now being new ish to the ford world and not really having a massive knowledge of cosworth's im looking at buying one in the next few months. i reackon i'll have about 3500-4000 for a saph but not sure weather to buy a 4wd or a 2wd one. what are the pros and cons of each apart from 4wd better grip for bends and quick pull aways. and 2wd good for drifting. any help and comment is welcome

 

best advice is to go out in one of each, as they both have a very differant feel.

but it depends very much what you are after, at the time i bought mine ( a 4x4 ) i wanted a car that i could drive all year round come rain or shine, i love it to bits, but you loose a bit of the raw feel and depending how fast you want to go it can become very expensive on the gearbox front.

imo

RWD
More exhilerating (sp?) drive, take more power/ stupid when its wet

4x4
very usable all year round/ limited by gear box unless you have mega money

 

wise comments above


4x4 is the best built one,nicest to drive as a normal car,better engine wise,cooling etc,thicker roll bars,vented rear brakes,better turbo,stronger block

but i had 2 before i bought the rwd and wouldnt look back now


dont think a 4x4 will be in better nick cause its newer,both my 4x4 saphs had sills and chassis legs welded,where my 3-door sat looking sorry for itself for 5 years in a drive and the chassis legs were solid

although other areas now showing signs of age

defo drive both see what you think

everybody says the t5 box in rwd is great and good for 400bhp,but i dont know anyone who has one that didint crunch syncros etc

both my 4x4 saphs were stage 3 and both mt75s took it,but anything over that youd have to spend the same as buying the car again on a decent box

 

look at lots !as with your price range you will have to choose very carefully!







btw 2wd for me!

 

4x4

 

meaning its not really a lot of money to buy one with?????

 

that just sums it up

 

I have a 4x4 but time over again I'd buy a 2WD, which I am considering doing. Purely for the fact that I am the point of having a reliable trasmission, and a decent 4x4 setup is big bucks. Really depends what power you want and how long you want to keep it for, if it's long term i's say RWD as you'll get bored of the BHP and want more and more and more and that just eats 4x4 boxes etc...

 

Smart words above - not much to add. I drove 20 saffs before deciding (must have driven the sellers mad) and agree with all that is said. I wanted the raw feel of the driving experience and the 4x4 didn't deliver as well on that front for me.

Lets face it tho - both are fantastic cars and at that price!!!!

 

try saving up or borrowing another Ł1000 and this should give you a much better choice of car to buy wont get so many donkeys in that price range.
My first cossie was 4x4 now im going to rwd as said with above to many problem with box when want more power and trust me !!! you will want more

 

i reckon you'd need at least 5k for a tidy saff, in either 2wd or 4x4.

having owned a 4wd and driven my mates 2wd i'll give you my opinion.

4wd. feels more modern with the newer black dash (92 facelift). Leather is far more common, and aircon models with all electrics are easier to find. the car drives nicely but the gearbox can be a pain, dont go above 350-360bhp unless you have mega money to buy a new box if you drive it hard. the drive itself inspires more confidence as it has loads of grip, but can feel a little odd if you are used to RWD. greentop engines with the level8 ecu are closed loop, have more options for tuning (anti-lag, launch etc) and as standard (not that there are many left) offer better fuel economy.

2wd. They drive a little nicer, you can drive them like a hooligan and its great fun, they also feel faster (and are) than an equivalent power 4wd. they are dangerous in the wet. the inside feels a little more dated with the older dash and there is no air-con option, though leather is quite common where people have swapped it in. the engine in the earlier model requires a few mods to make similar to the 4wd for econmony purposes, but fundamantally is the same. the box in the 2wd (t5) is more bullet broof (450+bhp) and the gear change is far superior, but drive it like a hooligan, and you'll be buying a new rear diff every week.

hope this helps you make up your mind, i could talk about this for hours, but only so much time at work to type on here

 

2wd all day long, i was the same as you when i bought mine, I didn't know anything about them, I went and looked at a shagged 4x4 for 3 grand and it was a pile of wank! Then found a 2wd within 10miles of my house , i paid Ł4300, it had a fresh rebuild, greens, 3 bar map sensor and stage 2 chip! second day of ownership i took it to the rollers, got 325bhp, have only blown up 2 diffs from donuts in 30k! but these were cheap Ł200 ones! You have to be very sensible with 2wd on corners in the wet unless you are a DRIFT KING and lucky, but they can take some abuse and are qucker of the mark than 4x4's untill you get to silly bhp or its WET!

 

well ive been trying to do some sums i think with selling all my vauxhall stuff i should get about 4500ish and i can probably boro a bit so fingers crossed i'll have nearly 5k for one. dont want silly bhp under 300bhp i'll be happy with around 250 mark.

 

i tell you now steve its nice having 360 ish bhp make a good fun drive but a cossie i look after for a local chap is just 2wd t3 turbo greens 24 psi a 500 cooler and its such a pleasure to drive quirky punchy and above all very reliable at 300 bhp

 

Steve, glad your seeing the light.....

Firstly what sort of power are you wanting to go for, because even at stage 3 (330bhp) 4wd boxes are right on their power level (ask smit!!!) and it will depend how you drive it as to how it will last.
Secondly take some one with you that knows cossie's and what to look for with regards rust and engine, to be honest probably best taking someone like Smit or Steve Crooks as they will at least be able to point you in the right direction when you look at one.

Thirdly.... be prepared for some hefty repair bills if it breaks...

 

I have a 4x4 saph and as said before the gearboxes are the weak point, so i converted my to 2wd for a couple of months with the same stage three setup,,,,,,, what a nightmare to drive in the damp, gear changes were not as nice as the quick shift 4x4 box. Had my bit of fun with it,, nearly lost it many times when your pushed by other boy racers, so put it back to 4x4 . Horses for courses, does depend on how its going to be used.

 

was thinking no more than 300bhp to start. i did hear smit's had a few problems with his.

yeah i wanna take some one who knows what to look for coz apart from looking for the obvious as you do with all cars i dont really no what are common things to look for on them.

 

2wd isnt quicker off the line than 4x4 as mentioned,load a 4x4 up and drop the clutch it wil launch like fek

and its a myth that the t5 box is bullet proof

the only reason t5s last longer than mt75s is the wheelspin

 

can understand the 4x4 as its the same as my old calibra turbo that used to be 4wd used to pull away well and was awesome on windy roads.

and the gearbox/wheels spin bit does make sense i sopose when you think about it col cos.

i went to see rossco this morning and was talking to him about cossie's as he's got a 2wd and i think thats what im gonna go for. i know i dont want silly power to start (250bhp ish mark) but its something i wanna keep for quite a while so if i do start going down the bigger turbo route etc and start getting close to the 400bhp mark (maybe more) the last i want to be doing is spending shed loads on uprated transfer box''s and having the same problems smit has had previously. i hope this makes sense

 

excellent choice buddy

 

Same dilemma here...
What's involved in converting a 4x4 to rwd?
Sounds like the best of all worlds, later engine, interior etc etc, and rwd for more power.

 

If you haven't made your mind up by the time Steve has done my rails i'll take u out for a blast...

The last vauxhall related person i took out for a PROPER drive prompty sold his concours vauxhall and got an rally EVO... 9 months later it had 580bhp

It's a slippery slope

 

2wd really.I drive mine all year round and if you fit 235/40 tyres wheel spin isnt that bad in the wet.

 

cool ta smit

 

in australia maybe,ive got 235s and mine gets loss of traction in the dry in 2nd never mind the wet

 

for a 1st cossy i think that a 4x4 is a better driver and its defo more useable all year round,
2wd's are just suicide on wheels in the winter unless you're very talented or drive it like a poof

 

Some people don't half talk bollox , 2wd is NOT lethal in the wet, you just have to be able to drive, not throw it around like a gibbon stamping on and off the power .....

have you ever driven ANY RWD performance cars before?

 

i've had 2 2wd's a m3, gts skyline, i could go on, i'm not talking about me i was refering to somebody who has never sampled a 2wd coming on boost halfway round a wet roundabout

 

So they come on boost by themselves ? magic Learn some throttle control... I know what you are getting at though, after 2 wreks I banned my mate from getting another 2wd, told him he was more suited to 4x4 .. I just hate people slagging 2wd cars off when they are the problem, not the car

 

i have a 4x4 wish i never bought it parts are bloody expensive for it compare to the 2wd

go with 2wd if you dont have the money to service it

 

I agree with will..

a cars only dangerous in the wet if you drive like a cunt and cant control it. Otherwise there perfectly fine in the wet weather. Simple as it sounds really get a 2wd and learn to ease your right foot off abit in the wet??

 

Its a long time since I drove a 2wd cossie (although I have fun in the wet in the glsi with its shitty tyres ) we would take you in the 4x4 but its not running right was a rwd was looking to buy recently, not really out of choice, just it was a bargin - you can still get the back end to go in the 4x4's though

Z

 

We have a 2wd at the moment, it is a real fun car but i prefer the drive of a 4x4.

Its in the for sale section

 

thats the best car ive been trying to tell people for years

 

Any info on what's involved to do this mate?

 

if its your first big powered car DONT GET A RWD COSSIE!

turbo'd rwd is bad enough but rwd cosworths are a dangerous thing, need alot of experience imo to drive em. when things go side ways you need some serious talent to hod em.

4x4 transmission problems. hard launches can fuck the box and that aint cheap to fix!

but personally id take the rwd

 

why are they dangerous? Some people don't half talk out of their arse

 

learn some throttle control?
i've got an international racing licence you muppet, i'll outdrive you any place anytime
as i said already i'm not talking about me(just for the record i actualy prefer 2wd's as well)
i was advising that in my opinion a 4x4 would be a better 1st cossy but as you've clearly got your 2wd blinkers on your sounding off without any facts
: angry::a ngry:

 

and if its the sideways and drifting that your into then a 4x4 set up right can drift and hang the back end no prob without any fancy diffs or box's

 

Did you miss the bit where I said " I know what you are getting at though"

having a race licence dosn't make you a good driver does it