Car (or bike) Chat!

[walpurgis]

No picking up dodgy birds!

[struth]

No picking up dodgy birds!

Shite all over the bonnet
Bloody pigeons

[walpurgis]

Got back from taking the car for its annual service a little while ago. The MOT is done and I've just taxed it (free). That's a relief, sorted for another year! (insurance due in September though)

[struth]

Got back from taking the car for its annual service a little while ago. The MOT is done and I've just taxed it (free). That's a relief, sorted for another year! (insurance due in September though)

thats good news.... i dont have that now fortunately

[walpurgis]

thats good news.... i dont have that now fortunately

The car's only done 18k since I bought it new five years ago. It's still on the main dealer service plan, which I think I'll cancel now, as I can maintain it myself. I'm not too worried about further service stamps in the book. The car's declining value make them not really worth the expense.

[struth]

The car's only done 18k since I bought it new five years ago. It's still on the main dealer service plan, which I think I'll cancel now, as I can maintain it myself. I'm not too worried about further service stamps in the book. The car's declining value make them not really worth the expense.

still under 1000 miles on mine lol

[walpurgis]

still under 1000 miles on mine lol

The first 5k seemed to take ages, then the rest just piled on without me really noticing.

[Beobloke]

Well, it’s all change on the car front in the Beobloke household. The Mercedes estate has gone due to the huge list of advisories from the MOT last year, plus the ever-present worry of the SBC pump reaching the end of its pre-programmed life and requiring replacement for £1300. (for those of you who know early W211 Mercs, you’ll know about the SBC pump. For the rest of you, for god’s sake research it before you buy one!).

Of course, you know what’s coming, don’t you? Yes, that’s right; I listed it for sale on a Sunday and the SBC pump flashed up its end-of-serviceable-life warning three days later. After much swearing, I confessed the issue, knocked £1000 off the price and it sold two days later to a very nice chap who caught the train down to Hampshire from Carlisle to buy it without even seeing it.

So, this left me with a conundrum – what to buy. I wanted affordable and cheap to fix (and no bloody SBC pump…) but wanted a manual for a change and something with a bit of poke, after 18 months in the wilderness with only four cylinders under my right foot.

Well, after a few test drives and a brief flirtation with an MG ZT V6 or two, salvation came in the form of a…………………………Mondeo! It’s a 2005 Ghia X loaded with toys (including heated and cooled seats – the latter is good, but weird!) and in absolutely mint condition. I bought it from a chap in a big and very swish house near Goodwood who is a collector and has 45 cars (well, 44 now…) and a soft spot for rare Fords. “Rare Fords?” I hear you cry. “It’s a flippin’ Mondeo FFS – what’s rare about it?”. Whilst it is true that Mondeos are not exactly uncommon, they definitely are when in Ghia X trim, and loaded up with a 6 speed manual box and a 3.0 V6 under the bonnet, which is what this one sports. It’s basically a slightly de-tuned ST220 with softer suspension and a more sophisticated demeanour.

Anyway, it drives like new, goes like stink and I like it. I like it very much indeed.

[struth]

looks in pristine nick. Good motors the mondeos

[Roy S]

I had a 2.2 diesel ST version, lovely car, all the toys but probably the worst car I’ve had for things going wrong. Gear selection, dual mass flywheel, suspension faults & it seemed to eat tyres. Put me off Fords for good.