Sierra XR4i Update by Dan Ferrari Ford, with 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

Dan has been after an XR4i for some time and recently bought a nice, honest car. This XR4i has certainly provided plenty of material for the Dan Ferrari Ford You Tube Channel. Lots of oil leaks, cold start problems, warm start problems, exhaust problems and headlining problems, but Dan is on the case because he just loves this car.  It is just so capable and so special, as only an XR4I can be.  And, if you know that, you know.  And Dan definitely does!

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https://www.youtube.com/@DanFerrariFord

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Hi, this is the Free on the Column podcast with Brian Thomas, and Andrew can't be with us this evening, unfortunately. So we've got um Dan from Dan Ferrari Ford. Um you would have heard him just recently giving us some fantastic insights into Ford escorts and how to buy a good one, which I hope you found helpful. So by way of a thank you, I thought it'd be really quite interesting to find out a bit more from Dan as to how progress is getting on with the um XR4i. And there's actually a really good story there, there, Dan, isn't it? I just wonder if you'd like to say hello again and sort of take us through the story from the beginning to where it is now in the XR4i. Hi Dan, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Hello, hi Brian, hi Andrew, sorry you can't be here if you're listening. Hello.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

I'll do my best to fill in for him, but I haven't got that. Uh my wealth of information doesn't quite spawn that power for it.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

So tell us about this fantastic carving, because they are wonderful at software, aren't they? So, where did you find this one?

SPEAKER_03 1:36

Tell us about the story. We've been looking for one for a while, to be honest. Um one just to scratch an itch, really. Um, and then obviously we we had the channel, we're doing the YouTube channel, so we had considerations for that. Um, various reasons. Um yeah, and we just kind of stumbled across this one, um, which turned out to be the backstory from it was we were looking for an XR4x4 because they're good value for money. The XR4i, they're a little bit older and they're more expensive. So the I I we we I for 12 months we looked for a 4x4, couldn't find one. Then we nearly got a couple, we fell through, and then this 4i came up, um, which was kind of on the money. So I just did that thing where I glazed over, I bought it, I brought it home. What a car. I mean, it's been invaluable to the channel because it's given us loads and loads of stuff to do. Um but I've never driven a Sierra before that. Uh really when I bought it. Yeah, I I'd only had escorts and fiestas basically. Um, focuses, things like that. So the sound when you accelerated the V6 was just something else. The drive, it was just so different from the other fours, the front-wheel drive fours that I'd have. I didn't get it, I didn't get it. I didn't understand why people out on about the Sierra all the time. I didn't understand why it was about the cosway, things like that. I just didn't get it. And and and halfway home, within an hour of having that car, I got it. I I I understood why people love them cars because it is just it's an amazing machine, it really is, and when you consider the age bit, what it's delivering, it it it really is it is a great thing. So yeah, we we we picked that up, a boy privately, um a very nice chap. Um, you know, I knew what I was getting into. I wasn't uh hoodwinked in any way, shape, or form. I looked at the car, I I I could see uh the good things and the bad things, and uh obviously, you know, if you watch the channel, you'll know that we like to fix bad things anyway, so I'm not too scared of that. Mostly it was body the body work was good, uh that had all been done. So that just left mechanical stuff for me, which is great, it's right up our street. So we just keep every time I do a video, I find something else wrong with it, so I find I've got to make another video. So my list is like not getting any shorter, it's just going lower down the piece of paper. It's like the gift that keeps giving because I drive it and I love it, but then I try and tune it in. I try and dial it in, I try and get it to run perfect, and it and I hate it. It just won't do as it's told, you know. It's a proper old car.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Wow. So what kind of condition was it in then? Because I kind of got the impression from watching the uh the videos that it was actually unusually good. Is that right? It was certainly a fairly honest car, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Basically, yeah, it was a it's a four-owner car. Um, like I said, considering its age 43 is not bad. Um the two the fella I bought it off, bought it off his friend. So that narrows it down to sort of three owners, really, if you discount that as a move. Um it's been gone through, um, like I say, um it's been repainted, all the undersides solid. Um it it's had a lot of work done to it, it really has. Um fair place to the people who had it, they were putting it into a really, really good place. Uh I think unfortunately due to some ill health. Uh I don't know too much about it, but uh that stopped and then it got moved on. So we've really just got the honour of taking it to the next level, just finishing it off. Um and it's just like all small jobs, but there's 57 of them, you know.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

So that's about 50 or YouTube videos then.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

Yeah, every time I just I just want to get in it and drive it, but then then the other side of me that wants to have it right before I do. Um but yeah, we've been through loads on it. We've we've learned a lot, you know. Like I say, I've never even worked on one of them engines before. Um so that was a learning curve. Changing the water pumps, different types of water pumps, obviously. Run the engine at different temperatures. I know that now. Um and which, yeah, I just changed that water a few times. You know, oil leaks, fluid leaks, that's the biggest thing um I found with the Sierra is um it leaks from everywhere. And that's it. I've I've chased, I must have done five leaks on it already, and there's still probably three left. And whenever you speak to someone, they go, Oh, they all leaks, yeah. Mine leaks. Yeah, I had one I had one that leaks when it was six months old. Mine leaks before he even bought it, you know, it's like it's just so I think it's kind of a I feel like I'm chasing my tail trying to get it to not leak, but I'm not gonna give up.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Um I think it's a bit like like when it when the water company come and do a leak in the road, don't they? It then gives that six-inch piece of pipe like fantastic pressure, and it just moves it down to the next air pipe, which hasn't been replaced. And I think it probably is like over car engines as well, isn't it? Really, you replace one bit and it kind of makes the other bit work harder. It does. And you just gotta replace the whole lot of it.

SPEAKER_03 7:41

And you just gotta keep going and in your and in in in my brain, I know I know that I need reality take the engine out, set the drive shaft out, set the gearbox out, take all the driving, go through it, reseal it, put it back in. I'm pretty sure that that's already been done looking at the car. But I I I think some things just haven't quite grabbed, you know. Um but it is just the nature of the car. I changed the rocker cover gaskets when I did the tappets, uh, brand new ones on, and they leaked straight away, you know. Like it it's where you're into silicon sealing and things like that. Like it's just patience, really, but it don't half pay you back, it loves you when um when you drive it. It is a great car. Got some good plans of the interior uh coming up in the future there. Um and uh yeah, we've just done the brakes this week, done a video on that. Uh again, the again they were just ill adjusted, you know. Um and the the I put new distant pads on, so I've done one on that. Um yeah, it it is an it's it's a great car. It's a bit spongy, it doesn't really handle as well as the escorts, I would say. A bit more more motorway, long gears. Right, yeah. You know, you struggle to drive it slowly because because when when you go into second gear, it one ones one and a half thousand rpm is sort of forty mile an hour, you know. Wow. So you can't you're really struggling to sort of drive it slowly. And um well yeah, it's the same engine as the Capri, um, which is it for uh Bosch, Bosch Ktronic, Bosch K Jonic fuel injection system, uh which was the same as the Mondayal, the first Ferrari I did. Um and and I and I battled with that quite a lot to be fair. Um it's kind of like a a world of pain that you just again you fix one thing, there's there's so many little things, everything can be 10% wrong, which equals 50%. So you you kind of like because with this car, I don't want to plow hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pounds into it, I just want to get it right and I want to get it cut I don't want to invest too much in it because the channel's a self-funded channel, and I I have to obviously go to work to pay for the cars that some of the cars are mine anyway, which I've done over the years, which are great, but that's the area was kind of like uh partly for me and partly for the channel. So I have to consider that what happens when there's nothing left to do on it, you know. Do I want to keep an a another another car or do I do I want to move on to something else and just kind of sort of rotate that car for the channel, if you like. Um potentially looking at maybe doing something a bit more modern next time, like I was saying, yeah. Like you know, about the more modern Fords that are still 25 years old. Yeah. Um we've got obviously the if you watch the channel, there's a there's an SE 500 in there that we've got sort of on the back burner, which I've been gathering parts for. Um yeah, I really, really want to get stuck into that to be honest. Well, I just can't, you know, there's a limit to what we can do.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Yeah, and you just can't have endless videos a week, can you really? Because you actually won't get enough time to actually do the work if you're spending with time trying to record it, really.

SPEAKER_03 11:33

So uh and then you've got to work five days a week in between that as well. As well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Um I mean, yeah, it is for great great cars, so I mean I I remember, um, I think I saw sort of said when we spoke last time, I had uh for a few years I had a 2.94 by 4. Um and I still maintain to this day that it's probably one of the best cars I've ever had. Um literally being able to climb sideways uh car park at Brent Hatch with five people in it at an angle at 45 degrees. I just never ever ever thought a car could do that, really. Nobody else did. I mean, what a car! And quick, too. It was really quick.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

Um 3.9 was a better engine, wasn't it? That was the EFI version, so that has a little bit more reliability to it and power, really.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

Yeah, yeah, apparently very weak on the gearboxes, apparently. A lot of them had um sort of very poor gearboxes, apparently. I know the one I had had had um some kind of close ratio gearbox replacement put in it, non-standard, yeah. But um apparently it's quite common on those cars that the gearbox uh goes, but whether that's a fix now or not, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 13:03

There's a lot of drivetrains in there, isn't there? To be honest, that was what I was looking for. Like I said, that the the uh I still am, I still would swap it if you like, you know. Yeah, I'd I'd I'd I'd I'd I'd move back to that one to do do some work on one of them and have one of them for a bit. Um yeah, I think I think I think they developed I think by the time they'd done that 2.9 XR4x4, they developed it. Yeah, it's it was stiffened up more, you know, it handled well. It had the power work and it had the reliability.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Yeah, it it absolutely was an absolute barnstormer of a car. Um the overtakes you could do in it were just amazing, really, really quick. And um, I kind of think now, if money was no object, I would actually try and get hold of one and then have somebody go through and make it like a brand new car to and that would be a fantastic everyday car. I don't know, you maybe spend 30 grand on having it made into something really, really special. And I think it's a car that we still stack up as a modern everyday car.

SPEAKER_03 14:18

I really really drive it every day, couldn't you? You could blend into traffic that the motor. I mean, even that XR4I there, when you're on the motorway, it's diff it's it's it's it's amongst the you know, it's amongst everything. It's it's great. It is like I was really shocked. I was really shocked how good it was, and I get it now. So get the caprice, you know, because that's the same. I just get it, and um I have to I have to stop myself trying to light the back end up, really, because I I just know I'll break something, but I really part of me just wants to do what you said there. Just want, just a little bit, just you know, two-wheel drive, it wouldn't take much, but I just know it'll be something else will start leaking. Something will shatter. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Of course, it's actually hard, it's hard to lay rubber on the four by four, of course, because um it it tries hard to not let you do that, to be fair.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

But um but yeah, cracking it and bends is it might be 70-30 the ratio or something like that, is it the drive ratio?

SPEAKER_00 15:26

I think it's biased towards railwheel drive, yeah. I'm sure somebody will tell us that. Yeah. Um yeah, uh, incredible car, incredible handling car. Um, and it is one of my all-time favours. I've had quite a lot of cars, and that is still to this day, I think, one of the best ones I've ever had. It's uh absolutely amazing.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

It gets a lot of love this this year. I've noticed that uh, you know, it's I've got a big following when when when the video goes out with that, it gets a lot more following than some of the other videos, you know. There is a lot a lot of love there for it, and I kind of feel like I want to do it justice, um, you know, and uh and and get it right. I just need a bit more room.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

So are you gonna do it? So, what's the plans coming up?

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Are you gonna do any kind of mods to it, or is it a question of just keeping it standard, or are you gonna do stuff to the interior or well when we looked when we was uh a lot of the XR4Is that I looked at uh originally had the BOA engine conversion, uh the V8, uh is it Granada? And I I had a going one to be honest, it had a short shift gear vox in it, and it was a a pleasantly surprising car. Um but I just felt like it shouldn't have the wrong engine in it, uh rightly or wrongly. I'm not against modifications, subtle modifications and things like that, but I just felt like if I was gonna do one of them cars, I'd like to do it in its standard form because if it's got a different engine in it, it's another level of complexity that one might not understand if you've not put the engine in. Um so it's kind of I've I've changed the wheels. Um I've got the standard wheels here, um but the the problem with refurbishing standard wheels is I need to find a set because they're worthless and they cost a lot to refurb. You know, so like it's just throwing money away for the sake of it. And I actually quite like the wheels as well. So um but I would I do like the standard wheels as well, and I would put them on, but to put them on they have to invest. £850, I have to spend £400 to have them re refurbished, £400 on tyres, and then they're still only worth £350. So I need to find a set of £350 quid that are half decent. If anyone's got them, let me know when I'll come and get them. Because they are I'll know what. Um I change the wheels, that's a bit different. Uh, but it carries that. Um the interior we I've I've spoken to a chap about about it. We priced up the weather again. Like I was saying, that it is it it if if if you if I was doing the car for me to keep forever and ever and ever, then maybe. Um, but I don't I don't think I'm gonna keep it forever and ever and ever. Um but the reality is you can't get the material. So it's ripped and it's worn. So what do I do? Because it's easy for people to sit and go, you should keep it standard, you shouldn't change things. But okay, then well send me a roll of material then. And I'll do it. Yeah, yeah. But you just cannot, and everyone I spoke to, you can't get it, you can't get it again. I'm sure there's some somewhere, but it'll be an astronomical amount of money. So we've come up with a way of keeping it standard but replacing certain parts of it in a in a sympathetic with a Ford material of a similar colour that matches some of the striping in the seats. So it it will blend hopefully, uh and and and it'll have sort of new bolsters basically. In the bolsters will be in a different fabric that you can still get that from a more modern Ford. Um and they'll be they'll be blended to match, and then we'll blend a dash cover out of it as well, and we'll blend some stuff on the marble shelf. So it carries it carries through the car. Um so it will be different, but it will be you know the same. It I mean, you've got to be realistic, you know. Um so that's what we're gonna do. I think it'll look really good to be honest. I think it'll carry it off well. Um it'll be quite nice, and plus we're gonna while the seats are out then, reform them all, um, they'll all be powder coated, the frames, and any any any old springs we've that need doing, they'll be replaced. So we will have a really they'll have brand new seats again. I believe I'm not 100% sure that the standard XR4I seats were actually recarribles, just not badged. But I don't know how true that is. Um I looked to buying Cosworth seats, putting them in, and then again I thought, well, why would I do that? Because someone's just gonna pinch my car for the seats then.

unknown 20:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

Yeah, there's always a downside to these things, isn't there, really?

SPEAKER_03 20:34

Which of the Cosworth's darker interior, whereas four eyes quite a light grey, so it wouldn't marry up, you know what, if if it started going dark. But yeah, so we're gonna do that. The dash is cracked, but we're just gonna leave that. That's just Bettina, as far as I'm concerned. That is they're all cracked, and that's just how they are, and it it's not worth worth the repair. It really isn't because I know people who fixed them and then they crack again. Again, like you say, it just cracks at the next point. So just uh you know, a towel on it kind of thing. Um but otherwise that the the biggest thing is just to get it, get all the leaks fixed and get the um get it running bang on turnkey, the hot start, get the hot start to hot start, the cold start to cold start, and the idle to idle. You you kind of get your cold start to work, and then the hot start doesn't work, so you turn it so the hot start works, and then cold starting bunkers then. So you're cold starting up to 3,000 RPM, and then so th that that that's really is and it's sort of a a really kind of because it's such an old car, old the system you is it's a a dying art, like a campus go anywhere with it. Um But there is a chap I know who's the gurrier. I've done the best I can with it now and I've got it running and I've got it hot starting, cold starting, idling. But I know it's not I know it can be better, you know. I can feel it. Um so I'm hoping that one of the chats from the club, the XR Honours Club, is gonna come round and um cast his eye over it. Fingers crossed we can dial it in a bit. Uh yeah, it's right. Yeah, so I'm I'm really enjoying working on it. I really want to take it somewhere, do something with it, but every time I try, something just makes me say no, I don't do it. Yeah. Um and we end up jumping in the escort. I there's so many things I wanted to do in it this year. Also, also gonna take it to the Isle of Man next year when we go to the Alaman on that.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Yes, say that needs to be a trip, doesn't it? Next year, it's gonna be brilliant. It was that must be one of your massively enjoyable events this year, wasn't it? I mean, it was fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 22:56

It was fantastic, it's perfect, yeah. Highly recommend that. Big thanks to uh to all of us at Scenic Cartaws there for having us on board. Um we just um yeah, it we didn't know what to expect, um, but we loved every minute of it. I'll go back tomorrow if I could. Uh we undernard, we booked on again for next year. Uh we got involved, like I said, they've been sponsoring the channel, and so we got a little bit more involved, which was nice. We got to be in a couple of places where you wouldn't have normally been, uh like watching everyone set off for the closed road run and things like that. You know, yeah, we loved that. And uh, but my goal was to set the exile pool back for that. Um have you ever been?

SPEAKER_00 23:46

I haven't, no. Um I uh I yeah, I I need to go, really. Um I left.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

It's mental. When you first get there, you just drive as fast as you can everywhere, and then after about an hour of nearly killing yourself, you think, well, alright, I'll I'll just take it what it is. But just enjoy ones are just fantastic. Um it's not all not, it's not all de-restricted, it's just small areas. Um but the four eye would one of the we were with a chap who was in an XR4x4, and uh he had a lot more power than us when he was in the XR3i. Um so but it but the corners he was struggling a bit with, uh we were kind of a little bit more nippy than he was on the smaller roads, but then on the bigger roads. I think the four eye might I don't think I think it'd be more of a plodder because it's um a bit spongy. So I believe they've been more spongy than their four befores were. Um but uh well maybe we'll buy something else by then and go in that. You never know.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

I suppose if it's a bit spongy, I mean it could be the dampers, but then you've got the danger if you put something a bit thermal on it, then you're taking it away from kind of what the car was meant to be, aren't you? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:13

So um yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. And there's I mean, like for instance, the exhaust, it was a standard exhaust. We um it we got it running, we got it running, we went to a show, um, and it just blew a hole in it. And then so I patched it up, another hole cave next to it, you know. And and and there was there was lots of little holes all over the place on it, and and and I knew that it wasn't ideal when bought it, but you know. But I thought, well, I just want to keep it standard, I want it to be quiet. Can I find an exhaust? No, not not at all anywhere. Love my money. So we've ended up having one made. Um, so that should be interesting to see. Um because I don't think from from the parts of it that they've already sent me, the silences look quite a little bit rest.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

So is that kind of so was it an exhaust system just to the XR44 then? It's not any kind of normal Sierra.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

No, it's different, different on the on the four, yeah, it's different. It well, I say it's different. There's like the uh the big a big section in the middle that's different, uh, because it doesn't have the uh extra drive trains and stuff. Uh somebody in the past has already put uh four-branch manifolds on it, so it's not got the original um manifolds. Um so we're kind of matching to the we were trying to match to some aftermarket um manifolds which weren't we didn't know what they were anyway. And then uh it I was do again, I was just doing that thing where I was chasing failure to the point where we just decided enough's enough. We've had it made from manifold to tailpipe now, the full thing, um, straight through. Uh, because it's difficult to tune a car that's blowing as well, you know. Yeah, you can fight in every every angle. So we've had it made now, and it might be a bit too loud. I might have a I might have a lead on a standard exhaust if it is too loud. But things like I bought some silencers, um, like I say, I've never done a Sierra before, and it it says Sierra X R4, and when they came, they clearly weren't, they were different sized. There's obviously sort of parts that are must be must be 1.8 Sierras and things like that, that don't want it fit. Um, so I'm having to be more careful what I'm buying because if you buy the wrong thing, you can't necessarily sell it on again because there isn't really a market for a sort of an exhaust, a 1.6L Sierra.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

One thing intrigues me. If you're gonna get an exhaust system purposely made for a car, how do they do it? Does someone come along and like measure it? What sort of measurements? How does that work? What do you have to do?

SPEAKER_03 28:18

Yeah, I called up a couple of people who've been recommended. Um there's different levels of it where you give them the car and they'll um make it how you want it, uh uh to sound how you want it, pick your tailpipe, pick how loud it is, and stuff like that. Uh this particular chap who's made ours, um Ashley Exhaust it is, his uh John Ashley, he's called at Ashley Exhausts. Um, he was very helpful. I called him up. He's been making them for years. He made basically makes racing exhausts, um, and he just has templates. He has some of them on the shelf. Um, he had some of the system, but not all of it. So that's why it takes a few three or four weeks to make, really. Plus, we we were being a bit tight, so we only bought half of it thinking we'd be able to marry it up, and then the reality is we didn't, we needed to buy it all. But it was very good value for money, and um, it was very helpful. We chose the tailpipe size, you can have stainless or mild steel powder coated. So we just went for the mild steel because um I've had stainless exhausts from XR3, and I think it's a a good luxury that, you know. A mild steel exhaust is gonna last plenty long enough. A stainless steel is just it's an extravagance if it's your baby that, you know. Um so that that's really good, but we'll see what that's like when it's on. Uh I'll let you know. Uh I think it might be a little bit louder, but if that's the case, um he's just gonna uh make me some uh more silences for the middle. Sure. Uh but he just he he he was just a well, he just knew you know when you speak to someone and they just know, you know, they know what your car is, um and it was great.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

And um so yeah, but I'd love to take it somewhere and they do it all for me, but how much of your wallet do you want to be emptied in one row?

SPEAKER_03 30:16

Yeah, but again, I was ashamed because I really wanted to keep that standard exhaust on, but I had no alternative. Like I was saying about bleeps. What's the alternative? You've got to think, you know, you know, the headlining's sagging, so what do I do? I've got to take the headlining out, so I'll have to replace it, you know. And it it I don't think I think if you do things right, nobody knows what's original and what's not. That's right. You know, you're a guru to sort of, you know, be looking at things, you know. I mean, my escort's similar, that's got lots of little modifications in the cooling systems and things that you should you just don't see it, you know, but it improves the drivability of it. Um yeah, um, so it is getting there, but one of the good things about it is it's a dead basic model, so it's got windy windows, which is great, and it's got not um no power steering, which makes me sad because I thought the old power steering.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

And it was one of the things I wanted.

SPEAKER_03 31:20

Definitely four by four stuff. The one I had. They do have them, like it was an option. I didn't know that. So uh on the list now is trying to find a steering, you can replace the steering and put a pump on it and another couple of belts. I've had a look at it, it's got all the the points for it. Um I just want to find the system, but you know.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Steen Huckins. Well, there's nothing else that can leak, then isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 31:53

Well, I was gonna say, you know, you might as well be leaking somewhere else as well.

SPEAKER_03 31:57

Yeah, or go electric, because you can do electric conversions, can't you? The off like the Vauxhall Cause and stuff like that. Um it doesn't actually to be fair, it's not heavy. Um, I don't feel like it's heavy. Um and so yeah, we're kind of there with it then, really, I think. The sunroof stuck closed. How long have you got?

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Yeah, I think I remember you saying on one of the first videos you were talking about a sunroof, but uh I mean it's just something like you don't open it or something in case it doesn't close again.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

But uh I leave that's a lot. That's on the bottom of the list. That's on the bottom of the list. I want to do nice things to it, I want it to look good, but yeah, because I want it to run right, I'm I'm be I'm just focusing on all of that kind of stuff. So I've managed to find like one of the fog lights is a bit um rotten and misted up and uh rusty in the backs. So I found I managed to find one of those. The indicators at the front, um they're both gen this is weird. This they're both genuine Ford, but one's lighter orange than the other. So I managed to buy a I bought another set of someone, and when I picked them up, one was lighter than the other, and I thought, oh, this is what is this is it is it just how they were? Am I missing something? So then when I got them all, they were the other way around. So I've got a a set of darker orange and a set of lighter orange that both fit the car, that are both genuine forward, but they're just slightly different shades of orange. It's really dull, innit? That really sort of carbuffing stuff. But yeah, it it just looks odd when one's wrong, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

When you look at the front of the camera, yeah, it will something like that would really, really bother me.

SPEAKER_03 33:59

Yeah, the number plates are really annoying me because they're aftermarket ones and I hate them. Um and I just want them to be a bit I think they've got like a honeycomb on them, and I don't like that, I never have. Um but so there, and then and then obviously there's a lot of plastic on the car, uh, all down the the sides and the bumpers, and that's all um it's in good condition, but it's really faded. So I think we're gonna try and sort of treat that with something. I don't want to paint it, because it wouldn't have ever been painted, and but I want to kind of re-revitalize it, so to speak. Uh some of the uh sort of you know generic products are just not not really doing it.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

No, and they just sort of oily, aren't they? And then as soon as it's like two or three months later, they've gone back to looking at some worse and then you get like runs in it, so it gets even worse.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

So I'm gonna do something with that. Um but again, that's like uh at the bottom of the list because I just think it should run right first, because uh stuff like that's easy, you know. It's stuff you can do on a weekend. You've got five minutes. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Um yeah, yeah, I am to be honest.

SPEAKER_03 35:19

I do love it, yeah. Yeah, I do love it. Um I don't know what my next job is, to be honest, on it. Oh, fitting the exhaust. That's the next job.

SPEAKER_02 35:28

Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 35:30

But uh working on the drive's a bit hard work. I've been in the garage with my other cars, but that's that's getting them on the drive, unfortunately.

unknown 35:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:39

So the elements of the weather. Um, which puts a bit of a rush on it, really, because it blocks all the other cars in. Um so you've got to kind of start a job and finish a job. Um so, but anyway, yeah. So that's small jobs. Like I said, they're only small jobs. I believe to do the sunkasket, you have to drop the um subframe or lift the engine. Really? Sorry. Real. Instead of just undoing a few bolts and dropping it down like you would on any other car. So that's put a whole nother level of sort of I don't want to do it on like I'd happily change the sun gasket, but why I don't want to drop the subframe to do it. Yeah, a lot of work, in it. That's an awful lot. Yeah, so I'm consider to be honest, I'm considering asking someone to use their garage to do that, so we can do it in a day. You but with proper ramps and stuff like that. Because you know, it takes you sort of like I did the brakes today, I think it takes sort of 30 minutes to get it jacked up, you know, get the stands under it before you even start and then do it your work. So if you was on a ramp, it it's up up in up in seconds, in it. So two or three hours of your job is getting it up in the air and trying not to squash yourself underneath it.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

Okay, nice fine. Okay, well, I think it's that it's all good progress then. So uh I think do you want to give us watch that space? Do you want to give us then for the video and where they can find out all about it?

SPEAKER_03 37:23

Yeah, yeah, definitely love to. Yeah, thanks very much. Uh we're on YouTube, uh Dan Ferrari Fords, the channel. Um, we're a growing channel. Um, we're not trying to take over the world, we're not trying to replace Top Gear or anything like that. But you know, we're having some fun. I love doing what I'm doing, and I've done it for years. It's a hobby. And now I'm filming the hobby and I'm loving filming the hobby. And then when people like yourselves watch that and enjoy it, that makes me like it even more. So now I've just got this circle and I'm and I'm I'm just loving it, I'm loving it. Um, so I want to keep going, um, but I would like it to grow, and it can only grow with your support. So I would appreciate your support. Like I said, I'm not trying to take over the world, but it'd be nice if I could just have an extra day to do spend on it, you know. I'd be lovely do what we enjoy, so tune in, do like, do subscribe. Um it makes a difference, even if you never watch it, just subscribe.

SPEAKER_00 38:24

Yeah, you don't have to like listen to it or what just subscribe.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Yeah, yeah. It's been about it's been an interesting journey with it, to be honest, but I never expected it to even get anywhere. Like when I met you in March, that was when we decided we were gonna do our initial push for a year and see what happened, and now we're in what we're in August nearly. Um well over halfway where we need to be for it to be successful. Um so um it is on target, it is on track. Um so it's like I said, just keep trying to push on, push on, push on. Uh all the weekends tied up with it. There's a lot of work goes into until midnight editing, then goes to work the next day, and then do your stuff at weekends and um yeah, and in between that try and have a have a life and do some car shows and run the XI owners club.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

Young man, no matter do then.

SPEAKER_03 39:24

Yeah, but so hopefully it'll make an appearance in uh at the NEC in March this year. Yeah, looks forward to it.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Okay, are you gonna be at uh CMS this year?

SPEAKER_03 39:35

Um I'll be there in person, but I don't think we'll be taking a cart. I don't think we've got a spot. Um not on any club stands anyway. Uh we'll be we'll be there in March um 27. Uh with the Xbox Club again. Um essentially with that for eye. And then fingers crossed in uh November 27, we're looking to get a Dan for Mary Ford stand. Uh I've worked on it a bit this year, kinda couldn't get one. Uh I'm gonna try again, hopefully for next year. Uh we can stand on our own, then as our own uh channel and stand and take all our cars down, and you can all come and see them and see what we're doing, you know. See the before and after.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

And of course, there'll be famous cars because they'll be watching the YouTube channel.

SPEAKER_03 40:25

Of course, of course, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

Yeah, I think payments enough for the show.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

It has been brilliant as always. Thanks very much, Dan. Thanks for all your words of advice with the uh four buyers guide, the escort buyer's guy as well. So uh people have got no excuse now with your passion and enthusiasm not to go out and get themselves decent.

SPEAKER_03 40:53

Yeah, go out, buy one, go out and buy one and uh yeah, get all the things. Yes, just enjoy it. I just love it. I just love it, honestly. Spoiler bad. You know, yeah, I don't drink beer, I don't um go to the pub, I don't do anything, I just do my cows, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 41:09

People say to me, That's it.

SPEAKER_03 41:11

How do you do it? How have you got and that that's why I just you know I some people do spend the money on all different things. I don't have season tickets at football, things like that, I don't have any of that. And um, yeah, we take over with that.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

I think we might have season tickets, it'd definitely be cheaper to buy an RS 2000, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_03 41:32

I think it probably would. You can sell that RS 2000 at the end as well. Well, thanks for having us. Yeah, I really appreciate it for being on it.

SPEAKER_02 41:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

All the best.

SPEAKER_03 41:45

You take care. See you soon. Say hi to one room.

SPEAKER_00 41:49

Yeah, all day first time. Bye.

SPEAKER_03 41:52

Bye.