The Autoshite holy grail is now one of us!

[Skizzer]

And this

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-SIERRA-Mk1-Y-to-D-Reg-1982-1986-Passenger-Side-Near-Side-Rear-Light-/222145381196?hash=item33b8e5834c:g:e6AAAOSwKtVW1E8y

 

I have the kitty, and I've just BIN'd the rear light cluster.  My treat though, it's the least I can do when various others are putting in a load of time, effort and obscure spares (big thanks to Cortinaboy).  I'll bring it to Shitefest.

 

Not sure we need a replacement door - the dent would probably push out and anyway I quite like the dent.  Other opinions are available...

[cort16]

Lovely job, welding looks good to me

[Parky]

I have the kitty, and I've just BIN'd the rear light cluster.  My treat though, it's the least I can do when various others are putting in a load of time, effort and obscure spares (big thanks to Cortinaboy).  I'll bring it to Shitefest.

 

Not sure we need a replacement door - the dent would probably push out and anyway I quite like the dent.  Other opinions are available...

Angry Dicky thinks the drivers door is rotten - you are right, it should mostly push out. In fact at one point a local Ford perv (Danny) wandered by and engaged us in conversation, which included some tips on getting the dent out. Nice chap, apparently has a family member with a stash of bits for various cars so there might be something handy knocking about. However I didn't see how bad the rot was but Rich should be able to confirm how repairable it is (or not)

 

Good work nabbing that light cluster, I haven't seen any cheaper anywhere. Now if we could only find a mark one bumper somewhere.....

[Eddie Honda]

Of course, after 10 minutes it started drizzling again. Drastic measures were called for:

 

IMG_0531.JPG

199/10 for perseverance with that sodding grey box, I would of sledgehammered the fuck out of it and stomped off indoors. The FSO Polonez of welders.

[Skizzer]

Angry Dicky thinks the drivers door is rotten - you are right, it should mostly push out. In fact at one point a local Ford perv (Danny) wandered by and engaged us in conversation, which included some tips on getting the dent out. Nice chap, apparently has a family member with a stash of bits for various cars so there might be something handy knocking about. However I didn't see how bad the rot was but Rich should be able to confirm how repairable it is (or not).

Ah, didn't realise there was rot as well as dentage.  Fair do's.

[Brodders]

I hadn't seen the update since it was delivered to AD, but I have to say that it looks like it is coming along amazingly. With all the hard work of everyone on here it should be ready in no time.

[Felly Magic]

I already posted a link to Imperial in Casvegas, they may still have some body panels in stock, worth a call even though they'd be pattern, it would be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

[Angrydicky]

Yeah the drivers door is rotten and full of filler, just like the rear door is on that side. But honestly, I don't think it's worth changing it. If it was up to me, I'd have a go at pushing out the dent. Leroy always tried his best to keep it looking good, albeit on a tight budget, and tended to knock out dents not long after they happened and if necessary, a bit of red paint was applied from an aerosol. Had he still been driving the car, I'm certain he would have had a go at pushing out that drivers door by now.

 

I'm currently winding down after a hard day at work, was going to do some more welding but when I got home I was too tired so instead took the rear light bulb holders and the side repeater that doesn't work (that wonky one on the nearside front wing off to see if I could clean them up and get everything working as it should. Interestingly, I pulled off the side repeater and noticed it isn't a Sierra one at all! It's only got the Austin Rover logo on it, so presumably from a Metro, Maestro or Montego. The one on the other side is the original. This is chuffing brilliant, so far I've found parts from four different cars on this Sierra. One Volvo speaker, One Metro side repeater, One Lada Samara mat and two Nissan Sunny mats. Add that to the wiper blade that's so worn out the rubber part must have been falling off, so the old boy had tied it on with a bit of wire, which naturally had scratched the glass! RobT noticed that, I hadn't even spotted it myself!

[Parky]

I watched one of those paintless dent videos on YouTube. Obviously the guys are pros but ultimately it's nothing more than hot metal being jemmied out from behind. WCPGW?

 

I have wondered whether a deflated football (other balls are available) inserted into the door and then inflated would push the outer skin outwards? I would be very happy to donate some more time, a deflated football and foot pump so we can play Doorskin Goes Pop! (Other metallic sounds are available).

 

Seriously though I will try and find some more time and pop down again. Without getting concours d'elegance on the Base, I don't think brake fluid is meant to be black......

[BorniteIdentity]

Without getting concours d'elegance on the Base, I don't think brake fluid is meant to be black......

Look. FFS. Can everyone just stop trying to make this car good?

 

Thanks.

[Parky]

Not worried about making it good! If you like we can leave the expansion cap which has had the rubber seal reinforced with electrical tape, that was a nice unexpected bonus discovery!

[BorniteIdentity]

Did you notice the old dish cloth under the windscreen wiper mechanism? Proper Heath Robinson stuff.

[Angrydicky]

Forgot about that one Parky! There's also an old rag wrapped around the wiper spindle, presumably to take up slack in the linkage.

[Angrydicky]

Did you notice the old dish cloth under the windscreen wiper mechanism? Proper Heath Robinson stuff.

Haha we both had the same thought!

[Parky]

It's a duster so provided there were some traces of Mr Sheen left on it, that spindle will be lovely and shiny should the cloth ever be removed

[cortinaboy]

There's been some great progress since I last checked this thread, I'll get the indicator stalk in the post tomorrow morning. I may be able to get hold of a mk1 rear bumper too...I'll keep you all posted on that one. Looking forward to seeing the car I'm the flesh!

[Parky]

Spoke to my cousin today, sadly there won't be any Sierra bits lying about at Dunton as they only have stuff going into cars in the next year or two. Unless the Sierra is making a comeback next year....

 

He did have some sterling advice about the clutch replacement - apparently the pedal adjustment is weak so if you change the clutch the self adjuster at the pedal should be changed too as a precaution. I will dig out his text and relay it word for word later.

 

Also suggested the cam / tapped adjustment would make a world of difference to performance.

[Angrydicky]

When I got home from work this afternoon, I was informed by my parents that a man had been round earlier asking me to remove the Sierra from outside his house. Thinking I'd blocked his driveway, I walked down and had a look - nope, nowhere near it. Obviously he didn't like the look of it! Some people have no taste...

 

Anyway, I drove it home and got a bit more done. Finished the welding on the drivers side arch and sill, ready to be ground down tomorrow. Fitted the cleaned up (by Parky and then a bit more by myself) rear bulb holders and all the head/tail/sidelights, brake lights, foglights, reversing lights are all working correctly. One of the rear lights was dimmer than the other, so I removed the light unit to reveal that rattling around inside was a perfectly good double filament bulb and a load of broken glass from an old one. The reflector was very dirty/stained so I cleaned it up the best I could, put it back together and it hasn't really made much of a difference. I checked both sides with the bulb holders out - the bulbs are both the same brightness so I'd say it's had a replacement light cluster on the drivers side at some point that is slightly different.

 

I got my dad to help me with the rough running, turns out it was mainly caused by me gapping the plugs far too small, due to a misleading set of feeler gauges. It now runs much better, but there's two problems. The first is that the autochoke sometimes sticks fully on and floods the engine from cold. The second is that the plugs are oiling up. This is likely to be caused by worn piston rings, which would explain the puffs of blue smoke every now and then and the fact it would appear to be a bit of an oil burner! To put it into perspective, it's done about 150 miles since BorniteIdentity changed the oil and it's now just above the minimum mark. 

 

There are some more corrosion issues. The bit on the front of the drivers sill that looked very thin has now gone through after I tapped it with a hammer, so that needs sorting. The passenger side strut top mount has some fairly advanced corrosion that I'm very surprised didn't get an advisory at the last MoT. It's rotted through the top skin but not the bottom one, and survived the screwdriver test, but it will almost certainly need doing before next year.

 

The other thing I noticed was that the screen is cracked. It's coming up directly in front of the driver, under the oddly placed Green Flag sticker. I suspect the only reason it wasn't noticed by the tester was because it looks at first glance like a scratch from an old wiper blade and then a crack in the disintegrating sticker. 

 

Then there's the play in the steering which got hand written advisories for bushes and play in one of the steering arms.

 

So left to do:

 

Weld N/S/R sill in two places.

Weld O/S/F sill.

Dress welds/filler/paint

Fit rear light clusters.

Sort out non-working N/S side repeater.

Replace wiper blades

Fit new indicator switch and test wipers, hazards and horn.

 

Assuming the cracked screen and the play in the steering slip through, that should be the MoT stuff sorted.

[Skizzer]

'Like', I think.  Bits of that are slightly worrying though.  

 

Thanks again for all the good works!

[EssDeeWon]

Well done Rich!

 

If the Sierra was left where we left it Saturday then its not near or even opposite a driveway !!  I guess you don't want someone reporting the non MOT though.

[beko1987]

By the time it bounces round the country this year though, it should be sorted! I don't doubt we have the skillz on this forum to rebuild the engine, do all the welding, chip in for someone to claim on the screen via their insurance, tyres, suspension etc

 

Can't wait to see it at sf. Pretty please can we polish glaze and wax up up just one wing/half the bonnet? I'll bring stuff!

[Angrydicky]

I know a good local windscreen chap, but it'll likely cost in the region of £150. If it passes the MoT it will go on a bit longer. I've still got to get the new clutch and cambelt fitted, oh and the exhaust centre box has started blowing too.

[fatharris]

Came across this status from the PO. Guess they're keeping tabs on the old girl!

 

[Rusty_Rocket]

..and he speaks of it so fondly !

[alf892]

on the clutch change..........not sure if you know but when you want to connect/disconnect the cable just prop the pedal in the fully up position to disengage the self adjuster mechanism

[BorniteIdentity]

a man had been round earlier asking me to remove the Sierra from outside his house. 

 

I'd have said "Now you know how I feel" and closed the door.

 

you don't want someone reporting the non MOT though.

 

This is why I wouldn't have said that, and would also have moved it!

 

That sticker has been put there to try and disguise the crack on the windscreen.  There is a chance that the car would have continued to fail on other matters - the tester said he gave up at those points as it had already failed.

[adw1977]

There is a chance that the car would have continued to fail on other matters - the tester said he gave up at those points as it had already failed.

That's not right, surely? You pay your test fee to have everything tested, then you know what needs doing.

[Captain Furious]

Gave up because it had already failed? - nothing like a game of "guess what else your car might fail on" when you're trying to rectify the faults.

 

I'd have given up paying him at £5..

[BorniteIdentity]

Gave up because it had already failed? - nothing like a game of "guess what else your car might fail on" when you're trying to rectify the faults.

 

I'd have given up paying him at £5..

 

In fairness, the original plan was that he was going to be doing the remedial work too - so I guess he didn't need to continue doing the test when he'd be testing it again a day later.

[BorniteIdentity]

That's not right, surely? You pay your test fee to have everything tested, then you know what needs doing.

 

I should have been clearer, he wrote a load of notes for me relating to other MOT matters, but I think by this stage he knew what it would need to pass.