hello, i am a new member looking at the possibility of buying a focus. i dont think i like the new one so it'l likely be 00-07? anyway, ive done autocrossing and track days performance upgrades etc...

ive always been a vw guy but my newest golf has been plagued with problems and im tired of it, basically a couple months ago as i was becoming more frustrated, i began to notice the number of focuses on the road. i know nasa has a spec focus series and ive read in various mags that its a decent platform to work with. They are also more affordable than the typical euro.

what i am looking for in here is some basic information a focus beginner thinks he needs to know. thanks for all replys.

1. is there anyone who knows the focus production numbers, preferably by model or knows where to find them?

2. I live in maine, how do these things hold up in the rust belt? what do i look for and are there any tips to prevention.

3. What is the best platform to start with, i.e. engine, model year, etc. I prefer the hatchback/zx3, i would imagine the svt is the top choice but i dont want to wait around for one.

4. Whos the best aftermarket provider to work with. ive already checked out focus sport, any others?

5. Gremlins...how are the electronics in these things? Can i buy one of these things and expect to keep it awhile or will i need to abandon it in a few years because its not worth keeping up with?

6. How do they drive? any input here would be great. ive driven 1 focus, a woman at work had an 03 sedan automatic. it was ok, i will not buy an auto, but the car felt pretty good. it seems to be a good platform to work with. help me out guys.

7. Last one... ive been on kelly and checked local ads but what am i looking at as far as price with respect to the year/model/mileage/condition, etc.

ok, thanks guys, let me know if ive asked a bunch of questions that have already been answered. im still new to this forum.

3. If you could find a 03 or 04 ZX3 with the 2.3 liter duratec and a 5 spd, you would make alot of ppl jealous (kind of a rare combo). All 05+ foci are the duratec, but it is a 2.0 instead of the 2.3 liter. Only the ST sedan has the 2.3 liter duratec now. The zetec has a huge aftermarket that happens to be cheaper though.

4. focus sport, steeda, rousch, F2 among many others

5. pretty reliable as far as I know

6. They are an absolute blast to drive especially with a stick. It is weird cuz they do seem to eat gas alot more in the winter then the summer. The 05+ (especially the ST) feel like a rocket off the line do to low gearing, the SVT has a really good top end. The duratec responds very well to bolt ons, the zetec wakes up with a tune. They are fun reliable enough and decent eenough on gas. My focus is my favorite car I have had,

7. Avoid the 00 and 01 models and avoid the SPI engine. (98 horses and little aftermarket)

thanks duffman, good stuff, so...

i just went to my local ford dealer and test drove an 06 zx3 5 spd. it went great and i liked it, but it was yellow. it didnt look bad but i didnt want to commit to yellow long term.

I asked him if he could get me something in another color and he found a white 07' base model with a 5spd. NO MILES. is this the 2.0 duratec? the car wasnt there he'd have to go out of state to get it, but im thinking itd be nice to start with a fresh new unabused car.

he said it'd be under $13,000, but i found a local ad for a focus sedan, 07' for $9999 so im going to try and get it reduced, even though i told him i wanted the zx3

ANY THOUGHTS?

3. If you could find a 03 or 04 ZX3 with the 2.3 liter duratec and a 5 spd, you would make alot of ppl jealous (kind of a rare combo). All 05+ foci are the duratec, but it is a 2.0 instead of the 2.3 liter. Only the ST sedan has the 2.3 liter duratec now. The zetec has a huge aftermarket that happens to be cheaper though.

4. focus sport, steeda, rousch, F2 among many others

5. pretty reliable as far as I know

6. They are an absolute blast to drive especially with a stick. It is weird cuz they do seem to eat gas alot more in the winter then the summer. The 05+ (especially the ST) feel like a rocket off the line do to low gearing, the SVT has a really good top end. The duratec responds very well to bolt ons, the zetec wakes up with a tune. They are fun reliable enough and decent eenough on gas. My focus is my favorite car I have had,

7. Avoid the 00 and 01 models and avoid the SPI engine. (98 horses and little aftermarket)

I second that agree, Those 03 2.3 are kinda like a needle in a haystack find.

3. If you could find a 03 or 04 ZX3 with the 2.3 liter duratec and a 5 spd, you would make alot of ppl jealous (kind of a rare combo). All 05+ foci are the duratec, but it is a 2.0 instead of the 2.3 liter. Only the ST sedan has the 2.3 liter duratec now. The zetec has a huge aftermarket that happens to be cheaper though.

4. focus sport, steeda, rousch, F2 among many others

5. pretty reliable as far as I know

6. They are an absolute blast to drive especially with a stick. It is weird cuz they do seem to eat gas alot more in the winter then the summer. The 05+ (especially the ST) feel like a rocket off the line do to low gearing, the SVT has a really good top end. The duratec responds very well to bolt ons, the zetec wakes up with a tune. They are fun reliable enough and decent eenough on gas. My focus is my favorite car I have had,

7. Avoid the 00 and 01 models and avoid the SPI engine. (98 horses and little aftermarket)


I agree but for number 3 i would throw in the SVT and the ST

so if i buy the 07 zx3 it has the 2.0 duratec right? good stuff guys, keep it coming.

yeah it will, only the ST sedan has the 2.3l from 05-08

and [welcome] to ff.com

also 06-07 have a different suspension then the 00-05

rep points if we are being helpfull

yeah it will, only the ST sedan has the 2.3l from 05-08

and [welcome] to ff.com

05-07 actually. They do not even offer the 2.3 liter for the 08 year. Yes, the hatchback 05+ only come with 2.0 duratec. But if you buy a new one, you will get really shitty gas mileage for the first 3 tanks or so, especially if it is cold. In the summer I could get 25 mpg driving the shit out of it, 28.XX with mainly highway driving with some spirited city driving mixed in while in the winter, I may only get 20-24 mpg avg. I think my first tank I had about 19 mpg. Dude, go for the yellow. Yellow is hot!

rep points if we are being helpfull


It doesn't matter because the rep doesn't count until he has 200 posts. It shows up grey instead of green and doesn't add in your total.

also 06-07 have a different suspension then the 00-05

rep points if we are being helpfull

Agree, since they use a different suspension system than the previous focus; it is particually focusing on cornering and stability in apexing. It a pretty good advantage for autocrossing, and would keep your wheels planted to the pavement to do some technical cornering.

^But suspension parts for 06-07 is kinda lacking thus far

Well, if you have any quesions or issues, you can find a wealth of knowledge within the threads.

"Abandon hope all yee who enter here, HAHAHAHA." LOL j/k.

really helpful so far guys thanks. if i could give reps i would. so what you were saying about the suspension refinements, the 06/07 are better or the 05 back is better? I do plan to autocross the car so thatd be helpful. down the road maybe even get in on nasa spec focus.

How is the service support on these things looking long term? do they have the electrical gremlins like other cars? do you guys see focus's sticking around in 25 years like the old vw rabbits or do you think the complicated new electrical/emissions, etc. will restrict that?

as i said before, one of the reasons i decided to look into the focus is because ive seen hundreds on the road and figure the parts/support must be strong.

once again, thanks guys, i really appreciate it.

^But suspension parts for 06-07 is kinda lacking thus far

True, but comparitive to my 02 SPI; it acceptable. I am just plagued with apexs.

I'd go for the SVT. The early ones had clutch issues, but a late '03 or an '04, especially an EAP version is well worth shopping for. They basically have an upgraded suspension and wheel package and a motor tuned to 170 HP. The motors are more technical than most, with variable valve timing and a dual stage intake, but there are plenty that are still running well with high mileage. I think there are a few '02s on here with over 100K miles and still running strong.

I've had my '04 EAP for a few months now and I really love driving it. It gets an average of 25 mpg very consistently, it's practical since it has the hatch, and it really likes to go around corners!

if i could get an svt for a little more i probably would, but if it ends up being $2000+ more, id rather spend the money on the areas i feel are most important. we'll see. thanks guys.

yeah I paid alot for my SVT but I have seen some really sweet deals latly, look thru the "vehicles for sell" threads theres some hottys in there and a couple really good deals.

I got my '04 for $10K flat through a private seller. It have 31K miles on it. I though it was a pretty good deal. Keep in mind that the suspension and wheels are already upgraded on the SVT, (even though there are many folks who swap the stock wheels/shocks for other parts). That could be $2K worth of parts in itself... and the EAP comes with Recarro seats and HID headlights... premium sound.

The ST's are pretty nice too, or so I hear.

ya ive thought of the extra money and what it gets you, i just like to do things my own way sometimes. the thing about factory upgrade suspensions is that there isnt any guesswork and they are usually well balanced, so thats a plus. you dont have to worry about matching the right bars with the right springs, shocks etc.

and lets face it, getting another 30+/- horsepower form an engine can be expensive too when your only starting with 130/140. so im sure the svt is worth it, but coming from a watercooled vw background, i usually looked for the 2 door golfs as opposed to the gti's because they were often owned by boy racers who beat them up and neglected fixing the right things and screwed up the things they did work on. so im just being cautious.

well it takes a lot to down a focus. and when it goes wrong half of the time it's a silly little thing. i auto cross in a mostly stock focus (short ram intake, and a catback exhaust) i have a ton of fun in it. even though i aint posting a wicked fast lap like an evo i still have enough speed to be considered fast around the course (up here the fastest car is a honda insight with race rubber) an svt would be a great package out the box, but a newer car will have a warranty which is a nice thing to have, lol.

1. is there anyone who knows the focus production numbers, preferably by model or knows where to find them?
>>> The production numbers on the SVT model are easy to dig up, it went something like 4900, 3000, 2000 for the 3 years of production. The rest of the lineup, I've never seen numbers for, but they may exist someplace.

2. I live in maine, how do these things hold up in the rust belt? what do i look for and are there any tips to prevention.
>>> No way, I live in Maine as well. Interestingly, the factory rust proofing seems very good. I have a coworker with a 2000, and it showed up a thumbprint of rust just back from the rear door, at the dogleg. The only time I've ever seen a real issue with rust on a focus has been on parts with an aftermarket respray, the OEM job seems pretty good unless its scratched thru.

3. What is the best platform to start with, i.e. engine, model year, etc. I prefer the hatchback/zx3, i would imagine the svt is the top choice but i dont want to wait around for one.
>>> The SVT was the sport project of the run, and as a package deal it has advantages over the rest of the stock lineup. However, it's also got fallbacks in terms of ownership cost and sometimes, reliability. I know, I'm an SVT owner. The best bet may be the ST model that replaced the SVT in 2005, it did without all the suspension tuning, bigger brakes and 6 speed gearbox, but it got a very good 2.3l Duratec engine that's very tunable and should be very reliable. You can pick up early ST models for under $10k now I should imagine.

4. Whos the best aftermarket provider to work with. ive already checked out focus sport, any others?
>>> FocusSport, C-F-M gets good reviews, Massive Motorsports, FocusPower, probably a few others..

5. Gremlins...how are the electronics in these things? Can i buy one of these things and expect to keep it awhile or will i need to abandon it in a few years because its not worth keeping up with?
>>> I've been pretty lucky here, the only electronic I've cooked was a fuel pump relay, and that was my own stupid fault. Electronics do not seem to be an issue, aside from poor OEM grounds.

6. How do they drive? any input here would be great. ive driven 1 focus, a woman at work had an 03 sedan automatic. it was ok, i will not buy an auto, but the car felt pretty good. it seems to be a good platform to work with. help me out guys.
>>> For an economy car, the focus drives pretty well. If you're worried about how it will drive, then yeah, you need to avoid the auto. The SVT is sharpest out of the box, the ST used the same dampers with softer springs, so it comes next, the rest will shake down to which swaybar arrangement lives under the car - which escapes me at the moment, but its easily upgradable as well.

7. Last one... ive been on kelly and checked local ads but what am i looking at as far as price with respect to the year/model/mileage/condition, etc.
>>> The used market seems to see these cars going for book value or under. In the local craigslist, I'm starting to see early Focuses going for $5000 or under. I might avoid the dealership if you can. I did a quick local craigslist search and pulled up this, for example:
http://maine.craigslist.org/car/463282302.html

2002 SVT with 60k miles, at $8900 the price is fair and almost certainly negociable. Keep your eyes open and you should find a good deal locally.

thanks guys, really good stuff, im still pondering the 07' no mile white 5spd 2dr hatch. some local dealerships are selling off 07 leftovers for 9999, but this is an out of state car that a local dealership woyuld have to buy. if i could make the 9999 stick, id probably do it.

just how rare is a 03/04 zx3 with the 2.3 and 5spd?

^pretty rare the 2.3l hatch is what everyone wants prolly only a few k made

but i say go for the 07 zx3 hatch with no miles, everything will be brand new and yo have a warranty to boot

im on my 2nd focus, 1st was a auto spi, and i autoX it and i did really well just have svt suspension and i was beating out a lot of the mustangs comaros and such and with my 07 i also race it with a frpp kit and faired well in my only contest came in 12th outta 30 cars so i was happy, the 5 speed dura is pretty peppy, youll def love it, once you drive it and really drive it youll be hooked, its such a smooth drive and handles awesome with a good kit

the lack of suspension should discourage you tho cuz H&R has 2 coilover kits and ford racing has one and roush and also eibach so you have some options

good luck on your purchase, and white is sexy btw, my zx4 was white

i have an 06 that is bone stock. 2.0, 5 speed.. the car is pretty spunky for a four banger.. the shifting is good, although i will be installing a short throw shifter soon because i am bored with it. the suspension is tight, for a commuter car focused on economy. You'd be best with a suspension upgrade if you plan on autocrossing it.. it is a good platform with a little patience and some cash from what i see w/ the others on here. not many electrical problems i have seen on here or other sites. my 06 seems to be solid. i am eyeing up 350z's cause i work for nissan, so if i keep the foci, i will be sinking some $$ into it to make it even more fun.

have fun w/ it.. good luck on your search..

ben

thanks guys, the more info the better. my wife and i are saving for a house, so now im thinking maybe i might pass on the 07 and get something used. ive heard mixed things about the earlier models, but i dont mind the older headlights, etc. how do the older ones drive? i may even be able to sacrifice my desire for the h-back and settle for a sedan if i find a good one first.

as far as aut-x, i like to run the stock classes with front drive cars so upgrades will be minimal, i.e. tires, shocks, exhaust, etc. i usually save the prepared/modified car stuff for rear drive cars. just a prefernce. i find it challenging to toss a barely modded front drive econocar around the track, it takes finesse and momentum.

anyway, the info is helping me move in the right direction. keep it up!

also, could anyone give me a quick list of the worst ones to get, like the year, model, engine, options, etc. thanks, thatd be very helpful in my search.

also, did they make the zx5 from 99-07 or just 99-04?