Cossie Questions for Experts

[cyniclaus]

I have a wrecked '90 Sapphire Cosworth. The frame is not worth repairing since the roof and passenger door crushed in, but the engine with components, leather, gauges, wheels are all intact and functioning. This is a Stage III/IV build with 347-hp at 1.6 BAR with a Garrett T35, and I don't want to waste it. I would just sell everything, but I can't find a buyer here in Italy.

I was hoping some of the experienced people here might be able to answer some questions:

1. I found a 4x4 Cossie for sale with a bad motor...how hard would it be to put my engine from the 2WD in that? I have a friend who says it would probably be cheaper just to buy a complete running 4x4 Cossie

2. If I buy a normal 2WD Sapph (non-Cosworth), would all the parts from the Cossie bolt on?

3. Is there some other application that this motor setup could go into that would be simple enough for your average mechanic?

I appreciate any help you guys can provide...all of my cash is in this Cossie or set aside to fix it...I'm forced to drive a Fiat Punto right now

[popuptoaster]

I'd buy the 4x4 cossie and transplant your engine into it, you could buy a standard saph shell and build it up with your cossie bits, but because it wont say cosworth on the registration it wont be worth very much.

or maybe buy a 3 door shell and build up a 3 door cossie replica which could be worth a similar amount to a saph cos but would be more unusual.

[cyniclaus]

I'd buy the 4x4 cossie and transplant your engine into it, you could buy a standard saph shell and build it up with your cossie bits, but because it wont say cosworth on the registration it wont be worth very much.

Thanks for responding!

That's exactly what I figured...which is why I was all set to buy the 4x4 until a mechanic told me it would be very expensive/labor intensive to adapt the engine from my 2WD into the 4WD car.

This guy wants 3200 Euros for the 4WD with the bad motor. I would certainly pay that if I knew I could do the engine swap for under 1000 Euros.

Meanwhile, I found a 2WD '88 Sierra 1.6 for only 1000 Euros that I could build up but, as you say, it would never be quite as good as any "real" Cossie. It would be kind of a fun "sleeper" though, if I left the 1.6 badges on

[BigDave]

The engines are pretty much the same by the way. Its really just the block that is thicker and a different exhaust manifold as main features. You will of course need to swap the sump for the 4x4 running gear but this can be taken from the wreked engine along with the different ancillaries you will need. Should be relativly easy of you have the old motor to swap the parts over to suit?

[Bart2207]

I'd also say, get the 4x4 and swap everything, I'm pretty sure you can do all the work for much less than a thousand euros, provided that all the bits you need are intact. You might only have to buy some new gaskets and bolts etc. And of course oil and coolant... All depending on your own skills and abilities of course...

I've seen some sapphs from Italy, and they were all in very condition, probably due to the dry climate or something, so build the 4x4 and enjoy a genuine cossie, with the proper registration etc.

Bart