What did you do today?

Talk about your cars etc here. Keep it sort of sensible and on topic please.
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Hooli
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by Hooli »

DodgeRover wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:29 pm AA verdict in tank fuel pump failed. Motor Parts Direct and ECP don't list them. Going to try ford when they open in the morning. Access is easy so at least that's something
Stick a meter over it if they didn't. I had a 'failed in tank pump' on a XR4i that was really the earth lead snapped in the loom. Temp earth wire got it running in minutes.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by DodgeRover »

They tried the earth's too, bloke was genuinely helpful
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by SiC »

Went to the scrappy to pick up a bonnet. Got a better look at it and it wasn't in as good condition as I hoped. Full of scratches where presumably someone stood on to get at the car above.
But crucially it was better than mine.
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Cleaned it down to have a better look. All scratched up but at least it's mostly one colour.
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Removed the washer jets as the original appeared to be heated and the replacement bonnet was not.
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Then I spent an absolute age trying to make it close. Alignment wasn't far off but it wouldn't lock shut. Anyway I eventually realised it was the inner webbing had come away from the bonnet. Almost certainly from being stood on. So everything was out of alignment. I hit it all into shape and got it working okay.
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Needs a good drop of about a foot for it to properly latch. However it's a darn sight better looking than the original. Now a 10 footer rather than a 1000 footer. Given the rest of the paint isn't in great condition, it would look weird if it was too immaculate anyway.
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Cleaned up the throttle body. Love doing these especially when this dirty. Improves the drivability no end.
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While looking around, I saw some oil around the mount. Went to wipe it up and ended up being rewarded with oil squriting everywhere. That'll be the oil damped engine mount that is fucked then...
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Finally I filled up with washer fluid. Just in case the bonnet catch breaks and it never opens again before the MOT...
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I also picked up a interior vent. The scrappy let me have it for free. Most unusual! Must have either been the hot weather clouding his mind or simply even he thought the 20quid for the bonnet was a bit rich considering the condition. Image
However it was a black bonnet on a Focus Mk2 non facelift that was in better condition than mine (not hard). Beggers can't be choosers!

The original interior vent open/close control just span round. So every time you hit a bump, it would open or close. I stuffed paper in to stop it moving.
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Old came out with plastic trim removers and force.
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You can see the locking peg on the wheel snapped off on the original left.
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New popped in.
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At this point my phone started protesting that it was even too hot.
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V5 came today too. It could do with some new tyres soon but I'm definitely not spending out on this car now. I'll still get an MOT as it'll be worth far more than scrap then. Another scrappy was doing part worns fitted for £15 each. While I hate part worns, it's tempting.

Definitely not going to bother spending out on a cambelt or even a service. At most I've got a set of new wiper blades coming as that's a useful thing to have working well in the rain.

While I enjoy bombing around in it and not caring, the mechanicals are sound but going to be worn given the mileage. Then shite body makes resale low. If the clutch gives way then any extra expenditure will be made pointless. Basically going to use it as a runaround banger until I find a TT Mk1 I like and in good condition. Then either sell for cheaps or even just scrapping it for zero hassle.

With bonnet and wipers, I'm in at £590. MOT if passes first time will make it as £640. Add a pair of part worns for £30, £670 in. Probably would shift in easily around that with a full test I imagine/hope. Or I scrap when the MOT expires and collect my £270.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by mercrocker »

Must have missed you getting this, didn't realise you had one!
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by SiC »

mercrocker wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:33 pm Must have missed you getting this, didn't realise you had one!
I got it on Saturday evening - a Few pages back. Including getting the door smashed in by a nut case at a petrol station on the Sunday.

It's not the best example but the interior is clean+fresh and it drives very well. Just knackered paint where the clear coat is flaking off and tired from nearly 150k on a car built to a strict budget.

As above, it's not going to be a long termer and I never intended it to be. Just got to be legal and working for train station runs with the odd garden tip job.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by Broccoli »

Those are always the best cars. You use them, don’t worry about them and always feel a little sad when they go.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by paulplom »

I was at the carboot sale on Sunday and I saw a sliver sony upgraded head unit that I thought might fit yours. Do you want me to enquire on Sunday. I expect it'll be pennies.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by paulplom »

Just had to destroy the front grille and locking mechanism of a neigbours 2011 ford focus to get the bonnet open. What a fantastic bit of design.
Clutch pedal has gone to the floor and the combined brake and clutch fluid resevoir was past below minimum mark.
I have had to go to work. I reckon it's a box off job. He reckons it just needs topping up :lol:
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by mercrocker »

That bonnet lock arrangement is indeed shit - an unintuitive and unnecessary piece of design. There are lots of things that annoy me about the Focus although it is inherently a decent car. Yes, as SiC says, built to a strict budget but so were Cortinas. Mine's up to 125,000 and if I were to be arsed to re-bush the front end it would still drive like new. Hell, to me it is new!
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by SiC »

You apparently can get in on the bonnet with a long screwdriver through the grille. I do hate the key unlock that ford do. Basically to save the cost in production of running a release cable to the cabin. It's why I've filled the washer fluid up in mine to anticipate the lock breaking just before the MOT 🤣

Depending on the engine, (probably all?) they have a CSC slave in the bell housing. So a box off job.

Stuff like that makes me not want to spend out on it. If the body was decent and lower miles then it'd have more resale value and worth putting money into it. There was a 2009 one locally the other week with 80k on the clock and looked immaculate in+out for £1k. That would be the kind of thing worth putting money into.

But a scruffy 146k car with zero service history and short MOT? It's one failure away from the scrapyard.
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