Project: ZX3

[Jewels]

So. This will be the third MM Focus project, making it by my count the second most popular MM Project car, behind the Miata. The emphasis for this project is handling with power taking the secondary focus. (No pun intended.)

On that note, today I put on (with some assistance from my wonderful husband and my equally wonderful (but in a different way) brother) an SVT Suspension kit.

The SVT suspension kit is a real bargain when compared to other suspension kits. You get matched mac struts, shocks and springs, and a rear sway bar (21mm) for under 300 dollars. We paid 180, with all of the parts new in the box. It isn't a teeth-chattering, kidney pounding setup. It's the stock equipment for the SVT focus, but suits the lower-powered ZX3's very well, and for the price, it's the perfect daily-driver suspension combo.

To compliment the SVT suspension kit, we scored a set of Kosei K1's (17X7.5) for 100 dollars off of craigslist. I emailed the guy thinking he meant 100 dollars each, but at 100 dollars for the whole set it was too good of a deal to pass up. Everytime I went to the track I told Rex I wanted Kosei K1's, but we didn't think they came in 4X108, and we knew they had been discontinued anyway. So when we found them in the right bolt pattern, AND for so cheap we were really thrilled. We wrapped them in 205/40ZR17 Falken Ziex 512's. It's a little lower profile than I like, but it kept my speedometer within 1%, and they were very inexpensive. Looking at them now, we'll probably go 215 or 225 for the next set, there's alot of room for rubber in there.

You can see the stock ride height with the stock steel wheels and hubcaps here:



Although I have no pictures of the installation, it was pretty simple. Up front the shock is held in by a single bolt around a collar, and three bolts up top. This makes it a little more difficult than a "usual" macpherson strut, with two bolts through the spindle, but with a little pursuasion they were replaced without issue.

You can see the difference in the size of the stock spring vs the SVt spring isn't that much:



On the rear, Ford's "control blade" suspension is pretty simple. The shock and springs are separated, which makes the shock removal a breeze. The spring is a little more difficult as it doesn't go in or out as a unit like the struts up front, but with one person pushing and one pulling, it's easy enough.

When we went to install the swaybar we were met with disappointment. You see, base ZX3's aren't equipped with a rear swaybar at all. (You can imagine the difference such a thing makes on an otherwise stock Focus!) Since they don't have one at all, Ford saw fit to save $1.65 on each Base Focus and not install the mounting brackets to the subframe. No problem, we ordered the "swaybar mounting kit" from Steeda which was supposed to have "everything you needed to mount a swaybar". Well, it has everything you need, except for the brackets that actually, you know, mount the swaybar. Instead, you have the brackets those brackets mount TO, but not the actual brackets themselves, you follow? Rex called Steeda and raised hell, but they said that bracket should come with your bushings. Rex then called Prothane and raised hell, who said that bracket should have come with your other mounting hardware. We tried a Lowes Motorsports replacement, but we didn't really feel it was sufficient, so we'll have to order the part from Ford if we can. They're only 6 dollars a piece, it will just be a question of finding someone in Parts literate enough to order one.

We set the alignment specs to a stock SVT Focus. There's no adjustment for camber that Rex or Jason could find, but it's within the factory tolerances, so we won't be concerned about it for now.

Here are the pictures with the suspension finished, with Jason's red ZX3 for comparison:









Future plans are, of course, not set in stone, but adding the swaybar will definitely happen before VIR, after that...who knows? Rex mumbles about "cosworth" and "turbocharger" but since it's my car we'll see what I want and go from there. I'm thinking...maybe intake first, then a cat back exhaust (my stock exhaust is ugly, looks like it came from Joe's Muffler Shop) but whether or not I'm going to turbocharge or get a cosworth cam/intake/tuning package remains to be seen. There's alot of power to be squeezed out of the motor (which is essentially a de-stroked N/A version of Rex's motor) I just need to think about how I want to go about getting it *after* the car handles the way I want it to.

[Andy]

Looks good, Julie. Are you going to start autoxing it. CDC has a couple of autoxes right in Manassas.

What's the difference in the spring rates? Did it drop the ride height any?

[CaptainHenreh]

Looks good, Julie. Are you going to start autoxing it. CDC has a couple of autoxes right in Manassas.

What's the difference in the spring rates? Did it drop the ride height any?

I dunno about her, but I'll definitely be autocrossing it.

SVT Spring rates are 129 pounds per inch on the front and 157 on the rear, I think the drop is minor...3/4 of an inch at max?

[white_2kgt]

So. This will be the third MM Focus project, making it by my count the second most popular MM Project car, behind the Miata.

Well, painted fog lights don't count as a 'project car'. So you are tied w/ the E30. :lol:

[HAULN-SS]

lol, now that's not exactly fair to say. I thought he's done a few other things to it as well?

[ScottyB]

this is awesome, lots of potential! i may be referencing this alot too as this car is still very high on my "next purchase" list since i'm looking for a fun beater that's easy on my high milage commute.

[NTIman]

The SVT suspension kit sitting in my basement for a week or so was tempting. I almost put it on my car instead of Julie's.

[ScottyB]

also, correct me if i'm wrong, but Cosworth only makes the fun bits for the 2.3. as for turbos though.... :twisted:

of topic, but how has the focus held up for you?

[CaptainHenreh]

also, correct me if i'm wrong, but Cosworth only makes the fun bits for the 2.3. as for turbos though.... :twisted:

of topic, but how has the focus held up for you?

If I recall correctly, the only difference between the 2.0 and 2.3 is deck height, where the 2.3 has 11mm on the 2.0...the heads are identical, even for the 1.6 duratec that we don't get. So cams, intake manifold, exhaust should all be the same, and should fit on all the duratec motors. The volume probably isn't optimized for the 2.0, but it looks really effin' sweet.

On the other hand, the cosworth shit is *really* expensive. But honestly, we haven't looked at much. We really want to get the handling down to an autocrossable daily drivable car before we do anything silly. It *does* have a 5/100 powertrain warranty after all, we don't want to go slapping turbo kits on the thing before 100k.

As far as how the focus has held up, it's held up great! Even after being rear-ended by a loaded semi, we have very few sqeaks and rattles (we're at nearly 45,000 miles) and the only mechanical problem we've had has been a sticky throttle, which turned out to be carbon on the throttle plate. Simple fix. Otherwise, oil changes every 5000, and pull shit out of Julie's tires and we're good. It's been a *very* good car. It has lots of room, it's comfortable enough, it gets good fuel economy (30mpg mixed with Julie's commute to Sterling) and it's not ugly. If I could change anything I'd have cruise control and a tachometer.

[Andy]

also, correct me if i'm wrong, but Cosworth only makes the fun bits for the 2.3. as for turbos though.... :twisted:

of topic, but how has the focus held up for you?

If I recall correctly, the only difference between the 2.0 and 2.3 is deck height, where the 2.3 has 11mm on the 2.0...the heads are identical, even for the 1.6 duratec that we don't get. So cams, intake manifold, exhaust should all be the same, and should fit on all the duratec motors. The volume probably isn't optimized for the 2.0, but it looks really effin' sweet.

On the other hand, the cosworth shit is *really* expensive. But honestly, we haven't looked at much. We really want to get the handling down to an autocrossable daily drivable car before we do anything silly. It *does* have a 5/100 powertrain warranty after all, we don't want to go slapping turbo kits on the thing before 100k.

As far as how the focus has held up, it's held up great! Even after being rear-ended by a loaded semi, we have very few sqeaks and rattles (we're at nearly 45,000 miles) and the only mechanical problem we've had has been a sticky throttle, which turned out to be carbon on the throttle plate. Simple fix. Otherwise, oil changes every 5000, and pull shit out of Julie's tires and we're good. It's been a *very* good car. It has lots of room, it's comfortable enough, it gets good fuel economy (30mpg mixed with Julie's commute to Sterling) and it's not ugly. If I could change anything I'd have cruise control and a tachometer.

Focuses don't have tachs? WTF?

[CaptainHenreh]

Focuses don't have tachs? WTF?

Some do. Our "no-option-but-AC, 10.5OTD stripper" didn't.

Oddly, if we'd have gotten the same car only in a automatic, it would have came with a tach, in keeping with fine Ford tradition.

Still, I guess I told a little lie. The multifunction display does indeed have a tachometer mode, if you know how to access it. But for checking your RPM's at a glance, it's pretty useless.

[NTIman]

As far as how the focus has held up, it's held up great! Even after being rear-ended by a loaded semi, we have very few sqeaks and rattles (we're at nearly 45,000 miles) and the only mechanical problem we've had has been a sticky throttle, which turned out to be carbon on the throttle plate. Simple fix. Otherwise, oil changes every 5000, and pull shit out of Julie's tires and we're good. It's been a *very* good car. It has lots of room, it's comfortable enough, it gets good fuel economy (30mpg mixed with Julie's commute to Sterling) and it's not ugly. If I could change anything I'd have cruise control and a tachometer.

I'd also like to point out that even after being rear ended by a semi, and adding the SVT suspension, both camber and caster were within specs (even though on the front i couldn't equalize the camber). Other than that it was set the toe and send it on its way.

I haven't had any problems with my focus either, other than cleaning the throttle body once right around 25k miles.

[Mike]

great improvement! went from econocar to semi-sporty for pretty damn cheap! $100 for K1s? jesus...

i'd prefer it be a little lower, but i suppose that would have cost a little more and wouldn't be matched as well to the shocks.

does a tach'd clcuster plug right in? i'd definitely rock that as the next upgrade.

regardless, well done.

[white_2kgt]

does a tach'd clcuster plug right in? i'd definitely rock that as the next upgrade.

If it's built like any other ford out there yes, it should. You just have to change the chip in the back that controls the Odometer and anti theft.

[Chris]

looks great Julie! should be a lot more fun for ya. I'm jealous you found those K1's for so cheap!

[CaptainHenreh]

Well, I put in the swaybar this afternoon.

I went to Autozone at my father in law's direction to buy a swaybar bushing kit that had the mounting brackets. I threw away the bushings, and got out the grinder.

See, most bushings have a lip on either side to keep the bushing in place underneath the bracket but the (really really hard) bushings I got from Prothane for this had, like, a nipple in the center of the bushing to keep it in place. So I cut a slot in the middle of the bracket to accommodate this. After that, it was a question of just putting the bar in place.

It's really lame that ford has two different rear subframes: one with swaybar mounting, one without. Why not just have one, and not include the swaybar? WTF? Whatever, the swaybar went in without too much drama. I tried to mount the bushings before the endlinks, and that ended in disaster. Tried it the other way, and it worked alot better.

The swaybar adds alot to the car. Overall, a pretty significant reduction in body roll, which I felt was always a problem with the Focus. Stock, the focus sticks just fine, but the body roll is unsettling, and makes you take it easy. With this kit, while it's not as tight as the MS3, is an *awesome* daily driver/sport combo. Would I have prefered a stiffer spring and an adjustable shock? Maybe. But for the price, the SVT simply can't be beat (IMHO), especially for a daily driver/sometimes autocrosser.

As far as a Tach, I'm torn. I'd like to put a tach cluster in there, but I don't want to worry about the odometer and shit. We've been thinking about getting a small (3"?) aftermarket tach and the Ford tachometer driver and just going with that. But we'll see.

[ScottyB]

how hard is it to retrofit rear discs? i mean, you could probably convert to SVT stuff but are there any other models besides the mazda 3 that you could cheaply pull parts from that might fit (i'm assuming the maz is part of the same platform family)?

this is all assuming that you actually *need* rear discs....just curious

[white_2kgt]

how hard is it to retrofit rear discs? i mean, you could probably convert to SVT stuff but are there any other models besides the mazda 3 that you could cheaply pull parts from that might fit (i'm assuming the maz is part of the same platform family)?

this is all assuming that you actually *need* rear discs....just curious

It has DRUMS?!? hock:

[Mike]

drums function just fine... when they're functioning (in case you didn't know, i did several track events on no rear brakes)

[CaptainHenreh]

how hard is it to retrofit rear discs? i mean, you could probably convert to SVT stuff but are there any other models besides the mazda 3 that you could cheaply pull parts from that might fit (i'm assuming the maz is part of the same platform family)?

this is all assuming that you actually *need* rear discs....just curious

Well, if you got traction control and ABS on a NON Pzev focus, you got rear disc brakes. SVT had them also. I don't know if I'll bother, the drums are nice and light and pretty simple.

I mean, for the front, since we have an '05, we can bolt on the SVT caliper & Rotor and go. (actually, we just need the torque arm, the calipers are the same)

But anyway, Mazda 3 is wrong bolt pattern.

And yes, chad, it has DRUMS!!! hock: