I'm considering this 2 litre Sierra which is local to where I live:
https://es.wallapop.com/item/ford-sierra-1990-1079900592

As these are so popular in the UK I thought I'd seek comments on here.

Basically I'd look to turn it into a 200 bhp motor one way or another (i.e. tune the Pinto or swap to a more recent Ford engine). I'd love to read any comments on that. I've noticed that people with enough money to own an Escort mk1-2 put Zetec and Duratec engines in. I wonder the overall effort involved. I imagine it drops the total weight quite significantly, so it's probably worth it given that any route I take involves taking the engine out and apart anyway?

Cheers

[Edited on 16/2/25 by Alez]

It’s not a pinto but an 8 valve dohc, very little tuning available for it but I think there was a 16v head fitted to some Granadas? At one time I had 2 Sierras with that engine although the injected versions, quite smooth I remember but not particularly powerfull. A Zetec (silver or blacktop) would fit straight on the gearbox.

it looks a nice car, and as such if I were modifying it I would keep all the parts to revert to standard.

I also see you are in Madrid, and I have seen many stories of people having troubles with apparently innocuous mods; finding it difficult to get cars through whatever the Spanish annual test is.
(mods like new wheels or different seats, and people having to retrofit originals for the test...)

> A Zetec (silver or blacktop) would fit straight on the gearbox.

I see a plan. What about engine mounts?

> it looks a nice car, and as such if I were modifying it I would keep all the parts to revert to standard.

Absolutely.

> I also see you are in Madrid, and I have seen many stories of people having troubles with apparently innocuous mods; finding it difficult to get cars through whatever the Spanish annual test is.
(mods like new wheels or different seats, and people having to retrofit originals for the test...)

Thanks for the warning. I'm painfully familiar with all that. It's infuriating.

Tidy looking car at that price, nice base for a conversion.

Retroford make parts to aid fitting zetecs, duratecs and others into old Fords. They do different universal mount kits that might make fitting into a Sierra a bit easier..

> Retroford make parts to aid fitting zetecs, duratecs and others into old Fords. They do different universal mount kits that might make fitting into a Sierra a bit easier..

I was sure the Brits can help with a project like this Thanks for the tip.

[Edited on 17/2/25 by Alez]

Nice car, clean it up and take it to car shows as it's now a classic rather than a donor.

If you want to build a 7 I'd use a scrap MX5.

Kind of reminds me of my ex boss, he showed me a picture of a vintage prewar Morris Minor (looks like an Austin 7) then told me he was going to buy it and chop it up and turn it into a hot rod. I was looking for something heavy to hit him with...

[Edited on 19/2/25 by Mr Whippy]

> Nice car, clean it up and take it to car shows as it's now a classic rather than a donor.
> If you want to build a 7 I'd use a scrap MX5.

I'd be planning neither donor nor garage queen for it, but give it a second life and (hopefully) put significant mileage on it. I guess the engine swap would make it a "restomod".

> Kind of reminds me of my ex boss, he showed me a picture of a vintage prewar Morris Minor (looks like an Austin 7) then told me he was going to buy it and chop it up and turn it into a hot rod. I was looking for something heavy to hit him with...

That is very sad. Fortunately few builders take this sort of route, at least in Europe.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alez
> Nice car, clean it up and take it to car shows as it's now a classic rather than a donor.
> If you want to build a 7 I'd use a scrap MX5.

I'd be planning neither donor nor garage queen for it, but give it a second life and (hopefully) put significant mileage on it. I guess the engine swap would make it a "restomod".

---

But at that price, others will buy these to do all sorts of things. Agree or not, market value says these haven't achieved classic car status. Personally they look hugely underrated to me. If I get to own one, we'll see if I think differently once I become more informed.