Barry Cade

I hated my boxer at first, nearly gave up, then something clicked and I understood. 1038 miles in a day. They just fit me. Threw the S around like a BMX, RS was a great all rounder, so an RT would do what it says on the tin I'd imagine.. although my LTs gave me backache...

I've had: K100 LT, K1100LT, R1100S, R1100RS, but never an 1150, nor an RT.. sorry! But if I had a 75 mile commute, that's what I would buy!

Isabel Oakeshott. Question time is on, but I can't concentrate.

Happened all the time with 205's..

This started in the early 90s with some makes. I remember in the bodyshop when it was a new thing- we repaired and refinished as normal, painting bonnet undersides and inner wings. The insurance assessor wouldn't sign it off and it had to be redone without masking etc and matching undercoat. . It actually took more time. Same with metallic where they only put clearcoat on the outside. Had the same problem with an e30 BMW. I replaced a quarter panel and brazed the join below the rear window as per factory.. insurance assessor said no, no brazing allowed so had to be welded.

It'll be the hardware and software that will take newer older cars out . I still have a dedicated laptop for older diagnostics and info. It works fine but Microsoft stopped all support for it. The radio reception on my newly purchased Seat is terrible... seemingly common issue with the aerial base. Took it apart for a look and the amplifier circuit board is all corroded and green. Tried to clean it up and resolder but no joy.. a new one is 85 quid... can't even use a coat hanger.. 😒

That's what I mean, older Ford's were pretty well put together out of fairly decent materials, not top notch, but you felt as if you were getting what you paid for. Honest. Unpretentious. Now it's like you're being cheated.

I always laffed at cars with a "stainless" or "aluminised" exhaust, but with steel pipes or hangers.. Always reminded me of the old joke when the man went to the dentist... your teeth are fine, but your gums will have to come out.. There's stainless and stainless.. I've not long put a back box on the ex Focus. Original exhaust from 2012. Box was perfect, the mild steel pipe that went into the box had rotted and snapped.

I remember in the 90s, around the launch of the GM card, some big cheese was quoted as saying "General Motors is a finance company that just happens to make cars."

I don't think there will be enough clearance to cut the bolt without cutting into the subframe? Cutting the head off the bolt may mike life more difficult. The offer of assistance still stands!

Yup, just cut through the arm, chop the bush away and get Vise grips on the sleeve and buzz the bolt out. The arm and bush are sacrificial.. butcher these to save the subframe. The time for heat guns and wd40 are long past. Time to go ape. It can be quite satisfying.

True, but it does dilute the memory of them, and lessens the pool of nice examples as classic cars when they go through the banger phase. Also shit sticks.

Until the stacking shelves became a front for their real business, then every dodgy council sinkhole was full of them, with fake buckled "M" sport wheels, an Ebay bodykit fitted with woodscrews and a set of 80 quid coilovers. Usually a Staffy in the back seat and a skinny toothless "lady" in the front with stained joggers.

To whoever it may concern, Have worked on a few new Fords recently, involving removing bumpers, interior trim etc. I am shocked how bad the quality has got. Everything is sharp,brittle and flimsy, seems to be 2018 ish on. There must have been some sort of Project Drive going on..Poor Rover got ripped for this but I'd say its more obvious with Fordies. Taking off a boot trim panel is like being trapped in a squash court with 2 professional squash players... shit ricocheting around with no idea where it is. I slashed 4 fingers on a sill trim panel just grabbing it to pull it out the clips, proper deep paper type cuts. Broke a Puma sill panel the other day being very gentle and using a trim clip remover. Far worse on the colder temps. The wiring is really thin and when you try and strip back it just breaks. They've done away with the towbar plugs at the back now too, which Fords always had. Dashboard supports are badly welded unprotected steel and show rust even on 22 plates. Bumpers seem to be a white plastic now and the paint chips off really easily, and the taillights are really really brittle. Much worse than a Dacia which you could possibly forgive. Signed, Angry of Fife.

On days like those, long before peak traffic, and Lycra nutters. Try and drive an Alpine road in a Muira today and it'd be blowing steam and fouling plugs stuck behind a line of Dutch registered campervans full of Yoo Toobers. :0

A Megane or Scenic, the pre shake yer Ass one is one of those cars. I was always shocked when a really raggedy, dented and unloved one limped through the MOT station door, then sailed through with a pass. They take real neglect and abuse.. Timing belts seemed to kill them in the end. Peugeot 306 too. Rear axles wiped them out.

I just worked at a dealer in North Scotland.. I was never really a Mondeo man, at that time it was just another family car to me, but the Focus blew me away, especially after having served my apprenticeship at Vauxhall... Henry, the workshop foreman at Ford, drove the first Focus off the transporter, came back and ordered a new one straight away, to replace his 3 year old Cavalier SRi..

I worked for Ford in the 90's when the Mondeo and Focus were launched. We were all blown away on how far they moved the game forward from the Escort and Sierra, but starting around this time, a mere Ford wouldn't cut it in the company car park. I rated a Focus (still do) as much better than a Golf, or a 3 series compact. People wanted the blue and white roundel, or 4 rings on their grilles instead of the blue oval.. Then the fleet market realised the residuals on "premium" cars were much better than the hugely discounted mass market stuff so the company accountants went German. Didn't matter what Ford did after that, it was all about driveway snobbery. Then they went for volume and profit and a multitude of models to cover all niches of the market and quality didn't matter, especially if was trouble free in warranty. They've finally killed off Mondeo, and soon Focus and Fiesta. It started in the 90's...

You have to dig deep and appreciate the engineering and quality though, like the difference between an Amstrad stereo and a Becker.. less about the touchscreens and flashy lights, and more about what you can't see.. all about perceived quality now rather than deep down engineering. Think about the former, then their replacement. Mk2 to mk3 golf W124 to W210 W201 to W202 E34 to E36 Mk3 Cav to Vectra Xsara to C4 Sierra to Mondeo All around late 80s to early 90s ish where quality gave way to profit. Emissions regs started to bite and electrics were controlled by black boxes rather than switches and relays. Premium brands went downmarket to chase volume so lower brands had to raise their game to compete, so Ford got better and Mercedes-Benz turned to crap. I started in the trade early 90s and watched as things changed. I will admit they got better and better to drive, until the Nurburgring lap times started to come in and everything had 40 series tyres and rock hard suspension, while our roads got worse and worse. Everyone will have their own opinion on the best car, or peak car but I think rather than an individual car based on personal experience, it has to be a moment in time where the planets aligned and the product was fit for purpose... moving people and things from place to place.

Was he on some sort of Brewsters Millions deal?

You've seen my VHS collection? 😆 I just like the thought of knowing I'm gonna get to where I'm going, no electronics which can stop me, as long as that Diesel's rattlin, I'm getting home. Still have ABS, and proper heating/demisting/power steering and superb suspension and brakes. Having driven a W124 in HORRENDOUS weather on the autobahn, it just gives an invincible feeling of security and trust. I'm going through a massive phase of back to basics at the moment. Remembering what a car is ACTUALLY for. We seem to have gone down the same road as with smartphones, where a phonecall is way down the list of what they are used for- they are sold on 5G, cameras, Tik Tok.... Great.. sometimes I need to call someone and there's no signal... a pigeon would be more use.. but I have 300 apps which dont help. If you are broken down at the side of the road because your can bus has gone awry.. your'e a victim of a decision made somewhere that decided for you what you need.

200d. Manual . Keep fit windows. Wheel trims. Blue cloth. No extras. The wiper clears 86% of the windscreen. The tail lights are designed to be visible in filthy weather. Standard front fog lights. Warning triangle built into the bootlid. Heated washer jets. Standard ABS brakes. first aid kit in case you go head on with a Volvo at 60mph, in case the Volvo driver has a few cuts and bruises. the best door close in the business. You can get a beige one that smells a little like Pilsner and sick, or one built by Porsche if your budget is a bit bigger, with plenty in between. I'm all about the base.

Well, the Focus is gone. WBAC took it and gave me a reasonable deal.. 3 years trouble free but with a big service, a timing belt,wheel bearing and an ECU repair in the post I thought it was time to get out.. my DERV days are done.. wee Mii replaces it from today and I rather like it so far! Focus was a handsome bugger though, washed it before taking it in and had milliseconds of second thoughts. It really was fully loaded top spec... but I found after a few weeks I didn't really use any of it. Will miss heated seats though.. 😪 That's a Chrysler Crossfire behind it someone had brought in 😮 Oot...

Even very expensive, fleece lined,model specific tailored ones. ..Ask how I know..

Pre facelift I think- sat nav dock on top of dash... Just been reading, they have slightly triangular camshaft pulleys