Ill make this my intro Thread

819_FLY · 30-12-2008, 11:54 PM

First off I want to introduce myself, being on the forum for a couple months now and noticed that I don't exactly have a thread or anything to show the progress of my car. Contrary to popular belief I downgraded to the Focus from my previous love of my life my now ex R32 GTR with about 450hp or so...

But now I have got the Focus after some deep thinking needing for change and something a bit more useable and economical for driving. I picked up my 08 LT CL Focus at the start of September and broke it in the next day by driving down to Adelaide and then back up a week or so later. Now its coming close to its 15,000km service in a month by my guesstimation. Having owned a Hyundai Accent 2003 model, im familiar with small cars and how handy they are. So I am back in the market, but living up in Townsville makes things a little more difficult for sourcing parts and finding workshops that have decent knowledge.

Well being on holidays for a month (I was forced to take them GRRRRR) I got creative with the focus considering I have spare time. I scootered down to the local Super Cheap Auto and got a can of Night Shade and some masking tape from a newsagency. Then went home and got creative with the rear lenses and side indicators. Im just doing this till the time comes I can afford to part with 500+ dollars for a set of LED lights from Euro Parts. Then these will be binned... hahahaha

At some point soon I will start looking for rims, they are quite difficult to get a set the way I want them which is a pain. But yeh custom never hurt anyone....

Mullett · 31-12-2008, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 819_FLY

At some point soon I will start looking for rims, they are quite difficult to get a set the way I want them which is a pain. But yeh custom never hurt anyone....

*except their wallet*

-RM.

BlackLS · 31-12-2008, 01:47 AM

Nice work with the nite shades

I did that a while back but masked the clear indicator part, so only the red is covered. I also tried the rear fog and reverse lights but i realised I used both for reversing down my 20-30m driveway at night so the next day I scrubbed the spray off with metho, mineral turps and eucalyptus oil.

I'll get some pics one day.

819_FLY · 31-12-2008, 11:26 AM

Yeh cheers. I was rubbing it back with whilst I had the lights on so I could get an even cover when the light shines through. Got there sort of hahahaha. I have read somewhere using Acetone gets the gear off real easily. Im yet to try that out though hahahah.

Mullett · 31-12-2008, 03:53 PM

It probably does, but test it on a REALLY out of the way place first, because acetone will attack most kinds of plastic...

-RM.

RJO89 · 31-12-2008, 04:06 PM

Very true. Acetone can be a bugger at times if not used properly with caution.
Fun when you get it on your hands though. Spray some on there and a millisecond later it's dried. Good ol' alcohols. Gotta get pure acetone though, no mixtures.

ptwhite2003 · 31-12-2008, 04:58 PM

"Good ol' alcohols"

Don't think acetone is an alcohol. It's a solvent, I think, which lets it do different things.

Sorry to correct you.

RJO89 · 31-12-2008, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptwhite2003

"Good ol' alcohols"

Don't think acetone is an alcohol. It's a solvent, I think, which lets it do different things.

Sorry to correct you.

Oh really? lol. My bad. Seems year 12 chemistry didn't treat me too well after all!! Been a few years since I've done it so I've probably forgotten it all by now!!

BlackLS · 31-12-2008, 05:38 PM

Now I know I shouldn't have bought that slab of acetone for tonights celebration...

AnthonyTDCi · 01-01-2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Now I know I shouldn't have bought that slab of acetone for tonights celebration...

hahaha pmsl!

819_FLY · 01-03-2009, 01:40 PM

So after spending the night out at the drags, the bug has bitten me again as I tried to slow down on doing anything to the focus to do other things in my spare time. But today I got a little bit creative and prepped the car ready to fit the pod filter and piping (prob next weekend) to give it a little nice audible induction note. Im planning on positioning it in front of the passenger wheel arch since the resonator did reside there but no longer does since I removed it. Hopefully the air hole I've created (there is slight burring where I cut it need to get a hold of a de-burring tool) will give enough half-decent cool air and the air hitting the transmission should rebound enough aswell. I got sick of the grey aswell so gave them a hit of charcoal metallic paint I had lying around just to make it suit a bit better with the body colour.

Now to just get the pipes, joiners and filter and then fit it....

Tj-zetec · 01-03-2009, 05:24 PM

looks tidy. I love sneaky little mods like this that you make yourself.

819_FLY · 14-04-2009, 12:47 PM

Well about a month after I modified the fog light shroud ready for the pod filter setup, I thought I would give a direct cold air feed up to the air-box a go and see how well it works. I got a hold of about a metre of some 76mm flexible hosing and a hose clamp and a few zip ties and got to work on the car.

All up it took about 20 minutes and prob the hardest bit was jacking the car up. Being in North Queensland where we get a fair bit of rain, I'm a bit hesitant with fording any car in water, but I reckon driving in the rain shouldn't be too much of a drama so I will keep an eye on the filter to see if much water is getting in the piping. I did put in a couple of drain holes to help it prevent build up of water.

From the top the engine bay still looks standard, but it isn't. The drone when removal of the resonator happens is minimized and feel like there is a bit more poke brought back into the engine even at low speeds. Yet to do highway driving but will do later today.

I ran the piping down through the fog-light mounting bracket behind the shroud and zip-tied it in place and cut the excess off, I have about half a metre left over yay... and it doesn't look too bad in my books...

819_FLY · 14-04-2009, 01:48 PM

Went for a drive across town and on the expressway and noticed a difference in the average fuel consumption, it was averaging about 5.4 per 100km at 100km/h and the temperature up here is 32 degrees, so I guess down south would bring even better economy. There doesn't seem to be a flat spot when the throttle is stepped on, and the engine like to rev a bit easier now. But yeh value for money there is a noticeable improvement.

Blackfocus · 15-04-2009, 06:50 PM

Good timing, we had nearly 40mm of rain last night. you will be steering clear of Ingham Rd. Looks good though, will look much better when the dags are cleaned up ;)

champs · 15-04-2009, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackfocus

Good timing, we had nearly 40mm of rain last night. you will be steering clear of Ingham Rd. Looks good though, will look much better when the dags are cleaned up ;)

Wish I was able drive down Ingham Rd......... "Send me back to Townsville"

:

Fredo · 15-04-2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 819_FLY

Went for a drive across town and on the expressway and noticed a difference in the average fuel consumption, it was averaging about 5.4 per 100km at 100km/h and the temperature up here is 32 degrees, so I guess down south would bring even better economy. There doesn't seem to be a flat spot when the throttle is stepped on, and the engine like to rev a bit easier now. But yeh value for money there is a noticeable improvement.

Excellent job Mate.
This is the exact thing I will be doing in the LS.
Have you replaced the original panel filter?
If so what did you use - K&N or BMC?
Nice one
Fredo

:

819_FLY · 15-04-2009, 10:31 PM

Nah Im still running the standard filter, Im sure with a K&N or BMC it would increase the flow notably. If all goes well tomorow i should have one ready to go in.

819_FLY · 07-10-2009, 08:04 PM

Been a while since I last posted on here..... today I had a change of heart and purchased some 3" piping (2 90 degree bends) and some straight silicone sleeve and some hose clamps and set about fitting up a K&N pod filter that I had lying around. Dummy fitted it all up and seemed like it goes together quite well, just sort out the Oil Breather line and fabricate a bracket to hold up the pod filter and she should be all sweet. It is going to be located in the area the air box resonator was sitting (nice and big) and also because it will be pretty cool compared to the engine bay..... only time is stopping me now.

819_FLY · 09-10-2009, 08:37 PM

After work got busy and fitted up the piping and filter, made a bracket for the piping to be fixed and tightened it all up. Noticed down low torque is a little more, haven't had a chance to open it right up but so far seems to be alright, I might look at wrapping the piping at a later point if it gets to warm, but I need to drive it a little more to see if its having an affect.

Some Pics.

819_FLY · 29-11-2009, 06:33 PM

Car is scheduled for its next road trip in the upcoming fortnight. Townsville to Tenant Creek down to Whyalla and then back along the East Coast (Round Trip 8000km+). Car goes in for its 30k service couple days prior.... hoping that all goes well, been a trouble free year and will bump it up to about 40k on the clock within 14 Months which is a fair effort in my books.

Then upon return just after Christmas gonna look at rear muffler (just for a note) and some super lows....... rims are some time away.

leakey · 30-11-2009, 10:30 AM

Best of luck on your trip! Keep up the data/reports on the intake too.

You've got me interested too.

819_FLY · 30-11-2009, 07:07 PM

Yeh mate no worries.

819_FLY · 02-12-2009, 08:18 PM

Focus got reversed into today when my missus was driving it. Will get it fixed after the road trip, just minor blemishes, nothing structural, still sucks though a week out from a massive road trip. Oh well.

20focus05 · 07-12-2009, 12:04 AM

Ah we are planning a road trip too, up your way! The Daughter and son inlaw are getting posted with the army up there.

Dosn't it tick you off, we have all these dents in our car (doors) from other people, Grrrrr.

Hope all goes well.
on our last trip to Sydney we got 6.5 to the 100.

819_FLY · 07-12-2009, 10:13 AM

Yeh I know the Focus is no more perfect actually was only that on the day of delivery but yeh it is rather annoying that people just don't care.

Anyhow there are a couple of snaps of the damage caused... Race Tape easily fixed it (sort of) and will worry about it upon return back to Queensland.

casabonka · 07-12-2009, 12:09 PM

ouch - that sucks
100mph tape always works wonders though!

819_FLY · 07-12-2009, 04:54 PM

Sure does, it isn't obvious at all now. Nice and subtle, however I did drive it when it came back down with silver tape all over the rear end.... contrast much??

20focus05 · 07-12-2009, 11:53 PM

the daughter did similar with hers, i pulled the bumper off and used my soldering iron as a plastic welder.
mmm maybe yours looks a bit past that. lol

819_FLY · 25-12-2009, 01:14 AM

Well just got back from a 7000+km Journey, about 9 tanks of fuel later and I am back in Townsville. Car didn't miss a beat the whole way which was great. So yeah start of this month Odo was reading 29000km's, and now it has a nice little 36500+km's on it now. Oh yeah going up to Cairns tomorrow aswell so that will crack 37K....

Ford do make really good cars... this is the 3rd cross country trip I have made and have not had a problem with its reliability at all.