[clearz]

I looking at purchasing a Ford Focus Zetec and my local Ford dealer currently has a deal to "Build your own Supercar" if i put a 2.5" exhaust, cool air induction with a 3" intake pipe, a performance chip and extractors, how much power do you think i would have approx?

 

[fordel]

Try the page

www.infocusmotorsport.com.au

They have pipes/exhausts etc with some rough guides as to what sort of power you can expect

Cheers

Chris

 

[Zetec]

You're looking at about 120-130kw at the flywheel, that's ST170 power from a car $10k cheaper!!!! NICE!!! I'd say you'd be doing well. Most of us are looking at chips and exhausts... but extractors and huge intake too, that'll be awesome, you'll definitely see around 125kw minimum.

 

[Timmeh]

Ah, I'll be conservative and say that it would highly depend on the quality of parts used here. No point at all in replacing the whole exhaust considering the std one is the right size in stainless, simply replace the two rear mufflers. Cool air induction will range from fairly useless to fairly good as you head towards $1000, and it depends what chip and extractors you use, but there is another $1300 odd for some decent gear there.

If you spend big, you'll hopefully get what Zetec posted.

Cheers... Tim

 

[lincolnr]

I think 125kw is a bit optimistic. How good are these extractors? I'd be asking for some dyno proof before forking out anything there. I've seen plenty of extractors, intakes, chips, etc, that will reduce your useable power.

 

[clearz]

Thanks for all the feedback!! This is my first time on a car forum and your thoughts are much appreciated. Does anyone have any thoughts as to what extractors to get?? That are still ford approved? and also my local ford dealer said i may need to step down to 2.25" inch exhaust rather than the 2.5" i was hoping to get because it may be to loud? any thoughts? Also as far as handling is concerned i was very impressed with the stock package, i am puting 17" alloys on it, is it worth lowering and cambering out the wheels?

 

[Timmeh]

A few cars in the club are lowered with 17 and 18 inch wheels, no need for any sort of camber kit.

Your dealer is correct, no need to to go to 2.5 inch as I stated in my post. I am not sure that Ford approve any modifications to the engine, you will have to talk to them and find out what they do and do not approve of.

If you want some visual or other ideas, check out the European Ford Club Website members cars. Click Here.

Cheers... Tim

 

[fordel]

Nope no need for camber on 17's run them std with no probs, and they are an option on the Zetec foci as well

Cheers

Chris

 

[Timmeh]

Yeah, they are an option on the whole Focus range. I run them on my car as well.

Camber doesn't become an issue until you start lowering the car considerably, but you can't lower the Focus enough to justify the need (otherwise you'll become a defect king), especially not with 17's. Maybe when you get into 19 inch wheels like Infocus Motorsports car, you might have to consider your options.

Cheers... Tim

 

[lincolnr]

Fastfours has a Project Focus at the moment, the whiteline kit looks interesting. I'm highly skeptical of most suspension work though, as I doubt that most workshops can work out a better setting than Ford (or any manufacturer) on every day roads. However, on the track, there are loads of changes you can make. So depends on what you want from the car.

Lowering for lowering sake is in the rice basket, in my books. Lowering won't do a great deal for handling without changes to dampers and other parts such as sway bars. Throwing on some random springs can often make suspension work worse, wear out your shocks quicker and provide less compliancy under braking on bumpy roads. So be careful! East coast suspension have a very good reputation in Sydney if you want to talk to someone about changes. My first step would be looking at some Koni Yellows.

Re: extractors, check out what the UK Focus guys are running (www.ffoc.co.uk) to see what is available. Otherwise, you would need to get custom extractors made for the Focus, and would need a shop that knows what they're doing. Not sure where you are though, to recommend anywhere.

Same goes for exhausts.

 

[Zetec]

yeah with the Focus, 2.25" is ultimate, 2.5" loses back pressure unless you go Turbo, however the main problem with getting the mufflers replaced is that even though they are the 2 most restrictive bits (rest of the system from the factory is proper stainless 2.25" pipe!!!) you need to cut the mufflers off the standard system, which involves the labour and not the actual cost of the mufflers. In the end it costs less in labour time to simply cut at the rear and unbolt at the flex pipe then install a new 2 piece cat-back system than cutting both muffler ends and re-installign new mufflers. That's 4 cuts and 4 re-bolts as opposed to 1 cut and 2 rebolts for a full system. It's 2 pieces because it has to fit above the Control-Blade IRS and there's no way to thread it through if it's only 1 piece. I'll probably just get a new system all up instread of new mufflers simply because of that fact, the stainless pipe itself doesn't cost much.

Ford doesn't recommend aftermarket parts any more than the next manufacturer. I agree with Lincoln, can't improve on a lot of what factories release, mainly in suspension. Exhausts are different and same for manifolds/intakes... breathing is one thing but stuffing with the suspension and balance of a car cheaply (lowering springs) without adjusting camber and spring rates etc can make a class leading handler into a sloppy one at best. Just make sure you don't go too cheap and nasty if you want to drive it well. Best to go for better rubber and larger rims with stock suspension, specially in a Zetec which is already pretty decent. Only problem is the height of the car stock but it's not the end of the world, nothing a kit and rims won't fix.

 

[lincolnr]

I don't even believe after market extractors on most factory cars, especially the Zetec would be THAT much better that standard. They're pushing about as much power as you can out of these 2Ls now. Not much has changed in power output in the last 7 years from a 2L engine. Just look at Peugeot 306 GTi6 (my old car) and ST170 (my soon to be new car). [email protected], [email protected] in the GTi6 and [email protected], [email protected] in the ST170. They are near on identical output figures, just a slight revvier engine in the Ford. The GTi6 XU10J4RS engine was released in 1997 or something, just shows that not that much has changed.

The Ford engine does it with all of this fancy VVT technoogy and a low compression ratio (10.2 to the GTi6 10.8). Same as Peugeot with their new GTi180, it still only puts out 130kw and it took a long time to develop.

My point? There's not a great deal you can get out of stock engines now without going to the next step of new cams, forged pistons, etc. On the Zetec engine, I'd say, if it fits, throwing on the ST manifold would give you great benefit.

Anyway, when I finally get the ST, I'll throw it up on the hoist and see just how good the pipes are and let y'all know.

 

[Zetec]

and having seen and heard an ST in the workshop... trust me the manifold is really good and the pipes are REALLY special. Sounds DEAD sexy too. Anyhoo, will do all these million requests first thing monday morning, you're my first priority, will touch base on Monday to update. See if them Canberrans can help us out... it's the only on in NSW left.

Later,
Matt

 

[clearz]

What alot of you have mentioned about lowering does make sense, and makes me think its not worth the $! IM ALREADY SPENDING ENOUGH!! Im going back to the local dealer today to finalise a few things and hope to have the car within two weeks!! Ill keep you all posted. Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

[Timmeh]

That's 4 cuts and 4 re-bolts as opposed to 1 cut and 2 rebolts for a full system. It's 2 pieces because it has to fit above the Control-Blade IRS and there's no way to thread it through if it's only 1 piece.

This makes no sense at all...

You only make one cut - in front of the first of the mufflers (underneath the seat), add your high flow muffler in, and have one custom peice stainless pipe all the way to the rear over the IRS with a nice tip.

Being two pieces to fit over the IRS makes no sense at all - one piece of bent stainless is thinner than a join there. If your local exhaust shop just wants to cut out the two mufflers and insert a 'filling', then go find yourself somewhere decent.

So the idea of labour being more costly or IRS problems is untrue - whoever told you that wants to sell you more than you need. My Focus is receiving exactly what I described, only costing me less than 200 bucks for a high flow muffler, stainless pipe to the rear, and a tip.

Cheers... Tim

 

[Timmeh]

I don't even believe after market extractors on most factory cars, especially the Zetec would be THAT much better that standard.

Infocus made considerable gains with their exhaust system on their test car (Zetec), although I do believe the ST170 would have less gains, be a more engineered car to begin with.

I'll post my dyno results when I do it all myself.

Cheers... Tim!

 

[Resty]

Who is worried about warranties?? Food for thought here. If you have money to spend on mods then to me it is obvious that warranty is long out the window and no concern. For those where warranty is an issue well your mods would barely scratch the surface of what a Zetec is capable of.

As for the headers/extractors, that should be just the start! It's all about airflow. Backpressure??? Why people choose to call it this? Beats me. I'm not even going there (do a google on it) grrr!

Headers will start you off and further increase the power potential. Don't look at it as ohh headers 10hp, then pulleys ohh 7hp ooh chip 10kw....etc. It all works together. Fine tuning thats where your money should be spent. The Zetec is already and agressive engine and it's tuning that gets it to that 200hp na mark, not just slap em on "whoohoo I have 150kw, ST170's here I come!"

Get your car on the dyno more than once and I'm sure the tuner will come up with a few tricks to tweak your Focus!

quote: lincolnr "I don't even believe after market extractors on most factory cars, especially the Zetec would be THAT much better that standard"

Sorry but I have to ask then "Why make em?" If there is nothing to improve on, why are there so many different variations claiming huge torq curves an gains of up to 25%?

Took me a while to realise that posting for stuff I want was the long way around, instead, try searching for the results and testimonials from people who have already done it.

My .02 opcorn:

 

[Resty]

...can't improve on a lot of what factories release....

Sorry man, but I'm sick of people saying this.

Let's not make headers, exhausts, intake, chips, pulleys, cams, TB's, let's not port polish, change comp, forge stuff, struts, springs, valves, let's also not change displacement and leave the engine as restrictive as possible, ahh what the hell? Let's just use regular unleaded while we are at it! I've said this before - No matter what a manufacturer makes for the numbers, someone will always improve on it. If I was a rich bastard and had a Ferrari, I can garauntee you that I would endevour to make that better too.

When you buy a tennis raquet do you 1. Use the kmart brand strings? or 2. Get them re-strung to your desired feel?

Resty's advice: Save 5k go sik! Euck warranty! end of dreaming..... :boom:

 

[Projekt`[J]]

Agrees with Resty

 

[fordel]

Would be very interested to know the gains i could get from the duratec engine, exhaust/headers etc etc... would like a nice 200hp or so....