Oldest Rally Sierra. Time for some tlc
04-03-2011, 11:14 PM
#1
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
Oldest Rally Sierra. Time for some tlc
Hi Troops,
I was going to add new info to a thread I started awhile ago, but it has vanished for some reason
So I'll start a new thread, now that Hyacynth (dont ask) has finally been dragged in from playing outside for a scrub behind the ears.
Her vital statistics are:
Built in 1983 by CG ford in cumbria from a new shell lifted from the line at ford.
CG ford along with R.E.D. were the first two companies to experiment with the new sierra that had been released the previous year. ( the two firms liased on suspension designs and set up.)
The designs of both cars icorporated a lot of known and proven hardware. both ran bd engines ( a turbo charged bdt in the R.E.D car and a normally asperated bdg in the CG Ford ) and zf gearboxes.
Works escort grp 4 suspension was coupled with heavily modified sierra arms and beams.
The back end was kept in check by a Jag 9" lsd (no grp A yet)
The R.E.D car
The CG Ford car
The CG ford car (this one) was driven by Dougie Watson-Clark for 84 and 85 before passing through the ownership of quite a few other drivers.
The R.E.D car was driven by Louise Aitken-walker in 2wd and then was converted to 4wd for Willie Rutherford.
The R.E.D car hasnt been seen for a long time. It is belived to still have the ally cage fitted which would mean it had been retired from active duty a long time ago.
The Cg ford has always been rwd.
I asked Dougie W-C about the arches and he said they were hand made in ally by a local fitter when they built the car.
At some point in her life her ally cage was renewed with a steel one when the regs changed.
Also early in her life the zf went west followed by the bd. These were upgraded to a cossy motor and getrag rally and then touring car box.
She retired in 2000.
Over the years she had morphed to look more and more like a cossy
When I got her I thought she was a cossy with funny back windows
Anyway for the last 10 yrs she has been running round as a slightly toned down old lady.
So here we go,
She moved into her new temp home and made herself comfortable.
First job was to find out how bad everything was, as she had been left for a long time under a tarp unloved.
She isnt as bad as I had feared, but is looking pretty sorry for herself.
In the last photo you can see the handmade exhaust and monster propshaft. (it dosnt need to be bolted at the front, you just unscrew it )
I love the quick release exhaust joints and rubber hangers, the only bolts are at the turbo end.
The rear beam strangely dosnt twist about it's axis, check the sheet steel welded to it and bolted to the floor. The ends of the beam have the circle welded up and a huge bolt up into the floor too.
The rear arms have so much extra metal welded to them
After a quick check, it was job one: Will the bleed nipples open on the aps or sheer off. Joy , they all snapped open.
2nd job was, whilst the engine and box are still in place sort out why the engine has always been skewed in the bay.
You can see it here.
The bars are just laid on to show paralell. I took the gearbox mount off, (see above) and realised it wasnt the lugs at the bottom, it is just that the tunnel is too thin for the box to sit straight in. It was cut and raised for the zf box when it was built but the getrag was just fitted "as it would"
It was about now that I had to go and have a cuppa and a ponder on the possibles.
1, cut the tunnel to allow the box to move over (and up) or
2, lift the box and motor out and put a bdg and thinner zf in.
I'll just have a look under the mattress and see if there is £20,00 there.
I was going to add new info to a thread I started awhile ago, but it has vanished for some reason
So I'll start a new thread, now that Hyacynth (dont ask) has finally been dragged in from playing outside for a scrub behind the ears.
Her vital statistics are:
Built in 1983 by CG ford in cumbria from a new shell lifted from the line at ford.
CG ford along with R.E.D. were the first two companies to experiment with the new sierra that had been released the previous year. ( the two firms liased on suspension designs and set up.)
The designs of both cars icorporated a lot of known and proven hardware. both ran bd engines ( a turbo charged bdt in the R.E.D car and a normally asperated bdg in the CG Ford ) and zf gearboxes.
Works escort grp 4 suspension was coupled with heavily modified sierra arms and beams.
The back end was kept in check by a Jag 9" lsd (no grp A yet)
The R.E.D car
The CG Ford car
The CG ford car (this one) was driven by Dougie Watson-Clark for 84 and 85 before passing through the ownership of quite a few other drivers.
The R.E.D car was driven by Louise Aitken-walker in 2wd and then was converted to 4wd for Willie Rutherford.
The R.E.D car hasnt been seen for a long time. It is belived to still have the ally cage fitted which would mean it had been retired from active duty a long time ago.
The Cg ford has always been rwd.
I asked Dougie W-C about the arches and he said they were hand made in ally by a local fitter when they built the car.
At some point in her life her ally cage was renewed with a steel one when the regs changed.
Also early in her life the zf went west followed by the bd. These were upgraded to a cossy motor and getrag rally and then touring car box.
She retired in 2000.
Over the years she had morphed to look more and more like a cossy
When I got her I thought she was a cossy with funny back windows
Anyway for the last 10 yrs she has been running round as a slightly toned down old lady.
So here we go,
She moved into her new temp home and made herself comfortable.
First job was to find out how bad everything was, as she had been left for a long time under a tarp unloved.
She isnt as bad as I had feared, but is looking pretty sorry for herself.
In the last photo you can see the handmade exhaust and monster propshaft. (it dosnt need to be bolted at the front, you just unscrew it )
I love the quick release exhaust joints and rubber hangers, the only bolts are at the turbo end.
The rear beam strangely dosnt twist about it's axis,
check the sheet steel welded to it and bolted to the floor. The ends of the beam have the circle welded up and a huge bolt up into the floor too.The rear arms have so much extra metal welded to them
After a quick check, it was job one: Will the bleed nipples open on the aps or sheer off. Joy , they all snapped open.
2nd job was, whilst the engine and box are still in place sort out why the engine has always been skewed in the bay.
You can see it here.
The bars are just laid on to show paralell. I took the gearbox mount off, (see above) and realised it wasnt the lugs at the bottom, it is just that the tunnel is too thin for the box to sit straight in. It was cut and raised for the zf box when it was built but the getrag was just fitted "as it would"
It was about now that I had to go and have a cuppa and a ponder on the possibles.
1, cut the tunnel to allow the box to move over (and up) or
2, lift the box and motor out and put a bdg and thinner zf in.
I'll just have a look under the mattress and see if there is £20,00 there.
Last edited by baz walton; 04-03-2011 at 11:16 PM.
05-03-2011, 10:07 AM
#6
10K+ Poster!!
What a cool car, I look foward to seeing how this one comes along.
05-03-2011, 11:09 AM
#7
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
Cheers troops,
Mark, the diff is a 4ha from very early jags.
When the car was first built it ran 15" wheels and to get some sort of usable ratios the crown wheel and pinion were lifted from a dumper truck.
Mark, the diff is a 4ha from very early jags.
When the car was first built it ran 15" wheels and to get some sort of usable ratios the crown wheel and pinion were lifted from a dumper truck.
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05-03-2011, 11:27 AM
#8
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
Here's a few pics of the flight deck 
The dash is hinged at the bottom and folds down to access the electrics and mice and lord lucan
Speaking of "in car" here's a quick trip up the road in her:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Bazwalton?feature=mhsn
More handmade bits and bobs,
The intercooler leads me to belive that the turbocharged enginge was put in again before grp A, as you don't go to all the trouble of making that if there is one available off the shelf.
The doors she is wearing are just to keep mother nature out. Her originals are in my bedroom (obviously
)
These are them fitted (to the car, not my bedroom)
And in the boot is this neat tool holder, from a works escort
The dash is hinged at the bottom and folds down to access the electrics and mice and lord lucan
Speaking of "in car" here's a quick trip up the road in her:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Bazwalton?feature=mhsn
More handmade bits and bobs,
The intercooler leads me to belive that the turbocharged enginge was put in again before grp A, as you don't go to all the trouble of making that if there is one available off the shelf.
The doors she is wearing are just to keep mother nature out. Her originals are in my bedroom (obviously
)These are them fitted (to the car, not my bedroom)
And in the boot is this neat tool holder, from a works escort
06-03-2011, 05:28 PM
#12
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
@Steve,
It's tempting to, but current plan is evrything working and clean then decide on a role for her. So I'm thinking powdercoated parts etc and frozen white re-spray first.
It's tempting to, but current plan is evrything working and clean then decide on a role for her. So I'm thinking powdercoated parts etc and frozen white re-spray first.
06-03-2011, 07:11 PM
#17
10K+ Poster!!
Can't beat a purposeful interior like that, any idea what was in the missing hole in the switchpanel in the centre console.
06-03-2011, 07:29 PM
#18
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Thread Starter
@markk, very close, 1983 
@ gjh, thats where the boost gauge was, it's now in the main dash. When I can get a new (old style) speedo sorted it will go on the dash on the right, the rev counter will go back to the left and the boost gauge back in the ctr console. It has all changed round so many times over the years as the spec grew and older componants died.
@ gjh, thats where the boost gauge was, it's now in the main dash. When I can get a new (old style) speedo sorted it will go on the dash on the right, the rev counter will go back to the left and the boost gauge back in the ctr console. It has all changed round so many times over the years as the spec grew and older componants died.
06-03-2011, 08:38 PM
#19
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
A few of the other old photos of her I have,
Dougie Watson-Clark in 84/85
That last shot is my favourite of her.
A short clip of her lifted from the "story of the sierra cosworth" video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpNEZcmsX9E
And Chris Beddows around 89
Dougie Watson-Clark in 84/85
That last shot is my favourite of her.
A short clip of her lifted from the "story of the sierra cosworth" video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpNEZcmsX9E
And Chris Beddows around 89
Last edited by baz walton; 06-03-2011 at 08:44 PM.
08-03-2011, 09:51 AM
#24
Never seen anything of these before, though it is a bit before my era of interest.
Nice piece of history that. I think I'd try and keep it original. Does the "wonky" gearbox effect its operation? I'd be very dubious about chopping up the tunnel and things, I'd rather keep it original myself!
Nice piece of history that. I think I'd try and keep it original. Does the "wonky" gearbox effect its operation? I'd be very dubious about chopping up the tunnel and things, I'd rather keep it original myself!
08-03-2011, 11:46 AM
#26
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
Cheers Troops,
@massive, I'm looking into that at the mo, I don't want to alter the tunnel if I can help it, but my plan has always been a road/track car. so the box being straight would certainly help matters.
I have alway had this battle between what I want and what the car is. ( I even have a pair of rear cossy windows and surrounding metalwork that were nearly put in a few yrs back).
The cars heratige has always stopped me doing anything irrevesable though
Whilst a fully rebuilt and gleaming Rally car is a lovely thing, it isnt what I can justify renting a garage just to home.
As Paul (rs yorkshire spares) would confirm, up untill a week or so before the start of the restoration, I was talking to a few people about a possible swop for and escort or 3dr road car.
I just didnt want to part with her as a resto project, I want to see her in her sunday best before deciding.
Also the thought of selling her on and then finding someone had broken her up to sell off the parts, would be horrible. ( be like selling your dog to the chinese round the corner)
Maybe a museum or suchlike might want her
Anyway, was doing some more on monday, updates later.
@massive, I'm looking into that at the mo, I don't want to alter the tunnel if I can help it, but my plan has always been a road/track car. so the box being straight would certainly help matters.
I have alway had this battle between what I want and what the car is. ( I even have a pair of rear cossy windows and surrounding metalwork that were nearly put in a few yrs back).
The cars heratige has always stopped me doing anything irrevesable though
Whilst a fully rebuilt and gleaming Rally car is a lovely thing, it isnt what I can justify renting a garage just to home.
As Paul (rs yorkshire spares) would confirm, up untill a week or so before the start of the restoration, I was talking to a few people about a possible swop for and escort or 3dr road car.
I just didnt want to part with her as a resto project, I want to see her in her sunday best before deciding.
Also the thought of selling her on and then finding someone had broken her up to sell off the parts, would be horrible. ( be like selling your dog to the chinese round the corner)
Maybe a museum or suchlike might want her
Anyway, was doing some more on monday, updates later.
08-03-2011, 12:04 PM
#28
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Cool project! I LOVE the look from the front!
Might be a stupid question, but whats the deal with having a speedo on the passenger side (second pic of the 'flight deck')?? So the co-driver can see how fast they're going or something (not sure id actually want to know to be honest!)?
Might be a stupid question, but whats the deal with having a speedo on the passenger side (second pic of the 'flight deck')?? So the co-driver can see how fast they're going or something (not sure id actually want to know to be honest!)?
08-03-2011, 03:13 PM
#32
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Thread Starter
@matt,
The original speedo that was in the dash on the right was knackered, so when I put a lap timer/stopwatch in from brantz I got one with a speedo to keep plod happy.
But I never look over to see the speed, (I'd probably dissapoint myself)
The original speedo that was in the dash on the right was knackered, so when I put a lap timer/stopwatch in from brantz I got one with a speedo to keep plod happy.
But I never look over to see the speed, (I'd probably dissapoint myself)
08-03-2011, 03:43 PM
#33
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Thread Starter
Update from monday night,
Started lifting off stuff to get a butchers up close and personal.
Her slot together exhaust
Sump gaurd and brackets
Once bumper and grill were away
then the inside started getting a bit of a clear
The box in the middle of the last pic hides the battery
Started lifting off stuff to get a butchers up close and personal.
Her slot together exhaust
Sump gaurd and brackets
Once bumper and grill were away
then the inside started getting a bit of a clear
The box in the middle of the last pic hides the battery
08-03-2011, 05:36 PM
#35
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
@lewis,
No mate, she's had one on in the past (I still have it somewhere)
She'll either have her mrk1 sierra grill or the original mk1 xr4 grill she had when she was built.
No mate, she's had one on in the past (I still have it somewhere)
She'll either have her mrk1 sierra grill or the original mk1 xr4 grill she had when she was built.
09-03-2011, 10:18 PM
#38
Rock Out!!
Thread Starter
Tonights update,
Got the front part stripped.
The front discs and bells, or top hats as they are called, due to their depth.
not certain what the bells are from or if they were handmade for the car.
Front AP's, very old.
The front uprights, with welded on brackets for the ap's.
Thanks for all the interest so far, hope you are all enjoying the blast from the past
Got the front part stripped.
The front discs and bells, or top hats as they are called, due to their depth.
not certain what the bells are from or if they were handmade for the car.
Front AP's, very old.
The front uprights, with welded on brackets for the ap's.
Thanks for all the interest so far, hope you are all enjoying the blast from the past
