HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

[HMC]

I have to admit to a certain fascination with Ghia models. Yes, yes I know it’s a bit of trim stuck on here and there and different upholstery etc, but as a kid I was fascinated by Ghia badged fords. Oddly Especially the mk2 fiesta that had those moulded front overrider thingies. Anyway this focus is also a Ghia. It’s also very dirty inside and out, but I have the feeling that under the recent neglect lies a very straight, tidy car. There was treasure in the boot (see below) the current owner of 3 weeks (a hand me down from a deceased relative) hadn’t ever been in the boot and was as suprised as I was. An electric strimmer, some carpet tiles and a baby’s shoe (!) Getting an older car firmly in banger SCRAP IT terretory is always a school day in terms of budget tyre brands too.

WEST LAKE anyone?

 

It certainly lives up to the reputation these have as it’s lovely to drive and very chuckable. 88k, mainly main dealer history etc.

[Jim Bell]

Looks good man. I really like the 1.6 Focus. The missus has one and it drives great.  The Puma values are picking up but the Mk1 Focus 1.6 values are rock bottom so youve picked the best possible time to pick one up.

 

Enjoy!

[Bren]

Westlake is a chinese minced beef soup.

The soup probably has better grip.

[egg]

I almost had one, put a deposit down on a friend's car, she was emigrating. She took all the paperwork with her to Oz though, and the deal died.

 

Then I bought the Fusion.

 

!

[mrbenn]

Looks in very good nick, and a great colour. Though I am biased.

 

Did you get to keep the goodies in the boot?

[N Dentressangle]

Might have some Ghia badges if you want / need?

[sierraman]

These handle like shit to a blanket even with shit tyres. So far ahead of anything else in that class at the time for handling, they got it so right with the drive on the Mk1.

[Lacquer Peel]

Does it have a wooden* dash?

[sierraman]

Mine does on the Mk2 Ghia.

 

There’s a 1.8 TDDI on my road that’s done nearly 200k, the folks that have had it for years, I expect either the rust or the inevitable fuel pump failure will see it off eventually.

 

I’d get some Waxoyl over the rear trailing arm mounts before the winter though.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Mine does on the Mk2 Ghia.

There’s a 1.8 TDDI on my road that’s done nearly 200k, the folks that have had it for years, I expect either the rust or the inevitable fuel pump failure will see it off eventually.

I’d get some Waxoyl over the rear trailing arm mounts before the winter though.

The winter? This is HMC you're talking to, he's unlikely to still have it in September.

[sierraman]

Or August.

[HMC]

It’s Knockhill, 1999. I’ve just crashed out of a touring car support race whilst off my face on Stella. Rock bottom. Although it’s happening on TOCA2 on a PlayStation, and I’m a student who should know better than to drink and game.

 

 

Fast forward 19 years and for less than a current PlayStation I have a 1999 fiesta 1.25 zetec. Today’s collection thread road trip did not involve the consumption of alcohol.

[cort16]

That looks tidy other then the seat. Cousins brothers is a confusing name for a car dealer. Are they called cousins or Is their dad also their uncle ?

[chaseracer]

How long has the decomposing corpse been off that front seat? 

[richardthestag]

recon that seat would respond well to 5 mins with a pressure washer

 

else tiger pattern seat covers

[bramz7]

I cannot compare to your fleet acquisitions!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Blimey that looks decent for one of those

[BorniteIdentity]

Sleepy Fiestas are for winners!

[83C]

Nice fezza! When’s it for sale?

[Supernaut]

I remember in about 1999-2000 going to Knockhill and when we turned up, one of the Fiesta support races was just starting.

 

One of them ended up on its roof in the gravel trap on the first corner.

[Split_Pin]

Super buy, I love this shape of Fiesta. Yours looks tidy.

[yellowperil]

My wife had one of these when we were first married, it was identical to this.

 

We went on our honeymoon in it in September, two weeks down in Cornwall and it never missed a beat.

 

Then in the December, coming home from our bike club Xmas dinner, where we had just announced we were going to be parents, my wife hit some black ice, a bank and a tree and came to a halt on the roof.

 

That was the last time I saw that car, it had a brand new exhaust on it, that I had paid for only

the night before.

 

By the time I got back to the car late the next morning it had been dragged away.

 

Always had a soft spot for that car, especially as my wife and the bump were uninjured.

 

I did crash a few on TOCA Touring Cars, although that was less painful.

[dome]

When's the first track day then?

[Ghosty]

Always wondered what a higher spec one of these was like inside. My mum used to have a 1.25 LX CVT sad face, much like this one except only one level above pov spec, so all it had was black bumpers and trim, wheeltrims, a tape player, worse fabric on the seats, plain black dials with a mechanical odometer, and... er...

 

Miserable as hell inside, with an interior the colour of Parma Violets, but with black buttons and bezels. It was weird, and really quite disgusting. Horribly uncomfortable too, and unreliable - it had a penchant for overheating, and eating gearboxes (three in 60k, fuck CVT). 

I have nothing positive to say about it, it was rubbish.

[oldcars]

It has arches! Would love to wetvac that interior.

[HMC]

Possible more incoming blue oval toss. Nothing concrete yet but there are 18 currently licensed and it’s fair to say they’re unloved; any guesses?

[Sigmund Fraud]

Please tell us it's a Cougar ?

[bramz7]

Is it a 4x4 Galaxy?

[83C]

Unloved Fords?

 

My mahoney is on a Probe.

[Brodders]

My money is on it being a Scorpio of some description