Ford Focus = Bargain

[JAMSXR]

Ok, so 6 months ago I needed to get a cheap car. I ended up getting a Rover 25 for £1000, the head gasket had just been replaced as these are known for them going, so I bought it in good faith thinking it would last me 18 months or so and it would 'do'. Oh how wrong was I, it was the biggest pile a crap to drive, felt like it was put together using PVA glue and the mpg of the 1.4 engine was no better then my 2l Clio.

Anyway the head gasket ended up going again last Thursday (about 200 miles from home, thank god for the AA), which means having only been replaced a few thousand miles ago it was more then lightly the cylinder head was fvcked..... So I needed a new motor.

On Saturday I managed to pick up a V reg Focus, 1.8 Z-tech, dark blue, air con, 57,000, alloy wheels etc. for £1600 and the thing drives like a dream! The interior looks good, it's clean and it's just a great car for the price I paid.

Who needs all the depreciation of a new (ish) BMW or Audi when you can have such a great car for so little!


____________________
Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[Flip]

Focus, Focus's's', Foci? F*ck it. The Ford Focus is a top car. Nice to drive, feels solid. Nice one. (You did well getting that for 1600).

[Faldo]

Not suprised your K-Series head gasket didn't last long. Once the heads been skimmed they never last more than a few thousand.

Having said that, we bought one a couple of years ago, 1.6 that needed a door and a wing. Replaced those and thrashed (and I mean thrashed ) it around the country for a year or so and never had any problems with it. In fact, it was nicknamed Trusty.

Bought another one that had 3 gaskets done in the last year for £80 (on a V plate with leather interior etc). Gave it to my grandfather. Bought a skimmed head off eBay, put an uprated gasket on it and it's still going strong 20k miles later. Fuel consumption is in the low 20s though, with my 80yo gramps driving it!

He had a Focus before it and now wants another (his old Focus dropped a valve or two, but I managed to get him a brand new piston and valves for less than £50)
____________________
Current: ZZR1400
Previous: ZXR 400 L9, ZX-7R P5, ZZR 400, ZX-7R P6, Bandit 600, GSXR 750 Slingshot, DRZ400, DR650, ZX10R C1H, ZXR 750 L1, ZXR 750 L3, '99 ZX7R P4, KTM 300 EXC, ZX-9R E1, TDM850

[cyberglass]

Got both a 2004 focus 1.8tdci estate and a 2002 rover 25 1.4

Done the gasket on the rover with some ex rover workers and its stood strong for 40000+ miles since. Cant fault the thing there just very tempremental and like to be serviced regularly. Once you iron out the factory bugs there not to bad.

I was luckily enough to work with some guys who used to work for rover and they shown me the weak points of the engine and helped me sort them out and even gave me uprated parts they had grafted when they left


Since then ive done a gasket change on a 400, 25, 214, and a tomcat all are still running the 214 had a light skim and thats still going after over a year and i ain no mechanic but its bloody easy.
You just have to take your time and make sure the mating faces are spotless throw out the plastic dowels and replace with some alloy and lightly polish the mating faces up using some 1200 grade emery and make sure there is no warp in the head.

Also when you do the gasket its best to change out the Inlet manifold gaskets, Thermostat and Water pump while your at it as the rover originals are complete shite.

Out of my cars i prefer the rover it keeps up with and beats just about every other STOCK 1.4 i have come up against


Focus just had the fuel pump fail last week sending shrapnell into the injectors destroying them 220 note for each injector all 4 fucked and needs a new secondary pump. Shes still in burscough diesel specialists now and guess what...... it was dragged there by the rover HAHAHA im dreading the bill gonna be well over 1200 quid.

Full set of injectors and a fuel pump for the rover 120 quid.
____________________
DL650 Vstrom 2004
DRZ400S 2003
Yamaha R1 2005

[JAMSXR]

I just think the Focus is 10 x the car the Rover is! Handles better, looks better, superior build quality, better equipment, goes better and the insurance cost is no higher.

[evoboy]

Just been working on my uncles Focus 1.8...

Starter motor died a death, tie rods needed doing, wheel bearings, brake discs n pads and some suspension bushings....

76k on the clocks.

Goes well though!

[JonB]

Yeah I hear the suspension bushes go on Focii after about 70k, I swear someone said that it is a lot of money to get them done.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[WildGoose]

[S1KE]

my 2000 1.8 zetec has 123.000 miles on the clock now and is still going strong, never had to do anything major exept brake pads, the odd wheel bearing and a few anti roll bars.

never really had it serviced properly either, done all oil changes etc myself.

Engine is a tad on the noisy side now mainly due to the fact i have not had the valve clearances checked !

good car
____________________
random twat!
* xbox live mickeyc26
* zx6r b1h 2004 GREEN !

[evoboy]

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Had a 1.8 Zetec focus until recently. It was a nice car and very fun to drive, got rid as the clutch and a cv joint was starting to go terminal and needed a few other things doing (at 70k miles).

Only bad thing is the engines aren't very powerful for their size and the mpg is a bit disappointing. I used to average about 30mpg without driving it very hard.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[garyd]

My firm sell off the lease cars,up for grabs at moment(nov 20th)is toyota avensis estate,2.0 diesel 3ts,a/c,leccy windows ,twat nav, 60000 miles full s/history at toyota,new tyres in silver ,no bangs/scratches drives superb £5500
____________________
CRF230 all you need

[EuropeanNC30R...]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[EuropeanNC30R...]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]