2012 Ford Focus Titanium
Discussion
Podie said:
Well when you get round to doing it, drop me a PM. Happy to stick my cable in the post for you to borrow if you wish (as a known working one).
That's very kind of you, thank you so much.CX53 said:
Looks like a nice car, and they drive so well.
I panic bought a poverty spec Astra of the same vintage when someone crashed in to my Golf R and needed a car quick.
It's absolutely horrid and the Focii have always been the better car.
Might have to keep an eye out for these when replacing my car, I didn't realise they came so loaded with kit.
Poverty spec! Never heard that term before... brilliant. You ever going to get another car on par with the R?I panic bought a poverty spec Astra of the same vintage when someone crashed in to my Golf R and needed a car quick.
It's absolutely horrid and the Focii have always been the better car.
Might have to keep an eye out for these when replacing my car, I didn't realise they came so loaded with kit.
I spent yesterday evening touching up the stone chips and scratches on the paintwork with a frozen white touch up pen. They're not perfect, but they're a lot better and aren't noticeable anymore.
This was the worst
But this is the best I could do
White paint is so forgiving.
I gave the car a thorough clean, more on the side of a partial detail, using detail brushes for all the tiny areas inside and outside of the body work. It's looking fantastic now:
I've just come back from driving to West Wales and back, so over two hours each way. It performed lovely, with the adaptive cruise control being outstanding.
Just waiting for Monday when I can install the RimBlades on the wheels, and then paint the brakes silver (fronts) and black (rears), then cosmetically it's finished.
Podie said:
Ford did retro fit DRLs that go in those triangle bits in the front bumper - if that sort of thing floats your boat.
I saw those on Ebay and have them on my purchase list for the car. I didn't know that Ford retrofitted them? I thought they were just aftermarkets?CX53 said:
I think maybe something a bit cheaper but still fun, I got a bit precious over it and it did ruin the fun somewhat!
Great job on the paintwork, looks really good.
Thank you! Get an MX-5. Beautifully balanced, amazing driving position, great gearbox and cheap to run and repair. Some of the best driving fun you can have. Honestly if I drove an MX-5 (of any year) before I bought my Boxster S, I'd have been very torn between the two.Great job on the paintwork, looks really good.
MP-Racing said:
Like what your doing with the car, your parcel shelf is actually missing two hard plastic holders that locate the shelf to the quarter panels. They are meant to be fixed to the shelf itself.
Oh! Didn't know that, thanks for telling me. Need to find them on ebay or get the part numbers now. Cheers!Had a day out in Tenby yesterday (albeit a socially distant day out), which took just over two and a half hours each way. Also drove to Winchester today which was also just over two hours each way, and the car performed brilliantly. Beautifully smooth and feels as safe as a tank.
Was good to get out to be honest, somewhere new that's not the house or the local park. We had a walk around Tenby with our face masks, and a socially distant meet up today in the park in Winchester, which did us all some good.
Next week will be a relaxed week and back working. The car is in the garage Tuesday to get its track rod ends replaced, but that's as exciting as things get. Tuesday evening I'll be fitting the Rim Blades, so I'm looking forward to getting those alloys a little nicer to look at.
Anyway. It's been a lot of driving this weekend, and I've got a Leffe Ruby in my hand as we're just about to watch a film. Will let you know what happens Tuesday.
Cheers all
Bowen86 said:
If this is anything like your Porsche thread this should be one to watch....
Great touches so far.
I'm sure it'll turn into a thread that's god knows how long, but hopefully it'll be happy journeys and photos of a clean car, as opposed to maintenance. But we'll see! Thank you all the same.Great touches so far.
JohnWest said:
I bought this:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...
Then Nissan part seems to be cheaper than the Ford despite being the same. I bought it to fix my Focus parcel shelf that failed in exactly the same way as yours.
I have a titanium x but don’t have adaptive cruise, blind spot or auto high beam, you’ve found a well specced one there!
Following with interest, been a long time follower of your Porsche thread.
Many thanks! Lovely to see people reading the other thread.https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...
Then Nissan part seems to be cheaper than the Ford despite being the same. I bought it to fix my Focus parcel shelf that failed in exactly the same way as yours.
I have a titanium x but don’t have adaptive cruise, blind spot or auto high beam, you’ve found a well specced one there!
Following with interest, been a long time follower of your Porsche thread.
That's interesting... I can't see how they fit on though. Could you take photos of yours at all?
Today was an interesting (and expensive) day. The track rod ends were so seized that I needed to replace them both. The warranty were umming and ahhing over whether it would be covered, so I just decided to front the cost myself. After all, the track rod ends were the only thing that was mechanically wrong with the car (aside from some surface rust on a brake disc, which I'll be tackling myself soon).
The garage had a nightmare with the track rod ends, resulting in cutting off one side completely. In all they replaced both outer track rod ends, and one inner track rod end. Parts and labour with VAT came to £174. Tracking was £30 per axle with a hunter machine, so it was £204 in total. Not amazing, but the car seems perfectly fine now, so I'm happy to pay that to make the car mechanically sound.
Up on the ramp, I had a good look at the underside
Doesn't look too bad for 137,000 miles
The track rod ends were replaced
And the car was finished
Whilst I was at the garage, they were working on an E-Type that had its head gasket blow. Must be expensive on a V12!
They also had this gorgeous Sierra RS Cosworth. Must be worth quite a bit, especially in its condition.
Anyway. I digress. Car went straight to another garage where they did a hunter alignment system. The car was throwing traction control errors due to the wheels being pointed in different directions, so this needed to be done asap.
This was the angle of the steering wheel when driving straight.
Look at the wheels! This was straight:
Before and after
Car now drives beautifully.
The weather held off today, and it looks like it's holding off for the next few days - perfect for applying the RimBlades.
Here's the wheel before
And after
That front wheel was the worst at the top as it had a big chunk taken out of it. They're not perfect, but they hide a lot of the curbing which is all that matters. I cleaned the wheel with normal cleaner, then alcohol wipes that were supplied. I then applied some adhesive primer that they supply, then applied the RimBlade itself. Within 10 seconds it bonded to the alloy, and was almost impossible to pull off. I'll leave the car 24 hours either way, but these aren't coming off in a hurry. At least they'll be soft if I ever touch a curb (or a pothole) with the wheel.
If that was the Porsche, I'd have got the wheels refurbished (as I did on the Boxster), but this car is a daily so there's no need for perfection here.
That's all for now!
ChrisR99 said:
Can't beat a Focus, We have several in the family and they've always been dependable and good to drive cars. You'd be hard pressed to tell it had that mileage!
I've had my 2014 1.0 Titanium for over 4 years now and am in no rush to change yet. It's my first and only car I've had and couldn't ask for much more. Xenon headlights and a bit more power would be nice though.
(Aston isn't mine unfortunately)
Liking the wheels on yours, I believe they came as part of the 'Appearance Pack' with Privacy Glass but not entirely sure. Mine originally had 16" wheels but I changed them for Tit X wheels. I wanted the ones on your car but there weren't any for sale at the time!
On the DRL front, I've got Osram foglight ones which I'm pleased with. Personally I prefer the look to the ones fitted in the grille and you get 'cornering' lights with them too when indicating with headlights on. Let me know if you want a photo at all!
Great to hear from another pleased focus owner. I didn't realise how good these were. Yours is a beautiful colour!I've had my 2014 1.0 Titanium for over 4 years now and am in no rush to change yet. It's my first and only car I've had and couldn't ask for much more. Xenon headlights and a bit more power would be nice though.
(Aston isn't mine unfortunately)
Liking the wheels on yours, I believe they came as part of the 'Appearance Pack' with Privacy Glass but not entirely sure. Mine originally had 16" wheels but I changed them for Tit X wheels. I wanted the ones on your car but there weren't any for sale at the time!
On the DRL front, I've got Osram foglight ones which I'm pleased with. Personally I prefer the look to the ones fitted in the grille and you get 'cornering' lights with them too when indicating with headlights on. Let me know if you want a photo at all!
I think I'll be getting the horizontal DRL's in the grilles as, like mentioned above, Ford did this themselves so it's nice to go down the original route if you know what I mean? I did consider fog light ones though.
On the Xenon front, I'll be doing my conversion in the coming weeks where I'll split the headlight open to fit projectors. If they go well I'll let you know!
Been a very productive day today.
I wanted to sort out the brake wobble. It's down to some surface contamination on the disc, so I thought I'd try and give it a vinegar bath to remove the rust.
You can see it here
Quite clear when off the car
Found a plant pot tray the exact size of the disc though!
Some Tesco's vinegar always does the trick on rusty parts
After about half an hour of soaking (per disc), a good amount came off:
The wobble is better, but it's still there along with an annoying squeak with each rotation. I'll see if it goes eventually as the brakes get used, which logically it should. If it doesn't, it'll only cost me about £40 for a new set, so no biggie.
While I was there, I thought I'd use the time to freshen up the calipers.
Using some silver hammerite
I made sure to stay well away from anything that wasn't solid metal, aside from the retaining clip. I've learnt the hard way in the past when I had calipers seize up. I played it safe here as I just want them to look a little better behind the wheel
Which they certainly do
The rear drums were coated in black hammerite:
Far better on the eye.
Whilst I was in the wheel well, I pulled back the liner and replaced the cracked fog lamp.
(And yes they're my kick-a** allen keys)
And done
The passenger foot well carpet had fallen since I bought it. The hole had ripped so it had nothing to hold on to.
I added a dab of super glue and glued the pieces together, creating a small hole as per original size.
Lovely. Can't even tell
One job that was annoying me was the black stained parking sensor, and only the one weirdly. A bit of 1500 grit wet and dry got this looking spot on
And that's that! All of the maintenance on the car is complete! There's not a single thing that doesn't work, and nothing that looks like it should be replaced or cosmetically bad. The car looks and feels beautiful.
Next up will most likely be to retrofit projectors so I can use my spare set of 5000k H1 HID's.
I'm also tempted to replace the fog light bulbs with yellow bulbs. I'm thinking that it'll look quite nice against the yellow, although I don't really use them. Thoughts on this?
Cheers all
I wanted to sort out the brake wobble. It's down to some surface contamination on the disc, so I thought I'd try and give it a vinegar bath to remove the rust.
You can see it here
Quite clear when off the car
Found a plant pot tray the exact size of the disc though!
Some Tesco's vinegar always does the trick on rusty parts
After about half an hour of soaking (per disc), a good amount came off:
The wobble is better, but it's still there along with an annoying squeak with each rotation. I'll see if it goes eventually as the brakes get used, which logically it should. If it doesn't, it'll only cost me about £40 for a new set, so no biggie.
While I was there, I thought I'd use the time to freshen up the calipers.
Using some silver hammerite
I made sure to stay well away from anything that wasn't solid metal, aside from the retaining clip. I've learnt the hard way in the past when I had calipers seize up. I played it safe here as I just want them to look a little better behind the wheel
Which they certainly do
The rear drums were coated in black hammerite:
Far better on the eye.
Whilst I was in the wheel well, I pulled back the liner and replaced the cracked fog lamp.
(And yes they're my kick-a** allen keys)
And done
The passenger foot well carpet had fallen since I bought it. The hole had ripped so it had nothing to hold on to.
I added a dab of super glue and glued the pieces together, creating a small hole as per original size.
Lovely. Can't even tell
One job that was annoying me was the black stained parking sensor, and only the one weirdly. A bit of 1500 grit wet and dry got this looking spot on
And that's that! All of the maintenance on the car is complete! There's not a single thing that doesn't work, and nothing that looks like it should be replaced or cosmetically bad. The car looks and feels beautiful.
Next up will most likely be to retrofit projectors so I can use my spare set of 5000k H1 HID's.
I'm also tempted to replace the fog light bulbs with yellow bulbs. I'm thinking that it'll look quite nice against the yellow, although I don't really use them. Thoughts on this?
Cheers all
QSROCKS said:
Car looks absolutely amazing! I’ve been in company/lease cars for years but miss getting a Mondeo up to 230k from 11k and should have kept my MK1 focus longer. My ideal pair would be a car like yours and another MX5 NC (only this and the focus I miss).
Interested how the rim blades perform, be interesting after a few long drives.
Thank you! Honestly, an MX-5 NC is something I keep looking up. I drove one just after purchasing my Boxster S and, if I had driven it before, it would have been a game changer. Some part of me wants to sell the Porsche, buy an MX-5 and do that up for track days.Interested how the rim blades perform, be interesting after a few long drives.
The rim blades have been excellent so far with a few long drives. I can't even pull them off with my fingers - they've properly bonded to the alloys.
Podie said:
Ooh, I do like Wera tools!
They're gorgeous... I'm a stickler for things that look good, even if they don't perform as well as other brands. Probably why I like AutoFinesse so much.Decided to bite the bullet and change the brakes today.
They said that these brakes were new. I thought they were but had some surface rust from it not being used, but on closer inspection they weren't as new as I thought.
The discs did seem relatively new, but the pads definitely weren't.
Unless they replaced the discs without the pads.
Either way, new discs and pads on.
The difference is sublime. A sharper bite, stronger feel and no wobble! The car is finished mechanically, with nothing else to do.
Onward with upgrades!
Someone was kind enough to enter my vehicle on a Ford dealer website that shows you what the car came with. This is the whole list of features on the car, including normal things like badges and headrests.
__
Front Door Scuff Plates - Ford Oval
Accessory Media Hub 1XUSB
With Hill Launch Assist
Rear Passenger Door
With Manual Liftgate
Saarlouis Plant Built
Ford Corporate Badge
Marketing Level 1
(-) SVP
Exterior Paint - Solid
For Normal Temperature Zones
Econetic Tailgate Badge
With Auto Closing Windows
Power Front Windows One Touch Up/Do
Power Rear Window One Shot Up/Down
With Privacy Glass
Grille - Upper Blk Msh/Chrome Surnd
With Heated Windscreen
With Padded Dash
Mini Overhead Cnsl W/Sunglass Bin
Console - With Closed Bin
Int Environment Clr-Charcoal Black
Int Feat Colour - Charcoal Black
With General Stowage Box
Deluxe Headliner
With Illuminated Sunvisor - Drivers
With Illuminated Sunvisor-Passenger
With Aluminum Interior Door Handles
With LH Front Door Armrest
With RH Front Door Armrest
Rear Coat Hook
With Load Area Cover
With Load Floor Carpet
Lower Grille - Hgh Gls W/Chrm Smile
Rocker Panel Moulding -Cladding C/K
With Bright Door Frame Moulding
With Rear Spoiler
With Electrochromic R/View Mirror
Dual Pwr/Heat/Fold/Pud Lamp/Signal
With Body Coloured Exterior Mirror
With Driver Seat Back Map Pocket
Passenger Seat Back Map Pocket
With Front 2 Way Headrest
With Driver Seat Recliner - Rotary
With Passenger Seat Recliner-Rotary
With Two Piece Rear Seat Cushion
With 60:40 Split - Folding Rr Seat
With Integrated Rear Headrest
Rear Centre Armrest With Stowage
With Rear Center Head Restraint
With Drivers Manual Lumbar Support
With Drvr/Passngr Seat Belt Minder
With Driver 4 Way Mnl.Seat Adjuster
With Pass 2 Way Manual Seat Adjust
With Front Towing Hook
With Rear Towing Hooks
Engine Cover - Under Hood
Body Coloured Exterior Door Handle
Body Coloured Tailgate Handle
Ignition Key Combination Pack 1
With Leather Gear Shift Knob
Steel Security Door Lock Shield
With Child Proof Safety Lock
With Remote Controlled Tailgate Release
With Door Dead Locks
With Door Entry Remote Control Unit
Keyless Entry/Start - Passive
Capless Fuel Filler Without Lock
With Int. Rear Window Wiper/Washer
With Automatic Windscreen Wiper
With Heated Washer Jet
Front Bumper Sensor Device
Front Bumper - Painted Body Colour
Rear Bumper Body Coloured Plastic
Air Curtain Restraint LH
Air Curtain Restraint RH
3 Part Seat Belt- European Regultn
Retractable Rear Seat Belt-3Point
With Driver Air Bag
With Passenger Air Bag
With Side Air Bag - Drivers Side
With Side Air Bag - Passenger Side
With Isofix Hard Point Attachment
With Manual Adjust Frt.S.Belt Mount
Style 1 Tether Anchorage Restraint
Spare Wheel - Mini Steel
With Standard Rear Shock Absorbers
8 X 18 ET 55MM Alloy Style 2
Limited Service Mini Spare Tyre
With Standard Tyre Tread - Front
With Standard Tyre Tread - Rear
Locking Wheel Nuts
With Kysor Radiator Shutter
Cold Start -15 Deg C
Starter - Stop/Start System
With Standard Suspension
Front Spring Load Class-K
Rear Spring Load Class-P
Single Exhaust
Mechanical Hand Operated Park Brake
Standard Duty Fr/Rr Calp And Pads
With Rear Drum Brakes
Collision Mitigation System
Low Speed Safety System
Brakes-HLA/ESP/TC/ABS
3.72/2.04/1.25/.919/.738/0.622
With High Back Front Seats
With Recirculating Heater
Non Locking Capless Fuel Fill
With Diesel Fuel Capability
With Fixed Foot Pedals
Standard Foot Pedal Pad Design
With Electric Power Steering
With Manual Tilt/Slide Stg Column
4 Spoke Leather Steering Wheel
With Adaptive Speed Control
With Supplemental Air Heater
Conventional Instruments - Level 3
With Instrument Cluster - Rheostat
With MPH/KMH Speedometer
With Trip Computer
Dual Note Electric Horn
MFD Nav Low TFT Screen
With Message Centre
Navigation Data - Western Europe
Driver Impairment Monitor
BIS W/Radar-BLIS/CAN LED
Lane Keeping Aid
Thatcham Catergory 1 Alarm System
With Safeguard Anti-Theft Sys(Pats)
With Rear Parking Aid
Standard Duty Battery
BT/VC Phone Interface + USB Connect
ICE-Mid Audio Branded + DAB
Branded ICP With Navigation
With 9 Radio Speakers
Voice Activated Module - British
With Steering Wheel Radio Controls
With Power Point Plug - Rear
With Auto Headlamps
With Chrome Fog Lamp Bezel
With Halogen Headlamp
With Front Fog Lamps
With Black Headlamp Bezels
Interior Lighting-Ambient LED
With Footwell Lights
Fr Individual and Rr Map Lights
Front And Rear Lamp LED
With Glove Box Illumination
With Load Compartment Lamp
Tail lamps - LED Rear
With High Mounted Stop Lamp
With Single Rear Fog Lamp
With Front Headlamp Levelling
With Auto High Lamp Headlamp
Outside Air Temperature Present
__
Quite a list! Very kitted out.
__
Front Door Scuff Plates - Ford Oval
Accessory Media Hub 1XUSB
With Hill Launch Assist
Rear Passenger Door
With Manual Liftgate
Saarlouis Plant Built
Ford Corporate Badge
Marketing Level 1
(-) SVP
Exterior Paint - Solid
For Normal Temperature Zones
Econetic Tailgate Badge
With Auto Closing Windows
Power Front Windows One Touch Up/Do
Power Rear Window One Shot Up/Down
With Privacy Glass
Grille - Upper Blk Msh/Chrome Surnd
With Heated Windscreen
With Padded Dash
Mini Overhead Cnsl W/Sunglass Bin
Console - With Closed Bin
Int Environment Clr-Charcoal Black
Int Feat Colour - Charcoal Black
With General Stowage Box
Deluxe Headliner
With Illuminated Sunvisor - Drivers
With Illuminated Sunvisor-Passenger
With Aluminum Interior Door Handles
With LH Front Door Armrest
With RH Front Door Armrest
Rear Coat Hook
With Load Area Cover
With Load Floor Carpet
Lower Grille - Hgh Gls W/Chrm Smile
Rocker Panel Moulding -Cladding C/K
With Bright Door Frame Moulding
With Rear Spoiler
With Electrochromic R/View Mirror
Dual Pwr/Heat/Fold/Pud Lamp/Signal
With Body Coloured Exterior Mirror
With Driver Seat Back Map Pocket
Passenger Seat Back Map Pocket
With Front 2 Way Headrest
With Driver Seat Recliner - Rotary
With Passenger Seat Recliner-Rotary
With Two Piece Rear Seat Cushion
With 60:40 Split - Folding Rr Seat
With Integrated Rear Headrest
Rear Centre Armrest With Stowage
With Rear Center Head Restraint
With Drivers Manual Lumbar Support
With Drvr/Passngr Seat Belt Minder
With Driver 4 Way Mnl.Seat Adjuster
With Pass 2 Way Manual Seat Adjust
With Front Towing Hook
With Rear Towing Hooks
Engine Cover - Under Hood
Body Coloured Exterior Door Handle
Body Coloured Tailgate Handle
Ignition Key Combination Pack 1
With Leather Gear Shift Knob
Steel Security Door Lock Shield
With Child Proof Safety Lock
With Remote Controlled Tailgate Release
With Door Dead Locks
With Door Entry Remote Control Unit
Keyless Entry/Start - Passive
Capless Fuel Filler Without Lock
With Int. Rear Window Wiper/Washer
With Automatic Windscreen Wiper
With Heated Washer Jet
Front Bumper Sensor Device
Front Bumper - Painted Body Colour
Rear Bumper Body Coloured Plastic
Air Curtain Restraint LH
Air Curtain Restraint RH
3 Part Seat Belt- European Regultn
Retractable Rear Seat Belt-3Point
With Driver Air Bag
With Passenger Air Bag
With Side Air Bag - Drivers Side
With Side Air Bag - Passenger Side
With Isofix Hard Point Attachment
With Manual Adjust Frt.S.Belt Mount
Style 1 Tether Anchorage Restraint
Spare Wheel - Mini Steel
With Standard Rear Shock Absorbers
8 X 18 ET 55MM Alloy Style 2
Limited Service Mini Spare Tyre
With Standard Tyre Tread - Front
With Standard Tyre Tread - Rear
Locking Wheel Nuts
With Kysor Radiator Shutter
Cold Start -15 Deg C
Starter - Stop/Start System
With Standard Suspension
Front Spring Load Class-K
Rear Spring Load Class-P
Single Exhaust
Mechanical Hand Operated Park Brake
Standard Duty Fr/Rr Calp And Pads
With Rear Drum Brakes
Collision Mitigation System
Low Speed Safety System
Brakes-HLA/ESP/TC/ABS
3.72/2.04/1.25/.919/.738/0.622
With High Back Front Seats
With Recirculating Heater
Non Locking Capless Fuel Fill
With Diesel Fuel Capability
With Fixed Foot Pedals
Standard Foot Pedal Pad Design
With Electric Power Steering
With Manual Tilt/Slide Stg Column
4 Spoke Leather Steering Wheel
With Adaptive Speed Control
With Supplemental Air Heater
Conventional Instruments - Level 3
With Instrument Cluster - Rheostat
With MPH/KMH Speedometer
With Trip Computer
Dual Note Electric Horn
MFD Nav Low TFT Screen
With Message Centre
Navigation Data - Western Europe
Driver Impairment Monitor
BIS W/Radar-BLIS/CAN LED
Lane Keeping Aid
Thatcham Catergory 1 Alarm System
With Safeguard Anti-Theft Sys(Pats)
With Rear Parking Aid
Standard Duty Battery
BT/VC Phone Interface + USB Connect
ICE-Mid Audio Branded + DAB
Branded ICP With Navigation
With 9 Radio Speakers
Voice Activated Module - British
With Steering Wheel Radio Controls
With Power Point Plug - Rear
With Auto Headlamps
With Chrome Fog Lamp Bezel
With Halogen Headlamp
With Front Fog Lamps
With Black Headlamp Bezels
Interior Lighting-Ambient LED
With Footwell Lights
Fr Individual and Rr Map Lights
Front And Rear Lamp LED
With Glove Box Illumination
With Load Compartment Lamp
Tail lamps - LED Rear
With High Mounted Stop Lamp
With Single Rear Fog Lamp
With Front Headlamp Levelling
With Auto High Lamp Headlamp
Outside Air Temperature Present
__
Quite a list! Very kitted out.
JohnWest said:
Amazing work on the car as usual, it’s looking great. Looking forward to seeing the updates!
Sorry for the delay responding to the boot photo request. The clip is in 2 parts and clips either side of the material, creating a sandwich. It looks like what normally happens is the material the clip is attached to is too weak and breaks, meaning the clip has nothing to hold on to.
Here’s a photo of the better side of my parcel shelf, it’s still weak but at least it’s properly located and doesn’t flap about when I open the boot.
Oh right! That makes much more sense. I may get those just because it's original, but my fix is still working so it's not a priority. Thank you though!Sorry for the delay responding to the boot photo request. The clip is in 2 parts and clips either side of the material, creating a sandwich. It looks like what normally happens is the material the clip is attached to is too weak and breaks, meaning the clip has nothing to hold on to.
Here’s a photo of the better side of my parcel shelf, it’s still weak but at least it’s properly located and doesn’t flap about when I open the boot.
So the left brake is knocking with every rotation of the wheel, but the knocking disappears when I apply the brake, even lightly. I think the pad is catching on the caliper carrier, when it should be seated in the floating area without obstruction, causing the pad not to retract. I think.
I'll fit the old pad and will see if it catches. I could tell instantly when fitting the pad. If it doesn't catch like the new pads, I'll sand the sliding area down a little. Or I may just get a refund.
Fixed the issue. The inside pads that clip into the pistons were rattling around. Their clips weren't wide enough to fully secure them in place. I took them out, bent the retaining clips out a little, and pushed them back in. Knocking has gone.
I'm absolutely loving this car. there's not a scratch on it, outside or in, fully loaded for £3,500. I don't get it.
I like it so much that it did make me think of looking at selling it as well as my Porsche, and buying a Focus ST - something that can do both, and potentially save money than paying two lots of insurance, two lots of tax, etc.
"Save money". That was my thought process. Until I priced it up.
Insurance:
Focus Titanium and Porsche Boxster: £570
Focus ST: £470
So that's a saving of £100 a year for owning the one car rather than the two. Now the tax.
Tax:
Focus Titanium and Porsche Boxster: £345
Focus ST: £240
That's a saving of £105 on the tax.
Annual MOT & Self Service
Focus Titanium and Porsche Boxster: £200
Focus ST: £120
Aound £80 saved by only MOT'ing and servicing one car a year.
Total savings: £285
...but I wouldn't be saving that.
The Focus ST is a petrol, and it would be my only car and my daily at that, which means it'll do a hell of a lot less MPG than the Titanium that's currently my daily. I could easily start chewing that £285 saved a year on fuel by spending it on a less economical petrol car. Which means the savings aren't that much at all. Of course you could say tyres and repairs on the Boxster, but I haven't changed the tyres on it in over a year as it's now a weekend car, and nothing's gone wrong on it for a long time. If it did, I'd fix it myself. Brakes and tyres still have loads of life on them.
So basically, owning a Focus Titanium and a Porsche Boxster is the same than owning a Focus ST alone.
But they are beautiful. I'd totally have one in Blue with silver wheels and yellow calipers from an RS.
Oh god I'm already planning.
I'm absolutely loving this car. there's not a scratch on it, outside or in, fully loaded for £3,500. I don't get it.
I like it so much that it did make me think of looking at selling it as well as my Porsche, and buying a Focus ST - something that can do both, and potentially save money than paying two lots of insurance, two lots of tax, etc.
"Save money". That was my thought process. Until I priced it up.
Insurance:
Focus Titanium and Porsche Boxster: £570
Focus ST: £470
So that's a saving of £100 a year for owning the one car rather than the two. Now the tax.
Tax:
Focus Titanium and Porsche Boxster: £345
Focus ST: £240
That's a saving of £105 on the tax.
Annual MOT & Self Service
Focus Titanium and Porsche Boxster: £200
Focus ST: £120
Aound £80 saved by only MOT'ing and servicing one car a year.
Total savings: £285
...but I wouldn't be saving that.
The Focus ST is a petrol, and it would be my only car and my daily at that, which means it'll do a hell of a lot less MPG than the Titanium that's currently my daily. I could easily start chewing that £285 saved a year on fuel by spending it on a less economical petrol car. Which means the savings aren't that much at all. Of course you could say tyres and repairs on the Boxster, but I haven't changed the tyres on it in over a year as it's now a weekend car, and nothing's gone wrong on it for a long time. If it did, I'd fix it myself. Brakes and tyres still have loads of life on them.
So basically, owning a Focus Titanium and a Porsche Boxster is the same than owning a Focus ST alone.
But they are beautiful. I'd totally have one in Blue with silver wheels and yellow calipers from an RS.
Oh god I'm already planning.
S54B32 said:
Hang on, I've just read your thread and you touched up some scratches earlier on 
Does look a lot of car for the money though, considering my 15 year old 5 series was around the same money earlier this year...
Honestly, I totally forgot about those since touching them up! Well remembered.Does look a lot of car for the money though, considering my 15 year old 5 series was around the same money earlier this year...
That and the alloys where shagged. They still are I suppose, but a quick touch up and rimblades and they look alright.
Okay maybe my original phrase was a little too optimistic.
S54B32 said:
You must have done a great job then! It's a good thread. 
I ingested it all this morning. Thanks
Thank you! I ingested it all this morning. ThanksNot much to tell on the car now. All defects have been sorted and issues fixed. There's literally nothing to do... aside from upgrades, which I certainly will be doing at some point. DRL's, bi-xenon's and cree indicators to name a few. The other car has its MOT coming up soon, so I want to get that out of the way first.
JohnWest said:
How will you do the light upgrades, will you find some Tit X light units and adapt what you have to suit?
Going to split them open and fit some projector lenses. Have done this before on several other lights, so should be fine.Interestingly, got a problem with the car. There's a noise that can only be described as a loud 'shhhhhhhhh!!' that gets louder when I rev the engine. Sounds like a bad bearing, and it's coming from the auxiliary belt area. My guess is that it's a bad tensioner, so I'll either try to do the ye ol' long screwdriver trick, or I'll pop it to the garage to see if they can diagnose. I'll fix it, just need to know what it is.
Odd this has suddenly happened.
Oh and one of my rimblades has fallen off on the way to Winchester. It partially came off and started slapping against the car, to which I thought I initially had a blow out! I pulled the rest off and discovered that because a previous owner had painted the edges of the alloys with a paintbrush to hide the curbing, the rim blades did a fantastic job of sticking to that paint, but that paint has started to come away from the alloy.
The same has started to happen on another wheel. I've used a bit of glue to put it back and it seems fine, so I'll have to glue the whole of the other rimblade back. I'm not bothered about damaging the wheel with glue as, worst case, they get rubbed back and refurbished anyway. The rimblades actually look decent when on the wheels and hide all of the curbing, so I'll be happy with those if they stay on the wheels.
Haven't got round to putting the rim blade back on just yet, but there's a noise coming from the alternator area. Essentially it sounds like a bad bearing, making the noise 'shhhhhhhh' get louder the more you rev it. I suspect either tensioner or alternator pulley. Either way, easy job and not expensive.
I can see the tensioner wiggle whilst the engine is running. Is that normal?
I can see the tensioner wiggle whilst the engine is running. Is that normal?
After a couple of long journeys, the front left brake caliper seems to be sticking. The piston wound back in just fine when changing the pads (although I'm not sure if it was stiff or not with nothing to compare to), and I greased the sliding pins. I also sanded and greased the carrier areas where the pads sit, so I'm not sure why it's sticking and binding.
There's a touch of brake wobble. Sound familiar? When I bought the car they said the brakes were relatively new (and they were), but the front left brake disc was causing a wobble, so I replaced the discs. This cured the wobble, but now the caliper is sticking and there's now the smallest wobble through the wheel when braking. I'm wondering if the caliper had warped the last disc they put on, and now it's doing the same.
The only thing I can imagine is that it's the piston. The sliding pins are clean, everything's greased and there's no noise.
Any ideas?
There's a touch of brake wobble. Sound familiar? When I bought the car they said the brakes were relatively new (and they were), but the front left brake disc was causing a wobble, so I replaced the discs. This cured the wobble, but now the caliper is sticking and there's now the smallest wobble through the wheel when braking. I'm wondering if the caliper had warped the last disc they put on, and now it's doing the same.
The only thing I can imagine is that it's the piston. The sliding pins are clean, everything's greased and there's no noise.
Any ideas?
ruggedscotty said:
loved my Mk 1.5 silver.....
exceedling good cars and a step change for mainstream fords. compare the focus with an escort....
100hp 1.6 16v yamaha engine
leather aircon and heated windscreen
control blade rear suspension
great car it was
Fantastic!exceedling good cars and a step change for mainstream fords. compare the focus with an escort....
100hp 1.6 16v yamaha engine
leather aircon and heated windscreen
control blade rear suspension
great car it was
My girlfriends' parents were in the market for a cheap reliable car to get them to Christmas, as they plan on getting a new car then. He gave e £1,000 and told me to buy a car, so I bought them a Focus 1.6 Ghia. Drives beautifully and now they're keeping it as it drives so good. Here's some photos after I took it home to polish and fix it up for them.
Back to Peggy (my Focus). Regarding the aforementioned brake issue, I think I've fixed it. I took it apart to find a huge build up of dirt where I'd greased the tabs on the pads. Ironically, I over greased them which caused the dirt build up and caused them to stick. I sanded the areas back where the pads rubbed against on the carrier, put a tiny bit of grease and re-fitted everything. Nice and cold after a good run.
Next up is to slacken off the drive belt to spin the alternator and tensioner by hand, and find out what's causing the noise. I'm almost certain it's the tensioner.
Oh and I have to fit the rim blade back on too. Going to Cornwall Wednesday!
Finally got round to replacing the N/S/F caliper today.
I would have rebuilt the caliper, but this is my daily and I want it fixed quickly due to driving it a lot over the coming weekend. The MX-5's N/S/F caliper is the same as this and needs sorting, so I'll rebuild that one as I can take time on it.
I'm liking this little space the wheel liner for a bottle for bleeding.
The caliper change was a success, and the judder/noise is completely gone. However, me being a complete idiot, I only bled the two front calipers as I had a slip of the mind and thought "Oh there's only drums on the back I don't need to bleed those". I realised how much of a tit I was after driving it.
The brakes work fine, and I can do an emergency stop if needed, it's just they're a little spongy at the moment. I'll re-bleed them tomorrow. I'm doing an hour's drive later on this evening and they'll be fine for that.
I would have rebuilt the caliper, but this is my daily and I want it fixed quickly due to driving it a lot over the coming weekend. The MX-5's N/S/F caliper is the same as this and needs sorting, so I'll rebuild that one as I can take time on it.
I'm liking this little space the wheel liner for a bottle for bleeding.
The caliper change was a success, and the judder/noise is completely gone. However, me being a complete idiot, I only bled the two front calipers as I had a slip of the mind and thought "Oh there's only drums on the back I don't need to bleed those". I realised how much of a tit I was after driving it.
The brakes work fine, and I can do an emergency stop if needed, it's just they're a little spongy at the moment. I'll re-bleed them tomorrow. I'm doing an hour's drive later on this evening and they'll be fine for that.
finlo said:
Or an internally collapsed flexible hose.
That's a good shout.I'll try greasing up the sliders more as, in all fairness, I put hardly any on. I say it's sticking, it's just hotter than the other wheel. You can still touch the caliper but not for long. I'll grease the pins tomorrow and will replace the pads (just to trail) with the old pads. They had plenty of meat left on them but I had new ones to put on. I'll do these things first as they're free to do, then it'll be the brake hose as there's nothing left it could be.
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