Prior to me collecting my 'stop gap' motor in a few days, I asked HJ a fuelling question yesterday and received a reply within a few hours.
The reply was very helpful, and raised a few pertinent questions which I have passed on to my mechanic friend. Kudos to HJ.
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Just recently, via Avant, HJ has asked members not to post links to competing websites. That seems a bit superfluous to me - for sheer scope, no one else comes close.
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Where else can you find out so much information about such a wide range of cars (and vans)?
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Many thanks for the compliments, John Boy. As most people realise, the HJ website is funded by advertising. HJ's point is not anti other sites - just that some people (in fairness, meaning to be helpful) have posted links to other sites about information that is available on ours.
The more hits we get, the better value our advertisers will feel they're getting.
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My brother in law has a Focus similar to the one you describe as a knockabout car. He has a Nissan Pathfinder for tugging his shed around but it's a bit thirsty in his opinion to use as a daily driver on a reasonably long commute.
He bought the Focus a couple of years ago very cheaply ( white ex-police car with a 1.6 Diesel engine )
Must admit I thought he'd regret it, but so far so good actually. It's no ball of fire but he says it's comfortable, frugal and up until now anyway, totally reliable despite it having a lot of miles on it.
Hope you get good service from yours. Not much to dislike about them I gather. And, you've mentioned before that you have a good selection of baseball caps so you'll look the part anyway...
;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sat 4 Jun 16 at 13:29
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Police cars can lead a tough life but should be well maintained which can make all the difference. In my day navy vehicles were MOT exempt but had a full service every six months, miss the service slot and it was put off the road until serviced.
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Picking it up tomorrow... 'Bought blind' again so it will be interesting to see what I get for my £2k. It only has five forward gears and not enough power to pull the skin off a rice pudding.
On the plus side it should get more mpg than the 33/34 average I got with the 330. Ironic really, sold the Beemer two weeks ago and it's been roof down weather ever since.
Just watch that elusive 328 Touring turn up next week.....
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It will probably be good for you to have something underpowered. It will make the decision of what to replace a 330 with easier.
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Thanks rrtj70
I've already decided on a 328 Touring. Only 4cyl but 245 horses should just about suffice. Similar performance to the 330 but without the lovely sounds and creamy power deliver of the straight 6.
Maybe in a few years a 340 Touring will be within budget. Here's hoping. Although the five door 4 series Gran Coupe is very enticing in 335 guise as a more expensive, and slightly less practical, alternative.
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So that's going to be a 335 estate then? :-)
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Like the 3 series GT, whose proportions do not enamour me, the 4 series Gran Coupe in five door guise is very practical. Not quite as practical as a 3 Touring, but I would be willing to compromise if the right one came along within budget. A 328 would be fine, maybe the 335 would be a little OTT for my requirements, but I shall ask my ex BMW mechanic pal for his opinion re reliability when I see him tomorrow.
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Ok then, goeth it? Suiteth it? Loveth it, or hateth it?
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No rethponth. He'th outeth in it.
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...en route from Morpeth to Criccieth.
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Probably mithfuelled it...
;-)
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I shall provide a measured response in due course. Value for money wise it's brilliant. Immaculate inside & out. No chance to mithfuel it yet because it came with a 3/4 full tank of ditheathel. Trip computer when I arrived home yesterday, after a dual carriageway thwash, indicated 68.4 mg. I'd be happy with 60 which it probably is.
Needs a cambelt change ASAP. 136k miles. One owner. £2k plus cost of belt/tensioner/water pump. Lovely metallic dark grey and almost unmarked alloys. Well it is a Sport.
Albeit with a 1.6 engine. Quite the oxymoron.
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>> Albeit with a 1.6 engine. Quite the oxymoron.
The 1.6 90-120PS diesel, whether Ford, PSA, VAG or (presumably) GM seems to be a sweet-spot for economy and performance. The Roomie does all I want and the Berlingo, allowing for breeze-block aerodynamics ain't far behind.
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Ain't it a Focuth II though, being a 2011?
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Yeah it ith. Fancy run out model.
Auto lights, auto dipping rear view mirror, nice alloys. Fully documented service history with receipts, although that doesn't come as standard!
But 'Sport' my a***
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Bear me in mind when you want to sell it, for a small loss of course.
;-)
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Had a good look at it this morning.....WV11 MHM ( is it ok posting the reg number, it doesn't bother me!)
Fully documented service history with plenty of receipts. As previously stated, a run out second generation model from March 2011. Immaculate inside & out. Plenty of tread on the tyres, although they are brands unknown to me. £30 annual road tax. The mpg computer was showing an indicated 68.4 mpg when I returned home with it on Sunday. MOT until March 2017.
A nice comfy ride, quite subdued wind noise, practical, cruises ok at an indicated 85/90 so no worries there. Auto lights, auto dipping mirror, 2x 12V power outlets, card slot in centre armrest. Not sure if the Sat Nav works yet, I don't really need it, but my BMW mechanic pal has good friends who work at a Ford main dealer so it could be sorted if necessary. All the seats are very clean, 4 mats, clean engine bay, lovely ( to my eyes) dark metallic grey colour and virtually unmarked alloys.
I shall arrange a belt/ tensioner/ water pump change ASAP. My mechanic pal told me to drive it hard... Accelerate hard, don't pussy foot around in it and the DPF will be fine.
As a stop gap car it's absolutely fine, and quite a bargain at £2k plus cost of belt change.
But I miss that straight six......
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Nice LL, according to the MOT history website one of those tyres should be brand new.
Seems to have covered a healthy 30k per year, hopefully the running should be in good order for the mileage covered.
You say you miss that straight six (I miss my old V6, but not the 30mpg I got) you will be in the same boat with a 328 I think.
I would stick with the Focus, a very modern car for little money. Its a 5 year car, don't treat it like a stop gap car, spend where necessary and keep it in good order.
Your ever diminishing retirement fund will thank you.
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Great stuff LL. Looking on Autotrader, you've got to go down to about a 2007 Focus to get anywhere near a £2k asking price.
Whoever sold it to you has royally diddled themselves.
:-) for you.
This wee chappy appeals to me enormously, but is 3.5 years older and £500 dearer than yours, although lighter on the miles. Granted, not strictly comparable as it's a petrol auto estate, but you get the gist. I've always liked Fords, particularly Ghia variants.
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It has rear parking sensors too ( all working). Doubtless I shall find other features... The air con works very well, but unlike the BM it isn't climate control, and the range of seat adjustment is limited compared to my previous all singing all dancing leccy ones.
But that's nitpicking really... One brand new tyre where it failed the MOT and three almost new ones.
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It needs a name now... Think I'll call it Brian ( with reference to the Magic Roundabout).
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Sounds rather more like a Dylan.
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Watch Game of Thrones?
How about Greyjoy?
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You just can't stop going on about monarchy, can you!!
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I recognise the legitimacy of none of them - although the Khaleesi with the dragons is a different matter. I'd certainly recognise her, given half a chance.
;-)
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Belt change on this engine is very straightforward, and the kit is not dear (<£100 inc the pump) shouldn't set you back too much.
Any idea if it's the earlier 16V (problematic) or later 8V unit?
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I've no idea RichardW. How could I find out without going to my local Ford dealer?
A friend with an '07 plate Golf has just taken it out for a 30 minute drive this evening and on his return offered me £2,500 in cash. Without me changing the belt.
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Replying here instead of there ( 'cos I think we've messed up Chris's thread enough already )
>>proper fun two seater...any suggestions...
Well, I could maybe come up with a couple. But if I were going to do that again at my age, I'd prefer to go for something with a heater and a weathertight hood this time.
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Back in '97 I treated myself to an Elise. Post divorce pressie whilst living in rented, and spent what was left of the house. Cheered me up no end. It never let me down and surprisingly didn't depreciate that much over my three years of ownership. The roof was a faff, and 20 years ago I was nimble enough to jump in & out.
I know someone who struggled getting in and out of an SLK? So bought himself a diesel E class two door thingy with soft top. I won't be going down that route. I'm very much of the 'less is more' school of thought. Caterham any day.
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I loved my Caterham like vehicle, visceral experience. Not one regret at having had it. But, it had its limitations. I think I'd most probably go for a Mazda MX5 or Honda S2000 or some such now if I were to have a two seater ragger. Pal has a Z4 and his wife has a Honda CRV which seems to work for them. They switch them around as required.
Jagwaar XK convertible appeals a bit, but in truth, I just don't think any of those types of cars would be an especially good fit with my current needs and wants.
During the week I need/want a posh van and at the weekends/holidays I need/want a bike transporter.
Happy enough with an LEC these days. Too many cameras to really enjoy a fast car now, on the roads round here anyway. Some potentially great driving roads to the left of us as you look at the map but the police know that too...
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Personally I wouldn't appreciate a powerful soft top. When the roof was down on the BM I drove a lot slower than with the roof up. I appreciated the bird song, sheep bleating, looking around at the clouds & countryside. 60 was normally rapid enough, preferably slower, and although I would rag it roof down on two lane roads the turbulence was not pleasant. Especially for those on the back seat who moaned constantly.
The straight six had to be stretched occasionally, normally very early on a Sunday am heading up to the Lakes for a day on the tops, and only when no back seat drivers who didn't appreciate me shouting 'V1, rotate'.
No sense of humour some people!
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I passed a lady today, on the motorway, in one of those folding tin top Peugeots, roof down, in heavy traffic, but in even heavier rain.
Either bonkers or the roof was jiggered I suppose.
There was a sweet spot in the Westie somewhere about 65 mph where even if it was raining the airflow just threw it over the top and you stayed dry. 5 or 10 mph either side and you really didn't.
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If it was anything like the rain I encountered near the M25-M3 junction, and again as I arrived home, I'm amazed she could drive at all. I sat in the car on the drive - until B. Minor saw me and produced an umbrella - because I didn't fancy the six paces to the front door.
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Some of us were walking back from the pub in such torrential rain. If I had taken a bath fully clothed I would not have been wetter.
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We used to have a trade customer who was not one of life's most pleasant people. Often used to be quite verbally abusive to staff, dodgy payment record etc. He also affected a Rolls Royce convertible.
One day he was visiting our premises and had left the top down on the car in the car park. I was dealing with him and only noticed after we came back out of a meeting room that the weather had taken a turn towards almost tropical rain.
I remarked on this to one of the customer services girls and she quite calmly looked up from her computer which was by a window overlooking the car park ( and gave a clear view of "Mr Unpleasant's" very distinctive car ) and said, "yeah, it's been throwing it down like that pretty much since you went into your meeting, oh, is that your car out there Mr Unpleasant?..."
;-)
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Being courteous doesn't cost anything. And often reaps rewards.
Thinking of my stomach ( not had my Saturday blueberry pancake yet) I was once invited to use the 'staff only' canteen by a warehouse manager. After a 5am start I was peckish and appreciated the unhealthy fry up and continued to use the facility for a number of years. I got to know the canteen girls by name, their children's names, we discussed holidays etc and never once was refused service. The chocs at Xmas probably helped.
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One of our local hostelries has rambling lawns where folk can sit on tables or the grass and enjoy the sunshine while consuming their drinks.
There is adequate parking, but it does get busy often.
One afternoon, a chap in a Mercedes convertible decided that parking with the untermenschen was not for him - he drove onto one of the lawns, so that he could park under a tree.
When a group of of chaps pointed out he was being rather selfish, denying lawn space to others, he snidely told them that he NEEDED to park in the shade, otherwise his seats would get too hot in the sun.
A few hours later, and dusk approached. And then the chickens (actually not, but you get the picture) came home to roost.
Much jollity and mirth. Apropos to nothing whatsoever, and empty crisp packet makes a very effective bird scarer.
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Not that I would or have ever done this... ;-)
But, allegedly, if you sprinkle bread crumbs on the roof of your mate's car late at night, by morning many birds will have decorated it...
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>> My brother in law has a Focus similar to...
>> Must admit I thought he'd regret it, but so far so good actually...up until now anyway, totally reliable...
Yeah, bit of an update on that, the turbo let go last week I'm afraid.
:-(
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Update on Brian ( the Focus)..... Still going strong, well as strong as a 109 horse 1.6 diseasal can go. So far two full tanks of Shell V Power nitro to clean out the fuel system. No squeaks or rattles, but I'm getting nervous about the cambelt. At 137k miles I think I'll get it changed because it's looking like a medium term keeper.
I adapted very quickly to the lack of oomph, the unusual ( for me) nose heavy handling, and I'm not impressed with the grip from the four almost new ditch finders but fitting decent rubber all round seems an unnecessary expense. The lack of acceleration is the hardest to adjust to...overtaking mimsers, caravans, almost anything uphill, and the inability to pull out of side roads and accelerate away during busy periods. Once up to speed it cruises ok at an indicated 85/90 on duals & motorways, although happier at 75, but it's a nice gearbox, very practical, cheap tax (£30) insurance and even thrashed most days the trip computer resolutely shows around 68mpg.
Looks nice too, unkerbed alloys, dark metallic grey, auto dipping mirror, decent stereo, nice 'sports' seats, decent air con and plenty of other toys.
What's not to like
Apart from it's not RWD with a straight six, but for the money I'm highly delighted. In fact very delighted... I reckon it will be around £500 for a belt change and full service so for £2,5k you cannot complain.
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I did state above that fitting decent rubber all round seemed an unnecessary expense, but I have an unholy mix of Fruno-One, Farroad & AutoGrip rubber, none of which I have heard of before. Maybe I'm being over cautious, but I don't mimse, even in Brian, so what does the jury think of me spending circa £300 on a full set of Michelin Cross Climates ( 205/55 R16)? The expense, compared to the improved grip, braking and safety in winter conditions in rural NYorks could very well be worth it.
And just fitting two Michelins seems a half hearted measure
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Costco are presently doing a £50 off offer if you buy 4 Michelins. Valid until the 17th July.
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>> so what does the jury think of me spending circa £300 on a full set of Michelin Cross Climates >> ( 205/55 R16)?
>>
Go for it, whatever else you do to your car, the fact that your safety depends on the 4 patches of contact between rubber and the road is always true.
Get the best you can afford and replace it when it is at 2-3 mm minimum.
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I'd swap these tyres. They sound like the cheapest of the cheap. And even worse it's not even a matching set of cheap tyres.
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In the great scheme £300 is not a lot to pay for four decent tyres. I wouldn't be surprised if the effect on the way it drives is quite noticeable, even before the winter comes.
The MX5 was transformed when the mixture of Firestone, Barum and something I've forgotten that were on it when I got it were changed for four new tyres of the same make. Vredestein as it happened, but the most noticeable thing was that the balance is now about perfect, as proved by 40 laps of Castle Combe really leaning on the tyres a few weeks ago - it was very tail happy when I got it. The difference was so marked, I will never use different tyres fore and aft again.
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...but I don't mimse, even in Brian...
Missus!
Buy the four Crossclimates, LL, then tell me what you think. The LEC needs two Michelins before we go to France and there's nothing to choose price-wise between the CC and the Primacy 3 it has now.
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Thu 30 Jun 16 at 14:25
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Never heard of any of them.
Google tells me Asda sell Farroad
Autogrip
www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Autogrip/F107.htm
I would certainly change them all by the end of the summer.
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Thanks Gents.... I found one supplier @ £70 a corner, inc fitting, balancing etc
I think the Costco deal is cheaper ( many thanks) and I may know someone with an account so will email them asap.
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I had Michelin Alpins on the 330..... Fantastic all weather tyre, and brilliant in snow, getting me home ( I live at the top of a short steep hill with two sharp bends) when neighbours were stranded at the bottom. Cost me the thick end of £900 fitted but still plenty of tread left after 30k miles when I sold the car to my nephew.
If the CC are anywhere near as good I shall be delighted
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As, we hope, will Brian.
};---)
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The Cross Climates are supposed to be very good cold and warm, wet and dry from what I've heard which sounds like something for nothing. Maybe the trade off is wear; but they probably won't wear so much on the back so keep an eye on them and be prepared to swap them back to front to keep the wear even.
I would have put them on the Outlander, but they don't do the size.
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After a week with the X Climates fitted, the handling & grip have improved immeasurably. Braking in the wet is a vast improvement. Yesterday evening a van driver pulled out in front of me on a roundabout, phone clamped to his ear, and I slammed the anchors on & missed T boning him. It would only have been a 25/30 mph collision but could well have resulted in the Focus being written off. Wheel spin has now disappeared when accelerating from standstill in the wet, and the whole car seems more stable when travelling at speed on dual carriageways.
It's much more confidence inspiring, bearing in mind the cars handling limitations compared to my previous.
Sadly, the honeymoon period with Brian is over. I accept it is cheap, practical motoring. 5 doors, lovely dark metallic grey, immaculate inside, 57mpg brim to brim and driven hard, £30 annual tax, cost £2k with FSH from new, plus another £650 spent on belt change, 4 quality tyres & incidentals, but I cannot get on with the lack of performance and overtaking ability when conditions allow.
Please please please can my P Bonds get a big winner next month so I can buy a 340 Touring.
Sorry Brian. It's not you, it's me.
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Ford Focus III - Ask HJ - John Boy
