Why can't I leave?

[C.A.R.]

At the risk of producing almost as many threads as Toms306 I'll try to keep this short and sweet...

Why am I still here?

Why do I still visit the forums, read the project threads and check the for sale section?

I've owned 3, completely different cars since my 306 Cabriolet some 2 years ago.

The Focus is a good car. I won't have a bad word said about it, it starts, does as it's told and steers as it should. Unfortunately it's just not 'me'.

There's a recurring pastime, which occurs once a week, every week. It involves me looking through the classified adverts on here and on Pistonheads / Autotrader, in search of a 306 HDi 3-dr.

Every week I make the argument in my head that it would solve a lot of problems. The Ford is worth £3.5k, if I can get that much for it. That would pay off all of my debts and leave me with £2k still. That's enough for a 306 HDi and lots of toys for the baby due in October.

But part of me thinks it would be suicide. The Focus is reliable, relatively new (53 plate) and a 306 doesn't exactly have a good reputation and would be at minimum 12 years old.

What is it in my head that keeps telling me to do this? And why shouldn't I?!

[samass]

once you start to live for the 306, you always live for the 306.

[Toms306]

Why are any of us still here? The awesome people on oc of course.

And you've basically got the same problem I have - shot yourself in the foot by getting 'better' cars after the 306, so now it seems like a downgrade to go back to a 306 (although I'm sure we'd get used to not having things like cruise control or much power after a week or two).

IMO you should do it.........and then you can tell me what its like going back to a 306.

[cully]

cough cough! minimum 12year old???

my 02 plate would only be 10 year old 1 year older than the plastic Ford

go on you know you want too........

on a side note maybe the estate would be better as prams and baby car seats take up a lot of room

[lolsteve]

hdi 5 dr meridian, all you're problems sorted

There is issues with hdis though but mainly because people tinker, alot of the threads in the hdi section seem to be either remaps/boost/decat threads. Although I'm aware that I put one up on ecu faults recently, however my problems was primarily a light bulb being on, and that was fixed with trip to scrappy and and afternoon of pp2000 (thanks poodle )

The difference being between the two is that if one or the either does decide it doesn't care for something engine related then the 306 will be a bit easier/cheaper to fix , as in dumdums post they talk about how more modern cars talk days on end to get the headlights out

[samass]

and you know that if (when) something goes wrong, it'll be cheap to fix and there's an army of nutters with spares and knowhow to fix it.

[C.A.R.]

Exactly, I don't mind tinkering and I'm only 25 minutes outside London where there's lots of other nutters who spend most weekends fixing 306s.

What common problems are there on the HDi engine? Would a 99 car have an OBD port? My old Cabriolet had an OBD and it made turning off EML's really easy

A 100,000 mile car wouldn't be too bad would it? One has come up for sale just 3 miles away.

Hmmm

[samass]

do it
do it

get rid of the focarse.

[C.A.R.]

I think I need to have a serious think over a jar or two.

Who's fitted ISOfix into a 3-door? I know it's possible cos my old 99 XS had the fixing points. I think someone put it in their project thread too.

That's all my girlfriend is worried about, that it has provisions for the Baby.

Debt-free life is really, really appealing.

[samass]

not done it, but i know i've seen it done. just a case of being to find them i think..


and if you're gunna be debt free, then surely thats a no brainer? you'll have emergency funds for if things go tits up with the car, and debt free when having a kid is surely better? i know id KILL to be debt free...

[cully]

get a 5 door with young kids you will curse climbing in and out of a 3 door trying to belt them up

[Toms306]

get a 5 door with young kids you will curse climbing in and out of a 3 door trying to belt them up

When I was moaning about 3doors, people were saying they're actually better for kids! Can't remember the reason now though, plus they cant fiddle with doors or windows when they're a bit older if there aren't any there....

So basically, leave the 5 doors for us young people!

[C.A.R.]

Don't like 5-doors to be honest, less appealing than a 3-door. Plus, mrs has a 5-door Kia (despite not having a drivers license) for when the kiddy gets older. My car will be mainly for commuting.

Just not happy in the Focus. Something needs to give, even though I've only had it 5 minutes. My dad would probably give me a slap for even thinking like this...

[cully]

plus they cant fiddle with doors or windows when they're a bit older if there aren't any there....

So basically, leave the 5 doors for us young people!

Tom my Hdi has child locks on the rear doors and a little switch on the dash that disables the rear electric windows as standard

[samass]

but if you do it for good reasons, ie; getting rid of debt, cheaper repair bills, happier living (making your kid live for the 306) and so on, he should see the point

[cully]

oh psst i love being debt free **dangles carrot**

[Toms306]

plus they cant fiddle with doors or windows when they're a bit older if there aren't any there....

So basically, leave the 5 doors for us young people!

Tom my Hdi has child locks on the rear doors and a little switch on the dash that disables the rear electric windows as standard

Yeah but yours is a good one........something like an LX or an old meridian (pre W reg iirc) has winders. They could open the window and pull the door handle....or jump out.

[cully]

Yeah but yours is a good one........

but we are only selling CAR a good one......... so your point is

[TheGateKeeper]

Do it

I fitted isofix into the '6 . 10 minute job

[C.A.R.]

Basically through being idiotic and living beyond my means in the past I'm now driving around in a car which is more valuable than I need it to be.

The Focus has no alarm. No rain-sensitive wipers. Crap stereo. The seating position is. Well. Terrible. I sat in my dads Insignia at the weekend to move it and my god, the 2-ton behemoth of a Vauxhall was like sitting in a sportscar in comparison.

[samass]

thats true! i hate they driving position of my sisters focus, the 306 is a much comfier car imo

[Niall]

Ph3 has isofix as standard iirc.

[mark_airey]

......................
The Focus is a good car. I won't have a bad word said about it, it starts, does as it's told and steers as it should. Unfortunately it's just not 'me'.
........................

The Focus has no alarm. No rain-sensitive wipers. Crap stereo. The seating position is. Well. Terrible. I sat in my dads Insignia at the weekend to move it and my god, the 2-ton behemoth of a Vauxhall was like sitting in a sportscar in comparison.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......................don't think I need to add anything here, you know already that the focus is horrid to drive/look at/maintain but you still defend it when anyone says anything bad about it! whats that all about then?

[puglove]

IMO. even if you get another 306 abd decide you dont want it your going to be thinking about it over and over. i think its somthing you need to do to get it out your system. plus the pros seem to out way the cons IMO. . so just get on with it.


plus i dont think you will looj back once your in a 306 again. one of them true 306 lovers lol

[C.A.R.]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......................don't think I need to add anything here, you know already that the focus is horrid to drive/look at/maintain but you still defend it when anyone says anything bad about it! whats that all about then?

Thing is though, it's fine.

It's white goods, it does a good job at everything without excelling in any area or being remotely interesting.

I thought if I modified it, by buying bits and bobs (colour coding it, fitting a trip computer, swapping the lights over) that it would increase my interest. But it doesn't.

It's not that cheap to maintain. Yes, spares second-hand are cheap as fook, because they're so common, but servicing kits are more expensive than those for a HDi, even by going for genuine filters.

[Toms306]

Yeah but yours is a good one........

but we are only selling CAR a good one......... so your point is

But you can only have what you can find............and there aren't many Y plate meridians around at all atm, and I don't just mean locally either.

Basically through being idiotic and living beyond my means in the past I'm now driving around in a car which is more valuable than I need it to be.

The Focus has no alarm. No rain-sensitive wipers. Crap stereo. The seating position is. Well. Terrible. I sat in my dads Insignia at the weekend to move it and my god, the 2-ton behemoth of a Vauxhall was like sitting in a sportscar in comparison.

Focus dashboards are horrible too lol....

However, does it have other spec instead? Thats what annoys me about the golf - that the 306 has 'different' rather than less spec. The golf doesnt have auto wipers or leather seats like a meridian would - however it has a trip computer, blue tinted wing mirrors, electronic climate control and most importantly two auto windows (whats the point of only one auto window anyway! )

So yeah - if I could merge them together it wouldn't be so bad lol. Whats even more annoying is the fact that the 406 has all the spec I want....but in a (lets face it) fairly ugly looking car, and they didn't even make a hatch version - if the 306 had the spec (and the 110HDi engine) of the 406, I'd have bought one by now.....

[mark_airey]

Thing is though, it's fine.

It's white goods, it does a good job at everything without excelling in any area or being remotely interesting.

I thought if I modified it, by buying bits and bobs (colour coding it, fitting a trip computer, swapping the lights over) that it would increase my interest. But it doesn't.

It's not that cheap to maintain. Yes, spares second-hand are cheap as fook, because they're so common, but servicing kits are more expensive than those for a HDi, even by going for genuine filters.

Fine apart from the list of things that are shit and horrible about it that I just quoted about above? or fine apart from when you want to change a bulb (where was that thread again?)

Best thing for a Focus IMO...............



even has an appropriate sign next to it

[Niall]

Thing is though, it's fine.

It's white goods, it does a good job at everything without excelling in any area or being remotely interesting.

I thought if I modified it, by buying bits and bobs (colour coding it, fitting a trip computer, swapping the lights over) that it would increase my interest. But it doesn't.

It's not that cheap to maintain. Yes, spares second-hand are cheap as fook, because they're so common, but servicing kits are more expensive than those for a HDi, even by going for genuine filters.

Fine apart from the list of things that are shit and horrible about it that I just quoted about above? or fine apart from when you want to change a bulb (where was that thread again?)

Best thing for a Focus IMO...............



even has an appropriate sign next to it

That photo makes me smile a bit inside

[Dum-Dum]

306s are an addiction mate

Just buy another GTi6 and try not to stuff this one into the armco.

[C.A.R.]

Would love a GTi6 mate, but that's going to shaft me on insurance and fuel and tax all at once haha!

HDi is the way forward. Sensible, slow, and keeps me happy.