Tom's TDCi Titanium X...

[Toms306]

It cant be repaired where it is, and Focus has a space saver lol, so only way to sort it is to replace it.

Interestingly, on there it doesn't say anything about tyres being below 1.6mm tread though.

[procta]

tom get your arse down to the local scrappy and see if they have a tyre for you car.

[Toms306]

I'll buy another pair in a few months time, just trying not to buy all 4 now if I can away with it.


Also are there any Focus specific things I should check before MOT?

Lights, wipers are washers are all fine. Smoke will be fine unless it decides to start a regen on the test lol. Brakes aren't great but I'm used to bigger brakes on lighter cars lol, so they should be alright. Wont really have the chance to check suspension etc but it doesn't fall off corners or knock anywhere so that's probably alright.

[Atterz]

It'll fly through mate, my 06 plate Focus did, and i dare say, given that you care about yours, that its in much better condition!

[procta]

it will fly thru tom

[Toms306]

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys.

Is it sad I'm trying to estimate when it'll tick over to 50k so I can have exactly 50k on the MOT...

[Toms306]

First pair of tyres ordered for Thursday. 2x Dunlop Sport BluResponse for £125 - 5% discount = £118.75. Plus 2.62% back from TopCashBack. Not bad imo, 205/55/16 seems to be a common size, its cheaper like for like than the 195/55/15s I bought for the 306 last year lol.

Can finally get the scuffed alloy off as well!

Decided not to go for tracking this time, I'll drop off the pair lose and collect them later.


Next decision is MOT - do I use F1 who are doing MOTs at £30, plus 10% back with top cashback (£27) and risk potential faults and having to sit in their waiting room with bowel issues for however long an MOT takes. Or do I pay £55 for the local one, known pass or free retest if not, and be able to stay home while its done. Hmm, decisions!

Tracking will be done after MOT in case there are any steering/suspension components needing replaced.

[bashbarnard]

You use me who will charge you 40 trade and know you wont get ripped off. Ill even mot it myself if you want can fit you in most days. Will even pop into work early for you and do it before we start if the day you want is full

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Plus free retest if it fails. Which it probably wont.

[Niall]

Also, all garages have to give a free retest providing you stick to the time limits

[bashbarnard]

Also, all garages have to give a free retest providing you stick to the time limits

Only if you dont take it away. Stupid loop hole my old boss used to use. What a twat

[Toms306]

Hmm, fair, cant really turn that down lol, how long does it take for MOT roughly?

Only if you leave it with them Niall, if you take it away they can charge.

[Niall]

Really? Ive always taken mine away and got free retests!

[Toms306]

You've got a decent tester then. It even says at the bottom of MOTs they charge if you take it away. But when the 206 failed (first one Ive ever had fail!) I asked the price and they quietly said free lol. But they charge the full £55 for the test which I'd rather not pay lol.

[bashbarnard]

Takes about an hour man. Probally less for yours as its fairly new.

[procta]

You've got a decent tester then.  It even says at the bottom of MOTs they charge if you take it away.  But when the 206 failed (first one Ive ever had fail!) I asked the price and they quietly said free lol.  But they charge the full £55 for the test which I'd rather not pay lol.

I think its after 10 days if you don't return the car for the re test, even then they will only test it on what it failed.

[Connor]

There are certain conditions for being able to have a free retest. There is a list of things like bulbs, wipers ect that you have 1 day to fix (yourself or another garage) and still get a free retest. Most places won't charge a retest fee anyway, but some places do. One tried to charge me before and I told them exactly where to go. Tom itll fly though

[Toms306]

Right MOT is booked at Bash's garage, hopefully it'll be fine!


Next question - caliper colour? Either Black or Oxford Blue? Drums are black, cant decide on calipers, I already have both colours.

[1616six]

Black or silver, newer cars with painted brakes just looks cheap IMO

Unless of course they came out the factory in a bright colour!

[7057sam]

My votes

Black as will look oe and won't look crap when they get dirty

[Toms306]

Black it is then! The blue was for the 6 brakes anyway really, its not a bright blue btw, similar to China.

Will be getting the copper grease out as well as I'm fed up of the bloody squealing, god knows where the pads were replaced but they look new...and squeak under any sort of braking. its partly the rears as well but I'm not touching drums again, break something every time I touch drums lol.

[Toms306]

So, an update and some pics lol...

Not gonna lie, last few weeks have been awful, hate that time of year and I was feeling pretty bad by this week.  Despite that I forced myself out yesterday after a lengthy toilet session and despite the rain me and the Focus had a trip down to Colchester!  Via the backroads though, wasn't gonna chance the A12 lol.

So, I took Focus to the scrap yard...



Where we saw a 206oc meet...



But only one 306 which wasn't a GTi so didn't have what I was after (decent parts though, will stick pics up in another thread shortly in case anyone wants parts).  And also only one Focus, which was the Mk2 (mines the 2.5) and only pov spec style.  Didn't have any velour mats or undertray or anything else worth having.



Stopped by LewisG's work on the way back and dropped some parts off to him....only 3 months late lol.  Then had a quick photoshoot by the reservoir - where I got chased by some scary ducks!





So yeah, not a bad day out for once!


Anyway, tomorrow I'm getting a pair of tyres.  First just want to check this nail wont be an issue for the MOT....I know we've been over this but want to make sure lol.






Anyway, I've chucked on the spare and will drop the two rims into F1 and let them fit tyres while I get on with other things.  Got a feeling the tracking might be out lol...



On closer inspection, the 2 rear tyres still have about 5mm tread left, and almost no edgewear - I must've confused them with another pair of tyres in my mind I think!  So I'll stick them on the front (assuming the nail isn't an issue!) and stick the new ones on the back.  Will get front tracked after MOT as both front tyres have the same edgewear despite about 4mm in the centre!

Heres the shiny new rim I purchased a couple of months ago to get rid of the kerbed one -






Then MOT is booked at Bash's garage for Tuesday, hopefully it passes, though I cant think of any reason why it wouldn't!  Then tracking needs doing, then tax is due end of Feb (a whole £30 ) then hopefully almost a year without any money spent on it.....hopefully...

[procta]

good snaps tom! me and my mate used to love having a walk around the local scrappy just to see what was in.

[Toms306]

Theres something oddly calming about walking around in toxic sludge between cars that are likely to fall and crush you I find.

[procta]

Theres something oddly calming about walking around in toxic sludge between cars that are likely to fall and crush you I find.

mad thing tom car stacking was against health and safety lol, the yard I used to go in had them stacked 3 high!

[Toms306]

Lol, don't think theres much health and safety at this yard. Just a notice that says 'enter at your own risk' or similar.

[procta]

going back to the 206 thing, I remember when I used to see a load of saxos like that in rows! now you will be lucky to see anything as old as that now,
I think you may also have the same problem as me tom, the age of the car, as some yards wont keep cars in, that are a certain age, due to the demand of spares. The lads who took my red metro shell away, I asked them do still break cars that age etc? he said no mate, due to the age of it.
Also how often will you get someone asking for a part for escort now?

[Eeyore]

Love walking around the cars stacked up! So much crap on the floor its great!

[Toms306]

going back to the 206 thing, I remember when I used to see a load of saxos like that in rows!  now you will be lucky to see anything as old as that now,
I think you may also have the same problem as me tom, the age of the car, as some yards wont keep cars in, that are a certain age, due to the demand of spares. The lads who took my red metro shell away, I asked them do still break cars that age etc? he said no mate, due to the age of it.
Also how often will you get someone asking for a part for escort now?

There are some older things at this yard, its huge and things get forgotten at the back lol.  The main walkway is just two long rows of VAG and Ford around 2000-2006 but round the edges its surprising whats there.

Also, there is an old Escort there...  Not for breaking though, its out the front for sale.  Were people in the way though so I didn't get a good look.

Love walking around the cars stacked up! So much crap on the floor its great!

You really need to go there one day!

[Toms306]

So today got some new tyres.

Fortunately I'd swapped the spare on yesterday as my stomach wasn't really up to physical work this morning. Cannot praise the Focus suspension enough lol, not sure I'd have made the trip in the 306! Anyway, as its a space saver had to stick to 80kph....50mph, so just stuck the cruise on but mannnn does it feel slow! Felt like it took twice as long to get anywhere...and the mpg didn't even go up because of it...no idea how people do it without needing to. Also still currently the worst avg mpg Ive had in the Focus so far...think the xmas town traffic and my ragey traffic light grand prixs may've contributed lol.



Had tyres done at F1, good customer service and were done by the time I said I'd collect them, so with that and being the lowest priced tyres I can definitely recommend F1 to anyone else. Not to mention they didn't leave a single mark on my new rim haha.



Got home and was too impatient so have swapped rear tyres onto front and new ones on the back, now paying for it with more gutsache. Also now got new centre caps all round - supposed to be genuine and are marked Ford but seem a fraction too small lol, they move slightly, but not enough to fall out so that's fine. Also removed the 'chrome' dust caps for 2 reasons. Firstly they're too fat so difficult to remove and replace with the multispokes. And second they keep seizing, not sure why as I've had similar on the Pugs, Golfs and Vec without them seizing. So have ordered a different set from the seller I had previous ones from, I know most of you don't like them but meh, its not your car haha. Also gave everything underneath a tug and all seems well for MOT.

[procta]

fingers crossed for you tom, i have got to fork out 400 quid to get my rover back on the road again! Not to mention what the 306 throws up!
you may find that some of the old hardware like that maybe too good to break, The scrap yard i used to go to, had a mk4 escort and it was in sweat nick, he said he would consider selling it on, as he only put the car on sorn.