Cluff's Focus - CarForum.net - Car Forums, Automotive News and Community

cluffenstein · 03-18-2010, 08:42 AM

Now that my car no longer sucks, I think I'll actually start dropping money in it. I'm looking at

Intake
Exhaust: Race (my focus sounds like the Stealth now, minus the rumble)
Lowering kit
Tower brace
Rear strut bar- DONE
Rear Sway Bar - ordered
Lower motor mounts - today
Rims / Tires
Stereo
Tune
Maybe FI?

Of course I'm nowhere near rich lol.

*Kenny McCormick* · 03-18-2010, 09:34 AM

It's a shame you don't have a Gen 1 Focus, otherwise you could plop a 289, 5-speed and Mustang rear end in there. Ricer killer

Hrm....There's always that Ecotec swap, and some better brakes. I'd start there if it were my car.

cluffenstein · 03-18-2010, 04:49 PM

F2Focus finally has a replacement performance slotted rotor, 133 for a pair. - they don't have any pads though.

Hell, I went to the local Focus speed shop today to order the K&N Filter - he said theres next to nothing out there, short of fswerks, Steeda, and F2 Focus. And Fswerks doesn't have a whole lot for the 08's.

The speed shop makes 95% of their stuff in house.

I just threw a new set of Plugs in today, much less hesitation and it doesn't shake at idle anymore. 33 dollars for a set. such a racket.

I think my first mods will be:

Intake
strut tower bar and sway bar
Exhaust
Lowering kit
Camshaft (crower)

Shrimpykins · 03-18-2010, 06:21 PM

Don't bother with the strut tower braces. Until you get some wider wheels and some stickier rubber, you aren't gonna be cornering hard enough to need them. CAI and a custom tune is the best place to start. Exhaust won't net you much HP, it will just make it sound different, such a small engine won't benefit from higher flow much. Camshaft is a good investment. Just be careful a rough idle can shorten the lifespan of the engine. Don't bother with sway bars till you get a stiffer suspension. You are just gonna put excess stress on the sways thinking you can push it harder.

Just be aware Cluff... These mods aren't gonna make a great riding car. The ride will be stiffer and louder (suspension mods is what I am talking about).

Wheels and tires are the absolute best upgrade for any car, low HP or not (unless it already has beastly wheels).

cluffenstein · 03-18-2010, 07:24 PM

I'm not looking at the whole cornering hard enough, I'm trying to control the huge amount of body roll.

I have 195r15/60 stockers, the wheels/rims I'm looking at are 235, but those are going to be summer/track only. And my car is like jumping on a pillow, I'll take stiffer.

Do I need an A/F meter if I cam it?

cluffenstein · 03-18-2010, 08:31 PM

I just got the OK from my parents to buy the parts to fix my front end damage, have the autoshop that sucks (they took a month to fix the last accident) paint it, and let me do the install

Although my dad did laugh at me while changing spark plugs:

I didn't have a extension for my spark plug socket so I was using a screw driver to get them out (my dad picked the extension up while I was fighting with the car). He came back, I couldn't get the socket out, he grabbed the needle nose pliers, pulled the socket out, and dropped it into my hand, he didn't realize it had been sitting in a hot engine for 20 minutes and burnt the crap out of me. I don't think he's ever laughed that hard.

My spring break project is to get the bumper off and see what all I need in terms of parts.

*Kenny McCormick* · 03-19-2010, 01:30 AM

1: You don't need an A/F gauge if you throw a camshaft in there. Your ECU already takes care of that, it will actually be quite superfluous.

2. lolol I'd laugh too. Why'd he take the extension in the first place, though?

Shrimpykins · 03-19-2010, 07:23 AM

No a/f, you will most likely need to get your ECU programmed for the new cam though. Wait till you get the intake and the cam done before trying to program it. The CAI will benefit from the programmer and the cam will most likely require a retuning, might as well knock them out in one swift move.

cluffenstein · 03-19-2010, 07:34 AM

to be an asshole lol. I wonder if the place that dyno'd my dads old old car still does tunes.

I'm waiting for Crower to get back on me about the Duratec's they have listed working on the 08's, they changed a sensor. Stage 2 ok for the time being?

280 Lobe 276

256 Valve 252 232 Lobe 228

226 Valve 222 .413 / .393

or can I go the Forced induction special?

Shrimpykins · 03-19-2010, 07:41 AM

Usually those are reserved for FI setups as they will dump a whole lot more fuel into the engine. If you don't have the air to burn it, it's just gonna run super rich.

03-18-2010, 09:34 AM	#2
Kenny McCormick Spah sappin' mah susp! Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Earth...I think Posts: 3,271 Rep: 96	It's a shame you don't have a Gen 1 Focus, otherwise you could plop a 289, 5-speed and Mustang rear end in there. Ricer killer Hrm....There's always that Ecotec swap, and some better brakes. I'd start there if it were my car. __________________ Tired Iron ain't got no time to wear out... My rigs: 1985 Ford F150 \| 4x2 \| 300ci OHV inline six \| 4-speed OD manual \| 310K \| No power brakes \| Running 100% - It hasn't driven this good in 15 years! 1984 Ford F150 \| 4x2 \| 300ci six \| granny four \| 3.55 rear end \| 210K \| Brakes shot. Rear drums are doing most of the work. Not fit to drive due to that. 1997 Ford Explorer XLT \| 4.0L Vulcan V6 \| 5-speed automatic \| shift-on-the-fly 4WD \| 210,000 miles \| Running 95% - Needs brakes on all four corners + bald tires 1989 Ford F150 \| 300cid six...again \| 5-speed \| 4x4 \| 160K \| Needs brakes done as well. Oi!

03-18-2010, 06:21 PM	#4
Shrimpykins Vroom Vroom Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the engine bay Posts: 847 Rep: 42	Don't bother with the strut tower braces. Until you get some wider wheels and some stickier rubber, you aren't gonna be cornering hard enough to need them. CAI and a custom tune is the best place to start. Exhaust won't net you much HP, it will just make it sound different, such a small engine won't benefit from higher flow much. Camshaft is a good investment. Just be careful a rough idle can shorten the lifespan of the engine. Don't bother with sway bars till you get a stiffer suspension. You are just gonna put excess stress on the sways thinking you can push it harder. Just be aware Cluff... These mods aren't gonna make a great riding car. The ride will be stiffer and louder (suspension mods is what I am talking about). Wheels and tires are the absolute best upgrade for any car, low HP or not (unless it already has beastly wheels). __________________ 2009 S197 Mustang GT/CS

03-19-2010, 01:30 AM	#7
Kenny McCormick Spah sappin' mah susp! Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Earth...I think Posts: 3,271 Rep: 96	1: You don't need an A/F gauge if you throw a camshaft in there. Your ECU already takes care of that, it will actually be quite superfluous. 2. lolol I'd laugh too. Why'd he take the extension in the first place, though? __________________ Tired Iron ain't got no time to wear out... My rigs: 1985 Ford F150 \| 4x2 \| 300ci OHV inline six \| 4-speed OD manual \| 310K \| No power brakes \| Running 100% - It hasn't driven this good in 15 years! 1984 Ford F150 \| 4x2 \| 300ci six \| granny four \| 3.55 rear end \| 210K \| Brakes shot. Rear drums are doing most of the work. Not fit to drive due to that. 1997 Ford Explorer XLT \| 4.0L Vulcan V6 \| 5-speed automatic \| shift-on-the-fly 4WD \| 210,000 miles \| Running 95% - Needs brakes on all four corners + bald tires 1989 Ford F150 \| 300cid six...again \| 5-speed \| 4x4 \| 160K \| Needs brakes done as well. Oi!

03-19-2010, 07:23 AM	#8
Shrimpykins Vroom Vroom Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the engine bay Posts: 847 Rep: 42	No a/f, you will most likely need to get your ECU programmed for the new cam though. Wait till you get the intake and the cam done before trying to program it. The CAI will benefit from the programmer and the cam will most likely require a retuning, might as well knock them out in one swift move. __________________ 2009 S197 Mustang GT/CS

03-19-2010, 07:41 AM	#10
Shrimpykins Vroom Vroom Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the engine bay Posts: 847 Rep: 42	Usually those are reserved for FI setups as they will dump a whole lot more fuel into the engine. If you don't have the air to burn it, it's just gonna run super rich. __________________ 2009 S197 Mustang GT/CS

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Cluff's Focus