Every so often I look on Autotrader to see how much my car's not worth any more. Occasionally I see the odd 2.4, but I've just checked and there are THREE on there. Add John Cooper's one on here and that means over 10% of the UK's 2.4 cromas (according to howmanyleft there are 35 in the UK) are for sale.

I reckon it's because the cambelts are nearly due and people don't want to spend the best part of £900 to change them - what does anyone else think?

The cam belt must be the reason. I remember the old Marea had a similar arrangement, with a five-cylinder (petrol) engine shoehorned between the wheelarches. They all got flogged when approaching the dreadline too.

I guess if you can find the odd buyer who doesn't do their homework then you could sell it for less than a £900 discount.

I'm sure I read on here once that it can be done by an unofficial route without taking the engine out.

My Marea has a 2.4JTD in the front. Nevermind the little 2.0



I'd say I would have a 2.4 Croma, but to be honest we have been burned so much by our 1.9 I wouldn't want to buy again 2nd hand.

Wow, what a small engine. No, seriously, you want to see the Croma 2.4, it makes the Marea installation look like a 1.3 Mk 2 Escort.

In the words of Monty Python - you lucky, lucky B******..!

Surely they can't be that dissimilar.. bore and stroke are identical.

Add on some plastic around it and you might be there. I know the 1.9 fills the bay, until you undress it!

Plus the space between the arches on the Marea is much smaller than the Croma. Parked behind it, I feel if there were ramps I could park the Marea half in the Croma!

Inlet manifold with swirl valves, variable vane turbo, common rail plumbing and pump, more emission control rubbish, massive intake and intercooler hoses, engine ECU bolted to the air filter box cos there's no room anywhere else, bigger cooling system to dissipate the extra 75 BHP worth of heat.

I must take a picture at some point and put it on here for comparison purposes.

And dont forget the extra camshaft as the 2.4 in the croma is 20 valve as agaist the marias 10 valve unit.
Has John advitised his Croma on Auto trader?I also looked on autotrader and was pleasently surprised to see a 2.4 for sale at 6999.00.
I dont understand why people would want to get rid of them,their a wolf in sheeps clothing.I adore mine,brings a smile everytime i drive it especially with the steinbauer sorted out now.240hp on the rolling road,Awesome.