1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - Absolutely fascinating* discovery - see page 48

[Peter C]

4 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Ashtray but no lighter? 

Evidently the first owner didn't have a mobile phone that needed charging in his  brand new Escort. 

[adw1977]

14 hours ago, Rod/b said:

I didn’t know they ever made a 4 speed Sierra, even my sister’s father-in-law’s 1.3 had a 5 speed.

The 1.6 base still came with a 4 speed as standard in 1988.

[Peter C]

Just watching (again) the Wheeler Dealers episode with the TT that had a broken gearbox.

If the broken off part of the selector fork didn’t kill the Audi’s gearbox gubbins then I’m sure that the piece of rubber hose that found its way into my Sierra’s gearbox isn’t going to cause any issues.

[MantaGTE85]

1 hour ago, adw1977 said:

The 1.6 base still came with a 4 speed as standard in 1988.

I think I've only ever seen an early base mk2 once, in that non-metallic Burgundy Red. It looked very strange with its bare and skinny mk2-facelift Fiesta L steel wheels. You can correct me on this, but I'm sure that the Sierra range started with the L for a short time after 1988 before the introduction of the Sapphire Classic and Sierra Laser hatch and estate, I do remember seeing plenty of those in silver. The Sierra Base line-up seemed to get a bit confusing after the dark-light facelift, with all the 'specials' Ford kept punting out at that time.

[RoadworkUK]

I think there was always a base "Sierra saloon" right up to the point that the Classic and Laser were introduced in '89. As you say, they had the Fiesta wheels with centre caps.

[Noel Tidybeard]

12 hours ago, Peter C said:

Did anyone watch the latest episode of Flipping Bangers, where Gus and Will tried to covert a Mk2 Orion from LHD to RHD? 

The guys gave up as the front bulkheads and the scuttle panels are specific to the positioning of the steering wheel, which is surprising considering how Ford liked to keep things simple in those days.

no not ford for keep it simple- the bulkhead for a mk3 tinacorner is even different manuel/auto!

[adw1977]

4 hours ago, MantaGTE85 said:

You can correct me on this, but I'm sure that the Sierra range started with the L for a short time after 1988

Yes, I've got an April 1989 brochure where L is the lowest trim level for the Sierra (all body styles).

[RoadworkUK]

Crikey, you're right. I thought I knew Sierras. Every day's a school day.

@MantaGTE85, you're bang on. The base Sierra and Sapphire were in the facelift Sierra launch brochure (March '87) and appear in the April/May 1987 Ford "Cars" range brochure, but they must have been seriously short-lived – they were gone by the Oct/Nov. '87 issue, leaving L as entry level. 

First appearance of Classic and Laser in my collection is the Sept '89 issue. On the arrival of those, the L was treated to a few exterior trim upgrades, bigger wheels, the same wheel trims as the LX, plus sports seats and a sports steering wheel.

[Tommyboy12]

19 hours ago, Peter C said:

Just watching (again) the Wheeler Dealers episode with the TT that had a broken gearbox.

If the broken off part of the selector fork didn’t kill the Audi’s gearbox gubbins then I’m sure that the piece of rubber hose that found its way into my Sierra’s gearbox isn’t going to cause any issues.

I let the gearbox chew up the plastic speedo drive I dropped into the Montego gearbox. I got fed up of trying to fish it out after an hour.

[Peter C]

80 mile journey from home to Streatley (Oxfordshire, I think) completed today, via the M40, then A and B roads. 

Outside my client's property, the Sierra looks at home.

The weather was just right, not too hot, the roads were clear, on route there BBC Radio 4 sounded clear (FM) and whilst heading home I fired up some tunes from my iPhone. Perfect. I might take the Sierra to Oxford for another work appointment on Friday. 

[Peter C]

From What Car? magazine, December 1989, traffic alert gizmo fitted to a Sierra.

Perfect for the rep that’s always in a hurry.

[sierraman]

You are living the dream in 1988, I’m envious. Make sure you have a Little Chef on the way home and spend the evening looking through What Car with a four pack of Harp. 

[Peter C]

5 minutes ago, sierraman said:

You are living the dream in 1988

Damn right, I have achieved motoring nirvana, a 1987 Ford Sierra, BBC Radio 4, blue sky and the open road (M40), heading towards Oxford.

[Peter C]

I’ve parked up in a back street in Oxford. A youngish man on a pushbike stopped and started to admire the old Ford. He asked how old the car is, so I told him. He then asked whether I’m the first owner. Cheeky cunt! How old does he think I am! I was 13 when my  Sierra was born, FFS.

[sierraman]

Choice of music… I’d go with the following from that ‘era’

Mister Mister - Broken Wings

The Adventures - Broken Land

Breathe - Hands to Heaven

Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams

Michael McDonald - Yah Mo B There

Its Immaterial - Driving Away from Home

All fantastic music to drive to staring into the middle distance as you play over all the wonderful things that have happened in your life despite returning home to find a red letter from your endowment provider on the door mat and discovering the local pub has replaced Stella on tap with Labatts. 

 

 

 

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, Peter C said:

Damn right, I have achieved motoring nirvana, a 1987 Ford Sierra, BBC Radio 4, blue sky and the open road (M40), heading towards Oxford.

Looks nicer than it did at lunchtime yesterday when I came home 😂 was a stream of idiots in lane 2 from before stokenchurch, I undertook them all going down the cut, then (planned) weaved around a lorry waking the lead idiot up 

[Peter C]

On route home I brimmed the tank at my local Esso station. Over 205 miles, the Sierra has gone through just under 23 litres of unleaded, which equals just over 40MPG.

Would a brand new equivalent car be MUCH more economical? Not sure.

[Morris 63]

On 19/06/2024 at 16:04, Peter C said:

80 mile journey from home to Streatley (Oxfordshire, I think) completed today, via the M40, then A and B roads. 

Outside my client's property, the Sierra looks at home.

The weather was just right, not too hot, the roads were clear, on route there BBC Radio 4 sounded clear (FM) and whilst heading home I fired up some tunes from my iPhone. Perfect. I might take the Sierra to Oxford for another work appointment on Friday. 

Damn - only about 20 minutes down the road from me!

Still, I was in London Colney on Wednesday so wouldn't have been able to enjoy its splendour even if I'd known you were in the area.

Really enjoying the fact you're getting out & about in it as old Henry F intended.

[Peter C]

@sierraman

Friday treat.

[sierraman]

4 minutes ago, Peter C said:

@sierraman

Friday treat.

Pretty much the only way that day could get any better would be arriving home to find Anna Friel demanding an orgy with Demi Moore. 

[Peter C]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Pretty much the only way that day could get any better would be arriving home to find Anna Friel demanding an orgy with Demi Moore. 

Let's base Goundhog Day 2 on these events, with me in the starring role instead of Bill Murray. 

[Peter C]

6 hours ago, sierraman said:

 Make sure you have a Little Chef on the way home

 

[sierraman]

52 minutes ago, Peter C said:

 

My arteries are hardening just looking at the Early Start Breakfast. The Steak looks tougher than a bout in the French Legion. 

[Peter C]

A nice selection of Ford dealership related photos, shamelessly stolen from a Facebook group.

@egg There's some early Mondeo content for you to perv at as well.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Compare this to a Ford dealer now and one wants to cry.

Things have gone horribly wrong.

[Peter C]

Taken from September 1990 copy of What Car? magazine.

I paid £4k for my Sierra, including delivery, which is bang on for a D reg motor, according to the article. 

[sierraman]

Imagine bringing that XR4x4 home as a brand new car, looks the bomb doesn’t it! 

[danthecapriman]

That lovely maroon mk2 Granada in the first pic is the rig I’d be bringing home with me. Not a Ghia but it looks nice.

Its a shame if you think how those cars look in those photos and then think how most of them probably finished up at the end… a decade or two of shit weather and salty roads ruining them gradually, their value getting less and less and the quality of care and maintenance they receive gets less and less. Before the inevitable MOT failure and a date with the scrap heap, maybe with a short career in ‘motorsport’ in between for some (like that poor Granada probably got!).

[danthecapriman]

3 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

That lovely maroon mk2 Granada in the first pic is the rig I’d be bringing home with me. Not a Ghia but it looks nice.

Its a shame if you think how those cars look in those photos and then think how most of them probably finished up at the end… a decade or two of shit weather and salty roads ruining them gradually, their value getting less and less and the quality of care and maintenance they receive gets less and less. Before the inevitable MOT failure and a date with the scrap heap, maybe with a short career in ‘motorsport’ in between for some (like that poor Granada probably got!).

I take that last bit back! Unbelievably the Granada still lives! It’s on SORN. Last logbook issued 2004.

Sierra next to it made it until May 1996.

[bezzabsa]

proper ICE for the Saph

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