Which Donor?

[Guest minibigfinch]

good afternoon,

 

i am fairly new to the world of robin hoods, and im currently doing my research into which kits and donor vehicle etc i will go for etc,

 

im sure this has been asked a million times before but does it matter which sierra donor you go for? which is best etc?

 

im currently looking at xr4x4 but wanted to see what other people recommended?

 

dave

[fry61]

For me it had to be a low mileage beast;backed up by old MOT's; then all the bits used on the build will have a lot of life left. That's why we're running an 1800 CVH with only 40K.

[Guest davidm]

I steered clear of the XR's & the Cossie because they're special in many respects. You should be OK with just about anything else, though... Sierra hatch, Sapphire saloon or estate, irrespective of year. Any of those will yield everything you need.

 

Doesn't matter if rear brakes are disc or drum, because you'll be ditching those anyway. Diff ratio is unimportant as well. Most common are 3.62:1 and 3.92:1 (the metal tag on the back of the diff will tell you what is is). If it's anything other than those two, it doesn't matter, cos it'll be so rare that it's worth an absolute fortune!

 

What you want are the 2 rear driveshafts & hubs, the diff, the gearbox (either Type 9 or MT75 - doesn't matter), and the top steering column assembly from the wheel downwards, including the plastic cowlings & stalks.

 

If you're on a budget, you can also get the front hubs (uprights), wiring loom, gearbox mount, instruments, handbrake, and the master cylinder with its reservoir & cap.

 

Save as many nuts & bolts as you can.

 

Remember GBS can provide any or all of this for you as part of a donor package.

 

HTH

[richyb66]

Remember GBS can provide any or all of this for you as part of a donor package.

 

 

Except of course that the so called "donor package" from GBS doesn't always seem to include a V5 which could complicate registration and leave you with a Q plate because the donor parts have no provenance. Also it's difficult to check the functionality of electrical parts when they're just a load of loose bits - which can make wiring a difficult and hair pulling exercise.

 

Better to get a complete running car, you can tell what works and what doesn't both mechanically and electrically. You can ensure that the engine number correctly matches the V5 and at the end you'll get an age related plate.

 

Ultimately it's down to what engine you want to end up with and whether you mind having a Q plate. If you want minimum hassle and are happy with a Pinto in a Zero then just get any 2 litre Sierra but if you want a Zetec or something different (i.e. not fitted as standard in a Sierra) then you either buy mostly new or reconditioned components (no single donor) and get a new registration, or get a donor car (and don't use the engine), source the engine elsewhere and end up with a Q plate.

 

I should say that all a Q plate means is that the origin (exact age) of the vehicle cannot be determined by the parts that it is made from (parts come from several sources) - this might affect the value of the vehicle if you sell it later as there seems to be a stigma attached to Q plates in some quarters.

[Guest davidm]

What Richy says is quite true.

 

As regards the wiring, I've gone for the loom from Premier.

Front hubs will come either s/h from GBS, or new for £90 + VAT the pair.

Gearbox mount & master cylinder are new off Ebay.

Everything else to do with the brakes which doesn't come with the kit, I've also bought new.

 

Do remember that the sum total of the donor parts from GBS plus every single item on their kit component list will still leave you a long way short of a complete car. And many of the missing bits are very expensive from GBS.

[Guest minibigfinch]

Thanks for all your input and info, my plan was to:

 

Zero zetec kit from gbs,

Donor parts off sierra,

Any thing else new from various sources!

 

I definitely don't want a q plate as has already been mentioned it will de value the car and ppl tend to stay away from them!

 

I was thinking about getting the donor parts from gbs but get the feeling it will be twice the price!

 

As long as I steer clear of the q plate I'm happy!

 

I'm not on a very tight budget,I currently have around £8500 to get me going, which is a good start from my workings!

 

From my plan above would there be any reason to get a q plate?

[David S]

Sounds like a good plan to me and £8500 is a very good start, in fact you are a long way there with that.

 

People's circumstances are different. I went for a donor package from GBS because I don't have the space to store or the inclination to strip out an old Sierra. I also had them steam clean it all for me. Yes, in reality, you pay over the odds becasue you are paying for their labour to strip the car and you won't get all the bits you need, but it saves a lot of hassle.

 

If you have the kit as listed above, there is no reason for you not to get a current registration number, if I have interpreted the IVA rules correctly. It is exactly what I am doing although I started with the 2468 kit.

[Guest minibigfinch]

This is good news!I'm the same I don't really have the space to strip the donor , I have possibilities of space but could be a lot of hassle!can I ask how much u paid for the donor parts from gbs?..just weighing up the options!

 

Current number plate would be great!..just need to sort the mrs out now..apparently me spending this much on a car 18months before we get married isn't the best thing to do!

[ibrooks]

How are you getting a current plate with a donor package from GBS? My understanding is that to get a current plate all the bits need to be NEW (OK you're alowed one major component to be reconditioned to as new condition). The only way I can see it is if the VOSA monkeys don't look beyond your having a receipt and assume that the receipt means it's new.

 

Regarding the XR4x4 donor. If it's a V6 then the egine is a bit of a boat anchor but it makes a relatively easy upgrade to a Cosworth V6 at a later date (still a boat anchor but a powerful one). No-one seems to have mentioned the boggest kicker though - the gearbox is different so you would need to source a 2wd gearbox which isn't the easiest thing in the world as 2.8 Capri boxes are starting to get thin on the ground (and won't handle Cosworth power for long) and 2wd MT75's are snapped up by people wanting to run Sierras in RWD form with one of the aforementioned Cosworth V6 lumps. The front hubs are different on the 4x4 Sierras too (the struts are thicker) so they might not be any good and the sump is different as it has a driveshaft going through it and a second diff bolted to the side of it. A 4-pot XR4x4 is not as difficult as you could get a gearbox and sump from a 2wd Sierra with te DOHC engine relatively easily.

 

In general 4x4 Sierras are a bad choice because of the differences but they do all have a limited slip diff which is good.

 

Sierra estates have different trailing arms which can be a pain if the kit you are looking at uses the normal shock mounts on the trailing arm.

 

Apart from that then look for one with the engine you want, ideally low mileage. Toys like electric windows are just surplus to requirements on a 7 style car but so long as you aren't trying to use the donor wiring loom then they make little difference but ABS is ideally one to avoid as it means you would have to find a conventional servo and master cylinder to replace is as it can't be carried across (it's brain is designed to work with the Sierra's mass and weight distribution which is very different to a Hood).

 

Iain

[Guest davidm]

All very good advice.

 

One more thing into the mix... Think very carefully before going for an aftermarket ECU (eg from Emerald)and throttle bodies from the likes of Jenvey. That lot will put the cost of your new £750 engine up to nearly £2500! Nice to look at and a great sound, but...

 

Do you really need that level of performance? Are you going racing or on track days? Remember the car weighs sod all, so it'll go like a scalded cat anyway. If not, then all you need to do is keep the standard throttle body that comes with the engine, ditch the inlet manifold and stick the throttle body onto the end of a plenum chamber (either the one from GBS or an aftermarket one).

 

OK, you'll still need a Ford ECU complete with ignition barrel, key and transponder, and also an engine wiring loom, but you can get these off Ebay for just a few tens of pounds.

 

I admit the Ford ECU is geared more towards economy than performance, but if you're not going racing, does it matter? In standard setup, the whole thing is likely to be more driveable around town as well. With the aftermarket stuff, you have to be aware that once you get the car home, is there someone local to you who knows that particular equipment & can set it up properly? You could need one or more rolling road sessions, too, and they're not cheap... can be as much as £150 a throw.

 

Don't get me wrong... I'm not anti the aftermarket stuff, but you do need to be aware of just how much it can cost you.

 

A word on sumps, now. The standard Zetec sump will hit the ground at the first opportunity. You'll need a shortened one. A lot of folk buy the Raceline sump at £350. Fabulous unit, but GBS will cut and shut your own sump for just £100 & achieve exactly the same effect.

 

Add all this lot together, plus a few other bits & pieces & you can easily save yourself £3000 on the total build price.

 

Just a thought!

[Knock-on]

A Megajolt and Bike Carbs is a good option and will cost a couple of Hundred quid.

[Guest davidm]

Oh yes...

 

On top of your £4500 Zetec kit and the donor package, you'll also need one or more of the following...

 

Chassis powder coat £320

Stainless panels in lieu of aluminium £350

Wide body option £500 (unless you like a tight squeeze!)

 

Just to show you what you can save with a bit of shopping around, I got my entire braking system (all new) for £319. On top of what comes with the GBS kit, I've had to buy...

 

Calipers, discs and pads all round

Master cylinder

Fluid reservoir & cap

Rear disc conversion plates

T pieces

Pressure switch

Handbrake

 

My fuel system, again all new, came to £155 for...

 

Swirl pot

High and low pressure pumps

Filters

Filler cap

 

Worth comparing these with GBS prices!

 

HTH

[David S]

This is good news!I'm the same I don't really have the space to strip the donor , I have possibilities of space but could be a lot of hassle!can I ask how much u paid for the donor parts from gbs?..just weighing up the options!

 

Current number plate would be great!..just need to sort the mrs out now..apparently me spending this much on a car 18months before we get married isn't the best thing to do!

MBF - You telling us you haven't got clearance from the Finance Director yet!! Good luck with that!

 

As for your questions, the donor kit is not a full donor. You get the gearbox, diff, driveshafts, front uprights and upper stearing colum. I paid £500 for that little lot. I know it is expensive but I just don't have the facilities to buy an old car, strip it, clean it all and dispose of the remains.

 

ibrooks - You are right that as long as everything else is new, you can have 1 refurbished component. The IVA considers the drivetrain 1 component and the drivetrian consists of the gearbox, diff and prop shafts. This is exacly the way GBS built their demonstrator and that is a 60 plate car. I intend to use every thing else new incuding engine, loom, brakes etc. Your advice on the re-use of the existing throttle body added to a plenum chamber is a good one and one I had decided to go down. I didn't realise that GBS would shorten the sump for me. I'll have to get that done when I am ready for the engine and get them to do that bit for me first - top tip

[Guest minibigfinch]

think ill stay clear of the 4x4s then an keep it simple!thank you

 

still thinking:

 

zero zetec to get me started an keep me busy for a while

average sierra donor

get an age related plate

 

before looking at the zero i was trying to live the boyhood dream an go with a cobra but after all the years (an mortgage bills an wedding prices) i finally came to the conclusion i would never be able to afford that dream..but still wanted to build something...thats when i found the zero..an part of the reason im still craving for power!!

 

i dont want a track car but i still want power..i hate working with any thing electrical so dont really want efi, was going to go with carbs etc but will cross that bridge when or if i get there!most stuff will be brought new depending on price...plus i like new stuff.

[Guest gdc]

a bit off topic but mx5 comes to mind