RE: Ford Sierra 1.6 Laser | Spotted

[s m]

Limpet said:

cerb4.5lee said:

It is mad because I remember my Dad's 1982(X reg) XR3 having a 5 speed box, so I thought that by 1986 a Sierra would've a 5 speed too to be fair.

The 5 speed box was an option on a lot of the pre-facelift Sierras. It was also a straight swap with breakers yard bits if you were handy with the spanners.

I had a very early (83 Y plate) 1.6L which had a 5 speed box. No idea if it was converted or supplied like that from the factory.

Some years before that, my dad had owned a 1984 2.0 GL that had a 4 speed box.

Could have been either Limpet. A 4-sp was standard but you could have an optional 5-sp on a 1.6L from the beginning

[IJWS15]

Our first was a 1984 Y 1.6l, 4 speed box as standard. The 5 speed was an extra we couldn't quite run to £400ish IIRC on a car that cost just over 4 grand.

[s m]

IJWS15 said:

Our first was a 1984 Y 1.6l, 4 speed box as standard. The 5 speed was an extra we couldn't quite run to £400ish IIRC on a car that cost just over 4 grand.

They might have been ripping you off a bit there - actual option price of a 5-speed on 1.6 was well under half that!!

[njw1]

s m said:

Early C-plate GLs in 85 had the option of a sunroof, early 86 the sunroof became standard on a GL

I'm pretty sure the 1985 B plate 1.6GL we had (which looked identical to the car in the article coincidentally) had a sunroof, that car was definitely a four speed as that gearbox shat itself and was replaced with a 5 speed!

[s m]

njw1 said:

s m said:

Early C-plate GLs in 85 had the option of a sunroof, early 86 the sunroof became standard on a GL

I'm pretty sure the 1985 B plate 1.6GL we had (which looked identical to the car in the article coincidentally) had a sunroof, that car was definitely a four speed as that gearbox shat itself and was replaced with a 5 speed!

Oh yes, definitely njw- you could option a sunroof on a B plate 1.6GL and a 4-speed box would have been standard.
For the avoidance of doubt I was referring above specifically to GLs on a C plate - early 86 was when the sunroof became standard contrary to what someone said earlier.

It is a bit confusing with regards to the Laser badged Sierras as there were 2 runs of cars with a time gap in between.
The early Lasers that came in 84 had a 5-speed box and sunroof as standard.
The later edition ones in 89 onwards ( done alongside the Sapphire Classic ) didn’t get a sunroof …….however, as ever, there was for a time a ‘Special Options’ pack offered if you took delivery before a plate change ( sales were slower ) where they’d bung in a free sunroof as an incentive

Edited by s m on Friday 26th November 23:54

[AC43]

coppice said:

Heresy - but true. I had a couple of Mk 1s , a van and a GT. The van handled better than the GT... They were fine , fantastic gearchanges and far better ergonomics than most BL stuff. But in that category, the Chevette - just the normal 1300 job - was far nicer , the Golf (1100 or 1500 , no GTi then ) much more modern (great engine , hewn from solid feel , kart like handling but awful brakes ) and the Alfasud was on an entirely different level. Better brakes, ride, handling , grip , revvy and tuneful flat four , and 5 gears in many models .

My dad chopped his 66 Anglia in for a 68 Escort 1.1. It was Deluxe, no less. There was nothing much Deluxe about sitting in the back over that live rear axle.

Three years later the Alfasud was launched. My first proper car was a 78 Sprint. There may have only been 10 years between my dad's Escort and my Sud but it felt more like 40.

[dontlookdown]

AC43 said:

coppice said:

Heresy - but true. I had a couple of Mk 1s , a van and a GT. The van handled better than the GT... They were fine , fantastic gearchanges and far better ergonomics than most BL stuff. But in that category, the Chevette - just the normal 1300 job - was far nicer , the Golf (1100 or 1500 , no GTi then ) much more modern (great engine , hewn from solid feel , kart like handling but awful brakes ) and the Alfasud was on an entirely different level. Better brakes, ride, handling , grip , revvy and tuneful flat four , and 5 gears in many models .

My dad chopped his 66 Anglia in for a 68 Escort 1.1. It was Deluxe, no less. There was nothing much Deluxe about sitting in the back over that live rear axle.

Three years later the Alfasud was launched. My first proper car was a 78 Sprint. There may have only been 10 years between my dad's Escort and my Sud but it felt more like 40.

Yup. In the 70s Italian cars really were 2 generations ahead of their Brit rivals.

[Rob 131 Sport]

dontlookdown said:

AC43 said:

coppice said:

Heresy - but true. I had a couple of Mk 1s , a van and a GT. The van handled better than the GT... They were fine , fantastic gearchanges and far better ergonomics than most BL stuff. But in that category, the Chevette - just the normal 1300 job - was far nicer , the Golf (1100 or 1500 , no GTi then ) much more modern (great engine , hewn from solid feel , kart like handling but awful brakes ) and the Alfasud was on an entirely different level. Better brakes, ride, handling , grip , revvy and tuneful flat four , and 5 gears in many models .

My dad chopped his 66 Anglia in for a 68 Escort 1.1. It was Deluxe, no less. There was nothing much Deluxe about sitting in the back over that live rear axle.

Three years later the Alfasud was launched. My first proper car was a 78 Sprint. There may have only been 10 years between my dad's Escort and my Sud but it felt more like 40.

Yup. In the 70s Italian cars really were 2 generations ahead of their Brit rivals.

I couldn’t agree more. They were great it’s a great shame that they couldn’t build on it with strong UK sales in the 80’s and 90’s.

[dontlookdown]

Rob 131 Sport said:

dontlookdown said:

AC43 said:

coppice said:

Heresy - but true. I had a couple of Mk 1s , a van and a GT. The van handled better than the GT... They were fine , fantastic gearchanges and far better ergonomics than most BL stuff. But in that category, the Chevette - just the normal 1300 job - was far nicer , the Golf (1100 or 1500 , no GTi then ) much more modern (great engine , hewn from solid feel , kart like handling but awful brakes ) and the Alfasud was on an entirely different level. Better brakes, ride, handling , grip , revvy and tuneful flat four , and 5 gears in many models .

My dad chopped his 66 Anglia in for a 68 Escort 1.1. It was Deluxe, no less. There was nothing much Deluxe about sitting in the back over that live rear axle.

Three years later the Alfasud was launched. My first proper car was a 78 Sprint. There may have only been 10 years between my dad's Escort and my Sud but it felt more like 40.

Yup. In the 70s Italian cars really were 2 generations ahead of their Brit rivals.

I couldn’t agree more. They were great it’s a great shame that they couldn’t build on it with strong UK sales in the 80’s and 90’s.

It's one of the great 'what might have beens'. I know there were massive issues with rust and build quality, but it's not like BL or Ford cars of the same era were built like tanks is it?

[loggo]

Loplop said:

I know it's a bit of a crap boat anchor, but I love the Pinto engine.

Dad had a few cars with them including an RS2000, an A60 Austin Cambridge with a 2.1 stock car engine, a handful of Sierras (I personally think the CVH is crap) and at one point this bizarre kit car that left the factory with a 1.6 Turbo Technics Pinto.

They are a piece of piss to work on and there's that much out there tuning wise for all of the capacities and variations due to their popularity in stock car formulae and kit car usage.

I still think they're the ideal 'first car' engine for someone that is interested in getting their hands dirty.

I Don't think the A60 ever had a Ford engine ?

[coppice]

Not originally perhaps ... One of the legends of Yorkshire rallying and autocross in the early 70s was Colin 'Mad Dan ' Grewer whose Mk 1 Cortina sported a tuned Volvo 122S engine .

[DaveE87]

I remember a mate's Dad used to sell cars like these for £100 instead of weighing them in. Sierra's always sold quickly, even a couple of decades ago there was a bit of nostalgia for them.

[s m]

loggo said:

Loplop said:

I know it's a bit of a crap boat anchor, but I love the Pinto engine.

Dad had a few cars with them including an RS2000, an A60 Austin Cambridge with a 2.1 stock car engine, a handful of Sierras (I personally think the CVH is crap) and at one point this bizarre kit car that left the factory with a 1.6 Turbo Technics Pinto.

They are a piece of piss to work on and there's that much out there tuning wise for all of the capacities and variations due to their popularity in stock car formulae and kit car usage.

I still think they're the ideal 'first car' engine for someone that is interested in getting their hands dirty.

I Don't think the A60 ever had a Ford engine ?

Never had any problems with the Pintos I had considering they were driven pretty hard. Certainly not the much talked about cam issues - then again, did used to change the oil and always put a new spray bar on when I got one along with a belt. Maybe it was because they were given a good exercise that they never sludges up.

[Levin]

Sierras are still very enjoyable today. There's not much I'd rather be sitting behind the wheel of.

[s m]

Levin said:

Sierras are still very enjoyable today. There's not much I'd rather be sitting behind the wheel of.

Still see a few pressed into regular service even 30 years on. They sold so many a few were bound to survive

What sort have you got?

[Levin]

s m said:

Still see a few pressed into regular service even 30 years on. They sold so many a few were bound to survive

What sort have you got?

I've got a 1991 GLS, which I bought back in 2015 as my first car. Six years on and the love hasn't waned. It's no longer my daily - I ran it as one for a year because I couldn't afford a second car at the time. I'd love to drive it daily even now but I don't enjoy the image of rust devouring my pride and joy. Thus, it lives tucked away from the world until the mercury rises, and new memories are made to tide me over until the next motoring season. I've too much wrapped up in the car to ever contemplate selling it.

[geeman237]

And for a mere 2 grand more, you could have this little 11k mile 'minter'.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1408436

I am always impressed something as hum-drum as this has been so well kept. It's one thing to store a low mileage car, its another to ensure it stays as pristine as this appears to be.

[cerb4.5lee]

geeman237 said:

And for a mere 2 grand more, you could have this little 11k mile 'minter'.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1408436

I am always impressed something as hum-drum as this has been so well kept. It's one thing to store a low mileage car, its another to ensure it stays as pristine as this appears to be.

It is great to see one in such brilliant condition I agree.

[Mr Tidy]

Levin said:

I've got a 1991 GLS, which I bought back in 2015 as my first car.

Good to know you still have it - maybe you could start a Readers' Cars thread?

I'd enjoy that as I still have fond meories of the 1991 2.0GLSi Sapphire that I bought in 1993. I must have liked it as I had it for over 4 years!