I Wanna buy a Cossie

[Gerry80]

Not sure if this is the right section to post this,but it looks like the most visited.

So I'm THINKING of buying a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth.2wd probably.Presuming that any car I go to look at is standard within reason,what should I watch out for in these beasts in particular?As in,do the regularly do in head gaskets?Are the diff's troublesome?Stuff like that,and how to spot these things when buying.

Thanks in advance.

btw,Larsen,I saw you're a member of a Sierra drivers club.Was gonna ask the question there,but just couldn't register:(

Oh yeah,how old is a car to be before it's classed as a classic?

[larsen_huw]

Gerry,

How come you couldn't join? Might be worth trying again.

If there's a specific question you want answered I'm happy to post it there for you and rely any findings.

Sierra Cosworths then ...

1. Beware of bodge'd modifications. Most Cossies have been modified to some extent. Whether it be a big brake kit, or a full 500bhp blueprinted engine. What you need to do is make sure it's done correctly. Bodged mods have a habbit of going wrong ... and going wrong on a Cossie is a very, very expensive business! Even a set of spark plugs will set you back over £40 (just to buy ... not to fit).

2. Make sure you get some insurance quotes before you buy. You may think you've got a good insurance record ... but when it comes to Cossies you need a whole new outlook! Get quotes for standard ones, modified ones in both saphire (saloon) and 3-door for both 2wd and 4wd (saph. only). Go to as many as you can find. There's bound to be a Cossie owners forum somewhere ... go ask them to recommend some insurance brokers ... be prepared to be laughed at when you ask to insure a Cosworth! Thatcham Cat. 1 alarm is a must ... you probably won't even be able to get insurance without one ... and something like tracker would help.

3. If you go for a 2wd one, don't even think of touching the accelerator in the rain .... you will become very well aquainted with the nearest lampost! The ammount of Cossies that get wrapped round lamposts cos theeir owners thought they could deal with the power in the rain is huge. If it's a second car, this isn't really a problem ... however, if it's your only car, be prepared to get the bus when it rains ... it'll be safer!

4. Despite looking similar, the 2wd and 4wd Saph Cossies are very different cars. Most parts aren't interchangable.

5. If you d buy one (especially a 2wd one) and the worst does happen, make sure you've got a 'buy-back' clause in your insurance. A Cossie broken for spares can fetch about £2000 ... not bad considering the insurance company sees it as a worthless hunk of junk!

6. If anyone offers you one "which has never been thrashed" laugh at them!!! They have all been thrashed to within an inch of their life at some point in the past ... it's what they're designed to do!!! As long as they have been well maintained, then they will take this thrashing in their stride ... anyone claiming theirs hasn't been threashed is probably trying to hide the fact they haven't maintained it properly.

7. If the engine's been very modified (400bhp+) and the rest of the car hasn't, walk away. It will pop head gaskets on a regular basis if it hasn't had an expensive composite gasket fitted (£150 just for the gasket) and will eat driveshafts for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Diffs are usually ok ... 2wd gets a bigger one than 4wd (7.5" vs. 7") but then the 4wd only has half the power going to the back wheels.

Hope those are some pointers. If you need any more advice, just ask.

Huw.

EDIT: Oh yeah! Classic Car status ... that all depends really ... Sierras in general are teetering on the edge of 'Classic' status (anyone laughing at that ... just remember Cortina's 20 years ago ... they're now Bona Fide classics!). So I'm sure you could find the odd broker or two who'd insure a Cossie as a Classic.

[Gerry80]

Thanks Larsen.That's a nice bit of info there.

I didn't know that the 4x4 would be much different to a 2x drive.Handy to know that.

Tbh,I have about a year to play around with.I have a '93 urine,I mean an Orion,and it drinks juice something savage.I know if I put my mind to get and do something about it,that I can sort it,but I have no real love for the car.Also it's a second car,and only does about 60 miles a week.It doesn't cost that much to run at that rate.Plus,I got it for free from my sister in law,with 10 months NCT.When it ran out,I tested it for the gas of it,and it passed:eek: That'll run out in April 05 so I was thinking of a cossie somewhere between now and then.

Also,I'd go for around the 88 year,like as you say,I was hoping to find a broker to insure one as a classic.Considering the milage I'd put up on it,it'd be hard to justify big money for insurance.

That site,I'll try again,but it was really slow to load,and when I entered my details,I just restarted the screen.

Thanks again for this info.Much appreciated

[larsen_huw]

Gerry,

I too have found the site really slow to load.

Empty your temporary files folder.

Usually C:\windows\temp and delete all your old temporary files ... you won't be able to delete them all, also close all programs before opening that folder.

Assuming you're using Internet Explorer go 'Tools', 'Internet Options', 'General' 'Delete Files'.

Doing those two allowed me to access the site fine.

Dunno where you live, or how old you are ... but unless you're living out in the sticks, mid-40's with full NCB and never had a claim, look to pay about 50% of what the car's worth for a year's insurance!!!!! :eek:

[larsen_huw]

Before i forget ...

XR4x4's

Most of the power of a Cossie, half the insurance bill! :)

Group's 13-16 as opposed to group 20* for a Cossie.

[Gerry80]

Nice one Larsen

Dunno where you live, or how old you are ... but unless you're living out in the sticks, mid-40's with full NCB and never had a claim, look to pay about 50% of what the car's worth for a year's insurance

Would it be ok if I met the mid 30's for those insurance companys:)

Anyways,I think the missus would probably be the policy holder there.Probably much cheaper for a woman,as you know

Oh yeah,I got into that site too.thanks