EXTERIOR

Corrosion has killed thousands of Sapphire Cosworths – so inspect your potential purchase particularly carefully.

Begin beneath the bonnet (which on a 4x4 should feature factory-fitted vent cutouts). Inner wings are susceptible to rot, especially beneath the header tank and around the suspension turrets, which in severe cases can collapse. Bulkhead rust is also serious, so look around the battery tray and under the fuse box.

Inspect the front crossmember and chassis rails; a genuine 4x4 should have Ford-produced half-moon recesses for the driveshafts, so walk away from anything that looks home-made.

Examine the entire underside – especially the rear chassis box sections beside the spring seats, along with the floorpans and sills. Sunroof leaks can play havoc.

The doors, front wings, inner and outer wheelarches, boot floor and boot lid may be rusty, but most body panels are shared with regular Sapphires, so they’re not too pricey. Vented 4x4 bonnets are becoming expensive, as are the front bumper and side skirts, which are prone to sagging. Check the front grille doesn’t have snapped lugs, and ensure the back bumper isn’t wonky because undamaged replacements are rare.

Don’t forget Cosworths were well-known for being crashed, so watch out for accident damage, such as creases in the floorpan (don’t worry too much about flattened jacking points), inner wings and boot floor, bad panel gaps and poor paintwork.

Some rarer colours – such as Radiant Red – carry a small premium, but unless you’re set on a particular colour, buy on bodywork condition alone.