Citrojim's Saxo and Cycling Tales

[myglaren]

Focus isn't a bad car, so long as it hasn't dissolved. About as exciting as a grey pair of trousers, but there's a reason that they're everywhere. ...which makes getting parts trivial.

But it's a Ford and will need parts all the time, then the same parts again a few weeks later.
My brother had a 3 year old one that was an ex disability car and on the face of it was mint.
It had 20 years worth of rust underneath and everything plastic snapped if you looked at it, especially the lock barrels.
I hated the damn thing and I hated fixing it even more.
It was the second and last Ford in my care.
I get harassed to fix my labourers new Puma, I just smile and give him the auto trader website on my phone.
I sincerely hope it's an in-between car for your nephews sake.

My youngest has a '52 Fiesta and hates it (but less than she hated the Clio and 104).
Very rarely a problem with it and she clocks up a lot of miles.
Last thing was a wheel bearing that could have killed her on a trip to Manchester - a week after MOT man said it was fine
She likes bigger cars - had two SAABs and a Rover 75 that she loved and will be getting something similar when finances allow.
May be a while as she bought a house last week.

[elma]

Sounds to me like you brought up a girl with good taste although the Rover is questionable.

[daviemck2006]

I have owned a few fords, and thpe only one I really liked was a mk1 mondeo 1.8 in the lowly lx trim. Every other one has either been unreliable or drank far more fuel than I thought they should, or disintegrated into a pile of rust. My friend has a 2007 focus, its ok to drive, but the front wings and rear arches are almost non existent because of rust, and looking under it I would think it eill struggle for a new MOT

[Zelandeth]

Rover 75 is always worth consideration if you like bigger comfy motors, have you seen how cheap they've got? Heck of a lot of car for the money.

[myglaren]

Sounds to me like you brought up a girl with good taste although the Rover is questionable.

We used to regularly swap cars as I had a C5 estate at the time.
I quite liked the Rover
Hers was the Connoisseur trim and very comfortable, nice place to be.

[CitroJim]

I've had two Fords in my time... A MKII Fiesta - bland and anonymous but that's why I had it as it lived most if its time with me at MK Railways Station when I worked in London...

The second was a 2.0 Sierra with the DOHC Pinta engine... Biggest pile of junk ever... Rubbish in every respect... The Chavalier that followed it was a far superior car in every possible way.

In fact the Chavalier was an excellent car despite being a Poxhall!

[MikeT]

Focus isn't a bad car, so long as it hasn't dissolved. About as exciting as a grey pair of trousers, but there's a reason that they're everywhere. ...which makes getting parts trivial.

Funny you say that, nephew was originally keen on a cheap "cosmetically challenged" Focus a painter/decorator was trying to offload. I showed him how to check the MOT history online and he discovered it was totally rotten on the underside and changed his mind PDQ.

[CitroJim]

I showed him how to check the MOT history online and he discovered it was totally rotten on the underside and changed his mind PDQ.

Fords of a certain age are still very bad for rust... The MK III and IV Fiestas were very bad for it and could have holes in the sills at five years old... Just like the Ka...

[myglaren]

I had a MKII Fester for quite a while that had been my second daughter's.
Again not much went wrong with it until one day everything happened at once, catastrophically.
Barely managed to drive it to the scrapyard.

[ekjdm14]

I showed him how to check the MOT history online and he discovered it was totally rotten on the underside and changed his mind PDQ.

Fords of a certain age are still very bad for rust... The MK III and IV Fiestas were very bad for it and could have holes in the sills at five years old... Just like the Ka...

I think rust and snapping trim bits are about the long & short of it when you come to any Ford up to at least the early 2000's if not later, shame as some of their stuff is fun to drive but I've gone right off them because of these 2 issues.

Rover 75, had a 2.0 V6 Connie SE for a month or two a few years back. Metallic blue with blue/cream leather & apart from the "legendary" Rover group build quality is was a lovely car to own/drive. Very luxurious, even had onboard TV and DVD player. Well worth a few hundred quid, think I gave £350 for it at the time.

[CitroJim]

People generally speak very highly of the Rover 75...

An appreciating classic too... Possibly the best car ever to come out of Longbridge after the original Mini...

[elma]

Theres actually one on display at Beulieu.

[Gibbo2286]

Thanks James Appreciated!

I guess that (in light of how your holiday appears to have helped you) your major decision is to move down to the New Forest area?

No, it's not that I have no plans to move from my present locality yet...

I may reveal later when plans are a little more advanced...

A Russian bride.

[CitroJim]

A Russian bride.

Not bloody likely!!!!! I'm not going there

I'm on a drive to reduce stress and simplify my life; not make it more complicated

As the old saying goes 'if it has wheels or t*ts it'll give you grief...'

It's true!

[Stickyfinger]

Well that wasted my dress fitting and those Russian lessons !.......feck, need a new plan for free Activa maintenance !