We Scrapped a 20 Year Old Ford Focus Ghia.... Was it Worth Saving

We compared the cost of what the focus owed us plus what it would cost to put back into a reasonable condition to be sold on.

[@martinevans1256]

Your a lucky guy working with those two beautiful ladies

[@stevenc5227]

In another 20 years this car will be a classic worth thousands of £££, cars that we were scrapping at the garage i worked at in the 80s are now worth 20K plus.

[@MrBigboywim]

A repair can never be done at £80,-- per hour (which is almost a lawyers wage).You may ad well scrap all second hand cars. A very normal price for labor would be € 60,- per hour. This would save the life of a lot of cars, which is much more sustainable; looking at the world's use of raw materials.

[@stevenc5227]

£80 p/h? apparently there are three BMW dealers in London charging over £200 p/h some of my local garages charging £120-£150 p/h + VAT😒@@MrBigboywim

[@connorbamber3614]

Please, please save it. So many people are binning these amazing cars and it’s such a shame. I know it’s money but it will live another 10 years with a small bit of love. It deserves a second chance.

[@JasperTW-NL]

Still one of the best driving cars ever made The handling is just perfect Unfortunately the rust took most of them Had a change a couple of years ago to buy a 2001 2.0 ghia but did not have room for it Got sold to a young kid Ended up upside down in a river about 2 weeks after it was bought Had 28.000km from new

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

I agree, shame about the bolt post driving position.

[@lewis72]

Yes, rust took many a Mk1 Ka and Puma coupe too. Obviously Ford wanted to sell them at bargain prices, so they didn't bother too much with rust prevention.

[@antman5474]

It had issues under hard braking on undulating roads. Didn't like it. Too unstable. Too messy.

[@BigPaul62]

I'd mend it but then I am a retired mechanic. Secondhand rack, re solder instrument panel and balljoint only, not the whole arm. I am also a tight arse when it comes to paying out for car repairs!

[@raffaelerussotto2312]

Brilliant video Alan more of the same with these old cars and the girls are Brill, 👍

[@Andronicus2007]

Funny, I used to live by the sea during my 11 years of Focus ownership. Mine was 5 years old when I bought it, 16 years old when I sold it. No rust at all, but mine was made in Germany. I always thought it was the best car I'd every driven in terms of handling, however IMO the 2.0l petrol engine wasn't very powerful for a 2 litre. Ok around town but struggled on the highway!

[@nordic1121]

I love this shape of focus,it was fords better period and it was build quality was long lasting

[@danascully-x2t]

I had a focus w plate 2.0 esp for 15 years. Loved it the engine was bullet proof i put eibach pro kit springs on it. The drive was superb but the subframe rust / sills got it in the end.

[@sparky1543]

One of the best petrol engines ever made by ford/Yamaha. The reason it is still around 20 years later. Save it.

[@bobsurrey6686]

I agree 160k on my fiesta with the 1.25 lump and still sounds mint

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

Bit juicy, I liked the 1.8 tddi. They're also a bit fragile, and the IB5's weak

[@st200ol]

Another vote to keep it from me as it ULEZ compliant so it’s value has probably increased recently. The thing is I’m not sure those loonies in London want to comply with ULEZ they’d rather just see all the cameras destroyed, repaired, destroyed repeat x 1,000,00 even though they are paying for the replacement cameras. 🤷‍♂️

[@ashsmith4654]

I had an ex AA driving school 1.6 chic model with 280 k on it and still ran beautifully wonder how long it lived after I sold it as it was faultless and tbf the bodywork was mint

[@patrickmcteigue]

Same as my focus m.k. (2.5) 100K ZERO PROBLEMS.

[@henwoods2683]

what a great honest video,two lovely ladies and shared knowledge...many thanks

[@fanfeck2844]

This is my favourite shape of focus

[@stephenegginton7590]

Great vid Alan can’t beat a good Old Ford better then the new ones 👍it will make a cheap runner about for somebody who’s a bit handy with the spanner 😉

[@ggj666]

Should beat the old ford with the spanner :o)

[@tomthepetrolhead97]

In there day these generation Fords were legendary. Unfortunately these days much like this one they have fallen victim to poor maintenance and people running them until there completely broken

[@charlesdale1462]

Just acquired one of these myself. Fault was a seized throttle body. Removed and worked silicone grease into the spindle. Strange, arrived with a FSH but cambelt never changed. I've put a new one on. Old one looked fine and tensioner and water pump good too. MOT required new flexi pipe. Drives well and good headlights

[@mick199625]

I owned a mk1 focus 1.6 really good car to drive apart from the rust. Also I had a full cat back exhaust made and fitted.🤣

[@chrishill5166]

Love to see your two little helpers.

[@alancourse340]

The GP on the boot lid Alan is the sticker GP Motors of Cambridge put on a car as they certainly used to sell used vehicles & I guess they still do.

[@scorcha100]

I think this is worth saving as it is a dying breed. Its a diy mechanics dream as its easily fixable on a driveway. No good for the retail market but still some life left in this. Id buy it and fix it myself

[@davidtomlinson6138]

I agree

[@brianfearn4246]

Great video, I've owned a focus automatic on a 10 plate for almost 14 years and can certainly say that they don't make them like this anymore I've also noticed on my focus the volvo name appears on some of the component's. I've also kept it in good condition with regular oil changes and replaced the timing belt along with both auxiliary belts and I also regularly spray wash the underside including the wheel archers to keep all the crap away. 🙂

[@electroid8119]

I've got the same age 10 plate auto. Super reliable and Its now on about 115k. It corners so well, I love it. Neighbours borrow it when their amazing cars are in for the 12th service of the year.

[@patkelly7999]

Great stuff Alan and the gang, not a bad car for its age👌👍😎

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

The ' G P ' on the back was the initials of a former Cambridge car dealer , now retired with a lifetime in the motor trade .It is a shame when a basically excellent car with a name for reliabilty and non-complexity , is maintained to such a lousy standard. A friend bought an identical model 3 years ago on eBay with one elderly owner , 5K genuine miles for £1550 !.With a full service , belts etc and full preservation oil underneath , the car has given unfailing service and another 25K miles.

[@electroid8119]

I loved this Mk1. The disappointment I had with the boring Mk2 when "upgrading" was my big mistake. Mk1s are decent, handle SO well.

[@G7IQJUK]

LOVED my mk1 2001 focus estate 1.8tci ford diesel bullet proof . mk2 2007 1.8tdci ford diesel estate trouble cluster fault lwr wishbones egr values sticks dismantle clean out carbon

[@andyc3856]

Best way I've found to replace those rear trailing arm bushes is to drop the whole rear subframe out. Is there no breakers yard nearby where you can pick up used parts quickly and cheaply? The mk1 focus was A really good car,this one deserves to live on for another while.

[@barryshitpeas5837]

Time is money in a garage, you could spend a few days fixing it up at a cost of maybe a thousand quid and then get a thousand quid back for it. Possibly worth doing on a DIY basis but no way on professional time.

[@marinastuable]

that passenger seat is a drivers seat from a 3 door focus

[@bartoszk4812]

Glad you're all having fun at work 😁 shame about a Focus.

[@sparky1543]

Solder joints will be loose on the clocks. Easily reflowed . And they do use a tad of oil.

[@johncoldwell340]

Have you done a mk1 dash? I done loads of mk2 but no mk1 are you sure they suffer with the same problem ?

[@nswatman]

They put a driver's side seat from a 3-door in the passenger side 😅

[@AnthonySymes]

I think its actually a proper 5 door passenger front seat, BUT Ford did a 'business pack' option whereby the passenger seat would tip forwards and you had a 'desk' on the seat back, if you get what I mean. VERY RARE option !!!!

[@john1v6]

@@AnthonySymes This is probably true. My wife's 2008 Fusion has a passenger front seat similar to that one ( I think all Fusion's do). It folds forward. No reason why it couldn't be on other models too - although I agree it would be rare on a MK1 Focus.

[@stewartbridge5162]

Wonder if it would go up in value if kept in a barn for 15 years?

[@marklittler784]

😂🤸😃🤸😃🤸😃🤸😂🤸😆😅

[@Roadkill7878]

Nah. You would go back to a pile of rust. It’s a Ford 😜

[@as3cs3]

I think if you filled a warehouse/farmyard/barns with Mk3 Mondeos you'd make a fortune in 20 years time. They are going for buttons just now and aren't usually that rusty.

[@marklittler784]

@@as3cs3 I've had both but the mk 4 was definitely massive difference to the mk 3 like the 2003 Toyota Avensis with sat nav as standard was to the previous model, it was far more refined and comfortable to drive.

[@davidtomlinson6138]

Certainly , prob about 20k

[@captainfantastic9238]

I had a 52 plate 1.8 Ghia - same colour and trim as this one. The rust around the chrome tailgate trim is a common problem from new. I had to have the tailgate resprayed under warranty. No ABS, no traction control. Things have moved on in 20 years!

[@video99couk]

Things had moved on a long time before then. ABS was standard on my 1994 Toyota.

[@guffermeister]

Did it get a drive by MOT last time? some of those issues must have been there when it was last tested. But there comes a time where the labour cost gets too high...

[@byronmills5952]

It's Auto and Ulez exempt, it's easily £2395 worth off a forecourt with a fresh Mot. Worth selling it spares or repair with remaining Mot rather than scrapping it for baseline money. The bones of the car are still decent and as it's auto people will bite your hand off for it - the demand for cheap autos is sky high.

[@davesdaze]

Love the focus video especially the young man in shorts and shirtless, I work the same, carpenter on site nice tan

[@alanryderb]

I tried We buy any car for my 60 plate Zafira and the online valuation was £855, after they had a look it dropped to £166.13. My brother sold it for £1000.

[@StuartAinsworth]

My 11 plate 1.7 cdti just the same 2 owners from new full service history, there having a laugh 😅

[@Sunshinesmuse]

Rhiannon was gorgeous !! 😂🥰

[@janvanwees8143]

This vid has beauty, cars and comedy, only the British could make this. Could have written ''crumpet', would have sounded even bettah 😀

[@amazoniaamazonia7225]

Very nice chassis.

[@cosminronea4688]

That was a good one. Congrats!

[@mickgalla]

after a hard days work you get a free bath with two lovelies.what more could a man ask for. lol .keep the vids coming .

[@owensteele1645]

@4:44 I'm sure Michaela Strachan didn't yell that when she showed the public how to open the Focus's bonnet in the Birmingham NEC hall at its launch in October 1998.

[@keegan4039]

There was also a transmission light on , 😅

[@alan4x]

😩

[@leprechaunshelper]

Beautiful cars the MK1 focus 👍

[@markmurphy9280]

Another enjoyable video, Great stuff! :) 😃

[@Grahame59]

3:29 air-con won't be cold with the temp dial not set to cold!

[@st170restoration]

Nice little motor

[@owensteele1645]

Many Mark two Focuses are now starting to suffer from rust on the rear half of the sills, and the front edges of the front wings.

[@gimble447]

Nearly all have, the plastic covers on the sill hide the rear sill bit and you can almost guarantee that if front wing is bubbled/ holed at the front of the front wheel arce that the bottom of the wing down beside sills will have very little left beneath the plastic trim it has like the sills too, on the whole though I think the mk2 isn't as bad for real terminal rust as mk1 but we shall see as time goes on 😊

[@owensteele1645]

@@gimble447Just realised the mk2 Focus is a pre-'10 Mazda 3 underneath. Those are even worse. Loads of earlier ones in my area with patched-up sills and terminal arch rot. That's without poking around at the underneath.

[@gimble447]

@@owensteele1645 yeah the old Mazda has P1 platform too, I have 2 p1 platform cars lol a 2007 focus 1.8 tdcizetec climate sportspack that I ordered new from Germany in sea grey and a Volvo V50 1.6d because I needed a work hack 4 years back and it being a focus underneath was a big plus as far as I was concerned lol ( and i didn't really want a focus estate as you like to feel your driving something different) as you can tell I'm quite a fan of the P1 platform ( but wouldn't have a Mazda) 😂

[@gimble447]

@@owensteele1645 ps after 16 years and counting of owning my focus it has no rust ( mostly down I think to me waxoyling the whole car as soon as it hit its 3rd birthday because I knew I wouldn't be taking it back to dealer again when warranty ended and I yearly recoat any dried out bits) but im sure mines would obv be like the rest of them if it wasn't a one owner car with a bit of an OCD owner though 😂

[@julianlangdon3456]

what I can't believe is how the Focus can be such an awful, uncomfortable drive; but the Mondeo Mk3 from the same manufacturer, in the same era, can be so good. Previous 160K 2004 Focus Ghia. Current 200K Mondeo 2004 base model

[@F4Insight-uq6nt]

If you had the skills to fix it yourself (avoiding the Labour charges) it would be quite a good buy.

[@davidtomlinson6138]

Too right

[@Vintaronica]

We had one of these, 1.6 Auto , complete poverty spec. It was an awesome car, never failed us, lots of memories in wales, cheap to run, not the best in fuel, however very well built one of fords best eras 2003-2009. I’m still running a transit connect 2008 same good quality, solid build and excellent design. In contrast we had a ford eco boost focus 2016 what a pile of junk that was in comparison we now have a Honda ford lost their way

[@phil6465]

Cough Cough. How did your camera operator manage to put on their seatbelt on the test run?🙈🤣

[@nigelfenlon9035]

They were the best of the ford focus's lovely car to drive. God I miss st neots

[@scotty6346]

1.6 manual MK1 Focus 2 door, Epic cars, The most fun handling car you will ever have without breaking the speed limit! Get one while you still can!

[@paulirvine6336]

a chicken was standing in front your car there alan going onto ramp 🤣

[@alan4x]

lmao🤣😂

[@andrewinnes-871c]

Hi Allen do you still have this car as I’m interested in a part off of it if you still have it

[@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels]

I miss Ghia trim with velour seats.

[@marknucita8284]

DR Focus Alan, will you be at the TCH show Sunday?

[@TheGee18111988]

It has a sensor on the gearbox thats broken, that whay the instrument cluster it is not working. Its about 15 pounts i quess. Common problem

[@aichachaoukeladlani1946]

THANKIOU❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rpwhite05]

Had 2.0 same car v plate manual, bust it’s timing belt@ 50k ( dealer said jog on 😮) used loads of petrol and slow, looked nice though.

[@paulprescott7913]

Its ulez compliant, so spend a bit on and sell in London.

[@garrybritton9415]

That's a one to fix for yourself too good to scrap not many left

[@chrisevans19692]

I think it's worth saving but could cost a bit to fix all the silly little faults. Those coil springs should have been replaced in pairs as they take a while to settle down. If the engine and gearbox are all OK then everything is worth getting done

[@bormisha]

Monica is the best!

[@Aidan-LM02]

Notice the old Steve car sales plates

[@bowycolt2132]

Nice seeing Monica❤ 😊 scrap the car lol

[@paulleggett9735]

Makes me sad...love a mk1. Which is why I have one

[@nitronixasd]

Umm MOT until next April??!! Who did the MOT? Given this video is from September Id be even more worried. Think someone slipped a few more notes into someones hand I think. Good video though. My Focus, while old as an 06 model, serves me well although its starting to get a bit more needy these days as things age. The old rust is starting to bite though which is a bummer.

[@jameswalker7874]

What's the highest mileage taxi you still have? The 14 plate in the video must have done a serious mileage by now...

[@nigelsaunders4662]

As a Garage owner, you should be able to fix it. 's not like you've got to go to somewhere else.

[@don-qb4xb]

Interestin vlog Alan. It was always going to be a scrapper. Throw a load of money at it then next week the cam belt goes. The Zetec was an incredible engine then Ford goes and builds the Ecoboom. Seeing them every week in our workshop. So sad.

[@johnfewtrell1914]

Off track I've got a 18 plate ST3 WITH 38,000 ON THE CLOCK it's running a bit HOTeven though the temperature gauge is running at normal any ideas what could cause it to run hot would the intercooler do it ?

[@philipnewton7942]

Allen Great video what a lucky guy two lovely ladies Ford are well know for being a rot box even in thd 1980s this one not to bad any one doing cars up like I use to would buy this so i would advertise this car on Facebook or ebay spare or repair make more money pal Phil in stoke😂

[@arjuns7285]

Hello alan I am using ford mondeo 2016, The powertrain signal turns on and engine cut off hard acceleration while driving. I have did all the service also. Its very dangerous for driving especially in motorways. Do u have any idea about this issue?

[@enfield7123]

Whats it got to do with him where she got the car from ..if he don't want to check the car over why do it

[@ianpetherick4326]

Gp motors are based in cambridge

[@MegaReddevil71]

Mk1 focuses hold up well only things body wise is the sills at the back qnd inner wheel arches near to seat belt mount which is mot failiure and most get scrapped because of this

[@uttaradit2]

get another 10 years plus in thailand

[@Shandybrother]

Says it’s ulez compliant, my 2000 1.8 LX isn’t well annoyed.

[@timowallin8020]

Great acting! and it seams we have a winner on wet t-shirt contest.. ;) ps. if you do get a tattoo i hope you think of it first and not do it like one Disney hmm... :D Anyway ...We do those rear ends on the car ... those bolts didn't want to come out, even when they where new. So that's why we don't, even try to do it out off car. But yeah Burning oil/or NO oil change in 10 years is one big no no no and the rust. so strip it for fleapay and the rest send to the scrap metal. ... don't forget this has cat too if the oil hasn't burn it out. Cheers! from Finland

[@VSTV1993]

Someone put a front seat out of a 3door focus in that and will explain why seatbelt buckle isn't mounted properly

[@ROUTEPLANNERPAUL]

Brilliant alan

[@davew9360]

That vehicle should not have an MOT certificate until next april because all those faults did not happen in the period of time since it was last MOT ,d.

[@Cupat1]

Just did a tax check and was very surprised that it's £365 or 384 paying up, that's a bloody rip off, yes it's auto as that puts it up a bit good god come on!. That's the same as an old E220.

[@philtucker1224]

Interesting that despite being 20 years old it was ULEZ compliant (why???)

[@Ju1ian10001]

Sorry Alan was you and a ford focus in this video, all i saw was 2 beautiful lady's throwing a bucket of water over some one. The Focus MK1 was a fantastic drivers car back in the day, sadly rot has got hold of them, and why on earth put the silly plastic sill cover on the MK1.5 lost count of how many of them i've sent to scrap over the years.

[@robertwilliams1147]

P8ty on focus focus on those 2 cheeky tho lol

[@markevans1973]

Monica is so beautiful ❤️

[@markpaul1154]

Neighbour just paid £600 for a second hand auto box from one of these. Thats without fitting .

[@JohnSmith-cf4gn]

I wouldn't want it either because the steering wheel is on the wrong side. 🙄😁

[@ianwheat1577]

The old cars not in bad nick girls look good too

[@terryatkinson899]

Id fix it and use it til it rots or goes bang😊

[@Robyrama76]

Ho avuto lo stesso problema anche io era un connettore nel batti tacco

[@chris-jr1ej]

i have focus mk1 03reg 75000miles not done lot run like dream

[@sirlordbabish3873]

Everything else aside it was on borrowed time burning/leaking motor oil. Never ends well.

[@createdezign1840]

They're OK cars we had a Mk1 Ghia 2.0 saloon... Saying that we had the Focus after a 3 Series BMW, no comparison really apart from the fact that the Focus was way cheaper to maintain.

[@aguyfromthe60s7]

I could do it for about £300 and days work 🤷‍♂️

[@jayash6108]

I put in my 38 year old 205 gti in and was told £150 lol

[@adriandukes7690]

Omg is it just me or does Monica look even hotter❤❤❤❤ She look even better in a bikini 😀😀😀😀

[@Peter_Riis_DK]

All wet give those girlies a big hug. 😁

[@thechickenmanuk]

Why is the lady wearing two watches.?