1983 Ford Sierra BASE (Poverty/UN Spec)
Discussion
Lovely to see an old basic Sierra - these early base models with their upside down door mirrors and grey plastic front grille were the ugly duckling of the Sierra family.
I've driven or owned most of the Sierra models, from 1600 L to Cosworths ( 3 door, and Saphire 2wd and 4wd) .
The Sierra was a very good car at the time and if you could find a good one now it would still be a nice thing to drive - old fashioned now but still a good
Steer.
I've driven or owned most of the Sierra models, from 1600 L to Cosworths ( 3 door, and Saphire 2wd and 4wd) .
The Sierra was a very good car at the time and if you could find a good one now it would still be a nice thing to drive - old fashioned now but still a good
Steer.
My dad was a company rep during the 70's and I always used to look forward to August 1st when he'd be the first to pull up in the street in a brand new motor.
I was in single digits at the time but some of those registrations will stay with me for life VTG800S (Marina 1.8 Super), EEV453T (Hillman Hunter Super), FYD49V (mk4 Cortina 1.6L) ULE125X (mk5 Cortina 1.6L). They were all boggo spec but to me they were the best cars in the world. The one that really impressed me though was the time he brought home our first 'posh' car. He'd kept it a surprise and I was blown away. A brand new Sierra 2.0i Ghia (E611PAX). It was metallic green with grey velour, electric windows.....and a SUNROOF! I passed my test while we had this car so actually got to drive it and felt very important.
I was in single digits at the time but some of those registrations will stay with me for life VTG800S (Marina 1.8 Super), EEV453T (Hillman Hunter Super), FYD49V (mk4 Cortina 1.6L) ULE125X (mk5 Cortina 1.6L). They were all boggo spec but to me they were the best cars in the world. The one that really impressed me though was the time he brought home our first 'posh' car. He'd kept it a surprise and I was blown away. A brand new Sierra 2.0i Ghia (E611PAX). It was metallic green with grey velour, electric windows.....and a SUNROOF! I passed my test while we had this car so actually got to drive it and felt very important.
I had an A regd 2.0 litre Ghia 5 door hatchback in white, lovely car, especially the seats which I still swear were the most comfortable seats In any car I've ever had (not sure Id feel the same now I'm older but distinctive compared to those before and after)
I can't recall if it was a 5 speed or not, I do remember it had all round electric windows and the switches were in the centre console, for some reason they would break every 6 months or so and you'd have to pop in new switches and all would be well again - for another 6 months.
My first 'luxury' car, loved it, very fond memories.
I can't recall if it was a 5 speed or not, I do remember it had all round electric windows and the switches were in the centre console, for some reason they would break every 6 months or so and you'd have to pop in new switches and all would be well again - for another 6 months.
My first 'luxury' car, loved it, very fond memories.
Dad's job had him doing around 35,000 miles a year in the late 70's and 80's so fuel economy was quite important for his company car. He'd had a couple of MkIV 1.6L Cortina estate's the 2nd of which was a metallic blue Crusader with the sport steelies, velour and wood trim etc. Both cars had 70L LPG tanks in the boot which gave a range of around 600 miles if you needed it. It was quite a novelty having compressed gas sitting right behind you in 1982!
The Crusader went and he got a Sierra 2.3LD Estate, B525 BFR. Bright red with grey cloth and plastic wheeltrims it looked pretty dull after the Crusader and I knew my Sunday polishing duties would not be carried out with quite the same effort as I'd done with that shiny Crusader. However where the Crusader had a basic two speaker radio setup the Sierra boasted a quadrophonic tape deck! At last I could play my tapes and hear the music in the back without deafening Mum in the front! Even my mate Jon who was far more into his music than me thought the stereo was brilliant. We used to sit in the car with the windows down just listening to our tapes because the sound was better than at home and you could watch the world go by at the same time.
The diesel engine was pretty sluggish to be fair and nowhere near as refined as the XUD9 that Ford should have fitted. However it had more torque than the petrol and admirably towed our caravan to France a few times. Unfortunately at around 55,000 miles the gearbox broke (too much torque & towing?). A new one was fitted but that broke a few months later so after the third one went in the car got sold and Dad went back to petrol and a D reg Renault Savanna which was nearly as economical as the Sierra.
Fond memories of that car, Mum says it had the comfiest front seats she'd sat in.
I remember going to the Motor Show at the NEC when Ford launched the Probe prototype and raiding all the badges, paper hats and other stuff they were handing out. It was a game changer for aerodynamics, I seem to remember Audi boasting of low Cd figures for the 100 at the time but it still looked boxy compared to the Sierra.
Good times! 😊
The Crusader went and he got a Sierra 2.3LD Estate, B525 BFR. Bright red with grey cloth and plastic wheeltrims it looked pretty dull after the Crusader and I knew my Sunday polishing duties would not be carried out with quite the same effort as I'd done with that shiny Crusader. However where the Crusader had a basic two speaker radio setup the Sierra boasted a quadrophonic tape deck! At last I could play my tapes and hear the music in the back without deafening Mum in the front! Even my mate Jon who was far more into his music than me thought the stereo was brilliant. We used to sit in the car with the windows down just listening to our tapes because the sound was better than at home and you could watch the world go by at the same time.
The diesel engine was pretty sluggish to be fair and nowhere near as refined as the XUD9 that Ford should have fitted. However it had more torque than the petrol and admirably towed our caravan to France a few times. Unfortunately at around 55,000 miles the gearbox broke (too much torque & towing?). A new one was fitted but that broke a few months later so after the third one went in the car got sold and Dad went back to petrol and a D reg Renault Savanna which was nearly as economical as the Sierra.
Fond memories of that car, Mum says it had the comfiest front seats she'd sat in.
I remember going to the Motor Show at the NEC when Ford launched the Probe prototype and raiding all the badges, paper hats and other stuff they were handing out. It was a game changer for aerodynamics, I seem to remember Audi boasting of low Cd figures for the 100 at the time but it still looked boxy compared to the Sierra.
Good times! 😊
The Rookie said:
Blast from the past!
Back in the day I had a Y-reg Sierra 1.6L, not quite as poverty as yours but still a 1.6 4 speed. I bought it at 2 years old and 12,000 miles, it would be wrong to call it barely run in, it struggled to top 80mph the first time I went on a motorway, within 500 miles it would go, well lets just say, quite a lot faster.
It had the full wheel cover trims and no aero ears behind the rear side windows or the front lip spoiler and yes, it didn't like crosswinds at all, you had to learn not to try and counteract any yaw ...........
I later had an H-plate Sapphire 1.8LX, a 165,000 mile ex-taxi, bought it in a hurry (for a princely £250) when the gearbox failed on a Pug 309, I liked it so much I sold the Pug after it was fixed and kept the Sierra, with some semi-decent tyres it was a real car to drive, I used some old Cosworth front struts and the cast offs from my XR4x4 and it sharpened it up no end.
Your recollections reminded me of a couple of my old cars, especially the bits about crosswind aero and choosing over a 309Back in the day I had a Y-reg Sierra 1.6L, not quite as poverty as yours but still a 1.6 4 speed. I bought it at 2 years old and 12,000 miles, it would be wrong to call it barely run in, it struggled to top 80mph the first time I went on a motorway, within 500 miles it would go, well lets just say, quite a lot faster.
It had the full wheel cover trims and no aero ears behind the rear side windows or the front lip spoiler and yes, it didn't like crosswinds at all, you had to learn not to try and counteract any yaw ...........
I later had an H-plate Sapphire 1.8LX, a 165,000 mile ex-taxi, bought it in a hurry (for a princely £250) when the gearbox failed on a Pug 309, I liked it so much I sold the Pug after it was fixed and kept the Sierra, with some semi-decent tyres it was a real car to drive, I used some old Cosworth front struts and the cast offs from my XR4x4 and it sharpened it up no end.
I had the Kinnock-friendly Bob Lutz 4-pillar shell with the biplane spoiler - bit more aerodynamic than the normal 5 door and much more stable in crosswinds than the pre rabbit-eared normal versions thanks to the departure points offered by the biplane spoiler.
I ran mine alongside one of the best hot hatches of the time, a 309 Gti, but ultimately it was the Sierra I kept the longest and needed lot less maintenance than the roaring Lion. On a motorway the Sierra was always a nicer cruiser unsurprisingly plus just as economical.
Very entertaining on the B-roads especially with a LSD and thicker rear ARB
The public were never too sure on the looks but they still sold over 25000 of this model and the 4wd 5-doors were an even bigger seller
rallycross said:
I've driven or owned most of the Sierra models, from 1600 L to Cosworths ( 3 door, and Saphire 2wd and 4wd) .
The Sierra was a very good car at the time and if you could find a good one now it would still be a nice thing to drive - old fashioned now but still a good
Steer.
You are indeed correct, mostly quite softly set up as standard and I always felt the later 4-doors felt a bit more 'together' and composed. Very predictable chassisThe Sierra was a very good car at the time and if you could find a good one now it would still be a nice thing to drive - old fashioned now but still a good
Steer.
Eyersey1234 said:
Until reading this thread I didn't know the base model Sierras had a different grille. Anyone know when the plastic grill stopped being fitted?
If you mean the base model grey grille they were generally only Y plates They stopped about midway through 83
Sierras were quite slow sellers at first and there were lots of changes to stimulate buyer interest
Anyone hear of the spoilers on Sapphire's getting turned round through 90 degrees and pushed into the cabin in rear end impacts?
My Dad had a rather nice Sapphire written off by a inattentive lorry driver at a set of traffic lights and the spoiler ended up embedded in the dash (!). Attending fireman said a couple of inches to the right and he'd probably be missing a head...
Hope the same thing wouldn't happen on my '91 Carina II XL Windsor...
My Dad had a rather nice Sapphire written off by a inattentive lorry driver at a set of traffic lights and the spoiler ended up embedded in the dash (!). Attending fireman said a couple of inches to the right and he'd probably be missing a head...
Hope the same thing wouldn't happen on my '91 Carina II XL Windsor...
s m said:
Eyersey1234 said:
Until reading this thread I didn't know the base model Sierras had a different grille. Anyone know when the plastic grill stopped being fitted?
If you mean the base model grey grille they were generally only Y plates They stopped about midway through 83
Sierras were quite slow sellers at first and there were lots of changes to stimulate buyer interest
Long time reader but had to sign up just for this thread.
Our family car from 1985 (when I was 4) all the way to 1999 (and the car both my mother and I learnt to drive in) was a Mk1.5 Sierra 1.8 GL in Rosso Red C629WLH. Bought new from Godfrey Davis in Alperton from a Mr Corn/Korn?(I recall the test drive was in a Red 1.8 LX). Remember that the dad of a kid down our road had a 2.0i Ghia also C reg and being jealous that that had electric everything and we only had electric mirrors despite being only one trim level below.
Really fond memories of long family holidays etc but my god did that thing like to rust. Both rear arches disintegrated within about 5 years, at 9 years two doors had come apart at the seams due to rust. Both front wings rusted through where the met the front valance. The car ended up like a patchwork quilt of welds.
As mentioned I learnt to drive in this car (no PAS and a clutch that negated the reason to go to the gym), still was great fun and at 17 learnt in relative safety about car control with the combination of no ABS, RWD and skinny tires. Eventually the brake master cylinder failed and the car was taken away to meet its maker (sad day). Mum refused to come downstairs while the car was being hoisted onto the trailer as she felt we had betrayed a member of the family by scrapping it.
I would love to have one again (when I eventually have some dry storage and if I ever find another Rosso Red Mk 1.5 1.8 GL......and if I get permission from my wife
)
Still have the rear (Godfrey Davis (London Ltd)) reg plate and the original tax disc holder from the car.
Our family car from 1985 (when I was 4) all the way to 1999 (and the car both my mother and I learnt to drive in) was a Mk1.5 Sierra 1.8 GL in Rosso Red C629WLH. Bought new from Godfrey Davis in Alperton from a Mr Corn/Korn?(I recall the test drive was in a Red 1.8 LX). Remember that the dad of a kid down our road had a 2.0i Ghia also C reg and being jealous that that had electric everything and we only had electric mirrors despite being only one trim level below.
Really fond memories of long family holidays etc but my god did that thing like to rust. Both rear arches disintegrated within about 5 years, at 9 years two doors had come apart at the seams due to rust. Both front wings rusted through where the met the front valance. The car ended up like a patchwork quilt of welds.
As mentioned I learnt to drive in this car (no PAS and a clutch that negated the reason to go to the gym), still was great fun and at 17 learnt in relative safety about car control with the combination of no ABS, RWD and skinny tires. Eventually the brake master cylinder failed and the car was taken away to meet its maker (sad day). Mum refused to come downstairs while the car was being hoisted onto the trailer as she felt we had betrayed a member of the family by scrapping it.
I would love to have one again (when I eventually have some dry storage and if I ever find another Rosso Red Mk 1.5 1.8 GL......and if I get permission from my wife
)Still have the rear (Godfrey Davis (London Ltd)) reg plate and the original tax disc holder from the car.
E36Ross said:
I love how with all the more expensive metal on here, that a humble Sierra is still getting a lot of attention. 
Love it!!
Something very cool about the basic models that everyone has forgotten about, I have a 1991 Mk3 Fiesta 1.1 C 4 Speed. (Anyone know what the C model is?)
Correct me if I am wrong, but I always assumed that this followed some of the European model designiations. Love it!!
Something very cool about the basic models that everyone has forgotten about, I have a 1991 Mk3 Fiesta 1.1 C 4 Speed.
(Anyone know what the C model is?)So while we got things like Classic/Base/Popular/Popular plus, L, (LX), GL, (GLS), Ghia etc in Europe they had C, CL, GL, Ghia
The first Sierra I drove was a one at work for a week back in 1986, it was also Red and a diesel, thats all I can remember about it.
I have had a couple of them over the years, the last was a 2.0 GLX that was sold to my brother in law.
Its nice seeing a basic model.
I still see plenty of Cosworth Sierra's, a few of my mates have them and have qwned them for years.
I have had a couple of them over the years, the last was a 2.0 GLX that was sold to my brother in law.
Its nice seeing a basic model.
I still see plenty of Cosworth Sierra's, a few of my mates have them and have qwned them for years.
Eyersey1234 said:
Thanks. Yeah I knew they were slow sellers at first, how much was the shock of the styling and how much was the last Cortinas being sold off cheap I'm not sure. I'm not old enough to remember the Sierra when it first came out but the Mk1 Ka and Mk1 Focus were just as radical when they came out.
They had an awful lot of negative press for the first few years, names like 'jelly mould' bandied around, see at the time we were all used to square fugly cars like the Cortina, so as the cortina replacement, it was very much a shock to the system.People got over it, although I'd hazzard that Vx Cavalier probably got some extra sales at the time due to the Sierra styling.
techguyone said:
People got over it, although I'd hazzard that Vx Cavalier probably got some extra sales at the time due to the Sierra styling.
And some: outsold the Cavalier in 1983, but was comprehensively outsold by it in 1984 & 85. Interesting, as the Sierra wrapped old mechanics in a futuristic shell, whereas the Cavalier looked quite "normal" but was pretty much the first transverse front wheel drive car in the segment to have any real success.mr alan said:
We will be getting love for a 1.3 L Capri next, had the pleasure of going in one once, woefully slow and basic inside.
Oh yes the mighty 1300cc Capri L, I had one in battle ship grey, 4 speed, basic as you like for stripped everything out of that model, and even slower than you'd imagine.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff