2006 Mondeo ST220
Ford Mondeo ST220, registered: May 2006, Engine/Transmission: 2967cc V6 Petrol, 6 Speed Manual in Performance Blue with interior – Ebony half Leather, half Alcantara
My love for the Mondeo started when my Dad bought a ‘Juice Green’ Mk2 when I was younger. Whilst it was only the basic LX model, that didn’t matter to me. It was a shape like nothing I had seen on our driveway before and I fell in love with it. When it was time to let it go, I asked my Dad if I could buy it from him as a project (I was at this point still too young to drive) but we didn’t have the room to store it sadly. However, it was replaced by a silver Mk3 – a Ghia no less – so we still had a Mondeo on the drive. I remember watching an episode of Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the ST220 when it first came out and thought to myself how amazing it would be to own it one day. Fast forward to 2020 and after watching the Grand Tour episode ‘Funeral for a Ford’, I decided this was the time to make my dream a reality. I began to search and by the end of May that year I finally became ‘Mondeo Man’ and the proud owner of my ST220. I class him as my ‘Attainable Dream Car’ and whilst it is clear it has not had the easiest of lives I am slowly working on restoring him to his former glory whilst also putting my own subtle stamp on him.
Since I have owned him, he has already had a lot of work done including the following mechanical work with all parts used being genuine Ford where still available:
Complete front and rear suspension refresh (new coil springs, shock absorbers, strut tops, dust covers, bump stops, tie rods);
Uprated HT leads and spark plugs plus new coil pack;
EBC Turbogroove discs and greenstuff pads all round with HEL braided brake lines;
Brand new genuine Ford rear brake callipers.
I have also made some improvements to the interior. The car was originally fitted with a ‘Denso’ satnav unit and 6 CD changer. Whilst the CD changer was a great piece of nostalgia, the satnav system was last updated in the mid 2000’s so the whole centre console and stereo system has been replaced with a new Android alternative allowing me to use up to date maps and music apps. The steering wheel and gear knob have been professionally retrimmed and a new leather gaiter installed. He has also benefited from some paint correction work with more planned in the coming months. Front grilles and rear bumper inserts have been sprayed satin black which I feel have given him a more modern look compared to standard bare plastic and new chrome fog lamp surrounds have been fitted as the originals had started to turn green with corrosion.
There is still a lot of work left to do before I am happy with him, but I’m learning new skills as I slowly restore him which is part of the fun of owning such a car. My list of upcoming projects are:
Fitting a newly refurbished rear subframe and new trailing arms;
Upgrading the front brakes from the standard Mondeo callipers to larger ones from the Ford Focus ST225, known as the ‘Asbo Upgrade’. These are a direct fit with no additional fettling needed and accommodate larger discs (320mm) which will give greater confidence in the braking performance of the car. I already have the callipers which have been professionally refurbished and am currently waiting for the new EBC Turbogroove discs and redstuff pads to arrive [as of July 2022];
Replacing the exhaust with a new stainless offering and replacing the catalytic converters with custom cats as these are no longer available from Ford;
Restoring the leather bolsters on the front seats as these are a common wear point;
Sourcing a refurbished set of genuine ST220 alloys repainted in white;
Further body and paint correction work.
I have taken him to several shows over the past couple of years including ‘Ford Power Live, Donnington Park’, ‘Simply Ford, Beaulieu’, ‘WonderLand, Hoveringham’ and ‘The Ford Show, Santa Pod’ as well as other local shows and events. I have also taken him on a couple of driving holidays around the UK visiting places such as The Lake District, Peak District and The Isle of Wight.
He has at times very much felt like a labour of love but when everything is running just right, he is a pleasure to drive, so I look forward to many more years of happy motoring as I continue to care for and restore this future classic.
