Hi everyone, I'm new here and I am after some advice please

I have a 2004,  3 door 1.6 Focus Zetec in Machine Silver.  To me its a " rare but nobody cares " car ,  but I love it.  It owes me nothing except emotional attachment, I bought it for no other reason than I wanted to. Its done 140k, 20k of which done in the last 12 years. It starts, stops, drives really well and has never let me down. Yesterday it failed its MOT on N/S/F suspension arm and N/S/R Lower arm , the one that holds the spring in. neither of these are beyond my skillset and a weekend on my back in the springtime, however there were a few advisories, like corrosion to both rear springs and a few other bits so if I'm doing one front arm, I would do both, and drop links. If I'm doing one rear arm, I would may as well change the spring, then if I'm doing one, I would need to do both, if I'm doing both springs, i may as well do both arms...….. then before you know I've spent a grand on a car that's not worth a grand.  Then if I spend a grand on it, id want it be be mint, so I would start to look at paint, interior, then a cam belt ….. and then I'm in too deep

 

So do I cut my losses now?  and if so it seems far too good to scrap. Do any of you guys have any other options? are there any people out there that would take her on as a project or take her as a donor car? 

Or do i do the " bare minimum " get her a fresh MOT and pass her on to a new home

 

MOT expires end of this month. I'm losing sleep. 

I would be interested in anyone's thoughts

 

Thanks in advance

 

Dave

The question to ask yourself is:

How much are willing to spend on buying a replacement ? What condition would that be in ?

Buy a new car.

Spray the underside of your Focus so it doesn't corrode any more.

Park it up

Bring it out in 10 years time when it's worth a fortune

12 hours ago, Galvo1878 said:

Or do i do the " bare minimum " get her a fresh MOT and pass her on to a new home

This.

If you leave it parked until spring, it'll be even more rusty time you start repairing it.

If the springs are an advisory. Just clean them up with a wire brush n anti-rust spray them if there still good. Why would you spend money on parts that don't need doing ? The rear lower arms yeah if you know a place get the bush's done not replace the arms as aftermarket aren't made as strong as fords n crack ( seen it loads when l was on FB focus group a few years ago ) as uno is saying it's better the devil you know n obviously trust, your next could be like repair after repair personally I'd stick with it plus it's 1 of few that you don't need to pay an auto locksmith if you lock them in the car. And if it's the 3dr as Dave t70 said it'll be worth more in time to come if you look after it, despite what people say look at the mk1-4 escorts apparently wasn't worth a thing now well looked after are nearly or more than the original value.

Thanks everyone. It’s not a daily driver so I don’t need to replace it. 
 

im going to mull it over , over the weekend 

Remove the sound insulation from the rear wheel arches. This sound insulation is fitted to the outside of the vehicle and looks like a synthetic carpet.

Dirt and moisture collect between the sound insulation and the bodywork and causes severe corrosion. A Focus MK1.5 of this age is usually completely rotten.


If no serious corrosion can be found the car might be worth saving. If it shows severe corrosion, it is not worth the effort.

2 minutes ago, JW1982 said:

Remove the sound insulation from the rear wheel arches. This sound insulation is fitted to the outside of the vehicle and looks like a synthetic carpet.

Dirt and moisture collect between the sound insulation and the bodywork and causes severe corrosion. A Focus MK1.5 of this age is usually completely rotten.


If no serious corrosion can be found the car might be worth saving. If it shows severe corrosion, it is not worth the effort.

Thank you. That’s what I will base my decision on. 
 

cheers everyone 

Well what did you decide over the weekend? Another vote here for sufficient work to get an MOT. A positive is parts are pretty cheap and plentiful. 

Hi 

Well, the MOT fail was due to excessive corrosion on the NSR arm, after seeing some horror rot on the internet I was expecting some proper frilly stuff, but i only saw surface corrosion. Granted it was cold and wet yesterday soi didn't stay under there too long. Also, i peeled back the wheel arch liner expecting rot and to me it looked dry and pretty much as it would have been 21 years ago. I will upload some pictures so I would value if anyone thinks otherwise to my thoughts please . 

So then plan is it to SORN it, dry store it till spring and clean it up, rust protect it underneath, replace the front arm and give it a fresh MOT ready for a summer. I hope that it proves to be the right thing to do. If not, I've wasted probably £250 quid and a bit of elbow grease but had a bit of fun along the way. Not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things. 

Thank you all for the advice

Excessive corrosion?

Is it actually rotten? It doesn't look it.

Clean it up and paint it if it isn't

4 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

Excessive corrosion?

Is it actually rotten? It doesn't look it.

Clean it up and paint it if it isn't

I think the mot guy needs glasses or he isn't getting enough work n is trying to con people to make work.. that is in no way rotten it shouldn't have even been an advisory n l use a place that don't let things slip easily. I go out of my town because of the garages like this guy has used..

Thanks everyone

 

You aren't getting away with the ball joint

Headlamp aim could be bulb incorrectly fitted or lens yellowed

If there's no holes in the suspension arm, clean it with a wire brush and paint it with smoothrite

 

?

Just lost some posts there🤔

Sorry, IT not my strong point!  headlamp is the bulb upside down ball,  joint is a two year old arm that's failed, obviously a cheap and not so cheerful one. Its defo a keeper.

 

Thanks again everyone

3 hours ago, Galvo1878 said:

Sorry, IT not my strong point!  headlamp is the bulb upside down ball,  joint is a two year old arm that's failed, obviously a cheap and not so cheerful one. Its defo a keeper.

 

Thanks again everyone

I have a mk1 and my rear arms are rusted more than yours. Same on the coil springs.I had a fail on the front lower arm ball joint years ago and removed the rivets and put a good quality bolt on ball joint as I heard as mentioned above the arms are better made than eBay replacements. Grind and drill out the old ones.