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        General >> Off Topic Subjects >> loosing faith
        
(Message started by: cossie_al on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:21am)

Title: loosing faith
Post by cossie_al on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:21am

Perhaps its just a faze I am going through but but My heart is no longer passionate where all things scorp are concerned.
The car is not running as it should and a weak or two ago there was an issue with another member.
I cant put a finger on it but for some reason the car and everything associated to it just seams to be a chore.
Got to admit this is far from my normal attitude but I cant seam to find the Enthusiasm anymore.
I don't know what wrong with me perhaps I should give my head a d**ned good shake and have a rethink or perhaps I could sell the scorp and start a new chapter at Al towers.

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by Highlander on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:27am

There must be beer involved in that last post ;)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossie_al on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:31am

No mate! not tonight.
not a drop has passed my lips.
Been off the beer since last weakend!

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossiejamie on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:35am

HAVE A BEER AND FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR SCORPIO ALL OVER AGAIN ;D

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossie_al on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:42am

Aye,
was thinking about that but I am going for blood tests on Monday and to be honest one leads to twelve whe iIdo drink its all or nothing when drink is concerned. Hmmm, all or nothing perhaps thats the reason fon for the lack of enthusiasm

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by jonnycab on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 1:40am

Being sobber makes you worry too much about the Scorp....have a drink & it's the best car ever produced & all those problems can be fixed tomorrow... ;D

.....Seriously though, as reliable cars go, then the Scorp has to be close to the bottom of the list ;)

But for some reason we love it ?.....

.....We are all either highly intellectual or complete loonies :-/

The latter ? ;D

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossiejamie on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 1:55am

I`m a loony. I know nothing about fixing cars, in practice. In theory, loads.
And the more i read this site, the more problems i think i have :o :-/
My car is the oldest in the street. My road is only about a year old, but i would`t swap my cossie for any of the 1.2litre brand new euroboxes everyone in my road has bought. I don`t care about keeping up with the Jones`s, to me its the best car in the street.
Maybe apart froom the guy who works at bmw and gets one free.
I PREFER TO SPEND MY MONEY ON BEER AND PETROL ;D ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by fordnut on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 8:49am

cossiejamie you make a lot of sense 8)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 10:49am

Quote:

.....Seriously though, as reliable cars go, then the Scorp has to be close to the bottom of the list

I really disagree with this. I've had my Scorpio for almost 18 Months now, and covered over 30,000 miles in it in that time. it has been almost trouble free.

I think that maybe there's a 'fiddle' factor with some car owners in that they just can't leave well alone when a car is running OK. They just have to tinker with this, and tinker with that, and they end up with problems, and spending money quite needlessly as a result

Quote:

And the more i read this site, the more problems i think i have]

Sums it up.

Leave it alone would be my advice!!

Cars need a weekly check on oil, water, fluids tyres etc etc I agree. They also need a regular service. But apart from that, they are tremendously reliable.

Have to say that I have NO issues with my own Scorpio. :D

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by Kjetil S on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:10pm

on 06/03/07 at 10:49:09, Spannerdemon wrote:

Have to say that I have NO issues with my own Scorpio. :D

Oh no... You've done it now..

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by TiberiuS on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 12:36pm

Al >:(

Get a grip of yourself man :o. Have a beer and you can join my empty bottle club ::) :-*

My Scorp was the most temperamental, costly car I've owned. But, I wouldn't say it was unreliable and I loved it to bits, I stil miss it, but I can't afford or justify another at the moment. A few things about that car I really miss :'(

Problem is you buy a car that's 8 or 10 years old and parts will break down, apart from that most of our cars have been run into the ground at some point before out ownership, I know mine was.

Lighten up mate, it's not as bad as you think ;D ::)

Regards, Bruce.

Apart from that, this is the best forum on the web, it'd take more than one dodgy character to ruin it ;)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by Dave on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 2:55pm

Don't do anything you will regret Al!

Whats wrong with the car?

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by jonnycab on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 2:57pm

Okay, I may have gone a little too far to accuse the Scorp of being unreliable ::)

Maybe it just needs a bit of TLC, or maybe that 'brain' is more a form of artificial intelligence & when you swear & curse at it, it gets upset :-/

If we polished it more often & read it bedtime stories, do you think it would behave better ? ;D

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by mr._floppy on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 6:48pm

I think an Alien has infiltrated Al ( Oooer :-* ) and a replicant is stalking the boards .

Just back from the US where I drove a new Dodge Charger for a fortnight.
Clunky Autobox, lousy kickdown, noisy and sluggish V6, and a very poor A/C and sound system.

What a pleasure to collect my smooth running lovely 11 year old Scorp from the airport ( started first time ) and a leisurely 50 mile run home.

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by PeteB on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 9:43pm

Al, just change your scorp a nice reliable TD with a good ol MT75 is the mutts ;)

PeteB

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by sector-9 on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 10:05pm

Reliable simply because there's no fancy electronics mucking things up, and the electronics it does have it can run without! Not true of post '96 diesels...

Darren

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by tintin on Jun 3^rd, 2007, 10:18pm

reliable is a funny thing. both my scorp and my mini have never let me down when i am trying to get somewhere......so in that respect both are as reliable as each other.

however, i have much more faith in the mini, as it doesnt give any indication of failing, whereas the scorp is constantly seeking attention, asking for new bits and generally developing random issues that often just disappear again. in the 16 months i have had the scorp, i have learned to trust in it much more, and not to get worked up over its little fits of tantrum.

would still get in the mini rather than the scorp if i had an emergency to get to, though..... ;)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by petehull on Jun 4^th, 2007, 7:19am

Life's simple... ::)

As I read the different posts with regard to the vast range of problems encountered by ourselves, one thing I have noticed and that is that the cossies seem to have more problems then other models with regards to engine and running issues, I realise that the main reason for this is the sheer complexity of the systems involved, but there is always the possibility of curing such things, unfortunately it is'nt always easy to come by... That is MONEY. :(

The majority of problems seem to be usually caused by sensors, and the units operated by them, many of these sensors are such simple devices such as resistances, thermocouple devices, pressure sensors and the like, these things in the electronics world cost pennies to make, however the motor industry always seem to intigrate simple components into "fantastically" overengineered replaceable parts, hype up the price and allow us to bear the burden, a typical example is what I have just replaced. ???

The ECTS (Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor), if you open this up, inside is a little tiny capsule of some fantastic thermo reactive material which alters it's electrical state when heated alowing a variable voltage to be output to the ecu which inturn sends signals to the variouse control relays, (simple isn't it) this unit cost me in excess of £22. :-/

The cost of the material which does the actual sensing would probably be that insignificant that you would be able to buy tons of the stuff for the £20 in it's raw state... the other parts of this component are the brass body and a bit of plastic holding it all together. ???

Ironic isn't it?

End of Gripe....
Pete

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossie_al on Jun 5^th, 2007, 10:08pm

Well I know I deserve a slap for this but the intermitant poor running of the scorp did lead me to give a merc in a local dealers an admiring look :-[
Okay slap me again I went and had another look and asked the guy what sort of a deal we could do with the scorp, £150.00 for your granada was his reply.
Now at this point I had an overwhelming fealing of possiveness and protection of my car so the guy was showered with various expletives and I doubted his parentage with more than one out burst.
The ride home was a bit wierd I had gone from being happy to seing it go to thinking this is my car (got to remember it had and still has my name on the reg when I whent to by it)
As I was starting to enjoy the ride I realised how comfy I was in the seat and Last weak end it got me the family and an absolute huge amount of camping gear reliably through a 400 mile round trip. So youv'e guessed it I am keaping it :D

So be honest does this look like a £150 car to you?
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/cossieal/rearbumper.jpg

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by TiberiuS on Jun 5^th, 2007, 10:30pm

Al, it's worth more to you than any backstreet car dealer, money doesn't come into it. £150 to you but it would have gone out front for well over a grand, probably nearer 2.

I had the same thing with mine, nobody wanted to know. "Fords don't sell" "Nah, nobody wants 'em"...

About a year back I saw a car in a local dealer. Parked the Scorp outside, warm day, sun shining (just cleaned and polished), got talking to the dealer. He offered to take the Scorp off of my hands for scrap because "Nobody wants 'em, Fords are all trouble" >:(

2 weeks later he had a Tourmallard 2.0 Ultima at the front of the dealership for sale for £1750.

That says it all really...

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by TiberiuS on Jun 5^th, 2007, 10:34pm

on 06/04/07 at 07:19:54, petehull wrote:

The ECTS (Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor), if you open this up, inside is a little tiny capsule of some fantastic thermo reactive material which alters it's electrical state when heated alowing a variable voltage to be output to the ecu which inturn sends signals to the variouse control relays, (simple isn't it) this unit cost me in excess of £22. :-/

Pete, that's called a bead thermistor, normally set into some kind of epoxy to keep out the moisture. £1.40 from Maplin if you can get the right value and even that's overpriced. Same thing if you have a car fitted with an IAT sensor, and those are £130...

Such is life mate :-/

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by mr._floppy on Jun 6^th, 2007, 1:45am

It's still a mystery why Ford Europe are reluctant to build a big RWD luxury model to reach the parts the Mondeo can't.

OK, so they got their fingers burnt 10 years ago with the Scorp design, but surely the market's still there, with the Fairlaine in Australia and the Mercury and Lincoln biggies in the USA still popular maybe the time is right for the return of a big Eurobarge !

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by jonnycab on Jun 6^th, 2007, 2:44am

Was looking at the brand new Mondeo in Essex Ford showroom the other day & it is as big, if not bigger than the Scorp.

It was only the basic model with cloth seats, but looked very impressive none the least.

The interior is huge, & the rear seat is big with as much leg room as the Scorp.....didn't sit in it & start playing with the toys though, incase one of the salesman thought I might be interested in swapping my house for it ::)

.......So it seems that Ford have reinvented the 'big luxury model'.....just called it the "New New Mondeo" ::)

Oh...& the boot space is immense :o

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by Dave on Jun 6^th, 2007, 8:08am

on 06/05/07 at 22:08:05, cossie_al wrote:

.....£150.00 for your granada was his reply.
Now at this point I had an overwhelming fealing of possiveness and protection of my car so the guy was showered with various expletives and I doubted his parentage with more than one out burst.it I am keaping it :D

}{ }{ }{ Bet he wasn't expecting that ;D

Glad to hear the Scorp is safe. Its often only when you have a look at other motors (was in the same position 18 months ago) that you realise just how good they are :)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 6^th, 2007, 8:20am

Quote:

one thing I have noticed and that is that the cossies seem to have more problems then other models with regards to engine and running issues

THAT was the advice I got when I bought my 12v 2.9. The guys I spoke to didn't slate the Cossie by any means, but they did point out exactly the above. Endless 'tuning' issues. My own Cologne 12v is a VERY reliable chunk of engine. You have to do something pretty silly to break it. Supremely easy to work on too, which is always a major consideration to me, as I do all my own servicing.

When I weighed up the pros and cons of owning a Cosworth (and I admit that I was tempted), that would break double the national speed limit, against having the reliability, lower servicing costs, and still excellent performance of my 12v, I have to say that it was very good advice.

The one issue that funnily didn't bother me was the insurance. At £146.00 a year fully comp (72% No claims) with Esure, there was very little in it anyway. Years of careful driving pay in the end. ;D ;D

All of us on this site like our cars (well, most of the time ;D), and what they are worth is a secondary issue as far as I'm concerned. I've always bought big, top of range cars, and I've yet to buy a bad one.
I've also had people absolutely stunned when I tell them that my own car only cost £1,000. There's a guy not ten minutes from here who regularly tells me that he'll give me serious money for it.......but it's not for sale. Why would I sell a rust free, perfectly reliable car with all the features of the Scorpio.

I think we all need to get Al a beer!! :)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by TiberiuS on Jun 6^th, 2007, 11:40am

on 06/06/07 at 02:44:41, jonnycab wrote:

Was looking at the brand new Mondeo in Essex Ford showroom the other day & it is as big, if not bigger than the Scorp.

Saw one in Dagenham Motors the other day, white base model (why put a base model in the showroom?). Yes, it's huge - I don't think it's longer or wider than the Scorp but it's taller and bulkier. If you look at the Scorpio, it's lower than most cars and that gives it better CoG and handling, I don't think a bulky Mondeo is going to rival the Scorp for handling - our Mk1 handles like a sponge on car wash day but I guess they've come a long way since then :-/

Admitted, it's a better looking car than the Focus (I hate the bloomin' Focus, ugly b****r ::)) but still doesn't have what the Scorpio did, once you got past the front/rear styling, the Scorpio had some really nice proportions, looked really good from certain angles where a lot of newer cars look 'wrong' IMO - parts of that car went well together, it was just a bit wacky for the time and Ford didn't have the status to pull it off. Ford could have done a lot for the aesthetics of the Scorp (look at what the 12 spoke alloys and facelift did) but they never bothered, because it was merely a fill-in until the next gen cars arrived, be it Ford, Jag, Volvo...

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by TRACEYS_LIMO on Jun 6^th, 2007, 10:59pm

hi get it going right and enjoy, you cant loose any money they have just about hit bottom, and now the numbers are dropping they will only go up. just look how much JC mk1 is worth :)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by mr._floppy on Jun 7^th, 2007, 12:49am

The 2007 Mondeo at 188.1 inches long is a couple of inches shorter than the Scorpio, however, I don't like the paint finish on this model, what would you call it , Anorak or Quilt ?

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/smallparts456/car_photo_200011_7.jpg

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossie_al on Jun 7^th, 2007, 12:57am

Dont care what any one says cars in puffa jackets will never catch on ;D
For a start the carnuba wax would make a real mess of that ::)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by jonnycab on Jun 7^th, 2007, 2:09am

on 06/06/07 at 22:59:11, TRACEYS_LIMO wrote:

just look how much JC mk1 is worth :)

Seen 'em go recently (in good nick) for between £1200 & £2000 on Ebay.....even a rusted up project went for £500 a few weeks ago :)

I wonder how much a good Scorp will fetch in twenty years time ? :)

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossiejamie on Jun 7^th, 2007, 2:30am

Exactly Jonnycab, been to the Wythall meet a few times, a classic car meet with a few scorps. My brother was talking to a guy with an orange escort, mexico i think it was. Pictures are on the site soewhere. He didn`t say what he paid, just that it was more than 10 grand :o
Jamie

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by LiverpaulH on Jun 11^th, 2007, 1:54pm

Are you coming to tomorrow evenings meet Jamie?

If so see you there.
Paul

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by cossiejamie on Jun 13^th, 2007, 4:42am

Again, had to work last night so couldn't`t make it. ::)
Definitely next time though.
Jamie

Title: Re: loosing faith
Post by pat on Jun 13^th, 2007, 1:38pm

I know exactly how you feel mate. Ihave reached the same crossroads with my 2.0 Scorp estate. ??? I am getting unable/unwilling to do my own repairs but the only place you can get any sense(and how!) about faults is via the site.
Cure current problem and what's next? Curiously, apart from autobox oil going into engine(which again was solved via the site), our £450 2.9 never misses a beat. TOUCH WOOD.