The Focus Is Gone, But It Will Live On...

[jmurray01]

Today somebody from a local garage came and took the Focus away (got £100 for it which wasn't too bad), but the good news is that the engine will be put into another Focus to keep it on the road.

Even I could see that the car as a whole was not worth repairing, but there certainly were usable parts in it and the engine was one despite having 187,000 miles on it (that's what regular oil changes get you).

Unfortunately the Fiesta will also be getting sold as we've had some problems from the council, as it is parked in a council car park for residents (which we are!), but apparently unless it is insured they cannot allow it to stay, and without spending £300-400 it won't pass an MOT and therefore cannot be insured.

Overall it is a pretty depressing weekend Ford-wise, but what else can I do.

[Lenny]

Today somebody from a local garage came and took the Focus away (got £100 for it which wasn't too bad), but the good news is that the engine will be put into another Focus to keep it on the road.

Even I could see that the car as a whole was not worth repairing, but there certainly were usable parts in it and the engine was one despite having 187,000 miles on it (that's what regular oil changes get you).

Unfortunately the Fiesta will also be getting sold as we've had some problems from the council, as it is parked in a council car park for residents (which we are!), but apparently unless it is insured they cannot allow it to stay, and without spending £300-400 it won't pass an MOT and therefore cannot be insured.

Overall it is a pretty depressing weekend Ford-wise, but what else can I do.

Wow very sorry to read this Jamie mate,

The MOT has been the Reaper of many loved motors,

Put my Toyota Sprinter Levin BZR in the breakers aswell, i still have the drivers seat from it though,

Missing it alot lately,

I hope you pick up another ford soon mate.

[jmurray01]

Wow very sorry to read this Jamie mate,

The MOT has been the Reaper of many loved motors,

Put my Toyota Sprinter Levin BZR in the breakers aswell, i still have the drivers seat from it though,

Missing it alot lately,

I hope you pick up another ford soon mate.

Thanks Lenny, it has been a sad day for sure. To some people a car is just a lump of metal, but once you've had a car for a number of years and have been through a lot with it you find it just as hard to let go as a cat or a dog.

I'm just glad that our '99 Volvo V40 is proving to be a reliable car and I'm sure in a few months I'll feel the same about it as I did the Focus. That said, it isn't a Ford (although they are really one and the same company) and I will need to buy another one as soon as financially feasible. We sold our Rover in 2013 and I left it too long without buying another one that I no longer have the desire to, and I don't want that to happen with Fords.

What really irritates me is that the Focus would have been in a perfectly acceptable state for driving in America or Canada, where safety inspections are not required and if they are, it is basically just a case of exhaust emissions and that is it. It isn't even like we save money on car insurance due to the MOT test, because as we all know - we don't!! You have to prove that your car is in impeccable condition once a year and still pay through the nose to drive it. That's the UK for you, everything is a battle.

[Goodkat]

As it is council owned, it is considered public and therefore subject to the rules of the road, if it is not roadworthy and insured, it can't be there.

As for the Focus, as much as I hate MOTs, they are there to try to ensure vehicles are safe. I am sure there are statistics that show that UK cars are much safer than Yanks in this regard. Sucks, but thems the rules.

Can I advise you now to learn from these experiences, let your head rule your heart a little, and instead of buying a cheap scrapper, maybe saving for a Ford which has MOT and needs a lot less work? I don't mean to sound harsh, but you have a lot of enthusiasm, and you could make a half-decent car great, stop faffing trying to make a crap car run.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP

[jeebowhite]

Unfortunately the key issue with that is to get a half decent car you have to have a decent amount of money and in these trying times with governments bending everyone over, its not always feasible for someone to do without a car for a period of months or years to save up for a decent motor. A lot of it comes down to luck.

[Goodkat]

Unfortunately the key issue with that is to get a half decent car you have to have a decent amount of money and in these trying times with governments bending everyone over, its not always feasible for someone to do without a car for a period of months or years to save up for a decent motor. A lot of it comes down to luck.

That is true Jeebs, but hopefully in the OPs case the Volvo may prove to be a good stop-gap, but a hundred quid car that needs £500+ spending on it to get it to scrape an MOT vs a £600 car which has MOT and is more likely to pass another, I know which I would go for.

With the exception of two Escorts that have been posted on FOC recently. They look worthy of a punt and are at scrap money, but not often does decent motors come in at scrap money. Most are that price because they are crap.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP

[chrisroberson99]

That's a shame, but at least the Focus will be in with a chance of surviving a few more years yet,

Sorry to hear about the Fiesta. :(