Mondeo ST200 Limited - most painful purchase ever

Mondeo ST200 Limited - most painful purchase ever

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Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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So for anyone who followed my rot box thread, you'll already be aware of some of the pain that I've had with this car since I got it...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=156...

So, to start the story at the beginning, I owned a MK2 Ghia X V6 in 2007 and look back on it fondly as one of the best cars I've ever owne. I've no idea why, I just really, really liked it.

So, with the 200 being an itch that I never managed to scratch I finally took the plunge on a two owner, low miles example which had sat on Gumtree for ages.


All was well, although I spotted that the alternator and A/C weren't working, and there was a nasty judder which I thought was a gearbox mount. Other than that, drove her home with no issues, a very, very happy boy. biggrin

Soon after that, my problems started.

I put her into a good garage who spent some time checking her out and diagnosed a litany of problems, the worst of which were rot in the sills and floorpan. They also replaced the alternator and gearbox mount.

Disheartened, I turned to Pistonheads for advice and promptly ignored everyone who told me to get rid, and ploughed on anyway with getting her fixed once I found someone who could do it with reasonable economic restraint.

At this stage the list of broken stuff was growing by the day and included-
1) Gearbox mount - Fixed!
2) A/C
3) Alternator - Supposedly fixed but was still getting flickering lights frown
4) Drop links
5) Balljoints
6) CV Joint and driveshaft
7) Loss of power when hot and under load
8) Clutch starting to slip

Plus, this delightful looking rot-



Whilst waiting to put it in there, I discovered a severe water leak in the passenger footwell, caused by a shoelace that the last owner had ran through the bulkhead to pull a cable. This had acted like a straw and allowed water to track into the carpet. Utterly ruining the floor underneath. fk.

So with the first garage visit now expanded to include welding up the hole in the floor, I pressed ahead with the mini restoration.

Then, a few days before she was due in the garage, the CV joint finally let go, so I had to be towed in by the RAC. Double fk.

Anyway, the day came, and she went in for the raft of work. Welding was done, new clutch, new driveshaft, as well as a new coil, HT leads and Sparks to try to cure the power loss.

The rest of the story gets very long and painful, but over the course of the next few months I ended up getting another new alternator which still didn't cure the flicker, and the car developed a wheel wobble on the motorway. It also developed a rear suspension clonk and two slow punctures.

Ended up, after a LOT of dicking about, discovering that the coil pack and HT leads fitted by the second garage were terrible quality, the second alternator was a nasty Euro Car Parts pattern part which was outputting lots of AC, and the loss of power was no better.

Having sank so much money in, I bit the bullet and bought a load of new parts from Ford (big shout out to Lifestyle Ford in Horsham who did me some stock orders with decent discounts! thumbup )

After the raft of new-
1) Alternator X3
2) HT Leads
3) Coil Pack
4) Sparks
5) Rear Trailing Arm bushes
6) A/C Receiver Dryer
7) A/C Evaporator
8) Relocation of the IMRC to under the battery tray to avoid heat soak
9) Four new Continental tyres
10) New N/S/F Wheel bearing
11) New discs and pads

(The list of broken stuff had continued to grow over the months)

I got the car back and it was finally working. Or so I thought.

Quickly turned out that the wobble wasn't gone, so after more investigation it turned out that the garage who fitted the driveshaft had somehow warped the wheel hub when doing it (too much heat I guess!) I ended up having to get a new hub from Ford, and finally thought it was fixed.

Good news on collection was that the wobble was gone, but the A/C system had blown a hose. The supplying garage suggested a new hose (£306 from Ford, fk that!) but at this point, some £3-£4K down in repairs I decided that it's time with me was almost at an end.

I gave one mobile guy a call and he said he may be able to fix the hose, he's just been out today and it turns out that a tiny spring had gone, he happens to have the last remaining stock in the UK (Ford now only supply as part of the £306 hose) so £100 later and my A/C is back up and running. (Thanks Simon at National Air Con! thumbup )

Anyway, I'm now utterly exhausted with it, the car has driven me to the brink of a mental breakdown with it's constant string of problems. That said, as of 11:30am today it is almost entirely working (apart from the CD player, that broke earlier this week).

So, I'll keep this thread updated with the saga as it continues, unfortunately it really is on borrowed time, as any more problems beyond basic consumables and I think it's going to go. My patience is utterly exhausted.

So, what's it like?
Finally I can talk about the actual car now that I have the drama out of the way. smile

I love it. The engine is so smooth, the noise from the aftermarket exhaust is lovely, it's so easy to drive, it turns heads occasionally (yes really!), I love the look of it, the colour, the lines. Everything. biggrin

It's really hard to actually put into words what it is that I like about the car, but it just feels right. I guess that when you consider it now stands me close to £6K there would have to be something about it which I liked!





I'll keep this thread updated, although I really hope it becomes less painful from here on in....

MDMA .

8,849 posts

100 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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FWIW, i quite like it. Think they are a good looking car in saloon version. Shame it has cost you so much, would have been easier to buy a good one to start with smile think youll have to stick with it now having invested so much.

Pebbles167

3,417 posts

151 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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I love these things, sadly nice examples are quite rare.. besides, the rust of old ford's scares me off!

Glad you're putting in work to keep it pretty.


C7 JFW

1,205 posts

218 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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You're not the only one to go through a similar experience, all be it, not with a Ford.

Enjoy your pure, clean, fresh miles! Look forward to more interesting updates.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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I know exactly what you mean about the Mk2 V6, I had a V6 Ghia X too and look back on it very fondly. They just have something about them which I can't quite define. Objectively it's quite a thirsty car, a touch nose-heavy, not actually very quick and "just a Mondeo" but the sum is somehow more than the parts.

I really like the look of the ST200 now, at least on the outside, that interior is still a bit vivid smile

Hopefully you'll get a lot of trouble-free miles out of it now you've had it all sorted.

mrtwisty

3,057 posts

164 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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You've GOT to keep it long term now OP! To bail now after going through that much would be madness.

How does it drive compared to your other mk3? My sister had a boggo mk3 2.0 petrol many moons ago and I was always surprised how well it behaved when she chucked it through the bends - certainly far better than the similar era Passat's/Vectra's etc.

It's surely going to be worth something one day (if kept well). Look how much even the most basic mk1/2 Escorts and Capris go for now!


Jellyfish

52 posts

131 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Looks nice and understated in that 1st pic. Shame about the problems but from what you've spent on it, should at least be a good drive now.

Can't believe a car of that age having such bad rust. What year is it?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Jellyfish said:
Can't believe a car of that age having such bad rust. What year is it?
It's going to be ~17yo, but the bodyshell design went into production 24yrs ago...

Stevenr

915 posts

193 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Lovely looking car,be a cracker once you've got everything sorted.Used to have an ST24 and loved the noise from it,R65RKY where are you now? A washing machine somewhere probably laugh

I know what it feels like ploughing money into old Fords though,just got rid on my Sapphire Cosworth after spending a small fortune on it and moved onto a Focus RS,waiting for the first problem to show up now.

Glasgowrob

3,232 posts

120 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Absolutely stunning


I want it in my life

Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Sorry to hear of your issues, but impressed by your perseverance! thumbup

Car looks lovely, and after all that has been done to it I hope you get trouble-free driving for some time.

Deep down it sounds like you want to keep it anyway!

I have had a little taste of your problems lately. My E46 needs a new wheel-arch liner after I hit a grouse on the M40 a couple of weeks ago, it's booked in for an air-con regas on Friday and the airbag light hasn't gone out since Monday! I love it so will persevere - at the end of the day it's 13 years old now.

AUFC

26 posts

122 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Stunning car. Got to be a keeper. Surely this will be a future classic.

I had a Mondeo ST24 Saloon. Biggest regret selling it.

Buff Mchugelarge

3,316 posts

149 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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I now suspect you have one of the very best ST200s left on the road.
Enjoy it for long enough and you WILL get your money back eventually.
I missed out on an ST200 estate by 30 seconds a while back, gutted at the time but the Saab I have instead is a lot easier to live with laugh

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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It's nice, but not £6k nice.
I say that having sunk over £20k into a 2009 Scirocco with 160k on it and a diesel engine.

Lovely colour and I forgot how very "Retro ford" the interior was.
Fingers crossed for no more nasty updates.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Mr Tidy said:
Sorry to hear of your issues, but impressed by your perseverance! thumbup

Car looks lovely, and after all that has been done to it I hope you get trouble-free driving for some time.

Deep down it sounds like you want to keep it anyway!

I have had a little taste of your problems lately. My E46 needs a new wheel-arch liner after I hit a gr.ouse on the M40 a couple of weeks ago, it's booked in for an air-con regas on Friday and the airbag light hasn't gone out since Monday! I love it so will persevere - at the end of the day it's 13 years old now.
A grouse?

On the M40???

That's very unlucky!!

I got an invite from my local Ford garage to have a test drive in these when they launched.

You've done a good job in getting it up to scratch - don't see the saloons that often.

There's an L-reg Mondeo a few doors away still going but it looks far rustier than yours looked

Nice to see one being preserved

wjb

5,100 posts

130 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Now there's something you don't see everyday!

As said above, you have to keep it and look after it forever now, in for a penny...

Max M4X WW

4,789 posts

181 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Love it, I had an ST24 and aside from the cheap feeling interior and weird gaps here and there I would agree with your 'feels right'. I also thought it handled like a touring car, I was 23 or so at the time though so that is probably why. A great noise though!

I sold it because the lights were all flickering and I couldn't be bothered to fix it rolleyeslaugh

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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Max M4X WW said:
Love it, I had an ST24 and aside from the cheap feeling interior and weird gaps here and there I would agree with your 'feels right'. I also thought it handled like a touring car, I was 23 or so at the time though so that is probably why. A great noise though!

I sold it because the lights were all flickering and I couldn't be bothered to fix it rolleyeslaugh
My Ford Cougar used to do exactly the same thing. It ended up going to the scrapper for £160 after I touched a rust scab on the sill and my finger went straight through it.

Old Fords seem to rival old Mercedes in how much they rust.

Rensko

237 posts

105 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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10/10 on putting up with the Mondeo. Plenty of people would have walked away earlier!

With the hoses - that's one thing which annoys me with buying OEM sometimes. You can't get one item and usually it comes as a kit. Ends up costing 3x as much as you wanted to spend, but there is sometimes no alternative!


e21Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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Kudos for sticking with it fella. Hopefully you'll get some enjoyment now and it'll recharge your battery before any other problems occur. It's the joy of old cars I guess? I'd hate to know how much I've sunk into my old E30 over the past couple of years? Like you and your ST200 though, I just love the thing.