just had bonnet flip up at 60mph

Nasty, but it sounds like you (not the car) got off lightly! Must have been a real brown trouser moment. Just glad you're okay. I recall a similar incident about 2-3 years ago on here, can't remember who it was though.

Ermmm thanks for the offer Stan

I am going to miss it so much to be honest but I wont get another until I finish my studies and i'm working again.
Anyway, this is what I picked up today.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/mitch20vt/mondy1.jpg
1998 mondeo 84k miles and FSH

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/mitch20vt/mondy2.jpg
Bodywork its great, tint job is dodgy

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/mitch20vt/mondy3.jpg
I have a £500 bill for this system

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/mitch20vt/mondy4.jpg
Yes its a V6! (2.5 Si manual with aircon)

Not bad at £550, only problem is its a little tappety, I am hoping its just because it was low on oil when we picked it up. Anyone know much about these??

MrB's got a mondeo too I believe

yeah theyre shite!!! lol not bad for £550

if the roof repairable then the car might be ok to repair!

ive repaired many of these in the past and it has happened to me before in my old citroen zx but due to a centre parked single wiper it saved the screen!!

we do have alot of alfa's and fiats in work with flipped bonnets and alot of the time they do get written off but there are exceptions. all depends on cost and book value at the end of the day!!

i have been told by a contact in fiat parts that its a common fault for the catch to spring up un-noticed if worn. it might be a wise idea for all you owners reading this to go buy a new catch tommorow as they can fail!!
i guess fiat/alfa didnt want to waste time and money on a recall! just let their owners find out the hard way!

Sorry to read this - drove my first one for about 150 miles on the catch up the A1 not long after getting it. Fortunately spotted it and pulled over before something like this happened.

Well, maybe not everything

Cant believe you bought a mondeo - did the bonnet hit you on the head

Right then we need to organise some kind of coop meet and make mitch turn up in his Mondeo

I am a great fan of the 2.5 V6 in these. I used to own a 1999 V6 Ghia X Mondeo and then a 1998 V6 Cougar.

I sold the Mondeo at 110,000miles and the Cougar with about 140,000miles on it so they are good for a bit of abuse.

The cars were arguably the best "all round" car I have ever had. Quite lively with 170 bhp, sound great, loads of boot space and handle quite well as well. Just a real relaxing, easy drive with no paranoia! Bargain for £550.

James

Oh, also remembered. A VERY VERY common fault with these is for the IMRC (inlet manifold runner control) to pack up. (About £110 new from Ford). This is basically a motor (servo) in a metal box that lives under the plastic "2.5 V6" cover on the front bank of cylinders on the engine. It opens a second set of intake ports when the engine reaches about 3000 rpm. If you dont have a very sure kick (not in coop terms!) at about 3k then this is either clapped or the cable that comes from it is broken. Remove the throttle body and have a good look - you'll see how it works.
With a timing chain at least you have no cambelt worries!

Have fun.

James

gutted for you mate

really am

if it does get written off
and you decide to break it


can i have first dibs on your leather?


sorry..... i had to......

I just wanted to echo what everyone else has said and also that I have my fingers crossed your insurance company comes up trumps and does you proud.

I had my motorcycle stolen a couple of months back and finally got more than what I could have sold it for, even including the excess.

Good luck,

PS... overtaking a pickup with your foot planted in 3rd when this happened and you didn't crash - very impressive!

Are the spark plugs not a bugger on these or am i thinking of another 2.5v6 that can be a bugger to change them on??

Dont boterh topping the oil up mitch just get a good synth oil from Oilman in his sale and use it instead as it wont use much between changes..

Ok update for you all, Thanks Jap yeah I think that IMRC thing might be broken. Not sure because what is concerning me more is the rattle

I have done a full oil change with comma flush in the old oil to clean it all out, What came out was very thick and black but after filling it up with the correct stuff and changing the filter its still no better . It only starts when its really warmed up so I couldnt hear it in the auction, and it was a genuine repo, not a broken heap that a dealer had dumped so I am very unlucky I think, considering the millage, history and otherwise spanking condition of it. Ahhh well.. Guess its cams, tappets or little ends?

Yes KP the spark plugs look a nightmare and I bought some without checking, but they are extra long life 20k miles jobbies so I might leave them.

Craig, yeah we will have to see, too early to tell whats happening yet. I have been filling out my claim form today and drawing a sketch for them

All in all, what a crappy week I have had..

Again, mitch sorry to hear this happened to you.

But damn you. You've given me a whole other thing to be paranoid about now.

Sorry to hear this Mitch, but I'm glad you're unhurt. It must have scared the crap out of you.

I drove all the way home, after my last MOT, with the bonnet just on the safety catch as they'd not closed it properly

Just been reading Practical Classics magazine and they had an article on the Damlier SP Dart that shows a photograph of a little chain which owners have installed to stop this happening on that car.

Might be worth considering on the coupé?

Any word from the insurance company yet Mitch?

Are you considering buying the coupé back if they write it off?

A friend could write one out for you and scribble the previous owners signature on it really and they would be none the wiser tbh and saves a lot of hassle.

I know Will, dont think I didnt consider it, but I always think I will get caught and land up in trouble, I wouldn't make a good criminal

Wouldnt reccomend that tbh carl However for making life much easier for both parties as well

Ok nor heard from Admiral for a bit and was going to phone today, but when I got home I found they has send a cheque out of the blue.

£2810 which with my £250 excess added, values it at £3060.
I was just wondering what peoples thoughts are, should I ask for more? I dont think its unreasonable to be honest as it had no history from before I bought it and it needed a 3/4 respray to make mint: stone chips, dings and flaky lacquer.
(It was a 98-R, 80K, air and leather, mechanically good, cosmeticly slightly tatty.)

thats not too bad is it, they keeping the car?

Yeah never gave me the chance to get it

yeh i wouldnt moan at £3k, not tooo bad really.

Yeah thats my thoughts as well, could have been worse

You got your eyes on a replacement yet Mitch?

Thinking about one of these Stan , I dunno. It has to be something fun but cheap to run

Seems reasonable Mitch. It's a pity the Fabia vRS hasn't come down in value yet
You could have stuck a chip and a mod or two and been very happy.

I'll let you have a drive in "Project Jigsaw" when she's rebuilt if you get withdrawal symptoms.

Hehe yeah love to

Either that or we can drive around in all the bits that'll be left over

So when are you getting the replacement and what happens to the RepBox?

Repbox is going on ebay now as soon as I sort it. It stands me as £650 now but it has 12 months MOT so I should get my money back. New car ASAP

Arent those MX3 small V6's a nightmare to work on?? i heard certain cooling pipes often go and require loads to come off the engine for you to get at them??

No idea to be honest KP, they dont even have a UK owners club or forum. I will look into it but I will be very surprised if they need more TLC than a 20VT.
I drove one the other day and I had to rev the balls off it to get it to move but It seems to like it and sounded sweet. Driving position is nice and handling felt good.