3 door Sierras

[DarrenW]

Something I've never understood, and maybe someone can answer...

Why were there two different three door bodyshells? There's the XR4i type with the three side windows:



and the more 'normal' two door shell, as seen on the original Cosworths and more lowly 1300 Sierras etc...



Anyone know? I've always wondered...

[iRocco]

I believe it had something to do with visibility. IIRC, the shells weren't produced at the same time. The one with the two rear windows was stopped and the single rear window took over.

There weren't many 2 rear window shells produced.

[carnut1100]

We never had Sierras here. I wish we had, as there would be a nice source of 5 speed gearboxes for Escorts ;D

I mihgt see some when I go over to New Zealand later this year though, as they had thm over there I am told, along with Metros and Chevettes, other non-showers here.

[DarrenW]

1380Checkm8 said:

I believe it had something to do with visibility. IIRC, the shells weren't produced at the same time. The one with the two rear windows was stopped and the single rear window took over.

There weren't many 2 rear window shells produced.

An old Ford brochure I have here shows a 3 door 1.3 hatch with the two window shell, and the XR4i with the 3 window shell, so they must have been made at the same time. I wonder if they came from different plants or something?

[iRocco]

Hang on, wasn't it only the XR4i that had the two rear windows?

[rmad]

The 'Cosworth' shell was based on a batch of shells Ford were using on a nasty base-model cheap-as-chips model. Ford used them up making Cossies.

They didn't use XR4 shells as sales had not been as good as expected. Incedentally the XR4 was sold in the States under the brand Merkur...wierd!

[DarrenW]

interesting... but I still don't understand why the two different shells in the first place...

[WillHolman]

I always thought the Cosworth/ base model shell was the more attractive one. I was lucky enough to have a three-door Cosworth as a company car when I was editor of Practical Classics. It was totally wonderful. I bought it, had it chipped, the headgasket went, I fixed it, then it was nicked. In other words, the whole Cosworth Sierra experience in six months.

It was a fabulous car though. Even with new tyres on it, it would spin the rear wheels in the wet - in third gear. All cars should be able to do that. I'd have another one tomorrow were it not for the fact that a0 I'm skint and b) it would just get nicked again.

[rmad]

WillHolman said:

I was lucky enough to have a three-door Cosworth... it was totally wonderful. I bought it, had it chipped, the headgasket went, I fixed it, then it was nicked. In other words, the whole Cosworth Sierra experience in six months.

;D ;D ;D ;D

[HoTWire]

I like the 2 door body shape with the big rear window,.. and going to shift over into full on retro domain in a couple of years.

Wonder if you can get it going faster and handling better than a Cosworth RS500,... without spending more than the cost of an RS500,..

[WillHolman]

RS 500s were no quicker in standard trim and suffered even worse turbo lag than "ordinary" Cosworths. The second set of injectors was disconected from the factory. However, tune them and the potential is almost limitless.

My Capri is about as fast as my Cosworth was. Doesn't handle quite as well though. And doesn't stop anything like as well. Sounds better though...

[HoTWire]

I was thinking along the lines of a tuning a 1.3 3-door Sierra to be faster than a cosworth ,..

[WillHolman]

Well good luck! Mind you, Zakspeed Capris were, I think, only 1400cc and produced more than 500bhp. Get a lump out of one of those!

[HoTWire]

I was thinking more along the lines of swapping the engine with something meatier

Finding a 3 Door sierra might prove troublesome.

[spannerman69]

hi i`m new ,but i can get you a 3 door seirra tomorrow if you want one .its in silver and on bricks at the moment as some idiot nicked the wheels and smashed the o/s/f window on it but you will prob get for a couple of hundred quid or less.

[HoTWire]

Hello!,...

And that right there demonstrates why this is the most dangerous website in the world,.. tempting though it is, I value my life more than to bring home a 3 Door Sierra right now (particularly as the double glazing on the house needs finishing ) ,..

But thanks for the offer,..