Picking up my new steed!

[Andy]

So after the Cougar failed on me miserably and being sold sharp ish I've been a little car-less for the last couple of months. I put a deposit down on another car last week and after a few bits, like getting a proper reg on it and a small tracking issue, I'm picking up my new steed tonight!

Handy the place having its own fuels pumps as one part of the deal was a full tank of fuel, with they've gone and done!

Once I get it home I'll get a few pics up, but as for now all I'll say it's a Ford!

[art b]

another fraud...

[Andy]

Yep, should keep me entertained if when it starts breaking!

[art b]

never bored... wiff a ford...

[Andy]

Ta daa!

Couldn't face getting at Mondeo, so got its smaller brother, a Focus!

It's a 1.8 Petrol Zetec Climate, with bluetooth.



Happy as a dog with two dicks, a car I can be proud of lol

[Cunning Plan]

Nice colour bud. Good alloy style too

Same year as mt gf's Fiesta. Should drive well, nice and tight.

[Andy]

Has she got the new shape? Can't remember when they came in, but I tried my friends out with about 19,000 on the clock and it felt really nice. Comparing it to an old Fiesta 54 plate I had as a courtesy car, it was like it was German!

Gearbox is properly nice, real slick. Well 'appy! Oh and my friends have called it Roo...

[Motorama]

this is what you need.........

http://www.kugelkomponents.com/focus/focusv8.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.kugelkomponents.com/focus/focusv8.php

[Andy]

Quoting: Motorama

this is what you need.........

Don't... tempt... there seems to be quite a scene in the States for modding the Mk1 and 1.5 Focuseses's... B&M even make a shifter for it!

The 1.8 is actually pretty pokey!

[Jo]

Good reliable car, I have a 2001 1.6 petrol, auto Focus.

[Roadkill]

Steed ?

I thought you'd brought yourself a motorbike for a minute.

Nice car.  Will probably be what I end up buying Sammy.  

[EDGE]

Andy, B&M may or may not have COPIED THE ONE I, AND ANOTHER GUY DESIGNED!!!!!

Still. No patent means no nothing!  Nice car :)

[Andy]

Quoting: EDGE

Andy, B&M may or may not have COPIED THE ONE I, AND ANOTHER GUY DESIGNED!!!!!

Well i fitted one in my Mondeo when I had it stopped me hitting the buttons on the stereo when I was going for the more athletic gear changes.

If you designed it, tell me, how the frig are you meant to get the little retaining clip thing off without shearing any of the tags off?!

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

Has she got the new shape?

No, she has the one just before, but the face-lift version which was known as the 'Nipple-Lights' version as the lights have a raised nipple on top of them.

The same as this one, but a 5-door:

[EDGE]

Quoting: Andy

If you designed it, tell me, how the frig are you meant to get the little retaining clip thing off without shearing any of the tags off?!

ah ya see... that was on the 2.0 which had the mtx-75 trans with the lift up reverse.  the IB5 in the 1800 focus was a regular 'push past the spring' reverse, far easier and NO tangs :)

[Andy]

Ahh, yeah, I see! The MTX-75 was a bloomin' good box according to a lot of the Mondeo modding guys. Very strong, could take NoS an all that.

CP - Whats the gearbox like in hers? A guy at our work kept taking his back (on a PCP) as he couldn't stand how sloppy it was.

I think a bit of F-Body has struck me with this, a) I've started a folder with all my bills and stuff in it, even a mileage record... b) I found myself cleaning the alloys at lunch time as I 'knew' they could be cleaner.

God bless you Martini, where ever you're polishing now!

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

CP - Whats the gearbox like in hers? A guy at our work kept taking his back (on a PCP) as he couldn't stand how sloppy it was.

It's real nice actually, very tight and precise TBH

You get a crunch into reverse if you snatch it in quickly, holding the clutch down for a second or two makes it goes in fine, that's the only known fault I know of..

[Andy]

Noticed I get the same reverse thing on mine. Though found a way to cure it is to put it in 2nd first, then reverse.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

Noticed I get the same reverse thing on mine. Though found a way to cure it is to put it in 2nd first, then reverse.

Any gear should work. I do the same with the Cherokee, it seems to stop or slow down the meshing so the gears can lock without grinding. I always go to 3rd then to reverse in the Cherokee, seems more fluent

[Cunning Plan]

FYI, I had contacted Ford regarding the problem and their 'tolerance' for the clutch is 3 seconds. If you hold the clutch down for 3 seconds and it still crunches, they will sort it under warranty (if applicable).

If it does not crunch after 3 seconds, then they say it is okay.

Thing is, 3 seconds is quite a long time if you are waiting to reverse into a space or off a main-road into a driveway or something, you supposed to just sit there counting?

Annoyed me a little, but the car is still very nice to drive, always feels like a go-kart after the Jeep though

[Andy]

A month on...

Returning on average around 34mpg, at 400 odd miles to a tank. Found the computer for how many miles to go before needing to be filled up almost too tempting to test the other night. I knew how far it was from Slough to mine, just hadn't factored in the traffic jam...

Gave it a proper clean and wax tonight, even though its going to hack it down for the rest of the week.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

how many miles to go before needing to be filled up almost too tempting to test the other night

If it is like the Fiesta, it under-estimates to ensure you always have fuel in the tank to get you to a petrol station. We always find the gauge will be in the red, practically empty and the DTE on the computer will say 1 or 2 miles left, but when we fill back up, we can work out that there is still around 4-5 litres left in the tank as we can't fill up with the full 45 litres.

[Incursus]

Quoting: Andy

Found the computer for how many miles to go before needing to be filled up almost too tempting to test the other night.

Yeah played that game a few times  30miles to go - 45 mile trip home from work..... no problem  

Was 0 miles to go from 15A(M1) to Stacy Bushes  

[Roadkill]

I think all cars do that . . . . except Alfas - Which run out of fuel when it said it still had 12 miles left in the tank !

[Andy]

F**K, F**K and more bloody F**K!!

Am so bloody angry, just had a run in with a deer. Not looking good for the car. Front bumper stoved in, radiator/condensor busted, coolant everywhere. Absolutely f**king peeved!

Was doing 30mph just on my road, there was a blind dip and just crusting it I saw some eyes going from left to right, so applied the brakes, but probably not enough as by the time I got to it, it shot back across in front of me. I hit it square between the wheels and it seems to have gone in through the front lower grill, through the radiator and under the engine.

Shock has now worn off, now I'm waiting for the cold light of day to really see how much damage has been done.

Really not happy as I love this car. It may only be a Focus, but I really do cherish it.