Transport

 I have never, in my entire life, owned a Ford or thought I'd own a Ford - until now.

A couple of weeks ago I purchased an old, 2008, Ford Galaxy Ghia, which seemed a snip at £1,000 (trade price). It had come into Bristol Honda as a PX, where my mate and I buy trade vehicles to sell onward within the trade, and I liked it, so I snaffled it. 

It has 7 seats and the rear, when all the seats are folded down, is vast; the other day I managed to carry 6 large pallets in the back, which were destined for our bonfire pile, and still had room for additional stuff behind them.

I have 4 grandchildren, who I don't see often enough due to my inability to transport them and my daughter all in one go. Also, with the purchase of the new static, I need something more in terms of carrying capacity than the old Saab 9-5 estate in order to transport furniture. It was only considered as a temporary purchase, but I'm seriously impressed with it and it's going to become my main vehicle.

I was totally surprised by the ride - it's really smooth, Not only that, but it's much quicker off the mark than the Saab, despite the additional carrying space. OK, it's a 2.0 versus the Saab being a 1.9 litre engine and has done 160k miles versus the Saab's 60k, but it's far heavier. Fuel consumption is also far better than the Saab - 42 MPG in town (haven't tried it on the motorway yet). Galaxy owners I've spoken to swear by them and maintain the engines are bulletproof.

I can find no reference in the service book of a cambelt change at the regulation 125k miles, so that will have to be done pretty soon, but it sailed through the MoT. The first job for almost any 2nd hand car is to replace the cambelt and water pump, just to be on the safe side. A cambelt change is a couple of hundred quid, whereas a replacement engine, should the cambelt fail, would be four or five times that, fitted.

The previous owner had obviously had problems with a gatepost - more than once. One rear wheel arch showed signs of repeated damage, but that was resolved with a bit of paintwork performed by a tame sprayer I know through the trade.

One wing mirror cover is damaged, however I ordered a new cover and the correct paint and lacquer for under £40. The handbrake handle is missing some non-critical parts, but that will be easily fixed with a £16 replacement. It's missing the roof rails, but I fortuitously managed to find a pair on Facebook Market for £50. Once installed, my exiting crossbars with twin kayak carriers can be transferred from the Saab.

The only thing I can't fix cheaply is the missing, bolt-on towbar swan-neck; it's simply nowhere to be found in the car and I don't think it's an original, Ford fitment. I can't find a similar one anywhere on the internet, so that means if I want a towbar I will have to go for a complete replacement at between £200 and £300. I'll leave that for now.

 All told, I've spent a total of £1,500 on a car that will easily retail for £2,500. A veritable bargain and much more practical than the Saab, much as I love the Saab. I'm so impressed by it and am now a confirmed Ford owner, something I thought I'd never, ever be - with the possible exception of a 5 litre, V8 Mustang....