Due to the imminent arrival of a new project, my 1989 Sapphire is for sale.

Bought from Paul Linfoot at North Yorks RS Spares in April 2006, with 94,000 miles on the clock and FSH, to use as my daily driver (and only car), and project for Fast Ford magazine (how-to features and Staff Car updates). It has just gone past 103,000.

I’ve done 60 miles a day, five days a week in it since April without any problems. In the summer of 2006, PJ Motorsport reconditioned the head (the valve guides were worn) and fitted new lifters. The T3 was reconditioned as a precaution, and upgraded to Stage 2 spec by Universal Turbos at the same time.

In October I took the car up to Stu, Kenny and Nick at Motorsport Developments to have a Level 8, Evo 2 chip, and Wasted Spark Driver and coil-pack conversion fitted (the latter the best mod on the car by far). Peak boost is now 27 psi, holding 21, and it’s a perfect set-up for Fast Road use, in my opinion, blitzing lines of traffic with ease.

The chip and set-up means I regularly see 360 miles to a tank of fuel (30 mpg average), which is bloody excellent for a Cossie!

Spec as follows (entries in bold are modifications carried out under my ownership):

Engine
Dynapack’d by PJ in August 2006: 263 bhp at the hubs (298 flywheel) at 17 psi. Now running 21 psi after set-up by Motorsport Developments in October 2006.

Level 8 ECU, MSD Evo 2 chip, MSD Wasted Spark Driver and coil-pack conversion, recon 2wd head with new exhaust valves and lifters, Cometic top-end gasket set, Universal Turbos Stage 2 T3, -34 actuator, 071Cs, Piper verniers, Group A cambelt, greens, 3-bar MAP sensor, Nomad dump valve, Radtec RS500-style intercooler, Radtec alloy radiator, Samco/Roose/PJ hoses in red, Ramair filter, Bailey header tank, swirl pot and Group A-style breather set-up, Bailey turbo damper, full stainless Mongoose with 4 inch tailpipe.

Transmission
Standard. T5 has a receipt for a recon in late 2005.
Box feels and changes up very well for a T5. Changing down from fifth to fourth can be awkward if you’re (to quote the late John Coyles) a bit gay on the gearchange. Treat it firmly (or double declutch) and it’s fine. It had this quirk when I bought the car from Paul, and it’s never bothered me enough to do anything about it.

Suspension
Full Koni kit, alloy front strut brace, R&B Motorsport Group A-style diff hanger

Brakes
Grooved standard-size discs all round, Mintex pads.

Wheels and tyres
Very good standard alloys with Yoko A539s

Interior
Standard cloth trim, Nomad boost and oil pressure gauges mounted in place of the clock, Autostyle fitted floormats in Anthracite
Trim generally in very good condition. There is a small cigarette burn in the centre of the passenger’s seat, and the stitching has started to come away on the driver’s side bolster.

Body
In Flint Grey, 4x4 bonnet, delocked driver and passenger doors, Renault Laguna front splitter.
Shell in good condition, couple of spots on the offside rear arch, no scratches. It’s had a back panel at some point, but it’s a proper job. The paint on the bonnet has crazed (only visible up close). I can happily live with it.

Security
Laserline alarm
Vecta immobiliser (with installation certificate).

HPI clear, six former keepers.
Mot’d until April 23, 2007.
Tax’d until April 30, 2007.

Bits and pieces:
The turbo water feed inlet pipe has fractured and is currently blanked off. As T-series turbos can happily run without water cooling, I was going to permanently blank it off by welding up the outlet on the thermostat housing. A replacement pipe is supplied if you’d rather return it to standard.
The driver’s side electric window drops on one side if you try and lower it, I’ve not yet had the chance to take the door trim off to investigate.
The cam cover gasket is weeping.
The air filter to turbo pipe is currently blue, the correct red one will be supplied with the car.

Comes with a huge file full of history and a mountain of receipts (even for nuts and bolts!), 12 years of MoT certificates, the original handbook and service book, plus all the issues of Fast Ford the car has appeared in. I’ll also throw in a year’s subscription to the magazine.

This is by far the best car I’ve owned to date – the quickest and ironically the most practical. It’s a tool and a half.

More pics and info can be found here: http://www.passionford.com/forum/gar...vehicle&CID=32

If seriously interested, please call me on 07971 970867 rather than PM as I rarely pick them up. Car is located in Stroud, Gloucestershire – 10 minutes from the M5, junction 13.

Simon

 

looks like a nice car.

honest write up which is exactly what you need when buying a cossie.

should be a good solid car for someone

 

Will sell very quick Simon.

Good luck with the sale

Whats the new project ?????

Steve.

 

Remember when this was for sale- I was looking and both me and Tiff thought it would be a good car. Glad it was.

Best of luck with the sale.

Jake

 

why cant all cars be advertised with a write up like that!

good luck!!!!!

 

exactley !

 

top man wif a top car

 

Good luck with the sale mate

 

thats nice

any pics of the inside and boot floor please?

 

Simon

sorry to see its going

This is a great car and looks stunning when clean ,,lol,,

This is a very cheap car if you look whats been done since you bought it .

Anyone interested should go and look asap as this car wont be for sale for very long

Best of look with the new project simon

Paul

 

Looks a nice car Simon, big spec for little money!

 

i want i want!

 

This is a good car as i used to own very quick and not rottern, a lot of money has been spent on this car it`s a BARGAIN wish i had room for it.

 

instead of doing any welding,just run the water pipe from the header tank over the cam cover and then down into the thermostat housing,then just remove the pipes fitted to the turbo

you can just see how i did it on my old car


lovely looking car by the way,best of luck with the sale

 

Martin, you are a bloody genius - why didn't I think of that!

 

simon, you got any pics of the inside please

 

Sure, give me a couple of days.