Ford and the griffin.

[bub2006]

Thought I'd start a new thread as the other one was getting so convoluted. 

Last week I purchased a nice looking avensis after the c4 went french. Made the fatal mistake of investigating the little bit of corrosion in the boot cubby hole and it's turned into a shitshow. This meant looking for a replacement motor. I don't know what the hell has happened with car prices lately but its so hard to find a running and ok ish car for sub 1000. Anyway I digress. 

I went to look at a 2002 nissan xtrail and a 2005 Peugeot partner that were both knackered in different ways,one was £575 and the other was £750. I stumbled upon this though, a 2003 mk1.5 ford focus ghia. It is a 2.0 auto estate with around 43k on the clock and 3 former keepers. First was motability from 2003 to 2006,private owned from 2006 to 2021 and the old boy I bought it from picked it up in September for his daughter to learn to drive in but she declared it a grandad car so he put it up for sale. Advertised at £800 I thought was steep but it was local so I went to have a look. 

It's rather well equipped  with optional digital climate control and also has electric rear windows and trip computer. Loads of history,service stamped to 2018 and that was 1600 miles ago. Had my mechanic look it over and found a recent cambelt and atf change in past few years too. 

There's no rot or rust anywhere,sills and arches are solid as is the boot floor and floor pan. Only surface corrosion on bits like suspension and arms but to be expected for the age.  Gearbox is so smooth and the seats are fantastic. The only issue we can find is evidence of giffer parking on the rear bumper but nothing of concern. I didn't pay 800 for it either which I think isn't bad considering the price of shit these days!

Take care folks. 

[Zelandeth]

Focus is a decent motor.  If I'd just bought that at that price I'd be feeling quite pleased with myself.

[Dobloseven]

What's not to like? Sounds a good buy,especially if the body's ok. Daughter had one a few years ago, think it was an X reg hatch, and it was made of Bran Flakes. 

[bub2006]

I got it for 600. The old boy said he was tired of timewasters but he had been offered 650 on message but prefers to deal in person. I asked him if any movement and he said 600 for a deal so I agreed. And yes it is bloody solid,even has edge protectors on all doors and bootlid. The armrest seems to be broken as it won't fold down which is a mild annoyance and I don't expect the economy to be great either but can't have everything on a budget.  I've got a solid motor with space for mobility scooter in boot and an auto box so I'll just live with everything else. 

[Dobloseven]

I'm guessing a years Road Tax is a fairly high percentage of the purchase price!

[bub2006]

340 on this. 

[Dobloseven]

3 hours ago, bub2006 said:

340 on this. 

Blimey, that's well over half the price of the car! Thought about 280 ish,similar to my Renault and my cousins 2006 automatic Astra. 

[KitKat]

Good buy! I loved mine. If it’s solid, then keep it maintained and run it. It’ll last you years. I think a MK1 Foci is the cheapest decent car you can get which fulfills most people’s criteria (space, mod-cons, safety, running costs, styling etc). Not sure for how much longer they’ll stay cheap though. 

[bub2006]

1 hour ago, Dobloseven said:

Blimey, that's well over half the price of the car! Thought about 280 ish,similar to my Renault and my cousins 2006 automatic Astra. 

I've also been told to expect 19mpg but it's sitting around 29 at the minute,reset 20 miles ago when I bought it and my friend drove it back on trade as I am not taxing it for just 2 days. So hard having it sat there knowing I can't drive it yet!

[bub2006]

36 minutes ago, sickboy said:

Good buy! I loved mine. If it’s solid, then keep it maintained and run it. It’ll last you years. I think a MK1 Foci is the cheapest decent car you can get which fulfills most people’s criteria (space, mod-cons, safety, running costs, styling etc). Not sure for how much longer they’ll stay cheap though. 

It's definitely a decent shell. Would benefit from back bumper sorting and some scuffing around door handles which would come out with a good polish. I cant see why the lesser models won't rise in value in time in good nick. The more sporty st170 has started to rise and the rs is a bloody fortune now.  Look at the prices of fords and how they have come on.  I bought a C plate fiesta for 30 quid in the early 2000s and had a couple of mk4 escorts too for less than a ton.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

 Very nice , I’m sure but a few people might disagree about the Ford’s finest epithet , namely 

Jim, Ken, Roger,Jack, Frank, Jack ( and Bill), Starsky, Doyle and Cowley and Bodie. To name just a few.

[bub2006]

Not so much the icons but who would have said a lowly mk2/3/4 escort would be worth anything or a fiesta mk1 or 2 20 years ago. I cant say what will be worth what but everything seems to come around. I mean look at my friends reliant on the driveway. He bought that for 400 quid as a runner with no mot 5 years ago and has used it as a daily driver since but now its worth easily over 2 grand. See also vw beetle and old style mini. 

Regards my focus though its an honest,solid car in a not so common colour,body and engine spec. Can't be many left in that good of a condition. It feels a lot better than my old 2000 model 1.6 ghia saloon and that would have been newer when I owned that than what this one is now. 

[sierraman]

19mpg though with the cost of fuel at the moment... you’d be as well off in a 7 series or an X300! 🤣

[bub2006]

I really can't see it being 19. I'd have thought late 20s.

[Supernaut]

That's absolutely brilliant for the price!

A 2.0 auto in a Focus too! That's proper giffer spec.

 

As you said, complete and utter shit is up for sale at 4-figures these days. Just locally to me there are constantly cars up for anything between £1,000-1,500 with 5 minutes of MOT and major faults that would genuinely have an effect on how they drive. It's madness.

[MarvinsMom]

well bought there, i had a couple of them mark 1 focus's as company hacks back when they were new and thought they are a superb car.

i thought them streets ahead of the equivalent astra and as as bigger leap forward over the mark 6 escrot as a modern jet fighter is when compared to the Wright brothers flyer.

and that one looks a good 'un, i dont remember the last time i saw one running,  never mind one with the back arches still made of metal!

one i had was a 2 litre ghia saloon, the only thing i didn't like much was the silly little fold down armrest thing on the captains chair, and i don't recall that one been any heavier on pez than the 1600 i had before it was.

goes to show, though that there are still really nice second hand cars to be found out there!

[sierraman]

When you’ve had your money’s worth from it the 2.0 engine will be worth a few quid with that mileage on it, I would imagine decent 2.0 zetec engines without moon miles are getting fewer. 

[paulplom]

Ask @Mally He'll know.

[bub2006]

@Supernaut the other annoyance is the 600 quid plus cars advertised as no mot but will fly through no problem and when you check online it's been for mot and failed on welding,brake lines,emissions etc. Its fucking dire out there. 

@MarvinsMom my 1.6 ghia I had was an auto too and was really underpowered with the auto box. Wasn't too economical either,mid 20s if I recall I'd have thought this may be a bit better as it's got a better power to weight ratio but time will tell. As I said before to my friend I need a car for mobility scooter and preferably auto so when you are working on a budget you can't have a decent solid car with auto box and quite large yet still be economical and cheap to tax. Can't have everything so have to make do in certain areas. As for the armrest I quite like them in auto cars but sadly mine seems to be stuck in the up position. 

@sierraman it's not just the engine but the focus itself in decent nick is getting harder to find. They feel a later better and more comfortable than my 2005 mk2 1.6 I had but that was a zetec and both my mk1 were ghia so maybe not a fair comparison? A friend did have a cmax ghia on a 2004 plate though and that didn't feel as nice as the mk1 focus either. 

 

[Bren]

I liked ours very much even though derv. The ghia spec is really nice - climate and six disc cd.

Sadly we outgrew the car. This, plus crispy sills meant it had to go. Sadly it has not been taxed for a few years so is probably washing machines now.

I remember buying ours on the strength of car mechanics magazine having one as a project car. They lavished lots of money and TLC on it only to be scrapped because of a fuelling problem.

I think most ghia models by now will have a knackered arm rest - ours certainly did.

[bub2006]

I've also thought the climate was an option same for the in dash 6 disc changer but apparently the 2.0 and 1.8 tdci 115 have slightly better spec. My old 1.6 had single cd and manual heating with no trip computer or electric back windows. Also was rather crispy. 

[bub2006]

Also there's meant to be a fix for the armrest but I can't even find how to remove it to have a look!

[billy_bunter]

if have not had heated front screen before. ENJOY

Did you look under the rear arch liners? If not worth a look and a paint if they are good as the rest of car....

[Longbridge Apologist]

26 minutes ago, bub2006 said:

I've also thought the climate was an option same for the in dash 6 disc changer but apparently the 2.0 and 1.8 tdci 115 have slightly better spec. My old 1.6 had single cd and manual heating with no trip computer or electric back windows. Also was rather crispy. 

Adored my Mk1.5 end of run TDCi Edge 3 door in Black.

 

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

That's absolutely brilliant for the price!

A 2.0 auto in a Focus too! That's proper giffer spec.

 

As you said, complete and utter shit is up for sale at 4-figures these days. Just locally to me there are constantly cars up for anything between £1,000-1,500 with 5 minutes of MOT and major faults that would genuinely have an effect on how they drive. It's madness.

Despite pondering shifting it on, I'm glad I've just decided to drive my headache Bavarian Sierra until it dies looking at how mental the used car world has gone. As @sierraman advised, continuing to just lob free old oil in it. Plus since replacing keeping the ECU dry. The DMF judder has gone away for winter, the engine light has cured itself, have put another 3000 miles on. Perhaps some lemons can pull through and achieve some reliability....!

[Dobloseven]

Suppose the Tax would put a lot off. How I look at it, it's a pound a day, which makes it feel better,to me anyway. 

[Longbridge Apologist]

Yeah I'm always staggered by friends who decide they'll replace one 15 grand car with a 38 grand car in order to go from £155 VED a year to £60...

[bub2006]

1 hour ago, billy_bunter said:

if have not had heated front screen before. ENJOY

Did you look under the rear arch liners? If not worth a look and a paint if they are good as the rest of car....

It's been inspected and nothing anywhere.  I don't like the felt liners so plan to remove,clean thoroughly and underseal inside before I refit them. Heated windscreen,washer hets and mirrors may well make life easier when the inevitable comes in a month or so.

[bub2006]

24 minutes ago, Longbridge Apologist said:

Yeah I'm always staggered by friends who decide they'll replace one 15 grand car with a 38 grand car in order to go from £155 VED a year to £60...

That makes me wonder too. Why would you lease or buy on finance a car that's going to cost more per month than the tax saving. 

[bub2006]

35 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Suppose the Tax would put a lot off. How I look at it, it's a pound a day, which makes it feel better,to me anyway. 

Thats a good way to look at it. 93p a day or thereabouts makes it seem a little easier to swallow. It will eventually end up on free tax due to disability though. 

[Bren]

I agree about used prices. I keep looking at mondeo estates to replace the vectra but the thought of spunking £ 5k on something nearing it's tenth birthday and with similar miles is putting me off.