Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec - Car #2

Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec - Car #2

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Discussion

Ben Hughes

Original Poster:

1,937 posts

180 months

Thursday 26th August 2010
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Well, I went and picked up my second car today - a 1999 Ford Focus Zetec with just over 100,000 on the clock, but in pretty near perfect condition inside and out. I paid £1300 for it, and already love it. Such precise steering and a responsive chassis, and it doesn't shift too badly. Far better than my mum's Fiesta 1.4 that I've been tooling around in for the past few weeks. It obviously doesn't beat my MGB for raw driving pleasure though!

Anyway, here it is:



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dave-therave

332 posts

178 months

Thursday 26th August 2010
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My Dad's ex mrs had one and they were a cracking car to drive, good price as well looking at the condition.

thebigmacmoomin

2,801 posts

170 months

Friday 27th August 2010
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Ive had 2, 1.6 & 1.8. Their great cars.

T84

6,941 posts

195 months

Friday 27th August 2010
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I've got a 1.8 Zetec.

Thinking of replacing it with a 2.0 Zetec, I love it!

hewlett

2,186 posts

222 months

Tuesday 31st August 2010
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Nice car Ben, those things have amazingly good handling and will do lovely 4 wheel slides in the wet. If you come into lots of cash you can always go for the official Ford V8 rear wheel drive conversion, what a sleeper that'd be (part of my dream garage)!

Ben Hughes

Original Poster:

1,937 posts

180 months

Tuesday 31st August 2010
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Now that does sound like a lot of fun! eek

Let me know if you're up for another Dash for the Coast sometime - an excellent route for a breakfast-only hoon that!

Big News

Original Poster:

1,937 posts

180 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Fifteen months on, it probably time for an update! I went for an afternoon hoon round Mid Wales with a flatmate a few days back - we did the Elan Valley route; flip me it's stunning!

Well, ownership has been fairly pain-free, but a lot of parts have been replaced (all at mates rates so not too much money...!) - it's all in the blog if you want to take a look. We just ticked over to 120,000 miles last week, and it hasn't once let me down. Okay it might not be the most interesting car in the world, but it certainly holds its own; it will sit on the motorway all day every day, and will tear up Welsh mountain roads with surprising agility!


SD1992

7,266 posts

159 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Very nice car, considering one of these as something sensible smile

How are you finding the seats in it? I have read a lot of complaints that they are uncomfortable on long trips.

Skylinecrazy

13,986 posts

195 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Big News said:
Fifteen months on, it probably time for an update! I went for an afternoon hoon round Mid Wales with a flatmate a few days back - we did the Elan Valley route; flip me it's stunning!

Well, ownership has been fairly pain-free, but a lot of parts have been replaced (all at mates rates so not too much money...!) - it's all in the blog if you want to take a look. We just ticked over to 120,000 miles last week, and it hasn't once let me down. Okay it might not be the most interesting car in the world, but it certainly holds its own; it will sit on the motorway all day every day, and will tear up Welsh mountain roads with surprising agility!

That's just before two more hairpins and then a LEFT which is about 1/3 of the way to Aberiswyth wink

Fantastic road, been there a few times just because I could, and I'm from the midlands.



Edited by Skylinecrazy on Monday 28th November 18:12

Munter

31,319 posts

242 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Great cars. Really enjoyed mine when I had it. Surprisingly controllable when you have to lift off to avoid someone pulling onto a roundabout, and have to discover if you're up to the job of stopping it swapping ends.

Somnophore

1,364 posts

177 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Good car but you massively over paid for it, that car even a year ago was only £800 max.

SammyW

733 posts

221 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Great car. I've got a 2003 1.6 Zetec, 110,000 miles, 90,000 of which was me and it still puts a smile on my face.

0a

23,905 posts

195 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Regarding seats I found the ones in the car I drove for several hundred miles slightly uncomfortable after three or four hours. Nothing like as bad as my back was in a MINI though!

null

13,812 posts

192 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Picked up an '04 one of these for my wife early this year for with ~40k miles on it (worried me that that was a little low at first, bought from a copper though). £2.5k was a little more than I'd have liked to spend but we only had a weekend to find and buy one! Superb value for money, spent nothing more than a few quid on consumables so far (in 20k miles). Reckon she might even get 4-5 years out of it which would be insane value compared to what I manage.

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

29 posts

150 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Ben Hughes said:
Well, I went and picked up my second car today - a 1999 Ford Focus Zetec with just over 100,000 on the clock, but in pretty near perfect condition inside and out. I paid £1300 for it, and already love it. Such precise steering and a responsive chassis, and it doesn't shift too badly. Far better than my mum's Fiesta 1.4 that I've been tooling around in for the past few weeks. It obviously doesn't beat my MGB for raw driving pleasure though!

Anyway, here it is:



rotate
I have been driving a 51 plate Focus Ghia 2 litre petrol manual for the last 3 years. ^0 in about 9 seconds so it's ok.

As for handling and twisty roads it drives like a go kart. The thing that always impressed me with the mk1 focus was the steering weight nd feel-its like driving a giant go kart.

I here the new on is not nearly as good to drive, but they have just launched the new shape zetec s with 180 break and autocar reckon it drives well-shame about the way the thing looks though.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Fo...

kin quick

207 posts

212 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Great cars, I've had my 1.8 LX for 3 years, had 83k miles when I purchased it and now has 107k, still drives really well, fair amount of poke for a 1.8, loads of room and great fun on twisty roads, also gets around 35-38mpg!

Big News

Original Poster:

1,937 posts

180 months

Monday 28th November 2011
quotequote all
Skylinecrazy said:
That's just before two more hairpins and then a LEFT which is about 1/3 of the way to Aberiswyth wink
Right you are - I'm at Aber uni so I've got this place on my doorstep!


SD1992 said:
How are you finding the seats in it? I have read a lot of complaints that they are uncomfortable on long trips.
Not bad at all - never had any issues; I'm 6' on the dot. I've done 7-8 hours of driving in a day a few times, and no complaints about the seats from me!

Somnophore said:
Good car but you massively over paid for it, that car even a year ago was only £800 max.
You're probably right - I'm looking to sell up soon and I'd be happy to get £750 for it (hint wink )

kin quick said:
also gets around 35-38mpg!
You must drive like my grandmother! I'm lucky to get 32 out of it!

null

13,812 posts

192 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj said:
I here the new on is not nearly as good to drive, but they have just launched the new shape zetec s with 180 break and autocar reckon it drives well-shame about the way the thing looks though.
Might not be a fair comparison as it's the ST225 I have, but that's a significantly better drive, cost quite a bit more though to be fair.

FlashBastd

291 posts

191 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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I am currently tooling around in an X plate 1.6 Ghia 4dr with 170k on the clock, suspension isn't as sharp as it used to be but the steering remains excellent. We also have a 55 plate Civic and the Focus is much nicer to drive.

kin quick

207 posts

212 months

Monday 28th November 2011
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Big News said:
You must drive like my grandmother! I'm lucky to get 32 out of it!
Believe me, I've heard that on many occasions, although there was an exception in Janurary at Silverstone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcidrFen4X8