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kitts

Forum user
May 26, 2016
13
5
Derbyshire
Hi guys

A girl buyer here looking for some advice. :) I've been looking at a couple of V6 auto cars on the net and hoping to get chance to view them this weekend. I haven't had a Ford since my old V6 82 Granada went, so I could really do with some pointers on what to look for.

I've had a look around on here and spotted talk of rust on sills and underbody. Is this outer or inner sills or both? Where on the underbody do I need to look? I'm not scared of rolling under the car, but knowing where to prod around is a help :)

I've looked at the MOT history of the car I'm most interested in and there is no mention of it ever failing on rust, or being advised on it, so hopefully that's a start.

Alternately, if anyone knows of a good auto for sale, feel free to let me know :)

Thanks in advance

Dawn
 
Hi Dawn
The outer sills are by far the worst place - rear suspension subframes can also go but if the car has been looked after they are not so much of a problem. The outer sills are basically the two strips of the underbody on the edges of the car, between the wheels. Even a lot of the best cars have been welded there.
I'm having my entire outer sills replaced this weekend, yet the inners are perfect.
Otherwise they are pretty reliable - I've had no major issues and hopefully the MOT history of your potential buy will be a good marker of it's condition.:)
 
Hi

Thanks for your quick reply, the car's MOT history looks really good, as do the photos. Its not a cheap one, but I don't mind if its in good condition. It will be a second car/classic to me. I'm just waiting to contact the seller until I can actual get to view it this weekend, as its almost three hours away from me. Knowing my luck it will sell before I can get to it!

I will defintely put some old clothes on and give it a good once over underneath. is there anything else important, or can most things be fixed easily? my old V6 granny was a right pain! I had to have a new engine in it, but I still regret letting it go.

Dawn :)
 
It says Cirencester, Gloucestershire. I'm in Derbyshire. Its a black Y reg auto V6. it might even be known to the club.
 
It might be sold before I can view anyway. Everything I look at is always miles away and I work in the week. :( Fingers crossed not, though. Is there a reason the sills rot other than age? I know Celica's have a problem like that caused by the sunroof drain sitting between the inner and outer sill. if I get one, I'd just like to know if there's a way to stop it going like it!

Are parts easy to get/interchangeable with other Fords?

Cheers
 
make sure you test drive it ,get it hot and make sure the auto gears engage correctly with no long delays and that you dont get any slipping when u accelerate hard...auto's can have some nasty gbox problems if they've been abused.
but there quite a rare car now with an auto box hence the price.
if its had no advisory s for corrosion then that is a great sign as there are some right rust buckets out there and yet some are completely spotless...get one of these with a good box ,get it undersealed and you'll have quite a unique car for many years.

good luck(y)

- - - Updated - - -

most parts of a mk2 mondeo will fit em however sills are non existent hence they are generally whats killing these great cars now.
 
There's no corrosion mentioned. :) Can I ask how everyone goes on for insurance? As a second car I'm getting some mad quotes. Waiting for my own company tomorrow, who I think/hope will be more sensible, as I have my main car and two classics already with them, one of which I'll be swapping this for if I have it.

dawn
 
I find that Cougar's don't sell very quickly, so you can probably be thorough.

They incredibly cheap cars for what you're getting, so if you can allow for possible welding in your budget, you can have a little lee-way

Welcome to the club and good luck!
 
I've messaged the seller as its late, and will hopefully speak to him tomorrow after work, as I'm not allowed a phone on in work - ironically because I make car electronics and it interferes lol! I'll let you know what happens! I've had a quote from Esure for £400, but hoping my company will get this down, as they specialize in classics, sports and so on. If not, and I like the car as much as I think from the info and pictures, I'll just have to grin and bear it!
 
kitts said:
It might be sold before I can view anyway. Everything I look at is always miles away and I work in the week. :( Fingers crossed not, though. Is there a reason the sills rot other than age? I know Celica's have a problem like that caused by the sunroof drain sitting between the inner and outer sill. if I get one, I'd just like to know if there's a way to stop it going like it!

Are parts easy to get/interchangeable with other Fords?

Cheers
Click to expand...

The main issue with the sills are the foam blocks that sit inside to stop rattling and sound deadening. These collect moisture and begin the rot the car from the inside out. If you do get a pretty solid car, remove these as fast as you can and waxoil the insides of the sills.
The other thing to think about with an Auto is I know from previous members in this club is if and when the gearbox fails it is a total car killer due to repair costs. Most garages will not touch them due to the nature of the box. If possible get a manual as the manual box is pretty much bullet proof.
Other things to look out for are, brake pipes rusting, rear subframe rusting, fuel filler pipe/neck rusting.
Front wishbones are not as cheap as the Mondeo ones and are a Cougar / St200 Mondeo only item. These use to be around £250 for a pair but I believe Euro Car Parts now do them allot cheaper.
If it has a sunroof make sure it works as they can fail and get stuck open due to a plastic part within the runners failing.
Other than that the car is pretty good and very easy to maintain, it shares allot of parts with the Mondeo so cheap to repair. Just be patient and look for the right car for you as there are still good ones out there to be found.
Good luck.
 
Welcome Dawn, i have a 51 plate Auto with 118,000 miles on it, not had any issue so far with the Auto box but like all things with moving parts it might well fail at some point, its not that hard to pick up 2nd hand items, a member here has good one for sale for £100 and recons are avalable to so i would not say scrap a good car because the Auto box has packed up or if you prefer an Auto like i do not buy one, my own issues with my cougar have been rusted fuel filler pipe, brake pipes over the tank, worn suspension bushes including control arms, drop links,ARB`s, radius arms, my rear sub frame was not to bad but as i was replacing as many bits that would cause trouble i fitted a new one, my sills look ok but have yet to inspect them inside, bear in mind mine is a late model so higher mileage eary cougars or ones not looked after are going to have more rust and issues, having said that low milage weekend only cars or ones kept off road for long periods suffer issues to.

I would say body condition is the most important thing, rust costs far more to sort out than the moving parts, good luck (y)
 
Well my insurance want almost £400 to cover it, first they say it can be listed as a classic this morning, then this evening they changed their mind. My biggest problem is if I buy it I am going to struggle to collect it as my friend can't give me a lift for two weeks. Not sure the owner will like that idea.

To be honest, you've scared me a bit now with the auto box stuff, as I have no choice, I can only drive automatic!
 
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