Forgive me father, for I have sinned... Hocus Pocus

[AnnoyingPentium]

Whoops, I bought a thing.

 

 

Well... bought is a strong word, received is more likely. A free car is a free car. Wahey.

Watch this space, it's typical Fordisms are present, but it's not overly rusty despite being in the state it would make you think it's in. Not going to get my hopes up too much, but it's got potential I hope, as possibly the earliest Mk1 Focus estate in the UK, and the only known 1998 one left that hasn't been scrapped.

 

Ryan.

[StevesTruck]

I forgot they even came out on an S-reg, I had an X-reg Escort. 

[Breezy_Pete]

Least effort plan:- park it in the corner of garden and use as a greenhouse?

🙂

[AnnoyingPentium]

17 minutes ago, StevesTruck said:

I forgot they even came out on an S-reg, I had an X-reg Escort. 

 

First "proper" models for sale hit the road in August '98. The Focus estate was technically MY1999 but a few slipped through the net at the tail end of 1998, like this one. Escort hatchbacks kept until 2000, you could get an Escort estate until 2001/Y IIRC. Of the 350 (that I know of) 1998/1999 S-Plate Focuses, Focus, Focii whatever, only 83 survive. The amount of scrapped ones is scarily terrifying, but they're fond of the tin-worm so it's not really unexpected. This one is, as far as giving the sills a good checking over, fairly solid, so I'm grateful for that. However the front wings are returning to their natural state, but the metal behind is still good. In theory, it won't take much to put this one right, and have it hit the road for the first time since about 2020... but at the same time, in theory Communism works, in practice it has not, so far.

 

11 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Least effort plan:- park it in the corner of garden and use as a greenhouse?

🙂

 

Tempting, very tempting. Big windows in it as well. 

Although once whole it'll most likely become a dog wagon as Freddie struggles a bit with the lip on the Fabia, and can't even clear the boot of the Duster without having a run at it.

Edited 28 February, 2023 by AnnoyingPentium

[@Lee]

Perfect base for a Stormtrooper look. 

[KenONeill]

4 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Of the 350 1998/1999 S-Plate Focuses, Focus, Focii whatever, only 83 survive.

Well, there's one Ferrari model where, of 13 built, only 21 are known to survive...

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, @Lee said:

Perfect base for a Stormtrooper look. 

 

Possibly, I've carved up a list of things I'd love to fit/add to it, but getting an MOT on it is the sensible starting point!

[mac11irl]

whats it looking like on the inside/ under the bonnet?

i feel like i can smell it from where im sitting

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

23 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

whats it looking like on the inside/ under the bonnet?

i feel like i can smell it from where im sitting

 

 

The mighty 1.8...

 

 

The inside is a mix of dogs, a loft on a house, and a hamster cage. Will need the wet vac.

[mac11irl]

yeah, thats about the smell i was expecting...

 

MOT expired 822 days ago

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

14 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

MOT expired 822 days ago

 

Yep, been sitting a while. The wall at the side of it has kept the weather off the lower portions of the car. It's still really solid (a blessing for these old Fords) so that's a good start. It needs a fuel pump and front wings, which was the reason it wasn't MOT'd as the owners (who are known for shuffling through cars) bought a Volvo V70 to take over from it and just laid this up beside an Almera which needs a lot less work, but is about as interesting or exceptional as a beige electric blanket.

[Warrior193]

Was it still attached to the caravan behind it?

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

Was it still attached to the caravan behind it?

 

Nope, it's never actually towed that caravan IIRC, the Almera next to it was on towing duties.

 

The towbar was originally used for carrying boats and suchlike I believe, but that was in a previous life.

[Gaz]

If it's saveable (and it looks like it is 😎), can I just point out the good money Mk1 & Mk2 Escorts are fetching these days.  Last Mk1 I bought was £150, and that I scrapped it because they were 1) two a penny and 2) I couldn't be bothered with it makes my hindsight muscle have palpitations   Same as for the FIAT 131 listed at Silverstone recently with a £45k (?) start.

 

Just sayin'

 

Gaz

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

49 minutes ago, Gaz said:

If it's saveable (and it looks like it is 😎), can I just point out the good money Mk1 & Mk2 Escorts are fetching these days.  Last Mk1 I bought was £150, and that I scrapped it because they were 1) two a penny and 2) I couldn't be bothered with it makes my hindsight muscle have palpitations   Same as for the FIAT 131 listed at Silverstone recently with a £45k (?) start.

 

Just sayin'

 

Gaz

 

 

If I were lucky, this'd fetch money but realistically to most it's just another Focus estate with no real significance. It definitely seems saveable, and I'm hoping so. It's high mileage, decent spec, recent-ish (2019, so needing done again) cambelt etc. Time will tell, but I reckon it'll be a good runabout for the longer trips and carrying the dog.

 

Will this replace the Fabia? No, I don't think it will. However, it'll depend on how things go with this, as if it can be of use to me as a car/intended purpose even for a little while I'll be well chuffed.

[Warrior193]

Hmmmm, now lets see - for your penance, how about 1000 Hail Marys', 100 Our Fathers and a good donation for the Poor Box? 

Go and sin no more. 😆

[AnnoyingPentium]

25 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

Hmmmm, now lets see - for your penance, how about 1000 Hail Marys', 100 Our Fathers and a good donation for the Poor Box? 

Go and sin no more. 😆

 

Lol... donation? Do yous accept whole Focuses?

 

The title refers more to the fact I've gone non-Skoda this time around, I didn't see it coming lol.

[J.R.]

The 1.8 Zetec is a peach of an engine, the early ones which yours will be had a problem with a sticking oil pressure relief valve, easily changed for the later upgraded version, mine decided to displace the oil filter O ring and dump the contents of my sump on the start grid at Lydden Hill, I was black flagged before the  start flag had even dropped

 

It took a lot of cement and furious sweeping by marshals to put that right!

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, J.R. said:

The 1.8 Zetec is a peach of an engine, the early ones which yours will be had a problem with a sticking oil pressure relief valve, easily changed for the later upgraded version, mine decided to displace the oil filter O ring and dump the contents of my sump on the start grid at Lydden Hill, I was black flagged before the  start flag had even dropped

 

It took a lot of cement and furious sweeping by marshals to put that right!

 

Good to know, thanks!

 

Sounds like you had a crap time with yours there. Out of interest, do you happen to know what could cause a non-start? It's smelling of petrol (did start and run a while ago but now won't) and acting as if it has flooded.

[StevesTruck]

39 minutes ago, J.R. said:

The 1.8 Zetec is a peach of an engine, the early ones which yours will be had a problem with a sticking oil pressure relief valve, easily changed for the later upgraded version, mine decided to displace the oil filter O ring and dump the contents of my sump on the start grid at Lydden Hill, I was black flagged before the  start flag had even dropped

 

It took a lot of cement and furious sweeping by marshals to put that right!

 

Forgot it will be a real zetec, rather than a duratec. Great engines.

 

Obvious question for the fuel pump not working. Have you reset the crash switch? 

 

Not sure on a focus, but on an escort, the immobiliser runs off the door locks and cuts the fuel pump, so if the car thinks it's locked, that could be it. The PATS runs off the key chip and cuts the ECU. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 hours ago, StevesTruck said:

Obvious question for the fuel pump not working. Have you reset the crash switch? 

 

Nope I have not. The fuel pump was a guess to the non-start issue.

 

2 hours ago, StevesTruck said:

Not sure on a focus, but on an escort, the immobiliser runs off the door locks and cuts the fuel pump, so if the car thinks it's locked, that could be it. The PATS runs off the key chip and cuts the ECU. 

 

The door lock on the driver's side is dead-unlocked ((as in, is a faff to close) three man job to unlock/lock the door), so maybe that? Will try to sort it.

Edited 1 March, 2023 by AnnoyingPentium

[TMB]

23 hours ago, StevesTruck said:

I forgot they even came out on an S-reg, I had an X-reg Escort. 

 

I had a MK6 Escort Zetec. Loved that car. Very smooth engine and gave very little trouble overall.

[TMB]

Since your Focus is an S-reg, I thought I'd share this pic of me in a brand-new S-reg Mondeo back in the day....

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

8 minutes ago, TMB said:

Since your Focus is an S-reg, I thought I'd share this pic of me in a brand-new S-reg Mondeo back in the day....

 

 

Lovely photo, Lee. I have a real soft spot for that shape Mondeo. I wanted one of those, but settled for the Focus since it was free. I mean, I'd still jump at the chance of one of those, but they're thin on the ground now, especially up here. They're on the "someday" list.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I'm currently trying to trace the history of this car. It dons 'STANNINGLEY FLEET CENTRE' dealer plates, so it has been through another dealer since being allocated the Bournemouth/Dorset registration. However, I'm trying to work out where the devil this place is. So far, I've deduced it could be the Stanningley Commercials dealer on Bradford Road, Pudsey, Leeds. However, I've got nothing concrete, plus the phone number is for a completely different place.

 

 

Definitely an odd one. I'd like to know, but I'm not desperate as the plates will be getting whipped off it anyway for some dealer plates if I can put the car right.