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Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 17, 2022 22:26:27 GMT
As per the purple thread I bought a 2005 ST170 5 door sight unseen off eBay on Friday. They are on my saved searches and this one had been auctioned a couple of times and reappeared, and since I missed the estate last week I put in what I thought was a low bid and ‘won’.
It seemed like a decent punt as has an MOT till December and had a very clean MOT history (no rust issues). Also what looked like a no wear/tear Recaro interior.
The seller wanted 3 day collection. So today I took the train from Harrogate to Basildon to pick it up.
Dirty on the outside and in need of some TLC, but other than that very presentable for a 127000 mile car. The interior is very good indeed. Everything works aside from the air con. Bit of an issue on the warmest day of the year, but I made it back 235 miles without a hitch. No sign of overheating and nothing untoward at all.
Such tremendous cars the Mk1 Focus. This may be on Coil overs, but the ride and handling is so good. So much nicer to drive than the MINI Countryman we have. The seller was getting rid as it wasn’t quick enough (prefers turbo VAG) and I get it, but once over 4000 revs it goes a bit and it’s nice to have a Nat asp that needs revving out a bit. I really enjoyed it.
Needs full big clean, clay, polish etc and I’ll wet vac and leather treat it, but I have to say that first impression s are of £1130 well spent.
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ST170
Jul 17, 2022 22:29:07 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2022 22:29:07 GMT
Worth an aircon recharge?
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 17, 2022 22:38:57 GMT
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ST170
Jul 17, 2022 22:40:18 GMT
Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 17, 2022 22:40:18 GMT
Worth an aircon recharge? Already booked. Not a fan of the non standard stereo but it has Bluetooth and works quite well. |
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 0:53:34 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2022 0:53:34 GMT
It looks bloody good actually.
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 7:21:43 GMT
Post by Blarno on Jul 18, 2022 7:21:43 GMT
Nice. One of these was in the running when I bought the Clio. The only reason I didn't buy one was when I got to the Ford dealer to test drive it, the guy before me had just bought it.
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 8:26:34 GMT
Post by chipbutty on Jul 18, 2022 8:26:34 GMT
The ST170 is a great car - I had one for a long weekend when they were new (a 3dr in Magnum grey) and enjoyed it immensely.
I remember it getting a bit of a kicking in the press because it was felt to be in no man’s land between the 130 bhp 2.0 and the RS and because it had surprisingly long gearing despite it being a 6 speeder, however, the benefit of that longer gearing was it was went like a b’stard between 70 and 95 mph (so I am told) in 3rd gear on the motorway and it was economical when tootling. It had quite a throaty induction roar and it was fun to work.
It was very good looking and the ride/handling/steering was fabulous - regrettably I elected to buy a 3dr 2.0 rather than the ST170 because the insurance groupings meant I could protect my NCB on the 2.0 but not on the ST170. I was I hadn’t been quite such a large person’s blouse at the time (although the Focus 2.0 was still very good).
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 8:41:49 GMT
Post by Big Blue on Jul 18, 2022 8:41:49 GMT
It’s very nice for little financial outlay.
What I’ve been more surprised about is reflecting on the excitement you have for 20 year old warmed-up family cars. It made me realise that when I started driving the car to have was a Mk1 Mini Cooper - which was a 20 year old warmed-up family car…..
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 9:44:25 GMT
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 18, 2022 9:44:25 GMT
Hmm. When I was in my early 20’s I bought a Mk1 Golf GTI, early 30’s a Mk2, mid 40’s some warmed over Ford guff.
I can tell you this nearly 20 year old car is somewhat less rickety than the mk1 Golf was at 20. That had done 20000 fewer miles too. Same price 20 years apart.
I’ve looked though the paperwork and it has had a clutch, flywheel, brakes, timing belt, exhaust and other stuff in the last 3 or 4 year. Awesome.
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 11:12:21 GMT
Post by Blarno on Jul 18, 2022 11:12:21 GMT
It’s very nice for little financial outlay. What I’ve been more surprised about is reflecting on the excitement you have for 20 year old warmed-up family cars. It made me realise that when I started driving the car to have was a Mk1 Mini Cooper - which was a 20 year old warmed-up family car….. I was having a similar conversation with a mate the other day. My first legal car was a 10 year old Vauxhall Belmont. It was rusty, it leaked,was a bit of a shed and only had 90k on it. Fast forward to now and my 330 is 14 years old, has nearly twice the mileage, yet has no rust, everything works and is decidely not a shed.
Speaking of warmed up family motors, if I still had the Clio, it would be approaching its 20th birthday, my Legacy Turbo would be 30 in August and my 205 and 309 GTis would be 35 years old.
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 19:10:26 GMT
Post by Stuntman on Jul 18, 2022 19:10:26 GMT
Completely agree with the 'good value' comments above. The car itself looks impressively tidy and will doubtless be an involving thing to drive.
I think Mike White (of this parish a very long time ago) had an ST170 for a while, back in the mid 2000s or thereabouts?
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 19:36:41 GMT
Post by Martin on Jul 18, 2022 19:36:41 GMT
Can’t really go wrong at that price. Is this going to be a ‘keeper’ if it turns out to be a good one?
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 19:42:35 GMT
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Post by rodge on Jul 18, 2022 19:42:35 GMT
That’s a great car!
I remember test driving one when I had the 2.0 Focus but ended up buying the 325 instead.
The ST170 didn’t feel much faster in a straight line than the 2.0 at urban speeds (it sounded better though) but it could corner a lot quicker and that’s saying something, when you consider how good the Zetec was.
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 19:53:56 GMT
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 18, 2022 19:53:56 GMT
Can’t really go wrong at that price. Is this going to be a ‘keeper’ if it turns out to be a good one? Hopefully replaces the MINI Countryman, which is fine, but a bit dull. Will also give me £4k to spend on house bollocks. Just need the wife to like it enough, but will try to get it totally clean and sanitary first. Found a bonus £1.03 under the seat today and a Pokémon card son it keeps giving. |
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 19:54:36 GMT
Post by ChrisM on Jul 18, 2022 19:54:36 GMT
That looks like a bit of an impressive bargain, especially if it's been looked after
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 19:56:27 GMT
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 18, 2022 19:56:27 GMT
A pound a day to tax though Chris. Which I will concede is a lot.
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 20:24:48 GMT
Post by Martin on Jul 18, 2022 20:24:48 GMT
A pound a day to tax though Chris. Which I will concede is a lot. It is as a percentage of the cars value, but will be offset by a lack of depreciation. |
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 20:36:42 GMT
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Post by Andy C on Jul 18, 2022 20:36:42 GMT
Great looking car . I did consider one when I bought the clio
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ST170
Jul 18, 2022 23:54:16 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2022 23:54:16 GMT
My Mini was a 1.0 and I loved it to bits, not the poke some had but the fun in a small package and more modest pace was there in spades. I learned a lot in that car.
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ST170
Jul 19, 2022 8:29:01 GMT
Post by chipbutty on Jul 19, 2022 8:29:01 GMT
From memory - contemporary road tests clocked the following:
Focus 2.0 zetec - 60 in 8.9 and 100 in 29
Focus ST170 - 60 in 8.0 and 100 in 21.
I seem to remember there being a supercharger kit for the standard 2.0, but I can't recall if one was offered for the ST170 as well.
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Post by PG on Jul 19, 2022 13:19:33 GMT
It’s very nice for little financial outlay. What I’ve been more surprised about is reflecting on the excitement you have for 20 year old warmed-up family cars. It made me realise that when I started driving the car to have was a Mk1 Mini Cooper - which was a 20 year old warmed-up family car….. When I was 17, I knew a girl whose mum had a Mini Cooper - green with a white roof. She was allowed to drive it. We all wanted rides. And in the car...... |
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jul 23, 2022 18:34:13 GMT
Yellow headlights to not so yellow headlights (or the reverse as I posted the photos the wrong way around). Quite satisfying hour of turd polishing.   |
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ST170
Jul 25, 2022 16:41:29 GMT
Post by PG on Jul 25, 2022 16:41:29 GMT
.... Quite satisfying hour of turd polishing. They say you can't polish a turd. But you can roll it in glitter. |
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ST170
Dec 4, 2022 22:11:42 GMT
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Post by rodge on Dec 4, 2022 22:11:42 GMT
Did you see this?
Interesting comparison.
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ST170
Dec 4, 2022 22:35:02 GMT
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rodge likes this
Post by cbeaks1 on Dec 4, 2022 22:35:02 GMT
I did - shame that had a chavvy looking one. It does drive really well but it is pretty slow compared to anything modern. I have some sort of 21 plate Astra diesel courtesy car (someone drove into my Kuga in a car park) and it feels faster. It is also massively worse in a number of ways.
MOT on Wednesday so fingers crossed.
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ST170
Dec 10, 2022 18:14:34 GMT
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bryan likes this
Post by cbeaks1 on Dec 10, 2022 18:14:34 GMT
MOT failed on a broken spring, but with about 10 advisories.
One of the electric window regulators had died a week ago so £330 spent but a years MOT now sorted.
I had a bit of a wobble and had a look at leasing something but the absolute minimum is £200 a month. The odd bill is nothing in comparison.
I think the plan will be to try to run it for another year and see how we stand. It has cost about £1800 in total to purchase and get a few bits fixed, and will still be worth at least half that in a year.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2022 10:22:52 GMT
I reckon that for a decently interesting vehicle, more capable than most of the options out there, you are still winning mate.
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ST170
May 31, 2023 5:28:15 GMT
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Post by cbeaks1 on May 31, 2023 5:28:15 GMT
Sold for £1400 so ended up costing about £700 including RFL for 10 months use. Also a much nicer car now than when I bought it which is nice.
I was on the verge of spending another £365 on RFL and would have needed all round brakes before the next MOT, and a steering rack at some point, so thought it was a good time to stop ck on AT and see. I had to reduce it from £1675 gradually over 4 weeks but pretty good budget motoring.
We still have the Escort (up for sale but no hurry now), and are considering trying 1 car when that goes. I doubt it will work.
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ST170
Jun 2, 2023 8:18:14 GMT
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Post by Alex on Jun 2, 2023 8:18:14 GMT
That is criminally low. I know as a model its very much overlooked by the mk2 ST and perhaps the mk1 RS but I reckon these will go up in value considerably over the coming years. Same with good mk2 STs. The only cheap ones of those tend to come with K&N filters and colour coded Ford badges (with 3D gel number plates in carbon effect if you really want to complete the look). Finding another mk1 for sub 2k is going to be an increasingly futile exercise but it's easy to say that when not in the position of needing to sell one now!
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ST170
Jun 2, 2023 10:18:52 GMT
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jun 2, 2023 10:18:52 GMT
I think they will stabilise and go up soon but it was north of 130000 miles and would have cost many hundreds to make properly nice. If it had been a 3dr with Recaros and sub 100000 miles I might have hung on to it.
Also, the wife doesn’t like it anywhere near as much as I did, and the lack of sensors and Nav was an issue. I have a feeling that if I can find a good £1500 MINI or Audi TT these things will be less of a problem.
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