Fixing our Ford Mondeo ST200 for Richard Hammond - VERY BROKEN!

[@Drivetribe]

Thank you to Liqui Moly for sponsoring today's video, check out what products they produce for your car here: liqui-moly.to/DTHeroVideo1_2022

[@ProMilkshake]

Address the people Mike, you cant just throw shade at Mad Ford without explaining the entire story.

[@advancelast1740]

Seems the best thing to do is buy Castrol

[@theheadone]

Paint flecks in the oil, no matter which way you spin it shows carelessness on someones part. Also, how many miles were on that oil, that was black as night. I hope that you guys will get this car done properly and show every step of the way.

[@James-cd1gx]

@@ProMilkshake completely agree. Would appear drivetribe are just promoting Hammonds new company, with no regard or explanation regarding Mad Ford.

[@norfolkandchance9298]

Should have used a decent oil

[@jamesmosley1549]

I really feel for the chap at mad Ford. I genuinely feel he hasn’t been given a chance to air his side. From what I’ve seen of him he’s a professional that was pushed to much to unrealistic timescales. Because of this his reputation has been unfairly ruined all because of this one video.

[@madmaniacloony]

All the videos were sponsored by Halfords. Says it all really.

[@Clicksystems]

Just went back and watched the videos, No idea what went wrong with the paintwork, seemed like they was trying to do it properly? Videos showed them sanding it back, priming it, completely stripped bodyshell etc. So pushed timeframe and tight budget are only things I can think of, but I don’t claim to know all the facts or offer a professional opinion. In regard to the engine, that was clear corner cutting, completely stripped the engine, and did almost nothing to bottom end, but spent time dressing it up so it looked brand new and going on about cleaning the parts to look like new. Regardless of if the condition of bottom end looked ok, when you go that deep completely stripping it, it’s not much extra to sling a new set of rings in it and bearing shells all round. Again that may have been influenced by budget constraints that weren’t made clear in the video. In regard to engine subsequently failing, possibly broken piston ring? And bearing shells gone. Both of which may not have been an issue if bottom end was rebuilt properly. As for deeming the engine scrap based on nothing more than a sump and bearing cap removal. Are they trying to say a 2nd hand engine is better than a crank regrind and rebore? To repair that properly the engine should be rebuilt. As classic car restorers though, a modern engine is probably a bit outside of their experience envelope and they are probably more versed with bodywork so for them a replacement engine is easier.

[@waynedl99]

@@Clicksystems my thoughts too. Banging an unknown 2nd hand engine in it, vs rebuilding the current engine, no brainer imho

[@leehawleyphotography9326]

Fair play, you called it.

[@paulthaxter-noble1789]

A rebuild which isn’t run in and has broken. Shock. Shouldn’t have gone down a track.

[@oscarzt1652]

i dont believe the engine damage was the fault of mad ford, rather that it was ragged too soon after being rebuilt

[@shaun6547]

100% agree with you. The chap at mad Ford seemed like he was rushed to have the car finished and was expected to have it like new condition

[@cwuzii]

That’s literally what he said at the beginning of the video, it didn’t have time to bed itself in before it was driven down the runway at full speed…

[@Beyondultragaming]

@@shaun6547 i totally agree. If its rushed then an error is bound to happen

[@Sheehy223]

Honestly that's 100% BS unless it still had break in oil in it. When new cars get driven from the assembly line to the car carrier they are not babied, I've done a great many WOT runs in cars with 5km or less which is how many engine builders say you should seat the rings and none have ever had an issue. If it's a high performance engine with forged internals and larger oil clearances, then a break in period is required, a stock "rebuild" (does not seem like it was actually rebuilt) of a Duratec V6 making like 200 horsepower should not be that fragile. The worst part is that there wasn't even anything wrong with the engine internals before those idiots ruined it.

[@Enselladus]

Christ almighty, here I was thinking they brought it back to an absolute minter, that paint job is shocking. Thats the power of editing for you.

[@roryodonnell3142]

I wonder how many other cars we see online are goosed and editing saves the day? More than a few I’m sure

[@woodworker4063]

A nutless monkey could have sprayed it better.

[@mikemayers9353]

When you top speed a car with fresh laquer that is what happens . It needs weeks to properly harden not daily drivven after and then complain like a child

[@FuManchu5ltr]

@@mikemayers9353 How many months should we wait?

[@TBendez]

@@FuManchu5ltr 2 months, ie 8 weeks, using regular painting techniques.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

It's broken? Surely not! It was checked by a Halfords technician!

[@earlofsmeg]

🙄🤣

[@chrisburton8612]

Halfrauds

[@bear1245]

*Free 5 point Car Check!

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

@@andyhunt457 He said he checked the fluid levels. Probably put screen wash in the oil! 😂

[@mathewjones5520]

Shock horror, ragging the life out of a brand new engine didn't do it any favours 🙄🙄🙄

[@qasimmir7117]

You guys need to clarify what part Mad Ford Engineering’s played in this as their entire business reputation now hangs in the balance. Also, I think it’s worth rebuilding the engine, new bores, new pistons because even though a secondhand one is cheaper, you’re gambling as you don’t know the state that it’s in.

[@jbconno]

I thought the same, how do you know the engine you're putting in is any better than the one you're taking out ?

[@andrewjohnduncan8960]

@@jbconno absolutely I didn't understand the guys point, what does he mean it's not like your away to go and buy a 0 mile engine, anything you buy could be ragged to bits

[@jbconno]

@@andrewjohnduncan8960 and let’s face it, nobody bought ST200s to take old ladies to bingo, they’ll all have had hard lives. Even the youngest ST200 engine will be pushing 20 years old by now.

[@TML34]

@@jbconno you do a compression test on the used motor, simple.

[@dunadan57]

@@TML34 I learnt that lesson the hard way 🤣

[@conradcanadine1986]

Like most of the comments, I feel cheated by watching the original restoration. The impression was given that this car had a full resto and was mint and now you are confirming it wasn't. I also agree that MAD Ford Engineering need referencing, if the condition is not their fault than DriveTribe have a duty to say so.

[@BongoIsABiscuit]

if you watched the live streams of the rebuild and the filming process you would have seen that the car was stripped back to bare metal, had some body repairs, and fully prepped painted etc, the mechanicals was also stripped down, refurbed and rebuilt,

[@xpertvis]

It feels to me more like filming on track was set has to be done in time, so MAD ford was pushed to hurry up "restoration"..

[@Beyondultragaming]

@@xpertvis probally was so their was a mistake as a result

[@neckray]

Will never trust a word out of Mike's mouth until he clarifies the entire situation in detail regarding who exactly is to blame. This is unacceptable behavior from professionals in this scene

[@geoffsaunders4960]

Agree 100%. Disgraceful to throw them under the bus like this. Time to Unsubscribe and Ignore I think.

[@IRMacGuyver]

Mike is a youtuber not a mechanic. He has no professional credibility.

[@geoffsaunders4960]

@@IRMacGuyver No professional credibility as a "journalist". I asked a lawyer friend to watch the video and he thinks that the lack of fairness, no opportunity given to the Madford people to put their side, is probably actionable. Mike has definitely very, very strongly suggested to us that MadFord are to blame - the comments below are proof of that - so unless he did in fact give MadFord the chance to put their side and they refused then he has clearly and obviously defamed them. If I were MadFord I would be talking to my lawyers.

[@IRMacGuyver]

@@geoffsaunders4960 He's not a journalist though. He's a youtuber. He has no credibility to start with.

[@geoffsaunders4960]

@@IRMacGuyver Agree, but the difference between the 2 is not relevant to a defamation claim. The issues are - how many people saw what he produced and what effect did it have on how they viewed MadFord. There are enough people posing here saying that it did negatively affect their view of MadFord for the case to be a simple one.

[@bangles66]

This is the most confusing video I’ve watched on KZbin. The contradiction between the original Mad Ford restoration videos and the actual current state of the car is outstanding. To then watch “genuine” car enthusiasts go ahead and destroy a car down a runway even though they know all isn’t well in the engine bay was painful. Why would you lock in such a test without ensuring the car was up to it prior and turn up blind as you suggest and have no option but to go ahead with the runs? Lack of preparation as well as zero mechanical sympathy. How this video is seen as a positive piece of work for ANY of the associated parties is a mystery to me!

[@southney7211]

Absolutely, it’s not an exercise in that. It’s an exercise in media content.

[@giggity4670]

Did you not see why he said it in the vid they had to go ahead they already spent thousands of pounds booking the run way and the rally team and all the camera stuff it not cheap so they had to can't right off all that because you think the car might not be 100% it would cost more money to cancel then the car dying by sounds of it. A car you can fix but spending all that money and time setting up you cant get back. But do agree a lack of preparation he should of used the car as a daily driver to bed in the new engine as even i know you dont do that to a newly fitted or new engine needs bedding in they need 1000 to 3000 miles to bed in a new car so guess half that for a used retro fit engine.

[@Kylirr]

@@giggity4670 did you read his comment properly?

[@BongoIsABiscuit]

@@giggity4670 if you watched the live streams of the rebuild and the filming you will have seen that the car was finished the day before the race, this is all due to demands of drivetribe and halfords,

[@giggity4670]

@@Kylirr Yes did you the comment says in it "Why would you lock in such a test without ensuring the car was up to it prior and turn up blind as you suggest and have no option but to go ahead with the runs?" and in the vid he stated the car was not fully ready and they need to go ahead as planned as the money they spent on the whole thing was way to much to call it all off all because they think the car was not fully ready they did not think it would do that much damage and fixing a car sounds a lot cheaper then calling off all the thousands of ponds in cost to do the thing.

[@jamieduff1981]

If you do scrap this engine, please retain the camshafts and lower and upper inlet manifolds. Those are the ST200 special parts and were always sought after by owners of ordinary 2.5 Duratecs. Blued metal is localised overheating - normally caused by lack of lubrication.

[@sacleocheaterz]

This video has me seriously questioning whether DT is still worth my time or not. The car had a full rebuild, there is absolutely no reason for it to be back in a shop so soon with such serious problems. I feel there are multiple sides to this story which were simply glossed over in this video and no real answer given as to why the engine and paintwork are in such a bad state as they are.

[@ruk2023--]

What's the full story here? I've worked in marketing and video production for long enough to know that producers will often push for a quick, cheap job to hit a deadline. Feels like we're getting half the info...

[@pequod1]

All comes across a bit weird

[@BongoIsABiscuit]

Someone actually speaks sense for once

[@BoB-cz9qr]

The whole thing was a lie, I commend DT for coming clean, just a shame they don't tell us all about the fact this isn't the original motor from the car, as the original was damaged after a rebuild. Tell us how the car failed the MOT, told us that the car was "ragged" on the way to the film shoot only to tell Mike to take it easy

[@bryancohn9406]

If you didn’t properly break in the engine and drag raced on break in oil the damage to the engine is 100% on you, not the shop who rebuilt the engine. As for the bodywork, scratches in the paint as shown are caused by rushing the process. The fillers weren’t allowed to fully dry before priming, the primer wasn’t allowed the fully dry before painting. As fillers dry they shrink. As primer dries it shrinks. I’ve seen these problems when I managed a bodyshop, it was always caused by rushing the process. The question is, why was the process rushed? You’ve thrown Mad Ford under a bus without any explanation other than a date with a touring car and a test track. There is more to this story and tossing in a used engine is no solution, you lose the numbers matching original and the funds you spend on a new “used” engine plus reconditioning(water pump, belts, seals, clutch, etc) would likely rebuild the current engine correctly. Sounds like another bodge job on the horizon.

[@markwright3161]

I would blame Drivetribe for forcing Mad Ford to rush for the date. If they weren't to blame then I'd expect them to be more open about the circumstances.

[@yoric6939]

Why bin this lump all together? I can’t get my head around it to be honest 🤷‍♂️

[@ilyo4119]

Yikes, what a shady move from drivetribe. Justified or not you’ve thrown a small business under the bus without offering a full explanation. Shameful.

[@MatFinch]

Mike - this all sounds a bit fishy - a year ago you did a video with Mad Ford Performance showing the engine being rebuilt, now you claim “it turned out it was only rebuilt before the runway shoot” - you were there! And now it needs a new engine! You also did a video showing the body primed and painted - but now you say it “looks incredibly rushed”. 8 months ago you said the best ST200 in the country - how has it deteriorated so quickly? It doesn’t stack up. You are suggesting Mad Ford Performance did a bad job. I think you need to make a follow up video to explain and rebuild trust

[@Eat-MyGoal]

Yes. They did a bad job.

[@darrenbootland2316]

Not a great advert for Mad Ford at all. I'd like to know the full story though as it seems some things were rushed when it was put together.

[@BoB-cz9qr]

They had plenty of time to do the job right, but instead they messed around with other hobby's, badly painted it time and time again, to the point it was too late and it they were told to get the job finished because it was taking too long

[@DanDavies741]

​@BoB-cz9qr You do realise they don't shut doors for 6 months to restore one car. Please don't be that naive. They have other customers' cars in aswell you know the ones that actually pay the bills, instead of a youtube presenter who wants everything done for either cheap or free.

[@sacleocheaterz]

"It turned out that the engine was only rebuilt a day or two before the shoot" - What do you mean it "turned out"? You just forgot about that at the time? Really I expect far more from a channel that appeals to car enthusiasts - you need to give us much more of an explanation of what exactly happened here and who is responsible, whether it was DT or Mad Ford...

[@poolio_69]

Exactly, they knew full well the car was not run in, but still proceeded to run it repeatedly at full chat! This is fully on drivetripe (not a typo)

[@scotty281976]

It had done 109 miles since being rebuilt and getting thrashed.. it would have still been using running in oil

[@jasonmillington4344]

I almost feel a bit cheated by the original restoration videos. Seems like a very quick job was done and some of the problems should never have happened

[@alistairinnes5439]

Couldn’t agree more…not so much “almost a bit cheated” but more a case of all fur coat and no knickers. 😂

[@purplehazeffc]

Welcome to the KZbin car restoration world.. Many others are very much the same. Time & Money constraints rule everything

[@icebear_racing]

Welcome to sponsored content on the Internet

[@ChocolateFrog]

Thats TV.

[@JohnnyPaton]

@@purplehazeffc there’s a reason why Pete C’s restorations take 2 years and 40 odd episodes.

[@mcsmith973]

I think Mad Ford should be given the chance to give their side of the story, I just wonder if they're was conflict with the production company & Mad Ford about the project lead time before the race.

[@markcowan5984]

I thought it was professionally rebuilt and resprayed!

[@1970pizza]

More like kids rebuild it and sprayed it haha

[@Thanos.m]

I've seen better work from dodgy back alley £500 paint jobs

[@James-oo1yq]

Professional rip-off

[@mcjjordan]

By stevie wonder 😎

[@ChocolateFrog]

I've done a better job with rattle cans on my drive. I really don't understand.

[@shmit3237]

I don't think that mad ford, or mike there would do a half arsed job knowing its going to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people & instantly ruin his reputation. Hope he doesn't just ghost him & not get his side of the story.

[@sph_holl2650]

MAD Ford should be rightfully fuming with this video and contacting a lawyer. I reckon what broke it was poor planning and pushing for filming deadlines, nothing to do with quality of work. But that is not made clear in this video.

[@ChocolateFrog]

But they let it out the door with sagging headlining and terrible paint even leaving the engine aside. Surely they would have would have informed Drivetribe of the state it was going to be in because its not finished?

[@BoB-cz9qr]

Get a grip.. they had more then enough time to get the job done right. But it was all rushed last minute because of tatting with other rust buckets

[@andysautomotiveadventures9587]

@@BoB-cz9qr have you fully restored a car? It takes months, sometimes years!! I'm not defending either drivetribe or mad ford but there's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

[@sph_holl2650]

@@BoB-cz9qr that's not what Mike said at the start of this video. Even if you're right, my point still stands.

[@sph_holl2650]

@@ChocolateFrog maybe they did inform Drivetribe of this. But this video doesn't make this clear does it?

[@procatprocat9647]

"Probaby the best ST200 I've ever seen" - Mad Ford and Mike both said pretty much the same thing in video 4 of the playlist. Unbelievable !

[@MrJordanSDean]

Nah you need to address WHY the car ended up in this state, whether rushed timescales on the original resto, or shoddy work. You've thrown Mad Ford under the bus here, and I can't work out if it's justified or not.

[@southney7211]

Agreed. Without even saying anything.

[@andybonney2582]

All I can see is the issues with the car was all caused by an impatient production company who wouldn’t adjust their schedule, rather than a bad job done!

[@_stoatchaser]

It’s easy for me to sit here and say this but I always had my doubts about this car when it was thrashed a day after coming out of the garage. Always seemed like a bit of a half arsed job. Not casting any doubts on the garage but it looked rushed for interwebs tele and Halfords ad revenue. Such a shame.

[@Games_and_Music]

Yeah, the headliner was always saggy, they did not restore the inside, and i doubt that they delivered the car without mentioning it having a brand new engine. Mike took the risk for the shooting, so that's all on him. But i do question that paint job, the cracking should just not happen, so i wonder if Mad Ford messed up, or that time constraints was the main cause.

[@christophb2736]

Hats off for what you‘re doing. Restoring an older car to its former beauty and functionality. I‘ve never been a fan of Fords, but seeing proper work without unnecessary mods makes my petrolhead heart smile.

[@Ott_detailing]

Why did you rag the engine straight after a rebuild 😮??

[@robbiefl2001]

It's a shame that the previous work on the Mondeo turned out shoddy considering that it looked and sounded like it was in perfect shape. Hopefully this series gets it properly fixed up for both Mike and Richard

[@clockwork9827]

it's not shoddy work, it's incomplete

[@Ditypo]

oh dear, how are Mad Ford Engineering feeling?

[@Mrcento]

100% credit for highlighting the issues here and owning up, but let's be honest.... you really should have said all this in the previous Mondeo video and not have been presenting it as the finished article at the time

[@leoa4c]

We should give them credit for lying on an entire video?

[@90albert0]

you guys are unbelievable. So now this car wasn't restored? You made full vids on how this was brought to pristine conditions.

[@LukeySomeWhere]

And here the audience was thinking that you guys were genuinely and passionately restoring an old Mondeo to factory show room condition with love and care. A car that had sometimes months between episodes looks like its a complete bodge and a waist of time. 😂

[@Br1anuk]

I think it’s called show business

[@ProMilkshake]

Because it was built in a matter of weeks, not months like the videos made out. The build was rushed due to the pressure put on Mad Ford by Drivetribe but they wont admit it.

[@johnnymack923]

Waste*

[@Eat-MyGoal]

@@Br1anuk 🤣🤣🤣

[@vojislavvukmanovic7061]

This chanel is getting the support from the world's most famous car journalist and this is the best content that you can give us, Mike, Drive Tribe and the rest of the bunch(May, Hammond, Clarkson) should be a shame of themselves, at least give us an explanation what happend here, are you using this for marketing Hammond's shop?

[@metadata4255]

sure seems like it

[@rc0885]

I’m very disappointed in DT & MF as they made it out in vids as it was a all new factory fresh Mondeo I expect better DT

[@Clappers89]

Definitely need a clarification video on what MadFord did / didn't do there a small business & this will have massive detrimental effect on them otherwise

[@jameseyman9078]

Ive spent the last 20+ years in the repair industry and there is something to be said about a clean shop. Whether your doing engine internals or body work, you have to treat your work as if it is the automotive equivalent of surgery. Everything must stay as clean and sanitary as possible.

[@user-fb9os7hy2y]

Is that you Patrick Bateman?....or perhaps Ron Dennis?...the nasafication of the motor trade continues.... remember when only dentists and proctologists wore gloves🤣👍🔧

[@davidwilliams5497]

@@user-fb9os7hy2y you win the “dumbest reply in this comment section” award. enjoy it.

[@Kernowparadise]

Gotta love that this video is the EXACT length as the very first episode of the "Fixing The Car All 3 Presenters Love" videos.

[@enam9t3]

Mad Ford literally thrown in the back alley here. Terrible by DT mind.

[@MeganeMondeoMX5]

Not sure why people are up in arms, they said "the car was not ready for the shoot". Doesn't mean that the engine builder did a bad job - the project manager/planner did a bad job organising the shoot in the first place. I've had a forged engine rebuild and had to bed it in, keep it under a certain RPM for 1000 or so miles. The Drivetribe crew were impatient due to their project managers

[@rickbowker4179]

I feel bad for the lads at MadFord. Give them a proper timeline to work on the Mondeo and make it awesome again.

[@waynedl99]

If you were MAD Ford, would you let them near you again?

[@pedrodomingues9381]

The sudden change without proper explanation and how the alleged mechanic ditches the engine for a new one. Well, there's no new one. All will be rebuilt. If they don't have the knowledge then it's understandable the quick decision for a replacement. The moment of saying the oil drop causes ripples is a bad thing. Fluid dynamics is unknown to him.

[@dstuchbury]

We need to hear from Mad Ford. Did they rebuild the engine?

[@newfan55555555555555]

Wow, so mad Ford messed up? That's a shame. The guy prior seemed extremely passionate, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic OR is it just the fact you ragged it prematurely? Paint work is shocking though.

[@ty1on106]

I havent watched the other videos but they way its worded in this video it seems like they didnt know that the engine was rebuilt

[@danielthedoc]

@@ty1on106 Mike rebuilt the engine on camera with his bare hands. Maybe he didn't know how soon between the track and the rebuild but he definitely knew it was rebuilt

[@DazOwen001]

@@danielthedoc the engine wasn't rebuilt.

[@mukinfagic69]

Bottom end and pistons weren't touched in the rebuild so no reason you couldn't 'rag' it straight away. Sounds like it was an oil starvation issue around that clogged pick up.

[@clockwork9827]

paint work: 5 coats . 5 . wow

[@jordanmccreight7027]

In another note as well. If they drive it str8 after the engine was rebuilt with no time for a bedding in process and oil change of corse your going to get some metal filings in the oil as that’s coming from the bearings beading in.

[@vokstar]

I do feel for the previous peoples that worked on this car, it did feel like there was pressure to get 'er done at the time, so not a reflection on how they might build a car if you are a paying customer off the street. One wonders how Mikes V10 MX5 is going though...

[@KevMk3]

shame on drive tribe portraying the builder as the issue when they need to look closer to home.

[@andywakefield9826]

Iv just been on the mad ford page and looked at the vid of this finished. It looked stunning. Then theirs a video of him slagging somone elses bodged up banger off. But look at his work. Shocking really

[@-DC-]

Channel is rapidly becoming a credibility vacuum .

[@Thanos.m]

I'm guessing this wasn't mad Ford's finest work

[@James-oo1yq]

My local Greggs spends more time and effort on their sausage rolls

[@Thanos.m]

@Paul Fellows me neither I'm wondering If this the kind of work that they put in their name in a massive production show what kind of work would your average person get. But also how come they even agreed to let such bad work go on air

[@connorohoare7470]

And to think they where happy to put this work to their name ! Shocking

[@user-neo71665]

They blew that engine not breaking it in properly. That paint work is garbage.

[@metadata4255]

@@Thanos.m that's the thing man, I have a bad feeling Drivetribe kinda pressured them into getting it done on an unrealistic timeline so they ended up having to botch some of it together at the behest of Drivetribe's producers...all I know for sure is, this channel sure left a lot of space for negative speculation re: themselves AND Mad Ford Engineering, either way a bad look

[@svenlakemeier]

Next video in a year: "The Mondeo had trouble with the lubricants we used last time, so here is a rebuild"

[@diegoramdhani2799]

I don't know if it's just me who thinks like this but I would say it's pretty common sense if you goon it right after a rebuild it ends up like this

[@Zx9rc1]

He must of gooned it through a thorn bush while the paint was still wet as well

[@DJ_NOOB]

I feel like there is more to the story here. It's clear that things were being rushed because of shooting schedules, which Mike says so himself. So how much of the issues with the car are simply a result of that schedule and how much Falls on Mad Ford? Seems to me like Drivetribe is throwing Mad Ford under the bus here when it seems like there is some blame to go around. (running the car like that without running it in). If I were in the business and DT came to me with a project, I'd think twice about it.

[@proesterchen]

Quite frankly, if that company did this bodge job and let it be promoted as their work, it's only fair that they earn what they delivered. (and while there may be an argument on the topic of the engine, the paint job is plain and simply not something I would have my company's name associated with)

[@Eat-MyGoal]

Have you stopped to think why they've thrown them under the bus? Because they deserved to be, perhaps?

[@DJ_NOOB]

​@@Eat-MyGoal @proesterchen If you go back and watch the series, it is so obvious that this was a rush job. This was nowhere near "fully restored" as Mike called it. (not the first time that Mike has bent the truth on here) Anyone who knows anything about cars would know this. Heck, even just the painting alone made it clear that this was more of a patch job to make it look presentable and get it running. If Mike or the DT crew were under any kind of impression that this was a full restoration, then they're in the wrong business. As far as I'm concerned, they knew full well what they were getting or at the very least should have. As far as why was this rush job? We will never really know the answer to this. Was it because of tight scheduling? Did MF over promise? What was the budget? There was mention of parts being an issue as well as there being more work that needed to be done than expected.......combine just those two with there being a hard deadline and that alone could cause this to be more of a rush job than expected. The last part that rubs me wrong is that they ran the car knowing full well they could damage it. And as others have mentioned, the engine wasn't even fully rebuilt, so any damage caused could very well had nothing to do with anything that MF did.

[@Nite-owl]

I once did my own desperation budget paint job with a tin of gloss and a roller on my 1st car in the 80's that looked 10x better than that. That's truly shocking paintwork 😳 !

[@thas_jimbo]

Oh dear. Does this now mean the V10 MX5 is also moving from MFE to the Smallest Cog?

[@DigBipper188]

I would bet...

[@proesterchen]

All small cogs, all the time. Promoting that show is now this channel's sole purpose.

[@l33t1ee7]

This wasn't what I expected to see. I thought it was a fully restored car, but having to keep to your timetable because of renting the track has striped the time that the car needed to be completed properly in the first place.

[@goose4150]

We definitely need an explanation video about what has Mad Ford done. An engine can't pulverize itself in two days

[@marcoargo]

Agree with a lot of the comments here, I would think it is fair to fully explain why these issues arose as I would find it hard to believe it was down to shoddy work on MAD fords part.

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

Sponsored by Liqui Moly for discerning people who care for their cars and insist on the best products and servicing… HOW ???

[@blapzroger8970]

Apparently this isn’t the Mondeo that was worked on by MAD Ford. I’ve heard that the drivetribe crew had 2 cars, one of which was always destined for the smallest cog to work on. The one rebuilt by MAD Ford is at the Donington motor museum, alongside Nikki Blighton’s 2001 BTCC Civic.

[@iamneveronline02]

Thanks for confirming. I thought I recognised the Mondeo when I visited the lesser known Donnington museum at the weekend with my daughter Sally and step son Zahid. Uncle Jack was thrilled when we bumped into him at the on-site Cafe. I’d recommend the egga Benedict from there. Sorry for the tangent but it’s nice to share memories from time to time with likeminded people

[@Rorschach.]

W476 TLG with Mad Ford on the actual number plate.

[@iamneveronline02]

@@Rorschach. hi that’s the one, she’s the motor at Donnington - no follow up from Drivetribe

[@blapzroger8970]

@@Rorschach. Yep, although this time it was on standard plates

[@JustinNator98]

If that is the case then they should clarify it. Look at the comments here, everyone (rightfully) thinks this was the one MAD Ford worked on and that DriveTribe is throwing them under the bus. Either way, in my opinion its been handled very poorly by Mike and the guys

[@poolio_69]

Was always going to happen due to owner/user neglect. A rebulit engine needs to be run in. Not rebuilt then ragged/redlined. (100 miles is not run in!)

[@shadquirk607]

I'm with everyone else, there needs to be a detailed follow up video. That engine is so wrecked there has to be more than just not being run in.

[@geraintwilliams5962]

From watching this I sincerely hope the smallest cog isn't a real commercial garage. The level of knowledge in this is truly shocking 😳

[@boahnation9932]

Was kinda thinking the same in this video 👀

[@kevinpritchard8567]

I can’t believe there getting away with this.

[@automotivel3501]

What is point of a compression test without knowing what to expect Mike ? You need to know maximum pressure (at least) CR x 20 (PSI) or x1.38 (BAR). Then dry and wet tests, compare figures if more than 10% (i Bar) on any one cylinder difference, there is an issue. A leakdown test would also help.

[@sv-bk]

You guys should make a TG style table out of this engine block for the drivetribe office...

[@scottsvaletingservices6949]

I feel we need to hear mad fords side of the story! The previous videos made it out that the car was fully restored to as new. Something very fishy going on here 🤔

[@jamesdecross1035]

Don't just change the engine. Open it up and show us, please.

[@DigBipper188]

Any self-respectin' petrol head who does an engine swap tears the old one down for a giggle... Surely they'll do that once they've got it out and on a stand!!

[@ahyaan2552]

@@DigBipper188 it was a terrible restoration job wasnt it

[@DigBipper188]

@@ahyaan2552 Yeah, I'm kinda surprised that they didn't even do a full teardown and rebuild... or even just hone the cylinders and fling a fresh set of rings into it... I should hope they refresh the new engine before they install it

[@jonesboy2004]

@@DigBipper188 yes seems a bit of a waste just getting another

[@rorybeanz]

Genuinely shocked that this video has been put out!

[@danm2422]

3.0l duratec swap er mate! I’ve had a few contour svts here in the states and swap 3.0l often in the contour svt, makes the car so much faster.

[@andrewhopkins1010]

I really love this car. Hope you guys get it better soon.

[@bear1245]

You blagged us it was mint 😂

[@EMMX39]

Is it just me that I'd prefer and trust a rebuild of the engine over a random bought one?

[@mrawesomelemons]

This. A second hand one can blow any minute while you know the state of a rebuild. And depending on if you can sleeve it, it might even be salvageable.

[@stopstalkingyouspookybastard]

@@mrawesomelemons depends where do you live tbh. here in switzerland sleeving and engine costs more than a new engine most of the time.

[@ChoppyChof]

I had issues with same engine and Ford told me it was a sealed unit and basically treated as disposable. How much if that is true and how much was Ford BS I can’t say. I found a guy to take on the work but it never ran properly again after a major tear down. Shame as when original the engine was beautiful.

[@BlueRoseShilloh]

Seriously Mike, do the right thing and let MAD Ford say they’re piece

[@msagoo29]

I knew this was a bodge restoration, when in the video of the Mondeo completed, you could still see lots of rust on the radiator bracket. It was rushed for sure

[@ryanhoffmann9341]

I absolutely love this car! I owned the US version, SVT Contour, in College. Lovely little car.

[@rolfejones7445]

Hi Ryan, owned a 2000 Grey Ford Contour SVT and owned if from 2002 - 2016 and just loved it - what a car it was!

[@Andy-mq6yv]

Couldn’t agree more with all the comments here, slagging off MAD Ford in an unbalanced way, and promoting Hammonds shop. You guys absolutely ruined that car by dragging it after a rebuild. You can’t throw a small business under the bus like this. The whole video is a massive cringe.

[@Joemamahahahaha821]

I really like mike. Does his own thing despite being around 3 of the most successful car presenters ever. So many people try to copy the Too Gear chemistry and I feel like mike gets that he’s not one of them 3 and he by himself can bring something to the table.

[@dstuchbury]

I’ve got a lot of time for Mike, for exactly this reason.

[@bignose4703]

Yeah hes a genuine dude, and you're right a lot of top gear copycats make me cringe *cough* car throttle *cough*

[@Joemamahahahaha821]

“Hey guys let’s get 3 people to rear ended each other in cheap cars and say sorry, it worked for top gear right?”

[@bignose4703]

@@Joemamahahahaha821 "Genius, and make sure they have 0 chemistry and charisma as well!"

[@Joemamahahahaha821]

@@bignose4703 😂😂”no just any three guys they don’t need to have any meaningful relatability to the view or each other, it’s about cars after all!!”

[@karlhart-MenOnlyIOW]

I look forward to MFE's comments...

[@Enzo187]

I remember when DRIVETRIBE was brand new and they made us think we were gonna get regular content starring James/Richard/Jeremy and then it turns out its just some Top Gear fanboy who knows nothing about cars (Mike) 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@waynedl99]

You missed the word 'annoying' from Top Gear fanboy.

[@ronknox3376]

So we have Drivetribe with Mike of course and probably more Hammond than May or Clarkson. Foodtribe which is pretty much May's channel. Now we need Clarkson to be involved so I'm suggesting Farmtribe which can be tractors, trucks or even a crossover to Foodtribe with farm grown food. You're welcome.

[@100SteveB]

Oh dear, I have to wonder how the person that bought the red Rover 25 is getting on with it? Hope it did not end up with the same issues.

[@Pugjamin]

I’ve seen the rover in the flesh and it was absolutely mint, no issues at all.

[@100SteveB]

@@Pugjamin Nice to know, I have a feeling that most of the issues with the Mondy were simply that they rushed the job to fit video schedules like stated. Rush something and you get a far from perfect finish. If so, I do feel sorry for the guys that done the job, bad press for them which they probably would not have deserved if given the time to do the job properly.

[@TheDemocrab]

@@100SteveB I wouldn't be surprised if it was miscommunication too. I get the feeling Drivetribe isn't very organised behind the scenes.

[@lloydbrock2711]

Confusing. That just makes a mockery of the whole series of videos on the Mondeo's rebuild. What was the point?

[@The_journeyy]

*Nice to see you guys bringing back this beauty to all her glory* 🔥

[@wamgoc]

Is it significant to you’ve addressed any of the questions raised by comments here? Are you blaming the restorers, or are you saying that Drivetribe are to blame because they were doing this on the cheep and mullering the engine because of lack of running in time? I can’t believe the restorers would have wanted to be any part of the project if they knew corners were going to be cut! It’s certainly hurt their reputation! Answers please!

[@kevinpritchard8567]

If they had any sense the car have been dumped.

[@Sorted7]

Does this mean drivetribe is no longer friends with mad ford?!

[@benstutley2904]

Lots of Clarification needed here @DRIVETRIBE, -it would be Awful to see an independent company, MFE, Mad Ford, Stitched up for the sake of advertising Hammond's little Cog. Looks like mistakes were made all round. This video has a bad vibe, - not what I subscribe for.

[@HenryBrooke1998]

Never been this early for a Drivetribe video before. Fantastic content folks, as usual. Keep it up.

[@ChocolateFrog]

There's so many questions here. It's not just down to timelines, shocking workmanship. There's absolutely no way I'd allow that product out in daylight knowing it was representative of my work.

[@southney7211]

Yeah, but you don’t know what the narrative was between the two parties. It may have turned sour.

[@chuck3354]

I really think that this car should have been ditched in place of a brand new project, it's only ever going to flare up posts from internet types blaming this, that or the other without the full story and possibly throwing unfair shade on an active business. It also cheapens the channels own content as it seems to lean towards the previous build being a rushed production company piece as opposed to a genuine rebuild.

[@clockwork9827]

nobody is buying the 'let's draw a line under this and move on' line either

[@jwtelt]

Cracking advert for MAD Ford Resto

[@jordanabraham1290]

I think that Mad Ford should have had a chance to right their wrongs or at least explain themselves. There was a lot of time spent with those guys. Now, everybody thinks they are wankers. It looks like a botched job, but the real question is why? Why would they do a shoddy job on something that was going to be seen by so many people? Mike, you should have taken it to them first - on camera.

[@BarumEngines]

We can sort the engine 👍

[@freddie3827]

😂 My mate has also commented that you could sort this engine out. Come on DRIVE TRIBE recycling is better than throwing things away. Keep up the great work and your videos are fantastic

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Considering the cosmetic condition, the motor now matches. Very unwise running the motor like that on a fresh rebuild. That's so surprising coming from a guy who works on a car channel.

[@dlhennes]

A newly rebuilt engine doesn't simply grenade itself if you drive it hard (look to any race car or bike). Issues happen if it was put together incorrectly, or there are faulty parts.

[@chrishart8548]

Most company cars get abused from the start cold mornings foot flat to the floor. They don't often die.

[@cjsarchives5377]

In the words of the trio... "You absolute plum sack" 😆😆

[@ForgottenSVT]

So, the bluing on the crank shaft is normal. These are factory forged cranks, and they are all blued. That paint is horrendous though. Sad to see for sure. Hope you get it fixed back up to its actual former glory.

[@grantjohnstone9787]

Hard to say something that hasn't already been said, but this is confusing content to say the least. You should have resolved these concerns with the garage who carried out the work, and made the whole situation clear to the viewers. This is just a bizarre video bemoaning the quality of work that you directly oversaw.

[@Sweaty__Sheep]

I imagine they've been in a stalemate between neither party confirming fault. Then decided to make this video to twist their arm.

[@Kylirr]

I think you're kind of obligated to provide a fully transparent, comprehensive explanation of what's happened.