My Focus SVT progress thread
#1
03-02-2009
My Focus SVT progress thread
Well, I hadn't posted pics of my SVTF since I bought it, when it was in rough shape.
The poor car suffered from serious neglect. I've been nursing it back to health, and though it's not complete, it looks a million times better than it did! I bought the car cheap. The guy wanted 4900 for it, but I talked him down almost 2k, and it came with 1200$ in BRAND NEW wheels and tires!. I got one hell of a deal, even if the car did need some major TLC.
Here it is when I got it! I had already given it a bath. It was filthy inside and out, from sitting outside under a tree, in the grass, with grass from the guy mowing his yard, all over this poor gem. I wish I had the true "before/after" pictures, from when I brought it home, to after washing it and windexing windows, to now.
In progress...
And here's how it sat in January..
I've got foglights for it, just waiting til it warms up outside for me to go outside and put them on! It still needs a lower lip, lower grill, driver's seat heating element, and a few other misc parts. On the SVT's its common for a few of the O-rings to go bad, on the VCT, thermostat housing, etc, as well as the valve cover gasket. 3 O-rings will get replaced with Viton O-rings which won't ever get dry and crack. The valve cover gasket will be replaced, and won't ever leak oil again either :)
The PCV, front sway bar links, and a few other misc items will also get replaced. For now, she waits on spring to get here.
I wish I had an updated interior shot, it has been completely cleaned up, shampooed, etc. The red bezels have been sprayed black again. The clutch pedal cover has been replaced as well. All that's left is to pick up some floormats, and a new shift **** since the wrap on mine is toast. The seats got shampooed and look a million times better than they did.. they look soooo nasty in those pictures.
Some day I want to snag some ST170 headlights and a euro grill, tint the windows, and get some different wheels. I have a few other "performance" mods in mind, though I'm not 100% sure if I'll keep it, pay it off, and do the mods, or just sell it and double my money
Oh.. and my latest mod which I posted about in the Blow off valve...
The poor car suffered from serious neglect. I've been nursing it back to health, and though it's not complete, it looks a million times better than it did! I bought the car cheap. The guy wanted 4900 for it, but I talked him down almost 2k, and it came with 1200$ in BRAND NEW wheels and tires!. I got one hell of a deal, even if the car did need some major TLC.
Here it is when I got it! I had already given it a bath. It was filthy inside and out, from sitting outside under a tree, in the grass, with grass from the guy mowing his yard, all over this poor gem. I wish I had the true "before/after" pictures, from when I brought it home, to after washing it and windexing windows, to now.
In progress...
And here's how it sat in January..
I've got foglights for it, just waiting til it warms up outside for me to go outside and put them on! It still needs a lower lip, lower grill, driver's seat heating element, and a few other misc parts. On the SVT's its common for a few of the O-rings to go bad, on the VCT, thermostat housing, etc, as well as the valve cover gasket. 3 O-rings will get replaced with Viton O-rings which won't ever get dry and crack. The valve cover gasket will be replaced, and won't ever leak oil again either :)
The PCV, front sway bar links, and a few other misc items will also get replaced. For now, she waits on spring to get here.
I wish I had an updated interior shot, it has been completely cleaned up, shampooed, etc. The red bezels have been sprayed black again. The clutch pedal cover has been replaced as well. All that's left is to pick up some floormats, and a new shift **** since the wrap on mine is toast. The seats got shampooed and look a million times better than they did.. they look soooo nasty in those pictures.
Some day I want to snag some ST170 headlights and a euro grill, tint the windows, and get some different wheels. I have a few other "performance" mods in mind, though I'm not 100% sure if I'll keep it, pay it off, and do the mods, or just sell it and double my money
Oh.. and my latest mod which I posted about in the Blow off valve...
So... Friday night I'm driving down a back road. Usually I try to keep the SVT off the back roads, and only on "good roads"..
I dodge a couple potholes, which are MUCH harder to spot in the car compared to the truck. My buddy points out a house that we were talking about, I look away from the road for a split second, and SLAM through a massive pothole, like 4 inches deep and about 2 feet across. I was soooo pissed. The car started to handle differently. I turned around immediately and drove the 2 miles back to his house, I was careful, but frankly I was already pissed and didn't care if I messed it up any worse.
I got the car home now. Sorry for the ****ty pictures, my phone must've been fogged up or something.
Those are 18" ASA AR1's, on Yokohama Avis W4 tires. The combination only has maybe.... 4k miles on wheels AND tires. They came brand new when I bought the car, which I've put MAYBE 4k miles on it.
Oh and sorry for the dirty wheel! The fronts create A LOT of brake dust, I need to replace the pads, these must be old and deteriorated or something, they seem to create an abnormal amount of dust. And the car is now filthy because I drove it through some mud to park it in my buddy's barn Friday night.
I dodge a couple potholes, which are MUCH harder to spot in the car compared to the truck. My buddy points out a house that we were talking about, I look away from the road for a split second, and SLAM through a massive pothole, like 4 inches deep and about 2 feet across. I was soooo pissed. The car started to handle differently. I turned around immediately and drove the 2 miles back to his house, I was careful, but frankly I was already pissed and didn't care if I messed it up any worse.
I got the car home now. Sorry for the ****ty pictures, my phone must've been fogged up or something.
Those are 18" ASA AR1's, on Yokohama Avis W4 tires. The combination only has maybe.... 4k miles on wheels AND tires. They came brand new when I bought the car, which I've put MAYBE 4k miles on it.
Oh and sorry for the dirty wheel! The fronts create A LOT of brake dust, I need to replace the pads, these must be old and deteriorated or something, they seem to create an abnormal amount of dust. And the car is now filthy because I drove it through some mud to park it in my buddy's barn Friday night.
#7
03-02-2009
A buddy sent me a link to a "wheel repair" shop about an hour away. I'm afraid they're going to charge me about the same amount of money to fix it as I can pay to replace the wheel. We'll see. I haven't got the money right now to buy one anyways, so I haven't bothered to search for a replacement lol. Might sell this WAAG bar I've got to fund a new wheel for the SVT
Honestly, I wanted a Focus as a DD, to drive to work, to school in the evenings, or on highway trips. I found this car cheaper than a regular Focus hatch. After joining a few Focus forums and seeing that most SVT owners don't even drive their cars in the rain, I feel guilty Lol. My plan was to park the truck, and drive the car. Its been the opposite though, I've parked the car and rarely driven it.
#8
03-02-2009
#9
03-02-2009
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Man.. this is the funnest vehicle I've ever driven. I think they're more fun than the Stangs I've driven. They may not be as fast, but I think they're more fun to corner, etc. An SVTF is about the only hatchback I like. I LOVE the styling of these cars, and for how small they are, they really do have a ton of room. I can comfortably fit 4 full size grown men in one of these cars. They don't handle like they do with 1 person, or 2, but you can comfortably fit 4 people AND plenty of stuff in the hatch.
#10
03-02-2009
Thank you for changing the front bumper.
Sucks about the rims.
I have 16's on my ZX3 and don't plan on going any bigger. I've seen a few Focus rims taken out by pot holes. Buddy had a Focus rim literaly split open on a pot hole.
BAT Inc has the ST170 with bulbs and wiring but they went up to about $500 for them. $100 or so more than last time I looked into them.
I know a guy who used to have an SVTf and after suspension and a new tune he said the car was at where ford should have had it to start with.
Sucks about the rims.
I have 16's on my ZX3 and don't plan on going any bigger. I've seen a few Focus rims taken out by pot holes. Buddy had a Focus rim literaly split open on a pot hole.
BAT Inc has the ST170 with bulbs and wiring but they went up to about $500 for them. $100 or so more than last time I looked into them.
I know a guy who used to have an SVTf and after suspension and a new tune he said the car was at where ford should have had it to start with.
#11
03-02-2009
#12
03-02-2009
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#15
03-03-2009
He's going to need a lot more than just wheels/emblems to make it a replica. He'll need skirts, grill, headlights, and front and rear bumpers, and that's not even completing the exterior Lol. If I were him I'd just throw some wheels and a drop on it maybe. SVT parts are expensive new, and hard to come by used... trust me. They don't last long for sale either.
#16
03-03-2009
He's going to need a lot more than just wheels/emblems to make it a replica. He'll need skirts, grill, headlights, and front and rear bumpers, and that's not even completing the exterior Lol. If I were him I'd just throw some wheels and a drop on it maybe. SVT parts are expensive new, and hard to come by used... trust me. They don't last long for sale either.
Oh, I know he'll need more than just wheels and emblems to make it a replica. Thats just where he's going to start off at, right now he has those flower looking wheels on there and their ugly. Ya I've looked on ebay for the grill, bumpers and seats and there crazy expensive. He likes the Euro wheels but I like the regular svt wheels it comes with stock. Thats our debate right now.
#18
03-03-2009
I found a distributor in Canada that apparently has the ASA AR1's in stock. I will probably order 2 of them, just to have a back up wheel. It'll cost me 499.99 canadian, which amounts to around 386.00 USD SHIPPED. Not cheap.. but uhh... Idk. I may replace the wheel and also try to get the one I've got now fixed as maybe... a 6th(?) wheel aka spare.
#19
03-03-2009
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#20
03-03-2009
It had more than a few things done. The engine is much different, though I forget the specs of the ZX's, the SVT's are rated at 170HP, 145ft-lbs of torque, and it has a 6 speed transmission. Not to mention all the other improvements.
Thanks for the compliments though! These are one of the few cars that I can tolerate to drive. I'm a tall guy, and I hate driving most sedans because my head is always brushing the ceiling, and I don't like the "laying down" feeling when I'm driving most cars. However, the Focus hatchback is very comfortable for me, plenty of room, and the vision is great, very few blind spots etc.
Thanks for the compliments though! These are one of the few cars that I can tolerate to drive. I'm a tall guy, and I hate driving most sedans because my head is always brushing the ceiling, and I don't like the "laying down" feeling when I'm driving most cars. However, the Focus hatchback is very comfortable for me, plenty of room, and the vision is great, very few blind spots etc.
#21
03-03-2009
#22
03-03-2009
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#23
03-03-2009
#25
03-03-2009
