The Autoshite holy grail is now one of us!

[EssDeeWon]

When Mr Identity gets home from work he'll have a surprise in the shape of the world's most knackered Sierra waiting for him on his driveway!

 

I'm going to miss the old bus. It's been a very faithful servant to me - I've averaged 1000 miles a month in the time I've had it and it's never let me down. 

 

Just one amusing anecdote to add.

 

I have somehow managed to land myself a job working alongside Barrett of this parish at a well-regarded old car magazine in Sussex. I'm currently working part time, two days a week with possible future potential for more hours. Anyway, the magazine arranged a B&B for me so I could stay overnight rather than drive home then back again in the morning, along the horrible M25 at rush hour. So, this 'B&B' turned out to be a posh Surrey golf club hotel. Parked the Sierra in the car park and switched the interior light on while I got my things together to take into the hotel. You can see where this is going...

 

Come the morning, I opened the car, got in, turned the key and CLUNK. Shit, I thought as I flicked the interior light back to courtesy! Bear in mind this was 8:45, I had 15 minutes to get into the office and didn't have a set of jump leads with me. There were also quite a few wealthy looking golfers milling around, some standing on the edge of the green, propping up their trolleys and showing off their fetching jumpers. There was nothing for it. I managed to push the car backwards and up the slight incline in the car park, before rolling it back down and trying to get enough momentum for a bump start. When I lifted the clutch up for the second time and it lurched into life, my feelings of despair turned to sheer joy and amusement at the look on the faces of the golfers who were watching me!

 

Despite getting lost, I actually made it into the office before anyone else did

 

Best post on here for a while.

 

Only on Friday me and my dad were saying how great it would have been to buy A536JEH and take it to one of those posh hotels with a porter and leave it on the swept gravel drive, then handing the keys to the porter and tipping him a quid in change to go and park it.

[trigger]

That's him Dicky. I'm sure he'll be happy to help Dan.

[conkerman]

Getting the head off is a doddle on these. It weighs a fucking tonne though. Has the can spray bar been changed at all.

I'll have a look in by tool box for the splined sockets and viscous fan spanner.

 

Sent from my Vodafone Smart ultra 6 using Tapatalk

[conkerman]

Cam spray bar of course.

 

Sent from my Vodafone Smart ultra 6 using Tapatalk

[danthecapriman]

I'm fairly sure there was a new genuine Ford oil spray bar in that box of bits I sent you guys for this?

 

Pity I'm not closer really, but doing the belt and an HG on this will be a peice of piss. Might be worth having the head machined for unleaded inserts if you do take it off, I had my 1600 Capri head done for not a lot. Just saves arsing about with additives.

[daverapid]

Happy to help. What makes you think the head gasket is failing? What are the symptoms?

[beko1987]

I'm still up for giving it a good detail once the rust is fixed to make it last another 20 years!

 

*ducks*

[Angrydicky]

Happy to help. What makes you think the head gasket is failing? What are the symptoms?

[Angrydicky]

Well, I got halfway to Daniel's house, stopped and it was forcing out coolant from the expansion tank. According to the gauge it was only at normal temperature, so either I overfilled the radiator on Saturday, or it's boiling up and the gauge is inaccurate. After I let it cool down, I checked the level and it was on the full mark despite having chucked a load out. It was fine when I checked it upon arrival at my destination. The heater is shit though.

[Angrydicky]

Dan, I couldn't find that oil spray bar when I was gathering together the parts to put in the boot, but I know it's here somewhere! I'll post it to B.I when I find it.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

So, this 'B&B' turned out to be a posh Surrey golf club hotel. Parked the Sierra in the car park and switched the interior light on while I got my things together to take into the hotel. You can see where this is going...

 D

I can't be the only one to think this was going to involve women from WTC's photo collection and some new stains on the seats?

[Parky]

I think the spray bar was ok because it was pretty clean under the rocker cover back in the summer, unless it has sludged up since.

 

HG is a bit of a worry. Any steam from the exhaust? Pintos are tough old lumps so if it is HGF it should be a pretty simple repair. In fact it would be a great opportunity to decoke the head for added POWAH!

[BorniteIdentity]

I attempted to start the bASe for the first time in weeks today, as I'd like to take it to a very important meeting in the week.

 

[BorniteIdentity]

Went for a quick blast just to see if it wanted to spew steam everywhere.  NOT TODAY, SON.

 

Here's a picture of a Ford that's just traversed a Ford.  Then filtered via "Sierra" on Instagram.

 

Here's a house I'd like to own with a car I already do a bit.

 

Sorry to say it, but I think that dent needs popping on the door.  I like a laugh as much as the next shiter, but I'm pretty sure your man would have got round to having it pulled out at some stage.  

 

I've made one minor cosmetic adjustment, and that's the grille got a little bit of oil - mainly to offer a little protection, and also to just enhance the contrast between it and the paintwork (which is still as flat as a witch's titty)

 

Hoping to take it out on Wednesday.  If I pull it of, you'll love it.

[egg]

I'm on the side of dent popping too. Nice to see it.

[Pillock]

The door will still have a crease, so if you pull the dent out the "story" will still be there, it's not like you're lobbing a brand new OMGNOSOSF door on it and giving the whole lot a respray. In fact what we kinda know about the old owner, I reckon anything that costs nothing or close to nothing is a valid fix - for example, the wrong bumper and the sticker hiding the crack in the windscreen.

[Parky]

Hot air gun and sink plunger should get a lot of that dent out

 

Or refer to previous post from months ago where I surmised a deflated football placed inside the door and then inflated might pop the dent from behind.

 

Both ideas enjoy an element of daftness but are basically free of charge. Neither will make the dent any worse!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I know an excellent dent man but he's in Chesterfield. He'd never get it perfect but once the main dent is out under his supervision he could tidy up the crease.

[BorniteIdentity]

he could tidy up the crease.

 

Please never introduce us in that case.

 

Seriously though, some of it's "character" - and some of it's just not going to ever help.  Like the cracked rear lamp lense - that's just shit and likely to be a PITA long term.  There's no mission creep, but I think a little bit of realism might be called for.

 

But nobody's coming over to give it a polish I promise.

[Skizzer]

Nobody's pulling that dent out until I've had a stint of custody, ALRIGHT?

 

We can replace broken lights though - but maybe keep the broken one for shows.

[vulgalour]

Looks alright when its wet, even with the dent.  If I owned it then the dent would probably have been popped out to some degree because I'm like that, but I don't own it and I'm happy to see the dent remain.  It's not affecting the functionality of the car or encouraging rust so it's doing no harm, but if it does then definitely get it sorted like Dicky did with the bodywork.

[fordperv]

he could tidy up the crease.

Fnaar fnaar

[BorniteIdentity]

Oooh - I meant to say.

 

My friend Emma (Mentioned in post 394 and who the car is named after) gave me a pretty wicked birthday present last week.  Evidently, she's sticking around a bit longer as her latest scan results show she's still stable.  So whilst the bucket will definitely be kicked before long, it's not yet.  This obviously bought great joy, not least because I can't find the receipt for her Christmas Present anywhere.

 

 

 

As I said in a previous post, I've got quite an important engagement on Wednesday which really would suit the Sierra.  (Isn't it nice to have the right car for the right occasion?)  Any suggestions in making it not grenade on me IF the head gasket is on the way out?  It certainly didn't offer much (if any) heat through the blowers when I went out for about 10 miles on Sunday.  I'll take water with me, but is it worth keeping anything else at hand?  As suggested before - being late for work's not really an option for me, but I would like to take it on the 100 mile trip.  

 

thoughts?

[oldcars]

Super news about Emma 

 

Could the Sierra have an airlock? If its just been filled and then blew out some coolant and is still at max it could well do. Heater was poor on my Reliant due to and airlock.

[BorniteIdentity]

Super news about Emma 

 

Could the Sierra have an airlock? If its just been filled and then blew out some coolant and is still at max it could well do. Heater was poor on my Reliant due to and airlock.

 

Good thinking.  I'll try and give it a burp.  This will basically involve me squeezing things, trying to look like I know what I'm doing.

[Supernaut]

This will basically involve me squeezing things, trying to look like I know what I'm doing.

 

That's me whenever I work on a car!

[beko1987]

AA card and the 'broken down' sign the previous owner left in the boot!

[oldcars]

Good thinking.  I'll try and give it a burp.  This will basically involve me squeezing things, trying to look like I know what I'm doing.

That's no way to speak about a lady 

[BorniteIdentity]

That's me whenever I work on a car!

 

This is me whenever I work on a woman.

[mrbenn]

Oooh - I meant to say.

 

My friend Emma (Mentioned in post 394 and who the car is named after) gave me a pretty wicked birthday present last week.  Evidently, she's sticking around a bit longer as her latest scan results show she's still stable.  So whilst the bucket will definitely be kicked before long, it's not yet.  This obviously bought great joy, not least because I can't find the receipt for her Christmas Present anywhere.

 

 

Thats really great to hear