Ford Mondeo ST200 Guide
Introduced in 1999, the Ford Mondeo ST200 was Ford's answer to their UK customer's request to introduce a higher performance version of the popular ST24 model. Priced at a hefty £23,000, the car was only available in the UK and was fitted with the same 2544cc V6 Duratec engine used in the Ghia X and ST24 Mondeos. Power was increased from 168bhp to a claimed figure of 205PS @ 6500rpm due to using a larger throttle body and honed intakes etc. This works out to approximately 200 bhp, hence the ST200 name!
The car was only available in one colour to make it stand out from the rest of the Mondeo range and this was Imperial Blue (metallic). Around 50 cars were produced in white but these were for the police and are now very rare.
Fully equipped, the standard features included Recaro sports front seats, driver and passenger airbags, fuel computer, digital climate control, all round electric windows, electric mirrors, electrically operated height adjustment on the driver's seat, heated front and rear screens, 6 disc CD changer (mounted under the front passenger seat) and unique 17 inch multi spoke alloy wheels. Blue ST200 dials, silver kick plates and a carbon fibre effect dash surround and gear knob were other subtle additions to the new Mondeo's interior that made it stand out from the other models. One of the few options available was a full leather interior, with half leather being standard equipment.
Most cars are now approaching ten years old and because of this they are becoming very cheap to buy when compared to the cost when new. Also, with big engine cars falling out of favour with the general public due to escalating fuel prices, there are now real bargains to be had with high mileage examples being snapped up for as little as £2000!
The top end of the market however is still only around £4000 and for this you should be able to find a low mileage car with few owners and a VERY good history file of service records and MOTs etc.
When it comes to viewing an ST200 there are a few things to look out for. Firstly, don't be confused when trying to open the car as one press of the unlock button on the key will only unlock the driver's door. A second press will unlock the remaining doors.
Secondly, an important thing you need to make sure is working on the engine is the secondaries controller. This is called an IRMC and makes the second set of 'butterflies' open which feeds all 24 valves when it comes in at 3500-3750rpm. If this is working correctly, out on the test drive you will feel a small kick similar to what you would get from a small turbo, giving a noticeable surge of power higher up the rev range.
If you don't get that little kick, they're not working correctly and the IRMC box costs around £150 new from ford. Next thing on the list of things to check for is a ticking noise that some V6s can suffer from. Make sure the car is nice and hot and then take the car out on a test drive. After a short while, pull over, pop the bonnet and then blip the throttle half dozen times listening for a ticking noise near the dipstick. If you can hear a distinct ticking sound, it is more than likely the front bank head gasket and don't let the seller or anyone else tell you otherwise! Some claim the problem to be the manifold gasket but this is not the case. Try and avoid cars with this problem as to fix it requires the engine to be taken out and this can cost a sum touching four figures!
The sound of an "engine out job" shouldn't put you off however as to find one of these cars with the problem is rare as only a small few suffer from it. Moving on, the car comes fitted with 278mm front brakes (the same as those fitted to the earlier ST24 model) which are more than adequate for stopping such a big car. However, many people have opted for an after market 300mm setup which can cost around £200 all in and just gives that little bit more confidence when braking suddenly!
Something else to check is that the plastic water pump has been replaced for one with metal blades. The plastic blades were prone to breaking when the cars were new and this resulted in a product re-call from Ford. Most owners have now had it replaced but if the plastic pump is still fitted, this isn't a major problem - just establish whether or not the engine is running hot. This should tell you if the original pump is working or not.
As well as the more popular 5 door hatchback, Ford also manufactured the ST200 in estate and 4 door saloon variants. The saloon was a limited edition run of 300 and these cars have a two tone blue and black leather interior, blue dash and gear knob etc. These are the most valuable of the ST200s as so few were produced and are therefore very hard to find.
Finding low mileage ST200s is now getting tricky due to it's mile munching ability but a typical 50,000 mile example will be priced around the £3,500-£4,000 area. A high mile example at a reasonable price can still be a bargain though as the engine can do a realistic 250,000 miles if you treat them well with regular servicing and oil changes etc.
One final thing to mention is don't be shocked if the car doesn't make the claimed 200bhp on a rolling road as it's actually quite rare for them to make this figure. A good power figure is around 195bhp and 170lbs torque in standard form.
This guide is for the Mondeo ST200 but if you want a little more power in a newer car, then the Mondeo ST220 could be the answer! This is a 3.0 V6 with around 220 bhp, hence the ST220 name. There is a link to a video from YouTube below...
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