My £525 Ford Focus
Discussion
CharlieH89 said:
Car viewed.
Hadn’t been serviced for 35,000 miles, since the woman had owned it. I had asked if it had recent service history which she had replied yes to the other day
Exhaust blowing.
Bonnet catch knackered. Just wouldn’t open.
The interior was disgusting. Stains everywhere to which she had said were from her kids. Looked like they had a fight holding bottles of coke.
Car was advertised as £1250 and as I said it weren’t for me she said she would let it go for £900 as she had a new car and needed it gone.
Search continues.
Sadly this is the norm nowadays!!! Hadn’t been serviced for 35,000 miles, since the woman had owned it. I had asked if it had recent service history which she had replied yes to the other day
Exhaust blowing.
Bonnet catch knackered. Just wouldn’t open.
The interior was disgusting. Stains everywhere to which she had said were from her kids. Looked like they had a fight holding bottles of coke.
Car was advertised as £1250 and as I said it weren’t for me she said she would let it go for £900 as she had a new car and needed it gone.
Search continues.
I'd have been cheeky and offered £750, the bonnet is easy to get opened and would cost around £40-£70 depending on having to remove the grille to get opened, you could replace the lock mechanism for around £30, full service by you for around £100, exhaust is an unknown but unlikely to be too expensive, so somewhere around £1000 all in including purchase of the car!!!
Bobberoo99 said:
Sadly this is the norm nowadays!!!
I'd have been cheeky and offered £750, the bonnet is easy to get opened and would cost around £40-£70 depending on having to remove the grille to get opened, you could replace the lock mechanism for around £30, full service by you for around £100, exhaust is an unknown but unlikely to be too expensive, so somewhere around £1000 all in including purchase of the car!!!
It was the fact that she had purely neglected the car which made me walk away.I'd have been cheeky and offered £750, the bonnet is easy to get opened and would cost around £40-£70 depending on having to remove the grille to get opened, you could replace the lock mechanism for around £30, full service by you for around £100, exhaust is an unknown but unlikely to be too expensive, so somewhere around £1000 all in including purchase of the car!!!
I wanted the cambelt doing asap too which would have meant the car, at £900, would have been setting me back about £1400 and id hope to get a better car for that amount.
I might even up the budget a touch if there are better cars out there with some care taken with ownership.
CharlieH89 said:
It was the fact that she had purely neglected the car which made me walk away.
I wanted the cambelt doing asap too which would have meant the car, at £900, would have been setting me back about £1400 and id hope to get a better car for that amount.
I might even up the budget a touch if there are better cars out there with some care taken with ownership.
@CharlieH89 - Would a saloon be of interest? I have a MK2 2.0 petrol ghia (chain driven) that has been cared for, but it depends on whether the saloon bodystyle is a dealbreaker. (apologies to p4cks for thread hijack)I wanted the cambelt doing asap too which would have meant the car, at £900, would have been setting me back about £1400 and id hope to get a better car for that amount.
I might even up the budget a touch if there are better cars out there with some care taken with ownership.
p4cks said:
Looking at this photo I posted earlier it seems as though there's a large gap between the plastic cover and the cam cover, which may suggest the continued water ingress issue.
Now with that bead of sealant I do hope that it's fixed. I'll be driving from Newcastle to Glasgow on Friday and back again on Sunday so we shall soon see. It'll be its first 'trip' which is why I've been so keen to clean the interior and sort out the misfire.
@p4cks - I did the same preventative fix with the Volvo cover on a 1.6 that I had a few years back (it's still going strong, my father in law now has it). When I bought it, shortly afterwards it developed a misfire and I thought I'd bought a pup.Now with that bead of sealant I do hope that it's fixed. I'll be driving from Newcastle to Glasgow on Friday and back again on Sunday so we shall soon see. It'll be its first 'trip' which is why I've been so keen to clean the interior and sort out the misfire.
I know this is an old post, but one thing to do (sorry if you have already done this) is pull out all of the HT leads, leave the spark plugs in, and with a strip of rag fixed to the end of a stiff wire, poke the rag into the recesses and keep mopping up any water in the closed channel where the spark plugs sit (using the spark plug holes) - use a torch to make sure you get it bone dry. There is a chance that you've stopped more water going in (I don't think your sealant will have any effect tbh) but not addressed the water that will already be in there - there can be a lot that collects in that 'closed' channel.
Then, check the condition of the plugs, change them if necessary, they're not expensive. You have the new leads, so the next step would be to get a new coil pack - again, they're not expensive.
On mine, I'd replaced the plugs, leads and coilpack, and fitted the volvo cover. No problems since, and it's been about 6 years.
smellypoo said:
CharlieH89 said:
It was the fact that she had purely neglected the car which made me walk away.
I wanted the cambelt doing asap too which would have meant the car, at £900, would have been setting me back about £1400 and id hope to get a better car for that amount.
I might even up the budget a touch if there are better cars out there with some care taken with ownership.
@CharlieH89 - Would a saloon be of interest? I have a MK2 2.0 petrol ghia (chain driven) that has been cared for, but it depends on whether the saloon bodystyle is a dealbreaker. (apologies to p4cks for thread hijack)I wanted the cambelt doing asap too which would have meant the car, at £900, would have been setting me back about £1400 and id hope to get a better car for that amount.
I might even up the budget a touch if there are better cars out there with some care taken with ownership.
NY update:
I've recently purchased and fitted a new rear wiper as my old one was sheight, found a genuine Ford Motorcraft one on eBay for £2.99 delivered so I snapped that up. Also topped it up with 1L of oil so will need to keep an eye on that considering it was serviced in June.
The near side suspension top mount sounds as though it's gone but no impact to performance so will not be in any hurry to replace
The clutch will still need replacing in the next year or so
Cambelt in the next couple of years
Interior still immaculate, only issue is the radio clock does not keep the right time and although you can adjust the clock via the radio, the memory is in the dash binnacle so it'll need new clocks to fix - I'll just live with it and look at my watch.
I've grown to really like the car but not enough to fix the cosmetic dents out, and I never will!
Now on 118K
Also considering chopping in the Evora and the Clio V6 for a Gallardo and keeping this, but that'll probably be something I consider when I'm back in to a proper job and not dotting about here and there
newyearsameme
I've recently purchased and fitted a new rear wiper as my old one was sheight, found a genuine Ford Motorcraft one on eBay for £2.99 delivered so I snapped that up. Also topped it up with 1L of oil so will need to keep an eye on that considering it was serviced in June.
The near side suspension top mount sounds as though it's gone but no impact to performance so will not be in any hurry to replace
The clutch will still need replacing in the next year or so
Cambelt in the next couple of years
Interior still immaculate, only issue is the radio clock does not keep the right time and although you can adjust the clock via the radio, the memory is in the dash binnacle so it'll need new clocks to fix - I'll just live with it and look at my watch.
I've grown to really like the car but not enough to fix the cosmetic dents out, and I never will!
Now on 118K
Also considering chopping in the Evora and the Clio V6 for a Gallardo and keeping this, but that'll probably be something I consider when I'm back in to a proper job and not dotting about here and there
newyearsameme
p4cks said:
NY update:
I've recently purchased and fitted a new rear wiper as my old one was sheight, found a genuine Ford Motorcraft one on eBay for £2.99 delivered so I snapped that up. Also topped it up with 1L of oil so will need to keep an eye on that considering it was serviced in June.
The near side suspension top mount sounds as though it's gone but no impact to performance so will not be in any hurry to replace
The clutch will still need replacing in the next year or so
Cambelt in the next couple of years
Interior still immaculate, only issue is the radio clock does not keep the right time and although you can adjust the clock via the radio, the memory is in the dash binnacle so it'll need new clocks to fix - I'll just live with it and look at my watch.
I've grown to really like the car but not enough to fix the cosmetic dents out, and I never will!
Now on 118K
Also considering chopping in the Evora and the Clio V6 for a Gallardo and keeping this, but that'll probably be something I consider when I'm back in to a proper job and not dotting about here and there
newyearsameme
How is the clutch feeling in yours? Mine slips a bit in 3rd gear and bite point is nigh on where you lift your foot off the pedal! Mr Clutch quoted about £340 for it changed and slave cylinder, which is more than the car cost.I've recently purchased and fitted a new rear wiper as my old one was sheight, found a genuine Ford Motorcraft one on eBay for £2.99 delivered so I snapped that up. Also topped it up with 1L of oil so will need to keep an eye on that considering it was serviced in June.
The near side suspension top mount sounds as though it's gone but no impact to performance so will not be in any hurry to replace
The clutch will still need replacing in the next year or so
Cambelt in the next couple of years
Interior still immaculate, only issue is the radio clock does not keep the right time and although you can adjust the clock via the radio, the memory is in the dash binnacle so it'll need new clocks to fix - I'll just live with it and look at my watch.
I've grown to really like the car but not enough to fix the cosmetic dents out, and I never will!
Now on 118K
Also considering chopping in the Evora and the Clio V6 for a Gallardo and keeping this, but that'll probably be something I consider when I'm back in to a proper job and not dotting about here and there
newyearsameme
Good job keeping this thread going, good to know it's not only me enjoying their cheap runabouts. I treated mine to a trip to the £7 car wash and some Polish reg plate LED sidelights.
p4cks said:
My clutch is quite high, but is still usable. When I have the cruise control on and dip the clutch, the revs increase which points to a duff clutch.
Been quoted £150 for the clutch + fitting by my local 'cash only' garage
Okay, same as mine then. I will ask my local garage, see what they reckon they could do it for.Been quoted £150 for the clutch + fitting by my local 'cash only' garage
Don't know anyone who would do it cash only though
p4cks said:
Recent spend is about £20 on a set of Bosch wipers and then applied some Rain-X to the windscreen. Wow what a revelation! I'll no longer scrimp on sheight wipers from now on that's for sure. I actually look forward to it raining now!
I thought Rain-X was considered to be spawn of the devil?The Mad Monk said:
p4cks said:
Recent spend is about £20 on a set of Bosch wipers and then applied some Rain-X to the windscreen. Wow what a revelation! I'll no longer scrimp on sheight wipers from now on that's for sure. I actually look forward to it raining now!
I thought Rain-X was considered to be spawn of the devil?p4cks said:
My clutch is quite high, but is still usable. When I have the cruise control on and dip the clutch, the revs increase which points to a duff clutch.
Been quoted £150 for the clutch + fitting by my local 'cash only' garage
How does that point to a duff clutch? You'd expect the revs to raise as the clutch slips cos the car is trying to maintain speed would you not?Been quoted £150 for the clutch + fitting by my local 'cash only' garage
Well, you'd actually expect the CC to turn off as it senses the clutch being put in...
shalmaneser said:
How does that point to a duff clutch? You'd expect the revs to raise as the clutch slips cos the car is trying to maintain speed would you not?
Well, you'd actually expect the CC to turn off as it senses the clutch being put in...
I'd just assumed it was the clutch as I've not had the issue on any of my old cars before but I'm happy to hear any suggestions or thoughts from anyone who might have a better idea of what it might be Well, you'd actually expect the CC to turn off as it senses the clutch being put in...
Following on from the clutch/cruise control issue - someone in the shed thread suggested it might be the clutch pedal sensor so I went on eBay and bought one for £6 delivered.
Fitting it was a challenge, I had to put my head where my feet would normally be and my feet where my head should be to get it fitted properly!
Hasn't fixed it sadly so I've now accepted that the Focus behaves differently to any other car I've driven with CC including my current Evora and my Clio.
Currently owes me £1,401.53 which equates to £0.24 per mile (in comparison my Clio has cost me £162.98 per mile but largely because I never drive it!)
Fitting it was a challenge, I had to put my head where my feet would normally be and my feet where my head should be to get it fitted properly!
Hasn't fixed it sadly so I've now accepted that the Focus behaves differently to any other car I've driven with CC including my current Evora and my Clio.
Currently owes me £1,401.53 which equates to £0.24 per mile (in comparison my Clio has cost me £162.98 per mile but largely because I never drive it!)
Edited by p4cks on Friday 14th February 11:21
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