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Memoirs from the Hard Shoulder: bASeman's Spot of the Year award.


BorniteIdentity

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2 hours ago, goosey said:

I’m sure I read somewhere that Ford were offering massive discounts on Cortina 80s to get rid of old stock, which was another reason the Sierra sold poorly to begin with.

I’m pretty sure Ford did do big discounts on the final Cortina’s and I think they also chucked in various ‘extras’ here and there that the boot badge wouldn’t necessarily have originally included. They did similar with the final Granada mk2’s when the mk3 came out. I had a C reg mk2 estate (one of the last) and apparently it cost it’s first owner the same as a mid spec new Sierra which, of course was a model below the Granada. 
With the Cortina, some companies were so against the Sierra they stock piled new Cortina’s ahead of the Sierra release as they preferred them! I’m pretty sure the BBC did this.

 

Btw, I’m another big fan of this car. Not just because I’m a a big Ford fan, but it’s something special imho. It’s a forgotten piece of the past, there were once loads of these everywhere. They were bread and butter motoring at the time and nobody gave them a second look but now they’re almost completely extinct. Plus this one’s got a great back story with it, and I remember fondly reading its collection mission on here all those years ago! 
It’d be a sad day if this ever leaves the forum I think.

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Another one with a bit of love for the Sierra. Hoping this one will stay around the forum for a long while.

I honestly didn’t know about the grey-grilled base until I came to this forum. A lot nicer car (in many ways) than much of the tat Ford was chucking out at the time, and indeed some of its rivals.

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1 hour ago, mat_the_cat said:

Not to mention the introduction of this particular car! ;-)

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I like a Stellar (note the r) but I can't imagine Hyundai sold as many Stellars as Ford didn't sell Sierras in 1982.

The brilliant new Cavalier and discounted Cortina probably did more damage. 

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3 hours ago, goosey said:

I’m sure I read somewhere that Ford were offering massive discounts on Cortina 80s to get rid of old stock, which was another reason the Sierra sold poorly to begin with.

They did, and it was something they actively promoted.  Here's a brochure from September 1982 with a sticker announcing reduced Cortina prices from 23rd September, the day after the launch of the Sierra.

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Picture nicked from Ebay.

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1 minute ago, Timewaster said:

The brilliant new Cavalier and discounted Cortina probably did more damage. 

Indeed, the Cavalier offered more modern engines in a front wheel drive package that didn't look weird.  And they offered a saloon, still very popular at the time.

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5 minutes ago, Timewaster said:

I like a Stellar (note the r) but I can't imagine Hyundai sold as many Stellars as Ford didn't sell Sierras in 1982.

The brilliant new Cavalier and discounted Cortina probably did more damage. 

I think you're right. The biggest market may have been those who'd be looking at a nearly new car perhaps, or a smaller model.

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2 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

Not to mention the introduction of this particular car! ;-)

hyundai.thumb.jpg.70e9c9f8a6f782cb11fe063bd05e7234.jpg

It might just be me - but I've never really seen the comparisons in looks between the Stellar and the Cortina.  Yes, it's a three box saloon - but so was the Mercedes 190.  As was the Galant and Acclaim.  And the Montego, Cavalier and Bluebird.

I reckon, in 1982, if I wanted a Cortina - I'd have just bought a Cortina.  As I would have done for the next couple of years (on the second hand market)

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6 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

It might just be me - but I've never really seen the comparisons in looks between the Stellar and the Cortina.  Yes, it's a three box saloon - but so was the Mercedes 190.  As was the Galant and Acclaim.  And the Montego, Cavalier and Bluebird.

I reckon, in 1982, if I wanted a Cortina - I'd have just bought a Cortina.  As I would have done for the next couple of years (on the second hand market)

I've driven a few Cortinas (MK4 & 5s) and owned two Stellars, one of them brand new (1986, SL, £5068 on the road).  While I agree that a Stellar's  bodywork does not resemble a Cortina, underneath it's a different story. The Stellar has almost identical suspension with parts interchangeable with a Cortina until around 1987 when a more Mitsubishi flavoured McPherson strut front suspension was introduced and a Panhard rod added to the rear.  Hyundai had been making Cortinas under licence, so no surprises there. The Stellar's Mitsubishi engine was far superior to the rough and ready Cortina unit and the interior of a Stellar was markedly more luxurious and of better quality than a Cortina's.  My lasting impression of Cortinas was the surplus factory Evostic visible where they'd thrown the headlining in, a feature which my Dad thought was pretty rubbish when considering buying a MK1 Cortina estate in Germany when we lived there. He bought a Taunus estate instead, despite its 6v electrics and column change.  

Oddly, I can't recall ever going in a Sierra.  Yours has progressed from a neglected state to one which looks rather nice, thanks to your efforts.  

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7 minutes ago, Scruffy Bodger said:

Another Sierra fan here, I do like an under-dog and your write ups aren't bad either. Good to see it being used, has the underside been properly blathered with something suitable to stop it doing a Ford?

Faint praise, I like it.

There's quite a bit of Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 underneath it which is tremendously unsightly but very effective.  So far.  I've decided just to use it and try my best to keep the rust at bay - but I've got a very good metal man 3 miles away who doesn't charge nearly enough and likes pissing about with old cars.  I may as well just get on with driving it, rather than trying to save it for special occasions.

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7 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Faint praise, I like it.

There's quite a bit of Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 underneath it which is tremendously unsightly but very effective.  So far.  I've decided just to use it and try my best to keep the rust at bay - but I've got a very good metal man 3 miles away who doesn't charge nearly enough and likes pissing about with old cars.  I may as well just get on with driving it, rather than trying to save it for special occasions.

Glad to hear it. As someone with a bit of  history of replacing bits of metal on the unloved I'm definitely more a fan of prevention than cure.

Enjoy your Jelly Mould.

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8 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

Not to mention the introduction of this particular car! ;-)

hyundai.thumb.jpg.70e9c9f8a6f782cb11fe063bd05e7234.jpg

I've always felt that mould was inside-out and needs to be popped the other way round.

When we viewed the Avensis at Bornite Towers it was parked next to a teenager's first car Yaris. A few days onwards:

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Miss SL is developing a fleet, she's now up to 1.5 cars. She seems to like driving the Avensis, noting that it doesn't slow down on hills.

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  • 2 months later...

Very little to report in Bornite/Base news at the moment as work drives me to insanity.  I'm off next week but have so much freelance work to do that the children will have to amuse themselves and the cars will also have to wait.

A few weeks ago our little village motoring club got together and we had a 30 mile run out to a typically middle class garden centre for coffee, chat and jars of chutney.  My friend captured the absurdity of the bASe brilliantly.

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As you'll see, we're an eclectic  mix where all are welcome!

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It was a fairly lengthy run out which revealed a number of minor frustrations.  The clutch cable rattles - I think it's actually the newly fitted adjuster.  Rest your foot gently either side of the clutch pedal and it stops.  There's a squeak from the rear somewhere which is twisting my melons and the carb needs a tickle.  It won't run without some choke which ends up pulling you along - so junctions leave you looking like Michael Flatley.  

The MOT has just expired and I'm weighing up whether I send this to the bodywork man NOW to get tarted up ready for the first show of the year (Mayday weekend) or whether I just turn up there on Friday with the Mini and say "FIX"!  There are pros and cons for both - the Sierra works pretty well but looks shit but will more than likely get an MOT, whereas the Mini looks shit and hasn't gone far in over a year and has no hope of an MOT until the body man does his thing.

The logical answer is to buy something else.  Obviously.  But I just simply don't want the headache anymore!

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