spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 11, 2020 16:47:53 GMT
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Haven’t done a thread for a long time but thought I’d start one for this. I had been happily bombing around in my pinto powered 100E, but things changed four years ago when our son arrived. Sadly things didn’t go well; he was eleven weeks early and suffered circulatory collapse at five days old 😢. He is a fighter though and although his doctor describes him as ‘medically complex’ he’s a happy enough little chap who thinks any video I show him with racing or burnouts is hilarious, so in that respect he’s a chip off the old block 😂. Getting him and all his gear in the back of a two door Anglia is a squeeze though so I started to look for something a bit bigger. The answer turned out to be quite close to home;  This 1988 Sierra sapphire belonged to my brother and had come off the road in 2005 for some bits and bobs that had never happened. He’d bought it in 1997 I think and did most of the mods a young man would do at the time; lowered the suspension, soft line five spokes, Kenwood mask stereo and an exhaust tailpipe you could park a double decker in    And retained the standard 1.6 for insurance reasons of course! Later on it gained a disc brake rear beam and full big brake set up from a twin cam I killed as well as swapping over the full interior with the later dashboard from the same car. He does love his sierras and had loads, including a nice original base model auto three door ( that he wouldn’t sell to me as he knew I’d modify it!) but couldn’t bear to part with his first one. It wasn’t until a year or so back he made the decision to sell and we agreed a deal. It was buried behind a mini, my Kadett coupe and and a load of household stuff at the back of a container, and it wasn’t until March this year that I finally dragged it out into the sunlight  Just in time for lockdown  |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place  |
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 11, 2020 22:57:45 GMT
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So, lockdown kicked in and I was furloughed but frustratingly my workshop is a few miles from home so I busied myself with another project that had been on hold for too long  1330 Cooper S motor for my mk1  With occasional assistance from Bobby  But with things easing it was time to wade in and assess what I’d bought, as being in a container I’d only seen one side since it went in  . I knew he’d had the seat mounts repaired by the bodywork guy where I used to work, plus a couple of bits I did for him. It does need a bit of work on the rear arch I couldn’t see but the shell is a good’un  Yes, that is an original unwelded eighties Ford wheel arch! Sills are also original and the only hole I’ve found is the size of my little finger in one door shut. The car came with a Ghia interior partially fitted, although the door cards and other bits were piled up inside it, plus a load of parts that were stashed in his garage. This all the parts to swap all the manual windows to electric to save cutting the Ghia cards. First job was to pull the lower dash and console, one for the window wiring and two because there was only about three screws holding the lot in anyway!   I love wiring I do |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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Oct 12, 2020 16:51:36 GMT
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Occasional assistance from Bad Boy Bobby?
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Oct 12, 2020 17:00:51 GMT
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Love a Sierra. There is a place near me storing 8 or9 xr4s. One even hasn't got a sunroof which I understand is popular for track use.
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 12, 2020 22:53:34 GMT
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Occasional assistance from Bad Boy Bobby? He’s a helpful chap, if you count running off with gloves, rags or anything else he can grab when I’m not looking helpful  Tineca; any Sierra seems in demand for track, drifting or oval racing but non sunroof ones particularly being motorsport shells. Being as a lot of the interior parts were either on the back seat, in a box or only loosely fitted I decided to refit that properly first to make sure I had all the parts and make a list of what was missing or damaged/ worn. The dash and centre console came out to start putting in the wiring for the electric windows, and remove a ton of surplus speaker wiring that had been left in when the later model dashboard was fitted. Sorting through the parts it turned out the front regulators were incorrect, as were the rear door looms, one of the rear motors was duff and there were no front door looms. So much for having all the parts 🙄. A good rummage in the container turned up the doors we’d saved of the old donor twin cam, complete with regulators and wiring. I also swapped the motor from one of the incorrect fronts for the dead rear one, and using a front loom I found I had all the windows going up and down electrically, and only had to buy some rivets to fit the regulators sadly no pics as I was on a roll  Was looking like I was starting to look like a car again    Lower dash is next on the list, along with a damn good tidy up! |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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It looks a great car! Will do well pressing in for family service!
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Sometimes it's fun to do the impossible
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Oct 13, 2020 20:35:38 GMT
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Love it!
you don't see many about nowadays.
Look forward to seeing further progress.
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 13, 2020 22:30:28 GMT
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It looks a great car! Will do well pressing in for family service! I hope so, although it’s strange to be adding back all the bits I’d normally be ripping out to make it faster . That’s not to say I won’t be making it a bit quicker. It’s kind of a pity as the old E-max 1.6 was a low mileage replacement that my brother had properly converted for unleaded, but even he was going to swap it out. At one point he bought a 302 V8 and auto box for it, though unfortunately that’s long gone  I’m sure I can come up with something to put a bit more spring in it’s step ... |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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Oct 13, 2020 22:35:13 GMT
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I’m sure I can come up with something to put a bit more spring in it’s step ... 2.0 Zetec? (preferably super- or turbocharged)... Or maybe a 1.6 Ecoboost? |
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 14, 2020 22:50:46 GMT
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I’m sure I can come up with something to put a bit more spring in it’s step ... 2.0 Zetec? (preferably super- or turbocharged)... Or maybe a 1.6 Ecoboost? 1.6 Ecoboost would be nice, even in a lardy modern Mondeo they go well but I reckon it would be a bit of a stretch on the budget  . Another suggestion from a banger racer ( when he eventually realised I wouldn’t sell it to him to race it ) was to stick a 2.3 Galaxy engine in it, which would be in keeping being a version of the old old 8V i4. I’ve had half an eye out for a zetec locally but nothing yet. Plan A however, having watched too many Skogenracing videos, may involve one of the 2.0 Pintos in the workshop, efi and boost |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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It looks a great car! Will do well pressing in for family service! I hope so, although it’s strange to be adding back all the bits I’d normally be ripping out to make it faster . That’s not to say I won’t be making it a bit quicker. It’s kind of a pity as the old E-max 1.6 was a low mileage replacement that my brother had properly converted for unleaded, but even he was going to swap it out. At one point he bought a 302 V8 and auto box for it, though unfortunately that’s long gone I’m sure I can come up with something to put a bit more spring in it’s step ... I've got to agree with other comments, the 1.6 ecoboost would haul it along nicely, but a good old 2.0l Zetec lump out of a Mondeo or Focus are budget friendly with plenty of support out there for servicing and tuning |
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Sometimes it's fun to do the impossible
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When I was at boarding school in the 80s my Dad always used to hire cars from the local Ford garage to take me and my brother there. It was almost always a Sierra, a Sapphire or an estate. Have very fond memories of them - including a Turbo Technics prototype turbo diesel. It was rough but went well.
You have been bookmarked!
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Oct 15, 2020 15:52:57 GMT
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2.0 Zetec? (preferably super- or turbocharged)... Or maybe a 1.6 Ecoboost? 1.6 Ecoboost would be nice, even in a lardy modern Mondeo they go well but I reckon it would be a bit of a stretch on the budget . Another suggestion from a banger racer ( when he eventually realised I wouldn’t sell it to him to race it ) was to stick a 2.3 Galaxy engine in it, which would be in keeping being a version of the old old 8V i4. I’ve had half an eye out for a zetec locally but nothing yet. Plan A however, having watched too many Skogenracing videos, may involve one of the 2.0 Pintos in the workshop, efi and boost If the Pintos take boost alright, that would be the best bang-for-buck option I'm sure! I've swapped a 1.6 Ecoboost into something (using the donor car's looms etc. to avoid forking out for a standalone ECU) and it isn't cheap or easy, but definitely good fun when it runs after all the work. |
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 15, 2020 22:42:43 GMT
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If the Pintos take boost alright, that would be the best bang-for-buck option I'm sure! I've swapped a 1.6 Ecoboost into something (using the donor car's looms etc. to avoid forking out for a standalone ECU) and it isn't cheap or easy, but definitely good fun when it runs after all the work. They don’t mind a bit of boost and there was a Turbo Technics version back in the day. There’s also the option of using YB parts like pistons and rods etc. In the workshop there’s a commercial, ( low compression) 205 block bottom end, the RS2000 one I originally bought for the 100E that needs a rebuild and one I rescued from my brothers garage that he’d took the head off and then left. I’d planned to reassemble this to get it on the road while I built the turbo motor, but since corona cancelled most of the car shows there wasn’t a need to rush it anymore 😂 |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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Given that the Sierra is pretty much a Mk6 Cortina it should be possible to fit in a Falcon six like Ford Australia did to the Mk3, Mk4, and Mk5.
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mat88
Yorkshire and The Humber
Posts: 1,542
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Oct 16, 2020 20:35:59 GMT
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I mean I'm slightly biased.. as much as I do like a Sierra. But there's a blue one knocking about with a 1uz in it... Seems like a brilliant idea to me haha
Bookmarked!
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 18, 2020 22:34:35 GMT
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I mean I'm slightly biased.. as much as I do like a Sierra. But there's a blue one knocking about with a 1uz in it... Seems like a brilliant idea to me haha Bookmarked! I can’t say I didn’t consider a V8, even thought about a Rover as I know they weigh about the same as the Pinto so I wouldn’t have to change the suspension much . Annoyingly where I used to work we had a complete engine and manual gearbox from a MG ZT260 kicking around for ages, but I didn’t have a home for it at the time so I never bid on it Incidentally mr bounce I have similar fond memories of them. Grandad was a fleet manager and nearly all our cars came from there. Dad had a couple on approval before he bought one, a mk1 2.0 GL. I remember it seemed like a spaceship compared to our old Ital estate |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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Oct 20, 2020 15:05:20 GMT
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Good to see someone take the forlorn base 90’s sapphire and breathe some life into it. Got the update in my mailbox and came to see the Kadett. I need another in my life........don’t suppose you want to sell it? DM me a price if you’re ever thinking of it. Don’t have a build thread do you? I have a 93 Cooper in the garage just now getting a new lease of life.
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Last Edit: Oct 20, 2020 15:05:45 GMT by exuptoy
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spacekadett
Part of things
F*cking take that Hans Brrix!!
Posts: 838
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Oct 21, 2020 22:28:58 GMT
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Good to see someone take the forlorn base 90’s sapphire and breathe some life into it. Got the update in my mailbox and came to see the Kadett. I need another in my life........don’t suppose you want to sell it? DM me a price if you’re ever thinking of it. Don’t have a build thread do you? I have a 93 Cooper in the garage just now getting a new lease of life. Thanks  . No build thread for the Kadett I’m afraid. I’ve had it since 1996 and the bodywork was done then although the mechanicals and other stuff has been several times over as and when I’ve broken it! No plans to sell at the moment though I know I’m going to have to thin the fleet at some point. Saw you’ve been making progress on your mini; finally made some progress with mine too, sorted some panel gap issues and got the screen surround spotted in  |
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Mechanic's rule #1... If the car works, anything left on the floor after you finished wasn't needed in the first place |
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Oct 21, 2020 22:36:27 GMT
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Nice job pal. Not a 2 minute job either I bet. 76 Kadett Coupe was my first car in 88 then a 77 saloon around 92, would love another.
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Last Edit: Oct 21, 2020 22:40:23 GMT by exuptoy
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. I knew he’d had the seat mounts repaired by the bodywork guy where I used to work, plus a couple of bits I did for him. It does need a bit of work on the rear arch I couldn’t see but the shell is a good’un 
. Another suggestion from a banger racer ( when he eventually realised I wouldn’t sell it to him to race it 
. No build thread for the Kadett I’m afraid. I’ve had it since 1996 and the bodywork was done then although the mechanicals and other stuff has been several times over as and when I’ve broken it! No plans to sell at the moment though I know I’m going to have to thin the fleet at some point.