02fordsvt Build/Mod/Random Thread

[02fordsvt]

I finally decided to make myself a thread I can call my own. I'm not expecting to do any major builds in the near future, but since I'm always doing little changes to my car, I figured I might as well put them all in one place and stop cluttering up the rest of the forum.

A bit about me and the car. I bought my 2002 Ford Focus Svt in June, 2010 and had no real hands on knowledge about working on or modding a car except some basics I learned from my dad and from reading auto magazines. Over the past few months I have done a lot of work on this car and have really learned how to do many things. In other words, it doesn't matter how much knowledge you have, you can do anything that I have done. Furthermore, I will be the first one to admit that I have not done many things in the best or most efficient way possible. I am just learning and having fun.

Thread Rules (Or lack thereof)

Feel free to post any kind of comments or questions. If anyone would like to know how to do anything, let me know and I can give you some of the resources I used. Becuase of the way I have this thread organized, it doesn't matter how cluttered the rest of the thread gets. Post anything you feel like from suggestions, questions, and random comments. I won't feel bad if anything gets a little of topic.

Table of Contents

First post:

Current Status Section

1. Current Performance Modifications
2. Current Interior Modifications
3. Current Exterior Modifications
4. Current Exterior Pictures
5. Current Interior Pictures

Second post:

Modification Time Line

Reference Material

[Sponsor]

[02fordsvt]

Current Status Section
This section is kept up to date with the most recent mod list and photos of the car:

Current Performance Modifications
Air intake scoop

Current Interior Modifications
Body color interior trim pieces
Windshield shade
Short throw shifter
Pioneer head unit
10" Verge Sub
400 Watt Dual Amp
Interior build in progress

Current Exterior Modifications
Black painted summer wheels
White painted winter wheels
Tinted side and front turn signals, taillights, and fog lights
Body color hatch trim piece and front air dam
Debadged
Side trim removal
Mudflaps

Current Exterior Pictures







Current Interior Pictures

Work in progress

[02fordsvt]

Modification Time Line
This section is an up to date time line of the Modifications I have done on the car:

I don't have pictures of some of the earliest happenings and dates are best guess but here is what I do have:

June 2010: Bought the car with 86,000 miles for about $8000 with new clutch included.

Fall 2010: bought a set of Mercury Cougar rims for winter tires. Painted them black. Painted the brake calipers Red.

Winter, Spring 2011: Painted the interior pieces blue. Don't worry, it was just a test to see if I like painted trim and I still have all the original interior pieces.



April 2011: became a member of this Forum

May 2011: Painted the stock 5-spoke Svt wheels. These are the first pictures I took of the exterior.




June 2011: Painted the interior pieces the same as the exterior of the car: sonic blue.



June 2011 continued: Built and installed a trailer hitch to carry a bike rack. (see post 14)

July 2011: Tinted the side indicators, turn signals, taillights and fog lights using a spray on tint. Painted the fog light surrounds and brake calipers black.

July 2011 continued: Made a windshield sunshade using two different colors of window tint.



August 2011: painted the hatch trim piece and debadged.

August 2011 continued: Painted the front air dam body color.

September 2011: Cut the shifter down to a short throw.



September 2011 continued: Did the fog light mod so the fogs can be turned on with the parking lights. (see References)



September 2011 continued: Removed the side trim pieces. They required body filling the holes behind it and repainting where the trim originally was.



October 16, 2011: Stripped the trunk area.



October 22, 2011: Repaired a rusty front fender and finished repainting the the winter wheels white. (See Post 30 for rust repair)



October 29, 2011: Passed the 100,000 mile mark.



Made and installed Mudflaps (See References)

November 2, 2011: Installed new head unit.

November 3, 2011: Made a shelf above the head unit.



November 6, 2011: Finished and installed sub and sub box.



November 18, 2011: Installed winter tires and plasti-dipped on white eyelids and mirror caps.



November 27, 2011: PlastiDipped the lug nuts black. (See References)



December 2, 2011: Completed Blacking out the upper half of the interior.



December 9, 2011 Antenna delete. (see post 63)

December 28, 2011: Made an air intake scoop. (see post 71)




References

Antenna Delete - See post 63
Black Lug Nuts - http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...81#post3908381
Fog light Mod - http://www.focusfanatics.com/howtos/foglight/
Front fender rust repair - See post 30
Grill air intake scoop - See post 71
Hitch - See post 14
Mudflaps - http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271772

[Jgrove998]

Car looks good.

[02fordsvt]

Thank you.

I am still working on the passenger side trim removal but it hasn't gone very smoothly. First I ran out of body filler, then I couldn't find my primer, and now I ran out of paint so I am waiting to get some more hopefully today. Plus, I must have painted over the primer too early because it rippled, but after some sanding, it's back down to what it's supposed to be.

Just as a taste of what's to come, I bought a 10" sub that needs to be installed and I am planning on removing my rear seat and totally redoing my trunk area. I am still in the planning stages so I can't really tell you what it's going to look like but I'm hoping to add a lot more storage space and make it much more friendly to hauling a lot of stuff (I work out of my car so I need to keep a lot of things with me).

[GodLovesUgly]

nice car, i'd like to see those wheels all black with your car, i think that would flow a bit better.

i do have a question for you, how did you get that hitch to clear the rear diffuser??
where did you get that hitch?? i need one to haul around my race tires and wheels.. i have this sick trailer but nothing to pull it with!!

[DEMENTED SVTF]

I 2nd the all black wheels. U don't have any silver on the car it stands out to much. The black would flow with the diffuser and smoked tails

[Hal3st0rm]

Although I like the look of the silver with black spokes, I'd have to agree that all black would flow better. Awesome car!

[02fordsvt]

I am starting to agree with you all about the wheels. I like how the design separates them from all the other painted rims out there, but it is getting to be a bit much. I'm not planning to do anything with them until the spring since they will be coming of soon for the winter but I am considering painting the outer lip sonic blue and the center black like the spokes. Just a thought right now; if anyone else has any ideas, let me know.

Originally Posted by GodLovesUgly

i do have a question for you, how did you get that hitch to clear the rear diffuser??
where did you get that hitch?? i need one to haul around my race tires and wheels.. i have this sick trailer but nothing to pull it with!!

The hitch was hand made specially for my Svt by my dad. He is really good at making things like that and this is the second one he's made (he made one for my first Focus SE). It is made for carrying a bike rack so it is designed for up and down weight instead of pulling force so I don't know if I would ever trust using it for a trailer. If you would like some more closeup pictures of how it's made and hooked on, I could get some.

[AvieF]

Originally Posted by Hal3st0rm

Although I like the look of the silver with black spokes, I'd have to agree that all black would flow better. Awesome car!

I second this! nice looking ride