Well, here it is. The Sidekick has gone off to its new owner to make room for this.... my new car, a 2001 Ford Focus ZX3. Fairly basic, 5 speed, manual moonroof, power door locks, keyless entry.
To follow here will be a detailed journal of the upgrades as they are performed, and the above picture will be updated as the build-up progresses. All of the installs will be performed by myself, with some help from my younger brother (every guy has to learn how to wrench eventually!). The goal is to get everything done by the www.zx3tuning.com Spring Dyno Day on May 19th! (Edit: Dyno Day cancelled)
Stage 1: Getting The Car Up To Spec!
Not much to document here.... being that the car was a repo, I've been focusing on getting all of the missing pieces in place. Cigarette lighter, rear cargo cover, cup holder inserts, and installing a stereo. The door and rear speakers have also been replaced. Engine and transmission oils have been replaced (Will replace engine oil with full synthetic at next change. Fuel filter, PCV valve, and a coolant flush are coming up next.
Progress:
01-14-06: Due to a blown out tire, my timetable was kicked up a bit for the 17" Ford Racing Rally wheels. Rather than having to replace 2 tires, then getting another set in the spring, I went ahead and got all 4 installed. I originally wanted to have the suspension work done first, as the fender gap is driving me nuts, but sometimes things are outside of your control!
02-04-06: Got restless waiting for the last few gaskets and other misc bits to arrive, so I took advantage of the sunny day today and installed the clear marker lights, and the 'eBay special' short-ram intake. With no instructions, it took some time to get the fitment right... but the increase in power, throttle response, and intake noise are definitely worth it.
03-19-06: Finally got some parts that I had on order, and replaced the valve cover gasket. Also installed the Ford Racing 9mm plug wires, and fresh Motorcraft double platinum plugs. Smoothed out the idle, and fixed a part-throttle hesitation I had around 2000RPM. Oh, and no more oil leak!
04-09-06: Had some free time, so the MBRP cat-back has finally been installed. Still waiting on the flexpipe before we install the header and ORP. Rusted bolts were a pain, but nothing a 24" breaker bar couldn't handle. Biggest hassle was using a grinder to cut off the old exhaust, as the install was done on ramps in a garage! Great mellow tone, looks good, breathes a little easier.
05-07-06: Took the day to install a ported 2000 intake manifold and a FocusCentral 65mm throttle body. The throttle body is dead simple, but resulted in a broken Throttle Position Sensor that caused some idle issues and hanging revs. The manifold was a major pain to install, but appears to really increase the mid-range power of the car. While I was at it, also did a coolant change, and switched the motor oil to Mobil 1 synthetic.
05-27-06: On the 2nd attempt, installed the MAC under drive pulley. The first attempt didn't work, as the supplied belt was intended for a car with AC, so it was too long. Tracked down the proper part, and installation was easy. Couldn't have imagined doing it without a rotary tool (Dremel knock-off) for some trimming, and my electric impact gun. Great increase throughout the power band.
06-10-06: (Day 1) Marathon install session! To prepare for a last-minute road trip, slated installation of both the KW Suspension 1.5" drop, Progress 22mm rear sway bar, OBX 4-1 shorty header with off-road pipe, and FocusSport flex pipe. Should have left myself more time! The front suspension was up first... thanks to a pair of spring compressors and the electric impact, the whole front was done in under 3 hours. Next up was the header/ORP/flex combo. This took the rest of the night (3pm-1am) due to rusty bolts and tight clearances. Finally got the whole exhaust mocked up and in place, but ran out of bolts to button it all up.
06-11-06: (Day 2) Started the morning with a trip to the hardware store for the missing bolts. Got everything torqued down and in place, then moved down to the rear suspension. Shocks and the rear strut bar were a snap, however, due to a couple of frozen bolts on the rear control arms, the rear springs had to wait until 06-17 to get installed. Just as everything was bolted back up, and taken for a test drive, a freak hailstorm put an end to the day! Re-tightened all of the exhaust bolts the next day after it all had a chance to heat cycle a few times, and had to bend the mounting tab for the tailpipe hanger to stop it from rattling. All in all, the car handles like a dream, feels far more stable and planted, and launches are more controlled. The exhaust setup is LOUD, but adds noticeable power from 2200-6000rpm.
09-03-06: Well, up to this point its been tracking down and sealing up vacuum leaks and regular maintenance (fuel filter, O2 sensor, swaybar endlinks, exhaust leaks). I went ahead and picked up the FocusSport tuned SCT Multi-Chip from ZX3Tuning.com. I opted for most of the available options: Alternator disable at full throttle, earlier fan activation, 1000rpm idle, disable rear O2 sensor, disable EGR system, recalibrated shift light points, removed 170kph speed governor, and have 3 switchable programs: Stock, 87 Octane, and 94 Octane. Noticable power gains throughout the poweband, even on the 87 octane setting!
01-27-07: New Year, new paint! Used some vacation time I had accumulated, and put it in to get the ICBC claim done (someone hit me in my employee parking lot, took off the passenger side mirror!). While I was at it, got most of the car painted (had a scuff on the rear bumper, and was keyed before I bought it), and all of the various little dents pulled. While I was at it, got the mounting holes on the rockers filled (left behind after I removed the OEM plastic skirts) and the door trim and handles painted.
Future Plans: Grille with clear markers, short shifter, SVT header & ORP swap, Ford Racing Stage 2 cams, adjustable cam gears