1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - Completed it mate - see page 46

[155V6]

That StreetKa looks familiar 😁

[Peter C]

The one document that came with the car is the current MoT certificate, which confirms that the Sierra was static between 2015 and 2021. Six years outside under a loose fitting tarp is probably the reason why the paintwork looks gash.

[Peter C]

6 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

The colour is Maritime Blue, should be an easy match for any half decent paint place to make up. 

You might even find NOS cans in an old school motor factors. 

 

Amazon do a can for £7.49.

[Peter C]

Looks like getting hold of a replacement downpipe and central exhaust box won't be difficult. Or expensive.

[Royale80]

Interior backs up the mileage. Mines done about 120,000 miles and the drivers seat is knackered. Mines used everyday and usually needs a bit of welding for the mot-I did lots on the floor and inner sills a couple of years ago. Rear arch needs doing and you can see that mine has rusted in a similar place to yours.  It's solid on the sills now-but needs treating and painting again. Your looks fine. Ive got Mondeo trims on at the moment- the GLX ones are in the garage. 

[Matty]

9 minutes ago, Stevebrookman said:

Interior backs up the mileage. Mines done about 120,000 miles and the drivers seat is knackered. Mines used everyday and usually needs a bit of welding for the mot-I did lots on the floor and inner sills a couple of years ago. Rear arch needs doing and you can see that mine has rusted in a similar place to yours.  It's solid on the sills now-but needs treating and painting again. Your looks fine. Ive got Mondeo trims on at the moment- the GLX ones are in the garage. 

Still doing the business

[Rod/b]

17 hours ago, wesacosa said:

Worth asking for a few quid back as a good will gesture so you dont spam his future adverts with warnings about flattering pictures etc?

The fuck? This is proper council estate FB marketplace cuntery. If you buy a 30 odd year old car sight unseen based on photos where its clearly just had a bucket of water chucked over it, you’re taking a risk and you get whatever turns up. Some you win, some you lose.

[wesacosa]

19 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

The fuck? This is proper council estate FB marketplace cuntery. If you buy a 30 odd year old car sight unseen based on photos where its clearly just had a bucket of water chucked over it, you’re taking a risk and you get whatever turns up. Some you win, some you lose.

yea true (hence why I phased it as a question rather than a suggestion). However if you ask for pictures or descriptions of the condition and the seller glosses over the scabby bits then a remote buyer surely has the right to feel aggrieved? Guess it all depends on what was asked for and provided before deal was struck 

[egg]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

Amazon do a can for £7.49.

That's what I've got in Rimini Blue for my Mondeo. I've found it a good colour match if slightly thinner than I'd ideally desire.

[Rod/b]

Even then if you don’t go and stand in front of the car, satisfy yourself as to its condition, and still pull the trigger based on photos and a description it’s your risk. As a wise man once said “all photos are lies”.

[wesacosa]

2 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

Even then if you don’t go and stand in front of the car, satisfy yourself as to its condition, and still pull the trigger based on photos and a description it’s your risk. As a wise man once said “all photos are lies”.

yeah again thats true, although you would like to think the seller would give honest answer if specific questions were asked

buyer seems happy to take it on the chin so fair play 

[Tenmil Socket]

I know you’re already a little unhappy with the car @Peter C but personally I’d be looking further into this before anything else!

[sierraman]

I think you’ll get away with grinding that back. It will have gone under the edge where the screen sits though but that a windscreen out job. 

[cort1977]

14 hours ago, R Lutz said:

He was CEO for General Motors in the late '80s-early '90s.

Totally off topic but there's a film called Roger & Me by Michael Moore that's quite interesting and sad really.  Anyway, as you were.

Sierra doesn't look too bad, when mine arrived the seller hadn't mentioned that they had broken the rear bumper getting it on the low loader and driven the front in to something cracking the front bumper.  Twats. 

It's really annoying when the car is not as described but as others have said it will probably come up well with a little effort and you won't lose a bundle on it should you eventually sell.

[MrBig]

Not sure if congratulating you on the purchase is the right thing to do, but its great to see a survivor Sierra. I hope it turns into something you can enjoy. I'm reminiscing now of my own 2.0 Saph which I used to enjoy, funnily enough, on the very roads near yours. I recognise the Hyundai garage (used to be Skoda IIRC)

[Peter C]

Have a pez shot. It will be a while before this bitch makes it to a petrol station under her own steam.

I added a splash of this stuff, I'm sure it won't hurt.

I kept the fuel receipt for the service history. The number of documents has doubled.

Precisely what I didn't want, the E46 outside and the Sierra hogging the workshop.

Whilst looking in the boot, I noticed this arrangement of cables, which extends to the boot lock. Looks like we have central locking. Whether it works is another matter.

Up she goes.

I removed all four wheel arch liners. They came out ok, just need cleaning and removal of blue overspray paint.

This is where the story gets a lot better.

Yes, there is surface corrosion and flaking paint just about everywhere but there is no sign of any significant corrosion anywhere in the arches. The new front brake discs are a nice touch.

The fronts of the A-posts and the inside of the front wings are just fine.

The fuel tank has light surface corrosion, nothing that can't be easily sorted.

The underside is totally solid. No sign of any significant corrosion, most of the paint / sealer is still intact. Only the sill to floorpan seams need a tidy up, but they are all solid.

Daisy told me that she likes the shiny brake discs.

I created a warm, dry and comfortable working environment.

Whilst access is great, the three bolts that secure the downpipe to the manifold are fucking tight. 

It was easier to remove the downpipe with the manifold attached.

And here we are, the reason why the joint is blowing.

The securing nut is on very tight. I have left the downpipe in an upright position and will spray WD40 on the nut and bolt for a couple of days. Can't do any harm.

I removed the exhaust system. Looks nice and shiny, doesn't it?

Until you look at the underside of the middle box.

And the back box.

Depending on whether I can sort out the manifold to downpipe joint without fucking up the downpipe, I will be ordering at least a new middle and back box from the eBay supplier in Poland. I've used the same or similar company in the past, they provided a replacement exhaust for my W124. The parts were good quality and fitted perfectly.

Finally, I removed the cam belt cover to reveal the cam belt.

It's not cracked but it's not box fresh either. I will replace it. I will also replace the fan belt, which is worn and squealed like a pig when I fired up the Sierra whilst negotiating it into the garage. 

I wasn't looking for a project of this scale. Based on my (possibly too high) expectations, I was planning to take delivery of the Sierra, tax it and take it for a maiden voyage to Windsor for a work appointment. Instead, it is now in bits in my workshop and will cost me £££ before it can safely turn a wheel. Never mind, things could have been worse. I could have had cort16's C6 in my garage by now.

 

[jonathan_dyane]

Looks like one of the better Sierra's left, not as nice as you hoped but I think you've done pretty canny

[grogee]

Christ that could have been a lot worse! All the important bits are in order and there's a few service jobs like belts and zorst. And by some miracle you can still get bits for it. 

This is an easy ride for a 1988 car, trust me. 

There could have been a thousand quid's worth of welding needed doing behind those arch liners. 

Re: boot harness - isn't that for the number plate lights? 

[Burnside]

9 hours ago, Peter C said:

Amazon do a can for £7.49.

If you live near a Range store, they usually stock Hycote Paint if you don't want to wait for a Battered Grey Transit or Sprinter Van to arrive!

To find a first year D reg Sierra Sapphire in unmodified condition this day and age, I reckon you've done alright tbh. 

My Grandad had a G reg Sierra 1.8 LX Hatch as a company car, it was a small Printing Firm and they couldn't afford to replace it. So he covered over 300k in about 7/8 years before they finally got brought out, I remember the rear arches and doors were pretty scabby by then.

 

[Peter C]

3 minutes ago, grogee said:

 

Re: boot harness - isn't that for the number plate lights? 

The number plate lights are on top of the bumper.

[HMC]

Looks decent. At the end of the day its an old ford so some rust, and decreasing VFM as they become old school is the norm. 

Looking fwd to seeing the progresss

[dean36014]

My sierra 30 years ago was rusty, 2.3 diesel in the same colour, so you're not doing bad. As long as there's no horrors under that textured paint on the lower third of the doors your doing well. Fixing bodywork is easier than trying to find a good interior. 

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Peter C said:

 

I could have had cort16's C6 in my garage by now.

 

youre not supposed to wish that on yourself

we are

[High Jetter]

Considering you bought 'blind', I think you've done extremely well with a dollop of luck on top, tbh.

[junkyarddog]

That's actually impressive how little rot there is under those arch liners.

[egg]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

Looks like we have central locking. Whether it works is another matter.

I have a September 89 Ford catalogue (can't find 88 which is here somewhere) that shows all Sierras apart from the base models (Classic - Sapphire, Laser - Sierra) had Central Locking. but as the car was already getting a bit long in the tooth by then, and the Mk3 Cav was out and 4th gen Honda Accord was not far away (the car Ford benchmarked for Mondeo development) they may have already been chucking more kit at them by then.

There's only 13 Classics from 90 and 91 left (HML), only 2 of which are taxed right now.

 

[Bren]

I feel much better for you seen as the inner structure is ok. It's no big deal if you find the sills need metal letting into them.

[stuboy]

10 minutes ago, egg said:

I have a September 89 Ford catalogue (can't find 88 which is here somewhere) that shows all Sierras apart from the base models (Classic - Sapphire, Laser - Sierra) had Central Locking. but as the car was already getting a bit long in the tooth by then, and the Mk3 Cav was out and 4th gen Honda Accord was not far away (the car Ford benchmarked for Mondeo development) they may have already been chucking more kit at them by then.

There's only 13 Classics from 90 and 91 left (HML), only 2 of which are taxed right now.

 

i just looking these on ebay

[sierraman]

Soak the stuck nut in 50/50 ATF and Acetone, wrap a saturated rag round it and it’ll piss off that nut. 

[Peter C]

2 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Soak the stuck nut in 50/50 ATF and Acetone, wrap a saturated rag round it and it’ll piss off that nut. 

Sadly, I don’t have either.