Hi all,
I'm new to the forum, I've owned my Sierra cosworth 4x4 for 6 years now and it's been a great car with no issues. Last week a van ploughed the back of her and completely wrote her off beyond repair.... I'm gutted. How ever my mates dad has a 2wd sapphire non cosworth and has gave it to me and said if I can re-shell my car into his shell then its mine as his engine is on the brink of dying and mot is up next month. Is this possible? Is there any major differences between them. All I need to buy ATM if I do a swop is new boot, bumper, fuel cradle, lights, and pump. Any help would be great please, even if I have to keep the id of the standard sapphire I'm happy as the rest of my car is mint ,even with the 154,000 miles

 

Perfect time to rwd it

 

That was a thought at first but the gear box and rear diff are in excellent working order I don't want to get other ones incase they go wrong. It would be great if I can keep the 4x4 system.

 

Depending on the year of the 2wd shell you are using you may have to notch the front inner arches for the driveshafts and weld in the ears on the transmission tunnel for the box clearance, late spec shells came with these iirc most other stuff as the Haynes manual says is the reversal of removal

 

I'd defo use it as an excuse to rwd it if it were me as that's what I've always wanted. Failing that buy another saph cos with the insurance money and keep yours as a spares car?

 

i would look for another cossie shell as ultimately it will be worth less if you stick it all in a base model shell. wouldn't bother me if i was keeping it myself, but if you ever try to sell it, it could only be sold as a replica with cossie bits.

 

just because a van has been into it doesnt mean it cant be repaired. get a pro body builder to look at it see about putting it on a lazer linned jig. somone decent would take it on in the evenings for cash not through the insurance. ive pulled lotts of cars to milimetre perfect for people. chap i served my time with used to say our apprentice will do that even when they look fukin mangled you even got a doner body you can cut chassis parts boot floor and the like nearly everything can be repaired its just not cost effective for the insurance. you must have got a half decent pay out some one would take it on dont listen to all the silly bollocks a good body bloke would pull it

 

But the OP will come out on top as he'll be paid out for his cossie and will still be driving a cossie, not ideal but it's not the OP's fault that some knob drove into the back of him, so make the best out of a bad situation

 

yeah I would love to get her repaired, I'm going to get my mate to have a look at it tomorrow as he's a brilliant body specialist and has worked with gigs before. Only reason I thought it was bad as it was because the roof has crumpled aswell. It was a pretty hard shunt. Yeah I'm going to go through the insurance just a shame it's going to have a cat C or possible B on the history. I just found a 4x4 shell that needs a bit of welding but nothing major underneath so might get that and do a full rebuild with the money. Thanks for the help guys. Can't wait to get her back on the road. Going to be hard not driving my Cossie when I want.

 

You can do many things....legally using a different shell in that manner, modifying it and then what does it become ?

It should probably retain the ID of the non Cosworth shell, not the 4wd Cosworth you're trying to fix ?

 

They are exactly the same.

The thing is it wouldn't be a Cosworth and you would have to change the logbook as Stevie says I don't know how the logbook would work.

Legally it would probably be classified as a custom car, which may prove tricky trying to insure etc.

Martin

 

If the shell is exactly the same and it's the route you want to take do as many others on the road will of had done. Paint it the colour on the log book and cut the small bit of metal out with the id stamped into it and weld it neatly into your new shell. Also swap all the glass over if it's the wrong colour or etched with a different reg

 

Excellent guide to 'ringing'

Personally I'd take the insurance money, try and get the car back as part of the settlement (to break or remove any tasty parts from) and buy another car, its not like Sapphires are rare.

 

It is lol but let's be honest instead of moral there be a fair few out there like that and god knows how many mk1 and 2 escorts. If it was my car and I wanted to keep it and it was off the insurance records would I re shell it with a non cosworth id and loose thousands or do as above properly so you couldn't tell and have my car back no brainier. At the end of the day it's a 1 inch by 2 inch square with a number attached to a certain model lol the shell is the same. Personally I'd not be doing it for money I'd be doing it to have my car back as it was after some twat went up the back of it but that's just me as I'd have no intention of selling mine.

 

Not sure I'd say ringing is doing it properly

It doesnt matter how good or honest your intentions are, doing what you describe is still dodgy practise at best.

And if the car did ever get inspected, again, try convincing plod about how honest your story is and why you changed the vehicles ID.

Or maybe there is some sort of process that allows you to do that sort of thing ?

 

There is... Is called a Q plate!

 

I mean properly as in the etched glass right colour and the vin welded in so it can not be noticed not welded like a 5 year old did it. I know it's not how things are done but me personally that's how I'd fix mine if someone damaged it. Even if the insurance give a good pay out chances of getting another are slim now

Plus if plod inspected half the restoration Ford i but he would have an issue lol I've seen some done at a friends workshop that restores fords that pretty much only the roof and pillars are re used there's no difference really

 

Classic mg's fook me some of them are the old gear box tunnel and windscreen frame lol the rest is mail order and welded together in a garage in my opinion that's far worse

 

Unbelievably common in mk1&2 escorts, to them it's just like swapping an engine

 

You forgot to tell him to take the vin plate and colour plate off the cossy to put on the replacement shell as well

 

I've never done it lol I'm sure there's a few items I've missed lol

 

i still say get it lazer line jigged if matey got paid out and kept it at least its not going to look like a ringer and its still a genuine cossie thats more inprtant to me. but it would still be on the register. ive done work similar to this where people have just walked away from the driver at fault because they didnt want them on the register if they were exspensive classics they have them repaired then get shot the workman ship has to be so good other wise they can come back bite you rite on the ars you really have to think about the next owner which the current owners dont bit of an odd situation to be in making a crust

 

I think there is a 99% chance they are not the same. I've had quite a few non cosworth sapphs and none of them had the 4x4 modifications. I've heard the story that the latest (1992) shells having the 4x4 modifications, but I've never seen one. Besides that, the Cosworth 4x4 also had some strengthening in the shell near the front and rear turrets.

 

Martin ive got a 1990 sierra sapphire classic shell here im stripping for spares for the new race car it has the big tunnel and cutouts in the chassis legs for the front driveshafts (behind the outer skin peel that off and they are there as I can see them through one of the pressed holes ) I will check the rear turret strengthening plates against my ex police shell that im using for the new car I cant recall seeing any though


Steve

 

The honest thing to do is send the cossie V5 away saying it's scrap as that's what it is now.
buy another cosworth shell with v5 from a breaker or eBay etc and rebuild it with your parts if you want to rebuild it.
by the time you strip both cars,get the donor car painted the colour the cosworth was,modify the chassis then rebuild it you're giving yourself more hassle and expense than you would be replacing the car with another assuming you got a good payout and the car back which would prob break for about 8-10k depending on spec.
dont agree with re-shelling unless it's a brand new unused shell,anything else is ringing as you are swspping identities over which is illegal.

 

In his case yes, I was referring to 2WD.

I know the 4x4 shell had strengthening and 'notches' for the driveshaft's that apparently later shells have, these can be cut if not.

Martin