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FSP Zetec Build! Advice Welcome!

7K views 44 replies 8 participants last post by  ThatOneFocusGuy 
#1 ·
Since I did an amazing job, in my opinion, in my first year of autoxing. I have decided to move to FSP from ST. I know it is a big jump in classes but i think I can pull it off.

Anyway, my car is a 2000 Zetec ATX. Car is my DD and will be until I find another car to replace it in FSP or find a DD.

Here is the list of modifications I have already put onto the car or need to install.

Suspension
-D2 Coilover Suspension (needs installed)
-Upper Stress Bar
-Lower FSWerks Stress Bar (needs installed)
-Custom Rear Tower Stress Bar (in the works)
-Eibach 25mm Rear Sway Bar

Engine
-Focus Central 4-1 Header/Flex 2.5''
-Focus Central 65mm Throttle Body
-Focus Central 3 Piece Pulley Kit (needs installed)
-OBX Racing 2.25'' Exhaust
-Custom Intake (in the works)
-Massive MSX 90 Spark Cables
-Tom's Tune

Brakes
-Brake Labs Cross Drilled and Slotted Rotors

Wheels and Tires
-MB Motoring Five X 15x6.5 42ET

A couple of ideas that I have...
-maybe switch to SVT header w/orp
-port intake manifold
-better brake pads
-motor mounts
-Moog endlinks
-battery relocation
-Massive adjustable Toe and Camber arms

As for tires, what do you guys/gals suggest?

Any and all advice is welcome! [race]
 
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#10 ·
Your next mod has to be camber plates, this made a huge difference with my car, back when I was in ST, and they are now on my FSP car. I also highly recommend V710s, I got around 20 events on a set (1.5 years worth of events).

Check the rules on the rear control arms, I believe you're allowed to make one change to adjust camber.
 
#20 ·
Unless they have changed the rules there are no limitations on Wheel dimensions.[read]

I would go with a 15X7.5 wheel and 225/45/15.

Last time I checked 18Racing.com had 8 flat back Rota Slipstreams 15X7.5

If you want a reasonably priced 4 piston brake caliper upgrade, I can sell you one of my Focuzax-7 caliper bracket sets. >> See Post Here << (mounts a Second Gen RX7 brake caliper to the Focus Spindle) You will also need 05 onwards hubs. But this will get you a larger 10.9" rotor instead of your current 9" rotors.

Oh and the RX7 calipers are aluminium, so you will probably save a couple of lbs of unsprung weight, or at least offset the weight of a slightly larger tire. Also the RX7 calipers allow for quick brake pad changes, which makes it much easier to swap in a set of Hawk HP+ or any other autocross brake pad, then drive home on your average quality low dust/low noise street pad [;)]

If you buy the 15X7.5 slipsreams and do this brake conversion you will need 15MM spacers for the Rota's. Other rims will clear the calipers better, like the Enkei J5? RJ5? RS5? (not sure of the model) which I was using before I purchased the Rotas. It depends on how much dish is built into the spokes, not just the offset.

Regardless of what brakes you are running, I advise installing Stainless Steel Brake Lines for improved brake feel and response, since it's not unusual to win/lose and autocross on .01 seconds.

You will need SS Brake lines to perform the RX7 conversion, if you decide to go that route.

If you want extreme adjustment range on camber plates, I would check out "K-Mac" a austrailian company that makes a pretty radical adjustment plate. http://www.k-mac.com/pages/camber_caster/camber.htm

I had a friend custom fab some plates for me that somewhat duplicate that set-up and I'm sure I could get about 4degrees negative camber If I maxed mine out. Pretty sure the K-mac units deliver similar results.

I would seriously look into getting a limited slip differential, and if you feel real adventurous do a MTX75 swap somewhere in the future.
 
#24 ·
i know for ST you can change pads and discs as long as they are the same size as stock.

I think for FSP you probably can upgrade to bigger brakes like the SVT kit.
 
#23 ·
get a 2000 intake and port it out a lil and epoxy it for some more air flow they say over the 01-04 intake theyr more restrictive i gained like 13 hp on 6 pnds of boost just changin it and batt relocation is easy but auto x think bout weight and decide wat you wanna do
 
#26 ·
The way I read the street prepared rules, it is doable.

-Brake calipers must have the same or more number of cyclinders as stock
-Brake rotors must be same or greater diameter

So you could do it, but I don't think there's much point, unless you really got a weight advantage. The '05+ knuckle is OK, all focus excluding the SVT are on the same line in the rules, so its OK with update/backdate.

Brakes don't have a huge impact in autox, especially if you see some of the big investment street prepared trailered cars with rotors that are fully swiss cheesed. So I say, spend the money on the wheels and tires and the driver, then go after low "bang for the buck" items like brakes. No offense to the RX7 setup, I think its great, just won't have the huge dividend on an FSP car.

But, if you get to the point where you're running some 275 hoosiers on some baller 15x10 wheels, and you want to get rid of some unsprung weight, it could come back into play. But I'd say go all out, fit the aluminum RX7 caliper on there with tb1999's kit, then get a custom fit sprint car rotor on there, scalloped, cross-drilled with an aluminum hat. Now that would be the set up[idea]
 
#27 ·
But, if you get to the point where you're running some 275 hoosiers on some baller 15x10 wheels, and you want to get rid of some unsprung weight, it could come back into play. But I'd say go all out, fit the aluminum RX7 caliper on there with tb1999's kit, then get a custom fit sprint car rotor on there, scalloped, cross-drilled with an aluminum hat. Now that would be the set up[idea]
There is this guy on here that built a kit like that with all Wildwood stuff for a street driven drag racer, he was selling it off last year for some crazy pricetag. Claimed the custom front tophats cost him over $500 to be made.

IT was beautiful top of the line stuff, but too rich for my blood.

As for the benefits of bigger brakes on an autoX, I agree, it's probably marginal, but I think the SS lines are a great way to improve reaction time and modulation.

More seat time will always lower your runtimes faster than a few trick parts. I remember some kid running an RX8 in ST or STS and claiming his "titanum lug nuts" were important because an RX8 lacks low end torque.....[histerical]
 
#32 ·
I run Russel lines as well.

I've been running HP+, but I wouldn't recommend them for a DD, they are very noisy until they get to operating temperature. No experience with EBC pads, but I think green stuff would be more than sufficient and more friendly for a daily driver car.
 
#33 ·
Russel or Goodridge should work fine. make sure you get the later design with teflon internals. Some guys might be dumping older stock on e-bay/elsewhere cheap.

When I started running the HP+ for autocross, I couldn't live without them on the street. Nothing beats a good set of brakes to avoid an accident.

Went through pads in about 12-15K, noisy, with disgusting black dust on the wheels.... I just didnt care, it stopped so good I refused to go back to a conventional pad.
 
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