Buying (and repairing) a wrecked '07 Focus ST for a kid's first car.

   I recently snagged a somewhat beat up '07 Focus Sedan S, 5-speed with 135,000 miles for $1,250 and my daughter (soon to be 14) wasted no time in claiming it as hers. I did the usual fluid and filter change then started driving it to work and promptly fell in love with the simplicity and sportiness.

 

   This led to start trolling FB marketplace for another Focus to add to the stable for the youngest child (soon to be 13). I found a wrecked ST with 122,000 miles about an hour North of home and wasted no time in heading up there to check it out. It was a deer hit to the driver's side front corner. 

   So, the plan is to remove the damaged stuff; hood, fender, d/s door, headlight, and a few odds and ends, then buy yet another dirt-cheap Focus for the needed parts.




Obligatory rear window, towing shot:

Not gonna lie, my favorite part of this post is that you towed it home with the Grand Marquis. 

P.S. I am just assuming it's the Mercury flavor of Panther since those don't look like Crown Vic wheels.

Cool car, I have one. Alternators are something of a trouble spot. Mine burned out supposedly about 30,000 miles after the previous owner had replaced it. Other than that, should be pretty reliable.

We have two for our kids, an 06 ZX3 with over 150 K for my son and an 08 2 door base with a stick for my daughter with 148 K.    My son has had his out to Vegas and back (we're in MA) and now down in Texas for school for the last year.   His water pump went over the winter, local shop to him in Texas replaced it for around $500 and CV joints seem to be a 130 K thing, otherwise they've both been excellent cars. 

We bought both of these cars cheap (well by today's standards anyway) with around 118-120K on them.  Both had been previously registered as commercial vehicles and had good maintenance records which has probably helped a lot.   I also looked for 05 and later with the 2.0 / timing chain engine, not sure where that leaves you with the ST.

slowbird said:

Cool car, I have one. Alternators are something of a trouble spot. Mine burned out supposedly about 30,000 miles after the previous owner had replaced it. Other than that, should be pretty reliable.

You ain't kidding about the alternator.  On my wife's '07 we replaced the stock alternator at 70k, then had to replace the reman we bought at 71k when the bearings seized up.   They're also a rat bastard to replace - you have to loosen the engine mounts to rock the motor forward to get the old one out and the new one in between the engine and firewall.

If it shakes like a paint mixer, it needs a new passenger front motor mount.  Buy the OEM one.  The aftermarket ones WILL NOT fix the problem.  But posting a question here will get you the easy answer that fixes it.  (Thanks, Knurled!)  

They're good little cars.  We put 65k on one over five years and it never quit.  The seats are a matter of personal preference - I loved them, my wife says they hurt her back after an hour or so.  

EDIT:  Also, FOrd decided to go with a non-replaceable "100k" air filter assembly instead of a plastic airbox and a $5 paper filter.  When it reaches the end of it's life, it's like $400.  Buy and Ebay cold-air intake and cone filter instead.

   Welp...got hosed on this one. I fired up the car to pull it off the tow dolly and it revved really high, then started running rough and tapping. It inhaled something and bent some valves. 

 

   I haven't even transferred the title into my name, I just backed it into the garage and stewed on it for a while. I won't be tearing into the engine, I no longer have any interest in that sort of thing.

   So, does anybody want/need a LeMons car? Some body panels have been removed but it runs and drives, albeit not very well. I'll let it go for scrap value which I think is around $300.

Also, it's an '05, not an '07.

Am I the only one who can't see the images?  Tried on three different browsers Explorer (desk top), Chrome (Chrome desktop and iOS) and Safari (iOS) and I still can't see them, yet others apparantly can. 

In reply to Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) :

No images for me either on both computer (Win 10 w/ Chrome) or Android phone (Chrome)

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

Am I the only one who can't see the images?  Tried on three different browsers Explorer (desk top), Chrome (Chrome desktop and iOS) and Safari (iOS) and I still can't see them, yet others apparantly can. 

I can't see 'em either.

I cannot and would like to comment on this thread!

So sorry about your trouble.  I think I posted when it happened that I had an 02 svt that was murdered by a prius.  The car had a power works supercharger.  Loved, loved, loved the car.  My mechanic wanted to bet a good body and  swap everything over.  Alas, it did not happen.  Now I am realizing I could have picked yours up and done it, but the timing didn't work.

Man, so sorry, nothing worse than getting a car home and having this happen.  Ask me about my miata with a jackson racing supercharger sometime...

I hotlinked them from FaceySpace. Currently digging to see if I can find them again.