buying a 2001 SE sedan

[fubar192]

Hi guys I'm new here and looking to get a Focus. I saw this on craigslist and was wondering if it was a good deal

can someone run the VIN for me? 1FAFP34P21W232652

I test drove it and it seems pretty solid. their was a squeak coming from the belt area. the guy said a mechanic told him that there was a spring in the timing belt for a ball bearing that came loose and its not a real big problem. just makes a noise. the nose did go away after the car warmed up. any known issues with this? i am pretty mechanically inclined (have done V8 swaps into several cars and also a helicopter technician) so i dont mind doing a little work but im planning for this to be my daily driver so i dont want to be constantly messing with it. anyways, if someone could get a history repor for me that would be awesome. thanks!

[SkyPilot]

I would stay away, from the decription it says 2.0 split, which most likely means Split Port Injection, or SPI. The SPI engines are notorious for dropping valves, thats the engine that break down a lot. If your looking for a focus that is older than 04 try and find a Zetec engine. Both engines will say either Zetec or Split Port Injection on the valve cover so just pop the hood and take a look.

If your set on this car check out the SPI section for more info on these engines.

[Chris_HT]

What SkyPilot said, SPI is a ticking bomb, ... now the good news is that most people have no idea about the difference between SPI and Zetec so you can find a Zetec powered Focus as cheap as the one you linked.