cort16]

Spill the beans then!! French fancy ?

[laser wheels]

I'll give you two clues!

 

1. Some would say it's a bit gay, but it's not a Freelander.

 

2. Although most of us would call it a modern, it's the sort of modern you can buy for a monkey.*

 

I'm collecting Friday morning before work and don't want to spoil EPIK* COLEKTION FRED!!!!!! just yet.

 

(*By which I mean £500, not an actual monkey. I just wanted to make that clear.)

[fordperv]

Is it an mx5 or eunos equivalent?

[cort16]

I'm not interested in the car what cake was it?????

[laser wheels]

Jamaican Ginger.

[laser wheels]

Is it an mx5 or eunos equivalent?

 

Not quite, but it is one of those cars that was arguably popular with both the beauty therapy industry and now the 'dab of oppo' EVO reader types. Bah, I feel I may have said too much already!

[purplebargeken]

Rover 25*

[purplebargeken]

You need a TR7 powered Toledo in your life. 

[cort16]

3 series coupe?

[Jim Bergerac]

MGF?

[greengartside]

^ WHS

[overrun]

Did I see your ass in Sunlun, the day, LW?

[Cavcraft]

Frontera?

[laser wheels]

Did I see your ass in Sunlun, the day, LW?

 

Yes, I was in Sunderland yesterday! Saw a nice MK2 Cav SRi when I was their as well.

[laser wheels]

Frontera?

 

Puma! New thread on the go as I type...

[overrun]

Yes, I was in Sunderland yesterday! Saw a nice MK2 Cav SRi when I was their as well.

I was also diggin on it.Gold over black, wasn't it? Saw him at The Grange traffic lights. Heading to Shields.

Saw you at the lights at the end of Newcastle Rd, iirc.

[laser wheels]

Things have been a bit quite lately with the See-error but it's been left with my local mechanic this morning for a pre-MOT health check. I know for a fact that it won't pass next month with a non-functioning handbrake but it will be useful to have a list of things wot need doing. Just waiting for them to get back to me...

 

Oh, and just to add that after a best part of a month standing it fired up first time. This thing feels un-killable I tells yer!

[laser wheels]

Update: no update.

 

Leaving car with them overnight will get full report in morning.

[fordperv]

This thing feels un-killable I tells yer!

 

thats because its got a pinto engine, bloody bullet proof*

 

*i have killed a few though

[Jim Bell]

Nothing can go wrong because old car.

[Stixy]

Its a Sierra  so

 

Possible front anti roll bar bushes

possible rotten inner rear sills

possible rotten inner wings

possible rotten battery tray

possible malfunctioning rear lamps

possible steering column lower bush 

 

apart from everything else on it there isnt much else to go wrong  

 

Will be fine though im sure 

[oldford]

The steering column lower bush is not testable.

[lisbon_road]

Really?  I am surprised that isn't testable - though I do believe you - I was astonished that a friends geriatric Astra on which the shock absorbers basically do nothing and it bounces away can pass an MOT!

 

So why isn't that testable???

[fordperv]

i thought that when they check the steering column for up/down movement by yanking on the steering wheel, this shows if the column bush is worn then a fail for excessive movement would be put on the sheet?

[laser wheels]

Update: I have been advised will fail on the following -

 

Control arm bushes. They recommend just slapping some new arms on, but for me the question is to polybush or not?

Needs a bit of welding on the back of one of the sills but they have advised not a big job.

One of the rear wheels is binding. Just waiting to here back on the cause of that one.

 

Otherwise they commented on how nice it is overall. Also nice to see that the struts aren't an immediate priority as apparently the leaking from the offside is within prescribed limits. Result!

[jonny69]

No point poly-bushing unless you want or need the extra control. Rubber bushes are about 50p each and poly bushes will set you back £15-£20. I can't comment on if rubber are easier or harder to fit, but poly ones can be a real sod to get in. The flipside is they do last forever.

[lisbon_road]

If they mean the antiroll bar bushes, they are quite easy to fit as polybushes and do last much better than the original ones or the so called heavy duty ones.  There isn't really any need to change the arms if you are doing those bushes in my opinion anyway.

 

I suppose they might mean the bushes at the inner end of the arms but they seem to last well generally.

[laser wheels]

Have spoken to the garage and this is what will need doing for MOT -

 

Offside rear brake cylinder needs replacement (currently seized)

Nearside rear brake cylinder needs replacement (currently leaking)

Brake shoes contaminated with fluid

Rear brake hoses need replacement

Both front suspension arms need replacement

Nearside rear inner sill needs welding

 

If they do it they have quoted £300 in labour, but tempted to have a crack at it myself as parts aren't expensive in themselves. That would just leave the welding. And if I'm doing all this I may very well get the struts replaced while I'm under there.

[Bren]

Nothing too difficult.

 

Just do it.

[danthecapriman]

That sounds pretty straight forward to do.

The bottom arms can be bought complete with inner and outer bushes installed and ball joint installed, or you can just buy the bushes and swap them only. An easy job. The complete arms are pretty cheap though so that's what I did on my Capri last time I did them (same part) the new roll bar bushes (the bigger bush) on mine were a bit tight when putting it all back together so a thin smear of silicone grease helps.

 

The rear brake shoes are best replaced if they are contaminated. Cleaning them probably won't help if the brake fluid has soaked in to them. Non of it is expensive though and all very do-able at home. Even the welding is, assuming you have a welder or can borrow one.

 

Great car btw!