[SterlingSVT12]

Hey guys

So, I'll be joining the ranks of SVT Focus owners in March. I'm making a parts/modifications list. The car has Tom's Tune, a Borla Cat-back, a cold air intake, and a new timing belt and battery. So far, this is my list:

-Clutch/Flywheel combination
While the clutch grabs, the pedal moves far too easily; the clutch doesn't grab until you've almost released the pedal entirely. It may not be bad, but I'm gonna have money available, so I figure I should try to kill as many birds with one stone as I can. I'm asking about this first because it is what is confusing me: I instinctively want to upgrade (and I've looked around the main sites and found a few), but the clutch/flywheel review list on here seems to indicate to me that most people who upgrade have a super amazing response right away, but then, after some time passes, have buyers remorse and wish they had just gonna with an OEM replacement. Weigh in, guys....

-Rear Brakes
Again, nothing really wrong here. The current owner has expressed a fear of utilizing the parking brake because it might seize. The rear brakes work (I test-drove it, they grab hard), but, again, as many birds as I can. I want a parking brake, and I want to use it with absolutely zero fear; I want to pull.. and know. I had initially felt I should just wipe the slate clean (calipers, rotors, pads, parking brake cable) to eliminate any chance that anything could be wrong; but if that's just a giant waste of time and I should eliminate all the money spent and get a new cable/set of calipers, have at me.

-Headlight Cleanse/Fog Light Replacement
This is one of those "have to do"s. Headlights work, but the housing is foggy at best. Fog lights are broken or damaged and need replacing. I'm posting it in this thread because I need a bit of guidance on this one: Fog lights on rock auto and 3M Headlight cleanse kit?

-Tires
The tires seem to be fine, but I want to try to buy time. Pirelli Cinturato P7s seem to get the best reviews on all of the tire sites, but I am hesitant. I've never had a good experience with Pirellis. I sort of file them into that category of seemingly over-priced not-enough-bang-for-your-buck tire brands like Continental, BFGoodrich, and Michelin. But I could be wrong. Fire away.

-Center Console
Let's play a game of Is This Possible? I happen to have a spare center console from a ZX3 that has an armrest. If I find new locations for the seat warmer buttons and the traction control button, will the console plug-and-play? I know that on the non-SVT ones, if they don't have an armrest, when you pull the center console the mounting points for the armrest are still there. I have toggle switches that I can have drilled in to the spare center console, but I don't wanna spend the time if the body doesn't have the same mounting points. Does anyone have any experience doing this?

So, simply put, I wanna build my automotive grocery list going in to this cash in hand, but I don't wanna spend money fruitlessly. Help guys.

*edit* maybe I should have put this in just the SVT Focus sub-forum. My bad.

 

[ecugrad]

-Center Console
Let's play a game of Is This Possible? I happen to have a spare center console from a ZX3 that has an armrest. If I find new locations for the seat warmer buttons and the traction control button, will the console plug-and-play? I know that on the non-SVT ones, if they don't have an armrest, when you pull the center console the mounting points for the armrest are still there. I have toggle switches that I can have drilled in to the spare center console, but I don't wanna spend the time if the body doesn't have the same mounting points. Does anyone have any experience doing this?

A quick search will yield more answers with pictures but yes it does physically fit. I snagged on out of the local junkyard for $20, it does interfere with the seat adjustment but sliding the seat all the way back fixes that. I do not have heated seats nor Traction Control.

 

[..:: sleestak ::..]

Suspension should be high up on that list. Swaybar and something a little stiffer...best mods you will ever make

 

[SterlingSVT12]

Outside of a better sway bar do you have a specific suggestion? Are you saying full suspension replacement? Strut tower bar?

 

[pasta]

Timing belt and water pump.

 

[1turbofocus]

Agree depending on miles on the car , get that timing belt changes and why your there water pump

Tom

 

[SterlingSVT12]

Timing belt was done last year/within 5,000 miles. Should I do the water pump preemptively? Regardless of if its functioning?

 

[1turbofocus]

I wouldnt do the water pump now , if it starts leaking you will know it

Tom

 

[SterlingSVT12]

So, apparently I was wrong. The car has 155XXX on it currently.The water pump was replaced at 120XXX and the timing belt at 100XXX. How often do they require changing?

 

[SrDudley]

80000 miles is the general rule of thumb for a replacing the timing belt.

Clutch flywheel I can't touch on as I've only had stock and just got an upgraded 3+ and aluminum flywheel but that's just because I'm now turbod I feel don't change it unless you need it. You could always try some good high quality brake fluid and maybe take a look at the master cylinder maybe it's leaking check the clutch pedal is it saturated in brake fluid if so its leaking and needs replacing.

Rear brake parking brake issue sounds like it's just the cables to me I had a pair seize up on me just get a new set and you'll be pulling the ebrake whenever you like.

The the headlight fog light I first started doing this in about 06 and I still use the same method. I start with probably about 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper your gunna make sure you use it wet and it stays wet and the headlight stays wet and sand the whole lights then work your way all the way up to 2000 grit sandpaper and once you do that get some good metal polish and buff those puppies up and they will be looking like brand new.

I always like pirellis and they are the supplier of f1 racing so I think they know what they are doing . But really I had a couple sets all good things loved them just when I went to buy my next set they already had a newer model out so I could never buy the exact same ones if you know what I mean.

Congrats on the Svt.

 

[SterlingSVT12]

Kind of funny, I'm looking in your What I Drive section, the car I'm buying is identical to yours. 2004 Pitch Black ZX5 EAP SVT

 

[SrDudley]

Well you are joinig a small group I think the total number of production of them that year and everything was I wanna say 110, 5 door black with eap 04, they are so much fun congrats again. Now you just need to put a turbo in yours....

 

[SterlingSVT12]

Forced induction is super not in my future. It's on the very short list of things that I always wanted to do to cars I've owned, but can never bring myself to actually get started on. Also, reliability is priority one in my vehicles...unfortunately I don't make enough to reliably support a turbocharged car.

 

[Pb-foot]

I'd stay with the stock clutch/flywheel really like the cushy feel of it. It's mass holds rpms just enough to make shifting feel seamless when you want it to be, and helps keep in the power when you want to get on it.

Buff the lights.

There are a few bang-for-the-buck tires that perform well, but with tread wear of ~300, they don't last real long. Cooper Zeon RS3-S are the stock tires on a Roush Mustang and they provide some good grins for around $90 per tire. Nitto Neogens are cheaper and almost as good. If you want to pay a bit more for the best, Michelin Pilot Super Sports can be found for cheaper than I've ever seen them right now, only $136 (tirebuyer) and $139 (Tire Rack), plus shipping.

 

[SterlingSVT12]

I'm trying to find tires that are gonna last me and provide good grip. Case in point from a few years ago: Goodyear Assurance TripleTreds. The old design TripleTreds were the most wonderful tire I could find: 90,000 mile tire that grabbed super well. The redesign ruined them though.

 

[Mike O]

My 03 SVT is stock. And I'm similar to you in my wants - a fun, solid, reliable daily driver.

I put the LUK clutch in mine just over a year ago and no regrets.

Like others have said, buff the headlights. I used the 3M kit. That was the simplest most dramatic upgrade to my car when I got it. Now that I have lived with them for a while I'm about to hit them again with some finer grits and polish again. I can see swirl marks in the right light.

I ended up replacing the hand brake cable last winter. There was water in the line on mine and it would not release in freezing weather. It's been solid ever since.

As for brakes, mine were pretty much worn when I got my car. If you are at all concerned about the performance of yours, replace the rotors and pads. I highly recommend Centric rotors and Hawk HPS pads at all four corners. If I remember correctly it was about $325 in parts delivered and I installed them myself. I just love the brakes on this car. Never have I had the confidence in a car's brakes as much as I do on this one. Others may chime in here with other options but from a value standpoint you can't go wrong with the Centric/Hawk combo.

As for tires I'm interested in what you end up with and what you think of them. I have Yokohama S4's on mine right now in a 205/50R17W which is not the stock size and they were good when they were new. But they won't last 25K miles and are rougher now that they are wearing. I went with this tire as I needed tires and found a set of basically new Ford racing wheels with these tires, almost new, mounted for $450. The taller profile buffers the suspension stiffness but in the W speed rating handles what I put it through. I want the next set to have more wear life.

Welcome to the club. It is a blast to drive every day.

 

[SterlingSVT12]

Actually, the guy who had the car I was talking about in this thread unfortunately had to sell the car (he did return the deposit though). I found mlbbaseball's SVT (3-door) for $3400 (including some EAP rims extra), so I promptly raced out to his side of town and put a deposit on that. I'll be getting that on March 14.

It is bone-stock, with the only "repairs" being DSIM solenoid, valve cover spark plug cover that needs to be replaced, and a parking brake cable that needs to be replaced.

On the docket for that car:

- 2.5" TruBendz Borla Cat-Back
- Tom's Tune
- Armrest Install (assuming that there is a bracket for it like there is on all other Focii regardless of if they have an armrest or not, but I've never seen under an SVT center console)
- Something undecided. I want more go-fast, but not so much as to turbo it. I was looking at MK3 Focii today and it absolutely broke my heart that a stock SE would beat my SVT in a race. I can't have that. So...I don't know yet, something.

 

[fighterbandit1200]

last yr i got my wife a 2013 Ti HB dct ,so was looking up numbers and i think the svt has the edge, both around 7.3 -7.5 but dont say if the mk 3 ti is stick or dct but its close

 

[Mike O]

There isn't much you can do to an SVT other than a tune before you go to forced induction.

 

[SterlingSVT12]

Really? That's a kick to the crotch.

Is forced induction on these cars done enough yet that it's not $7000 and super unreliable? I mean. I have a working mechanical knowledge, but you get into forcing air into an engine, I get scared. I have seen too many cars with turbos slapped on go wonky in a hurry.