So I've been offered a Sierra...

[Fearhoza]

In some unrelated news, i've been offered a fairly cheap Sierra. Plan would be to buy it, sell the Fez, put $1500 - $2000 in the bank for later. But i'm not really sure as to what i want.

It's a black '86 trayback. 156,*** Km's. Recent gearbox replacement, freshly sprayed black (not clearcoated over, just rough paint feeling). Rego until october this year.

I've only had a look at it and turned it over, haven't driven it yet but will be able to tomorrow. It's a little hard to turn over, and it idles pretty roughly. Interior is a little messy, but nothing a few floor mats and stuff couldn't fix up if really necessary. Little rust bubble at the edge/front of the bonnet that looks easy enough and was all i saw from a quick inspection.









What's it worth in terms of what i've described and what you can see? Any pros/cons about the swap? I know that the feroza is better in basically every aspect.. More power, better handling, more comfort, better looks, better features... the list goes on.. But would be good to hear some stuff anyway.

Is there anything i should look for when getting in and under it tommorow?

Or should I just come to my senses and stick with the Fez?

[Goatse.AJ]

Unless you're intending to build a real BEAST for offroad, then I'd personally stick with the Feroza. The I.3 Zook is underpowered enough, 1.0 litre will have you groaning seriously.

The REAL questions you should be asking are:

Do you really need the $$$ difference? (What you'll pocket will quickly go on mods)

What sort of driving do you do most? i.e. which vehicle is most suited to your driving needs?


My $0.02

[Fearhoza]

Hmm. Well, the reason I am considering it is to put money away for the beginning of next year when I'm planning on heading overseas for a while. It would be seemingly cheaper to run than the feroza, and i wouldn't be so worried when taking it off-road in terms of damaging it. It would be nice to sell the Fez for $2500, put $2g in the bank and have this car registered until almost the end of the year, using little petrol and saving some more money.

So i would be basically keeping it at stock form. And most driving would be the highway between my place and town. Off-road is basically rocks/dirt and some occasional river crossings.

[RockyF75]

i'd say no more than a grand. 5-800 would be good. Parts are cheap, so even if something stuffs up major you cant loose much. Suzukis swift GTI engine fits snugly under the bonnet too

[built4thrashing]

i did the same thing a few years ago. sold the fez and bought a sierra. best thing i did. the zook will out wheel a feroza most days in stock form. and they are so easy to mod.
the fez is alot nicer to drive on the hwy and has a few extra creature comforts but you soon learn to live and love the zook.

Wheels are interchangable so if you have better tyres on the fez they will bolt straight on. Zook engines are a bit under powered but are cheap to fix in comparison to daihatsu's and if you want more oomph then there are several enging swaps being done by forum members.

so id ditch the fez and get the zook. You wont ever go back to the dark side again.

[murcod]

Do you know the person who is selling it?

I'd be very wary of any vehicle that's had a quick respray- especially if you've already noticed a rust bubble..... They're crap to ride in compared to a Feroza- if that worries you?

[HotFourOk]

It's a little hard to turn over, and it idles pretty roughly.

Get it checked over, or you may end up spending all of the 'spare' money you have.

I agree with the quick paint job

And the wheels have been painted quickly too... and they are different front to back

If you're not a hardcore 4x4er... keep the Fez, theyre much nicer to drive.
As said, you will buy add ons for the zook anyways, so there goes your money.

P.S - That bullbar looks atrocious.

[Fearhoza]

just heading out there now to take some recon photos. Will get body, any rust, gearbox/engine/tcase/etc photo's and see what you guys think.

I know the kid selling it, his pop gave it to him a month or so ago to learn on his L's. He's just been given a 97 nissan patrol... the little bastard :p

So he's younger than me and i know where he lives. Intimidation offers on! hehe

[Fearhoza]

Well first of all it isnt 156,XXX... its 210,xxx k's.

Next is that it isnt the original motor, its a corolla motor and 5sp corolla gearbox.

Has some surface rust on the underbody and the pictures will show that when i upload them.

It has a leak in the rear pinion seal on the diff (?) and needs a new sump gasket. These parts for replacement are included.

Gearbox feels okay when driving, steering is pretty heavy. Idling is pretty rough when first started, but after a bit of revving it will idle regularly.

Temp gauge doesnt work "unless it gets really hot". When you apply the brakes, the left indicator light on the dash illuminates Havent worked that one out yet.

Pictures to come soon.

[Fearhoza]

Here are the pictures that i took. Not in any order, but mostly just to show anything that looks like it needs attention. Images are ~100kb each.

[Fearhoza]

Well, it's a 5K Toyota engine. Specs say that its a 1.5 L (1496 cc).

What do you guys think?

[RockyF75]

Again, depends on price, and if you want to spend a fair bit of time fixin her up, or if u want a drive away toy. Under body looks like anything that can leak, is. So that will chew up allot of time if you know how to change seals, or allot of money if you don't.

My mate saw one that was pretty similar, Corolla motor + 5 spd, into a LJ80 (?), no rego, rusted a fair bit and generally allot untidier, and he was quite willing to part with $500 for it, but that wasn't a ute.

[murcod]

Has that engine been approved by the motor registry?

To put it bluntly the thing's a bloody mess and looks like there are lots of things that need doing or are about to fall apart. I think the repsray inside and outside perhaps says a lot about the amount of care that has been taken in looking after / maintaining it.

I wouldn't touch it unless I got it for FREE! You'll end up spending so much money on it fixing things- and if it gets defected it will cost a huge amount to get roadworthy.

DON'T DO IT!!

[built4thrashing]

if you can get it for under a $1000 then get it. oil seals can be bought for under $50 and are easy to replace if you have a rattle gun and some car ramps. Corolla motor is a common swap and fixes the lack of power the 1ltr motors had. Most utes get a hard time and that looks ok for its age. Be realistic guys its prob 10yrs older than a feroza. being a LWB its better offroad and also the pick of the bunch. buy it and spend a few $$ to get it going and ya wont look back.

[Fearhoza]

DON'T DO IT!!

That is the bluntness that i needed.

The motor and gearbox are on an engineers report is what i've been told.

It does look to be alot of work, especially on all those seals and gaskets to fix what is leaking.

Might be good for a miss unless free? :p

[Zute]

The 5k is most likely out of a Lite Ace. I tried one in a Corolla, doing supper sprints and hill climbs. Busted a big end when I tried to make it rev to 7000rpm. Motor is a lot more torquey than 3k. has more stroke and bigger bore. 3k head will bolt on for higher compression. It may or not have hydraulic lifters.
Whats he asking for it ? Missed one here for $2600. It had standard 1.3 zook motor.

Foroza probley better on fuel. Zooks 10 l/100kms.

[Fearhoza]

Well he is asking $1300ono for it as it stands.. But i could likely get it for $500 if i was so inclined as i know him.

But what about the terrible underbody state?

[Goatse.AJ]

Has it been on the beach much?

[Fearhoza]

As far as i know it has had a fair bit of beach work. The guy who gave it to the guy i know was a beach/boat fisherman, lived in a suburb on the beach. Putting two and two together, i'd say so.

Could explain all the rust.

Also posted a link to this in the sierra forum and i'm getting a lot of pro-sierra advice

[HotFourOk]

I wouldn't want to go near an engineer with that thing... may end up costing you a lot of money

Cheap motor swap, cheap paint job, I don't think cheap is always good.

Don't you love paintjobs that leave the engine bay the stock colour

If you do decide to buy it Check that the engine number matches the rego papers, or then you could be in crap later on.

[lay80n]

How mechanically minded are you. If the cars structally sound, and all engineered and rego's legit, then for $500 you could buy it and slowly fix her up. As the others have said, it depends on what you want, sierra will own a feroza offroad, but the opposite onroad. Though the 5K will go much better than the standard zook sewing machine motor. Personally for $500 I would buy it, but i'm probably in a different position than you


Layto....

[offroader-rama]

sounds like you just wan to save money not get a car to do up so where is it, you buy it for $500, i'll give you $700, done .you make a easy $200

[Fearhoza]

Will keep it in mind, but probably not.

Decided to buy it, sell the `Roza and spend some cash on the sierra.

Only if i get it for the right price of course.

[HotFourOk]

Will keep it in mind, but probably not.

Decided to buy it, sell the `Roza and spend some cash on the sierra.

Only if i get it for the right price of course.

Lost another from the Hatsu section

[Fearhoza]

Why did you wait this long to tell me that you loved me!

Haven't bought it yet. Good chance he's going to be a tight-ass and not sell it cheaply. So might be around for a while yet.

[rOd]

Why dont you just keep the Feroza then sell it before you go overseas.

That zook looks woeful.

It reminds me of the 85 Rocky I bought as my first 4x4. Rough as guts !

[offroader-rama]

with all honesty if you are buying that sierra to save money you have rocks in your head.
it NEEDS to be done up, it NEEDS money spent on it, you will have NO money left over after selling the foroza and fixing the sierra, but will have a nice but ordanary sierra ute.( if your not ripped of by mechanics )
but it wont be worth anymore than your car now so you have saved a BIG FAT ZERO $$$, and that was your plan was it not, so let it go to some one who realy wants a base ute to modify to there own budget and needs!!!!

over and out!!!

[Fearhoza]

Wtf are you talking about, dude?

Most i could pocket at the end of the year with the feroza was $3k if i kept driving it until then.

Let me explain!

Sell fez now (+3,000), buy sierra (-500), repair sierra (-300 doing own labor), do up sierra pretty well (-1000).

By this time, bear in mind, i'm still in front $1200 using those figures.

End of the year comes and i sell the nice ute with extra's and its few professionally conservative mods for lets take a stab at $2,000 which i dont think is out of reach if its done up with rego and capable with some nice feet on it.

So that leaves me at being in front $3,200.

I'm not necessarily going to do any of this... I might just keep it as is until the end of the year for a cheap to work and uni runner.

But it'sfar from being a money pit.



Edit: And i said i would consider your offer, and i might still, but don't try to hound me.

[offroader-rama]

not trying to offend but it plainly needs rust cut out and a paint job to be able to sell for a decent $$ and quick sale, plus needs no oil leaks, loose bearings, loose unis, warn brakes, good tyres, exhaust and at least running right to be able to sell for top dollar some where between $2000-$3000. i do cars all day every day i paint them modifiy them myself etc and i know what it costs and that car is leaking from every oriface, tiny tyers etc.. unless you can do all the work, including rust repair and paint your self and have access to parts cheap and tools and your labour is priceless (ie have lots of time on your hands), your profit will not go far paying some one to do it for you and add road worthy rego and engineer's reprt to the sitution and your've spent your $3000 but if you can confidently do all of the above then you have a sweet sierra ute what are you waiting for buy the thing.
it wont last long, some people love these things like me there not worth a lot but are sort after in the right condition.

[runnin4life]

add road worthy rego and engineer's report to

The motor and gearbox are on an engineers report