focus is dead:(

[03fordfocusSE]

well found out today that if i want to get it repaired it will be $3,001.68 :(

[zetecDon]

If you want your insurance to remain reasonable I would recommend the 05-07 ST. It is a slight upgrade in performance but it also has a better crash rating than a hatchback. And with you being a young driver it will be cheaper to insure a sedan instead.

[03fordfocusSE]

well i might not get a st..... i found a 02 focus and mine was a 03, it is the same exact color and everything is the exact same besides the rims. The guy is only asking 3,500 and it only has 75,000 miles!! i think im going to jump on this one

[03fordfocusSE]

well its been awile since i have updated you all but i ended up getting a new car but not exactly a ford focus. i really miss my focus and the mpg it got but here my new to me car well kinda lol dont hate too much.

[Kevastator]

Nice Grand Am GT, does it have the super'ed 3.8?

[leh0825]

do what you have to do man. theres always time for another focus.

[03fordfocusSE]

No, it has the 3.4L "Ram Air" which i doubt even does anything. I actually really like it but for some reason i had more fun in the focus and could press the gas down and not have to watch all my gas just disappear!

[bringler26]

I edited your post so the pictures show up. That is a mighty clean looking grand am but I have never been a big fan of those. Partly because my room mate had one that was a death trap (mainly because he didn't take care of it).

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Well, unless GM changed the location of the alternator (up top near the firewall), you'll have fun changing the alternator. The process might seem unnerving, but that's how you do it- unbolt the motor strut bars, put it in reverse, and have an assistant put a block of wood between the firewall and the engine. You have to do it though.

GMs and Fords- as well as all manufacturers- have their sillinesses and advantages. GM will keep parts forever, and use them in everything. It was well into the 90's- maybe into the 00's before GM quit using that same old MAP sensor they've had since the 80's. The starters- well those are the same, although the gear box might be rotated with the motor.

I hate the 2.8 60 deg GM V6. That's what you have with a little more stroke. If you ever have to remove the crankshaft pulley- you'll need to sacrifice a balancer puller. It will come off with the next one. I highly suggest sanding the crank snout so it won't kill a balancer puller.

There are some good things about GMs. For example, motor swaps are much easier. You want a 3.8? No problem. Everything will do it, and all GM FWDs have the same engine/trans bolt pattern. You can probably find a car model- Buick Regal maybe- with the engine you want, and all the wiring without much of an issue. Newer GMs might require some programming, but I doubt it. That's not GM's style. Everything is likely easy swap with a little research.

Ford silliness? Oh, they can't keep their hands off anything, and will change stuff for no good reason at all. I can't begin to add up how much engineering money was wasted on 2 piece spark plugs, and then how much more to design a removal tool for when those broke. Then of course, the warranty repairs as a result. Ford has no unified engine/trans bolt pattern like GM- and there's no sense not to do it.

[swagfocuswagon]

Originally Posted by whynotthinkwhynot

Well, unless GM changed the location of the alternator (up top near the firewall), you'll have fun changing the alternator. The process might seem unnerving, but that's how you do it- unbolt the motor strut bars, put it in reverse, and have an assistant put a block of wood between the firewall and the engine. You have to do it though.

GMs and Fords- as well as all manufacturers- have their sillinesses and advantages. GM will keep parts forever, and use them in everything. It was well into the 90's- maybe into the 00's before GM quit using that same old MAP sensor they've had since the 80's. The starters- well those are the same, although the gear box might be rotated with the motor.

I hate the 2.8 60 deg GM V6. That's what you have with a little more stroke. If you ever have to remove the crankshaft pulley- you'll need to sacrifice a balancer puller. It will come off with the next one. I highly suggest sanding the crank snout so it won't kill a balancer puller.

There are some good things about GMs. For example, motor swaps are much easier. You want a 3.8? No problem. Everything will do it, and all GM FWDs have the same engine/trans bolt pattern. You can probably find a car model- Buick Regal maybe- with the engine you want, and all the wiring without much of an issue. Newer GMs might require some programming, but I doubt it. That's not GM's style. Everything is likely easy swap with a little research.

Ford silliness? Oh, they can't keep their hands off anything, and will change stuff for no good reason at all. I can't begin to add up how much engineering money was wasted on 2 piece spark plugs, and then how much more to design a removal tool for when those broke. Then of course, the warranty repairs as a result. Ford has no unified engine/trans bolt pattern like GM- and there's no sense not to do it.

^this. Thats why I love GM vehicles. They aren't built as well as a Ford but they are a shit tone easier to service. The Oldsmobile I had used a 3.1 (newer and improved 2.8 basically) and alternators on it and water pumps were simple as pie. Only thing that sucked was getting to the rear spark plugs but if you had the right tools for the job you could fix them in under 15 minutes I swear... Also parts for GM's are super cheap and you can get them just about anywhere.