The return: My once sold 2001 Focus wagon

[yellow2000sr]

Prior thread, sold the car 7.5 years ago: https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...eed-33321.html

SO, now the wild story:

~2:30pm on Oct 4th 2024, almost exactly 7.5 years since I sold my old beater, I sent a pic to my parents of my old Focus wagon because I was on the owners street making a delivery. I took the pic because the window has been open a while (at least a couple weeks). I was tempted to stop over and offer them cash for it again.

Around 4pm I was about 1/4 mile away on a 10min break at a gas station and I came out of a gas station and saw it on a rollback in the parking lot. I went over to tow truck and talked to the driver/passenger and they had just got it to go scrap it.

Of course I laughed and said I was the previous owner asked how much and if they’d deliver it… $650 later including delivery to my house 30 min away, it’s mine again. 5:30pm my brother sent a pic of it delivered to the house. He already got it running twisting the wires together and putting a jump pack on lol. Cleaning out the inside he even found the note that I left a few years ago offering to buy it back with my number. LOL

They only put 19,000 miles on it in 7.5 years, it had failed inspection for brakes and a blown strut and “quote was close to value of the car”.

The story then is a homeless guy broke into the car and popped the hood and cut the battery cables and strap and stole the battery.

[Piwoslaw]

Reunited with you ex, LOL.

If you were so emotionally attached to this particular unit, why did the two of you go separate ways over 7 years ago?

[freebeard]

What a heart-warming story.

[yellow2000sr]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

Reunited with you ex, LOL.

If you were so emotionally attached to this particular unit, why did the two of you go separate ways over 7 years ago?

Money got tight and it was 1 of many vehicles.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Much better than seeing it being ultimately replaced by some random SUV...

[yellow2000sr]

Had some time over the weekend and after work and worked on it some.

First thing was to replace the battery harness from the homeless person cutting the cables and removing the battery. I then cleaned and oiled the K&N filter. Exterior and engine bay got a much needed scrub and then we started going over what it needed from sitting apparently 2+ years… it all added up once we dug into it.

Majority of what was ordered:
TiresFront rotors/pads
Valve cover gasket
Hood Prop Rod Grommet
All shocks/struts/mounts
Motor/trans Mount Kit
Hatch Lift Supports
Wiper Blades
Fog / Driving Lamp Assemblies
Rear Brake Hoses and wheel cylinders
Fuel Filter
Rear Control Arm and lateral links
Sway Bar Links and bushings
Oil Pan Gasket
NOS Parking Brake Cable
Oil Filter
Alignment Bolt / Camber Plate
Rear Trailing Arm Bushings

Junkyard buys:
Lower grill and pigtails for foglights
Misc interior pieces/clips
Driver door panel
2 used key fobs

We also went over the underside of the car and cleaned up any surface rust, pinchwelds, spot welds, etc and then put a rust converter on. Plan on seam sealing spots we removed and painting underside.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Seems to be a lot of work to recover it from the years of neglect, but I guess you're enjoying it and not so willing to sell it again.

[y2kbug]

cool focus! I’ve always wanted small wagon. I wish I could find an escort, corolla, reliant wagon but very few are left.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by y2kbug

cool focus! I’ve always wanted small wagon. I wish I could find an escort, corolla, reliant wagon but very few are left.

Makes me wonder how much of a PITA it would be to get a certification of compliance for a grey-import E120 Corolla Fielder, since the underpinnings of the American and the Thai Corolla were essentially the same by then.

[yellow2000sr]

Been busy and woking on it on the weekends, almost back together.

Wire wheeled any rust spots and removed some undercoat that was bubbled from rust then treated it. 2 coats of flat back on most of the underside. Will get a flat bottom soon.

Almost done putting all new rear suspension in with adjustable arms to get camber and toe dialed in. Every bolt and bushing were seized together and bushings rotted.

Passenger rocker is next big thing.