Project Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi

Paint & rustproofing

PART SIX: In the final instalment, Rob Hawkins replaces the aircon condenser, has the front bumper paint repaired and tackles some rustproofing.

We’ve packed a lot into the final episode of our Mondeo project series and whilst the following five pages attempt to cover the paint repairs, aircon problems and rustproofing in as much detail as possible, there will be more on the servicing and timing belt replacement in future issues of CM.

It’s often difficult to work out how far to go with a project vehicle. Servicing cannot be ignored, but in the case of this Mondeo, we’ve resisted having the alloy wheels refurbished. It could be argued that the paint repairs to the nearside corner of the front bumper were also unnecessary, but at £180, we felt it was money well spent. Anyone who remembers part five of this series may have spotted that we’d planned to have a smart repair, but when we received a quote for a little over £200, which explained the finish wouldn’t be as good as a bodyshop respray, we opted for the cheaper alternative. The bonus of the smart repair is that it’s completed at your house, whereas we had to drive the Mondeo to a local bodyshop and spend almost five hours with them.

Looking at the list of parts and the total costs for this project series, could we have started with a better vehicle and saved some money? Perhaps, although there are rarely any guarantees that a clutch or turbocharger won’t fail, and servicing cannot be avoided. Plus, in the interests of magazine features, we’ve covered just about every potential problem and job that is likely to be found on a Mondeo. So, our only hope of saving some money would have been to find a car at a cheaper price, but with used values so high at present, bargain bangers are a rarity.

For a 13-year-old Ford, our Mondeo is a surprisingly refined and reliable family saloon with a punchy engine that has so far returned up to 42mpg (measured by brimming the tank and resetting the tripmeter), although the on-board computer’s calculations are far more optimistic. After having fixed so many problems and updated all the servicing, this fourth-generation Mondeo that has now clocked up almost 120k, will hopefully continue to remain roadworthy for many years to come.

RUSTPROOFING