RE: Ford Sierra XR4x4i 2.9i: Spotted

RE: Ford Sierra XR4x4i 2.9i: Spotted

Saturday 24th February 2018

Ford Sierra XR4x4i 2.9i: Spotted

Ford has announced the end of Focus RS production, so what other used four-wheel drive Fords can you buy to get your kicks in?



It's nearing the end of the road for the current Focus RS; a four-wheel drive, turbocharged, Hoonigan favourite that's bowing out with a limited run of 50 Heritage Edition cars, all painted in a supremely subtle shade of Deep Orange. But if you're not keen on looking like a rolling advert for Terry's Chocolate orange, then what other Fords are there for you? Well, how about a 1992 Sierra XR4x4i?

As mentioned in a previous Spotted featuring a Vauxhall Cavalier (where a few people suggested they'd rather spend the money on a Ford - so here it is), the Sierra was a controversial car at launch. By the time this facelifted version came out, however, the looks had been toned down and the buying public had accepted the more streamlined styling required for better fuel economy and a higher top-speed.


The first high-performance offering was the XR4i, a three-door car with even odder looks and a small whale-tail at the back. But the 2.8-litre Cologne V6 had siamese exhaust ports that restricted the gas flow out of the engine, giving tuners a bit of a headache when trying to liberate more power. By the time the Sierra got this 2.9-litre engine though, the manifold had been sorted, and we ended up with some high-performance monsters, such as the Turbo Technic's Minker K1.

With the two Garratt T2 turbos turned up to 15psi of boost, the Minker could deliver 325hp and 345lb ft torque, leading to headlines like: 'The Sierra that's quicker than a Countach' since it could do 0-60mph in 4.8 sec, a tenth faster than the Italian supercar.


Of course, this Sierra doesn't have that amount of performance, it only has 147hp (What Car? figures from October 1992). But, combined with the four-wheel drive, you can use more of it, and it's not as if the engine is deeply stressed. Parts will undoubtedly be very cheap to buy and easy to come by, so servicing costs will be low.

The major thing to look for is rust. Fords of this era do that rather well, so get it up in the air and poke around all the suspension and jacking points for holes. An MOT check on this car has mentioned rust in the past, which is absent from the current one, hopefully meaning that it's been repaired since the last inspection. It also mentions that the underside of the car is 'heavily undersealed' which chould be fantastic for protecting the metal. Or it could be hiding something; you'd need to have a look to find out.

The rest of the car looks to be in great condition, even the seats look to have worn their 80,000 miles well bar the hole in the middle of the cushion. There's even the luxury of electric windows all-round and a heated front windscreen. For less than £4k, this Sierra looks to be something of a bargain.


SPECIFICATION - 1992 FORD SIERRA XR4x4i 2.9i

Engine: 2,933cc, six-cylinder, N/A
Transmission: five-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 147@5,700rpm
Torque (lb ft): 172@3,000rpm
MPG: 30.4
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1992
Recorded mileage: 80,000 miles
Price new: £18,560
Yours for: £3,995

See the full ad here.



Author
Discussion

Iceicebsby1980

Original Poster:

101 posts

97 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Don't know much about these . Think the 3dr looks better could be a good buy for someone who wants the rs cosworth version but can't afford it .

mechagran

124 posts

157 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
who on earth would ever want to own a sierra?

It looks like a really sad shoe.

Agent57

1,631 posts

153 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Those look like wheel trims. What happened to the 7 spoke alloys?

ZX10R NIN

27,492 posts

124 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
The three door was 2wd & had an odd rear window arrangement, I know someone who has a stroked out one of these (3.7 litres if I remember correctly) & a 2.8i capri which is the same engine as the 4x4, the capri feels good & torquey not blistering quick but coupled with the lack of KG's it will keep up with modern traffic.

The handling is very good (but his has updated suspension & brakes) but definitely a fast cruiser than Cosworth, I've not driven it in a while but it put a smile on my face.

cerb4.5lee

30,186 posts

179 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
I've had two 2.9i Xr4x4's and I absolutely loved them. I drove one again a few years back and still enjoyed it. I'd love this for the memories but I'm a Ford fanboy!

Mine were 1989 models and I prefer the looks of mine rather than this later car. I still wouldn't say no though.

gigglebug

2,611 posts

121 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Does anyone know what the chain is from the key slot to the dash? Is that original or something the owner has added?

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Agent57 said:
Those look like wheel trims. What happened to the 7 spoke alloys?
They're the 15" alloys that were standard that YOP.
Earlier cars had the 14" alloys I think you are referring to (below?), then they went to a 5-spoke before this type




s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
gigglebug said:
Does anyone know what the chain is from the key slot to the dash? Is that original or something the owner has added?
Immobiliser I'd say, chain links it to the key

Agent57

1,631 posts

153 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
s m said:
They're the 15" alloys that were standard that YOP.
Earlier cars had the 14" alloys I think you are referring to (below?), then they went to a 5-spoke before this type

Yeah, my memory fades. I've got all the brochures from the 1980s in my loft. I used to know all the subtle differences year by year, model by model.

Never understood why some cars have alloys that look like wheel trims.

TheAngryDog

12,394 posts

208 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
I had one of these in this exact colour. Had a mongoose exhaust and twin filter kit. It had rs side skirts and a cosworth interior. Was a great car when I was 19 (some 18 years ago now).

Atomic12C

5,180 posts

216 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
In the day these cars were a proper laugh to own and drive.
Basic engine, easy to work on.
Comedy soft suspension as stock but with some tuned springs these cars became a hoot to drive.

If I remember correctly they were a 70%-30% rear to front drive split and they had a rear mechanical LSD.
Which made them great for the likes of winter driving, driving off road, a bit of rallying etc.

I remember going to a track day many years ago, I took my Caterham at the time and a work colleague took his 4x4 2.9 Sierra.
It was a wet rainy day (typical summer time), but his car turned out to be much more fun than mine !


cerb4.5lee

30,186 posts

179 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
TheAngryDog said:
I had one of these in this exact colour. Had a mongoose exhaust and twin filter kit. It had rs side skirts and a cosworth interior. Was a great car when I was 19 (some 18 years ago now).
Both mine were Tasmin Blue, and I had a Magnex and twin filters on my second one and I thought it made a lovely noise. I was 20 when I got my first one...I'm 45 this year(I wonder where the time goes!).

I'd still love another one for some reason...I suppose it's the rose tints though. smile

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
s m said:
gigglebug said:
Does anyone know what the chain is from the key slot to the dash? Is that original or something the owner has added?
Immobiliser I'd say, chain links it to the key
Proper 80s-style immob!

I did like "the seats are fine, other than the hole" in the article. That made me chuckle...

Could these be the last non-scene-taxed semi-interesting Ford?

aaron_2000

5,407 posts

82 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
gigglebug said:
Does anyone know what the chain is from the key slot to the dash? Is that original or something the owner has added?
90's immobiliser I think. I adore these cars, they just looked right in this bodystyle, always loved the Sierra, heard these are a but like a barge compared to new cars though.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Atomic12C said:
In the day these cars were a proper laugh to own and drive.
Basic engine, easy to work on.
Comedy soft suspension as stock but with some tuned springs these cars became a hoot to drive.

If I remember correctly they were a 70%-30% rear to front drive split and they had a rear mechanical LSD.
Which made them great for the likes of winter driving, driving off road, a bit of rallying etc.

I remember going to a track day many years ago, I took my Caterham at the time and a work colleague took his 4x4 2.9 Sierra.
It was a wet rainy day (typical summer time), but his car turned out to be much more fun than mine !
7" viscous coupling in rear diff - probably reverted to open mode by now though
34/66 split front to rear power

You can get them rerated though and they're very progressive

cerb4.5lee

30,186 posts

179 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
aaron_2000 said:
90's immobiliser I think. I adore these cars, they just looked right in this bodystyle, always loved the Sierra, heard these are a but like a barge compared to new cars though.
Mine used to roll a fair bit in the corners in fairness, I used to love full bore starts off the line though and it just gripped and went.

I always wanted a twin turbo conversion though to make full use of the 4wd. cool

Tannedbaldhead

2,952 posts

131 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
I had a 2.9i Ghia Estate 4x4 back in the early 90s.

Brilliant car. Power delivery was rear biased so it could drift. It was comparatively quick, handled nicely, was well equipped and the V6 sounded good.
The great thing about cars like this was they could be had for the price of a far inferior BMW 318. Kinda sad that a current Ford equivalent or modern version of a Carlton 3000 GSI would never find themselves held in as high esteem.
Every time a bread and butter brand dares to introduce a specced up fast example the PH forum collectively sucks air through their teeth and state "would never pay that for a Ford/Vauxhall/Citroen/Skoda etc etc..
Given the choice of equipment and toys galore, a V6 as opposed to a 4, 30% more power, sophisticated damping and diffs or a BMW/Mercedes/Audi badge the badge has it.

gigglebug

2,611 posts

121 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
s m said:
Immobiliser I'd say, chain links it to the key
Ah, I see. That's cool in an old-school kinda way. I take it the fob deactivated the immobiliser when inserted into the dash then activated it when pulled out? I can see what the chain is for now!

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
gigglebug said:
I take it the fob deactivated the immobiliser when inserted into the dash then activated it when pulled out?
Yep, that's exactly how they worked. Basically a multiplug with some obscured circuitry inside.

loose cannon

6,029 posts

240 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
My friend had a black xr4x4 he used to slide it around camberley multi storey when it was wet
Of an evening,
And that immobiliser was called The immobiliser
As fitted to lots of cars it was the first electronic immobiliser then there was the other type that all the cosworth s ended up with think it was called a Vecta immobiliser