Recon engine supply and fit - recommendation for Oxford area

last one I did, I got a ford genuine recon lump, I can't remember or find the price, but it was cheaper than the small recon places

IIRC the 1.25 is rather cheap as a new unit from Ford, as in 'cheaper than most recon places'.

I could be wrong, but I'll never admit it.

It is not possible to "recon" these (or infact any of the Zetec-S / Zetec-SE's) as there are no oversize pistons or bearings availabe for starters, and the crank and cam are line-bored direct in the casting before the caps are sheared off.

Your only option is a known good motor from another car, or a Ford short /complete motor- which arent as dear as you might imagine - due to the highly automated construction.

Tim..

Can anyone tell me where to buy one of these then?

"Ford" is not the answer I am looking for :-) (Phone etc. would be good!)

Thanks,

Tony

Where else do you expect to get one from?

Call your local Ford dealer and ask them. I'm sorry I can't give you the number as I have no idea where you live. I hear Yellow Pages or yell.com is a good source of such info

;-)

Mike P

I do mean Ford but I meant where to buy an engine rather than a car (if that makes sense).

OK - But last time I did that they didn't know about selling me a new engine block. I'll try again.

As opposed to

Why? Is it a stolen car? ;-)

Scrap it / eBay it and buy another car.

May sound crazy, but if you look at the current market value of a '98 Fester and subtract a couple of hundred (if not more) for the selling price of your dead(ish) one and I reckon it'll be cheaper than fitting a replacement lump to yours.

You reckon wrong. It's just gone in to Ford Fix Centre in Catford for a replacement engine with 46k on it, total cost £520 fitted including new clutch. I think the car is worth more than that (or it was before it blew a cylinder). It'll be ready Friday PM so I'll post details of the experience then.

I just hate throwing things away and it seems sense to take a good body with a bad engine and put it together with a bad body with a good engine and make a usable car out of it. Surely much greener than scrapping both? And I know the tyres, suspension, brakes, exhaust etc. on mine as I've looked after them all.

Tony

PS - I drove it 70 miles below 2,500rpm this morning from Oxford to Catford (not on Motorways!). A slightly nerve-wracking experience but I got there, with a friend following with a tow-rope - just in case!

I was bang on, as it happens.

Subtract a bit for selling yours on eBay to the highest bidder as a non-runner.....

OK - well Ford Parts Centre in Catford have replaced the engine with an identical 1997 engine with only 42k on it, otherwise identical. They also stuck a new clutch in at my request. Grand total £520 and took two days. Car now drives so much better than it ever has for a long time.

I'm glad I did that rather than scrapping it. It's MUCH less hassle as I don't have to get new tax, insurance, tyres, exhaust... and I know the car too.

One question: The new engine number is VRNNNNN where N is a digit, and then there is a character like o with two dots below it. Is that part of the engine number? The old engine number did not have that character after it.

Thanks,

Tony

Ghia models with perfect bodywork, aircon, all the normal Ghia extras. They go for about £1000 in Oxford.

It's not a non-runner. I drove it 70 miles like that!

Really?

You fail to see that the cars going to be worth more to him than the couple of hundred he'd get from ebay plus the saving on a new engine.

"Another return of the skidBKK" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Pffft. It's a decade old Fester. There surely can't be anybody who could put great sentimental value into one of them?

Unless there is, it really is as simple as Steve suggested

Is the scrap value of Fester with dead engine plus £520 greater or less than the cost of replacing it?

I'd suggest it's probably _just_ on the "Yep, fix it" side, but damn close - whichever way it goes, though, the point is valid.

Maybe so, but also consider than the original poster may not have the funds to purchase a newer car at more expense hence why he is making do with repairing the one that he has got, which with just 46k on the clock isn't such a bad thing.