3 door sierra project.

[bezzabsa]

imagine the Ford Fanboys getting all excited if you did a 'Cossie' rep LOL

[Ianlea73]

5 hours ago, MAF260 said:

Also worth opening up the holes a little while you're at it.

Any particular size?

[Ianlea73]

5 hours ago, bezzabsa said:

imagine the Ford Fanboys getting all excited if you did a 'Cossie' rep LOL

No cossie reps going on here. If a sierra lover wants to buy it & rep it then happy days.

Lowering springs & an mot will be about it.

 

 

[Ianlea73]

Gearbox mount in.

 

[Ianlea73]

Good news, I've managed to source a full top end gasket set for the pinto engine, so I decided to pull the inlet manifold off as it already loose. Im glad I did as it was quite oily.  I pulled the crankcase breather apart & cleaned it up & in one of the pipes I found with looks like a tyre valve cap!

 

[MAF260]

On 14/09/2024 at 21:00, Ianlea73 said:

Any particular size?

I can't recall as we were doing this about 40 years ago on Pintos, but a bit bigger won't harm

[Ianlea73]

While I'm waiting on parts I decided to strip & clean the inlet manifold & fuel rail etc. Stripped & rewrapped the injection loom.

 

[Ianlea73]

Gasket set has arrived.

I've finished cleaning & rebuilding the inlet manifold. 

i also decided to throw on the saab wheels that came with the car. Not for me though.

[Ianlea73]

Valve stem oil seals are all done. I replaced the standard ones for cvh type with the base plate that the spring now sits on. Apparently it gives a better seal.

I don't know why they needed changing though!!

Refitted the valve adjusters & followers & did the clearances as to spec.

[Ianlea73]

So I've been going backwards, forwards, backwards, then forwards the last few days.
I rebuilt the top end, refitted the inlet plenum. Put 10 litres of fuel in the car, then turned the key.
"She runs, oh hold on, yay she runs, oh hold on".........
The car starts every time you turn the key then dies within 10 seconds. I've checked the fuel cut out in the boot, fuel supply to the fuel rail & back to the regulator but it won't stay running.



I decided to cut my losses & check put the rear end. I plan on pulling it all out as I have a polybush kit & subframe mounts for the whole back end. So I pulled the drums to check the brake shoes & cylinders!









Looks like I'll need to order thrm bits too. While under I thought I'd check the prop donut.







Looks like I'll be changing that too! This car!!!!!

So plan is to remove diff & half shafts then drop the lot out over the next few days.

On a positive note look at those sill ends.

[stuboy]

those seals look fab

[Ianlea73]

14 hours ago, stuboy said:

those seals look fab

The whole underside of the car looks like that. Just all the mechanicals are knackered. Easy project!!🤔

[Ianlea73]

Now the engines running I can carry on with the stripdown. I've got a polybush kit & subframe mounts for the rear so I always planned to strip the whole rear end off the car. I started today by pulling the halfshafts & dropped out the diff.
The cv boots need doing anyway so I thought to help with the weight it would be easier to drop the diff.

 

[Ianlea73]

Gave the diff a quick scrape & wire brush, it looks like the driveshaft seals have left all their grease on this thing. Also the output seals looked a bit tatty, so I'll replace those too.
Diff is the factory 3.92 so it's good to know it's not been messed with.
Crown wheel looked really clean so other than a clean, new seals & oil I'm not touching this thing.

 

 

[Ianlea73]

Pulled the front wheels off, removed the arch liners & checked the condition of the chassis rails, strut inners & inner wings. Took some pics of the polybushes that have already been done & the condition of the brakes. Soooo much rust!!!

It's crazy that the chassis is so rust free but nearly everything mechanical is knackered. 

I started cleaning up the rear drum brake backing plates.

I'm contemplating a front brake upgrade to either mk3 mondeo & St disks or mk2 focus st225 complete set up & Redrill to 4 stud.

[bunglebus]

I'd rather do spanner twirling than welding!

[Volksy]

Crikey! That is rot free!

Even if the mechanical aspects are a bit tired, the fact that you're not battling with rusty bolts/threads etc. must be a win for sure.

[danthecapriman]

There’s an awful lot to be said for a good climate when it comes to cars! Living in a cold wet miserable shit hole like the UK really does fuck up anything made of steel!

I remember working on my Capri before I restored it and having to constantly do battle with rusty bolts, everything being seized, everything being dirty with flaking paint and rust dust etc etc. Then what a revelation it is now to work on it now there’s no rust or dirt anywhere. Everything just comes apart easily and cleanly. It makes such a difference.

[Ianlea73]

Thanks guys, yep it's certainly a treat to work on a car where every bolt has come undone, no heat or chisels involved. Even all the suspension & subframes have no surface rust. A quick scotch pad & ready to remove install.

I'm heading back to England this weekend so the Sierra project is passed until next year.

Back onto the ltd for the winter ready to sell next year I think.

https://autoshite.com/topic/57382-introducing-my-1985-american-ford-ltd-sedan/

 

[2flags]

That is surprisingly clean. No rust at all! Well bought!

 

[Ianlea73]

9 hours ago, 2flags said:

That is surprisingly clean. No rust at all! Well bought!

 

Thanks but in Southern Spain the trick is getting the car for a respectable price & making sure you can get parts, rather than worrying too much about rust.

Last year I missed out on a Land rover Santana(Spanish built). Completely rust free & all there but price was an issue. 2 weeks later it sold for what I'd offered. 

[New POD]

Anything "rubber" (other similar materials are also used) will be more impacted by the impact of temperature cycling and temperature extremes.  I've sat in meetings where the supplier of seals, said version A for Northern Europe. Version B for Southern Europe. 

And then we had to pick a compromise version C which wasn't quite as good at either extreme. 

Anyway. Back to the car. If I had a 3 door Sierra, there is no way that I wouldn't build a Codwart replica, but with a more *modern engine.  

I was once tempted (and regret it to this day that i was too scared) to view a 4 door 2000E with Cosworth kit but the running gear was a 4x4 2.8 for an xr4x4.  

*can you make a Focus ST5 engine fit? 

[2flags]

If your going to do that, go old school and stick a V8 in it! Apparently, the 289 is not that large an engine. 😁

[Ianlea73]

I'd love to but homologation in Spain would be a massive headache. I'd be better off bringing it back to the UK & starting again.

I'd like a dirty v8 either yank or lexus 1uz but.......^

[sierraman]

Loads have done the Cosworth replica but it’s rarely done convincingly. I reckon standard would be way forward or maybe even fitting a Zetec unit but with made to look as factory as possible. 

[Ianlea73]

I have absolutely no plans to do a cossie rep. Not for me. Basically lowered with a decent exhaust & eventually if I keep it a respray. Maybe clear front indicators & a decent front bumper. 

As the interior is a bit untidy I'd like to strip it out, fit a cage & a decent pair of front seats.

Even that in Spain means the car needs to be homologated to a 2 seater & the cage needs to be properly certified with a build certificate. 

Even swapping the front indicators to clear is a change of spec.

[Westbay]

"

As the interior is a bit untidy I'd like to strip it out, fit a cage & a decent pair of front seats.

Even that in Spain means the car needs to be homologated to a 2 seater & the cage needs to be properly certified with a build certificate. "

 

£££££££££

[Ianlea73]

On 26/10/2024 at 10:40, Westbay said:

"

As the interior is a bit untidy I'd like to strip it out, fit a cage & a decent pair of front seats.

Even that in Spain means the car needs to be homologated to a 2 seater & the cage needs to be properly certified with a build certificate. "

 

£££££££££

Yep homologation to a set of different size wheels could cost €450!!

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, Ianlea73 said:

Yep homologation to a set of different size wheels could cost €450!!

Jesus Christ!! Really!?

I had no idea it was like that in Spain. In a way then we shouldn’t complain so much about how things are in the UK. It’s reasonably relaxed by comparison.

I think if it was my Sierra, I’d just do it as a standard car. Should annoy the OldSkoolFordYO lot!😆

[Ianlea73]

My mate did a photoshop thingy.

Lowered, side trim removed & wheels anthracite grey.

I absolutely love it even with the modern wheels.