Disclaimer – The following information below is only a “Guide” in order to help current owners find out more about the car and especially prospective owners looking for some guidance in what to watch out for. This is not an exhaustive list by a long way. The main message – MK1’s are now at least 20 years old and therefore anything that can go wrong, may go wrong. But having the information below will hopefully help you to make informed decisions in the short and long-term.
Bodywork
The bodywork on any MK1 today will be the most challenging aspect of ownership today. MK1’s have enjoyed some tinworm down the years and even from relatively young. Ford’s 10 year perforation warranty was soon reduced to 7 years… I wonder why! Problems can stem from poor factory bodywork protection and paintwork adhesion combined with 20 years of salt exposure. There are specific areas that nearly always tend to be corrosion hotspots.
The most common of corrosion is the outer sills. They will rot readily along the rear of the sills due to water penetrating between the rear sill pinch seam to the inner arch lip, this fills the sill with water and rots from the inside out. This can spread towards the middle of the sill if left too long. It’s very common to see MK1’s with “patches” welded in this area.
The second is the inner arches themselves, corrosion and severe rust will occur around the rear seat belt anchorage points and spread along the seam where the inner arch is welded to the boot floor. This whole area is covered up by the arch liners, which are made from carpet material which absorb and hold an uncompromising amount of water and remains damp for an uncomfortable amount of time, slowly corroding the arch in this area. The corrosion can spread to most of the arch including the strut towers, they can corrode badly around the shock absorbers on hatchback and saloon models.
The majority of the underbody is pretty resistant to corrosion.
The main external panels to watch are the front wings which by now if they are the originals will look a little bubbly as a minimum now, especially at the bottom where they bolt to the sills. They can also bubble historically where they meet the front bumper due to chafing between the two. Doors can bubble at the bottom front or rear, the seam sealer between the two door skins can fail starting the corrosion.
The slam panel behind the rear bumper can slowly corrode as it’s made of thin gauge steel and it’s only purpose is to cover the rear boot structure. It can only be inspected properly with the rear bumper removed.
Front and Rear Bumpers are not ABS plastic and therefore are not as durable against minor bumps or scrapes, aftermarket ones are usually ABS and are recommended to replace cracked originals. Front bumpers can sag which is normal as the wing clips which hold them are inadequate for their purpose.
Boot leaks on hatchback models are very common due to multiple areas where water creeps in, this could be the seals around the rear light clusters, seams around the top corners or loose hinge bolts allowing water to creep between the hinge and bodywork. This can result in corrosion build up in the spare wheel well and boot-to-floor seams.
Generally the paint on a MK1 is pretty robust, on models with metallic paint lacquer peel or thinning can occur on the roof and bonnet from years of tree sap, contaminants and sunlight. Sometimes a respray is the only solution.
Engines
There are two 16-Valve 4-Cylinder DOHC Petrol units grouped into the “Family Zetec Engine” range and two 8V-Valve SOHC Diesel engines in the line-up. Simply put, all engines in the line-up are strong, durable and proven units with minimal issues. Problems are usually caused by lack of regular servicing. You can expect plenty of miles and smiles, service history is important here.
The newest engine in the Zetec-engine family range and clearly the powerplant expected to dominate MK1 sales is the Ford Sigma, branded as the ‘Zetec-S’ (on facelift models it was redesignated Zetec-SE with a plastic cam cover). This all-aluminium unit is an extremely rev-happy, peppy and economical unit with good performance for its respective size in the MK1. The poverty spec CL gets the 74bhp 1.4 litre (1388cc) version which is a little lethargic but certainly not underpowered as widely reported in the press. The majority gained the 99 bhp 1.6 litre (1596cc), a far more functional unit in a MK1!
There are very few issues with the Sigma, namely lack of servicing and regular oil changes can cause the top-end to be very tappety. Equally running low on oil will quickly cause the bottom-end to start knocking, in this scenario a replacement engine is advised as repairing the bottom end is a tricky task because of the fine tolerances in the crankshaft bearing ladder (no torque specs are given). Solid tappets are utilised which very rarely require re-shimming unless an extremely high mileage example. Timing belts need changing every 10 years by the book however reducing this to 8 is a very safe approach as this is an interference engine. Rough running can be traced to a blown breather pipe under the plastic inlet manifold. The right-hand engine mounting is an oil-filled hydraulic one which does leak oil or partially sinks on tired rubber. Another weak area is the plastic thermostat housing which eventually leaks, this task is made more difficult by the 4 bolts, it is not uncommon to hear of the bolts shearing where they go into the engine block. Other niggles can be covered by items bolted to the engine like sensors, of which age has caught up more than mileage. One area of note is the plastic intake manifold (first mass-produced engine to have one), at this age they can get badly choked with carbon deposits which will need cleaning out along with a throttle body clean. This will restore some lost performance and economy back to the engine due to the airflow being smoother. The actual engine remains as trouble free as possible for any engine this age… name a more reliable one!
The other Petrol option in the Zetec engine range is the highly renowned “iron block” Ford Zetec engine branded ‘Zetec-E’. This is the older of the two engines which differs to the smaller Sigma in a few obvious ways, the obvious is the heavier cast iron block construction with an aluminium head. Inlet and exhaust location are the opposite sides too. From launch it was available in the punchy 1.8 litre (1796cc) 115bhp form, the equally performance orientated 2.0 litre (1988cc) with 130bhp. The performance-enhanced ST170 featured a uprated-version of the 2.0 litre. Branded “Duratec-ST” it came with a special Cosworth-designed cylinder head incorporating variable-intake camshaft timing, the bottom end was also strengthened to cope with a final output of 171bhp. The final version of this engine was the “Duratec-RS” as fitted to the RS model developing 212bhp thanks to being extensively reworked in the bottom-end department, the addition of a Garret GT2560LS Turbocharger and WRC-style injectors and pistons.
The Zetec unit is renowned for being a exceptionably durable and reliable engine in standard form, however there are still potential problems to look out for. One of the most common is again leaking plastic thermostat housings, they mount to the right-hand side of the cylinder head and with age they warp with heat and eventually crack. Quality aftermarket is a must if genuine is out of your budget. The other coolant leakage failure is the front coolant pipe that passes across the top of the radiator, it’s made from plastic and again they get brittle with age and eventually crack. Metal replacements for the pipe are available which is very recommended to prevent this issue occurring again for peace of mind. The breather hose at the rear of the inlet manifold can blow a hole which leads to poor running. Other issues can be sensor related but engine-wise there is extremely little to go wrong. Again like the Sigma be aware that higher mileage examples will have a coked-up inlet manifold, this is becoming more common and affect the smooth running of the engine, it is advised to clean out the manifold and throttle body at some point to restore some original airflow characteristics in the intake system. The Variable intake system on the ST170 rarely gives any troubles being a relatively simple mechanical system. Main item on the RS models is to check for any oil consumption which points to the Turbocharger having excessive wear, rebuilds will be expensive.
Diesel models are well catered for with a choice of two 1.8 litre (1753cc) engines ranging from 75bhp up to 115bhp. Both being Turbo Intercooled Injection units.
The choice consists of, firstly, a Direct Injection Turbo Intercooled engine , called the Endura DI (TDDI). Available throughout MK1 production, this is very much a re-development of the earlier Endura DE engine found in earlier Fords. This unit utilises a chain driven, rotary style Bosch VP30 fuel injection pump and a fixed vane Garret turbocharger to achieve power outputs of between 75bhp and 90Bbhp (the latter being most common) and proved to be a very popular seller for customers demanding low fuel consumption, along with effortless torque characteristics for motorway driving. It wasn’t as refined as its French competitors using all new HDI units, but the TDDI engine provides effortless and smooth driving, punchy performance and incredible reliability and longevity. The Bosch VP30 rotary fuel pump can be known to cause issues with these cars, signs usually include going into “limp home” mode, flashing glow plug light and non starting. This is caused by a transistor in the pump control module located on the top of the pump unit. Failure is caused through the many heat cycles the transistor will have endured. A “budget” repair can be made to the pump control module by soldering a replacement transistor to the circuit board to replace the faulty one, this is a job best left to a vehicle electrical specialist as this can be fiddly. However this can be a very costly fix should a new injection pump be needed. These can range from around £700 for a remanufactured unit to upwards of £1400 for a new unit. Other than that, this is a very solid and dependable unit indeed.
The later Diesel engine was first available for the facelift of the MK1 back in 2001. A delightfully smooth, refined and powerful Common-Rail Injection, Turbo Intercooled engine, known as the TDCI “Duratorq” . The Duratorq engine is the revised version of the earlier “TDDI” engine previously mentioned. Available with an impressive 115bhp to begin with, a 100bhp variant of this engine was added to the range at the beginning of 2003, putting this engine being in a lower tax bracket. This engine utilised what at the time was a very modern and very state of the art, high pressure fuelling system called “Common Rail Injection ” using electronically operated Delphi fuel injectors. Alongside this, a vacuum wastegate operated variable vane Garret turbocharger is used to give this engine its incredibly sharp throttle response and power. The TDCI engine is known for its fantastically refined power delivery and its incredible smoothness.
Faults to acknowledge with the TDCI can include injector failure, these units run under very high pressure and this combined with poor quality fuels being used, lack of servicing/changing the Diesel filter and bad driving habits can cause these to wear out with symptoms of stuttering, glow plug light illumination, excessive smoke from the exhaust and cutting out. Reconditioned injectors retail between £80 to £120 each. Another fault with the TDCI is the dual mass flywheel, the rubber springs which absorb vibration degrade and become weak and cause a few symptoms such as a stiff gear change, vibration when on idle or under throttle and chattering sounds through the drivetrain. This can be a very expensive fix. A replacement will entail the gearbox being removed with a new clutch assembly being fitted at the same time the flywheel is changed. A clutch and dual mass flywheel kit from a reputable brand can be upwards of £400. A solid flywheel conversion Kit can be obtained for a cheaper and more long term repair for your TDCI. This does however come at the cost of the refinement and smoothness of the drivetrain and the general feel of the transmission. Something to bear in mind.
Overall, the Duratorq TDCI engine is an absolutely superb engine choice in the MK1 for the driver who wants impressive torque figures combined with exceptional fuel economy, smooth and vivacious performance which all in all gives a fantastic driving experience.
Transmission
Whether a five-speed IB5 or MTX75, six-speed Getrag manual or four-speed 4F27E automatic there shouldn’t be any significant problems – except perhaps where the 1.8 Zetec petrol models are concerned. This was strangely fitted with the 5-speed IB5, a great gearbox in the 1.4/1.6 petrol models but is at the limit of its torque capacity with the 1.8, so watch out for jumping between gears, difficulty in selection and noisy bearing sounds which indicates a replacement gearbox is in order. An IB5 is around £150 however a recommended straight swap is for the MTX75 with its own gear cables. This is the older and much stronger gearbox with a higher torque rating and was fitted to the 1.8 Diesels, 2.0 Zetec Petrols and the RS (with a Quaife differential). All three manual gearboxes were “fluid-for-life” but at this age that is irrelevant and will be in need of changing which can take time on the IB5 especially as officially it has no drain plug (later corrected on the MK2), it needs to be sucked out using the level/filler plug or its driveshafts need removing! Both transmissions may develop issues of sloppy engagement which can be caused by either stretched gear cables or missing/deteriorated cable end bushes.
Clutch master cylinders are made predominantly out of thick plastic as are the concentric slave cylinders bolted into the bellhousing of the gearboxes, both have given little issue long-term but clutch masters are now starting to leak with regular occurrence, an awkward job. Clutch release bearings that are built into the concentric slave can get rough and sound growly when the clutch is depressed. Changing this with a Clutch kit is a must!
The 4F27E four-speed automatic option is a Mazda-designed gearbox which should be very smooth and progressive through the gears. They rarely suffers from major issues other than solenoid failure which are mounted in the hydraulic valve body and will cause loss of gears of driveability. Easy enough to change along with new fluid and filter for a reasonable price, usually they come as a solenoid/filter repair kit. Occasionally on boxes with over 100K clutch drums pistons can internally leak pressure resulting in loss of reverse gear or another gear. At this time sourcing a replacement gearbox will cost around £500 but will be much cheaper than a rebuild, something to factor in mind.
The driveshafts give little problems even at this age and it is not uncommon to observe the original CV boots are still in amazing condition.
Exhaust
It isn’t unheard of even at this age to have MK1s still using their original one-piece factory exhaust, they will be on borrowed time by now and will usually crack on the welds linking the pipes to the silencers. Aftermarket ones are freely available from quality suppliers whatever MK1. Petrols have the catalytic converter either under the floor on the 1.4 or 1.6; at the front of the engine on the 1.8 or 2.0 and on Diesels it’s located at the rear of the engine by the firewall. Post 1st March 2001 cars require a “Type-Approved” catalytic converter which is more stringent with emissions, buying an non-type approved converter for a later car will result in a MOT emissions failure. Aftermarket convertors generally don’t last very long, anything from 20-30K is their usual lifespan. The sign the converter is failing is the fault code P0420 which usually comes on when the car has been driven at 40 miles per hour to activate an ECU check of the converter efficiency. On Diesels the converters can become blocked with soot build up when the car is not given a long fast drive regularly enough. Nothing but a short blast through the gears won’t clear out and solve.
Exhaust mountings can crack and break especially if previously replaced with cheap aftermarket ones which deteriorate prematurely. Exhaust flexi pipes are known for blowing if they’re the originals and the engine mountings have not been changed, the old mountings will cause excessive rocking of the engine and eventually kill the flexi. Aftermarket ones can be smaller than the originals but seem to be very robust. On the 1.4/1.6 the exhaust manifold is located at the rear and the flexi is part of the manifold downpipe section. In the event of a blowing flexi replacing the entire manifold downpipe is advised. On the Zetec 1.8/2.0 the flexi is conveniently a separate pipe.
Oxygen sensors rarely give any issues and are quality long-lasting components. The main upstream sensor located on the downpipe is the main sensor for fuel delivery purposes and is often the sensor owners replace because of a running issue. On most occasions the sensor is not the component at fault. Aftermarket ones can work well but are never as accurate in “reading” the oxygen content of the exhaust gases. The rear downstream oxygen sensor is merely to monitor the efficiency of the converter, again these are never seem to cause any issues unless they have been replaced by aftermarket ones and these can fail. Both sensors are heated.
Steering & Suspension
The MK1 has rack and pinion power-assisted steering which is pleasantly weighted and delightfully precise. They can be pretty responsive with 2.9 turns lock-to-lock (in the ST170 the rack is even quicker). At this age there have been many failures of the racks resulting in sudden tight spots or looseness when turning round a corner caused by a broken or severely worn teeth in the rack. Replacement reconditioned or new aftermarket racks are decent quality for around £200-£400 but will require the front subframe to be dropped in order to fit.
Power steering pumps give little trouble as long as they don’t run dry, which can happen as a result of the power steering switch bursting. This is a common fault and something that should be changed if there’s no sign it has been done so, when they burst the system will lose fluid quickly resulting in loss of steering ability and a ruined pump. Genuine switches are the best long-term option at £75. On non-air conditioned 1.4 & 1.6 models watch out for the steel-line going to the pump across the front of the engine, these can corrode badly and 2nd hand replacements are tricky. It is recommended the fluid is also flushed out, a contributing factor in the steering racks longevity, this is generally green hydraulic fluid but on very late MK1’s red ATF was fitted, it can be changed to the green fluid which reportedly gives better feedback and lighter steering feel.
The front suspension is a fairly conventional and compliant Macpherson Strut assembly with lower wishbones and an anti-roll bar. The main achilles heel historically for MK1’s is the anti-roll bar drop links, which will start knocking very audibly from the cabin. The suspension dynamics of a MK1 are very harsh on them and only genuine or high quality replacements will last more than a few years. The same can be said for the springs, they are very wide and thin and contribute massively to the comfortable ride and direct feel at the front, the flipside consequence is they are very marginal to snapping whenever they start corroding around the bottom where they sit in the shock absorbers. Shock absorbers are long-lived and rarely leak, they just get progressively lazy over time which is very noticeable once new ones have been fitted. If the Wishbones are the originals they will be overdue a change, usually the ball joint will start knocking through wear in it’s socket. This means a complete replacement arm is needed as the inner inner bushes most likely will be be perished causing poor wheel alignment.
Front subframes can corrode badly around the bottom wishbone mounting areas and aftermarket replacements are very reasonable around £90. Rear subframes like the fronts are subject to heavy corrosion after two decades of winters and aftermarket replacements can be sourced for around £230.
The ‘Control-Blade’ rear independent multi-link suspension is what makes a MK1 handle like a go-cart and is therefore overly responsible for that class leading ride at the time of production. Most of the components have lasted 15 years without any issues at all but now it is a common area to make safe and the most expensive hurdle in MK1 ownership aside from bodywork! As a serious safety concern you must make sure that the rear suspension arms that support the rear springs are not heavily corroded, it is not unknown for them to snap under pressure while driving which has led to serious accidents. Replacing the rear arms, springs, drop links is a pretty common job nowadays and an expensive one as all of the rear bolts will most likely be seized in the rear bushes of the arms. The remaining control arms are strong but will need replacing if they have not already been done along with the trailing arm bushes which can be replaced in situ with the correct tool, again these bushes are usually left until they have separated from their metal collars. Combined all these components make a host of difference in the cars ability to create the stable handling characteristics they have been famous for.
Wheels & Brakes
Most examples came out the factory wearing alloys as it was standard on most models except very early CL, LX and Ghias in which you needed to purchase optional alloys. Most are generally corrosive-resistant apart from ST170 alloys which often require a refurbishment now due to corrosion between the spokes. Steel wheels came with some plastic wheel trims which do snap if removed heavy handedly. It has been common to swap steel wheels for alloys making MK1s with wheel trims an increasingly rare sight. Tyres can range from very skinny 185/65/14’s to 215/45/17’s depending on wheels specified. Many optional accessory alloys are rarely seen on any examples today and generally aren’t particularly desirable due to some unorthodox designs at the time which never caught on.
Most MK1s will have front ventilated discs and rear drums, both give little issue even at this age with minimal service required. Drum brake models can suffer from poor handbrake performance, usually down to the self-adjusters not working. Often owners tighten the handbrake adjustment screw under the lever to compensate for poor handbrake feel, this does nothing apart from stretch the cable when the real cause is poor adjusters not keeping the shoes tight to the drum surface. You can replace the adjusters or manually adjust them to ensure the brake performance is adequate and the handbrake works effectively.
At this age the original wheel cylinders will be known to leak. Original front calipers can partially seize in their bores and the seals can tear apart. At this moment in time replacing them with aftermarket ones is the most convenient solution.
The RS, ST170, 2.0 Ghia and most special editions came with rear disc brakes which always came with ABS as standard and some with traction control which utilises the ABS system. At this moment in time the wheel sensors rarely fail and the ABS motor gives next to no trouble. Unlike the drum-equipped models, the rear disc set-up gives consistent handbrake performance with little issues, hence why a Drum-to-Disc conversion has been popular if the correct hubs can be sourced.
Trim
Generally trim can be sought after from a variety of different sources and manufacturers whether genuine new old stock, second hand or aftermarket with no real difficulty nor a massive drop in quality. Certain types of body pieces such as front bumper stone deflectors currently are only available as genuine items, aftermarket manufacturers have been producing more new pieces of trim such as front/lower grilles, bumper/door mouldings and light units. Generally the original items are very well made and durable but as members are looking to aesthetically improve their cars exterior-wise then new trim is a no-brainer at very affordable costs, most aftermarket exterior trim will be anything from £10 for a fog light surround to £40 for a set of bumper mouldings. The difficult area is for the more scarce 3DR, Saloon or Estate vehicles in which certain pieces of trim and mouldings are unique to those bodystyles, therefore equally difficult to source. Aftermarket availability can be patchy for certain items.
Interior trim is the difficult area for most MK1s looking ahead. If you have a 3DR, especially replacing front door cards from damage may prove difficult, because of their length they swell in the sunlight and may crack their window guides. In fact the majority of the interior (excluding dashboard and centre console) is unique to the 3DR. The saloon and estate also. Getting good 2nd hand trim when they come up is strongly advised. Plastics can become scratched easily but overall pretty durable and have stood the test of 20 years at least.
Cloth seats are made from recycled jeans (no lie) and the seat pattern can wear very noticeably. Leather seats may need a re-dye at this point, any leather specialist will match a swab sample for a close OEM finish. Sometimes the bolsters collapse on the driver’s seat but swapping the slab is pretty easy for a passenger side slab (less worn). The leather on facelift examples is generally less supple in appearance than pre-facelift leather seats. Finally speaking of leather, steering wheels. Whether leather or vinyl if you own a facelift example in general they are poorer quality and blister badly in the sunlight, refurbishing them is more affordable than sourcing an incredibly expensive replacement.
Headlining material is durable but check for water damage around the boot area on the hatchbacks.
Electrics
The electrical system in the MK1 is pretty organised, logical and simple for a car of its age. They give very little issue even today, the main culprits for a few years now generally centre around the hatchback wiring loom breaking where it goes through a grommet into the tailgate. They are now fragile and with the opening and closing of the tailgate over many years which has finally killed the strands of copper hanging on. To repair this is tricky, having a spare loom is advised as it can be swapped out or repair kits that need crimping onto the existing wires can be done, but fiddly.
Earth points in the engine bay can cause some weird electrical gremlins but just need cleaning up, the two earth points next to the battery are known for snapping in their threads due to washer fluid spilling from the reservoir filler neck over the years and corroding them. Spare earth points are available next to them if you don’t fancy drilling the old bolts out.
Starter motor connections can get rusty, cleaning them is advised with poor cranking speed with a healthy charged battery, one of the smaller nuts is usually seized to the solenoid connection and snaps off with part of the solenoid body, replacement solenoids are available alongside starter motor brushes which can wear out at this age, the original starters are well made and rebuilding them with new brushes and a new solenoid is strongly advised against inferior aftermarket types.
Alternators can stop charging which is down to the voltage regulator brush pack wearing out or blowing. The advice is to replace the pack if the pulley bearing is smooth otherwise a complete replacement is easily obtained. The Idle air control valve located on the inlet manifolds can get stuck causing poor idle, the best solution is to clean them as that usually cures any issue.
Inside the cabin the main weak spot is usually the heater resistor pack, they sit next to the fan motor and will blow causing the heater to work on setting number four only! The cause of them blowing is usually down to a fan motor becoming stiff on its bearing due to long-term water ingress from a leaky pollen filter scuttle seal. This is probably the number one historical fault of a MK1, changing the scuttle seal and making sure the footwell is dry when raining is a must to prevent component replacements in this case. Otherwise issues are fairly minimal and very rare.
Occasionally owners have experienced the PATS immobiliser chip failing in the key fob, this links to a PATS transponder ring around the ignition barrel and programmed to the ECU. Programming new keys is fairly simple in a MK1 and not something that forces you into professional auto locksmiths. By using Forscan software and the right adaptor, you can easily programme up to 8 keys to the current ECU (and erase keys). The tricky part is in the event of an ECU issue, they tend to be very robust, pretty basic and but are starting to give issues. In the event of a diagnosed ECU issue (sometimes coil pack failures can blow the ECU live circuit to the coil) then you must purchase an ECU, fob transponder and transponder ring together in a kit, an ECU without the transponder or ring is no use as they need to be linked.
The central locking is controlled on pre-facelift cars via the CSM (Central Security Module) which are very reliable and are not known for giving issues and neither is the later GEM (Generic Electronic Module) fitted to facelift models which replaces the CSM and is essentially a body control module. Both are linked to the circuit board in the remote fob in order to operate the central locking. Issues usually arise from poor cell batteries in the fob itself or its battery connections making poor contact with the circuit board. Central locking faults can be traced to poor/dirty connections in the harness connectors going into the front doors or a faulty door actuator, the grease inside them gets dirty and hard in the cold and may cause doors to not react at all. Sometimes the actuators fail causing the door in question to permanently stop reacting to the fob/central locking.
A massive buyer beware, MK1 speedometer cluster packs can display intermittent faults due to the poor factory soldering, getting them repaired is around £65-75. However in years gone by to save expensive owners simply dispensed the old cluster and fitted a cheap 2nd hand one in its place. This would therefore read the incorrect mileage so it is important to check mileage history online before viewing!
Lastly, an issue linked to the cluster is the speedometer suddenly dropping to zero and the car stalling. This is usually a gearbox speed sensor fault which on the manual models requires patience extracting the small pin that holds the sensor in place.
Conclusion
The old advice – buy the best you can afford. In MK1 terms that means relatively rust free or has had all the main corrosion areas treated, welded and resprayed neatly. The mechanicals are nowhere near as problematic or expensive. Buying a nice MK1 and you can’t go wrong, they make amazingly reliable, practical and dynamic modern classics. As a package it’s a superb driver’s car that’s reasonably simple to maintain, affordable and much easier to live with than most cars of its era when looking at the context of ownership today. Plus plenty of parts availability, genuine and aftermarket to get them running very quickly.
While the 1.8/2.0 petrol and automatic models can be regarded as thirsty for regular use, every model and variation gives more smiles per miles than any car its age and certainly verses modern cars today. The key to every MK1 is how they handle, that’s what makes them famous so don’t get too focused on the biggest engine with the biggest power delivery (unless that’s what you really want).
Ultimately, power is not what they are about!