Donor Parts

The cat is a single donor kit using parts from almost any sierra. Although most of the bits you will need are included in the kit price you still need quite a few from the sierra.

Complete rear axle - with as many cables as possible intact, in particular the handbrake cable.
5 wheels and tyres
Handbrake
Washer bottle
Engine, points, distributor, (black box)...
Gearbox
Complete front suspension
Track control arms
Horn
Steering column, complete with all stalks, switches...
Throttle cable
Master cylinder
Choke cable (if required)

Alternatively you can choose to buy a donor package, with 2 litre engine, 5 speed gearbox, automatic choke, wheels, brakes and switches. We chose not to choose donor packs, we chose to choose Shaun. A bargain at 85 quid and lots of fun to wreck...

Donor part preparation

Suggested method off cleaning

The sevens mailing list gave a few ideas as to the best way to prepare the parts, including:

Mr Muscle oven cleaner
Stripping with a rotary wire brush
Rustoleum and a zinc based rustoleum primer
Cellulose primer and then black top coat
Paint the rocker cover or even better chrome or anodise it
Finnigans no 1 undercoat

We've been warned away from using pressure washers and sand-blasting equipment due to sand getting everywhere. Smoothrite is claimed to be too brittle and chips off.

For the rocker cover smoothrite is apparently ok:strip the rocker cover with paint stripper, wire brush it, prime properly and use a spray on engine enamel (smoothrite is ok, but shake well and apply lightly, thin coat after thin coat).

20/12/97

Had a bit of a tidy up in the garage to clear some space and had a go at removing the front shocks/springs. Bolts off quite easy but couldn't budge the suspension from the mounts.

Removed half the anti-roll bar and a few bolts from the back end and started trying to clean up some of the parts. Ians cordless drill really isn't up to it but we haven't really got anything better. Splitting the parts into smaller pieces, taking them home and using a real drill may be the only way.

21/12/97

Managed to get the shocks off after reading haynes and using a screwdriver to ease the mountings apart a bit. Suspension arms off as well, with the wheels off this left the front brakes, rack and subframe all sitting on the floor waiting to get cleaned up. The arms didn't want to come off the anti-roll bar and I wasn't particularly enclined to round off a 24mm nut that we would most likely be needing. Will just have to wait and get a 24mm socket/spanner.