TTAC Project Car: You Meet the Nicest People In A...Ford Sierra?

It may not be ready to take on the old Honda tagline, but our 1983 Ford Sierra Ghia is strengthening our ties with our car nutty friends from across the pond. While Capt. Mike’s UK connections are stronger, here’s the story of how our Sierra made it from the seller’s house to one of the Captain’s friend’s homes: a strong group of Nürburgring-fiends who claimed our lovable Air Force Yank as one of their own. But that’s for the next installment in this series because, as the Panther-intensive pictures show, I’m telling this portion of the story.

Just in case you missed it, Mike and me are on a quest for the ultimate Ford of our generation: a restomod Ford Sierra Ghia. We talk regularly via Facebook chat, no matter where he is. And while he was (probably) in a bunker in (maybe) Afghanistan, the delicious blend of Ford’s aerodynamic initiatives coupled with a Hoon-worthy RWD chassis stole our hearts. Mike’s chat window blew up with the URL to my favorite Sierra in my favorite color for sale in a UK classic car on-line magazine for tidy price of £850. I damn near screamed with delight. More to the point, I was sold.

I told him to get it to the Port of Houston and I will write a check for his troubles. Mike’s fellow Nürburgring cultists couldn’t meet the seller, but my friend could. And anyone driving from Somerset to help an American bloke in love with a brown 1983 Ford Sierra in Cambridgeshre (look it up) is certainly a kind soul, doing it in a gas guzzling Lincoln Town Car is pure insanity. Baruth wipes a tear from his eyes, and I nod my head in amazement. It has happened: it shall be mine!

I met Dereck several years back on LincolnsOnline.com, and he became moderator soon after: being the owner of an MOT shop, a certified Panther Chassis nut and a kind soul genuinely interested in helping people never hurts. While we had a blast running the small and friendly forum, I had no idea he’d come and visit when I was traveling on business to London, for a certain IT company and a certain English Petroleum company. Dereck drove 3 hours to have dinner with me, in London traffic, on a Wednesday afternoon, and brought gifts galore from Somerset. Plus, he picked me up from my hotel in a Cartier-fettled Lincoln Town Car. And while the hotel valets stared shamelessly, he stated, “course I would come and visit you in my Town Car, that was a long plane trip you made to visit me!”

And when the chips are down, is it any surprise that Dereck would do me a solid once again? So Capt. Mike wired Dereck the money, emailed the address and one more request: document the event with few pictures. Which are here for you to enjoy, along with his final assessment of the matter:

“Well the deed is done, one Ford Sierra delivered to Dave, documents posted. It was a 535 mile round trip, left the MOT shop in Somerset at 4:05pm and arrived back at home 3:55am the following day, just ten minutes short of 12 hours. The Town Car’s fuel meter (i.e. lie-o-meter) said 20.8 MPG, by the way. And it happened as follows:

A Rio Brown Ford Sierra – £850

6 months road tax – £112

Gas (Town Car) – £115

Gas (Sierra) – £10

2 regular coffees, 1 double chocolate muffin, a bag of chips and an Egg, Bacon, Mayo sandwich at South Mimms services – £12

Helping a buddy in a bind – Priceless!”

While I can testify that there’s no better way to drive around London than in a Lincoln Town Car, getting a Ford Sierra in the same pictures rekindles my love of the now mundane, but once cutting edge. Need more proof? Clock our latest machine next to the 1981 Ford Probe III Concept Car. The lines do not lie.

So what’s next? Well, Mike has to get it to Germany, and his corner-carving mates will do just that. Then it has to get it’s Nürburgring cherry popped before delivery to a USAF base, to be shipped early next year. Stay tuned for more action while TTAC gets its first project car, because I know the best is yet to come.

Here’s to great friends and sheer automotive lunacy!