1991 Ford Sierra Laser
Discussion
Not so long ago I bought myself a K10 Nissan Micra ( http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... ) to do me for my winter commute. However, no matter how hard I tried I just could not get along with it. So I decided to go for something a bit bigger. I have always been into my old Fords so I was looking through Escorts, Orions and even a Cortina when I saw this up for sale.
It's a 1991 Sierra Laser model, with the 1.8 CVH engine. Owned by an old boy from new who has recently given up driving. So on the plus side its only done 49,000 miles and has had a very easy life. However unfortunately there are a few bumps and scrapes along it when he has driven it into the garage! Plus he used the car to cart his dog around in, so the interior is covered in dog hairs. (Anyone know the best way to get dog hairs out of the seats?).
So after a good clean up and a wash here it is!
It's a 1991 Sierra Laser model, with the 1.8 CVH engine. Owned by an old boy from new who has recently given up driving. So on the plus side its only done 49,000 miles and has had a very easy life. However unfortunately there are a few bumps and scrapes along it when he has driven it into the garage! Plus he used the car to cart his dog around in, so the interior is covered in dog hairs. (Anyone know the best way to get dog hairs out of the seats?).
So after a good clean up and a wash here it is!
Thanks for the nice comments, the pictures show it to be in absolutely brilliant condition however there are a few scabs and scars along the car. The sills have also been done at some point but I imagine there are very few 21 year old Ford's that haven't had sills done! The cambelt is going to get done ASAP as it's not worth the risk.
I shall try the rubber glove trick, as I've tried hoovering, brushing and even sticking tape to the seats to see if that will lift it off! Yes many people have commented that it's Inspector Frost's car
I shall try the rubber glove trick, as I've tried hoovering, brushing and even sticking tape to the seats to see if that will lift it off! Yes many people have commented that it's Inspector Frost's car
Thought I would do a quick update on the old girl.
Been using it for a year now, almost daily. Returns good mpg and is very reliable!
Apart from when it ate a tappett...
And the brakes were rebuilt...
But it went back up to Scotland several times without fault! Even coped well with the severe snow in Kintyre in March last year.
The sills were beginning to look tatty as hell at the rear. So a quick coat of spray on waxoyl stuff.
Also got fed up with the cracked, split and ruined old Laser wheeltrims on it. So I picked up some n.o.s pepperpot wheeltrims from a MK1.
Plans for this year is to sort out the corrosion on the rear arch and sills, remove the dents from the front wings and get the paintwork up to a good standard. Might also be tempted to do an engine swap. Any recommedations for a engine swap?
Been using it for a year now, almost daily. Returns good mpg and is very reliable!
Apart from when it ate a tappett...
And the brakes were rebuilt...
But it went back up to Scotland several times without fault! Even coped well with the severe snow in Kintyre in March last year.
The sills were beginning to look tatty as hell at the rear. So a quick coat of spray on waxoyl stuff.
Also got fed up with the cracked, split and ruined old Laser wheeltrims on it. So I picked up some n.o.s pepperpot wheeltrims from a MK1.
Plans for this year is to sort out the corrosion on the rear arch and sills, remove the dents from the front wings and get the paintwork up to a good standard. Might also be tempted to do an engine swap. Any recommedations for a engine swap?
littlebasher said:
He can do all that, once he's lost those ghastly Pepperpots !
There not that bad surely! I really like the look of them. I think I will just keep it standard, you don't see many Sierras around at all and the ones you do see are modified in some way.
I would still like the idea of doing an engine swap, but as someone said it would be cheaper to just buy another car with the right engine!
I know tuning a 1.8 CVH is a pointless task, but does anyone know if a different carburettor would make any improvement?
Well I think it's time for a little update.
At the start of the year I said I wanted to sort out the rot on the rear arch and the rear sills. Also to get rid of the dents in the front wings and the scratches down the sides from when the previous owner crashed into his garage, many, many times bless him.
So a month or so ago I picked up one of those cheapo halfords rotary car polishers and set about doing a really good T-cut and polish of the car. I really didn't think it was that badly faded at all but it has buffed up lovely! I don't have any before shots but here is one taken after I had finished with it.
So last year before the MOT I sprayed some of that waxoyl type rubberised protective stuff all over the sills on both sides, to make it a bit better looking for the test, however I was told then that they would not pass another MOT like this. Throughout the winter I noticed them getting worse and worse and starting to crumble away! So two weeks ago I put it into a bodyshop which had been recommended to me, where the sills were repaired, a large rust bubble on the rear arch repaired along with the straightening out and repainting of the wings. I've had the car back a week now and I'm still chuffed to bits with how good it looks now!
It looks really nice and clean now! I was toying with engine swaps and such like however for what I use it for, it would be pointless and to be honest a waste of money. I do have plans to sell both this and my Capri next year, possibly looking at Sierra Cosworths or similar. But for now I'm just going to enjoy it for what it is!
At the start of the year I said I wanted to sort out the rot on the rear arch and the rear sills. Also to get rid of the dents in the front wings and the scratches down the sides from when the previous owner crashed into his garage, many, many times bless him.
So a month or so ago I picked up one of those cheapo halfords rotary car polishers and set about doing a really good T-cut and polish of the car. I really didn't think it was that badly faded at all but it has buffed up lovely! I don't have any before shots but here is one taken after I had finished with it.
So last year before the MOT I sprayed some of that waxoyl type rubberised protective stuff all over the sills on both sides, to make it a bit better looking for the test, however I was told then that they would not pass another MOT like this. Throughout the winter I noticed them getting worse and worse and starting to crumble away! So two weeks ago I put it into a bodyshop which had been recommended to me, where the sills were repaired, a large rust bubble on the rear arch repaired along with the straightening out and repainting of the wings. I've had the car back a week now and I'm still chuffed to bits with how good it looks now!
It looks really nice and clean now! I was toying with engine swaps and such like however for what I use it for, it would be pointless and to be honest a waste of money. I do have plans to sell both this and my Capri next year, possibly looking at Sierra Cosworths or similar. But for now I'm just going to enjoy it for what it is!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff