So.… The ever evolving Ford Community....

Back in the late 90's and early 00's the Ford Community was probably at its peak in my opinion, magazines were packed with ground breaking cars, tracks and strips were filled with BHP and shows were great to attend. What happened and why isn't it the same community as it used to be?

Discuss....

 

People move on to other things..... I've been mainly japanese.... BMW.... Cosworth.... And now Mercedes.... There's much more of a choice now than there used to be.....and the Internet means everything's at the click of a mouse.... You don't need to walk about muddy fields in the pissing rain to see things anymore....

 

Still loads of love for RS’s and cosworths. I think the younger generation now have a huge following with the ST brands. Cosworths got ruined a little with all the ball shit that goes with them plus the inflated values. I personally can not wait till mines driving again so I can go to shows and local meets

 

PCP and finance means ford is classed as a working mans car now, for no real good reason apart from snobbery.

young people will go out and finance an Audi or a Merc or BMW and then can’t even afford to put Ł10 in the tank, just so they can show everyone on their insta account.

the trend has flooded the market with cheap used German cars, making them accessible to nearly everyone, and the general public is still WOW’d by the bonnet bling, I’ll buy a Ł5.5k Audi A8 and everyone thinks I’m dealing drugs, even if they are driving a Ł15k Vauxhall, there is no logic to it.

I've been tied up in the Audi brand a while, I’ve done most the Germans 😬🤣 and even dabbled in a Mitsubishi 😉🤣 and I can honestly say there is plus’s and minus’s on all
sides.

I’ve just swapped my daily from a Audi C6 A6 2.0tdi Avant, to a Mk4 Mondeo 2.5t, the Mondeo looks so much newer inside, it’s quieter with regards to road noise by a considerable amount, the seats and ride are better, and the build quality of both is good overall.

So why when I say I’ve got an Audi A6 everyone looks at me like I’ve got a few quid behind me and I now say I’ve got a Mondeo and I’m some kind of pauper 🤣🤣

to be fair I don’t really have an opinion on the matter 🤣

 

Not all youngsters are like that lol young lad from are place strapped up a new fiesta ST. There’s not really an RS brand anymore and most young lads now don’t even know what a cosworth is

 

yea I understand it’s not everyone, but no doubt when you and I were growing up, it was over half of our friends circle who had or owned a ford, it was a staple diet in our society owning a ford.

i mean the escort won car of the year loads of times 🤣

 

You are spot on everyone had fords back in the day and most people owned there own car they bought what they could afford, that's how it should be the debt in this world has got way out of hand imo

 

I was a Vauxhall man who had just got a Renault 21 turbo until a mate said I’ll get my dad to take you out in his cosworth lol. That was F556LFM with 420bhp

 

I had a Renault 21 turbo pal about 1999 ish, was out cruising with the lads regular and those pesky cosworths and tuned escort rs turbos left me behind
As soon as the stage 3 saph that regularly left me behind came up for sale I bought it
I loved my 21 turbo but compared to a cosworth it was pants lol, I think it was about 7 seconds to 60

 

back in my youth we didn't have cars directly ....the wealthy aunty and uncle had a family car it it was generally a ford escort or Vauxhall astra but nowadays everyones got 2 or 3 cars per household. , theres that many choices that are readily and cheaply available its diluted the field....

 

My first ford escort was out the scrap yard for Ł125 at the ripe old age of 15 😂🤦🏻‍♂️

I rode bikes for a bit and then my second escort I paid a whopping Ł250 for, they had someone go into the back and write it off so I got a Mondeo from the auctions for Ł150 🤣

I’ll never forget watching two sapphire cossies tearing up and down borehamwood high street with flames pouring out the back, white and black one iirc, that’s my earliest memory of a Cossie.

 

Had a sapphire on the a147 (I think it was) road from southend to m25 come alongside me in my audi coupe and pull away at 140mph.

The car scene now for me sucks, yes the worlds got bigger but the internet has made it smaller but at the same time it makes everyone jealous of everyone else and they have to out-do each other. Credit card builds are so common its rare to see decent stuff done on a budget.

Sloppy mechanics on facebook do some fun stuff, junkyard 5.3 ls engine's with Chinese turbos (ying yang spinny thangs etc) putting out big power. Shame ford scene isn't like that anymore.

 

Oh fuck me, not another one Interest in cars probably did dip a bit about 10-15 years ago, but it's still massive and has gone up again in recent years (though it's probably going to dip again thanks to the government turning against cars in a big way).

The car scene is still massive, it's just changed. Go on Facebook and look at the number of car groups there are. The types of cars people buy has changed to some extent, and the way people buy them has changed, but it's still happening. People are still tuning cars, people still go to car shows, people still drive like dicks. All the stuff that used to go on, still goes on. People are maybe less likely to mess around with old cars, doing engine swaps etc, but can you blame them? Why spend months fitting a different engine into some Ł500 shitbox, when you can just buy something decent from the off? Modern cars are a thousand times better than the old 80s and 90s stuff, and getting big power is easy, so it's no wonder that's what people are choosing. I'm sure most of us would have done the same if it was available to us in our 20s.

The main difference is in the way the car modifying scene communicates and is perceived. People used to have to buy car mags to get their content or, in the early part of this century, use forums. Now they use Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. That has positives and negatives of course, but it's still going on. I know more people interested in cars and modified cars now than I've known for years.

Speaking of the Ford scene specifically, it's still massive but, like I said, the cars are just different. It's Fiesta and Focus STs that are the most popular now, rather than XR and RS models. The old stuff is now expensive and, compared to the modern models, a bit crap in reality. Most people in their 20s aren't going to be interested in Cosworths because they didn't grow up with them, so they're just old and expensive cars. A Fiesta ST with a few bolt-ons can do 300+bhp, so it's no surprise that that's what they're going for.

The reality is, this forum doesn't really cater for those people, so it probably makes the "community" look much worse than it is. There aren't many modern ST owners here and there aren't likely to be to be honest, especially when so many threads on here end up with people moaning about how it isn't like the "good old days" The car scene is still in rude health, it's just different to how it was 15 years ago, just like it was different 15 years before that, and different again 15 years before that. Times always change.

 

You’ve completely missed the point of the thread most of us are specifically referring to the ford scene, not the car scene in general.

even you agree the ford scene isn’t what it was in the 90’s and early 00’s

 

I agree with alot of the comments about. People are a bit snobby when it comes to cars but in a way not many people would buy a mondeo when they could buy an Audi Bm merc for the same money. I think cars shows have changed but this is because I think people are scared to use the older Fords to drive to them.
It think with young people social media has alot to answer for. They see people driving posh cars so they think they should be like them.

I personally get more excited about an old mk3 fiesta(for eg) than I would a Audi RS4( for eg)

 

It's because the good fords were the homoligation specials which no longer exist. The RS is mediocre compared to others in the class, where as before they were the hottest of hot hatches.

Rick

 

Are young people brand loyal? Do they aspire to be Ford through and through and will they respect the older cars like we do?

 

But what I said is true of the Ford scene People on here endlessly moan about how the likes of Ford Fair have been taken over by modern STs - which is because they are massively popular. Like I said, look on Facebook and see how many groups there are. The Ford scene isn't what it was in the 90s, it's just different. I get the feeling that a lot of the fans of older stuff just don't like it because it's not "theirs" anymore.

I don't even know if it's purely down to snobbery. The problem with Fords is that some of them are getting quite expensive, but they don't hold their money like the German stuff. When it comes to leasing and PCP, that often means that there are better deals on the German stuff than there are on Fords. The MK7 Fiesta ST was extremely good value, but the MK3 Focus ST wasn't so much. The problem with the RS was that there just weren't any deals on it because it was so sought after. That being said, they still sold as many as they wanted.

The other side is, cars have come a long, long way since the 90s stuff. Getting an RS Turbo to 300bhp is a mammoth job, but getting a Fiesta ST to that is child's play. Most people don't want to spend years building something now so, with that and the fact the modern car is a lot easier to live with, you can see why people do it. You could still drive the 300bhp to work every day and even get decent economy. You couldn't do that with an RST, so it would have to be a second car, which makes it even more difficult to justify.

What absolute crap

No I don't know if most people are so much now. One area where Ford have dropped the ball is that they don't have as many sporting models anymore. They used to an XR and RS version of most of the range in the late 80s and early 90s, so people had lots of choice, but they don't do as many now.

 

For me growing up the 80s fords were cheap to buy, cheap to modify and parts you could swap around we're all part of the fun. It made a great hobby. Now I'm nearly 40 these cars are now collectors items at mega money so it's lost it's magic now for me. I still have an old saph cosworth but very rarely gets used as life has taken over (kids, family holidays and bills to pay etc) but I still feel like an 18 year old again when I take it out. Car shows have never really been my cup of tea but I go to a couple of local ones every year with rs club. I do like it when I see local youngsters going about in old fords doing their mods to them, reminds me of when I was that age and all I had to worry about was putting fuel in and where the next part was coming from.

 

Well, there is some truth to it. I feel this forum is mature, (i know forums as a whole are these days with Facebook taking over) One thing i notice is in the restoration rebuild & project section is that unless you have a YB in it then no ones really interested.... On the back of that you don't see much builds for mk1/mk2/mk3 they all seem to have there own forums.

 

the ford scene is what we make it. I was pretty unimpressed over recent years when attending shows and just seeing endless focii and fiestas, but last year i dragged my crappy old car out, found a classic ford club with a sense of humour and took the car to a couple of shows. I had a great time, there were plenty of older cars and interesting things at ford fair, but you just have to go looking for them My car was the dirtiest and most faded crappy looking thing on our stand, but people found it interesting enough to come and take a look and have a chat about it which made it worthwhile for me taking it out.

 

When I'm out driving my cossie I always get people looking at it. I've had people take videos and pics of it as I drive past( I hope they arnt doing this to help nick it lol). As said above it makes all the hard work worth it when this happens. I did a few local meets/shows last year and it was the only cossie there so it got a fair bit of attention.

Sorry for being a bit of topic.

 

I think that's always been a bit of a problem here, and probably in the Ford scene more widely. I remember going to RSOC meets in the early 2000s and the cliques were unbelievable. Cosworth people didn't want to talk to RST people, RST people didn't want to talk to RS2000 people and none of them had much time for anyone that didn't own an RS. I don't think this forum has really moved with the times though. It's always been Cosworth-focused, and that turns a lot of people off, as most people don't own them.

I suppose the flip side is that the people with modern Fiestas and Focus' probably don't care much about old Sierras and Escorts either. Car groups can be weird. With Fords, the old skool people with RWD Escorts aren't that friendly over modern stuff, the Cosworth/RST era people aren't that friendly over the modern stuff and, when the Focus and Fiesta ST become obsolete, they'll probably moan about whatever replaces it. It's the same in the VW scene. The air-cooled lot are very different to the GTI-type lot. Generalising a bit I admit, but people like their era and, when their era goes out of fashion, they often feel hard done by.

 

My old Saff still gets a lot of interest Glenn, when I am out in it loads of people look at it and I do get a few thumbs up as well. At shows it always gets a lot of attention and I chat to lots of people about it. I have a big information sheet about it which goes on the windscreen for people to read as well. The only thing I would say is that at Mallory Park Classic Ford day last year I parked up next to several other Saffs and the owners of the completely standard ones kept their distance, were not chatty and when I was standing back from mine heard a few of them knocking mine because it has had a lot of modifications.The way I look at is owning a Cosworth is a personal choice of what you do to it, what some people like others don't.I have never got bored with mine in the 25 years I have owned it!!!

 

Just to add to my post ged296 was at Mallory Park in his Magenta Saff and was very friendly and chatty.

 

Some people are funny. I would rather have a modded car of any kind than a standard one.

Do people skate mk2 escorts when they have big wheels on?

 

Gimps like that are just boring lol I’d have pulled them up on that. If standard is your thing that’s fair enough but don’t knock a modded one as standard is boring and slow. I can appreciate them as nice cars but definitely not for me. Modded all the way. As I get older I can appreciate more cars now different makes and looks. Like my everyday car it’s only an st225 but I really like it now great car. Before that I had a GT TDI mk4 golf I played about with a little. Was a great little car as well. My sister has a new golf r with the double clutch gearbox and paddle shift. I’m a huge ford fan but that golf as a standard car is an impressive bit of kit

 

I feel like I'm slightly of topic when I talk about people buying other brands but a good eg is a family live over the road from me. They have a son and I doubt he is even 25. Hes on his second Audi. His first one was a 15 plate A4 now hes got a bigger newer Audi. I think it's a A5 A6. Also it's got a private plate on it. When I was his age I had a rough looking mk4 XR3i.

 

The kid over the road has just passed his test, his dad is a ford fan and I’m sure he has a mk1 FRS, his dad got him a little fiesta, put a cherry bomb on it for him and it sat on his moms drive for 3+ years and never moved.

About 2 months ago the fiesta disappeared, and a week ago a 63 plate golf gti turned up, the lad has passed his test and that’s his first car 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️

I've still got to check the reg as i have no idea how he’s insured a GTI as a first car.

 

Will be on hire purchase or lease hire pal.
Don't get me wrong I have done hire purchase in my business dealings as the asset is earning money and it works, but to finance or worse still lease a car that is just a car you use not to actually earn money with that asset, that to me is bonkers.
I have always just bought what cars I can afford with the cash I have, and as my dad always said to me "if you can't afford it twice over then you can't afford it son!"
I broke that rule once when I bought my first gtr but I still bought it with hard earned cash

The world has changed, the whole planet is just one huge ball of debt, it's bonkers imo it is far to easy now to buy anything you want on the never never

 

Nothing wrong with leasing or PCP. There have been some mega deals out there in recent years, with people getting Golf Rs for barely more than Ł200 a month. I know people that have spent far more than that on maintaining and modifying old shit boxes. It's all personal choice at the end of the day. For many, the appeal is that it's fixed cost motoring. You pay your monthly and you know that, for the 2 or 3 years you own the car, the costs are entirely fixed. No MOTs, no repairs, no worrying about it breaking down, just servicing and maybe some tyres. You know exactly what the car will cost you over that period so you just get in and go. For some people, it makes a lot of sense. Given what some of us spend every month on modifying old cars, most of which we will never get back when we come to sell, it can make a lot of sense. There is no right or wrong really, just different strokes for different folks.

 

Where are you gonna lease a golf r for Ł200 a month, that doesn't sound right to me
That's only Ł2400 a year, so 3 years is only Ł7200, no way I cant see it on that the depreciation alone will be more than that !
ps my last Cossie, all the skylines I made money out of them all as I went along and sold/broke them when they got to there value point
My gtr wasn't that much of my money to buy as alot of it was profit from all the previous cars not my wages saved

Edit
I've just looked there Ł325 a month so Ł3900 a year 24 months plus Ł4000 initial rental

It's a con and always dearer, if there Ł30k new buy one 5 years sold for below half price low mileage example it will run for years and years
That's what I would do anyway as 3 years finance payments would just about buy a 5 year old one and you own it then, strive to own not rent and never own is how I look at everything

 

modern cars have become so advanced much is beyond the skill of your average diyer….many of the youth these days aren't interested in spannering themselves and don't want the hassle of maintaining.
I can see the advantage to leasing....new car every couple of years but your just paying someone elses profit.

personally id rather go the route as scoobyslayer says....go for a few years older and buy my own.

 

Special offers. You can't get them for that anymore but, when the MK7 R first came out, lease companies were buying them in massive numbers and leasing them at ridiculously low prices. They're common as muck on the used market because they were so cheap to lease at one point. I'm on the Clio Sport forum and there was probably 10-20 people on there with them, because the offers were so good. There were a lot of offers on the Fiesta ST, Leon Cupra and Octavia vRS too. The deals seem to have dried up now though, so there haven't been so many good offers in the last year or so. You could still get a Megane R.S. for quite a lot less than Ł300 if you don't do many miles, there seems to have been a few offers on them lately. It's all about residuals and using the right companies. Leasing companies will order in bulk and offer lower prices than if you go through the dealer directly. My mate had a boggo Octavia diesel for Ł150 a month as a daily, and someone at work has just ordered some Kia thing for Ł140 a month with a Ł140 deposit. You just have to jump on the right car at the right time.

It's not a con, it's just people doing what suits them. Even if it does cost a bit more than buying, for some people, fixed-cost, hassle-free motoring is worth it for the convenience. Like I said, different strokes for different folks. I know people that have wasted loads of money on car finance, and others that have wasted loads on old cars. There are no right or wrong answers.

Anyway, bit off topic!

 

My ethos to money has done me well the last 6 years pal I reckon were on a winner

I hope they do keep leasing them as we can buy em when there done with them
I do the same with the machines I buy
IL give latest example these are Ł300k each new, Ł1250 a week for 5 years hire purchase !
I've just bought a pair of them a 2013 and 2014 both low hours Ł157k for the pair, Ł1000 a week for 3 years for both of them !






New stuff just doesn't work it's to risky if you get a quiet spell very soon in trouble, but these I can weather the quiet season like now everywheres flooded most machines stood earning a big fat 0 !

 

Do you fix these yourself matey??

 

I don't doubt it. With your car collection, you're obviously doing ok. We're all different though. Like you say, if people weren't leasing stuff, you wouldn't be able to buy it later. Leasing doesn't work for me because of the mileage I do, but it works very well for some people I know. It depends how you think of it I think. Some people think of cars as assets, others just think of it is paying a monthly fee for a service.

 

Yes mate me and 3 fitters who work for me and also farm 300 acres

 

What do you do for a living matey.

 

I grow and supply the grain to make your Weetabix mate, I sold about 700 ton to weetabix last year, and also oilseed for biofuel and oil

And we do agricultural contracting and earth moving
I'm 3rd generation farmer second generation earthmover, the farm I've just carried on but the earthmoving I've invested in heavily with my life savings and most of my time and it's gone really well so far

A few pics of repairing my machines in the workshop