My '12 SE Picture/Project Thread

[Shade-010]

Originally Posted by TiStick

That ID is already the chokepoint in the air tract leading to the throttle plate. IMHO, you don't want to put anything in there that will reduce that ID. A solution to this particular problem is the bracket that Mike(Shade-010) made, which keeps the filter bottomed out on whatever housing it is sitting on. Or, attach(superglue) a thin band of rubber to the outside of the OD, which would give the filter hose clamp something a bit softer to grip, while also increasing the OD just enough to make it tighter to the filter ID.

I really want one of Steeda's aluminum MAF's, but I want to adapt it to my closed airbox also. Someday....

I didn't make the bracket, can't remember who did

[TiStick]

Originally Posted by Shade-010

I didn't make the bracket, can't remember who did

Sorry, it was Taylor(meattooth)
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...postcount=2285

TboneZX3 also has a variation of making the OD more grippy, as reported by hoover460
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...&postcount=233

[Twenty]

87astro: Nothing has been made yet but there were quick talks among the Sonic Mk3 crew.

TiStick: Certainly a good idea. There's a mounting point for the heatshield which could likely easily be used to hold a bracket as well.

The velcro trick (or a variation of) will certainly be done to create a small lip to help hold the clamp in place. That's really all that's needed. I'll experiment with this existing housing.

[Twenty]

Shift knob and lug nuts (again):

Yesterday a couple of small items arrived for the Focus.

First up was a Duracon shift knob for winter, to replace the metal one I'm using now. I picked a Circuit Sports universal knob but I'm going to need to change the adapters slightly since frankly, they're not really good at all. More on that later...I plan on posting a quick review on this shift knob since it left a little to be desired.




I also ordered locks for the Rs. Since I have locks on the winter wheels I wanted the same for summer. Fortunately Muteki offers locks to match their regular lug nuts.



More soon!

[SvviftSVT]

nice lugs.. one of my fav mk3s

[Twenty]

Details on the shift knob troubles.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=307381

Originally Posted by Twenty

The shift knob currently in my Focus is a Blox 490. I think it's fantastic, as I prefer the shape and the heavy weight makes it fall into place nicely when changing gears. The one downside however is that it's metal. Being winter, that means it can get rather cold occasionally. I decided to look for an inexpensive delrin knob to use during the colder times and wound up ordering this one made by Circuit Sports. I wasn't planning on reviewing it, but I felt it was necessary after trying to install it. Read on.

Piece: Upon opening the package you'll see there are lots of parts so as to give you a few options.

This shift knob is designed as a universal piece so three separate threaded inserts are included, to thread into the bottom of the knob so that it can fit many vehicles. They're M8, 10, and 12 x 1.25 (the third is in the shift knob in this shot, which is why it's not included).



Inside there's a removable counterweight, which makes the part a decent weight overall. It also comes with a small screw which threads in, to act as a handle to pull it out.



Additionally, for the top of the shift knob you have a choice of three different coloured shift pattern decals, all of which are nicely made and printed clearly.



The fact that this knob could be 'personalized' is what steered me towards it initially. +

Install: This is where Circuit Sports' piece falls short. There's one problem, and it's both very small but very major at the same time; it's the threaded inserts. They fit into the shift knob perfectly, are easy to swap, and should work just fine - but they don't. I started to thread it on, but suddenly it stopped after only a few turns. When I looked I realized why. Inside the inserts, the threads only cover a small portion and then there are no more. This means that the shift knob can be treaded on mere millimeters and that's all. This is no good; it leaves the shift knob sitting way too high and isn't secure at all.

I'm going to try and find a tap to continue threading the adapter all the way through, in the hopes that it will allow the knob to sit much lower and make use of the large amount of threads on the shifter that were left exposed. -

Overall: One big plus for the ability to personalize the shift knob, but one big minus for the poor design flaw. I'm hoping that a slightly reworked adapter will allow this knob to work as it should have out of the box, but for now I'm not overly impressed with the part. In terms of part finish and feel it's a nice piece; but that means nothing if it can't properly be used.

[Twenty]

Originally Posted by SvviftSVT

nice lugs.. one of my fav mk3s

Thanks! The lug nuts get a fair bit of attention surprisingly.

[Twenty]

The start of 2013's plans:



I have mentioned before that I want to address the rest of the exterior, especially the side skirts and rear valence. I also want to continue drawing inspiration from the Mk3 ST, so this takes care of both.

The first ST side skirt arrived yesterday. The driver's side is still coming, from a separate location.

Compared to the standard side skirt this is much more pronounced, and obviously non-textured for painting.




Looking at the backside it looks like it won't take much time at all to remove the old and install the new. Once a few clips and screws are removed the whole piece should just slide off.

More to come when the second skirt arrives!

[Kevastator]

2013 is shaping up to be a good year

[Shade-010]

Originally Posted by Twenty

The start of 2013's plans:



I have mentioned before that I want to address the rest of the exterior, especially the side skirts and rear valence. I also want to continue drawing inspiration from the Mk3 ST, so this takes care of both.

The first ST side skirt arrived yesterday. The driver's side is still coming, from a separate location.

Compared to the standard side skirt this is much more pronounced, and obviously non-textured for painting.




Looking at the backside it looks like it won't take much time at all to remove the old and install the new. Once a few clips and screws are removed the whole piece should just slide off.

More to come when the second skirt arrives!

The Zetec S one is the same design as far as install, very simple