[tacho]

Congratulations!

The Sierra is quite a looker and yours looks quite good for a 10 year old car. Is it only me or does that right tail lamp appear too dark, like it has faded?

[kaviprem]

Congrats Advyth, Sure your dream comes true with the beast
Are you looking to make any changes on the body ?

Enjoy & Safe Motoring !
Prem.

[vinaydas]

looks rather well maintained.
i used to love this car when i was a kid.

[condor]

Congrats .. from one Sierra fan to another.

Advyth : I wish to completely utilise the car. Drive it to its grave eventually. Its hard not to develop an attachment with this car when it somehow feels so darn personal.

Go for it ! Do her up, pamper her - and take care of her. You are very lucky to get one maintained so well.

The Sierra is always a personal : as said in the Sierra thread, it shared a 1-to-1 relationship with the driver, and hence never was able to transform itself into a family car.

My suggestions :
Interiors
Ice
Alloys

Critical spares to stock up on (even if from gujri) : headlights, tail lights, side rear glass & front wind-shield glass. Anything that is not in production today.

supremeBaleno : What if Tata re-introduces this vehicle (same looks ie.) with a Dicor heart ? Would it do well ?

A niche market that can definitely take up a limited production. On my wish-list.

Advyth : @supremeBaleno - I've even considered swapping the engine to a new age VTT or the Dicor .. the problem is the wiring and the electronics. So if TATA ever...

You will need to replace quite a bit - with all the sensors & electronics the 2.2 has. May be the full harness - along with the engine, the GB, the ECU .. ?

[vivekji05]

Originally Posted by condor

Critical spares to stock up on (even if from gujri) : headlights, tail lights, side rear glass & front wind-shield glass. Anything that is not in production today.

Isn't the head light the same as that on the 207DI pickup truck that is in production even now?

[Mpower]

Isin't the engine same as the Tata Sumo turbo (483DL). Is that engine still in production.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by vivekji05

Isn't the head light the same as that on the 207DI pickup truck that is in production even now?

That's a very good observation. I think it's the same.

[Advyth]

Thanks for the appreciation guys. Its really valued.

@Tacho - When i bought the car, the left tail light was cracked. So i replaced the tail light. The left one is new.

@kaviprem - I might consider adding a gull wing door at the back (passenger side), only because my parents find it a little tough to get in and get out. Or I might just decide not to mess with it (Dont know now actually).

@condor - Checklist checked. I'm already gathering up finances for these three really important upgrades. And thanks for reminding me of collecting some spares, i better do that before i need to.

And ive dumped the idea of swapping the engine because i watch my friend literally sweating blood trying to get all the electronics, wiring, ECU etc. And if he's got to struggle so much, i'd be helpless. But what i intend to do is LPG fumigation. This engine has a Turbo charger which is needed for simple efficient fumigation. Power gains on this might be relatively significant.

@Mpower - Yup, the engine is TATA 483DL Turbo. The same as the Tata Sumo. And the same as Tata Safari (upto 2005 model). I think its still in production for the Sumo Victa.

Cheers guys. Drive on...

[GTO]

A well-maintained Sierra Turbo!! What a breath of fresh air in the TD forum section. Congratulations Advyth. I've toured extensively in the Sierra Turbo ('98 - 00) and know what a fine cruising machine she makes. Unparalleled ride comfort, excellent space and a torquey diesel. Modified Zens & Esteems were the flavour of the end-nineties and believe me, we've tutored many a teenager on the Sierra Turbo's mid-range punch . This beast has character.

On the flip side, expect niggles to become a part of your daily life. My buddy still owns the '98 Sierra I spoke of in the previous para. She's done 1,60,000 kms today and runs well. But for the last 7 years, she's regularly been in and out of the garage. Other weak points are the air-conditioner and boat-like handling (easy around the corners, will ya!).

You've gotten a lot of car for the money. Drive safe.

P.S. Don't even think of engine swaps (common-rails are heavier units) and gull-wing doors (you'll destroy the structural integrity).

[Mafia]

hey! cool! Congrats! She looks to be in great shape! a battle tank for the Bangalore traffic! I am sure people scamper out of the way!

[jacs]

Its a macho no doubt. You could have upsized the wheels anyway since you changed the tyres. Congrats on your new drive.

[Amartya]

The Sierra is a car that evokes emotions that are hard to describe. I kept going back to the first page and checking out the pictures. There's nothing quite like it on Indian roads. The closest successor spiritually is the Xenon (which shares a resemblance).

Now, what do you think about the plastic wheel arches and the plastic bits on the front and rear bumper? In my opinion, they look like really poor quality plastic and you might consider stripping them. Another suggestion is to get hold of a plastic spare wheel cover, that you can then paint (or give it a dual tone, body colour and silver combination) the Sierra monicker onto it.

I think that'll improve the looks quite a bit without draining your pockets. Get the cooling system and the A/C checked, they have been known to give trouble in the Sierra. Check if you have a Sanden A/C compressor, I have heard that the last production runs had different A/C compressors (can't recall the name, DARN).

[vkochar]

Before seeing this thread and the photos I thought I'd probably see an old Sierra BUT was I surprised ? It was really good looking and unlike any of the Sierras I see on our roads ( rare ). Most of the ones I see are badly maintained.

Your Sierra looks beautiful and I guess that is why you paid 1.4 Lacs.

I remember back in 98, my father's friend brought this and we used to look forward to a ride in it. Was a real stunner back in the days.

Looking forward to the interior pics.

[Mpower]

Have you installed an extra wiper in the back or does the Sierra come with 2 rear wipers?

[condor]

vivekji05 : Isn't the head light the same as that on the 207DI pickup truck that is in production even now?
Amartya : That's a very good observation. I think it's the same.

Looks similar, but I'd rather check it at the A.S.S.

Advyth : @Mpower - Yup, the engine is TATA 483DL Turbo. The same as the Tata Sumo. And the same as Tata Safari (upto 2005 model). I think its still in production for the Sumo Victa.

Good call there. But if your engine ever acts up, then go for a factory re-built replacement. You will then get an all-new 2.0L TCIC, and the vehicle will then be as good as new.

The 483DL is in use as a NA unit in Sumo SE / Victa series + the Winger. The TCIC 483DL can be seen in the Winger, but no longer in the Victa. Turbo Victa's now have the 3.0L DI engine. But suffice to say that the engine is still in production.

OT : What pump are you running ?