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stealthzx3's ZX3 build

120K views 1K replies 45 participants last post by  zx3_bmxrider 
#1 ·
alright, so this will be my on-going build thread. i've always been fascinated with cars since a was a little kid. after my first Toyota threw a rod, i was driving a 99' Chevy metro. then one day, my dad found my 2001 ZX3 on craigslist for 1,200. i called the owner and talked to them about buying it. so i held my breath, and sold my metro and borrowed a little extra cash from my mom to buy the Focus.
my dad and I drove an hour to go check it out. we took it for a test drive, and i almost immediately fell in love with it. it was compact yet comfortable, and very fun to drive. somehow we walked away with it for $900. it sat in the garage because it needed a heater core flush (it was winter), oil change, fresh coolant, and 2 tires. eventually, my dad got annoyed of me driving his minivan because he was stuck with a dodge ram getting under 20mpg. so he bought me 2 new tires and paid for registration.
i loved driving it around, because i felt like a bada$$ compared to driving in that metro, lol. i remember going on a Tercel forum and learning about my car; that's when i found FocusFanatics :D


after that, i started painting the interior pieces, because that's the only thing i could afford.


one day, i picked up a can of the VHT Niteshades. i did my bumper and grille signals.
don't mind the eyelids here, i got bored and made them out of electrical tape LOL


i also debadged it, but i don't have a shot of that right away. i eventually figured out how to open my hatch (hatch button doesn't work and the key doesn't fit in) and nite-shaded my tails.


looking around in the how-to archive, i found the Hope Depot grille. i made the upper and lower and painted them black.


i just got a debit card in my name, so i ordered my first thing. the blue LED dome light.


i got around to getting 2 cans of plasti-dip. i took off the crappy electrical tape and painted real eyelids on. then i found time to plastidip my wheels too.


looking around for a sleeker looking antenna than just cutting the stock antenna in half, i found the antenna stub. 2 vacuum plugs on the stock base. i think it looks cleaner.


i recently bought a damaged SVT wing which i need to fix up and install.


today, i plasti-dipped the vent surrounds and handles to switch it up a bit.


this is how she sits now. i have a lot of mods in mind.


i'm taking it pretty slow for now, as i have to support my girlfriend and I with a minimum wage job.
i have many ideas for the future, and thankfully, i have the "focus graveyard" somewhat close to get nice parts.
thanks for taking the time to read this, and i will post new mods when it happens. [:D]
 
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#262 ·
you have to be careful with wheel spacers.
they can work, but put more stress on the hubs. esp if you get big ones..
.5" and you might want to get longer lug studs. some people don't have issues.. some do. it just all depends.

you have to remember that the size of the spacer is the amount of threading you are removing from the lugs being able to hold on to the rim.

i am just relaying what i have been told. i had thought about spacers, and would only do them if you get rims with too much offset (or little, depending on how you think about it) and you get rubbing issues
 
#266 ·
yeah i thought about going flush.. but i would have to take care of ridding my camber that i have from lowering my car 2ish inches. (Megan Springs)
i like the look of a little camber

if you wanna go "hellaflush" you will want to also look into camber arms
 
#268 ·
hellaflush costs too much money lol. You go thru tires every 6k miles, you go thru new shocks/struts if you dont get coilovers every 20k. My friends got an audi s4 that was "hellaflush" with insane camber and low, but he brought it back to stock when his tires went bald.
 
#269 ·
yeah. it gets way too expensive.
i love my drop. i feel like its almost perfect. i want to just tuck the top edge of the tire inside the fender.
i think i have like 2* of camber all the way around. more than some would like, but its awesome. and i still get even tire wear.
it doesnt look too bad. just looks like its been dropped. hahaha

you can see my camber in this shot.


thought the rain was fitting since its what you are getting today.
 
#270 ·
yeah. it gets way too expensive.
i love my drop. i feel like its almost perfect. i want to just tuck the top edge of the tire inside the fender.
i think i have like 2* of camber all the way around. more than some would like, but its awesome. and i still get even tire wear.
it doesnt look too bad. just looks like its been dropped. hahaha

you can see my camber in this shot.
thought the rain was fitting since its what you are getting today.
i can't tell the front wheels have 2*.

a little update, it's sunny out now, so i took off my tail lights and clear coated them. they are drying right now. unfortunately, they have a white-ish gloss on them.. i think it's fromm too thick of coats. i just pray they turn out good..
 
#286 ·
Dude, de-natured alcohol is the way to go when removing paint from fragile surfaces. It will not harm your light in any way, plus you don't need to sand or clear to use the rusteoleum on it afterwards.

I used it on my third brake light after I painted it, cause the first time around looked like crap. after I used that it took me two coats and my brake light blended in perfectly with my car, until I added the overlay on top of it lol
 
#288 ·
damn it really sucks being broke. everyone is gettin their mod on and i'm sitting here drooling over everyone's cars. lol. [thumbd]
i will probably be getting a job at the cheese factory early june making $16 an hour. until then i'll just be lurking, being jealous.
 
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