Are the Mk2 Mondeo the new uber banger?

[Negative Creep]

Very probably. At which point when they are selling for £8000 I'll be physically sick when I think why I didnt buy them all up when they were 10p.

 

Given there's such a resurgence in their popularity and classic* potential we ought to write a buyers guide?

 

 

If you have't got room for the cars, I bet a load of undamaged bumpers will be worth a lot to the OSF crew one day

[sierraman]

Stuff like RSAP kits will and certainly ST200 specific stuff like droplinks and bottom arms, will be.

[sierraman]

Here we go then...

 

Mk1/2 Mondeo

 

Body:

 - Corrosion - Despite being leagues ahead of the Sierra in terms of corrosion resistance these can rot fairly badly in the following areas

 * Rear filler surround - for some reason on later models these seem more prone than earlier types, theres loads of V6's and ST200s with rot in this area, presumably caused by poor sealing round the filler neck. Repair needless to say is involved, expensive and unfortunately unviable unless you do it yourself. That's if you like welding and dropping fuel tanks out.

* Rear Arches - again later ones seem more prone than earlier but sooner or later the rust starts here in the usual fashion. AFAIK theres not a repair panel so you'd have to fabricate this yourself

*Sill ends - these start on the lip immediately fore of the rear wheel, corrosion takes a hold here then spreads down the sill, usual fail MOT due to prescribed area. Most will have been patched here by now, so long as its been done properly I wouldn't worry.

*Brake Pipes - in common with most older Fords the brake pipes rot out. the biggest pain is where they go over the fuel tank.

*Close the back of rear floorpan - The underseal falls off, you can guess the rest - one to check when you replace the fuel filter

*Have a peek inside the boot, they go in 3 areas, the inside of the rear wings where they join the floor, the boot floor itself. The worst place however to repair is the inside of the wheel arches(inner). You'll be able to check this by pulling the trim back that sits at the side of the rear seats, salt etc gets thrown up on the inside and rots this area, if you see bubbles here don't be surprised to find a hole if you prod.

 

Theres other places you may find rust but it is at least a 17 year old car so...

 

Also be aware the 4x4 has a different rear floorpan and a different footwell to accommodate the prop and the alterations to the rear.

 

Needless to say OE bumpers are unobtainable generally speaking. Used non-cracked are scarce. Ditto for the RSAP kit and the ST200 kit. Pattern bumpers are available for £30-40. Quality is a bit variable and you'll need to cut your own exhaust exit. Mk1 patterns are available but only as body coloured.

 

Watch for steamed windows - the pollen filter is situated under the passenger side scuttle, theres a seal that runs round the plastic shroud at the back - costs about £6 and can fail, you'll see this if you look. Water gets in, wets the carpets, you can guess the rest... Don't tighten the plastic scuttle cover down too much, it is possible to crack the screen doing this. Needless to say I've done this.

[vaughant]

Haven't read all the replies but the mk1 Mondeo was rumoured to have been TOO well built and hence the quality dropped on the mk2, not drastically but corners cut here and there.

I can remember making the brake discs for the first generation and we really had to up our game with quality/overchecks etc.

I had a mk1 td and regret ever letting it go, hooned up and down from Swansea to Scotland on it needing no repairs whatsoever. Juice up the tank and it sat at 80/90 all the way (more if required).

Flew the mot needing only minor bits.

Leave it weeks on end and it still started first time.

Regular offshore work meant it was a bit under used so I p/x'd for a boy racer seat Ibiza cupra to relive my youth.

[sierraman]

Electrical -

 

Theres 2 looms fitted on the mk1/2 - upper and lower spec, GLX above is classed as upper, so its likely you'll have wiring in there for stuff like electric seats, the electric sunroof etc. Theres a bit of inconsistency with this but generally the lower wont have the wiring for some stuff. I can't say for the mk1 but the Mk2 had the wiring in there as standard for the front Fog Lights and the instrument rheostat. So you can basically plug and play with these though for the fogs don't forget you'll need the headlamp switch and the 'Tell Tale' on the dash.

 

The heater fan regularly fails on 1,2,3 - this is the variable resistor you'll find it in the top right hand side of the passenger footwell.

 

Dash bulbs go all the time - £2 fix with some replacement 501 and 286 bulbs, change the lot of you can as opposed to like I did and swapped the offending one only for the others to follow suit a week later.

[DaveDorson]

Mk3s with petrol engines are proper banger money at the moment.

 

Mk2 ones are starting to attract the banger racing and stock car crowd now so are likely to become "retro" and therefore over priced soon.

 

We ran a 1.8 zetec one for a while and mates have had 2.0s. cracking kit.

 

My Dad even had a 2.5 Ghia at one stage. It was ace.

[sierraman]

Suspension

 

Hopefully you like changing suspension parts...

 

Wishbone Arms - these go with monotonous regularity, you can reckon on patterns lasting 12-18 months. I've tried all the types in the past, from O-cap to Lemforder, neither lasted like the Ford OE arms - but then these aren't available from the Dealer anymore AFAIK. I beleive there was a polybush kit available but you'd need some arms to press them in to. Again whether these are still available or not I don't know. Unlikely to be an issue now but the gearbox end was impossible to replace without dropping the subframe a little. What everybody did though was just face the bolts the other way, some were a tad too long and could foul the box. Reckon on fitting taking an hour or so a side DIY, be wary of the pinch bolt on the bottom swivel, sometimes shears. Which is a pain big time - again i've cocked up with this before as well... I don't know if it makes a big difference but these are supposed to be tightened TTY (torque to Yield) - that's to say do the final tightening (torque wrench) with the wheels on the car and the car sat with the weight on the arms. Reckon on £25+ (more for Lemforders)

 

Drop Links - as above - disposable almost a service part unless you can get hold of the OE Ford ones. Count on swapping these every year or two. Usually end up cutting them off. Reckon on £5-10 a piece

 

Rear drop links - theres two types - the plastic type as fitted to the later blacktop onwards cars or the steel and rubber bush type both fail so if theres a clonking at the back count on these as the culprit. Only about £10-£15 to buy. Estates have the Mk3 type joints.

 

Front anti roll bar D bushes - less common than the fail of the Drop Links are these, to access you'll need to peel the metal strap back or lower the subframe a few threads.

 

Springs can snap on the ends but I'm talking stuff specific to the car here given the company

 

The pulling to one side issue isn't something you'll easily get round though - this plagued these when new. at this age its could be anything from worn Track rod ends to more seriously a bodged clutch replacement where they've had the gearbox resting on the subframe. Similarly could be the subframe bushes.

[sierraman]

Brakes

Fairly simple stuff here, so i'll not harp on.

 

Front discs and pads straightforward V6 has bigger discs as youd expect. All simple stuff though front can be prone to distortion from people sitting on the brakes on slip roads. Ford pads last for an age.

 

Rear - 2 types of drums don't ask the size but the later types had bigger drums at the back, usual seized adjusters, leaking cylinders etc

 

Rear discs fitted on higher spec 2.0s and above so you'll need the proper retractors for the calipers, oddly enough don't seem to seize like th mk3's do. Don't go in for improvisation here with pairs of pliers unless you are Charles Atlas or don't mind tearing seals.

 

As I've already mentioned the brake pipes are a constant problem, moreso as you go to the back of the car particularly as they go over the tank.

 

Don't worry unduly about a slightly 'oily' PAS pump. Every one I've seen has been like this, its only when its absolutely coated in it you've got problems.

[sierraman]

Engine

 

1.6 - Unlikely to find one these days - a bit underpowered but slightly more economicla in theory than a 1.8. Quite a few sold in Mk1 form less so in Mk2 - discontinued in about 98/99 IIRC

 

1.8 - a bit coarse but can see some diesel rivaling economy on the motorway. Lively enough and decent on fuel. Beware though this and the 2.0 will like a drink if you make use of the revs, both of which have quite a turn of speed when you rev it hard enough, pulls really well from 3500 to about 5000. Bugger all torque however. If you ar thinking of pulling horseboxes about... Pick something else.

 

2.0 as above but quicker - similar fuel economy. Watch for the earlier 2.0's and the Si which had a closer ratio 5 speed

 

2.5 V6 - Should see 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, plenty of torque. 30mpg possible on the motorway.

 

1.8TD - slow, but should see 200,000 easily. Surprisingly few left as they were cabbies favourite. Fairly narrow torque band

 

Things to watch on the 4 cyl tend to be easy to spot

 

The Black top refers to the plastic cam cover that denotes the revised engine fitted from 1998 onwards. Silver Tops as fitted to Mk1/early Mk2

 

 - You'll likely find the temp gauge only goes to the 'No' part of the reading of the word Normal. By nature these engines are a cold arse, the other reason is a lot are fitted with the 88 deg thermostat. Ford did a 90deg thermostat that reads in the centre if it bothers you. Id only bother with the OE stats on these, not only because the sealing ring just isn't thick enough on the pattern types.

 

- This leads me round to the Thermostat housings, these leak usually on the later Blacktop types round the integral seal on where the housing goes into the cylinder head. Either that or they crack on the underneath. They also leak on the top where the sender sits in. Theres a few different types of these and its the O ring on the sensor that leaks when the car faces downhill. The earlier types with the ally housing don't seem to leak like this. Easy job anyway so don't be too alarmed.

 

Timing belt is 100K on blacktops and 60K on silver tops, though 60K sounds a sensible limit. You'll likely need the locking plates that sit in the slots on the end of the twin cams to lock in place whilst doing the job, you can knock these up from a bit of plate anyway.

 

- Knocking tappets - these seem prone to it, one of the reasons its essential you use the correct 5w30 synt/semi synth.

 

Don't know if this is common with others but I had trouble with cracked exhaust manifolds on a Mk2 I owned. Some early Mk2's were fitted with a crap manifold which as I found is unobtanium. I had mine welded, removal is piece of piss.

 

Coils can go, again the Mk1 has a slightly different coil but with the leads they are interchangeable.

 

Servicing is easy but the Oil Fliter is a swine, requiring the wheel off if it isn't on a ramp.

 

- More serious engine trouble is rare - in fact you cannot rebuild the bottom of the engine so Ford say, they didn't release figures to load the crank case ladder upon disassembly

 

The V6's are fairly durable with the exception of the Water Pump impeller of which most will be the pukka steel version now.

 

The V6 can also suffer failure of the motor that controls the inlet manifold with consequence it will lose power and not feel quite as powerful. Again Ebay or breakers best bet here.

 

I'll not waste much on the diesel, not because its crap but theres relatively few still on the road. Any you find will have done a lot of miles, hence anything couls be up with them.

 

Gearbox - there was an auto but it wasn't particularly well regarded. Usual capacity for problems as with any auto.

 

The manuals used the MTX75 in various ratios, good box not prone to wear any worse than any other similar car.

 

The Clutch - with care can see an easy 100-120K. However replacement isn't a cheap or easy job. Including the Concentric Release bearing in a change you won't be seeing much change out of £400 for a cash job. I'll not go into it too much as needless to say it isn't a job you ought to tackle at home.

[vaughant]

Diesels are truely bombproof but don't play cambelt roulette with them as you will get caught out.

Unless I see evidence, id change the belt on any 1.8 ford derv.

Your synopsis of the narrow torque band is spot on but the economy on them ain't bad at all, I calculated mine at high 40's on motorway driving, would do 50 if kept below 80 although I never managed that.

Round the doors 40 easy.

Clutch was starting to judder on mine at 185000 so good longevity as well.

I'd agree not particularly diy but not impossible to change.

Dropping the subframe slightly to do various suspension components was my preferred option as well, certainly not too taxing.

I had a mk1 v6 estate years ago and the mechanics of it were awesome, no complaints but they are juicy, mine would at very best pull 30 mpg on a long run usually 24 round the houses.

Huge boot though.

 

Reading your guides above does certainly make me buy into the theory more that the mk1 was the better made car, mine despite being cat c and not particularly mint had very little to zero rust underneath, this was only 2 years ago as well.

 

Really great cars I must say, true proof in my eyes that the mid-late 90's cars hit their peak in longevity/reliability if being perhaps a little dull.

[sierraman]

I don't know, there were a lot of early niggles in the Mk1, the pulling to the left that was mostly sorted later on, the tappet problems etc. The later silver tops felt the quickest, after the slight bhp increase but before the black tops came in. The post Mk2 revsions a year in in about 1998 showed the cost savings coming in.

[alfetta]

with the v6 the only waterpump problems were the black vaned mk1 type, later white ones were ok. when mine went it was the alloy housing that failed, due to a metal piece inside that came loose and chewed through it. the pump was fine.

[Rave]

I had a Mk1 TD hatch. Good car, well made, only trivial things ever went wrong with it- in my ownership I think it only needed glow plugs, a new fuel filter housing (these eventually start letting air in, with predictable results), a new shock and a drop link. It ran fine on veg from the supermarket in the summer, and would do 50mpg+ at 70-75 on the motorway.

 

I got shot of it in the end because I got fed up with driving such a glacially slow car! You can apparently wind the boost up and front mount the intercooler with good results, but judging by the clouds of smoke mine used to leave behind when I had to boot it just to keep up with traffic, the turbo was on its last legs at 130k. Replaced it with a Mk3 3.0 wagon- twice the power, twice the fuel consumption, pretty much!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Anyone mention HT leads? Pattern ones fail very quickly. I imagine OEM ones aren't available anymore so what's the next best?

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[Cavcraft]

I think every Mk1 V6 I heard sounded like an oil starved 2.0 pinto running on ball bearings.

[sierraman]

Anyone mention HT leads? Pattern ones fail very quickly. I imagine OEM ones aren't available anymore so what's the next best?

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

Bosch. I didn't include them as it's a failure that's common with any old car. Plugs IIRC were Champion as recommended but NGK is most suitable to buy I've found.

[Guest bangerfan101]

I wish all mondeos would be snapped up and put in collections. Had about 10 years of them been banger raced now and I'm sick to death of seeing the things. Vag group motors would be a nice change.

[sierraman]

Aren't they banned from a lot of meets?

[HMC]

IIRC the front subframe assembly is very robust so despite the shell getting smashed the car will keep running and driving.

[egg]

Bloody good read. Sierraman has already helped me with many of these issues on my mk1. See the thread!

[egg]

Power steering pipes run along the subframe and can rust as they are quite exposed.

 

Mk1s have a cable heater control which can get overextended and fail to turn between hot and cold on the heater box.

 

My OEM new stat 92 degree needs to be fitted.

 

Rubber door weatherstrips deteriorate. They are £25 each from the dealer, but mk1 ones were discontinued last year. A stock of these will be valuable in future years.

[Guest bangerfan101]

To banger a mondeo, the mk1 needs the mk2 cable gear selectors. The mk2 needs the mk1 ecu or a late escort ecu to run the 3.0 Grannada carbs and ignition timing.

 

The mk3 needs both of the above. plus the engine. As the engines are back to front (plastic inlet on the front) or running tractor fuel

[HMC]

What with the BTCC and banger racing, mondeos have got quite a motorsport pedigree. I heard they've been barred from some banger events too.

[Guest bangerfan101]

Not much difference when the mondeos were racing touring cars.

 

Mansel even fenced himself from a rubbed door handle

[HMC]

^ I remember watching that on TV!

[Guest bangerfan101]

The only cars that have had any real chance in the 2l bangers. Were x type jags running a zetec.

 

Now banned as they were only ever built as a 2.1 petrol or bigger.

 

Even running a 2.0 zetec and extended mk2 mondeo subframe.

 

Will someone please work out how to banger audi a3s.

[vaughant]

I think every Mk1 V6 I heard sounded like an oil starved 2.0 pinto running on ball bearings.

Mine sounded lovely and smooth.

 

No oil or water top ups required either.

 

Must say the vaux 2.5 v6 of the same era was a lot more revvy and sounded sweeter on the move but the one I had seemed to suffer more sensor related issues.

[CortinaDave]

I had a few MK1s and a couple of MK2s.... and the general rule I found was that the earlier the car the better built it was. Best of the bunch I had was a K reg 2.0Si. Great driving car and needed nothing in the time I had it

 

By contrast the MK2s always felt more cheaply built. Might be my imagination but it seemed thinner metal and generally less well nailed together. I had a lot more issues with the later cars too.

 

If I ever have another it'd be an early Si or Ghia.

[stuboy]

im still loving my old beasty

[stuboy]

Even starred on grand tour....