I'm Currently in the process of putting my 4wd saff back on the road as an everyday road car as quite frankly my rs2k is just too impractical when you've got two kids.

I've currently got stage 3 spec ie chip, greens, t34, 500 cooler, etc and i was wondering if this kind of spec will be fine for a car that will do a fair but of running around etc, ie real world driving.

I'll be running a Grp A head gasket.

 

Keep a good oil in it, keep the boost down, keep your foot of the floor.No probs!!!!!!! Bit borin though eh!

 

Hmm!!!

Keeping the boost down maybe a problem for me tho!

 

It will be fine. Cossie have a bad reputation for breaking down and being unreliable but thats a lot to do with poor maintenance and abuse.

 

In my opinion, NO PROBLEM! given that is`s in good condition an well maintained.

 

Should be finf mate, keep it maintained, no probs...........

 

Cool, the cars currently off the road atm while i sort out either getting a secong hand engine for it or getting it rebuilt as i have melted a piston and and damaged the block

so when i get it back on the road i'm gonna use it as my daily driver, the rs2k's a good car but its just too slow and not practical enough for the kids

 

Hi I own a 2wd Saph (Stage 1) and use it to and from work everyday (about 90 miles). Has been well serviced and apart from normal wear and tear (tyres + clutch) it has been too bad, but what with the cost of petrol at the moment I am thinking of getting a cheaper run around and putting the cossie away until summer. Hope this is useful.

 

My Stage 3 4x4 is my daily driver, and I find it pretty unreliable, BUT the things that break are mostly general Sierra faults, not the Cossie side of things!

So yep it breaks a lot, but mostly it's cheap silly little bits that go.

 

90 miles a day Damn


Like you say the petrol side of things must cost a lot.

Get yourself a diesel run around

 

Yep too damn right, 90 miles is over Ł20 in my Cossie, unless it's motorway and I'm being careful.

 

What spec you running? Are you running it very rich also?

 

Just Stage 3, 803s, T34.

 

90 miles a day?

Thats a bit rough isn't it mate?

was thinking about rebuilding the engine for more power ie: 400+ but i guess this will bugger up any chance of using it as reliable, reasonably economical car!

So I was thinking chip, greens, T34, 500 cooler, GrpA Gasket, BD10's for around 340-350 bhp and using it everyday.

Especially as there's a guy who lives opposite with a WRX who bangs on about jap cars being the best and fords looking cheap!!!

 

i used to run my cos all the time but i didnt want to now as i smoke round in my td fezza!sometimes the cos scorp!

 

If you ask me Cossies were invented to be everyday cars, that just happen to be fast too.

 

 

well tbh i was just gonna use it as a car for weekends but after a bit of a think about it, I bought the car to drive it not sit in a garage all the time!

Plus if I take my other cars off the road the money I save on Tax, insurance, general upkeep can be spent on the cossie!

 

Hi, I realise 90 miles is alot (mostly motorway), but I enjoy everyone of then. It is surprising the amount of people that give the up the thumbs up as I am sat plodding alone in the middle lane. It makes the daily journey to and from the grind stone much more enjoyable. As I said earlier it is the petrol price that will soon be putting an end to that.

 

In my experience of owning 5 Sierras, the problem is just that: Sierra. I've had a 1.8GL, a 2.0Ghia, 2.8 XR4x4, 2.9 XR4x4, and now a Saff Cossie. And they've all been pretty unreliable!

 

Go 4 it m8! Nowt better than taking the kids to school in a stage 3 saph!

Perfect family car, big boot, 5 dr, etc!

Got the stage 3 saph, aint got the family yet, but least sorted for when do start a family! my kids r gona be going sideways to school! LOL (in about 5 yr tho!) LOL

 

You haven't had a diesel yet!

 

cossie unreliable....right...a drove my cossie for 5 years every day...it has done 145000miles...and still drives very good...its on stage 3 spec also...

and im not driving slow all the time...what problems did i have....mostly the old hoses which where old...the all samco's now...and no problem anymore...and it has a better headgasket and some arp bolts...

cant see the problem being unreliable...it all depends on your driving style..

 

Hi,
I ran my stage 3 Cossie as an everday driver for the best part of 5 years come rain shine or any other weather and the car never let me down. The difference is I do keep the car very well maintained and anything that needs doing gets done straight away before it becomes a problem. Many Cosworths havent been afforded this luxury and have been thrashed on a shoestring budget and have been badly maintained and this is why they have an undeserved reputation for being unreliable.
The car spends long days in the garage now though, as I only work 1 mile from home and the car would never warm up properly if used for such a short journey. Car sees plenty of action at weekends though, Roll on Friday


CheeRS, Mike.

 

Main thing I think and please correct me if wrong is the sensors/electrics. Most general garages dont know what they are looking for and just plug the car into a diagnostic machinge which dosent tell anythig if it is a intermitant fault. If I was you I check with a speciliast and change all the relevant sensors and you should be fine as long as the loom is in good nick.

 

I use mine as an everyday driver which is also stg3,been doing so 4 18months now,do 40+ miles a day and its has never put a foot wrong,as long as its maintaned properly i e oil ,water, the like it shouldnt b a prob.hope this helps rick e

 

to be fair i think you will need to do a straight swap, your t34 for my t3 and your 500 cooler for my standard 4x4 cooler then you should be good

 

i run a stage 1 saph 4x4 cos every day, work is 100+ miles a week i do that on Ł20 petrol ish
there are no reliablity problems mate it's good fun to drive something everyone else looks at..

 

i had a stage1 2wd saph that i used everyday for 9 month and the only problems i had where bushes,brakes and suspension needed replacing engine didnt miss a beat til turbo blew. got mondeo td now but saving 4 a 4x4 cozzy once u had 1 u cant live without 1.

 

we use our stage 3 daily,need it for the school run etc etc, it does about 300miles a week id say, never had any major problems,