2006 Ford StreetKa Winter Edition - Road Test Report

[horriblemercedes]

I hope this is a good one - some of the rot they can hide is nearly unbelievable and hidden from MOT testers for years. The one that Car Throttle got looked great but was in a really bad way when they started taking off arch liners and covers etc 

[Peter C]

56 minutes ago, DoctorRetro said:

I call bullshit on that.

💖💛💙

Love your car though, only Ford I've driven and liked was a Ka.

Game set and match. You win! 

[MJK 24]

Brilliant work!  Super stylish little machines.  Clearly built as a budget priced Mk1 TT convertible but the Ford is better looking to these eyes!

[Peter C]

Mods - if the StreetKa is too new for the general section, please move the entire post to Modern Shite.

I started this morning by making space for the Streetka in the double garage. Looks clean and cosy.

I did a trial run, it fits perfectly. With the rear as shown in the photo, there is still space to walk around the front of the car.

The car came with an original cover for the hardtop, which will come in handy once the weather improves and I remove the hardtop for good.

I started tinkering in the boot. The boot floor is straight and completely rust free.

The boot carpet is as new. The boot is a surprisingly decent size, my surveying ladder and tool bag fitted with ease.

The interior is mint. There is no wear on any surface, all thanks to a lady owner and 43k miles clocked up in 15 years.

I really like the shape of the door trims and the exposed metal looks great. The seats are comfy, leather and heated. There is plenty of room for a 6ft2 15.5 stone fella like me.

I've given the car a wash but it really needs a full on polish. I'll try and get it done next weekend.

It's a good looking car in a cute rather than aggressive way. The colour helps, I do like a strong metallic. The alloy wheels are ok, not perfect, the centre caps need replacing. All four tyres have plenty of tread, the entire exhaust looks very recent and from what I could see underneath (whilst washing the car), there is no evidence of any significant rust, just a bit of surface rust on the rear beam. I'll pressure wash the underside in a few weeks and give the rusty areas a coat of waxoil.

And I've saved the best till last.

 

[cort16]

Not my cup of tea but I hope you like it.
I don’t want to piss on your chips but have a good look underneath before spending on it as they can look great but be horrible underneath .

The engine in these is weird as it’s 8v and only in these sporty ka’s . I think read  it was brought in from a different market but can’t remember what it was in .I’m guessing it didn’t get the 1.6 Zetec for space reasons .

[Peter C]

9 minutes ago, cort16 said:

Not my cup of tea but I hope you like it.
I don’t want to piss on your chips but have a good look underneath before spending on it as they can look great but be horrible underneath .

The engine in these is weird as it’s 8v and only in these sporty ka’s . I think read  it was brought in from a different market but can’t remember what it was in .I’m guessing it didn’t get the 1.6 Zetec for space reasons .

Agreed.

I’m only planning on undertaking free/cheap/essential jobs to make it prettier and more reliable. I don’t expect that it will be a keeper.

[GeordieInExile]

15 hours ago, cort16 said:

Not my cup of tea but I hope you like it.
I don’t want to piss on your chips but have a good look underneath before spending on it as they can look great but be horrible underneath .

The engine in these is weird as it’s 8v and only in these sporty ka’s . I think read  it was brought in from a different market but can’t remember what it was in .I’m guessing it didn’t get the 1.6 Zetec for space reasons .

It's a Brazilian engine iirc. Probably stuck it in rather than the Zetec for cost reasons.

[Peter C]

1 hour ago, GeordieInExile said:

It's a Brazilian engine iirc. Probably stuck it in rather than the Zetec for cost reasons.

It’s of South African origin, aka the Zetec Rocam.

[Rod/b]

Love the fact these use standard Ka headlights with the bumper extended over. Works really well. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

i really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, hate the Fraud Kack but i actully like that! 😵🥴🤪😲

[georgeinabz]

Just check the rear chassis , common to rot , my Dad’s was caught early and some strengther plates were duly fabricated and welded.


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[AnthonyG]

Looks very smart indeed. It’s a sign of a good caring owner that all those original genuine bits - like the hardtop cover - are all still there.

Is the colour Amparo (sic) Blue?  It looks very similar to a V plate Mondeo I owned, and was a very common colour on the Focus Mk1.

[Peter C]

8 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

Looks very smart indeed. It’s a sign of a good caring owner that all those original genuine bits - like the hardtop cover - are all still there.

Is the colour Amparo (sic) Blue?  It looks very similar to a V plate Mondeo I owned, and was a very common colour on the Focus Mk1.

It’s French Blue. It better be as I’ve just ordered £25 worth of aerosols!

[bunglebus]

Hopefully it's as good as it looks. Think I'd be buying waxoil and underseal and drowning all the hidden bits in it myself

[tooSavvy]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Hopefully it's as good as it looks. Think I'd be buying waxoil and underseal and drowning all the hidden bits in it myself

Yes..... Same advice I gave TheDoctorRetro, for his Toyyo

 

[Jazoli]

13 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

i really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, hate the Fraud Kack but i actully like that! 😵🥴🤪😲

Yeah me too, it looks great, I wouldn't want one but it looks brand new still.

[Andyrew]

Looking at the pictures above is why i like these things. Like a concept car that got the go ahead.

They like many 2 seater soft tops are completely useless as a car, and are made purely to have fun.  

Im not far from yourself, if you would like to use my wee lift to do some waxing underneath just drop me a pm.  Only a mid rise lift but nicer than doing it on your back. 

 

[Peter C]

1 hour ago, Jazoli said:

it looks great, I wouldn't want one but it looks brand new still.

You will change your mind when I offer it for sale in three months at an irresistible bargain price.

[Peter C]

51 minutes ago, Andyrew said:

 

Im not far from yourself, if you would like to use my wee lift to do some waxing underneath just drop me a pm.  Only a mid rise lift but nicer than doing it on your back. 

 

That is a very kind offer. How far is not far?

[Jazoli]

1 minute ago, Peter C said:

You will change your mind when I offer it for sale in three months at an irresistible bargain price.

I won't believe me, I had to drive my ex's back from Preston to Kendal and wore a cap and dark glasses in the hope that no one would recognise me! 

[Peter C]

11 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

I won't believe me, I had to drive my ex's back from Preston to Kendal and wore a cap and dark glasses in the hope that no one would recognise me! 

🥲

[Bazfr69]

I like these.

All of the original shaped Ka had a defined look and identity. 
This was a good design period for Ford, shame the current Ka looks so nondescript and corporate. 

[Andyrew]

1 hour ago, Peter C said:

That is a very kind offer. How far is not far?

Hockliffe,  

 

[Peter C]

Yesterday morning I loaded up my surveying gear...

And headed up to St Albans (Hertfordshire) for a work appointment. The Ka is perfectly happy cruising at 70MPH. It's ok up to 80MPH, anything above that it starts to get noisy. The 5th gear 70-90MPH acceleration is very impressive for such a small car.

The interior is a great place to enjoy a cup of tea.

I've had a look at the (MASSIVE) service history folder. In May 2016, the car had £500 (inc VAT) worth of bodyshop repair, done by the same Ford dealer that dealt with the servicing. Whilst there is no evidence of any bodywork repairs to the external panels, the bottoms of the sills, the floorpan and various crevices have been coated with sealant, some of which still looks quite fresh. I couldn't get decent photos of the more concealed areas but shining a torch and looking in I couldn't see anything nasty.

Whilst down there, I noted that the entire exhaust system looks quite fresh.

The centre caps looked horrendous. What was left of the lacquer peeled off very easily and rubbing down the caps with wire wool improved the situation but not enough to achieve a good result. I've painted the caps with silver Hammerite, once they are back on the car they'll be ok. There are £5 for a set of four caps on EBay, however they are the wrong size for a StreetKa. The cheapest ones that would fit cost £40 and that's too much money for too little gain.

[cort16]

It could be you’ve stumbled across a unicorn. An creature they said has never and will never exist . A Ford KA with no rust.

[Mally]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

You will change your mind when I offer it for sale in three months at an irresistible bargain price.

Three months maybe a little early for me, but please put me at the top of your list in case my Saab expires earlier than expected.

[Peter C]

34 minutes ago, cort16 said:

It could be you’ve stumbled across a unicorn. An creature they said has never and will never exist . A Ford KA with no rust.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'm yet to jack the car up and take a wheel off. There could still be issues but so far so good. I'm guessing that low mileage and regular maintenance has kept this car alive and well.

In reverse chronological order, not including the smaller invoices, the Ka has had:

• Jan 21 - new alternator and belt (£357)
• Oct 20 - service and a wheel bearing (£250)
• Aug 20 - 2 tyres (£142)
• Jan 20 - valve cover gasket (£118)
• May 19 - service (£281)
• May 18 - thermostat housing and tyres (£323)
• May 17 - service and lower arms (£475)
• May 16 - service, tyre and undersealing (£999)
• Oct 15 - starter motor (£218)
• May 15 - service (£293)
• Feb 14 - thermostat assembly and heater valve (£247)
• Apr 13 - Oxygen sensor (£350)
• Apr 13 - service (£174)
• May 12 - service and wheel assy - whatever that is (£473)
• May 11 - service (£227)
• Mar 10 - service (£213)
• Jul 09 - service (£187)

All the previous MoT certificates back up the service history, which comprises of receipts and a service book with 13 stamps, all from a Ford garage.

I usually buy on condition rather than paperwork, however on this occasion both look good.

[montytom]

What a lovely little thing. Looks like you fell on your feet with this one.

I bet it's a fun chuckible little thing 

[Peter C]

47 minutes ago, Mally said:

Three months maybe a little early for me, but please put me at the top of your list in case my Saab expires earlier than expected.

I loathe selling old cars but getting rid of the Ka should be fun. Anyway, it's too early to talk about selling.

[cort16]

11 minutes ago, Peter C said:

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'm yet to jack the car up and take a wheel off. There could still be issues but so far so good. I'm guessing that low mileage and regular maintenance has kept this car alive and well.

In reverse chronological order, not including the smaller invoices, the Ka has had:

• Jan 21 - new alternator and belt (£357)
• Oct 20 - service and a wheel bearing (£250)
• Aug 20 - 2 tyres (£142)
• Jan 20 - valve cover gasket (£118)
• May 19 - service (£281)
• May 18 - thermostat housing and tyres (£323)
• May 17 - service and lower arms (£475)
• May 16 - service, tyre and undersealing (£999)
• Oct 15 - starter motor (£218)
• May 15 - service (£293)
• Feb 14 - thermostat assembly and heater valve (£247)
• Apr 13 - Oxygen sensor (£350)
• Apr 13 - service (£174)
• May 12 - service and wheel assy - whatever that is (£473)
• May 11 - service (£227)
• Mar 10 - service (£213)
• Jul 09 - service (£187)

All the previous MoT certificates back up the service history, which comprises of receipts and a service book with 13 stamps, all from a Ford garage.

I usually buy on condition rather than paperwork, however on this occasion both look good.

May 2020 - Filled chassis rails with marshmallow and news paper (£212)

 

😀