Sierra Cosworth
Turbo Mini Forums

So, here I am for no reason thinking about nothing, and then I realised it's 2013. Which means 1998 sierra cosworths (4dr) are now 25 years old. That probably doesn't sound like much of any importance, but it means they can be imported over here...

You know where I'm going... But is this the stupidest thing you've heard? If i climbed in one tomorrow, would i be as disappointed as when i bought an SD1 Rover Vitesse (great to look at, great sound, but not much else)?

What would i need to set aside for a reasonable 2wd model? Six grand?

Or should i just go for a 110 or 127 crew cab defender... I think the defender would be more practical and probably have higher resale value... But it isn't a Cosworth.

Edited by TurboDave16V on 29th Nov, 2013.

2wd, make it quick no one has one in the states, make it a rs500 look alike or something girls will love it.

Drives
-Ford S-max Mk2 Ecoboost
-Rover 100 VVC #2 - track project

Searching is all you need on TurboMinis

2wd thats had a few quid spent on it with big bhp as above rs 500 great looking motor

Done now needs redoing lol

2 doors are lots of money Dave, and certainly not 6k, double that at least I would have thought for the very lower end of the scale

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

I definitely get the attraction Dave. In the 90's my father was quite heavily involved with race and rally preparing Sierra Cosworths so as an impressionable youth I spent quite a lot if time as a passenger sideways in Cosworths, so I've a definite soft spot.
However I've not been in one now for years, and I'm fairly sure that although in the late 80's 220bhp was a lot of power, these days it really isn't that much to shout about. My dad has still got his Audi Quattro turbo, I love it to bits but my BMW 535d would make it look silly in the performance stakes.
I suppose what I'm saying is that if you want one for the performance, be prepared to be disappointed unless its a modified one. If you want one just because its a Sierra Cosworth then go for it! Personally I'd want a late 4x4 Sapphire Cosworth if I were to buy one, but as you say the early Sapphires (2wd only) are quite cheap at the moment.

Do you mean 1988 or 15 years old..?

They don't die, they just get faster!

Dave , as Carl's said 3drs are silly money now , your looking at 15k +
Now in my opinion the saph is the worst to have , apart from bumpers etc its just a sapphire with an engine in , 3drs or an escort are the ones to have..
I've had two escorts and loved them but like tom said his modern diesel BMW would embarrass it in every way.

They drive exactly like an old sierra lol , very numb , long legged lazy gearbox , but on boost , you would want a min of 300+ they pull like a train.

If you do want a sapphire the best of the bunch is the last of the 4x4's

The cossie boys (especially) escort get very anal about stuff , some are stunning and some a fucking shitter but they think they have the best in the world.
Our kid wanted an escort as I had mine when he wa at school , we looked at a few but the prices they were wanting ( late teens ) they were just too old and scabby, he's ended up with an e46 m3 now and loves it

Rick

One of my mates has 2 sapphire cosworths, one running 28 psi and the other is a standard Andy Rouse cosworth.

As its been said before standard onse are now quite lame compaired to modern cars, best looking for one with at least a stage 2.

They do sound awesome and go well on boost but other than that its just a reps serria BUT i still owuld have one

What the mind can conceive the mini can achieve
MITP 2012 17.01 seconds 1/4 mile against "The Don"
MITP 2013 16.83 seconds 1/4 mile

1998 must be a typo, they stopped making them early 90's...

Mine's a '91 4WD which I've owned since it was 2 years old - they were dirt cheap to buy in 93/94 as the bottom had dropped out of the second hand market due to their outrageous insurance costs.
For a few years there were four of us at work who had them, two 2WD and two 4WD, all are/were stage 1 (so ~280BHP) and in this part of the world the two of us with the 4WD would outrun the others easily, especially in bad weather.
I've never been to Colorado but in every other part of the States I've travelled/worked, I don't think I've ever seen a real bend in a road so that probably isn't an issue.
If we get another bad winter, I'll probably put mine back on the road simply because of the 4WD, it's been off the road for the last 3 or more years because I got fed up with the fuel costs (twisty roads and flat out acceleration out of every bend really drops the mpg).

Re, the USA 25 year thing, is it from date of registration or date of manufacture ???
A lot of them, especially the later ones, didn't get sold/registered until long after they left the factory, mainly because of insurance costs.
The insurance issue back then was because they were insanely easy to steal (something to bear in mind unless lots of aftermarket security has been fitted) and the morons who stole them usually wrote them off by crashing.


EDIT - I spelt Colorado wrong.....

Edited by Rod S on 29th Nov, 2013.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Sorry all, I meant 1988.
Thanks for the input. My concern is that i know stage1 is pretty much factory reliable, stage 2 started getting unreliable, unless it's had a lot done to it.

After 25 years has anyone come up with a reliable head gasket design that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?
Also, seems that anything "sierra cosworth" on Ebay is still damn expensive - for what it is, or is that just dreamers lol.

I guess i should look at 4x4 as a 2wd one is not that much different from an XR4Ti. Problem there is waiting another few years for the USA 25 year import rule, which (thanks Rod) would go off the logbook date, unless something akin to a heritage certificate could be found.

Toms statements are what concern me LOL. A low mile 2013 Focus ST can be had for about 30% more than it'd cost to get a 9 grand sierra from Essex to my driveway with all the duties and charges...
Hmmmm....

Edited by TurboDave16V on 29th Nov, 2013.

My 2p? Shit cars to drive and utterly dissapointing if your used to modern cars in terms of both performance and percieved build quality. Look amasing tho. Import a shell and stick a v8 in it.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

You've got to buy one because you want one for what it is, not for performance.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

my mate fit a group A one to his 400bhp rs500 replica, blew it the same day, and it was fitted properly, and driven by his girlfriend so shows the reliability.
Another mates just finished a rs500 for a customer 550bhp with 150bhp nitrous, so 700bhp in total, ridiculously quick, handful to drive, and if im honest a bit of a waste of money, would gone out and bought a Porsche 911 Carrera S for the same money and it would be more reliable

Edited by stevieturbo on 29th Nov, 2013.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

I think you have your answer Dave.

Interesting thought though. what other cars will have just reached the magic 25 years? Renault Fuego?!!!

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

www.twin-turbo.co.uk

I vote take a defender over there. Much cooler then a lot of those American trucks. Though after 25 years a defender will certainly need a rebuild too. While your at it drop a big v8 petrol or cummins 6bt diesel in there.

mate did a trackday on wednesday at oulton park and followed a cosworth for a couple of laps

looks like the cossy driver was having fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sFb5PjuLGg

but then the mini did some grass tracking, must of been all that extra weight from the vaux 2.0 ohc engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3W4h3dia6g

What the mind can conceive the mini can achieve
MITP 2012 17.01 seconds 1/4 mile against "The Don"
MITP 2013 16.83 seconds 1/4 mile

As a kid I always wanted an escort cossie, I gues my daily would smoke it, shame but true

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

This posts reminds me of my fondness for cossies in my childhood, and although not a cossie my uncles boss owned a sierra xr8. 5.0 v8 from south Africa and I was told it was one of two in the country and made in very limited numbers. I wonder if theres any left today?

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

It all depends if you want it because you simply want a Cossie, despite it's many failings and the huge cost involved.

Or if you want it because you have some idea that it is a good performance car, something that you could actually use to go fast and enjoy.

Because the latter would disappoint anyone who has driven a range of cars IMO

But we all have passions for different cars, some we know deep down are pretty crap, but still we persist with them because they're our own, they're different...and we still spend a fortune on them

Sometimes you just want something despite how stupid it is.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

My prefference which is irrelevent, I would rather have a fucked breathless 1.6 pinto ex sierra mini cab on interstellar mileage, that's been spunked in liberally by an old tramp than own a defender. But if you bought a moonstone blue late saph cossy, I would most probably have a trouser accident my self!

Ps-an SD1 is another car I have always wanted to own, I know it will be shit but I wouldn't care

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???