buyer’s guide sierra rs500...

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SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH

BUYER’S GUIDE

Words: Dan Williamson Photos: Ade Brannan

BUYER’S GUIDE SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH

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SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH

If you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford it. Never before has the phrase been so true for a humble Ford

four-seater. But the Sierra RS500 Cosworth is such a legend, such a bank-busting investment, that the money it costs to buy comes a far distant second to its mileage, its history, and how much you need a many-spoilered Sierra in your collection.

The Sierra RS500 Cosworth has good reason for its huge desirability. As a road car, it was the ultimate homologation special, designed and built for motorsport eligibility. And as a racer it was almost untouchable,

scooping victory after victory until it was banned for being too successful.

The RS500 was an evolution of the regular Sierra RS Cosworth, an already incredible car but with much more power to release. Five hundred examples were plucked from the Genk production line during November 1986 (thus the 500 name) and sent to Tickford in Bedworth. There, from June until the end of July 1987, a small team replaced the YBB engines with YBDs (including T4 turbo and eight fuel injectors), welded brackets onto the rear axle and fitted bigger front and rear spoilers.

The result added 20bhp for an

extra £4,000 over the cost of a regular three-door but allowed for massive gains when modified – 550bhp was possible on the racetrack.

Ironically, though, not one of the all-conquering circuit racers was technically an RS500; all genuine RS500s were right-hand-drive road cars in Diamond White (52 plus four prototypes), Black (392) or Moonstone Blue (52).

Today, fewer than 400 survive, and most are cosseted museum pieces, restored and returned to standard specification. An RS500 in any condition is an automotive artwork, so here’s how to buy the ultimate fast Ford...

HOW MUCH TO PAY£20,000 TO £40,000 If you can find one, this is what you’ll pay for a basket case or a bag of bits. Yes, there are still RS500s being discovered in farmers’ fields but they could cost as much again to restore. And almost anything is saveable.

£40,000 TO £60,000Prices in the middle ground have stalled lately, although they’ll increase over time. Here are RS500s with 60-to-90,000 miles, minor modifications, replacement panels and paintwork.

£60,000 TO £90,000The hardest RS500s to sell, lovely 30-to-40,000-milers simply aren’t low enough for millionaire collectors. Unrestored cars are worth the most.

£90,000 TO £120,000-PLUSAll-original sub-10,000-mile machines are in demand, and still seem to be solid investments even at the top end.

WHERE TO BUY ONEGone are the days when RS500s popped up at car dealers or in classified ads. Today, the appearance of almost any available RS500 becomes common knowledge to marque specialists and other owners long before normal punters get the chance to bid. Which is why it’s essential for any serious buyer to contact an expert before spending the cash. RS500 maestro Paul Linfoot of North Yorkshire RS Spares regularly hears from folk who’ve bought a Sierra with a dodgy past without checking its history beforehand.So consult the experts (who may well be able to recommend a suitable car for sale), then keep your eye on classic auctions and specialist dealers. But whatever you do, don’t hesitate – a well-priced RS500 sells within hours.

INSURANCE COSTSWorry not what it costs to insure an RS500 - consider only what the policy offers. Agreed value is absolutely vital, and you’ll need to keep that assessment updated too. Without a simple piece of paperwork, even a specialist insurer could laugh when you say an old Sierra is worth £100,000.The easiest way to achieve a report is through the RS Owners’ Club inspection, although many marque experts will be happy to help. Owners’ clubs are also a positive way to find the right policy; several schemes offer discounts for members, which makes insuring even an RS500 relatively affordable on a limited-mileage policy.

VITAL STATSMADE 1987PRICE WHEN NEW £19,950PRICE NOW £20,000 to £120,000-plusTOP SPEED 154mph POWER 224bhp @ 6000rpmTORQUE 206Ib/ft @4500rpm0-60 6.1 secondsNUMBER BUILT 500 (392 black, 52 blue, 52 white, 4 white prototypes)

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ENGINENot just any old Cosworth engine, the RS500’s YBD unit is entwined with its identity. An RS500 without its original powerplant will be worth several thousand pounds less than a matching-numbers example, so it’s vital to check the number tallies with what’s on file for the car (YBD0015 to YBD0537). Bear in mind that an RS500’s engine number shouldn’t correspond with the VIN, which will instead refer to the YBB of the regular three-door Cosworth before it was converted to RS500 spec.

You need to see a thick-wall cylinder block with smaller core plugs than a YBB (7/8in diameter) and a reduced-size 205 cast onto the right-hand side just below the cylinder head. All the ancillaries must be proper RS500 gear too: a T4 turbo, eight-injector inlet manifold and extra fuel rail (with battery tray chopped to fit), larger throttle

body, unique alternator adjuster, map sensor bracket, turbo damper, thermostat housing and so on.

Modified RS500s are worth less than factory-original examples, so allow for the cost of returning the engine to standard (potentially big bucks) before buying the car.

The YBD was strong but don’t expect even a low-mileage machine to be on song; the RS500 might wear a fancy sticker and whopping price tag but it’s just as susceptible to faults as any other Sierra.

Some rarely-used Cosworths show severe signs of engine wear, so watch out for head gasket failure (coolant mixing with oil or steam from the exhaust) and listen for nasty noises: piston slap when cold is normal, but bad news if it continues when warm. Don’t be surprised, either, to hear the wallet-emptying sounds of growling and knocking from the bottom end.

TRANSMISSIONUnchanged from the Cosworth three-door on which the RS500 was based, the transmission is chunky and tough, albeit prone to wearing with age, abuse and high mileage. Most of that shouldn’t be an issue with a potential RS500 purchase but the ever-increasing cost of repairs means it’s crucial to check everything works properly.

The Borg Warner T5 gearbox feels agricultural but shouldn’t exhibit any difficulty when changing cogs. Worn synchromesh rings are most common, resulting in crunching when selecting a gear (notably from third to second or third to fourth); the solution is an expensive gearbox rebuild. There’s no synchro on reverse, so don’t panic if it’s awkward to reach; select fifth before moving the stick and it should

be easier to engage. Less likely in an RS500 - but still possible causes - a very knackered T5 could have snapped selector forks or stripped teeth.

Difficult gear selection may also result from a tired clutch, which will probably be slipping, especially if the RS500 has been running more than 300bhp. The clutch pedal may be stiff, although that’s more likely caused by a sticky cable, which is easy to change.

Noisy transmission is fairly common. Collapsed driveshaft bearings are a worry – you’ll eventually lose drive in one or more gears – and whining differentials are an issue, especially if you want to drive your RS500 as Cosworth intended.

Many Sierras have duff diffs, resulting in one-wheel drive when the LSD should be working.

Like the Sierra Cosworth, a well-used RS500 can suffer from a duff limited-slip diff, requiring a full rebuild to put right


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BRAKESIdentical to the Sierra RS Cosworth three-door, the RS500’s braking system is simple and effective. It’s also now old and likely to need recommissioning if the car’s been sitting idle in a museum or barn.

Up front, the 283mm ventilated discs and four-pot calipers should feel fi rm and capable. Juddering or pulling to one side suggests the caliper pistons have seized, while warped/contaminated front discs and/or pads lead to vibrations felt through the brake pedal and steering wheel.

An RS500 should feature solid rear discs (ventilated discs weren’t fi tted until the Sapphire Cosworth 4x4 came along), and they may also be sticking, often due to a seized handbrake mechanism. It’s easy to check by jacking up the car’s back end and spinning the wheels.

The regular RS Cosworth ABS system was retained on the RS500, which works well until a problem appears. Often, it’s just a sensor to blame (not cheap to replace) or a broken wire or connector (tricky to trace) but it could also be caused by the ABS pump. A warning light on the dashboard is the usual symptom, but you may also notice a lack of servo assistance if the system fails.

TECH SPECENGINE1993cc four-cylinder, 16V, DOHC YBD with cast iron thick-wall 205 block, alloy cylinder head with 65mm inlet ports, 8.0:1 compression ratio, toothed belt drive, Weber-Marelli electronic management system and multi-point dual-rail fuel injection with eight injectors, modifi ed ignition system, Garrett T31/T04 turbocharger with enlarged intercooler, 76mm throttle body

TRANSMISSIONRear-wheel drive with Borg Warner T5 fi ve-speed manual gearbox, viscous-coupling limited-slip differential, 204mm clutch. Final drive ratio: 3.65:1

BRAKES283mm ventilated discs (front), 273mm solid discs (rear), Teves ABS

SUSPENSION MacPherson struts, Fichtel & Sachs gas-fi lled dampers, coil springs, lower track control arms, 28mm anti-roll bar (front), semi-trailing arms plus unique RS500 brackets, coil springs, Fichtel & Sachs gas-fi lled dampers, 14mm anti-roll bar (rear)

WHEELS AND TYRES7Jx15in RS alloys and Dunlop D40 205/50VR15 tyres

INTERIORRecaro front seats with grey Roma cloth trim, leather-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, leather-covered gearknob, boost gauge within instrument binnacle

EXTERIORThree-door Sierra hatchback body with unique polycarbonate bodykit comprising revised front bumper and spoiler with enlarged air intakes, side skirts, wheelarch extensions, dual rear wings with 30mm upper extension, rubber front lower splitter, front fog lamps, mesh grille, bonnet vents, colour-coded mirrors, electric front windows, tilting/sliding glass sunroof

COLOURSDiamond White, Black or Moonstone Blue


“...allowed for massive gains when modifi ed – 550bhp was

possible on the racetrack”

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INTERIORAn RS500’s interior is identical in every way to a regular three-door Sierra RS Cosworth’s. Don’t make the mistake of paying extra for replacement parts specifi c to the RS500 (because they’re not), and don’t assume there’s something missing if the cabin looks all too familiar. RS500s weren’t factory-supplied with a numbered plaque on the centre console – such items have been retrofi tted by owners.

A mint interior is crucial for any high-value RS500 for two main reasons. First, sourcing immaculate parts is diffi cult and pricey – for example, dashboards cost upwards of £1000 for uncracked examples, although they can be repaired if not too badly warped. If there’s a smooth dashboard top (without a speaker grille in the centre) it’s come from a Sapphire instead of a Mk1 Sierra; knock a four fi gure sum off the asking price of the car.

The Cosworth’s Recaro front seats suffer from worn bolsters, sagging cloth and broken recliner mechanisms, especially as a result of high mileage; it’s not unusual to fi nd a passenger seat in place of the driver’s.

Door cards are also scarce and dear to replace, which becomes essential if they’ve been cut for aftermarket speakers or the vinyl is peeling away from the surface. It’s common for a Sierra headlining to droop and the rear parcel shelf to sag; make sure an RS500’s has the Cosworth-standard plastic storage box (designed to take a fi rst-aid kit).

The other reason to be extra-picky about the cockpit is that RS Cosworth trim is relatively hard wearing for its age, and you’ll need to listen to the alarm bells if a 40,000-mile car has tatty upholstery or worn steering wheel. All too often, Sierra service histories tend to stop around this kind of mileage, and the cars seemingly never turn a wheel between then and now. Watch out.

BODYWhen it comes to RS500 bodywork, you’ve two main worries: authenticity and condition.

A genuine RS500 shell is the same as a standard right-hand-drive three-door Cosworth’s, complete with glass sunroof (there were no exceptions), bigger transmission tunnel (than a 1.6 three-door), straight towing eye, factory-pressed cutout behind the brake servo, electric aerial in the offside rear wing etc. The RS500 also featured a notch cut off the battery tray plus revised front bumper (with enlarged air intake and vents in place of fog lamps), bigger whale tail (with additional 30mm Gurney fl ap) and additional rubber lower rear spoiler (with factory-made V-shaped cutout).

Condition-wise, it’s imperative to search everywhere for rust. Start with the inner wings, bulkhead and suspension turrets, being aware of corrosion and stress cracks. Move underneath to the front crossmember, chassis rails (notably the rear box sections), fl oorpan, sills, inner and

outer wheelarches (beneath the plastic extensions) and boot fl oor. The doors, A-pillars, wings, tailgate and boot aperture also suffer from rot.

Original cars are worth more money, so look for signs of welding such as non-factory-looking seam sealer and awkward panel gaps. As usual, check for factory date stamps on the front wing rails. Ensure, too, the wheelarches haven’t been rolled to accept larger bigger rims, which adversely affects an RS500’s value. Evidence of accident damage is equally catastrophic to an RS500’s price-tag. Needless to say, run a mile if the chassis number in the offside fl oorpan has been ground off or plated over. Don’t be concerned about whether it’s stamped upwards or downwards.

Finally, don’t get too caught up on colour. In recent years, blue has been worth more than white, which exceeds the value of a black RS500. But, especially at the upper end, condition outweighs colour by a massive margin.

“The ultimate homologation special, designed and built for motorsport eligibility”

The RS500’s interior was identical to the regular Sierra Cosworth, but good condition Recaros and pieces of trim are still hard to come by


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ELECTRICSAt 30 years of age, an RS500’s electrical system can be forgiven for having its issues, and sitting idle in a collection doesn’t necessarily do it any favours.

Corroded, dirty or chafed wiring looms are common, and connectors are known to fail, especially in the engine bay beneath the nearside bonnet vent. Many years of underbonnet heat plus aftermarket alarm systems means the loom could be pretty deteriorated. Symptoms include non-starting, misfires, underfuelling and even ABS failure. A new loom is the sensible cure.

Of particular note is the fuel system wiring. The regular RS Cosworth fuel pump setup was unchanged for the RS500, and it isn’t exactly durable. It’s normal to find the pump cradle covered in rust, along with leaks from the filter and pipework. If there’s not 13 volts reaching the pump you could be facing bother.

The rest of the RS500’s electrical system is much the same as any other high-spec Sierra, prone to sticky central locking motors and electric windows. Switches and such like are becoming rare but shouldn’t be impossible to source.

SUSPENSIONFirst things first: have a look at the car’s back axle. An RS500 should have a pair of useless U-shaped brackets tack-welded onto the rear beam, serving no purpose other than to fulfil motorsport homologation demands, where the race car had its trailing arms mounted in an alternative position. Nothing should be connected to the brackets because the road-going RS500 used otherwise identical suspension to the regular three-door Sierra RS Cosworth.

As such, it’s by now most likely to be tired, uprated or both. Remember, a modified RS500 is less valuable than a standard car, so reduce the price if you see coil-overs, strut braces and so on.

Worn suspension components are easy to deal with. Soggy springs and tired dampers result in vague handling, while wandering from the front (and any clonking noises) is likely to be caused by knackered track control arm bushes. Similarly, sloppiness at the arse end is probably due to duff rear beam bushes. Polyurethane upgrades make sense unless you’re keeping the car standard, in which case you’ll need to replace with rubber.

Excessive play in the steering is pretty common, even at low mileage, and makes the car feel unstable at speed. Although the PAS rack could be to blame, it’s more likely that the fault lies with the steering column bushes, which cost pennies to fix.

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CONTACTSFord RS Owners’ Clubwww.rsownersclub.co.uk

RS500 Ownerswww.rs500owners.com

Julian Godfrey Engineering01435 865999www.racetuners.com

Collins Performancewww.collinsperformance.com

MA Developments (MAD)07768 356204www.madevelopments.com

Norris Motorsport (NMS)01773 836274www.norrismotorsport.co.uk

North Yorkshire RS Spares01944 738092 www.cosworthrsspares.co.uk

SCS01733 576614www.specialistcarservices.com

NEXT MONTHFIESTA RS TURBO

IDENTITY This is the most important part. An RS500’s value is in its identity, and you wouldn’t be the first to mistakenly buy a standard three-door Cosworth masquerading as its pricier big brother. Or, worse still, a Sierra 1.6 shell with a gold-plated logbook. Even today – when RS500s are discussed on the internet and the RSOC has files on almost every known car – there are fakes, ringers, repaired write-offs (and potentially even duplicate cars) changing hands. Don’t get caught out.

First, contact the RSOC. Next, pay for a history report. Then inspect the car.

An RS500’s chassis number (found on the logbook, slam panel-mounted VIN plate, and stamped into the floor under a flap beside the driver’s seat) should be between WFOEXXGBBE38600 and WFOEXXGBBE39099. The engine number will not correspond with the VIN but you should see a Cosworth number stamped onto the front of the crankcase above the water pump, from YBD0015 to YBD0537; this should match


what the RSOC has on file. A car with corresponding numbers is worth substantially more than without.

Whatever you buy, ensure the engine is the correct 205 block with small core plugs, check that all the valuable RS500 goodies are in place (genuine front bumpers, for example, are worth thousands), and don’t panic if there’s no build-number plaque on the dashboard – they weren’t factory-fitted.

Don’t touch an RS500 with a dodgy past, don’t fall for any claims that some RS500s didn’t have sunroofs (all did) and don’t assume a D-reg RS500 isn’t authentic, because the pre-production cars were registered before August 1987.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to buy a genuine RS500 if it’s priced correctly. Do your homework, check with the experts, and double-check every detail.

Almost anything can be restored but think twice before rebuilding an original RS500 – factory bodywork with patina is more valuable than fresh paint.

KEY POINTS ENGINE Ensure it’s a proper RS500 engine: 205 cylinder block, small core plugs, T4 turbo, eight-injector inlet manifold and extra fuel rail. Cosworth engine number should be YBD0015 to YBD0537.

INTERIORIdentical to the Sierra RS Cosworth three-door. Check the dashboard for cracks, the seats for wear and door cards for tears. RS500 centre console plaque was non-standard equipment.

SUSPENSIONThe RS500 rear beam has a pair of U-shaped brackets tack-welded into place but serving no purpose. The rest is standard Sierra Cosworth kit, and equally prone to tired bushes.

BODYAll RS500s were right-hand drive with a tilting/sliding glass sunroof. Check for rust in the inner wings, floorpan and chassis rails. Factory panels are worth more than restored examples.

IDENTITYAn RS500’s value is in its identity. The basic Sierra should be November 1986-built, and the chassis number should be between WFOEXXGBBE38600 and WFOEXXGBBE39099.

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