Define "full history"; is it just rubber stamps in the service book or do you have sight of the actual invoices for work done?
just stamps in book BUT all done by ford dealer so i have rang them and they confirmed details and will print it off and send it to me. also ive just done a check on the mot's and its only ever failed one.. mileage is adding up so no clocking on this one and its hpi clear.
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It sounds like a good car, it is a little over priced but as longs as it seems rust free well worth it. Have you checked the wheel arches for rust? I haver seen a few focuses that are starting to rust there.
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Think the trip computer might have been an option.
Agree that it's towards the top end pricewise, so it wants to be towards the top end condtion- wise.
The OP mentions 'on the forecourt for £1,800', so perhaps an offer of £1,500 might get the job done.
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yep i did the rust spoting all over but i cant see any....... only thing i did find wrong was a heat sheald was rattling but bloke said when he gets the mot and service done that will be done too. just one more thing with it being a ghia should it have alloys cus it aint !!
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All the Ghias I have seen have had alloys and a trip computer. There is another site which I can't post on here but I can check the specs on that. If the alloys have been removed then I would be a little concerned.
Just checked and it seems the alloys were not standard on the saloon model nor was the trip even in Ghia spec.
TBH it sounds like a nice car for the money, cars are over priced atm anyway. The saloon models are worth a few hundered less than the hatchbacks though.
Edited by Rattle on 15/03/2009 at 16:24
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Steel wheels from launch to October 2001. No mention of a computer at that period.
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No alloys? Mmm, alarm bells just starting to ring, although they might not all have had them nine-years-ago.
It's obviously got a Ghia bootlid, the question is what abut the rest of it?
You need a spec sheet, really, but I'd be looking for all round leccy windows, kickplates, maybe extra interior lights, plenty of padding on the seats and a general air of luxury.
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The thing about the Ghia it is much about trim quality than spec, my dads Fiesta is a Ghia and apart from electric windows, central locking and power steering the other give away is much better seats and a wood on the center console. The Focus at this age also had wood on the door cards and on the centre consule, of these are missing then be alarmed but as stated steel wheels and no trip comp is standard.
Having said that most people did choose the alloys. The head lamp control on the ghia has much more settings, 6 I think from what I remember. I don't think they had rear elec windows as standard.
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its got all the ghia stuff on it like wood trim, better seats, only elec front windows, dvla say its a ghia. just a shame about the trip and alloys.. i can get the trip computer off flebay but they want £85 for it so i may just go to breakers... i did want a hatchback but as long as it gets me from a to b then i dont care....
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Yeah I have been thinking of the saloon as a good solution too. From what you have told me it sounds like its a very nice motor for the money.
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My 2001 estate ghia has a trip - like you I know I'd want one if it wasn't there, but to be honest you won't be missing much.
Has yours got a drivers' seat arm rest? To me that's real luxury :-)
F
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Has yours got a drivers' seat arm rest? To me that's real luxury
i didnt notice a arm rest but i will look when i go back again. i think i might haggle a bit and try it on and just say that it should have alloys and see if the bloke falls for it and i get a lower price..... this bloke even said he would give me £850 trade in for my 1998 auto vectra..... all the others offered me £500 max so i think i will do the deal just for the trade in on mine.....
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That Vectra is probably not worth much at all in the currunt climate. Even at £1k cost to change it sounds like a very good deal. What sort of setup is the place? I assume you have done your own HPI check on the car? Also the car may sell very quickly but as its a soloon you have a little more time, if it was a hatch it probably would have been sold by now.
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Pick up some alloys from fleabay as well.
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i didnt notice a arm rest but i will look when i go back again.
It rotates so it might be inline with, and hence hidden behind, the seat.
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ive done all me homework. rang ford dealer for service details all confirmed. checked the mot history. done a hpi and car data check. alloys can wait till the rubber need replacing. ive been had before and never again i allways do me checks now.
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The trip is easily found. A button on the end of the LH stalk You tap it to cycle throughthe functions.
The first thing I had to change was said stalk when the Focus in our household was bought.
IIRC alloys were only an option
Our 2.0L V reg has 4 x Electric windows, traction control and the rare options of cruise control and leather seats.
I dislike the headlamp flashing switch and the steering wheel rim is too fat.
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The front of the headlamp lenses are sort of frosting over on ours else not too much has failed.
Usual rear wheel bearing replaced. Original exhaust so quite impressed with it.
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Hi Meltonlad!
I might be able to help as I had a 1999 1.8 Ghia saloon and I can confirm that around that period, the 1.8, even in Ghia spec was missing a trip computer, rear electric windows and other little things like that. The 2.0 however got all these (I think) as standard. The alloys, I can't really help you with. Mine had them on but I don't know which cars did and didn't. That being said, every Focus saloon (they're all Ghias before the facelift) I've seen has had them on.
As Henry says, rear wheel bearings have a tendency to go (cheap to replace). With it being a Ghia, it should have a chrome strip on the bootlid and there was a problem whereby it would vibrate and chip the paint causing the bootlid to rust. The fix is some kind of gasket but if it hasn't started rusting now, I doubt it will. Other than that, not much else goes wrong. I ran mine to over 100k and the only non-service item that needed changing was a coil pack quite late on it's life.
It's not a nice gold colour is it?
Adam
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It's not a nice gold colour is it?
I was going to ask that, but didn't want you not replying Adam if I did ;-)
I wonder if £1800 is a little high for a W plated (2000 registration) car though?
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I forgot about the most important part - the price! I think you're right Rob - I part ex-ed mine in May 2007 and got 2 grand for it (an astonishing price given the miles I'd put on it). Although traditionally, Focuses, even in worse spec than an equivalent Mondeo have been more expensive.
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It is high but they do seem to be selling at these high prices. It is one of the reasons I have been looking into Astra G's more as they are better value for money. That said as longs as its rust free a Focus like this should give plenty of more life and for £1800 who can argue with that?
The fact is a saloon does mean it will be harder to sell and also reduces its value some what.
Does the car have any warranty?
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The fact is a saloon does mean it will be harder to sell and also reduces its value
But they want £1800 for this. As Adam says he part-ex'd one in 2007. I've not checked the likes of Autotrader to see prices.
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The 1.6 hatch I went to see in Poynton was offered at £1400, it had 97k and FSH but as reported before I was not happy that the smoke was just condensation it seemed to be priced too cheaply just to sell.
Most traders seem to want £2k for W reg examples with about 60k but that is usualy for hatches, I would say a saloon is worth £300 less, so that is £1700 but this car seems to be a nice tidy example with genuine service history where as the ones I have seen at that price have been a little tired and starting to rust on the arches.
Unless the OP can travel a lot further there is a shortage of good genuine cars atm. Its true value would also depend on previous owners.
As a side note traders have also told me that when they get a good Focus in that is priced well its usualy sold within 24 hours of it being advertised.
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Just looking for myself now and I found this as a private sale
62,000 miles, 2001 (Y), 4 Door Saloon, 1.8 Ghia, Blue, Petrol, Manual, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Audio remote control, Body coloured bumpers, Drivers airbag, Passenger airbag, Electric door mirrors, Electric seats, Very good condition, Drives like new. £1,800.
Thats up at £1800 on a private sale, no mention of service history.
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I'm tempted to agree. After a cursory glance on Autotrader, it seems even ones with well over 100k on are being sold for 1200-1300 quid. In fact, there's only one on there that I'd consider and that's an X reg with 65,000 miles on - the dealer is asking £1990 for it!
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Adam the same problem I have been having. I've had a busy run lately (but no time to look for cars) but I am hoping if I can keep this up £2k for a good Focus will be possible. I have seen many many used Focuses now and from what I gather they do rust a bit despite what people say but I've not seen any with rust on the important bits like sills. There also seems to be a lot of ten year old Focuses knocking about on the original cambelt so also check this. Even it has full service history it dosn't mean the belt has been changed when it should have been done.
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Hi Rattle,
Looking at those prices, I can't help but think whether a 1.8 Mondeo would be a better bet. I'm astonished they're still selling (or being advertised rather) for that kind of money!
Focuses, in the main, do not rust. If the sills or arches are rusty, walk away as there are plenty that aren't. As I mentioned earlier, on Ghias only, the chrome strip on the boot can rust, and on all Focuses, where the wing mirror meets the door can rust slightly too. (Although mine missed this fortunately). Strangely, not long into owning it, about an inch worth of bare metal appeared on mine on the rear wheel arch near to the door and even when I got rid, it was dirty but not a spot of rust.
Cambelts - there was a big saga on here with mine. Some people said Ford said 100,000 or ten years and others called me crazy for leaving it as long as I had. At this kind of age though, I would definitely be looking at cambelts and whether they'd been changed or not.
Adam
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I was looking at a 1.8 in red which had done 80k and was up at £2k. I wasn't really interested as the purchase cost and insurance cost would just make me skint, if it was the 1.6 it would have been a different matter (£20 a month cheaper).
However I mentioned the cambelt and he agreed it needed replacing and offered to it as part of the deal.
People said cambelts last a long time on my Escort, my dad had a 1.6 Zetec and so did my mums friend we bought them at similar times. When we bought the car the first thing I did is scare my parents into paying £160 to have the cambelt changed. Two weeks later my mums friends belt snapped - £800 to repair.
This was about five years ago, they still have the car (a 97 P) and last time I went in it 6 months ago it had 70k on the clock so the belt must have failed very early on. I suspect it was the pulley that shattered.
The Mondeo is better value but a bit too big for my needs, parking is an issue (terrace houses) and I have to park in different places all the time. Just don't want a car so big, the Focus sector car is perfect enough room for my equipment but small enough to park.
Edited by Rattle on 15/03/2009 at 22:33
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>the dealer is asking £1990 for it!
Maybe the paintwork is in Diarrhoea Gold? They were pretty rare I think.
Kevin...
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>>Maybe the paintwork is in Diarrhoea Gold? They were pretty rare I think.<<
You'd best watch it pal - talk like that has made a lot of people....disappear.
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