Stripping the sierra

[alga]

The Sierra is as simple as a bicycle. The interior comes apart almost only with a single PZ2 screwdriver (apart for the seat bolts and Torx50 for seatbelt bolts). No hidden tabs, no things tricky to take apart. The powertrain is held to the body on about 8 bolts (4 for the front subframe, 4 for the rear)

One thing not to forget is to slacken the rear hub/driveshaft nuts while the Sierra is on its wheels. It's a 42 mm hex if I recall correctly. Keep in mind that one of them is a left-handed thread. It's marked with the notches.

Another top tip is to cut out the engine bay front cross member for better access. Then you can drop the engine on the floor and pull it out without even bothering hiring an engine crane.


Don't loose the propshaft-to-diff bolts, they're some funny fine thread. (I almost lost one, found it when the snow melted).

Finally, have fun! It's immense fun taking apart something you're not going to have to put together again.

Regarding the second part of your question, I broke my Sierra outside on four blocks of wood:

It was a cold winter, but the stubborn chassis bolts kept me warm. When it was time to get rid of a shell, I hired an evacuator truck that winched the shell up using the hood as a sled. The shell with all doors and glasses weighs around 550 kg, so it's possible to carry it out of the garage if you can get 4 or 5 strong friends to help ;-)