A couple of ST220 questions

I plan to swap my Alpine and sub as soon as I get it ;) How easy is it to swap for a single DIN aftermarket unit?
 
Very. The headunit just has the standard release clips either side so you just push the keys in and pull them out together. I can't remember if there are two sets of locks though with it being a double DIN. I'm sure SoliD can confirm. The new fascia adaptor just pushes in.

Obviously you need the wiring loom aswell.

I sold my Sony HU for about £100 :)
 
iaind said:
Some of the early cars did suffer from rust on the bottom of the doors, although provided the car has had the inspections stamped by a dealer, Ford replace the doors under the anti corrosion warranty.

The interior is a personal taste thing, I think it looks too much like an old Escort on the prefacelift, but other than visually you're not going to miss out on much.
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how long is the anti corrosion warranty? My late 03 facelift is having rust issues....been serviced by ford all it's life.
 
bobert50 said:
I looked at them during my recent car search early on and i kind of found that..

* <£4000 = something you really wouldn't want to touch.
* £5000 = almost the going rate for old pre-facelift ones on highish mileage.
* £6000+ = where it starts to become the 04 plate ones, facelifted, nicer dash etc on lower miles.

I guess from what i saw, they didn't offer amazing value for money right now? its as if they've definitely gone up a fair bit since 6 months ago.
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I bought my 03 facelift last year for £4k
 
Janesy B said:
Hopefully the paint inspection bits in the service book have been filled in too, serviced at the same place from new?
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unfortunately not. In fact thinking about it, there's only one service in 7 year or more where it's not had a ford stamp. All other are....will have to check the book.

I can ask, they can only say no.
 
Howard said:
Is 5-6k enough for a facelift in decent condition?


What sort of things do I need to check in person that could be "hidden" from an advert with seemingly good pictures of a good condition car? I'm a bit rusty at car buying :(


Oh also.. What is the recommended path to go down re. servicing? Are Ford main dealer costs reasonable? Can any old back street garage cope with them? I assume it's not recommended to DIY stuff like oil changes etc, for sake of the service history?
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Would appreciate some advice surrounding these questions from someone in the know if possible :)
 
Howard said:
OK I'm on the brink of starting to look for one.. It's annoying that they're all an hour or so away from me, but hey.

Is 5-6k enough for a facelift in decent condition?


What sort of things do I need to check in person that could be "hidden" from an advert with seemingly good pictures of a good condition car? I'm a bit rusty at car buying :(


Oh also.. What is the recommended path to go down re. servicing? Are Ford main dealer costs reasonable? Can any old back street garage cope with them? I assume it's not recommended to DIY stuff like oil changes etc, for sake of the service history?
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5-6k is the lower end of the facelift budget, but prices of these are not set in stone and there seems to be a big range for them with no one really sure exactly how much they are worth.

as stated in here

Things to look for include, the dreaded DMF/starter issue which although less risk in a facelift 6 speeder is still there. So any struggles/whirring on startup walk away.

Check for clunking wandering from the rear for the subframe bushes, and have a look at the suspension if you can get your head up in the arches.

Check for rust on the lower edges of the doors as this was a common issue, check that the service book has been stamped for perforation as well as general servicing. Also check for any bubbles on the alloys, if they have been kerbed they will need refurbing quickly, check around the valve too.

As said in that post generally quite well behaved but there are a few common issues.

Servicing costs seem fairly reasonable, but depends how long you want to keep it for to be honest, I paid just over 200 for a major service and about 170 for a minor iirc from my main ford dealer. I expect where you live you may have a few to play off against each other whereas I only have one franchise near me which limits my bargaining power.
 
Cheers, forgot about that post it seems :o A couple of simple ish things to check for then, righto!

Once I get one I would expect it to last me a few years like the Honda has so I won't be skimping on servicing/consumables! It's just a question of finding one for sale where the previous owner has had the same attitude!

I should definitely not buy a pre-facelift then?
 
Howard said:
Cheers, forgot about that post it seems :o A couple of simple ish things to check for then, righto!

Once I get one I would expect it to last me a few years like the Honda has so I won't be skimping on servicing/consumables! It's just a question of finding one for sale where the previous owner has had the same attitude!

I should definitely not buy a pre-facelift then?
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to be honest the dash is about 100x worse looking somehow and you get a more reliable gearbox so worth the extras for the facelift.

One last thing to check is a dropping rear bumper!
 
The dash bothers me less (as I'll be yanking out whatever stereo comes with the facelift one and putting my own one in anyway) than the drivetrain reliability issues, which do bother me, so I'm going to definitely look for a facelift :)

Are the seats heated and electric in every ST220?
 
It's not so much the stereo, but you also get a much better climate system and other switchgear - the facelift is generally a much nicer place to be

Assuming you're moving your Alpine over from the Accord? As if by magic, an Alpine IDA stereo in a facelift dash:

CIMG0616.jpg
 
It's a bit better in the ST, but thebasic design is still the same. Never bothered me really - it's nice and chunky and the leather's quite nice
 
Looks fine with the Alpine in there, goodo :)

And I'll say it again, the steering wheel looks fine to me :p If I cared that much about interior quality I'd buy a BMW ;)

Oh one other question, if I should end up finding a nice example that has the sat nav, is it as easy to rip that out and put a different head unit in? As far as my research has shown me, iPod connectivity is impossible and the sound quality isn't that great so it's of no use to me :p
 
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The quality really isnt bad at all - mine didnt rattle, all the switchgear has a nice positive feel and the stuff you spend the day touching (handbrake, steering wheel, gearknob) all have a nice chunky feel to them
 
Howard said:
Looks fine with the Alpine in there, goodo :)

And I'll say it again, the steering wheel looks fine to me :p If I cared that much about interior quality I'd buy a BMW ;)

Oh one other question, if I should end up finding a nice example that has the sat nav, is it as easy to rip that out and put a different head unit in? As far as my research has shown me, iPod connectivity is impossible and the sound quality isn't that great so it's of no use to me :p
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Problem is the satnav operates the climate control, so if you're going to rip it out I would find one without so you dont have to buy the climate control seperately. Ipod connectivity is standard on the facelift, albeit via a jack in the glovebox.

Also the only difference between the ST steering wheel and iains is that it has an ST badge on it :D
 
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