Buying an ST220..
07-09-2007, 10:41 AM
#1
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Buying an ST220..
Going to look at one at the w/e. I have done a forum search and the only thing that has been mentioned really is checking the seams on the bottoms of the doors for rust. Is that really all the goes wrong??
The vehicle in question is an '03 estate with 50k miles on it.
Cheers
Martyn
The vehicle in question is an '03 estate with 50k miles on it.
Cheers
Martyn
07-09-2007, 10:45 AM
#2
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a mate of mine has one, 53 plate estate also.
Really lovely car, recaro leather, satnav etc. Only problem he's had is the jack-point covers dropping off and dangling off the side of the car all the time. This was a problem on the ST24 as well, but the ST220 seems to have stronger retaining straps so they don't drop off and get run over
Really lovely car, recaro leather, satnav etc. Only problem he's had is the jack-point covers dropping off and dangling off the side of the car all the time. This was a problem on the ST24 as well, but the ST220 seems to have stronger retaining straps so they don't drop off and get run over
07-09-2007, 10:46 AM
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http://www.archersofashby.co.uk/
thats where his came from, Ford Direct car....belonged to someone in Ford Management apparently
thats where his came from, Ford Direct car....belonged to someone in Ford Management apparently
07-09-2007, 12:47 PM
#5
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Fantastic cars mate and would love another one. 
Had a 53 plate one and loved evry minute was behind the wheel of it, lovely sound comes off them and bags of power, if you are really hard on them you can get them to perform like a rwd car !!!!!!!!
Prob one of the best handling cars i have driven but can be a bit of a handful in the wet
Only thing that ever went wrong in a year and a half was the wiring for the hego sensor rubbed through near the bulkhead and put the eng management light on, replaced the sensor and was as good as new again.
They do go through tyres are quite an alarming rate though if you really use the car and went through 3 sets in under 20k miles.!!!
Had a 53 plate one and loved evry minute was behind the wheel of it, lovely sound comes off them and bags of power, if you are really hard on them you can get them to perform like a rwd car !!!!!!!!
Prob one of the best handling cars i have driven but can be a bit of a handful in the wet
Only thing that ever went wrong in a year and a half was the wiring for the hego sensor rubbed through near the bulkhead and put the eng management light on, replaced the sensor and was as good as new again.
They do go through tyres are quite an alarming rate though if you really use the car and went through 3 sets in under 20k miles.!!!
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07-09-2007, 04:15 PM
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The best value for money car i've ever bought Its been perfect for the last 2 years although the brakes are rather inadequate, 1.55 tonnes and standard across the range Mondo brakes ain't clever 
Depending upon how long you wish to keep the car then you may not worry about the rust underneath the doors too much as Ford will replace the doors (all 4) under warranty and this is on EVERY MK3 Mondeo, hatchbacks & saloons too.
Apparantly the doors had the wrong mastic/sealer/wax used.
A Ford dealer told me this and that there shouldn't be any resistance to getting it done for free under warranty (meaning they'll do it even if you havn't got the body inspection stamps up to date).
All my doors were done under warranty even before Ford accepted there was a problem so I know this as fact!
Its up to you but finding an ST220 estate with rusting doors (and a few dents in them, etc) might give you an excuse to knock the price down!
I looked over a 220 estate for a mate 2 months ago, he paid Ł7.5K for it, 26K miles, XENONS, although the rust wasn't obvious the o/s rear door had tiny lumps under the paint already!
The cheapest one I've ever seen was for Ł7250 and this was a pile of shit, worn through drivers seat, damage repaired (obvious rear ended), aircon not working, brakes and tyres near limit, fluid leaks, etc.
July 2003 & onwards cars have later dash which looks more modern plus 6 speed gearbox. The bling chromed up 2005 ones look a bit naf to me!
Be careful and best of luck,
Its been perfect for the last 2 years although the brakes are rather inadequate, 1.55 tonnes and standard across the range Mondo brakes ain't clever Depending upon how long you wish to keep the car then you may not worry about the rust underneath the doors too much as Ford will replace the doors (all 4) under warranty and this is on EVERY MK3 Mondeo, hatchbacks & saloons too.
Apparantly the doors had the wrong mastic/sealer/wax used.
A Ford dealer told me this and that there shouldn't be any resistance to getting it done for free under warranty (meaning they'll do it even if you havn't got the body inspection stamps up to date).
All my doors were done under warranty even before Ford accepted there was a problem so I know this as fact!
Its up to you but finding an ST220 estate with rusting doors (and a few dents in them, etc) might give you an excuse to knock the price down!
I looked over a 220 estate for a mate 2 months ago, he paid Ł7.5K for it, 26K miles, XENONS, although the rust wasn't obvious the o/s rear door had tiny lumps under the paint already!
The cheapest one I've ever seen was for Ł7250 and this was a pile of shit, worn through drivers seat, damage repaired (obvious rear ended), aircon not working, brakes and tyres near limit, fluid leaks, etc.
July 2003 & onwards cars have later dash which looks more modern plus 6 speed gearbox. The bling chromed up 2005 ones look a bit naf to me!
Be careful and best of luck,
07-09-2007, 06:17 PM
#10
brakes on the estate are shite, even though they are were all new just after i bought the car (and for the MOT too)
it doesn't handle as well as i was exeting either, but the ride is good and you know exactly what the wheels are doing (not going where you are turning normally )
it doesn't handle as well as i was exeting either, but the ride is good and you know exactly what the wheels are doing (not going where you are turning normally
)
07-09-2007, 07:33 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by littlebrownbike
3 sets in 20k miles? You must driver like a fooking rally driver I had Toyos on mine that have done 7k and a few track days and have just under 4mm tread left. I musn't be trying hard enough
I had Toyos on mine that have done 7k and a few track days and have just under 4mm tread left. I musn't be trying hard enough The roads up here where i stay mate are like a fucking rally stage !!!!!
Rough as fuck torn tarmac and full of pot holes so they soon chew up a set of tyres !!!! Especially when you drive these things like they should be driven
Mine had done 24k when i sold it and front shocks were on there way out and very soft by that mileage, again that might be due to the poor roads up here but would like to have though a set of decent uprated shockers like whats fitted to the ST's would have lasted longer than that !!!!
They are spanking cars mate and you get a lot of car for your money, would love to have tried mine on a track but never got the chance before sold it, more like the wife wouldn't let me
07-09-2007, 07:37 PM
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24k out of the shocks? Thats madness, either they were faulty or the roads round you are really bad. Mine has been on Eibach lowering springs and done over 50k miles, 250 miles of which were on track and the dampers are still in good nick. Which I find quite surprising
Only weird thing with Mondeos is that they all appear to handle different, I've driven 4 (3 of which being on the same suspension setup) and they all had different handling characteristics despite the tyres being the same. How weird is that!
Only weird thing with Mondeos is that they all appear to handle different, I've driven 4 (3 of which being on the same suspension setup) and they all had different handling characteristics despite the tyres being the same. How weird is that!
07-09-2007, 07:49 PM
#14
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Originally Posted by littlebrownbike
24k out of the shocks? Thats madness, either they were faulty or the roads round you are really bad. Mine has been on Eibach lowering springs and done over 50k miles, 250 miles of which were on track and the dampers are still in good nick. Which I find quite surprising
Only weird thing with Mondeos is that they all appear to handle different, I've driven 4 (3 of which being on the same suspension setup) and they all had different handling charistics despite the tyres being the same. How weird is that!
Only weird thing with Mondeos is that they all appear to handle different, I've driven 4 (3 of which being on the same suspension setup) and they all had different handling charistics despite the tyres being the same. How weird is that!
The roads up here aint to clever mate but still would have expected the tyres and shocks to last longer than they did !!!!
07-09-2007, 08:23 PM
#15
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I think the handling is ace on the mondeo myself, it's comfortable but does actually corner ok when pushed.
always found the brakes very good and never seen a rusty one, think i'd rather a st tdci though.
always found the brakes very good and never seen a rusty one, think i'd rather a st tdci though.
07-09-2007, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by littlebrownbike
Mine has been on Eibach lowering springs and done over 50k miles, 250 miles of which were on track and the dampers are still in good nick.
Only weird thing with Mondeos is that they all appear to handle different, I've driven 4 (3 of which being on the same suspension setup) and they all had different handling characteristics despite the tyres being the same. How weird is that!
Only weird thing with Mondeos is that they all appear to handle different, I've driven 4 (3 of which being on the same suspension setup) and they all had different handling characteristics despite the tyres being the same. How weird is that!
I ask as I tried 19's on mine which made it look like a 4x4, so phoned Eibach direct to ask if they do a spring kit which they said they won't do for estate cars with self levelling rear dampers!
Unless the tyre pressures were similar on the 3 identical cars you drove then they will feel very different. The difference in feel on mine between 32psi (around town) and 36psi (laden/motorway) is huge. Even a full tank to near empty makes the back end feel different!
07-09-2007, 09:18 PM
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No its not, it was a Graphite on 16" wheels with Eibach lowering springs and it was quite pleasant. Then I had a spin in my mates who has 18"'s and it had shit loads of grip so I went out and bought some 18"'s only for the handling to turn into complete shit. After a lot of hard work I found the KPI was too declined and there was too much positive scrub so I put the standard springs on. Its helped the handling a lot but still nowhere near as good as my mates 
07-09-2007, 10:58 PM
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Originally Posted by littlebrownbike
the KPI is almost half what mine is
interesting stuff How easy was it and how did you measure KPI on a Mondo as in with the wheel on or off and what tools?
Do you know how many degrees its meant to be and how much scrub?
I assumed it would actually have negative scrub as the lower ball joint is further outboard than any other car i've measured (for brakes) so far. Ford describe the front suspension geometry as "easy steering" which I assume is excessive camber under lock leaving bicycle tyre width to turn easily on which explains why the inside tread gets really chamfered!
Not sure how accurate the lower wishbones are but you might want to check if the front subframe is alligned correctly or adjust it laterally to alter the KPI if both sides are out by opposite amounts. I assume the top mounts are not adjustable in any way?
07-09-2007, 11:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Stuart.W
Originally Posted by littlebrownbike
the KPI is almost half what mine is
interesting stuff How easy was it and how did you measure KPI on a Mondo as in with the wheel on or off and what tools?
Do you know how many degrees its meant to be and how much scrub?
I assumed it would actually have negative scrub as the lower ball joint is further outboard than any other car i've measured (for brakes) so far. Ford describe the front suspension geometry as "easy steering" which I assume is excessive camber under lock leaving bicycle tyre width to turn easily on which explains why the inside tread gets really chamfered!
Not sure how accurate the lower wishbones are but you might want to check if the front subframe is alligned correctly or adjust it laterally to alter the KPI if both sides are out by opposite amounts. I assume the top mounts are not adjustable in any way?
The stock positions for the KPI were never released by Ford. With the Eibachs it was 15* and without them its 14*. The 1* did make a noticable difference in the handling but my friends is 7*
With the Eibachs there was plenty of feel through the steering and it was very light even at full lock at slow speeds, this gave me the impression that the car had too much of a negative scrub radius.
Now that the Eibachs are off the steering feels a bit heavier but its more normal, the camber and what are all correct and the KPI has been reduced by 1*. Meaning the scrub radius has moved towards the centre of the tyre, which is good, but I still think theres move to give.
This was all measured on a Hunter DSP 600 4 wheel aligner. I did question the possibility of the subframe playing a part, but I'm not a mechanic and I don't know what could be done to alter the KPI. All the components are in good nick and the top mounts are not adjustable, I did query buying a camber kit but couldn't be arsed spending money on it.
Heres a little picture I drew.
and the wheel alignment results on standard suspension.
If you know anything I don't then please tell
08-09-2007, 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by littlebrownbike
If you know anything I don't then please tell
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