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

[kevins]

I'd Slice down the side of the nut with an angle grinder or saw, clean the thread up and put a new nut on it.

[Peter C]

3 minutes ago, Nyphur said:

I don't think that looks all too bad. Appreciate you didn't want a "project" but buying a nearly 40 year old car on the strength of some facebook photos while half cut you're bound to get a few unforeseen things to tend to.

"Its rusty and the engine bay is filthy", its cleaner than most cars I've owned at 15 years old. Hell its cleaner than my pants and they're only 8 days old.

If you wanted a "minter" I think you'd have spent 3x what you have 😕 I reckon after a few weekends of fannying about you'll have a decent motor on your hands there. Enjoy the tarting up process then enjoy the driving

Almost correct, I had my first shot of vodka about an hour after the deal was done.

[jim89]

5 minutes ago, Peter C said:

Almost correct, I had my first shot of vodka about an hour after the deal was done.

Couldn't sleep with excitement? 🙂

[R Lutz]

10 hours ago, Rod/b said:

As a wise man once said “all photos are lies”.

AYE.

[Peter C]

22 minutes ago, jim89 said:

Couldn't sleep with excitement? 🙂

The same day that I ordered my new leased daily I did the deal for the Sierra. I immediately forgot about the new Nissan and ever since I’ve been having erotic dreams about the old Ford.

[junkyarddog]

5 hours ago, Peter C said:

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.

You've plenty of room there,so you'd be better off to try a nut splitter on that,I think any attempt to shift that nut will sheer the stud,regardless of the amount of jizz you spray onto it.

[jim89]

5 minutes ago, Peter C said:

The same day that I ordered my new leased daily I did the deal for the Sierra. I immediately forgot about the new Nissan and ever since I’ve been having erotic dreams about the old Ford.

Erratic? Or, 😬, erotic?

[adw1977]

2 hours 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've got March 1987 and September 1987, both show central locking as standard on GL and above, optional on LX.  So the boot cable is a mystery!

[egg]

8 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

I've got March 1987 and September 1987, both show central locking as standard on GL and above, optional on LX.  So the boot cable is a mystery!

Thanks, don't want to drift too much - but was L the base model then?

[adw1977]

12 minutes ago, egg said:

Thanks, don't want to drift too much - but was L the base model then?

No, there was a base model that didn't even have wheel trims, called "Sierra Sapphire Saloon".  Not to be confused with "Sierra Saloon" which was the base model hatchback!

These base models didn't get a single picture in the brochure.

Sep 1987 Ford Cars brochure

[KWhite]

From my March 1987 Sierra Brochure 

My favourite Base feature has to be that it was the only Sierra that didn't have a lever to adjust the height of the drivers seat, it instead came with what Ford called 'Drivers seat height increase blocks'

Edited January 31, 2024 by KWhite
I wanted to add additional information

[High Jetter]

13 minutes ago, KWhite said:

From my March 1987 Sierra Brochure 

My favourite Base feature has to be that it was the only Sierra that didn't have a lever to adjust the height of the drivers seat, it instead came with what Ford called 'Drivers seat height increase blocks'

Yea, ol needs adding.

[Talbot]

For a 35 year old ford, that is in stunningly good condition.  The CPT / overbuffing areas on the upper body are irritating, but the rest of it is in amazing condition.  It looks like a 3-5 year old car.

Other than the irritation of a blowing exhaust, that could be pressed into service immediately.

[Mrcento]

Had a little look at others for sale.... know what, i actually think you've done well there.

As said before, might not be exactly as you thought, but where the prices are on them..... I don't think it's overpriced.

£3600 i think you said minus the delivery?, If i was throwing around 4k at a Sierra, i don't think i could get one better than yours. Yeah, i could get one, but it'd be higher mileage, be far less solid, Have a weedier engine or an interior mostly fit for the skip and needing redone. In fact, it'd be pretty east to spend more like 5k and still have a far worse example.

It's relatively solid, and even with the bits needing done outside, the interior absolutely wins it on the value stakes. I reckon that'll easily be 5-6k+ worth with relatively little work.

[yes oui si]

On 29/01/2024 at 16:25, Tenmil Socket said:

Sierra on 13s is good Sierra. 

As others have said, it looks damn good for the money given how much utter shite there is out there with shiny paint and at twice the price. 

[Tickman]

I'm looking forward to seeing it after you have done your usual to it. 

Will look like a proper time warp car hopefully.

[Peter C]

Since I acquired the Sierra I have won on this forum for two days in a row. 

Evidently, nowadays Ford Sierras are driven by life’s winners.

[LoftyvRS]

The evidence of a reasonable structure behind the arch liners is a massive good news story. The rest of the bodywork is much easier to tidy than serious structural rot, as I'm sure you know.

The paint finish on the lower doors should be as smooth and as glossy as the rest of the car, they never painted the underneath of the mouldings in a textured coating (before body colour). The only texture coatings were on the GLS/GLSi and later LX models and were in a dark Grey.

I'm hoping the door bottoms are relatively solid underneath that for you, as they are one of the more prone rot spots

[cort16]

I know your saying you don't want a project but by the looks of it you've done half the work it needs to be roadworthy already. Get a cheap exhaust for 50 quid from Poland, change the timing belt in your lunch brake, give it an oil change and you'll be ready to go. 

[Peter C]

28 minutes ago, LoftyvRS said:

I'm hoping the door bottoms are relatively solid underneath that for you, as they are one of the more prone rot spots

Noted and agreed regarding the textured finish on the doors.

Whilst there is some rust coming through along the bottom of the doors, first impressions suggest it's not terminal. I'd rather have a rusty door bottom than a rusty floorpan!

[Peter C]

29 minutes ago, cort16 said:

I know your saying you don't want a project but by the looks of it you've done half the work it needs to be roadworthy already. Get a cheap exhaust for 50 quid from Poland, change the timing belt in your lunch brake, give it an oil change and you'll be ready to go. 

You're not wrong.

To do:

• Sort out the manifold to downpipe gas leak.
• Replace the exhaust.
• Replace the cam belt and fan belt.
• Pressure clean and rust proof exposed areas along the lower half of the car.
• Blow in blue paint along the upper half of the car.
• Cut and polish the paintwork.
• Spray the rear bumper.
• Tidy up the engine bay.
• Ease / adjust the driver's door lock.
• Revive the central locking, if it exists.
• Whatever else I find along the way.

I am due a special birthday next weekend and consequently I won't have time to play with the Sierra this and next weekend but I see no reason why the Sierra shouldn't be making its first proper journey by early March.

[ETCHY]

13 hours ago, KWhite said:

From my March 1987 Sierra Brochure 

My favourite Base feature has to be that it was the only Sierra that didn't have a lever to adjust the height of the drivers seat, it instead came with what Ford called 'Drivers seat height increase blocks'

I often wondered how much money manufacturers saved by making a new unique part so that base models could be more basic & thus cheaper to buy..

I know it'll have been costed, but even so.

[grogee]

26 minutes ago, Peter C said:

You're not wrong.

To do:

• Sort out the manifold to downpipe gas leak.
• Replace the exhaust.
• Replace the cam belt and fan belt.
• Pressure clean and rust proof exposed areas along the lower half of the car.
• Blow in blue paint along the upper half of the car.
• Cut and polish the paintwork.
• Spray the rear bumper.
• Tidy up the engine bay.
• Ease / adjust the driver's door lock.
• Revive the central locking, if it exists.
• Whatever else I find along the way.

I am due a special birthday next weekend and consequently I won't have time to play with the Sierra this and next weekend but I see no reason why the Sierra shouldn't be making its first proper journey by early March.

Can we have a local newspaper style ribbon cutting event for the maiden voyage? 

Perhaps the local mayor or soap actor could come along. 

[lisbon_road]

1 hour ago, ETCHY said:

I often wondered how much money manufacturers saved by making a new unique part so that base models could be more basic & thus cheaper to buy..

I know it'll have been costed, but even so.

I suggest a key benefit is the differentiation.  The traditional idea that Ford could supply a wide range of models, so that the hierarchy of the company could be reflected in each person having a slightly posher model as you work up the tree.   Compare this with (going back a bit) British Leyland who made say Allegros and Marinas, where the differentiation wasn't clear, and Vauxhall who just didn't make enough models.  Ford did base, L, GL, Ghia and probably loads of others. 

Nevertheless, they make a lot of cars so a small saving times car volumes gets worthwhile. 

[Agila]

20 minutes ago, grogee said:

Can we have a local newspaper style ribbon cutting event for the maiden voyage? 

Perhaps the local mayor or soap actor could come along. 

https://www.nmplive.co.uk/celebrity-appearances?sort=3

Barry from EastEnders is cheap. 300 names to choose from.

[cobblers]

1 hour ago, lisbon_road said:

I suggest a key benefit is the differentiation.  The traditional idea that Ford could supply a wide range of models, so that the hierarchy of the company could be reflected in each person having a slightly posher model as you work up the tree. 

Nevertheless, they make a lot of cars so a small saving times car volumes gets worthwhile. 

Most 83 onwards VW T25s didn't come with intermittent wipers. The wiring is there, most of them have the relay too, but there's a little plastic pin fitted into the stalks which limits the travel to stop you selecting intermittent on the poverty spec vans. So it actually cost them more to make a van without intermittent wipers.

 

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, Peter C said:

Since I acquired the Sierra I have won on this forum for two days in a row. 

Evidently, nowadays Ford Sierras are driven by life’s winners.

I mean I had one. What more of an endorsement is that! 

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Agila said:

https://www.nmplive.co.uk/celebrity-appearances?sort=3

Barry from EastEnders is cheap. 300 names to choose from.

I think I’d go for Dennis Taylor, but only if he wears his glasses upside down. 

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, Peter C said:

Noted and agreed regarding the textured finish on the doors.

Whilst there is some rust coming through along the bottom of the doors, first impressions suggest it's not terminal. I'd rather have a rusty door bottom than a rusty floorpan!

Somewhere I have a Car Mechanics article about replacing a lower door skin. Assuming you can still get them I’d do it with 3M panel bond, quicker and no distortion compared to welding. 

[jim89]

22 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I mean I had one. What more of an endorsement is that! 

With your username I expected you to have a field full 🙂