24 July 2019 Reading time: 8 minutes

After five years with a 2009 Mondeo Mk4, I decided it was time to move on. It was my fourth Ford, but I started the search determined to at least look around at other brands.
On my list? BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-Class, Toyota, Volvo.

About four months later, reality politely tapped me on the shoulder:

• Budget:15,000€.
• BMW or Merc? Anything decent in that money? Forget it.
• Toyota? Solid, but… yawn.
• Volvo? Gorgeous from the outside, but their pre-SPA interiors? Let’s just say “not my type.”

So… I dropped another coin in the Ford jukebox.

30 August 2018 Reading time: 3 minutes

Even though I’ve owned this car for a while, I finally found the time to properly showcase it and the upgrades it received along the way.

The base is a 2009 Ford Mondeo Mk4 2.2 TDCi (175 HP) wagon, factory‑equipped with the Titanium S package:

• 18'' alloys and exterior body kit
• Alcantara interior with red stitching
• Small Blaupunkt FX navigation unit
• Heated seats
• Convers+ instrument cluster
• Bluetooth with USB
• Rain & light sensors Read more

8 January 2018 Reading time: 3 minutes

With the interior and electronics well on their way, it was time for some big-league changes.

Exterior complete

• Fitted facelift LED tail lights.
• Facelift hatch with tinted glass.
• Focus CC front bumper. Read more

19 August 2017 Reading time: 2 minutes

At some point, replacing the rear bumper for a facelift one with parking sensors spiraled into swapping the entire interior wiring loom for a facelift version with keyless capability.

The wiring marathon

Swapping looms between donors (some hatch, some estate) turned into a complex game of rewiring connectors: moving pedal sensor wires, adapting ABS sensor wiring, extending wires for brake lights in the facelift bumper, and adding wires for the fuel flap actuator. Read more

15 June 2017 Reading time: 3 minutes

When I spotted a 2005 black Focus Mk2 2.0 petrol (145 HP) for sale at just 2,400€, I knew two things:

1. It wasn’t going to be perfect.
2. I was going to have fun with it.

The starting point:

• Decent spec for its age — Xenon headlights, leather interior with heated seats, ESP, and climate control.
• Surprisingly comfortable seats, very close in feel to my old Mondeo Mk3 leather seats.
• But also… a laundry list of faults: heavy oil consumption, rough idle, noisy aftermarket brake pads, cracked windshield, burned-out bulbs, rust on the rear arches, and a dead right rear wheel bearing. Read more