HMC- FOCUS ST170

[HMC]

So one reason it was so cheap was that “it wouldnt go into park” which to me sounded more of a selector rather than internal box issue- and so it proved. Ive just taken the top selector detent button and handle knob off and it goes into park just fine now.

[HMC]

9 minutes ago, Marm Toastsmith said:

I think that might actually be my favourite of the fleet, no mean feat.

Are you going to have to sell something?

No, as it was cheap, and the crown vic and austin 7 sale has more than covered the new acquisitions.

[HMC]

does anyone know what this is?

 

The little mechanism with the cable - it seems related to the fuel feed to the fuel pump - it was weeping slightly now has stopped?

[Datsuncog]

Oh.

My.

Word.

 

Top purchasing!

That's a right bobby dazzler - especially considering that this time last year it was nigh on impossible to find anything at all for a grand.

Looking forward to more!

[Crackers]

Bloody hell fire.

That's awful. I love it. Happy P6'ing!

[HMC]

It seems to have every document it was supplied new with….

[Surface Rust]

17 minutes ago, HMC said:

does anyone know what this is?

 

The little mechanism with the cable - it seems related to the fuel feed to the fuel pump - it was weeping slightly now has stopped?

Is it the reserve fuel connection?

Whatever you do, don't pull it. I had a test drive in a P6 once and it started to run out of fuel, the salesman promptly pulled the reserve tap, and 40 years of silt merrily flowed into the carbs and blocked everything.

I still bought it obviously.

[HMC]

yes thats it, the reserve tap, makes sense

[Clunk]

I remember this, how is the roof? Looked rather Crispy in the photos.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, HMC said:

yes thats it, the reserve tap, makes sense

Can confirm it worked well, in period. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

 

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

 

Didn't realise @Skizzer had a P6.

[Noel Tidybeard]

44 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Didn't realise @Skizzer had a P6.

he probably forgot as he has so many!

[Rocket88]

12 hours ago, Clunk said:

I remember this, how is the roof? Looked rather Crispy in the photos.

You can unbolt them and just fit another 

[Clunk]

2 hours ago, Rocket88 said:

You can unbolt them and just fit another 

The more you know. That's pretty neat.

[adw1977]

That looks like quite a bargain.

[barrett]

That almost looks as bad as my one, great work!

I prefer your interior and paint colour, but I like my gearbox better.

[fatharris]

Holy cow, what a fleet!

P6 is the star for me, one of my 'to own' cars. What are these like for rust?

[hairnet]

You are @Six-cylinderbut 30 years ago 🤣

[HMC]

P6 news- figured out that the fuel reserve tap has a perished o-ring. New 65p o viton o ring on its way, and parking the car facing uphill has stopped it dripping

[HMC]

Also this p4 has a really annoying missfire again. Not sure why. It already has a shortage of cylinders! My parts darts instincts are eyeing up new leads and dizzy cap. I hate cars that dont run right.

The sssssstuttering P4, earlier.

Meanwhile the VDP is totally on the button. 

Currently it and the jaywick minor are front runners for the french trip. This might change if i can sort the fuel leak on the p6 and satisfactorily road test it before hand. My main concern vs the rover contingent is lack of wine bottle capacity. Issigonis was a demon with space efficiency, but theres no substitute for wheelbase.

[LightBulbFun]

6 minutes ago, HMC said:

Also this p4 has a really annoying missfire again. Not sure why. It already has a shortage of cylinders! My parts darts instincts are eyeing up new leads and dizzy cap.

what sorta shape is the condenser in?  I would put that pretty high up on the list of suspect components to check out/try and change  

[HMC]

1 minute ago, LightBulbFun said:

what sorta shape is the condenser in?  I would put that pretty high up on the list of suspect components to check out/try and change  

Good idea, ive got a few condensers in the parts stash for the vdp1300- will any condenser work of does it have to be a specific matched part?

[HMC]

Ive also reallised my fleet has got an unusual symmetry to it-

late 40s- minor and p4 gestation

early 60s- ado16 and p6 gestation,

each with a similar parent company/ design and engineering team in situ; and each in a sense replacing the other in their respective segment

[HMC]

23 hours ago, HMC said:

So one reason it was so cheap was that “it wouldnt go into park” which to me sounded more of a selector rather than internal box issue- and so it proved. Ive just taken the top selector detent button and handle knob off and it goes into park just fine now.

As the original selector knob had an internal rubber bit that had decomposed, i decided to buy a refurbished item off an e bay seller. It was £40 but that so much cheaper than a gearbox rebuild that the vendor had envisaged.

[Marm Toastsmith]

23 minutes ago, HMC said:

Ive also reallised my fleet has got an unusual symmetry to it-

late 40s- minor and p4 gestation

early 60s- ado16 and p6 gestation,

each with a similar parent company/ design and engineering team in situ; and each in a sense replacing the other in their respective segment

Yes! Brilliant.

If you kept 2, which way would you go? “Modern” vs postwar / Economy vs luxury? Or a bit of both? Interested to know which of the designs you think are more successful.

[LightBulbFun]

30 minutes ago, HMC said:

Good idea, ive got a few condensers in the parts stash for the vdp1300- will any condenser work of does it have to be a specific matched part?

I am obviously not an expert in the matter, But generally a condenser is just that, they are just a small capacitor after all*, so aside from different mounting arrangements as long as you can get it connected physically close to the points as per the original I think any should do

although I dont know exactly how the value of an automotive condenser changes if at all, with engine type/capacity/cylinder amount

 

*in-fact thats exactly what @Zelandeth did to get around the fact modern automotive condensers are just shit, is he just simply fitted a suitable combination/type of capacitor meant for electronics, does exactly the same thing!  so that might be another option to explore

On 11/03/2021 at 21:09, Zelandeth said:

I've given up on automotive ones.  I've fitted proper 1000V rated polypropylene film ones here - too big to fit on the distributor itself, so they're now in a remote enclosure mounted over by the coil.

I didn't have any 0.22uF caps in stock so just paired up two 0.1uF ones...as I had figured out I was mounting them remotely by that point the size wasn't an issue.

Inside the enclosure I used (I took the opportunity as I had room to spare to add a remote engine start switch as it's sometimes handy).

The caps themselves are from RS Components - I use these a bunch in vintage tech restoration as the high voltage rating makes them an ideal replacement for the old wax-paper caps in valve radios, TVs etc.

I am intrigued...Based in Milton Keynes.

 

[2flags]

On 4/3/2023 at 7:25 PM, HMC said:

does anyone know what this is?

 

The little mechanism with the cable - it seems related to the fuel feed to the fuel pump - it was weeping slightly now has stopped?

That could be the reserve tank switch. If I remember rightly they did have a reserve. The lever is opposite the choke. Choke on the right, fuel reserve on the left.

[wuvvum]

5 hours ago, HMC said:

Currently it and the jaywick minor are front runners for the french trip. 

I thought you were going in the Austin Sev...

Oh, wait.

[sierraman]

Love that P6 and how battered it looks, it actually looks better than if it was shiny.