Owner: Travis Stone (previously owned by my late dad Noel Stone)
Car: 1984 Ford Sierra 2,3 GLE
Bought in: 1984
Mileage when purchased/now: 0 km/369 000 km. The odo has rolled over three times as it only has five digits to show mileage.
Current value: n/a
Why I bought this car: There was no XR6 version available when my dad bought the car. He had just sold his 3,0L Cortina XLE and was looking for another V6 Ford to replace it with. When the Sierra was released Ford enthusiasts did not really approve of its shape compared with the previous generations of cars having a more box-like appearance. He decided not to follow Ford owners and bought his first brand new car.
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Common issues with this model: These engines are known for overheating. This is due to the grille having a small opening for air to pass through. My dad fitted a Sierra Cosworth replica grille to his car which helped fix this issue.
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Major repairs I’ve conducted: In 2017, a friend and I overhauled the motor after it blew a head gasket.
The best thing about my car: Besides all the amazing memories of touring through South Africa, and even Namibia, with my family in this car and never letting us down once, if I had to credit the Sierra with one thing it would have to be its looks.
From a personal point of view, the Sierra car really cemented my love of cars. I remember working on and maintaining this car with my dad in the garage at home on many weekends. Those memories are part of this car’s history and remind me fondly of my father.
The worst thing about my car: It lacks power. The 2,3-litre ‘Cologne’ V6 was not known for having a lot of power. Well at the end of the day, my dad knew how to use the power wisely, he would go up a hill, with five of us in the car, a caravan hooked on at the back, and the Sierra managed to go uphill like a breeze. I doubt I would ever be able to do it the way he did.
Tech spec below the gallery…
1984 Ford Sierra 2,3 GLE Tech Spec
Engine: 2,3-litre V6
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Power: 84 kW
Torque: 176 N.m
Top speed: 190 km/h
0-100 km/h: 12,5 sec
Thanks to Bernard Wiehahn for the tracking shots.
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Good to hear about your experiences with your Sierra GLE. I recently bought mine, a 1984 2.3 V6 automatic, which was imported from South Africa by a local classic car dealer.
I decided to go classic because I am so outraged by the UK government’s constant increasing of the Road Tax (aka Vehicle Excise Duty) instead of having the guts to add a penny on the pound in Income Tax. (A 1965 3.8 Jaguar, which came into yard where I have my motorbikes stored, also got me thinking.)
I’ve had my car fully serviced and several small adjustments and parts replaced. It has conveyed me well, including a 400 mile round trip to Cambridge.
Interesting about the overheating factor – my car has no air filter cover or choke assembly, which causes cold start issues, and I wonder if that could be a S African “fix”? I’m hoping to source parts to get it back together. There are fewer than 2,400 Sierras of all types left in the UK, so mine is a rarity.