[Thruan]

Hi all. Been chasing a Sierra for a little while now. But apart from a 1ltr, and a high roof drover, I haven't been able to find anything cheap (I'm after a 1.3 softtop, in just about any condition)

So I'm just curious as to the best place/how to find el cheapo sierra's for projects?

I'm in north qld if that makes any difference.

[gvzookdriver]

How much do you call cheap n how much do you want to spend

[Thruan]

Cheap as possible haha

Not looking for a roadworthy car. It's going to get a full strip and rebuild. So I don't want to spend $3000 on a good condition car just to strip it

Depends on the condition as to how much I'm willing to spend. Looking to spend around $1000. But will stretch it a bit for the right car.

[want33s]

Thruan wrote:

Cheap as possible haha

Not looking for a roadworthy car. It's going to get a full strip and rebuild. So I don't want to spend $3000 on a good condition car just to strip it

Depends on the condition as to how much I'm willing to spend. Looking to spend around $1000. But will stretch it a bit for the right car.

You are going about it all wrong...
Why buy a cheap shitbox that will soak up thousands of $$ and hundreds of hours when you can spend three or four grand and buy a nice clean car (not in Nth Qld though).

[KEENSY85]

want33s wrote:

Thruan wrote:

Cheap as possible haha

Not looking for a roadworthy car. It's going to get a full strip and rebuild. So I don't want to spend $3000 on a good condition car just to strip it

Depends on the condition as to how much I'm willing to spend. Looking to spend around $1000. But will stretch it a bit for the right car.

You are going about it all wrong...
Why buy a cheap shitbox that will soak up thousands of $$ and hundreds of hours when you can spend three or four grand and buy a nice clean car (not in Nth Qld though).

It's a good point but maybe the guy wants a project . Who are u to say his wrong .I found mine for hundreds not thousands ,lots of work yes but lots of fun to ,mine was in a paddock

[KEENSY85]

KEENSY85 wrote:

want33s wrote:

Thruan wrote:

Cheap as possible haha

Not looking for a roadworthy car. It's going to get a full strip and rebuild. So I don't want to spend $3000 on a good condition car just to strip it

Depends on the condition as to how much I'm willing to spend. Looking to spend around $1000. But will stretch it a bit for the right car.

You are going about it all wrong...
Why buy a cheap shitbox that will soak up thousands of $$ and hundreds of hours when you can spend three or four grand and buy a nice clean car (not in Nth Qld though).

It's a good point but maybe the guy wants a project . Who are u to say his wrong .I found mine for hundreds not thousands ,lots of work yes but lots of fun to ,mine was in a paddock

oops sorry want33s that sounded harsher than I ment it

[Thruan]

Haha yeah keensy is right. Mrs wants to fully strip a car and rebuild it. She's one of these rares that likes working on cars and helps me whenever I work on my Pajero.

She got it into her head that she wanted a long term project. And she's always wanted a Sierra. So it's been put to me to try and get one.

[want33s]

I still reckon the best way to end up with a good car is to buy the best one you can get your hands on.
Drive it hard enough and there will be plenty of repairs/mods to do to it.

Keensy, I've seen your car and I wouldn't say that rubbing back kilo's and kilo's of bog is 'fun'.

[gvzookdriver]

I agree with want33 get a decent one you can still strip it back repaint rebuild things if you like but won't soak uptime with major rust repair. Because once it has rust it will always have rust

[Thruan]

There is a zook that's never had rust?

[just_cruizin]

Why was time on repairs when you can do mods, I only get a small amount of enjoyment fixing stuff I break not stuff other have worn out

[KEENSY85]

want33s wrote:

I still reckon the best way to end up with a good car is to buy the best one you can get your hands on.
Drive it hard enough and there will be plenty of repairs/mods to do to it.

Keensy, I've seen your car and I wouldn't say that rubbing back kilo's and kilo's of bog is 'fun'.

not allways

[orangeshannon]

I bought my 83 one liter hard top about two n a half years ago was it amazing condition and only had 62,000 K's on the clock not one tiny bit of rust engine bay looked like it was just been built. But until I got my hands on her and took her wheeling. Then she started to show her age about half a year ago when she started getting surface rust and hee cancer holes. I wish that I got to her sooner but she's still in good nice just needs some work like all sierras

[atari4x4]

want33s wrote:

I still reckon the best way to end up with a good car is to buy the best one you can get your hands on.
Drive it hard enough and there will be plenty of repairs/mods to do to it.

Keensy, I've seen your car and I wouldn't say that rubbing back kilo's and kilo's of bog is 'fun'.

This!

Hence why I'm flying half way across Australia to pick up another pearler.

[shep]

My Experience has been that it ya don't have any spare cash the fuckers are everywhere. As soon as ya have cash there are none

[4x4xzook]

i bought mine off carsales pretty cheap because the owner thought the transfer case was shagged. so i got it for a damn good price.
Turned out to be a transfer case lever

just keep an eye out, and be patient. i was shopping for a good 3 months before the right one came around.

[KEENSY85]

atari4x4 wrote:

want33s wrote:

I still reckon the best way to end up with a good car is to buy the best one you can get your hands on.
Drive it hard enough and there will be plenty of repairs/mods to do to it.

Keensy, I've seen your car and I wouldn't say that rubbing back kilo's and kilo's of bog is 'fun'.

This!

Hence why I'm flying half way across Australia to pick up another pearler.

that sounds cheap lol

[Thruan]

The way I see it.

I buy a car for 3grand. Strip and rebuild and it costs me 3g+. So I'm now down 6g

Or

I buy a car for $500, spend 4g on the strip and rebuild, I'm at 4500, and have 99% of the car I would have had for 6g.

Why do it?
Why build a which bar when you can buy one?
Why build a sierra ute when you can buy them?
Why buy a 30's ford and rebuild it at a stupid cost and then leave it in the shed 24/7?

I enjoy building things, fixing things.
After finishing a full rebuild from a POS, having a finished car, all shiney and complete gives me a massive sense of achievement. Something you can't get with buying a 'good' car and putting a set o tyres on it.

[KEENSY85]

I enjoy building things, fixing things.
After finishing a full rebuild from a POS, having a finished car, all shiney and complete gives me a massive sense of achievement. Something you can't get with buying a 'good' car and putting a set o tyres on it.[/quote]
This last bit is what I was trying to say until the claws came out .all right iv had my winge ,I would have brought a nicer one and started from there but I couldn't afford it strait up so I brought a more humble one to build and Cock up ,laugh ,triumph ,learn ,and have an out let to escape the real world .




Me + project = survival

[tazmanier]

Just budget for getting it registered again!
At the very least you will need a safety cert if NOTHING has been modified. Or it engineered if say you put a 1.6 in. AND you better get it registered before any other mods otherwise the engineer will be looking at everything else that’s modified as well (steering sys, body/suspension lift, tires etc...) engineers like to be safe and mostly don’t like big modifications, of course they take dollars in exchange for the extent of modification. It’s the little things that get you when registering, peddle rubbers, windscreen wipers, new brakes and cylinders because they were leaking a little, cracks in windscreen, seatbelts not retracting fully. Was in Townsville for 4 yrs, didn’t do a lot of research but Kowari motors in Bohle industrial estate (who I saw in a post from another forum does Toyota axle conversions) said they knew of two engineers in Townsville who would do the job, one they hadn’t heard from in a very long time and Lindsay Stone. Got Lindsay out to have a look at just the engine conversion, he charged $300 for the look and some research. To be fair at that time I was going to put toy axles under it and Lindsay said people have a habit of getting him out and then forgetting about the project which is why he charged so much for a look. to his credit this is what happened for 2 yrs, now I'm back on the build without toy axles in NSW south coast. Got an engineer down here who has quoted me $850 for engineering just the 1.6 conversion and maybe the body lift if it looks ok (otherwise I’m removing that temporarily as well) and going through all the "little things" now.

Just food for thought.

[tonyevans]

Thruan wrote:

The way I see it.

I buy a car for 3grand. Strip and rebuild and it costs me 3g+. So I'm now down 6g

Or

I buy a car for $500, spend 4g on the strip and rebuild, I'm at 4500, and have 99% of the car I would have had for 6g.

Why do it?
Why build a which bar when you can buy one?
Why build a sierra ute when you can buy them?
Why buy a 30's ford and rebuild it at a stupid cost and then leave it in the shed 24/7?

I enjoy building things, fixing things.
After finishing a full rebuild from a POS, having a finished car, all shiney and complete gives me a massive sense of achievement. Something you can't get with buying a 'good' car and putting a set o tyres on it.

I Totally Agree

[want33s]

Thruan wrote:

The way I see it.

I buy a car for 3grand. Strip and rebuild and it costs me 3g+. So I'm now down 6g

How does that work?
If you buy a pearler car for 3 or 4 grand where would it need another three in rebuild?

[atari4x4]

want33s wrote:

Thruan wrote:

The way I see it.

I buy a car for 3grand. Strip and rebuild and it costs me 3g+. So I'm now down 6g

How does that work?
If you buy a pearler car for 3 or 4 grand where would it need another three in rebuild?

exactly... some basic maintenance & a clean, then start building.

[tonyevans]

tonyevans wrote:

Thruan wrote:

The way I see it.

I buy a car for 3grand. Strip and rebuild and it costs me 3g+. So I'm now down 6g

Or

I buy a car for $500, spend 4g on the strip and rebuild, I'm at 4500, and have 99% of the car I would have had for 6g.

Why do it?
Why build a which bar when you can buy one?
Why build a sierra ute when you can buy them?
Why buy a 30's ford and rebuild it at a stupid cost and then leave it in the shed 24/7?

I enjoy building things, fixing things.
After finishing a full rebuild from a POS, having a finished car, all shiney and complete gives me a massive sense of achievement. Something you can't get with buying a 'good' car and putting a set o tyres on it.

I Totally Agree

I was referring to the fact that for some of us the fun is in the doing

[want33s]

Tony I enjoy building stuff from gunge to gold too but Thruans argument above just doesn't make sense to me...

[jonno_racing]

I just bought a straight 1ltr tin top for $500.
there about!

[tonyevans]

I found mine under a tree - Mind you it was me that put it there 20 years ago.

Jason - Yes I agree it comes across a bit weird - I have just been letting the "invasion of the Dork's" get to me - If you get what I mean.

[evski]

I paid $500 for a 95 soft top with 120 thou on the clock, and no rust! Old mate bought it as a cheap run around, then had kids so left it sitting out the front of his house. I went around with $500 cash and said I'll take it now if he wanted to sell. With paint and a tidy up, I would say it would be worth more like $5000. I totally agree that you should start with the neatest car you can, as it will save you plenty of work and heart ache in the future

[want33s]

tonyevans wrote:

I found mine under a tree - Mind you it was me that put it there 20 years ago.

Jason - Yes I agree it comes across a bit weird - I have just been letting the "invasion of the Dork's" get to me - If you get what I mean.

I've noticed you haven't been your mild mannered self lately....

[tonyevans]

want33s wrote:

tonyevans wrote:

I found mine under a tree - Mind you it was me that put it there 20 years ago.

Jason - Yes I agree it comes across a bit weird - I have just been letting the "invasion of the Dork's" get to me - If you get what I mean.

I've noticed you haven't been your mild mannered self lately....

AH! That's better