Advice on old Mondeo - buy something new

[Rythmic]

Hey guys - need some advice here.

Currently driving (well owning at least) a 1998 Mk2 Mondeo Ghia X V6 (not the ST). over the last 2-3 months it has had new alternator, powersteering pump and belts. Last week, it went into reverse, and didn't come out of it. So it's currently having it's gearbox refurbed, diff refurbed and new clutch. It's done just over 70K. Wasn't expecting 1800 quid in repairs tbh

So my current thinking is to trade it in and get something new (unless fox says that nothing else is gonna go!). Thinking of borrowing around 4-6K.

So I'm looking at something like an accord, or a passat. Gotta be manual, AC and a reasonably sized engine. Apart from that don't mind! Any suggestions?

[Butuz]

1800 quid in repairs? Jesus you could buy another one for that!

Get out now before it turns into more of a cash cow!

Butuz

[chriswood_7]

Hmm, thats not a lot of mileage really for everything thats been/needing fixed. Seeing as you have spent so much on it is it not worth keeping for a bit longer, get another year or so out of it and then get something a bit newer?

I think you'll be lucky to get £800-£900 part ex and probably only a few quid more privately, and bearing in mind you have already spent £1800 it seems silly to pour all of that cash away.

If you really want something a bit newer, why not get yourself Seat Leon Cupra? 180bhp, Golf chassis, excellent cars and you can pick them up for around your budget (maybe slightly more)

Hope this helps,

[XA04]

Well look at it this way.. now you've spent crap loads on it, it should last you a lot longer?


You done the repairs yet or planning to get it repaired?

[chriswood_7]

Ive even found a nice little Cupra, 63k miles for just under £6k, and im sure you can lower mileage for the same money

Good luck

[Rythmic]

It's been one of those - spend 300 notes, think that'll be it then the next thing goes wrong. You never know these things ahead of time though

Had a look on auto trader and equiv cars are going for around the 2K mark (cause of the low miles and the V6) - though I'll get less than that if I do a trade in.

Cupra looks good though

[chriswood_7]

Cupra is an excellent car, based on the Golf and has an excellent power plant. A guy I work with has one, done 105k miles now and still going strong. Only things that have gone wrong with it was the clutch pedal snapped (this this was a manufacturing defect) and a faulty MAF sensor (very common on VAG engines).

If you get one with prefereably <50k miles I reckon your looking at &#163;6250ish, but you will get another 5 or 6 years out of it easily!

Then again, I am a bit of a Seat Fanboy

[BenW]

We had a 97 reg V6 2.5 Ghia X and I dont think anything went wrong in the time we had it (about 20k-100k miles). Probably got rid of it in about 2000 though.

Why not get something like a focus? The TDCi is a great engine, very economical and quite pokey.

[GrahamGarside]

About the only thing left to go wrong with that is supsension or breaks, which even if you're the unluckiest mondeo owner in the land aren't going to weigh in at the kinds of cost you've already spent.

My thinking would be to at least get your moneys worth out of what has been spent and keep it. Unless of course something else major happens with it in which case I think it's time to lay that lemon to rest.

[atrull]

would certainly go jap or german if you want something to keep long-term repair costs down. the ford diesels are the only good things from ford IMO, but I worry for the lecky bits.

[SilentDeath]

Hey guys - need some advice here.

Currently driving (well owning at least) a 1998 Mk2 Mondeo Ghia X V6 (not the ST). over the last 2-3 months it has had new alternator, powersteering pump and belts. Last week, it went into reverse, and didn't come out of it. So it's currently having it's gearbox refurbed, diff refurbed and new clutch. It's done just over 70K. Wasn't expecting 1800 quid in repairs tbh

So my current thinking is to trade it in and get something new (unless fox says that nothing else is gonna go!). Thinking of borrowing around 4-6K.

So I'm looking at something like an accord, or a passat. Gotta be manual, AC and a reasonably sized engine. Apart from that don't mind! Any suggestions?

That is a lot of money for minor parts.

Gearboxes are common, and *very* cheap if you know where to look. I have heard of them going to under &#163;30. In this case, your money is going to be mostly labour costs...

Also IIRC powersteering pump is belt driven, which means its just a simpleish peice of metal that bolts to the engine block.


IMO you have spent far too much*/far more than I would have, for the work being done.

*might be well justified for the hours needed to do it, but I doubt it, although it is one of the few things thats incredibly hard to get to.

I would keep it if the money has already been spent, but you could probbly pick up a very similar car of same age for less than it has cost. Spending 6k on any car is just a compleat waste (IMO) uness it is something special - which new mondeos/VW's etc...common cars, are not.

[Howard]

Does seem like a lot of stuff to go wrong for a 70kmiles car, but if you can find anywhere that can fix it cheaper then I'd be tempted to say go for it, and stick with it, but then it's always nice getting a new car!

I love my Accord, not as fast as that V6 though

[Rythmic]

Wish it had come all in one go - I'd have scrapped the thing instead. But as said, it's been one thing go wrong, drive it a week have the next thing go wrong Alternator I would have done myself, if I hadn't been in the middle of a 2 week holiday...

Well - I had a good look round for gearboxes - the 1.4-2.0 one is very very common, and rather cheap - but couldn't find the V6 one for less than 140. The labour charges I was looking at for fitting it worked out that a refurb was gonna cost the same, so I went for that. If you know somewhere to get them cheaper, I'd be interested to know.

Had a look at doing the powersteering myself - it is driven by the serpertine belt that drives everything else. It's the position of it on the engine that makes it very hard to do without a lift. It's stuck on the back of the engine, which needs to be lifted and supported during the process. That seems to be the biggest problem with anything under the hood - the engine is crammed into a space designed for a smaller one.

As a side note, I helped a friend replace the headlights in a cougar a few days ago. Wierd to open up a different looking car and see exactly the same stuff Only difference was they crammed the bay even more at the front, and you can't actually replace the bulbs in the way ford describe - there just isn't room! You have to take the whole light cluster out to actually get the cover open :S

On the whole guys - thanks for your ideas and suggestions Think I'm gonna save a bit more money, and go for a nice accord.

[Howard]

New shape accord?

[Konan555]

As a side note, I helped a friend replace the headlights in a cougar a few days ago. Wierd to open up a different looking car and see exactly the same stuff

I know someone who really dislikes me calling his Cougar 'The Mondeo'