Hello, I've got a Mark 1.5 Focus Flight, 2004, 1.6, 16V

I hope there's more owners with same car as mine here...

Hi welcome

Welcome!

The Focus MK1/MK1.5 seems to be rapidly disappearing from the roads. Large numbers are scrapped each year.

Mechanically, these cars are quite reliable and well built. However, their biggest enemy is rust. Rotten sills and structural parts of the bodyshell are extremely common and are usually no longer economical to repair on a vehicle of this age.

Other areas of concern regarding rust are the flanged edges of body panels (doors, bonnet, rear hatch, etc.). On early MK1s, Ford still used synthetic adhesives and paint. To meet environmental regulations, Ford switched to water-based adhesives and paint on late MK1s and all MK1.5s. These were not nearly as good as modern versions. In particular, the water-based adhesives caused serious problems. Corrosion developed between the adhesive and the bodywork, resulting in either the adhesive debonding from the panel or severe visible corrosion around it.

At the time, many body panels were repaired under warranty (covered by the 12-year bodywork warranty, provided all annual body and paint inspections were carried out by Ford). However, the majority of affected panels were not replaced and became problematic later on. This is why so many MK1/MK1.5s have badly rusted doors.
 

In my opinion, the most desirable models are the early higher-trim MK1s (Zetec or Ghia), the very last fully optioned MK1.5s, and the sporty ST/RS models. These have the highest chance of becoming future classics.

 

Hello welcome to the forum.