sierra saphire
Immaculate 500bhp Saph is a work of art.
The cars that we encounter during our formative years can have a huge influence on the decisions that we make when it comes to buying four-wheelers later in life. For example, 41-year old garage owner, Allan Paterson, cut his teeth as an apprentice mechanic at a Ford dealership where he was exposed to a wide variety of Blue Ovals that left a lasting impression on him. More specifically, one model in particular captivated his attention like no other – the 4x4 Sapphire Cosworth.
“They were still in production when I was servicing them for Ford customers in the early 1990s,” he recalls. “I was in awe of their specification and vowed to buy one as soon as funds and insurance premiums allowed,” he adds.
True to his word, Allan had his name assigned to the logbook of a ’92-plate Nouveau Red fourby in the summer of 2001. The car was in standard guise and had just 70k miles on the clock, but his enviable acquisition came at a time
when auto theft in the UK was at an all time high. “Somebody attempted to steal it within a matter of weeks,” he sighs. “The damage was slight, although it encouraged me to evaluate the overall condition of the car, particularly as I’d joined the RS Owners Club ( RSOC) and was well aware of the standard set by its members,” he says.
Strip Show
Setting time aside to give his new ride a thorough going- over resulted in a determination to renew its service, braking and timing components. Allan also added some minor bodywork repairs to a task list that seemed to be growing with every poke and prod of the cool Cossie. However, interested RSOC colleagues were quick to point out that his extensive catalogue of repairs was likely to expose other areas in need of attention. As difficult as it was to hear, they suggested that his time would be put to better use by stripping the car to a bare shell before a rebuild incorporating all new components and a fresh lick of paint.
The Sapphire was in use as a daily driver, which meant that a project of the scale suggested by his fellow Ford fans would require Allan to render it out of action while the work was undertaken. Furthermore, the associated costs of such a job would be inflated by the necessary purchase of a second vehicle that could ferry him to work and back. “I thought long and hard about the toil involved in a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the car, and considered the fast-approaching summer show season during the decision making process,” he explains. “I reasoned that I could exhibit the fruits of my labour if I had the project finished within a twelve week timeframe, and I began to get excited at the prospect of taking part in various ‘show and shine’ events around the UK,” he confirms.
With his mind made up, Allan parked a Focus
ST170 on the Paterson family driveway while the Saph was disassembled in advance of its rebirth. He took the opportunity to add some tidy tuning components to the classic Cossie, and bought a Mongoose stainless steel exhaust system, high-flow fuel injectors, an enlarged air filter, coilovers, 19-inch alloys and a monster brake kit that joined other performance parts on an evergrowing stockpile.
hard labour
Three months of relentless labour followed, and the car was back from the paint shop, built and ready to wow the world according to plan. Moreover, subsequent outings to RSOC meets in Scotland, Wales and at various venues in England proved successful thanks to positive feedback from keen show goers. Oh, and there was the small matter of being awarded a stack of silverware. “I couldn’t believe it! The Saph was very clean, but I hadn’t anticipated being on the receiving end of so much praise,” gasps Allan.
Before long, he was parading the car at a huge number of detailing events and was presented with a trophy at the AutoGlym Concours Competition at Birmingham NEC’s Classic Motor Show. It was the peak of an unexpected run of reward for all the hard work up until that point, yet success didn’t come without its price... literally. “Every show demanded significant financial investment as challengers hell-bent on winning awards continually showered their motors in cosmetic updates in an effort to gain an edge over their rivals,” he tells us. “I found myself spending a fortune on polishing, chroming, powdercoating and upgrading parts that were already as good as new. Worse still, I was hauling the car to shows on the back of a trailer! It was fun while it lasted, but I decided to retire from competing at such a high level after the NEC experience,” he says.
The Saph was spotless, but Allan was keen to rack up some serious driving time following years of leaving the car motionless on club
stands and show stages. He considered the 19s too big to provide him with a smooth enough ride and promptly replaced them with a brand new set of classic 17in Compomotive five-spokes.
The smaller wheels demanded smaller calipers to sit within them, and six-piston Compbrake calipers were bolted into place as the car was prepared for its return to the road. Suspension updates continued with a set of Koni adjustable dampers and Ahmed Bayoo lowering springs, while a modified six- degree rear beam made an appearance at the back end (a change that Allan says has transformed the car’s handling abilities). The factory transmission was replaced with a DPE straightcut gearbox, a lightened and balanced flywheel, an AP Racing clutch and Vibra Technics mounts.
The Cossie’s faithful twolitre YB has been significantly upgraded thanks to a build by Mark Shead at respected Berkshire tuning firm, MA Developments. Oversized forged pistons, steel rods, a ported and polished cylinder head ( packing custom profile camshafts and a new valvetrain), a GT3071R turbocharger, an Airtec intercooler, a Hart plenum, a Pro Alloy dedicated turbo cooler and a Vipec ECU loaded with a custom map combine to give this sensational Saph a performance figure of around 500bhp with an estimated 480lb/ft of torque.
Tidy Undercarriage
Surprisingly, its interior remains free of alteration. “As a teenager, I fell in love with the RS styling package. My affection for its clean lines and simple design extends to the car’s cabin – an area that I have been loathed to toy with,” reveals Allan. That might be about to change following Mark’s suggestion of a Stack digital dash display that can provide valuable diagnostic information while the pokey powerplant is in operation. Nevertheless, a four-spoke steering wheel is as radical as it gets for the time being.
A 300bhp Focus ST is Allan’s current workhorse, although he isn’t afraid of using the Saph whenever the mood takes him. “I’m not saying that I won’t enter it into any more competitions. After all, it was built to such a high standard that it’s still capable of winning trophies despite regular road use,” he says, simultaneously pointing out that the car’s immaculate finish extends to its undercarriage. “I’m just more relaxed about taking it out onto the public highway than I used to be,” he smiles. That’s fantastic news, as this cracking Cossie represents the perfect blend of ‘show’ and ‘go’. Or to put it another way, Allan has achieved the best of both worlds. Now, where did we put that polishing cloth...