Ford Focus ST170

[daimlerman]

This is this month's 'budget blaster' in PPC.

A quick look at Ebay shows cars with around 100k at £1500/£2000ish.

Anyone any experience of these?

[Rtaylor2208]

They handle well, are relativly quick but a dreary place to sit, and rust worse than a E30.

I had a MGZR 160 when these came out and it was a bit quicker for less cash. But alas rubbish build quality and just as rusty these days.

[daimlerman]

Thanks,Russ,where do they rust?

Although I live very close to Rimmer Bros,I just cannot force myself to buy a 'Rover'!

[daimlerman]

Thanks,Russ,where do they rust?

Although I live very close to Rimmer Bros,I just cannot force myself to buy a 'Rover'!

You're over 65 so you should be driving a Rover 75

Please can I have one with a V8?

[Andyboy]

Thanks,Russ,where do they rust?

Although I live very close to Rimmer Bros,I just cannot force myself to buy a 'Rover'!

You're over 75 so you should be driving a Rover 65

EFA.

Focuses don't really rust. Old ones rust in the rear sills and the insides of the lower door frames, but they're better than an E46 for example.

[daimlerman]

Thanks,Russ,where do they rust?

Although I live very close to Rimmer Bros,I just cannot force myself to buy a 'Rover'!

You're over 75 so you should be driving a Rover 65

EFA.

Focuses don't really rust. Old ones rust in the rear sills and the insides of the lower door frames, but they're better than an E46 for example.

Would you rate an ST170 above an E46 touring,with a proper engine,of course?

[Andyboy]

Depends. I'd imagine the Focus would be less prone to stupid niggling faults. The only E46 worth a wank is the six pot petrol, and good ones are rare.

[Rtaylor2208]

As mentioned above cills, doors and rear arches have been the worst I have seen. The last I looked at them was in 2010 and of the few we viewed the bottom of the doors was going on all of them.

There is something about ford interiors I really can't bring myself to liking. Functional enough but never feels very special even in high spec models. But parts are readily available and cheap. Residuals are ok as well at the age they are now.

[daimlerman]

So,no zoner will admit to running an ST 170!

My touring is coming to the end of it's life and I need a load lugger that's fun to drive and cheap to buy,a 'shooting break' version(to mis-quote pacerpete)looks to be a potential solution...

[Andyboy]

If you can find a good one, maybe an E36 328i touring. But they are old cars now.

[Andyboy]

So,no zoner will admit to running an ST 170!

My touring is coming to the end of it's life

The grey 24v one?

[capri_rob]

Whats wrong with the touring Malc ?

A good mate of mine runs an ST170 as a daily - 54 plate IIRC 5 door

Doesnt feel that quick TBH - the only big bill he's had though is a new DMF and 2 of the alloys are going porous and have to be pumped up weekly

Quite nice inside - you get a couple of extra gauges, traction control, half leather sports seats and Ford's best invention ever the heated front screen.

No rust on it anywhere either.

Doesnt do much for me but seems like a decent car. Wasnt aware you could get the ST170 in estate form though ? - The Focus estate is not a good looking car IMO - its an estate in the old fashioned sense that they just turned the ass end into a box with no styling cues at all.

[Andyboy]

A mate of mine has a grey ST170 wagon - they are rare.

[csl]

If you can find a good one, maybe an E36 328i touring. But they are old cars now.

Agreed. A nice one,in manual flavour,is a lovely place to be.

[daimlerman]

So,no zoner will admit to running an ST 170!

My touring is coming to the end of it's life

The grey 24v one?

That's the one!

It's starting to look it's age,really it needs a re-spray and body loving.Set of tyres,both front doors are scabby along the bottom...

Thinking that I could get somthing 10/12 years old for less than the cost of a decent re-spray.

[capri_rob]

Meh bang a set of better doors on it and a pair of mid-range boots and just keep it going.

Yes you could get a modern sh1tter for less than the cost of a respray but is it really that bad ?

My experience of running "modern" cheap cars over the last few years is that its suspension components that cause the most issues/write stuff off come MOT time.
"modern" cars seem to have that many joints/bushes/balljoints/mounts that when they all fail together not only is it a pig of a job to sort if you dont have access to a workshop with a lift, its foooooking expensive - my Volvo V40 would have cost me approaching £500 in parts alone to get through the MOT - all suspension related. It was otherwise a great car - no rust, no electrical issues and a faultless engine & gearbox. I know the E46 before that had suspension issues lurking as did the Hyundai Coupe I had before that, and the Mondeo I had before that despite polybushing the rear subframe was still knocking its b0ll0cks off when I traded it in......

I now have the 156 - which has a known reputation for eating front upper and lower wishbones along with all the other potential Alfa issues - sensible aint I

[daimlerman]

Remember that the touring is my daily,the problem that I am faced with is;
Do I pour cash into a re-spray,bearing in mind that both rear door shuts are now showing signs of stress cracks and the cills are starting to bubble at the rear door seam.
Also remember that after-market parts are getting harder to find for service items.

Or,do I buy a more modern load lugger,such as an ST170(5 door or estate)which will use less fuel and be cheaper to fix when it breaks?

When I was forced to relace 'er indoors's car this summer,the 02 plate Micra needed a VED of just £125,compared to £140 for the Siecento,Micra is returning 45/50mpg compared to 38/43mpg for the Siecento....
So similar cash savings for my daily would be helpful!

I've no plans to sell the cabbie,of course.

[capri_rob]

You will pay top whack tax on the ST170 ( £280 a year ?? )
Fuel wise you're probably talking 30mpg in normal use
As for being cheap to fix theres probably not much in it - I don't think ST parts command the price premium RS stuff did/does but still not much cheaper if at all than OEM quality stuff from the likes of ECP

How many miles a year do you use it for ?

Didnt realise the shell of the touring was cracking up though

[B7]

There comes a time when you have to weigh up the pros and cons. An e30 run daily, is an expesive option compared to moderns stuff. They are plus 20 years old now an need keeping on top of. Add that to the creeping rust in all of them and the salt each winter? I can see Malcs point.

[capri_rob]

Me too sadly. I've been getting through about 3 "dailys" a year for the last 3 or 4 years. I do get bored quickly though

Would you break the E30 malc or punt it on ?

[darkchild]

There comes a time when you have to weigh up the pros and cons. An e30 run daily, is an expesive option compared to moderns stuff. They are plus 20 years old now an need keeping on top of. Add that to the creeping rust in all of them and the salt each winter? I can see Malcs point.

Spot on. Mine is in far better condition than most but I've just spent £700 having a few little bits of paint done. Door, towing eye and rear arch all had minor rust that I had nipped in the bud early. Leave it and it will turn into a welding marathon at a later date. I understand Malc's dilemma, its a question of economics. Preventative maintenance is the key and I always keep a small war chest for mine in case anything needs sorting sooner rather than later. They're cheap and reliable transport when sorted but most will eat a lot of shekels to get to that stage now.

I just console myself that spending a bit every now and then on paint is infinitely preferable to HP payments on a Peugeot 308 Rapist or similar.

[daimlerman]

Would you break the E30 malc or punt it on ?

Not sure,yet.

Bear in mind that it's a 'bitsa special',home-converted LHD shell with an M50.So it's worth the sum of it's parts....if anyone reading this wants to take it on then I am happy to talk to them,but Trev really sums up the position I am in with it.

Due to going well over budget with my boat,all the spare cash has gone there this last twelve months,I've been reduced to my stockpile of bottletop wheels in an attempt to keep the thing vaguely legal!

I re-furbed a set of BBS 15'' cross-spokes for it,black centres and laches rimz no less,a pair of these are sat tyre-less in our spare bedroom/parts store!

[capri_rob]

If it will MOT without too many Issues I'd stick a ticket on it and punt it on

The shell is structurally good and its got the right donk in it so should find a buyer without too much aggro - certainly less aggro than breaking it

[daimlerman]

You will pay top whack tax on the ST170 ( £280 a year ?? )
(

Spot there,Rob,just run a check on the DVLA site!

Looks like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place,touring averages 34/36mpg at £225 VED,I would expect to get upper 30's from an ST170 given the same use...perhaps I ought to buy the touring a decent set of tyres and run it a couple more years?

[B7]

Don't laugh. Keep the convertible, break the touring properly and at nil cost:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-MAZDA-6- ... _444wt_988

or

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-TOYOTA-A ... 7102wt_988

Late economical reliable motoring at throwaway money.