1983 Ford Sierra BASE (Poverty/UN Spec)
Discussion
My grandad used to have a very nice (at the time!) Sierra back in the early-mid 90s. It was a 2.0i GLS in white with the big rubbery spoiler on the back.
Like the below, but in white.
As a kid, i remember feeling it was very sporty inside and out and a lot more special than our (at the time) Montego 1.6 L!
Trouble is, so did lots of others and the car was stolen outside a pub in Chester Le Street on a busy road in broad daylight!
Like the below, but in white.
As a kid, i remember feeling it was very sporty inside and out and a lot more special than our (at the time) Montego 1.6 L!
Trouble is, so did lots of others and the car was stolen outside a pub in Chester Le Street on a busy road in broad daylight!
Growing up, my mum had a poverty spec C reg 1.6 Cavalier, radio but no tape. One wing mirror, manual everything, 4 speed, no rear seat belts, no tacho. A sort of olive green, with half vinyl interior in a sort of brown.
In its early days it munched through camshafts, a known issue, something to do with the oil spray pattern in the head. It ultimately got replaced with an aftermarket performance one (very unlike my Dad) which lasted for the life of the car.
Fairly early on my sister managed to lock the keys in the boot. Mum's friend's husband was the supervisor at the local vauxhall garage, who popped home at lunch to pick the lock and rescue the keys. Neither my brother or I couldn't understand why my dad wasn't impressed that his angelic 12 and 13 year old boys were able to break into the car in sub 5 seconds... Not sure if he was least impressed with our new skills, or the cars security.
Both my brother and I learnt to drive in it, after which point it was driven with less care... It would do an indicated 60 in 2nd, and on a private road on a Christmas day managed an indicated 127mph on the way back from my grandparents!
Car was sold with just under 100,000 on the clock, the whole family doing shifts on the final day to try and get it back to 00000 before the garage shut.
A few years later I tried to buy one of the very last Sierras at Newport auctions. It was mint, low miles, garaged from new and owned by a lady Eastern European minor royalty who used it when visiting the UK. I was jumping up and down when it came through, as were a couple of others, but they weren't taking any bids. Guess one of the staff wanted it...
In its early days it munched through camshafts, a known issue, something to do with the oil spray pattern in the head. It ultimately got replaced with an aftermarket performance one (very unlike my Dad) which lasted for the life of the car.
Fairly early on my sister managed to lock the keys in the boot. Mum's friend's husband was the supervisor at the local vauxhall garage, who popped home at lunch to pick the lock and rescue the keys. Neither my brother or I couldn't understand why my dad wasn't impressed that his angelic 12 and 13 year old boys were able to break into the car in sub 5 seconds... Not sure if he was least impressed with our new skills, or the cars security.
Both my brother and I learnt to drive in it, after which point it was driven with less care... It would do an indicated 60 in 2nd, and on a private road on a Christmas day managed an indicated 127mph on the way back from my grandparents!
Car was sold with just under 100,000 on the clock, the whole family doing shifts on the final day to try and get it back to 00000 before the garage shut.
A few years later I tried to buy one of the very last Sierras at Newport auctions. It was mint, low miles, garaged from new and owned by a lady Eastern European minor royalty who used it when visiting the UK. I was jumping up and down when it came through, as were a couple of others, but they weren't taking any bids. Guess one of the staff wanted it...
I'm fairly sure I follow you on Instagram and have read the blog, or GVG has changed hands. Whatever the case may be, as a fellow Sierra owner, I applaud you. Mine is a 1991 GLS so in a way they're worlds apart, but that this is a Base model makes it so very exciting. That it spent so long being 'just a car' in the hands of its previous owners is rather interesting: while it might have just been a car, clearly they cared enough to keep it legal rather than trading it in for something newer. And who can blame them? Even now a Sierra is a pleasant drive.
I see a few about but, like mine, they're kept mostly as weekend cars for pleasure. None as early as this, and certainly none as storied.
This is probably my favourite thread on PH and, as others have said, wonderful writing too. All the very best with the Sierra.
I see a few about but, like mine, they're kept mostly as weekend cars for pleasure. None as early as this, and certainly none as storied.
This is probably my favourite thread on PH and, as others have said, wonderful writing too. All the very best with the Sierra.
Don't be a hater but Dad worked for Ford so these were company cars. I reckon our first one must have been a Ghia (possibly a GLS) and it was the first car we owned that had a radio that was truly magical. I say magical, actually it had RDS but in the world of an 8yr old, nothing else displayed the station name, let alone randomly burst forth with traffic news.
We then moved onto the epic XR 4x4. It was supposed to arrive in the winter but instead arrived in the spring. I suppose it might have been fast but all I remember is my father sobbing every time we went to a petrol station. It didn't stay long.
We then moved onto the epic XR 4x4. It was supposed to arrive in the winter but instead arrived in the spring. I suppose it might have been fast but all I remember is my father sobbing every time we went to a petrol station. It didn't stay long.
Mr Tidy said:
Levin, I don't want to hi-jack this thread - do you have one on your car?
I bought a 1991 silver Sapphire GLSi in 1993 and kept it until 1997 so would love to hear about one that is still around! Sadly H815 NJN has no MOT history on the gov.uk website.
I don't have a thread running on mine, but if you'd like to know more I could give the PH messaging thing a go and send a picture or two your way? I've thought about making a thread for it before but so little changes that I'd never have any interesting updates. Agreeing with you on not wanting to hijack this thread because I want to come back and see more updates about the Base!I bought a 1991 silver Sapphire GLSi in 1993 and kept it until 1997 so would love to hear about one that is still around! Sadly H815 NJN has no MOT history on the gov.uk website.
My dad had one very similar, FVC91Y. It was the first car I drove on a public road. However it was slightly upmarket in that it was a 1.6L ... so basically it was the same, with a radio and a body-coloured front grill.
He looked after it immaculately and we got some reasonable money for it when he passed away in 1992. The one thing I do remember was that for a 75hp engine it was useless on fuel ...
He looked after it immaculately and we got some reasonable money for it when he passed away in 1992. The one thing I do remember was that for a 75hp engine it was useless on fuel ...
There was a time when 80's cars like this,Montego's,m2 Cav's,etc would make me think why the f
k are you driving that ste.
Time has moved on and when they do make a rare appearance it brings a smile to my face.
The 80's had some crap times but they also had some brilliant one's for me.
By the way I own an 1981 Tr7 and that happens to be crap and fantastic at the same time.!
Well done chap,stuff like this is a part of our heritage.
k are you driving that ste.Time has moved on and when they do make a rare appearance it brings a smile to my face.
The 80's had some crap times but they also had some brilliant one's for me.
By the way I own an 1981 Tr7 and that happens to be crap and fantastic at the same time.!
Well done chap,stuff like this is a part of our heritage.
olly22n said:
Glorious!
But I have to pull you up on the front plate - a modern font has no place on that Sierra!
Minimal maintenance to use and preserve, please!
I concur with the number plate. The original was replaced by the previous owner and not kept. DMB can replicate it but they have recently started to ask for both paternal grandparents to be present along with evidence of residency before doing plates now.But I have to pull you up on the front plate - a modern font has no place on that Sierra!
Minimal maintenance to use and preserve, please!
It won’t be minimal maintenance; I’m not filling a rusty s
t holed door full of pudding when a replacement is £40. But it’s never ever going to be a show winner - it’s way too far gone and I do like the character of some bits like the dash. Ultimately, it just needs to be brought back to nice condition and then I’ll let the paintwork all calm down uniformly over the next few years.
There will be more updates coming soon. Money is at a premium at the moment as I’ve accidentally accumulated 7 cars and I’ve just paid a tax bill of £14000. God only knows how much Sierra that would have bought in 83.
Edited by BorniteIdentity on Monday 15th January 20:35
Great story, utterly standard car but it's understandably getting the right amount of love.
My mum had one for 10 years, red and grey interior with that curious grey fabric containing flecks of turquise, red and orange that I found fascinating. It took us all over Europe, some photos exist somewhere of it trudging through snow and sweltering France. I remember fondly dropping my live beetle collection in the back seat and having them (correctly) attack me for trapping them near Provence, and it's only breakdown being due to a suicidal badger on the A303.
It only left us as my Dad finally qualified for a company car and we had a shiny Mondeo on the release year, also predictably in startling red. My mum cried as we drove away.
My mum had one for 10 years, red and grey interior with that curious grey fabric containing flecks of turquise, red and orange that I found fascinating. It took us all over Europe, some photos exist somewhere of it trudging through snow and sweltering France. I remember fondly dropping my live beetle collection in the back seat and having them (correctly) attack me for trapping them near Provence, and it's only breakdown being due to a suicidal badger on the A303.
It only left us as my Dad finally qualified for a company car and we had a shiny Mondeo on the release year, also predictably in startling red. My mum cried as we drove away.
MJK 24 said:
KillerHERTZ said:
Waaaaayy before that, mid 90s I reckon.
Possibly correct for the earlier models but the Sierra was still on sale in 1992. On that basis early 2000's is about right for the later models to throw their hand in.Interestingly, i've noticed that it's a far more regular occourance to spot a Sierra being run than a MK1 mondeo. It could be down to people being more fond of them at the 'future classic' stage - but I have a pet theory that when the MK1 mondeo hit the sub £500 mark they got scrapped at the first sight of the price of a clutch change, so there are far less banger-phase survivors.
Wow cool.
My Dad had an 83 2.3 diesel one, bought it nearly new in 84 maybe. It was an off-red orange shade, looks very similar to this one... maybe... but surely all the red ones would be orange by now?
And probably the same wheels, but with hub caps with the multiple small holes all around the edges...
54bhp too haha. What an engine!
I'm amazed any still exist. They disappeared from most scrap yards by the late 90s. Rust rust rust.
Has this one been stored somewhere dry? I can only assume that if it has been a workhorse all along, it's spent it's evenings dry and cosy?
My Dad had an 83 2.3 diesel one, bought it nearly new in 84 maybe. It was an off-red orange shade, looks very similar to this one... maybe... but surely all the red ones would be orange by now?
And probably the same wheels, but with hub caps with the multiple small holes all around the edges...
54bhp too haha. What an engine!
I'm amazed any still exist. They disappeared from most scrap yards by the late 90s. Rust rust rust.
Has this one been stored somewhere dry? I can only assume that if it has been a workhorse all along, it's spent it's evenings dry and cosy?
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