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Advice on buying Mondeo Ghia TD P-Reg

Hello all.

Due to the impending death of my Rover 214Si (N-Reg) I'm thinking that I should get another car...

I was having a look on Autotrader's website and I've noticed that there is an item that I may be interested in:

"" FORD Mondeo Ghia Turbo Diesel, P reg. 98000 miles, c/l, e/s/roof, e/windows, heated f&r screens, long MoT, excellent throughout. £1,050 . ono. ""

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is the image hosted locally. I'm not good at all with cars and I will not be able to diagnose any problems that it may have. I'll ask them to start it and at least I'll watch the current owner drive it (just to make sure it moves!) but I'm wondering if there is anything that goes terribly wrong that is terribly costly with these models?

My Rover 214Si has the tendency to die due to head gasket failure, for example. I guess I'm asking is the P-Reg Mondeo Ghia TD a "sick car" and is £1,050 a reasonable asking price?

As a side note: I have this year bought 4 new Michelin's for my Rover

- Are the wheels likely to fit on this "new" car? When I junk/auction my Rover I'd like to keep the wheels as they're so new and cost me £230 fitted - it's an investment that I'd like to see put to use as it would just be absorbed in any auction price.

I also have the added problem of being 6'6" tall - I can fit in my Rover okay so I assume that the space to sit in in this Ghia will be about the same size or a bit larger?

Thanks for any help that you may be able to give.

--Nick.

Reply to
Nick
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Nick ( snipped-for-privacy@spamcop.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Heh. 8 year old Mundaneo - where to start...

No.

I'm 6'2", reasonably long of leg but hardly stiltman. I couldn't comfortably drive a Mondeo of similar vintage for my legs rubbing on the underside of the wheel. Test drive it. Hell, that applies to any car, but especially if you're as tall as you are.

Reply to
Adrian

About £400 is as good a place as any ;-)

Reply to
SteveH

Can't see any mention of service history. Whilst this is an older car, it's not particularly cheap and it is possible to buy £1000 cars with service history. It would certainly be helpful in ascertaining whether that 98k is genuine! Regular oil changes are essential especially with diesels, and I like to see proof of this on any car I buy.

Reply to
Doctor D

In message , Nick writes

First off, the photo shows steel wheels with wheel trims. The Ghia should have had alloys.

The diesels can do high mileage's if serviced correctly. My son's Mondeo TD has 145k miles and runs as sweet as a nut. A work colleague has got

240k on his and its just fine.

You want to be looking for a full service history. The cambelt needs changing every 40k miles. If the current owner can't provide proof of when it was changed last, you are looking at £200 to have it changed. A recent new clutch would be nice.

Look for excessive smoke from the exhaust. It is a diesel so you will get some black smoke during hard acceleration. Its blue or white smoke that you should worry about (i.e. walk away from the purchase). If clutch seems to be on its last legs the walk away.

Make sure the car does not pull to one side. Make sure the heated front screen works (they often don't). Make sure the double locking/alarm/remote control work properly. Open one of the windows then lock the doors. Lean in and open the door from the inside, the alarm should go off. Ask if the owner has a red master key. Failing that, make sure that you have got a spare key. Getting a spare key made when you only have one key already can be expensive.

Have a look here :-

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There's lots of good info there. Despite what others say, £1050 isn't a bad starting point but you should be able to get it for under a grand.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

For a Mk2? You should be so lucky..

Reply to
Michael Rodgers

No it should not. The Mondeo Ghia did not gain alloy wheels as a standard fit until late 1999. Prior to this, the only Mondeos with standard and not optional alloy wheels were ST24, ST200 and Ghia X.

Reply to
Michael Rodgers

"...like shooting fish in a barrel"

Reply to
jack hackett

In message , Michael Rodgers writes

That does surprise me.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

To be pendantic it has the wrong wheel trims for a Ghia though :-)

Reply to
Doctor D

I had a 98 Ghia, which had steel rims plus plastic trims.

FWIW, the trims there aren't the standard Ghia trims though.

Pete.

--=20 NOTE! Email address is spamtrapped. Any email will be bounced to you Remove the news and underscore from my address to reply by mail

Reply to
Pete Smith

Pete Smith (pete snipped-for-privacy@lethe.org.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

What's the odds it's been replaced with another Mundaneo, which now wears alloys?

Reply to
Adrian

The trims were very easy to crack. I almost shattered one once, and rather than fork out for a new set of trims, I just cable tied the damaged one on, and it lasted 30k miles, until I traded it in.

They could just have been replaced.

OTOH, there could be a new mondy with non-matching alloys sitting in the drive :-)

Pete.

Reply to
Pete Smith

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