1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - (1)33,333 achieved - see page 47

[Peter C]

The Sierra is up in the air again.

This time it's getting a new set of boots.

The existing tyres are a mix of more than half worn Good Years and half worn Kwik Fit's own brand.

One of the Good Years has nasty cracking along the sidewall.

And, more worrying, a crack that extends the full circumference of the tyre, between the sidewall and the tread.

I've gone for a set of budget 165/80 R 13 tyres.

The Sierra is unlikely to exceed the national speed limit, at least during my ownership and it will not be driven in the rain, so I didn't opt to spend as much again for fancy branded tyres. Whatever I will fit must surely be better than what I've removed.

More tomorrow.

[Broadsword]

I suspect even the most basic Chinesium rubber will improve the handling 1000% over those vintage hoops!

[Peter C]

A set of lovely new Rockblade tyres are now fitted to the Sierra.

I can't imagine that they are any better or worse than any other budget tyre.

[sierraman]

They’ll be fine. In all honesty they’ll be better than the Uniroyals that were probably fitted from new. Tyre technology has come on considerably, even the cheapest shittest tyres today will be leagues ahead of the best tyres fitted when it was new. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

who cares they just sound cool!

Rockblade Rock 515

[Peter C]

  On 05/04/2024 at 14:44, sierraman said:

They’ll be fine. In all honesty they’ll be better than the Uniroyals that were probably fitted from new. Tyre technology has come on considerably, even the cheapest shittest tyres today will be leagues ahead of the best tyres fitted when it was new. 

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The two Kwik Fit Centaur something or other tyres that were on the Sierra were probably as bad as budget tyres can get whilst the other two Good Years were probably as old as the car itself. I couldn't find the date stamp on them, so they had to be old.

At £160 for all four tyres, fitted and balanced, they make perfect sense. One tyre for my wife's Hyundai Tucson costs £190 and she needs two!

[Rod/b]

  On 05/04/2024 at 15:00, Noel Tidybeard said:

who cares they just sound cool!

Rockblade Rock 515

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Has Jimmy Cauty gone into the shit tyre business?

[sierraman]

  On 05/04/2024 at 15:09, Peter C said:

The two Kwik Fit Centaur something or other tyres that were on the Sierra were probably as bad as budget tyres can get whilst the other two Good Years were probably as old as the car itself. I couldn't find the date stamp on them, so they had to be old.

At £160 for all four tyres, fitted and balanced, they make perfect sense. One tyre for my wife's Hyundai Tucson costs £190 and she needs two!

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Centaur… they must be 30 years old if they’re just a day. 

[timolloyd]

Definitely one for the absurd tyre name thread. 

Why name your product after the things that are most likely to wreck it?

I might see if they’ll sell me a pair of GlassFlint 3000s.

[stuboy]

  On 05/04/2024 at 18:48, timolloyd said:

I might see if they’ll sell me a pair of GlassFlint 3000s

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currently out of stock, will sir be ok with a pair of screwnail 2500's?

[Christine]

The new ones are  4 years old  already ? 17 20 ?

At 40 quid i'd  not hesitate though ..

[sierraman]

‘We didn’t have any Michelins in so we’ve substituted them for some Spinmaster Pro 3000’s?’ 

[Rod/b]

  On 05/04/2024 at 14:27, Peter C said:

A set of lovely new Rockblade tyres are now fitted to the Sierra.

I can't imagine that they are any better or worse than any other budget tyre.

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In all seriousness though did they take a lot of balancing? The red dot should be aligned with the valve stem to minimise the amount of weight they need. 

[Peter C]

  On 06/04/2024 at 06:08, Rod/b said:

In all seriousness though did they take a lot of balancing? The red dot should be aligned with the valve stem to minimise the amount of weight they need. 

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When I collected the wheels from the tyre shop yesterday morning I was in between work appointments and in a bit of a hurry. I didn’t pay attention to the balance weights, I threw the wheels in the back of the Qashqai and disappeared into the distance.

When I got home, I stacked the wheels outside my workshop and noticed that a couple of wheels didn’t have any balance weights.

I will take the Sierra for a quick test drive up the M40 this afternoon and see if there’s any steering wheel wobble. If I’m lucky, the wheels didn’t need much balancing, otherwise I’m taking them back to be fixed.

[Peter C]

Test drive completed.

No wobble whatsoever, the Sierra was only giving me good vibrations.

Looking good with a squirt of tyre shine.

[Peter C]

Oh, and the steering feels a lot lighter too. 

Win.

[Conan]

I envy being able to source road oriented 165SR13 easily and cheaply. (Being new 4 years old and shit brand doesn't really matter, Pilot Sport compound in this size isn't going to help). It meant that unlike here youngtimer classics doesn't have to use 175/70R13 which way too small for anything other than the tiniest of subcompact. Only 165SR13 available here is utility type tyre.

[sierraman]

  On 06/04/2024 at 08:03, Peter C said:

Test drive completed.

No wobble whatsoever, the Sierra was only giving me good vibrations.

Looking good with a squirt of tyre shine.

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Looks very 1987 Photocopier salesman. Like it, in my minds eye he gets promoted in a few years to a Ghia or a Cavalier CDI. 

[Peter C]

  On 06/04/2024 at 08:58, sierraman said:

Looks very 1987 Photocopier salesman. Like it, in my minds eye he gets promoted in a few years to a Ghia or a Cavalier CDI. 

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He would have to sell a lot of photocopiers to get such a promotion. I reckon that he should hope for a pay increase and an injected GLS first.

[sierraman]

  On 06/04/2024 at 11:46, Peter C said:

He would have to sell a lot of photocopiers to get such a promotion. I reckon that he should hope for a pay increase and an injected GLS first.

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The next level up I’m guessing would be either a Granada 1.8 GL/Carlton 1.8 L or a Sierra GLS? 

[Peter C]

  On 06/04/2024 at 14:34, sierraman said:

Granada 1.8 GL

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So grim.

I’d love one.

[Peter C]

I’d say someone is getting ready for a road trip.

[adw1977]

  On 06/04/2024 at 14:34, sierraman said:

The next level up I’m guessing would be either a Granada 1.8 GL/Carlton 1.8 L or a Sierra GLS? 

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No Granada 1.8 GL in 1987, but any Granada would be quite a leap from a Sierra L.  Sierra trim levels were LX, GL, GLS, then a fair jump in price to a Ghia which was actually about the same money as a Granada GL.

Sep 1987 brochure

[Richard_FM]

  On 07/04/2024 at 09:25, adw1977 said:

No Granada 1.8 GL in 1987, but any Granada would be quite a leap from a Sierra L.  Sierra trim levels were LX, GL, GLS, then a fair jump in price to a Ghia which was actually about the same money as a Granada GL.

Sep 1987 brochure

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From what I remember the early Granada GL Mk3s didn't have a rev counter, though the Sierras did!

[adw1977]

  On 07/04/2024 at 10:17, Richard_FM said:

From what I remember the early Granada GL Mk3s didn't have a rev counter, though the Sierras did!

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You remember correctly. 

[N19]

  On 07/04/2024 at 06:38, Peter C said:

I’d say someone is getting ready for a road trip.

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Have you got any of those fancy photostat machines that can do duplex printing? 

Looks lovely!

[Peter C]

  On 07/04/2024 at 10:17, Richard_FM said:

From what I remember the early Granada GL Mk3s didn't have a rev counter, though the Sierras did!

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Geek!

Love it.

[Peter C]

My dream has come true, I’ve driven the Sierra up the A413, heading north west. The only issue that I’ve noticed is an erratic fuel gauge. I know the tank is almost full but the needle keeps dropping to zero, then rises and drops again.

First destination reached. A Gulf petrol station in Whitchurch, located between Aylesbury and Buckingham. Before I bought my first Sierra from my then girlfriend’s dad, he let me borrow it for a very extended test drive and I remember putting fuel in the tank at this very station, which, remarkably, still exist today.

I’m heading further up the A413 towards Buckingham. 31k miles will tick over shortly.

More very soon.

[Peter C]

[N19]

I know a fairly common fault on Capris is that one of the voltage regulators goes faulty on the fuel gauge, which causes the wild variations displayed, it's a dash out job. If it's that it may be quicker and easier to keep the tank topped up!