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eagle_eye735's 05 zx3 build/mod thread

31K views 151 replies 17 participants last post by  sailor 
#1 · (Edited)
I purchased my 2005 Sonic Blue zx3 ses in the spring of 2011 with 123k miles on it from the original owner. It has the

winter and audiophile packages. I promptly did some basic performance mods. Megan racing lowering springs, a K&N

typhoon CAI, and full Magnaflow exhaust. I also had the windows tinted: 25% rear and rear sides, 35% front sides and

tinted the side markers. Then I got really busy with work over the summer and decided that I was done making changes to

my car. Around August 2011 I found Focus Fanatics while looking up how to change my reverse light switch and got the

itch to start modding but had to head off to college and leave my focus behind. For Christmas I got a new headunit from

my parents and installed that while I was home for Christmas break. Now summer is approaching and I have plans to start

some modding. I will just be using this thread to log my changes andget input from all you focus experts.

This is the only picture I have of my focus after tinting and lowering:



Immediate (aka this summer) plans:

-Replace reverse light switch (I know, still haven't done it yet...)

-Thoroughly sand and paint rust spots developing at the rear of the front fenders

-New lug nuts (the locking splined ones that came on it have have had the chrome torn off and are rusting, leaving stains
on the wheels. Not pretty.)

-Replace the trunk lighting with several led strips. *DONE

-Paint mirror caps to match the car

-Clean the engine bay *DONE

-New summer wheels

-Plastidip stock wheels black for use as winter wheels

-Replace interior overhead lights with leds

-leds licence plate lights

-Paint front calipers (Red or black, thoughts?)

-Sand rusty rear drums and paint black

- Leather shift and ebrake boots both have large rips in them, so I am planning sewing a new set out of black suede

-I worked in construction last summer and the inside of my car got filthy, so for I want to make a new set of floor mats and a rear cargo mat for the full hatch area, with the rear seats down. These need to be durable and fairly easy to clean. (Ideas?)

-Shorty antenna (possibly shave the antenna)

-Paint or carbon fiber vinyl interior trim

Far future (aka need to save money for):

-Steeda rear sway bar

-OBX exhaust header

-A tune from Tom

- Roof rack (I bike, and cross country ski and am thinking about getting a sailboard)

So that's it for my plans, though I am always looking for new ideas ad input from others. Let me know what you think and stay tuned for updates!
 
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#2 ·
#7 ·
I'll be home in 2 weeks, then it will be time to get [wrenchin]. I can't wait.
 
#14 ·
Thanks both of you! I will be home a week from Friday, then you guys should start seeing updates.
 
#19 ·
Haha, I saw your listing and thought about it real hard. I love the look of the SAP front bumper. Plus all of the paint is flaking off of my bumper for some reason. I bought it that way, the guy i bought it from said he had it repainted due to some scrapes and stuff. Apparently it wasn't very good paint job. Unfortunately I just don't have the money right now. Maybe later in the summer after I have been back to work for a while.... [thumb]

Nooooooooooo pitch black! lol jk. I love all the focus colors really.
Nah, definitely Sonic Blue. Although tied for second are Midnight Blue and the Kona tan color.
 
#20 ·
Thoughts on a SAP front bumper? Spork sport is out because he is biased :)
 
#24 ·
Yeah I agree with you on the shape. Haha, if you didn't catch it, the paint is flaking off of my stock bumper. Since the flaking is localized to the front diffuser, I think I might jus plasidip that part black like Avie.
 
#28 ·
Just a teaser, since I am still 500 miles away from my car right now, but this came in the mail from sickspeed today:

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#29 ·
Well I am finally home and there she sits.
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I noticed a funky smell after taking it for a drive. I found a nice surprise under the hood after a little digging.
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I gave it a nice bath today. I should be out picking up some paint, plastidip, suede for the new shift and ebrake boots, as well as getting a shipment in from parts express with a secret impulse buy in it. Mods should becoming pretty quickly. Stay tuned. Ohh and big thanks to zx3_bmxrider, my seat belts are now retracting properly! You have no idea how much that was bothering me.
 
#37 ·
Well I finally got around to doing some work on my car today. But first here are some before pictures of the interior.



The white shift knob and boot was just a quick fix and I never really liked it. Ohh, I almost forgot the very first mod i did to the car: I hated the look of the power plug cover, sooo, I covered it in carbon fiber vinyl.
I had also forgotten to mention that the entire rear of the car has been dampened with fat mat. The floor, sides and hatch.

So today I put in some led lighting for the hatch, I'm probably going to add some more higher up as this current set up is easily covered by cargo.

My subwoofer grille was a little dinged up so I repainted it. Before:
After:

I put in a new shift knob, soon to have a matching boot.
I mentioned earlier that I had a suprise coming, well it isn't very exciting. i am currently working on restoring a pair of Lambda Systems CAD4 speakers. I was making an order with parts express and needed $20 more for free shipping, and seeing as shipping was going to be like $13 (I had some heavy stuff) I added a pair of pyle 6x8 speakers to my order. These aren't high end by any means, but i thought I would test them out has they had some pretty good reviews, plus they really only cost me $7. (ohh and they are color matched [woot]) Anyways that is what I did today. Nothing very exciting, but stuff that I wanted to do. My main project right now is restoring my Lambdas, but hopefully I will have some more time and money for the focus soon.
 
#40 ·
Haha, yeah like I said the white was just a quick fix for a ratty knob and boot. The orginal vinyl shift boot and ebrake boot were both trashed. When I get a chance I will be sewing new ones out of black suede
 
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