Tag Archives: Sierra

DIY Bakkie – Ford P100

Leave a Reply

In 1971 Ford in South Africa built a version of the 2 door Ford Cortina Mk III with a pick up body on the back marketed as the Ford Cortina Pickup and known locally as the “Bakkie”.

The Bakkie utilised a modified Cortina floor pan with a ladder frame to carry the rear load carrying body and initially used Rover 5 stud hubs, post 1988 examples were fitted with Ford Granada front axles with 5 stud adaptors and 5 stud Ford Transit rear axles.

Ford P100, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

In 1977 the Bakkie was up graded with an adapted Cortina Mk IV body which used the shorter doors from the 4 door body and from 1980 adapted Cortina Mk V bodies were used.

Ford P100, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

From 1982 the Bakkie was rebranded as the P100 model and exported from South Africa to Europe and remained in production with the Cortina Mk V body until 1988.

In 1988 the P100 received a final upgrade utilising the Sierra body and production of the P100 for the European market switched to Portugal until 1993.

Ford P100, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

This particular 1987 Ford P100, seen at the Classic Motor Show a couple of years ago, originally carried a Ford Cortina Mk V front end, but it has been modified to carry older Cortina Mark III wings, bonnet and nose.

A newer Sierra P100 pick up body has been added to the back and it is powered by a Ford Cologne 2.9 litre / 176 cui V6 as used to power the later Ford Granada/Scopio models, the interior includes Porsche 944 seats.

Thanks for joining me on this “DIY Bakkie” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Escort to Scort – Dutton Sierra

Leave a Reply

After serving a tool making apprenticeship in a Jaguar Mk X bodyshell and ADO16 bodyshell manufacturing plant with Pressed Steel Ltd in Swindon, UK Tim Dutton-Wolley built his first MG Midget based kit cars in 1969.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

By 1989 Tim had survived and won a court battle with Ford over the rights to use the Sierra model name which he had been using since 1979, 5 years before Ford wanted to use the name for it’s eponymous 1980’s family car, to become the world’s most successful kit car manufacturer in terms of numbers sold.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

There were three Dutton Sierra variants, three series of Ford Escort based 2 wheel drive off road SUV’s built from 1980 to 1989, and a pickup variant and drophead variants built from 1983 to 1989 when sold his designs off and and took a six year sabbatical from the kit car making business.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

I understand the GPX48H registration plate once belonged to a 1970 Mk 1 Ford Escort that was used as a donor car for a Dutton Sierra Kit.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

In 2007 a Scotty G in Folkstone helped the owner complete a 9 month conversion of the Dutton Sierra kit car into a blue step side pick up as seen in this link.

More recently GPX48H has been transformed into the flat side pick up Ford Zetec powered “Scort” seen in these photographs taken at Crystal Palace a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Escort to Scort” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when an Edwardian aero engined Peugeot. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Type Approved – Ginetta G32

Leave a Reply

In 1983 Ginetta built a prototype G25 with mid mounted motor taken from a Ford Fiesta which was intended to be a kit car.

Ginetta G32, Ginetta Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

Feedback on the G25 indicated that potential owners were more interested in a type approved turn key vehicle and so Ginetta revised the G25 prototype into the type approved G32.

Ginetta G32, Ginetta Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

In 1989 the G32 went into production with a mid mounted motor, initially either a 1.6 litre / 97 cui motor taken from the larger Ford Escort XR3i or a 1.9 litre / 115 cui version enlarged by Specialised Engines.

Ginetta G32, Ginetta Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

The 1990 110hp model, seen here with the Ginetta Owners Club at Silverstone Classic, was quoted by the factory as being capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in 8.2 seconds and with a top speed of 120mph.

Ginetta G32, Ginetta Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

Later versions of the G32 included a Turbo option and some have been retro fitted with more modern Ford Zetek motors.

Ginetta G32, Ginetta Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

It is believed around 100 G32 Coupés were built with a further 20 convertibles. Note the tail lights came from the Ford Sierra parts bin.

Thanks for joining me on this “Type Approved” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I shall be looking at a prototype Allard. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Genk Cosworth Part 2 – Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4

1 Reply

The forth and final incarnation of the Sierra Cosworth was built to overcome the short comings of 2wd in Rally competition which since the introduction of the Audi Quattro in 1980 had became dominated by four wheel drive machines. 12,250 of the Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4’s were built in Genk, Belgium.

Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4

The Cosworth 4×4 was timed to coincide with a minor facelift to the Sierra range in 1990, powered by either 224 hp Cosworth YBG with catalytic converter or YBJ motors, without the converter, coupled to a Ferguson patented all wheel drive transmission. The road going variant is distinguished by the return of the bonnet louvre’s seen on the first two RS Cosworth variants and discreet 4×4 badges on the front wings. Note also the return of the Sierra RS Cosworth name to the boot / trunk lid as on the original 3 door version.

Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4

Unfortunately due to it’s size compared to the competition which included the pint size Lancia Delta & Mazda 323 hatchbacks and Toyota Celica Coupé, all with four wheel drive, none of the four Sierra RS Cosworth variations ever won a World Championship Rally, though Francois Delecour managed a couple of 3rds in Monte Carlo and Spain driving the Cosworth 4×4 in 1991..

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Genk Cosworth Part 2’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Toni Tickford – Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth #159

Leave a Reply

In 1982 a set of regulations was introduced called Group A which required 5000 examples of a model to be certified as having been manufactured in order to qualify for the series. As we saw last week under the guidance of Stuart Turner, head of Ford Motorsport Europe, Ford developed the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth to take part in races for vehicles conforming to these regulations.

Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Castle Combe, C&SCAD

The Group A racing regulations also allowed for an evolution of the 5,000 base RS Cosworth models so long as at least 500 were sold to the public. Mike Moreton was charged with developing the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth into the 224 hp Cosworth YBD powered Ford Sierra RS Cosworth RS500 evolution.

Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Castle Combe, C&SCAD

In 1987 Tickfords were given the contract to build them, 392 black like build #159 seen here at Castle Combe, 56 white and 52 Moonstone blue, all of the Sierra RS Cosworth’s and RS500’s were right hand drive models.

Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Castle Combe, C&SCAD

The RS500, with nearly 500 hp in race trim proved to be an amazing success on the race track taking many overall victories and winning the European Touring Car Championship for Ford in 1988, however few Sierra RS500 Cosworth drivers won championships outright because Group A was divided into classes according to engine size and Class A for cars with the biggest motors was always far better subscribed than the classes for smaller vehicles.

Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Castle Combe, C&SCAD

Andy Rouse in the #1 is seen leading Mike Smith in the #20 in a typically close fought round of the British Touring Car Championship in 1989 above, the #20 was a car supplied by Australian Dick Johnson one of the few RS500 drivers to win a championship he won the 1988 and 1989 Australian Touring Car Championships along with the 1989 Bathurst 1000.

Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, Brand Hatch

One of the all time best races I ever saw was at Brands Hatch in 1988 with Andy Rouse and Steve Soper driving an Eggenberger Sierra drove nose to tail for 20 thrilling laps of one of the best tracks in Britain, check it out on this link you will not be disappointed, I was there and have watched the race on youtube many times since.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Toni Tickford’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Armless Fun – Ford P100

1 Reply

The origins of the car based Ford P100 pick up lie in South Africa where the first P100’s were built using the front half of a 2 door Ford Cortina Mk 3 and a ladder chassis for the rear in 1971.

Armless Fun, Ford P100, Silverstone Classic

Similar vehicles followed with the front half of 4 door Ford Cortina Mk’s 4 and 5 from 1977 and 1980 respectively, with export of the model to Europe beginning in 1982.

Armless Fun, Ford P100, Silverstone Classic

In 1988 with the withdrawal of Ford from South Africa a new P100, designed by Ford of N
Britain such as the one featured today, with the front half of the 4 door Ford Sierra shell was built in Portugal and offered with either a heavy duty 205 block 2 liter / 122 cui Pinto or 1,8 liter / 109 cui turbo diesel motors.

Armless Fun, Ford P100, Silverstone Classic

The running gear for the P100 came from the parts pins of the Ford Granada saloon sedan and Ford Transit Van models and the pick up was given a 1000 kg / 2200 lbs load capacity.

Armless Fun, Ford P100, Silverstone Classic

With so much of the P100 being based on a car it does not cost an arm and a leg to run a modified one with lots of competition parts, Armless Fun has front panels below the bonnet hood that come from the Ford performance ‘RS’ catalog including the aggressive twin head light units.

Armless Fun, Ford P100, Silverstone Classic

Armless Fun seen here at last years Silverstone Classic goes further than most in the modification stakes having a supercharged 4.6 liter / 280 cui Rover V8 derived motor under the bonnet / hood providing just enough power to make Armless Fun UK Burnout Champion from 2007 – 2010.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Armless Fun’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a vintage MG. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Small MPV – Dodge Sierra

3 Replies

Since I started blogging my love of acres of Detroit sheet metal has grown in no small part due to the the California Streets blogs of Jay Wollenweber.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

So it is with a little trepidation that I offer today’s blog on a vehicle probably better suited to his patch than mine and one that he will probably be able to tell me a lot more about than me, namely the the nine seat 1958 Dodge Sierra.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

The Sierra name in the UK is usually associated with a 1980’s 4 door Ford that bore a striking resemblance to a jelly mould, that only gained any credibility after Cosworth had dumped it’s finest 200 hp turbocharged twin cam 4 cylinder motor under the bonnet and Ford gave it an outsize tea tray rear spoiler.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

I digress, from what I have been able to work out the Dodge Sierra seen here was the Estate / Station Wagon version of the Dodge Royal which sat in the middle of a Dodge model mix that included the Coronet at the lower end, the Custom Royal at the upper end with a short lived Regal Lancer at the very top.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

It would appear that Virgil Exner was responsible for the design of both the first, introduced in 1955, and second, introduced in 1957, generation Dodges, that were marketed under these model names which featured the same body shells and running gear but different motors and trim levels.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

To further confuse matters in 1958 the lower priced Plymouth and higher priced De Soto ranges appear to have used the same basic Dodge body panels for their models as well.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

Among the options I have seen available for the Sierra, not necessarily the ’58 model year, are swivel seat, 3 speed transmission, power steering, power brakes, power rear window, wire wheels, full tinted glass, rear view mirrors (!) AM radio and a Kleenex dispenser.

Dodge Sierra, Goodwood Revival

I have no idea if the asking price of £7,000 seen on the windscreen of this car at Goodwood Revival represents good value for a vehicle with a 5.7 litre / 350 cui Super Red Ram Hemi V8 with 4 barrel carb which is in need of a pair of rear drums for the brakes, but I suspect if I was looking to make that California Trip along Route 66 with a vehicle that was not 100 point Concours Condition this might be a fun vehicle in which to take a 2000 mile ride.

Apologies if I have made any obvious blunders on this blog, please do not hesitate to log in and chime in with any corrections below.

Thanks for joining me on this Hemi edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share