My mate thinks there 100% the same shell but I told him there not so can some one correct me?

 

sapphire

 

2wd coss shell is the same andy

 

cheers james

 

Its unusual that there is not some small difference somewhere on shell to identify it as an original cosworth. I suppose it says something about the basic shell, that it did not need extra strengthening to cope with the extra power.

 

it probably did need strenghtening epecially the 3door ,ford just never bothered their arse

 

IIRC correctly only the 4x4's had strengthening up front for the power now going to the front end as well as the back and obviously a bigger tunnel for the transfer box and cut outs for allowing the front drive shafts not to hit the chassis when front end going down due to braking/cornering.

 

Pretty sure all the shells were modded in the same way though, so just an age change, not model specific.

 

I tried to mount a cosworth header tank to a 88 sapphire shell exactly where it would have been in the cozzy and there was no holes for it. I had to drill some.

 

A 'Cosworth' is merely a Sierra, the 3DR is a base model with a bodykit

The Escos is bespoke and only shares 3 panels with lesser models.

In the case of a Saph, it's exactly the same, the 4x4's differed, as said in that they had extra strengthening in the front wings and 'notches' cut into the shell, although all late shells had this anyway IIRC.

Martin

 

Thought I read somewhere that the Cosworth was a Ghia shell and there was a difference with the bulkhead due to air con or something??
Surely you could get a GLS with a/c though?

 

It is Ghia TRIM level, the shells are obviously the same, as you say though I believe the they are different beween those with A/C and those without.

So with that in mind it may mean there are specific A/C shells? Remember on the 4x4's A/C was an option, as was it with lesser models.

Martin

 

Do the ac pipes go through the bulk head.My saff used to have ac and the pipes went into the heater box near the battery.

ive ripped it all out now.

 

the only shell mod to the basic shell was the air con

the later shells all came with the wider 4wd transmission tunnels

 

Air con and non-air con shells are different as the bulkhead is different. They are the only differences.

 

Which is why they have to be spec'd from the factory as being ac or they will just use a normal shell (pre 90 spec was also variable with being 2wd or 4wd or the tunnel and chassis notches)