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[henryd]

Lets be honest, anyone who can keep an Omega on the road but crash a Focus needs a few lessons in how to drive.

I disagree - not about that I need lessons, we probably all do now. The Focus is miles better than the Escort it replaced, but is still an awful handling car that simply cannot consistently be placed inch perfect on the road, whether dry, wet or slippery. And not just my Focus, all Focus'

I grew up with FWD, and certainly owned more FWD than RWD, so this isn't an anti FWD rant. Most FWD cars handle, errr, like a FWD car. Its just the Focus (and Escort) that is so rubbish...  ...including the latest.

You have driven some shitters then - The Focus is one of the best handling small hatches FULL STOP.  In fact, I'm struggling to thing of another hatch which handles better..... nope, still cant think of one.

I agree,i reckon the focus is a good car full stop

[TheBoy]

You have driven some shitters then - The Focus is one of the best handling small hatches FULL STOP.

I've only driven probably 20 or so, as I try to avoid them for reasons of self preservation. These vary from your bog standard base models to STs, from the original late 90s to the recent model (and that little 1l turbo is fantastic little town engine, very surprising), they all have the same characteristics (although the ST is a bit of a hoot).

The problem characteristic is unpredictability in corners when driving reasonably quickly (but less so completely flat out). It's impossible to get it inch perfect in a bend. And that's why I won't have any Focus built between 1999 and 2014.

Its a bit of a Marmite car, people I know who own or haved owned either tend to love it as the best car ever, or hate it with a passion.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I experienced a Mk1 2 litre Ghia as a hire car some years ago. I have to say that I thought it handled superbly.


TB.....they must have gathered all the Focus 'lemons' together and saved them for you.

[TheBoy]

TB.....they must have gathered all the Focus 'lemons' together and saved them for you.

Clearly

Actually, ours (and Mrs TB's brother's) had the silly well known issue of the ECU cutting out, which all the time, Ford would not admit.  That was always scary

Probably about 10 of the ones I've driven any distance have all been hire cars, and we know they have a hard life...  ...but then again, don't all makes and model of hire car?


As said, a Marmite car. Clearly unsuited to my driving style. Or Mrs TB's (completely the opposite), or her brother's, or her bro's ex, or some of my colleages.  Yet loved by some friends of ours (and their's handles exactly the same), and by some colleagues at work (or which 2 I've driven, and handle the same).  I guess if you don't notice its deffiencies, its a OK car (even a good car with some of the modern engines). I can't feel safe in one.

[05omegav6]

So what you're getting at is that you need a £500 rwd exec, and sod the fuel costs...

Didn't Vauxhall make summat like that once...

[TheBoy]

So what you're getting at is that you need a £500 rwd exec, and sod the fuel costs...

Didn't Vauxhall make summat like that once...

Forgetting the price for a moment, as budget is variable (within reason), but what do Vauxhall offer now?

All Omegas are now getting a bit too old, with very, very few good ones available in UK that aren't a mess underneath.  And as tunnie has come to his senses, his isn't available, and there are no others I've seen as clean underneath as that one...


At these rate, I can see me sorting out the ever growing list of faults with the Bullet, and keeping that.

[05omegav6]

Here do...

One of theses

Or...

One of theses...

[05omegav6]

So what you're getting at is that you need a £500 rwd exec, and sod the fuel costs...

Didn't Vauxhall make summat like that once...

Forgetting the price for a moment, as budget is variable (within reason), but what do Vauxhall offer now?

All Omegas are now getting a bit too old, with very, very few good ones available in UK that aren't a mess underneath.  And as tunnie has come to his senses, his isn't available, and there are no others I've seen as clean underneath as that one...


At these rate, I can see me sorting out the ever growing list of faults with the Bullet, and keeping that.

Have to agree to disagree wrt Papa T

Realistically though, the Bullets issues will predominantly be sorted by upgrading the brakes, and dropping a fresh(er) engine in...

Still cannot fathom why you haven't fitted vented rears to it

Actually talking of T, there's an engine begging to be dropped straight in...

[TheBoy]

Here do...

One of theses

Or...

One of theses...

Neither. The Sierra could only be liked by a true Ford fan. It was shite at the time, and I can only imagine what its like now .  Ultimately, both are going to disappear in the wind now, given their age, and Ford's anticorrosion methods at the time.

[05omegav6]

Here do...

One of theses

Or...

One of theses...

Neither. The Sierra could only be liked by a true Ford fan. It was shite at the time, and I can only imagine what its like now .  Ultimately, both are going to disappear in the wind now, given their age, and Ford's anticorrosion methods at the time.

I figured a change would be as good as a rest... fit the management from the RS2000 and that Sierra would be quite entertaining...

At least I didn't suggest the boss eyed monster

[TheBoy]

So what you're getting at is that you need a £500 rwd exec, and sod the fuel costs...

Didn't Vauxhall make summat like that once...

Forgetting the price for a moment, as budget is variable (within reason), but what do Vauxhall offer now?

All Omegas are now getting a bit too old, with very, very few good ones available in UK that aren't a mess underneath.  And as tunnie has come to his senses, his isn't available, and there are no others I've seen as clean underneath as that one...


At these rate, I can see me sorting out the ever growing list of faults with the Bullet, and keeping that.

Have to agree to disagree wrt Papa T

Realistically though, the Bullets issues will predominantly be sorted by upgrading the brakes, and dropping a fresh(er) engine in...

Still cannot fathom why you haven't fitted vented rears to it

Actually talking of T, there's an engine begging to be dropped straight in...

The Bullet needs fixing and TLC, not upgrading. The engine is strong, if a tad incontinent, and the brakes every bit as good as TBE's.

More cooling capacity in the rears is not a requirement. It simply doesn't need them, even with judicious use of TC...

[05omegav6]

Given that the mahoosive oil leak has yet to be located, swapping the motor for a known good one with good maintenance history is a fix, even if it seems like cheating

As for the brakes, if they are upto the grade, why do they keep melting

[TheBoy]

Given that the mahoosive oil leak has yet to be located, swapping the motor for a known good one with good maintenance history is a fix, even if it seems like cheating

As for the brakes, if they are upto the grade, why do they keep melting

I have a sticky caliper. I have a replacement caliper for said sticky one, but can't get the brake pipe undone.

But the biggie is rust.  It has "some"

[05omegav6]

Given that the mahoosive oil leak has yet to be located, swapping the motor for a known good one with good maintenance history is a fix, even if it seems like cheating

As for the brakes, if they are upto the grade, why do they keep melting

I have a sticky caliper. I have a replacement caliper for said sticky one, but can't get the brake pipe undone.

But the biggie is rust.  It has "some"

"They all do that sir"

[chrisgixer]

Given what the rusty bullet means to you....And the obvious problem of replacing a car, that was obviously the correct car for you (and us etc) at the time. I'd suggest its worth spending a good few quid to keep it going.

This is why I don't understand the "more than the car is worth" mentality we see on here sometimes. If that's an owners outlook they don't have an ounce of passion for a car. Or probably any car.

While I appreciate time us an issue, spend the money keeping the car you want. Take it off the road. Fix everything. Upgrade everything. There are big brake options. Big engine options obviously . Get the car you want for less money than a newer car you don't want.