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Sierraman's (dad's) Mondeo - Long MOT Hundreds spent Ice Cold Aircon M9


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First of three trains free wi-fi as sitting near to first class

 

Man in the ticket office tried to send me to Mansfield Woodhouse - but I knew the three letter code for Woodhouse.  There's a bloke in my Dull Men book who has been to every station (2k+) on the UK rail network - but he went by car to save time and money.

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Was an OMGBARGEN'S at £350 that.

 

Well bought!

Thanks, I agree.  It's an interesting spec.  My Ma had a 98 S Estate one of these - I use to borrow it and I took it for a couple of MOTs, but hers was a Ghia.

 

First things I noticed were no Cruise and no radio remote (not unexpected) - also manual door mirrors and (I have never seen this on a Mondy this age) manual seat height adjuster.  This is all for the good by the way.

 

On the way to first pez stop (which was about 6 miles from home by the way so full marks to Sierraman for the fuel), I was wondering which side the filler hole was - if I'd thought about it, I'd have remembered the lever by the driver's seat - but I didn't.  Anyway, bless the person at Ford who put the little triangle in the fuel warning light to show which side - quite logical in a way - only telling/reminding you when you need to know.

 

I am enjoying the car, but there's an odd phenomenon I haven't figured out yet when going over bumps.  If it was a Boeing 737, I'd say the yaw damper was buggered - it may just be normal, but something feels a little odd - not serious.

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  • 1 month later...

Decided I couldn't put off the wheel bearing any longer.

 

I thought it was getting quite bad although upon jacking them up to see which side it was, it was only just apparent.

 

This was one of those lovely jobs that went so much according to plan that you wonder when the wheels will come off (and they may do).

 

old bearing (with crap autofocus)

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I've pulled!

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new one - slightly concerned as it has an ABS ring fitted and it turns out car doesn't have ABS - seemed to fit OK though.

 

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finishing touch 

 

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Could be the tyres. The wheels that are on it are off a Focus I sold a while back, they had decent tyres on whereas the Verona ones that were originally fitted were shot.

 

I can see the copper ease I smeared on the brake lines is holding up!

 

You wouldn't have liked the job of changing those rear struts... as it goes i was busy so my dad took it to the garage to have the struts replaced. It took almost an entire day, the bolts at the top sheared. That's fate for you! I think he sees it as a bad omen asking me to do jobs for him, I put a new Turbot Solenoid on the Insignia and had the pleasure of informing him that whilst I'd sorted the buzzing, his DMF was also on its way out... he was really happy about that.

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  • 1 month later...

Just back from MOT :) garage was waxing lyrical about what a nice car it is, but....

 

 

Reason(s) for failure

  • nearside rear outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)
    offside rear outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (5.2.6)
    nearside front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)
    offside front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)
    offside front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
    nearside rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
    offside rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
    central rear Brake pipe excessively corroded before tank (3.6.B.2c)
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Sounds worse than it is I'd say. Bit of welding on sills at the back I'd guess, a new drop link and some brake pipes. £10 for a pair of links, don't know about welding but brake pipes are easier done at the garage. At this level if £300 buys you another years test it's good value, if you feel there's other trouble on the horizon then give it the bullet.

 

I'd get Dominic Littlewood to pop round my house and shout at me as I try to drive away.

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No complaints from me - and as the garage man said, it's a nice drive and otherwise in decent nick.  Top seller wld buy agane no need for Littlewood etc.

 

I could do the brake pipes - I've got all the kit - but it'd be easier if I didn't have two other sheds valuable projects in my garage where it's warm.   The GR7 thing is it doesn't have ABS so will be easier to bleed the brakes when done.

 

Tis a tricky one - that almost identical Verona went for £167 on ebay - but it wasn't such a nice car and there aren't any close for sale.

 

I could also do the welding in theory but I won't.  

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Any other Mondeo of that age will have the same problem so providing the welding was done to a good standard it would outlast the car. It's also had the timing belt done a year or two ago, that's an easy £120 job at garage, a £160 is unlikely to have had this done recently.

 

It's a tricky decision but you've got to go on it's merits as it stands, if it was giving you trouble or there was other stuff on the horizon, clutches, head gaskets etc I'd not hesitate in scrapping it.

 

From memory it's had new shockers all round, front and rear brakes overhauled, timing belt replaced. So I suppose it's dependant on the welding needed on the back, I'd hazard a guess it's the rear end of the sills, providing the inners don't require too much remedial work might be £100 or thereabouts to repair the corrosion.

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