Questions about Ford Sierra's

[Jerichoholic]

Hi all, this is my first post and I have a big question about Ford Sierra's in Australia.

I have been wanting to buy one for my second car and as celebration for getting through my first year of P-plates without any fines, lost demerit points or scratches on my car that were caused by me.
(BTW my car is a 199? Ford Corsair Ghia)

I have always been interested in Sierra's as I have recallections of watching Dick Johnson race them as a kid. And I have always wanted to get one.

So why are they so rare in Australia and is it worth getting one? Also what do I need to look for? It is especially more important for me that if I am to do this right I sort out everything before seeing the car in person for the first time as I am a Perthite and it seems the car is nonexistent here. As it means selling my current car, purchasing the Sierra and trucking it here.

Any advice, comments, help would be appreciated.

Also, I found this Sierra advertised on ebay and am just wondering if anyone knows if it is worth it?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=140023777111

[RS027]

That is very rare. Ok... no sierras were imported to Australia with the exception of a small few to homologate for racing. Others are all privately imported. The sierras at Bathurst were RS500 Cosworths and others that appear the same on the outside were imported RS cosworths. The car you have listed has cosworth add ons, but lacks the cosworth YB motor. The visual differences is the ebay one has two rear 1/4 windows, where the cosworth cars have a single window. Cosworth sierras go for $30,000+ in average condition. The cheeper option is the Sierra sapphire at $25,000+ for a great example however they are a 4 door and lack the racing credability of the 3 door model. If you are young the XR4T would be a great start point, but as for price they are not what 99% of Sierra fans in Australia are after and hence not many arrived here which makes pricing very hard.

If you are after the real deal this place is a good one to start at.

http://www.chalker.com.au/

[whooligan]

Unless you are planning on keeping it for a long time and you have very deep pockets, a Cossie Sierra is not a wise investment for a P-plater. The insurance would kill you. You could go for the watered down version, an XR4i with the Capri 2.8i motor, but as one famous motoring writer wrote, "its like kissing your sister after making out with Claudia Shifter" (sorry, can't spell her name.) A good compromise would be to get hold of the latter, sell on the 2.8i to a Capri nut and wack in a 302 V8. The South Africans had a V8 Sierra called the XR8 way before the Falcon came out. It would cream most cars, give a genuine cossie a run for its money and cost a hell of a lot less to build and maintain.

[whooligan]

Also that LH Drive jobbie on Ebay is a bargain. Pity it doesn't qualify for club plates or I'd buy it!

[Jerichoholic]

Yeah, I know how rare and expensive RS Cossie's can get, and how near impossible it is to find an RS500. So I thought this would be a decent compromise, a car that looks the same as an RS and just requires a better engine.

I was wondering with the selling of engines and keeping the chassis, would anyone buy a pinto engine, how much are the 302 V8's and what about fuel efficiency and reliability compared to the pinto or anything else, also what other engine options are there, and fuel efficiency and reliability/parts finding for them?

[benny_mac]

it just so happens that the car on ebay is just around the corner from my house and he is asking a lot more than what is bidded at the moment, he's got $12999 on it. I've had a look and it is in good condition but it is too much seeing its not complied and still has to be converted to RHD. And as for a sierra, dont look past the xr4i's (2.8i v6), they are a perfect car 4 someone on there p's. i should know cause i've owned mine since i was on my p's. there is plenty of grunt in them. They give lots of cars a scare and cheaper on insurance. Things to look out for is rust in the chassis if its from england. i bought mine not knowing about it and was punished for it as my stabilizer bar almost fell out. but all rust gone now. I've had mine for almost four years now as a weekend car and never really had any dramas other than stuff thats associated with 20 year old cars eg. clutch, brakes, servicing, etc. Unfortunately i'm selling mine as i cant afford both my cars and saving for a house. I'll miss it, its been a terrific car.
As for engine swaps, you coud buy a pinto and put the yb head on it, turbo and so forth. but can be very costly. V8 engines are cheapish but are a very tight fit and wouldn't imagine it to be easy. Ebay sell a lot of performance parts for the 2.8, and if ya lucky a twin turbo kit(from a tickford mk3 capri) might be up there.
It comes down to how serious you are and how much you want to spend. All sierras need constant tlc as with every 20 year old car. So you pay for what you get.
Xr4i-$5000 - $14000 (depending on condition)
Xr4ti-$5000 - $20000 ( depending on condition and performance done to it)
Sierra Cosworth-$30000+
Saphire Cosworth(4door model)-$25000+
But all in all driven right and reguarly maintained they are a fantastic car and get plenty of looks. well worth the money.
If you have any other Questions dont hesitate to ask
Ben

[whooligan]

Benny. How much do you want for your XR4i?

[benny_mac]

its in the for sale section somewhere with all the details, i'm asking $9000 but i am open for reasonable offers as it needs to go. And in some stupid thieves wisdom just the other night, they have smashed the rear passenger window to break in, only to realise their arms aren't long enough to reach the door lock, now i'm left with a smashed window for nothing, lucky insurance is taking care of it.