The Autoshite holy grail is now one of us!

[BorniteIdentity]

Impossible.

[Heidel_Kakao]

I found a Pinto bottom end gasket set in the garage the other day, happy to donate it to the project if any use.

[Angrydicky]

Day Five.

 

Didn't get as much done today as I would have liked, but still got a reasonable amount ticked off the list. I started the day by grinding down the wheelarch with the zirconium flap disc:

 

 

 

Plug weld preparation:

 

 

 

The front of the sill needed a patch.

 

 

 

I finished welding inside the inner arch and that was the welding on the drivers side finished.

 

 

 

I then moved onto the other side. This side wasn't as bad, thankfully, but it still needed attention. The sill had been badly damaged by careless jacking, and it was rotten as well. 

 

 

Chopped out the outer sill and bottom of the arch ready for welding in fresh metal. I ended up having to replace quite a large section of the inner sill as that had gone too.

 

 

 

 

I then got a first skim of filler on the arch:

 

 

 

 

It needs more work but should look ok when finished.

 

What else? Oh, new wiper blades.

 

 

Something that has always been a headache on this car has been the electrics. Various lights didn't work and those that did were mostly intermittent or did strange things. Parky and I got the rear light bulb holders cleaned up well but the hazard switch was broken. I took the old indicator/hazard switch apart to see if I could do anything with it. it was seriously corroded inside and the mechanism for the hazard switch had broken, so I decided to try to look for a replacement.

 

 

As it turns out, these switches were only fitted to MK1 Sierra Base and L models so are pretty rare. I put out a plea for a replacement, which was answered by Cortinaboy, who kindly donated a good secondhand switch to the Base. It looked in good condition, but hadn't been on a car for 15 years plus. Anyway, it turned up this morning so I eagerly plugged it in to see if it worked. It did, the horn and headlight flash worked and the hazard warning switch was perfect but the indicators didn't operate if the stalk was 'clicked' each way - only if you gently pulled it down or up. I sprayed a load of electrical contact cleaner inside and worked the switch up and down a few times before trying it again. It works perfectly now

 

The non-working foglights were traced to a bad connection on the switch, again, the contact cleaner was sprayed in and the switch worked on and off a few times. They work fine now. One of the side repeaters (the one with the trademark wonky Maestro lens) needed a new bulb, and came to life straight away with a new one. I cleaned the lens up before refitting.

 

 

I then refitted the column cowling and ran through everything electrical again.

 

 

 

 

[trigger]

I'm glad i spoke about this now to Jono, he was round mine and i was just telling him about this thread when he said (unsurpringly) that he had the unit in his barn, result!

 

Your going great guns on this, I'm really impressed by your work. I'm guessing all those years helping your dad has paid off!

[BorniteIdentity]

I spoke to the guy buying my green Sierra last night.

 

At length.

 

Lovely chap, but my GOD does he like a chat!  Anyway, I'm glad he kept on chatting, because after about 2 days of yakking he confessed to having four tonnes of 80s Ford parts.  He has them in four different shipping containers, and doesn't really know exactly what he's got.

 

What he's certain of is he's got a few panels, a new carb, some interior bits and some wheels etc.

 

He's also got a recovery truck as well.

 

So we're best friends now, and I've saved his number/email address for future prosperity.

[Angrydicky]

Some better doorcards and a parcel shelf wouldn't go amiss

[BorniteIdentity]

#MissionCreep

[michael1703]

I know I'm not on your doorstep, but I'll donate a free mot test if you can drive it to my workshop

 

IP14 5QJ is the postcode

[danthecapriman]

Once again AD brilliant work. The rear arch looks fantastic.

Hats off to cortinaboy too for that switch! What a great find that was.

[Rusty_Rocket]

..ok, who pulled the blue plastic off the front number plate?!!

 

Excellent effort all round folks, this car is magnificent 

[Wilko220]

Totally agree on the magnificence of this beast and the outstanding work of AD and others. It's a massive credit to you.

 

I do think though - especially now the blue plastic has gone - that a period number plate for the front would be in order...

[vulgalour]

I'm astonished at how much has been done in so short a time, it really is great that it's getting fixed up but not losing its fundamental character.  Little things like reinstating the steering wheel cover and not machine polishing the paint but getting it mechanically and electrically right are important with a car like this.

[fordperv]

This is coming along lovely, keep up the great work, the great thing with sierra's is they are nice and easy to work on, as with the clutch change please be aware when you undo the arb u clamps the bolts can rust into the captives and snap, meaning you will either need to cut both skins of the chassis leg out to get the remains of the bolt out or lift the carpet and cut a hatch in the floor above the chassis leg, either way you'll end up tickling it with the mig after, I've also had a bolt snap in the captive where the propshaft centre bearing mounts on a sierra in the past, my tip is if you want to do it without the risk just pull the engine if you have a crane, it's no more work doing it that way and as an added bonus your not rolling around the floor with the gearbox on your knees to line it all back up

[Angrydicky]

I'm going to give the clutch and cambelt to the local garage to sort, but thanks for the warning fordperv. I can at least soak the offending bolts in plusgas a good while before they are actually tackled.

 

Michael, thanks for the extremely kind offer of the free MoT, I'd love to take you up on it but it's a bit further than I'd be happy driving on a prebooked MoT.

 

Will do a proper update with pictures when I get home from work.

[Parky]

Great work AD, should be plain sailing now. You deserve some sort of Autoshite award, perhaps a knackered VV carb mounted on a piece of MDF or similar

[Stixy]

Can we find an even worse Sierra to leave outside his house??

I have worse  

[Laseraligningfoofooflanges]

Steering wheel cover makes it IMHO

[Pillock]

We need an urgent mission to find some new blue plastic for the numberplate. It must be slightly peeled off on one corner.

[Angrydicky]

Afraid I took the blue plastic off because a) it looked daft and I didn't want it to fail the MoT on something silly like that. It was properly welded on though, think spending 10 minutes picking it off with a fingernail in little chunks! That's what happens when it's left on for a year or more.

[Felly Magic]

There is lots of love on the beige for Greyey Mc Greygrille

[Angrydicky]

Day Six.

 

I made an early start and produced a section for the outer sill. Folded it to match the folds in the original sill the best I could.

 

 

 

Started to stitch it in then ran out of welding gas, so had to go and exchange the bottle while conscious of the fact that I had to go to work at 2pm. Anyway, managed to get back with the new bottle and got it welded in as so. Managed to tap over the end and cut it to form a quite successful bottom edge of the wheelarch:

 

 

All welded:

 

 

Then in went the sill closing piece, this was carefully trimmed and bent to size and came out very well.

 

 

All that was left to do was clean it up with the flap disc.

 

 

 

 

 

And I'm very pleased to announce that the welding on this car is now complete

 

 

 

 

 

[phil_lihp]

That's some impressive skills you've got there!

[Vantman]

Good work Richard,top job!

[Wilko220]

I think a feature of this year's SF should be an Angrydicky welding masterclass!

[Lord Sterling]

That is amazing Richard. Great work!

[Captain Furious]

Excellent work, looks like you guys got to it just in time, this amount of work could easily have spelled the end of the road for it under less committed ownership

[BorniteIdentity]

Great progress. Gon be tighter than a nun's chuff to make an MOT by Saturday.

 

What's the plan ?

[Felly Magic]

I don't think that back bumper is even off anything Ford. AD you've done a cracking job in such a short timeframe. Well done

[greengartside]

Brilliant welding there Richard. Take a bow.

 

Rest of the car is coming on lovely too. Would love to see it in the metal one day.

[Angrydicky]

Day Seven - Final day.

 

Today I spent making a last minute push to get the car ready for Shitefest. Most of the day was taken up in applying filler, sanding down and dodging rain. I also welded two big patches on to the exhaust system which really is knackered and needs replacing. Of course the bastard thing is still blowing, albeit only slightly but I can't work out where from. Ah well, I can't imagine Sierra centre and rear pipes being difficult to source.

 

This is where I got to with the outer arch. The inner arch is looking ok, not perfect but good enough for this car.

 

 

I really wanted to get some top coat on the sills, but couldn't find the Cardinal Red I bought (or even the red oxide!) and anyway with the weather being appalling today it would have been a disaster anyway. Still, everything has now had a skim of filler and has been primed.

 

 

The boot was full of tools, rubbish, bits of welding wire and filler dust. I cleared out the rubbish and then got the carpet out to have a butchers at the boot floor. It's in remarkably good condition, especially considering the leak which is almost certainly coming from that crap fitting rear quarterlight. The only bit that has suffered a bit is the spare wheel well (presumably from being full of water), there's a small rust hole and some bubbling.

 

 

The boot carpet is filthy, damp and stained. I hoovered it but it needs the heavy artillery, maybe a VAX or similar to clean it. I guess the PO did painting and decorating rather than window cleaning, as there's splodges of white paint all over the car. 

 

 

Found this gem under the boot carpet. Dad suspects Leroy used this to park anywhere he liked in London. Stop on double yellows. Sling the 'Broken Down' sign on the dashboard and head off into the shops or whatever. And it's actually believable with such a car, just like it would be with a Laguna II.

 

 

I lovingly refitted the Maestro side repeater on its famous slant, had to superglue it back on after changing the bulb.

 

 

 

 

Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to get the screen replaced before SF. I've booked the car in for an MoT anyway, which is first thing tomorrow morning at 8am. It's worth a try, if it passes I'll drive it to SF in the afternoon, if it fails I'll be in the Somerset. Which is no bad thing, but it would be disappointing after all the work to fall at the final hurdle. Anyway, fingers crossed!!