2007 Ford Mondeo Ghia X TDCI *SHED CONTENT WITHIN*
Discussion
Evening all. After seeing a bit of a trend in the whole shedding/bangernomics/beater cars on this forum, I thought it was about time I made a thread of my own. First up, a little story of my car ownership to date...
First car - 1999 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec
Owned for 11 months, liked to cut out when you depressed the clutch pedal and when turning right (roundabouts weren’t too fun).
Second car - 2002 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S
Sold car 1 for £750, bought car 2 for £750 - no brainier! Owned for another 11 months and saw 2 trackdays, before it came to a sad end in a local lamppost
Third car - 2003 Renaultsport Clio 172
Owned for less than a month. In hindsight, a real dog of a car I should never have bought and I hadn’t done any research on them.
Fourth car - 1997? Mazda MX5 Mk2
Sadly this lasted just 2 months or there abouts after a slippery excursion into a farmer’s fence one night...
Fifth car - 2002 Ford Fiesta Zetec S Puma Conversion (can you see a theme yet?)
After not gelling with the Clio and having to say goodbye to the Mazda, I felt it was right to get back into a Fiesta. Bought sort of unseen, was assured it was in tip top condition etc etc, but low and behold, another dog. The thing burnt oil as if it was going out of fashion. It was also pretty thirsty which wasn’t ideal for my 60 mile round commute per day on an apprentice wage. So this went after another month or so in favour of car number six...
Sixth car - 2005 Seat Ibiza FR TDI
Bought in a bid to save money on fuel, and to enjoy a bit more comfort on my commute. Once again; a rushed purchase and turned out to be a real lemon. This didn’t last too long. After 3 or so months of boredom and getting fed up with the repairs racking up, I decided again to get back into a Ford.
Seventh car - 2005 Ford Fiesta ST150
This was a real gem of a car and I loved it to bits. Ended up slowly turning it into a bit of a fast road/track car over a number of months, until something else caught my eye...
Eighth car - 2002 Renaultsport Clio 172
Another one?! Yes, but this time a much more sorted example which was pretty much already built for trackdays. I decided to sell the Fiesta and put the money into this Clio. I had a bit of spare cash from the Fiesta sale which went on things like a second set of wheels, new bucket seats and my first trackday in this car. While I had this car, I managed to commandeer my Dad’s stop gap Mk1 Focus LX TDCI that he bought after having to give a company car back. He had just spent the best part of £700 on a new clutch and DMF so I thought it would be a shame to get rid of it. This then served as my daily while I kept the 172 purely for trackdays and weekend fun. I actually ended up owning this car twice for about a year each time.
Ninth car - 2006 Seat Leon FR TDI
The Clio went after a year or so of fun when as it wasn’t getting used enough. I slapped down a bunch of my savings on a Leon FR as I had always liked them. This one had a few mods such as a stainless straight through exhaust, remap and a few cosmetic bits and pieces. I then added coilovers later on. This is when I really didn’t see the hype for VAG cars and the love they all get from their owners. Problem after problem and I soon got fed up and wanted something fun again. Cue car number ten.
Tenth car - 2005 Renaultsport Clio 182 in Racing Blue
As I had always wanted an RB Clio, I went and bought the first one I saw on eBay. MISTAKE. We’ll quickly gloss over that one.
Eleventh car - the same Renaultsport Clio I had owned a couple of years prior
The opportunity arose for me to buy back my old 172, so I jumped on it straight away. The trouble is, things don’t always seem as good second time round. A few months into my second ownership of this car, the gearbox blew up and I decided I had had enough of messing around with old cars and fixing them all the time.
Twelfth car - 2015 Ford Fiesta ST180
Yes I know, another Fiesta. This was bought at around one year old and I drive and adored it for a good two years. By the way, remember that old Focus? Still going... until the next MOT that is. It just scraped through so I thought it was a good time to get rid and get on the hunt for another shed. Which leads me onto the car in question - my 2007 Ford Mondeo Ghia X TDCI.
Bought for the princely sum, after a bit of haggling with the vendor, of £1050.
For the price I paid, I believe this was an absolute steal for the spec. Being the Ghia X, this Mondeo sits at the top of the line in Ford’s luxury range, boasting - albeit fake - walnut dash and steering wheel trims, electric heated and ventilated seats, cruise control, digital climate control, heated windscreen, auto lights and wipers, heated power fold mirrors and a decent Sony stereo among the usual Ford mod cons.
This then, is a thread to document my ownership of this car and the typical things we all encounter while running a shed. As I’ve owned the car for just over years now, this is a very behind schedule thread. So, if you have made this far, read on to find out how I’ve got on with the car over the last two years. I will try and upload some photos tomorrow.
First car - 1999 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec
Owned for 11 months, liked to cut out when you depressed the clutch pedal and when turning right (roundabouts weren’t too fun).
Second car - 2002 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S
Sold car 1 for £750, bought car 2 for £750 - no brainier! Owned for another 11 months and saw 2 trackdays, before it came to a sad end in a local lamppost
Third car - 2003 Renaultsport Clio 172
Owned for less than a month. In hindsight, a real dog of a car I should never have bought and I hadn’t done any research on them.
Fourth car - 1997? Mazda MX5 Mk2
Sadly this lasted just 2 months or there abouts after a slippery excursion into a farmer’s fence one night...
Fifth car - 2002 Ford Fiesta Zetec S Puma Conversion (can you see a theme yet?)
After not gelling with the Clio and having to say goodbye to the Mazda, I felt it was right to get back into a Fiesta. Bought sort of unseen, was assured it was in tip top condition etc etc, but low and behold, another dog. The thing burnt oil as if it was going out of fashion. It was also pretty thirsty which wasn’t ideal for my 60 mile round commute per day on an apprentice wage. So this went after another month or so in favour of car number six...
Sixth car - 2005 Seat Ibiza FR TDI
Bought in a bid to save money on fuel, and to enjoy a bit more comfort on my commute. Once again; a rushed purchase and turned out to be a real lemon. This didn’t last too long. After 3 or so months of boredom and getting fed up with the repairs racking up, I decided again to get back into a Ford.
Seventh car - 2005 Ford Fiesta ST150
This was a real gem of a car and I loved it to bits. Ended up slowly turning it into a bit of a fast road/track car over a number of months, until something else caught my eye...
Eighth car - 2002 Renaultsport Clio 172
Another one?! Yes, but this time a much more sorted example which was pretty much already built for trackdays. I decided to sell the Fiesta and put the money into this Clio. I had a bit of spare cash from the Fiesta sale which went on things like a second set of wheels, new bucket seats and my first trackday in this car. While I had this car, I managed to commandeer my Dad’s stop gap Mk1 Focus LX TDCI that he bought after having to give a company car back. He had just spent the best part of £700 on a new clutch and DMF so I thought it would be a shame to get rid of it. This then served as my daily while I kept the 172 purely for trackdays and weekend fun. I actually ended up owning this car twice for about a year each time.
Ninth car - 2006 Seat Leon FR TDI
The Clio went after a year or so of fun when as it wasn’t getting used enough. I slapped down a bunch of my savings on a Leon FR as I had always liked them. This one had a few mods such as a stainless straight through exhaust, remap and a few cosmetic bits and pieces. I then added coilovers later on. This is when I really didn’t see the hype for VAG cars and the love they all get from their owners. Problem after problem and I soon got fed up and wanted something fun again. Cue car number ten.
Tenth car - 2005 Renaultsport Clio 182 in Racing Blue
As I had always wanted an RB Clio, I went and bought the first one I saw on eBay. MISTAKE. We’ll quickly gloss over that one.
Eleventh car - the same Renaultsport Clio I had owned a couple of years prior
The opportunity arose for me to buy back my old 172, so I jumped on it straight away. The trouble is, things don’t always seem as good second time round. A few months into my second ownership of this car, the gearbox blew up and I decided I had had enough of messing around with old cars and fixing them all the time.
Twelfth car - 2015 Ford Fiesta ST180
Yes I know, another Fiesta. This was bought at around one year old and I drive and adored it for a good two years. By the way, remember that old Focus? Still going... until the next MOT that is. It just scraped through so I thought it was a good time to get rid and get on the hunt for another shed. Which leads me onto the car in question - my 2007 Ford Mondeo Ghia X TDCI.
Bought for the princely sum, after a bit of haggling with the vendor, of £1050.
For the price I paid, I believe this was an absolute steal for the spec. Being the Ghia X, this Mondeo sits at the top of the line in Ford’s luxury range, boasting - albeit fake - walnut dash and steering wheel trims, electric heated and ventilated seats, cruise control, digital climate control, heated windscreen, auto lights and wipers, heated power fold mirrors and a decent Sony stereo among the usual Ford mod cons.
This then, is a thread to document my ownership of this car and the typical things we all encounter while running a shed. As I’ve owned the car for just over years now, this is a very behind schedule thread. So, if you have made this far, read on to find out how I’ve got on with the car over the last two years. I will try and upload some photos tomorrow.
IMG_1657 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
IMG_1510 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
IMG_2491 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
IMG_0696 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
IMG_0730 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
IMG_1208 by Alex Mulvenna, on FlickrSadly these are the only photos I can find of my previous cars so there are some missing.
And what you've all been waiting for...
IMG_0420 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
IMG_0422 by Alex Mulvenna, on Flickr
Great car! I had one of these a few years back and used to run it to and from Europe where I work. It was a good car. The only hassle I had was the EGR valve which used to block about every 30,000 miles. Luckily we have an ultrasonic cleaner at work ! 
I let it go though as the flywheel was really noisy and it cost more than the car was worth to fix.
I let it go though as the flywheel was really noisy and it cost more than the car was worth to fix.
CharlieH89 said:
I went from Mondeo ST TDCi to Fiesta ST. Miss both of them.
Very comfy the Mondeo is. Cruise control is great. 50mpg.
Can’t really complain with it. A bluefin will give you a bit more shove and remove the limits in 1st and 2nd (I think) if it is the 2.2 TDCi.
I manage to see around 48mpg day-day commuting (mostly A road with a bit of slower town driving) but can see up near 60mpg on solid motorway driving. I’m fairly convinced this is already mapped but I have no proof. It’s only the 2.0 thoughVery comfy the Mondeo is. Cruise control is great. 50mpg.
Can’t really complain with it. A bluefin will give you a bit more shove and remove the limits in 1st and 2nd (I think) if it is the 2.2 TDCi.
AlpinaB5 said:
Great car! I had one of these a few years back and used to run it to and from Europe where I work. It was a good car. The only hassle I had was the EGR valve which used to block about every 30,000 miles. Luckily we have an ultrasonic cleaner at work !
I let it go though as the flywheel was really noisy and it cost more than the car was worth to fix.
Sadly my DMF went last year so I forked out over £800 to get it replaced. Needed some welding as well, and I thought “better the devil you know” type thing. Glad I got it done now though.I let it go though as the flywheel was really noisy and it cost more than the car was worth to fix.
Mully1906 said:
CharlieH89 said:
I went from Mondeo ST TDCi to Fiesta ST. Miss both of them.
Very comfy the Mondeo is. Cruise control is great. 50mpg.
Can’t really complain with it. A bluefin will give you a bit more shove and remove the limits in 1st and 2nd (I think) if it is the 2.2 TDCi.
I manage to see around 48mpg day-day commuting (mostly A road with a bit of slower town driving) but can see up near 60mpg on solid motorway driving. I’m fairly convinced this is already mapped but I have no proof. It’s only the 2.0 thoughVery comfy the Mondeo is. Cruise control is great. 50mpg.
Can’t really complain with it. A bluefin will give you a bit more shove and remove the limits in 1st and 2nd (I think) if it is the 2.2 TDCi.
I was actually thinking about one a few weeks ago but my wife really wanted a Mini so I kept the Fiesta.
What’s the mileage?
CharlieH89 said:
Is the 2.0 130bhp?
I was actually thinking about one a few weeks ago but my wife really wanted a Mini so I kept the Fiesta.
What’s the mileage?
Yeah it’s 130bhp. Although I test drove a couple of ST TDCI’s last year as I was thinking of changing it for one, but they felt very similar power wise and this one as all the same toys as an ST.I was actually thinking about one a few weeks ago but my wife really wanted a Mini so I kept the Fiesta.
What’s the mileage?
It’s currently on around 111k miles and I bought it 2 years ago on 91k, so it’s served me well so far.
Will update the thread this evening with the total costs so far (if I can remember them).
Lovely car to drive, but the biggest pile of junk mechanically ever. Fuel injectors, wiring faults, DMF, high pressure pump, corrosion, sticking calipers, heated screen failure...all in a 3 year old, fully maintained car. And Ford couldn't care less. I even had to smash a window and crawl in via the boot when the locking failed. Very funny.
Needless to say, I will never, ever, ever touch a Ford again.
Shame, great driving car. Sometimes. When it worked.
Needless to say, I will never, ever, ever touch a Ford again.
Shame, great driving car. Sometimes. When it worked.
I had an '04 Ghia X which was a great car. Up to 105k miles it had only a failed oil cooler thermostat and a split turbo hose.
It had fake wood on the steering wheel. It was very rock and roll.
47mpg on a round trip to the Black Forest, with a fair bit of Autobahn action included wasn't bad.
It had fake wood on the steering wheel. It was very rock and roll.
47mpg on a round trip to the Black Forest, with a fair bit of Autobahn action included wasn't bad.
So here’s a quick rundown of the total costs to date - well, as much as I can remember without having to trawl through all the receipts!
Cost to buy: £1050
4 new tyres: £135
New wipers all round: £15
New rear washer jet: £12
Dual mass flywheel and clutch, plus re-welding a captive nut in place: £850
New rear nearside brake caliper: £100
Front discs and pads: £45
Another 2 new front tyres as I never got the tracking done when I put the other tyres on: £80
When the DMF went I had to make the decision whether to just sell it as is, and buy something else or bite the bullet and get it replaced. I’m glad I went with the latter now though.
The recent MOT highlighted the issues with the brake caliper, tyres and front discs and pads so I got the garage to fit a new caliper, and I’ve bought the tyres and brakes myself which I can fit this weekend.
As with any shed, there are a couple of ongoing issues. The main one being the rear subframe bushes, which I’m told is a very common problem on these. I’ll get them done eventually. Another issue is that I believe it needs a new thermostat. The temp gauge never gets above 1/4, but it doesn’t seem to affect the way it drives so I don’t know how important that is??
Apart from that, the car serves it’s purpose well as a second car for slinging a dirty mountain bike in the back, doing dump runs and taking away on holiday when I have no idea what some car parks are going to be like.
Cost to buy: £1050
4 new tyres: £135
New wipers all round: £15
New rear washer jet: £12
Dual mass flywheel and clutch, plus re-welding a captive nut in place: £850
New rear nearside brake caliper: £100
Front discs and pads: £45
Another 2 new front tyres as I never got the tracking done when I put the other tyres on: £80
When the DMF went I had to make the decision whether to just sell it as is, and buy something else or bite the bullet and get it replaced. I’m glad I went with the latter now though.
The recent MOT highlighted the issues with the brake caliper, tyres and front discs and pads so I got the garage to fit a new caliper, and I’ve bought the tyres and brakes myself which I can fit this weekend.
As with any shed, there are a couple of ongoing issues. The main one being the rear subframe bushes, which I’m told is a very common problem on these. I’ll get them done eventually. Another issue is that I believe it needs a new thermostat. The temp gauge never gets above 1/4, but it doesn’t seem to affect the way it drives so I don’t know how important that is??
Apart from that, the car serves it’s purpose well as a second car for slinging a dirty mountain bike in the back, doing dump runs and taking away on holiday when I have no idea what some car parks are going to be like.
Edited by Mully1906 on Thursday 6th February 08:24
2 new front tyres fitted this week and the tracking sorted out.
The tolerance for the toe settings that Ford state I believe is +/-5 minutes, and the front of my majestic mule was at 11 and 13 left and right respectfully. No wonder the tyres only lasted 10,000 miles...
Anyway, £80 for 2 tyres plus £65 for the fitting and tracking brings the total spend up once again which has obviously increased the pence-per-mile of the car.
Was hoping to treat it to a bath this weekend, but I don't think thats looking too likely with our mate Dennis just around the corner.
The tolerance for the toe settings that Ford state I believe is +/-5 minutes, and the front of my majestic mule was at 11 and 13 left and right respectfully. No wonder the tyres only lasted 10,000 miles...
Anyway, £80 for 2 tyres plus £65 for the fitting and tracking brings the total spend up once again which has obviously increased the pence-per-mile of the car.
Was hoping to treat it to a bath this weekend, but I don't think thats looking too likely with our mate Dennis just around the corner.
With reference to the rear subframe bushes.
I changed mine for powerflex ones. You don't need to remove the subframe as they slide into the outer metal casing of the old bush.
Remove the bolt, they a drill, drill around the rubber. Then the old bush comes out. Get a mini die grinder to remove all traces of rubber. Lube up your new bushes and slide them in. You can use the bolt to push them in.
I changed mine for powerflex ones. You don't need to remove the subframe as they slide into the outer metal casing of the old bush.
Remove the bolt, they a drill, drill around the rubber. Then the old bush comes out. Get a mini die grinder to remove all traces of rubber. Lube up your new bushes and slide them in. You can use the bolt to push them in.
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