Rare sierras

[Datsuncog]

Did my driving test in my dad's 1991 Sierra Chasseur estate... 1.8 CVH, which helpfully* cut out several times during the test itself while idling.

 

Nice big bus, and I drove it on and off over the next few months until I'd saved enough money to get my project Viva HC taxed, MOT'd and insured. Looked rather more impressive than the Novas and Fiestas the other kids at school were pootling around in, although the towbar and 'Camping & Caravanning Club' sticker in the rear window torpedoed my credibility somewhat (any fule kno that a lime green Max Power sticker was the accessory to have, but I was forbidden from adding that on for some reason).

 

Sold on in August 1998 in excellent nick to some local fella, as my dad got use of a company lease Laguna - and then it vanished completely.

 

 

(Not my dad's actual car, but otherwise identical to VXI1727 - must look out and scan a photo.)

[warren t claim]

I got given a G plate Sierra 2.0lx hatch as a loan car for a few days back in '92 after by early XR3i was punted up the tradesman's by a BT Transit. 

 

Sadly I was told that I couldn't have an equivalent "hot hatch" as I was only 22 at the time but my disappointment was made worse when I discovered that my rental 2.0lx wasn't the latest twin cam with electric windows but a Pinto powered example with working class windows.

 

I remember the radio was tuned to Radio 1 and it was playing a documentary on humour in popular music when I first drove it on the way to get my hair cut and later that day myself and my then girlfriend listened to a Dire Straits concert from Knebworth on our way out that afternoon. 

 

Due to the BBC archive genome project http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio1/england/1992-06-20 this makes the date concerned Saturday the 20th of June 1992. 

 

Honestly I don't appear on the autistic spectrum.

[oldcars]

I got given a G plate Sierra 2.0lx hatch as a loan car for a few days back in '92 after by early XR3i was punted up the tradesman's by a BT Transit. 

 

Sadly I was told that I couldn't have an equivalent "hot hatch" as I was only 22 at the time but my disappointment was made worse when I discovered that my rental 2.0lx wasn't the latest twin cam with electric windows but a Pinto powered example with working class windows.

 

I remember the radio was tuned to Radio 1 and it was playing a documentary on humour in popular music when I first drove it on the way to get my hair cut and later that day myself and my then girlfriend listened to a Dire Straits concert from Knebworth on our way out that afternoon. 

 

Due to the BBC archive genome project http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio1/england/1992-06-20 this makes the date concerned Saturday the 20th of June 1992. 

 

Honestly I don't appear on the autistic spectrum.

Bit off topic but i had my Dire Straits cd on in the 75 at Christmas time. Wee lad says "Why do they get free chips" when Money for Nothing was on. 

[Talbot]

Someone I used to know many years ago had an A-plated 1.6 estate sierra, which was undoubtedly the most fucked thing in the entire world AND Beverly hills. The engine barerly ran, and the ignition timing was so far out the exhaust manifold used to glow red hot on a slightly longer journey. The gearbox was a 4-speed originally, but 1st was non-existant, and you had to hold it in reverse as several of the teeth were missing from one of the gears, so it would rhythmically try to spit itself out of gear. The rear axle whined like nothing I've ever heard before, and to top it off it was the most vile shade of shit brown I have ever seen. Truly hateful car.

 

It also had bald tyres, no tax and a very questionable MOT. But those are hardly the car's fault.

 

Kinda put me off them.

[flat4alfa]

DVLA, she says just 32 Sierra GT are left left running about

 

One on Gumtree:

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-sierra-gt/1288816395

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I got given a G plate Sierra 2.0lx hatch as a loan car for a few days back in '92 after by early XR3i was punted up the tradesman's by a BT Transit. 

 

Sadly I was told that I couldn't have an equivalent "hot hatch" as I was only 22 at the time but my disappointment was made worse when I discovered that my rental 2.0lx wasn't the latest twin cam with electric windows but a Pinto powered example with working class windows.

 

I remember the radio was tuned to Radio 1 and it was playing a documentary on humour in popular music when I first drove it on the way to get my hair cut and later that day myself and my then girlfriend listened to a Dire Straits concert from Knebworth on our way out that afternoon. 

 

Due to the BBC archive genome project http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio1/england/1992-06-20 this makes the date concerned Saturday the 20th of June 1992. 

 

Honestly I don't appear on the autistic spectrum.

I think you'll find that Dire Straits concert was at Woburn Abbey , I was there. I drove there in a G reg Granada 2.0 GL, similarly Pinto powered . Got a bollocking off Mrs N for doing donuts in the Deer Park on the way out.

Princess Di was there too, don't know if she was in a Sierra or not.

[bunglebus]

No I gave her a backie on my MK2 Burner to avoid the queues.

[sheffcortinacentre]

All the 250 XR8s were manual mk1 4dr hatch & built to homologate them for racing ( they took over from the cortina XR6 3.0).

There are definitely 2 in the uk as one used to live about 10 miles from me in the late 90s.

[sierraman]

I remember going to Sheffield Show and there being a B reg XR8, I've a photo at my mum's me sat in it. Going back to about 1995. A white one I think it was.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Yep that would be it belonged to a guy called Bob Haslam had bye bye GTi on the bi-plane rear spoiler.Not seen him or the car for years.

At one point he had a beige XR6 cortina (it's now black).

[sierraman]

What happened to it?

[cort16]

There an xr6 sa import on eBay just now

 

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985-FORD-SIERRA-3-0-XR6-UK-REGISTERED-VERY-GOOD-CONDITION/232663339187?hash=item362bd0d0b3:g:twEAAOSwbVNZ5INX

 

I’ve had 2 Sierras. One s mk1 3dr xr4i and the other a super early mk2 1.6l. I liked them both I got made a good offer on the xr4i and the 1.6 blew its head gasket .

[warren t claim]

Has anyone imported one of those Meerkat XR4ti's that the Yanks had the pleasure of buying for a few weeks back in the 80s?

[RoadworkUK]

The XR4Ti was actually offered for four years, never with the facelift modifications. I've got the brochures for both extremes of the production run.

 

1985: (Full brochure read-through here)

 

 

and 1989: (Brochure read through here)

 

 

This "XR4Ti" was repeatedly offered for sale in recent months, but it all seems rather fishy, with its XR4x4 running gear and aftermarket headlights. It's either a ruined original or a mucked-about XR4i.

[yellowperil]

Has anyone imported one of those Meerkat XR4ti's that the Yanks had the pleasure of buying for a few weeks back in the 80s?

I am sure there was one somewhere around the Lakenheath/ Mildenhall area about fifteen years ago.

I can't remember where it was exactly, but it was parked up in a drive, not being used.

[yellowperil]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y11eeKdFyhc

 

Wasn't this a Merkur?

 

I always loved this advert and I usually hate adverts.

[sierraman]

There was one on eBay recently.

[RoadworkUK]

There was one on eBay recently.

 

Yes. See my post above. I question its authenticity.

[andy18s]

Xr4ti was a 2.3 sohc turbo engined Sierra offered over here purely to allow the car to be used in touring car racing

Andy Rouse did well with it whilst awaiting the Cosworth

[RoadworkUK]

Xr4ti was a 2.3 sohc turbo engined Sierra offered over here purely to allow the car to be used in touring car racing

Andy Rouse did well with it whilst awaiting the Cosworth

 

I'm pretty sure it was never actually offered here on anything like an official basis.

[warren t claim]

[Pillock]

My uncle had a rare one. 1.8 3-Cylinder 1989 Sapphire GL in burgundy.

 

Technically it had four cylinders, but he was made redundant from the employer whose car it was and asked to return the car the following Monday. Sadly* he needed to help a mate who lived in the Peak District that weekend, and that mate needed a VW LT35 towing up some hills, and the Sierra seemed ideal*.

 

Sierra thought otherwise and seemingly popped a head gasket.

 

I remember how it was the perfect "grown up" version of my mum's Escort LX. Everything was the same, just bigger. Ford didn't really stray far from what they knew worked in those days.