will someone guide the noob please?

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

Hello everyone, i've been checking this site out for the past few days and must say that i am really impressed with the dedication that you guys have for your cars and the other members of the group. I previously owned a SVT Contour and sold it to get up to date with the world due to the lack of performance options.
the following would have potential for a noob beating at my previous affiliation (contour.org) please be gentle lol
*I have all 3 mags of focus fanatic
*I have searched all over the net
*I have done homework on the focus for a few years now
*I really want to purchase one within the next month (i really want an SVT focus)
*I have noticed that the ZX3 seems to get way more glory than the SVT
*I live minutes away from summit racing and just purchased "High-Performance Ford Focus Builders Handbook" by Richard Holdener and i haven't read the whole thing yet (about 50%)

from what i have discovered the ZX3 seems to be the car to do mods on. At first i wanted to do a SVT focus with the aftercooled Vortech SC. now i'm starting to see turbo kits and in the book i just purchased it has several motor build ups consisting of:
*190hp Focus Central zetec
*13sec. 237hp SC zetec (jackson racing)
*300hp Fmax turbo kit (which i recently learned that turbonetics took over and roush is doing something with it but i went to the roush site and found everything but it.
*12sec all motor
*514whp turbo zetec (innotvative turbo)

The more i learn about the car and motor the more i love it.
can someone tell me why the ZX3 is the car to have instead of the SVT? i was assuming that the SVT just costed more and you guys just made up the price difference with upgrades for the ZX3. i am looking at an 02SVT at the moment and would like to make sure i'm buying the right car. i know it depends on what i'm looking for but lets say that i want a 12-13 sec car, but more for street use and i get an SVT with the aftercooled vortech sc with optional pulleys (if needed) and other needed parts to reach this goal rather than a ZX3 with a turbo. i also went to focus power and noticed the 11sec auto ZX3 that's street driven, i would love that set up or something similar but i don't think he sells a kit similar to what he has on his car. I know this may turn into a newbie beating but I would like to know which car to get if the SVT can't handle the upgrades that a ZX3 can. I like the svt cause it has disc brake all around, nice suspension, exterior and everything else that sets it apart from the zx3 but you guys are the pros. i want a sleeper, i know the svt isn't that much of a sleeper but there arent many around here and lots of people think it's a zx3 around here. sorry for the long newbie post here, congrats on the awesome forum

. if there's any links you can reccomend rather than answering the ?'s id appreciate that also. thanks guys (and ladies if there's any here)

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

i didn't realize it was this long until i posted but i wanted to say i also noticed the previous post here about the 331hp SVTfocus i love those numbers but still don't know if there's a specific reason why some of you go for the ZX3 over the SVT, is it price?limited upgrades? that focus book i mentioned seems to be really dated and late on the info, i have been to focus central,focus power, and a few other focus places but the fmax kit doesn't sound like the same kit from the book when i looked at it on the website. Im just really close to buying this SVT soon and don't want to get the wrong model for crazy upgrades. thanks again guys

Hellacool · Nov 13, 2004

I think the first problem is that most of your standard bolt ons have already been covered by SVT. When you bolt on a header, exhaust or intake on the standard ZX3 you will see performance gains while on the SVT you will see very little because the stock stuff is already pretty good. Another issue is that the engine is high compression compared to the standard ZX3 so any force induction will require a really good tune and fuel management or you run the risk of engine damage. But even with standard bolt ons, it will take quite alot to get the standard ZETEC up to SVT ratings. Also with just the JRSC(Jackson Racing Supercharger), the SVT can put down about 200HP to the wheels, to get that out of the ZETEC will take some real tweeking and mods. If you can get the SVT I say go for it. Alot of what you normally would upgrade on the ZX3 has already been covered, engine, suspension etc... It takes abit more research to get mod the SVT but I think the final results can be worth it. Now can the ZX3 be better, sure. I would take a well tuned ZX3 over a badly tuned SVT but it is really nice to already have alot of your bases covered.

Hocky · Nov 13, 2004

Go ahead and get the SVT if you're looking at FI... it will make a lot better numbers much easier than the zx3 will. Not to mention it has better handling, looks, and overall feel right out of the box. If I had a chance to do it over again, I would definately have gotten an svt.

battousai · Nov 13, 2004

about the only thing that is better about the svt is the rear disc breaks. though if you wanted you could always put those on a zx3. other than that they're pretty much the same car. if the zx3 is cheaper i'd go for it. more money left over for mods.

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

so from what i have gathered about the svt and vortech combo, it's a nice package once put together. have there been people who went farther than that with it on here who are still having good results? thanks for your comments.

EggYolk · Nov 13, 2004

Find the cheapest ZX3 you can find and customize the car to your needs and what you want - everything you would need to do to a boosted SVT you would need to do to a boost ZX3. I'm just not a fan of SVT's tuning solutions, varible cam timing, intake manifold or transmission.

My $.02

whiskeytangofoxtrot · Nov 13, 2004

The 02 SVT didn't have the best reliability record, like the 2000 regular Focuses, but the looks are there, the brakes, the interior options etc...

Now, the suspension while better than the regular ZX3 is still not good enough really in my opinion. Needs stiffer springs. I drove my friend's 04 SVT and got in my car with the Apex kit on it and my car is better in all handling aspects. No contest. I sure would like to have rear disc though, the rear drums suck

Also it seems like SVT custom computer flashes are in full swing now, and the SVT responds sooo well to forced induction (vortech, drool) so yeah, if you can find an SVT for a good price you should jump all over it.

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

are any of you guys waiting to see what the ST aftermarket will look like and what the 06' model aftermarket will look like? i tried to find some more info but from what i could find it look like that the U.S. MIGHT get an awd 06' focus that MIGHT be TC. if this is true, then i can definately wait for this model, if not then i'm just gonna get the svt w/ the aftercooled vorech. i also noticed that procharger has a kit, and procharger really put down some serious numbers with mustangs (cobras)but i don't know what kind of numbers their claiming with the Focus, i would actually like to have that over the vortech, im sure numbers are close if not more, i still gotta find more info on it. does anyone think that this awd turbo focus is really coming here? i know if we get it, it won't be anything like the overseas models, i know ours will be diluted big time and exterior will look different but i can really wait if we are gonna get this car and fix it up. can some one tell me if this is just rumor or if it's really coming? thanks

once again · Nov 13, 2004

There has been rumors about a boosted focus for years. I don't think anyone is holding their breath.

Hellacool · Nov 13, 2004

about the only thing that is better about the svt is the rear disc breaks. though if you wanted you could always put those on a zx3. other than that they're pretty much the same car. if the zx3 is cheaper i'd go for it. more money left over for mods.

Are you for real? I dont have enough room here to even begin to list what is better on the SVT than the stock ZX3. Dont mislead someone with a legit question with something you do not know about. The engine, brakes, suspension as a start, are far superior than what come on the ZX3. They arent just beefed up pieaces either but whole new parts specificilly built for the SVTF.

Bmorezx3 · Nov 13, 2004

about the only thing that is better about the svt is the rear disc breaks. though if you wanted you could always put those on a zx3. other than that they're pretty much the same car. if the zx3 is cheaper i'd go for it. more money left over for mods.

Click to expand...

Are you for real? I dont have enough room here to even begin to list what is better on the SVT than the stock ZX3. Dont mislead someone with a legit question with something you do not know about. The engine, brakes, suspension as a start, are far superior than what come on the ZX3. They arent just beefed up pieaces either but whole new parts specificilly built for the SVTF.

Yes this is true. Overall the SVT is a far better car. SVT designs cars to a specific purpose: performance. Every part of the car was designed with that in mind and driving one will instantly reflect that.

The reason so many of us have ZX3's is because there are far more ZX3's available than SVT's and for much cheaper. It's that simple. Given the option of a Zetec ZX3 or SVT I'm confident probably 90% of the people would pick the SVT.

Now the 2.3 Duratec (PZEV) is another story altogether. The Duratec is a far stronger motor out of the box and there are already NA 2.3's in the 14's without a huge amount of money invested. I believe that given another year or two in the aftermarket, the 2.3 will blow the Zetec out of the water in all ways. Cosworth is working to put out a whole host of high power parts for the 2.3 and I wouldn't be surprised if they start besting even the most powerful of Zetecs.

Given ALL the options right now, HIDIOUS front end aside, I think the ST is a great buy. Standard 2.3 Duratec + SVT brakes + SVT dampers = FUN!

Nate

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

The 02 SVT didn't have the best reliability record, like the 2000 regular Focuses, but the looks are there, the brakes, the interior options etc...

so is there a place on here where i can find out about the different year models of the SVT focus cause i don't mind getting a newer one if it's better, for instance my svt contour was a 98, and in 98 there were 2 models of it, there was a 98 and a 98.5 i had a 98 (the first half of 98 SVTcontours were called E0's and the second half were called E1's) the 98.5 had different wheels, better suspension, and slightly better tranny and a few other things, when 99+ models hit, the manifold was honed (5 more hp) we also had to use the shift forks from the focus on the 98tranny.
is there a preferred SVT Focus to upgrade? i'm not really focused on exterior mods right now, mainly performance, are there any tranny probs with the FI SVT focus? with the contour svt the basics were a quaife, fidanza flywheel, and the clutch issue was hard to say who was better. there is also a turbo kit for the SVT contour but longevity was and still is my main concern when it comes to those. do those of you with TC's or SC's feel happy with the way your cars perform now, do you have any advantages or disadvantages that come to mind right away? if so please let me know, thanks again guys
as of right now from what i have learned here and in the books, i'm gonna do an SVT focus, not sure which year yet and go with a aftercooled vortech or procharger unit if it's available.
i read the article in the first focus fanatic and went to focus power to get as much info on the white focus that's running 11's (i think it said it had a manual then now he has the lentech tranny) but it's still streetable, we have e-check (emissions check or smog test, whatever you wanna call it) i noticed he has a ZX3 with the WRC block and all that stuff. is this why you guys go for the ZX3 over the SVT? what kind of money are you looking at putting into a ZX3 with time slips like that? and also what kind of money for making a SVT run similar numbers and still stay streetable? sorry for all the questions guys. i'm seeing zx3's for like $4-$5k and SVT's for like $12k+. i'm just amazed at the price diff. what do you guys think about the zx3 from focus power running 11's with the auto tranny, i focus fanatic it said it's a daily driver, that's what i like to see, how much do you guys think a set up similar to that would be?

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

bmorezx3, i didn't realize you posted sorry bout that, thanks for the info. i have seen the ST's i dont really like them but i just want to make sure the car that i pick has enough aftermarket support to keep it hitting hard on the streets and tracks. i read the article about the ST vs. SVT and it said that the ST has the Torque but my question is (that i'm slowly finding the answer to the more i search) will the ST be able to be a beast, i read in focus fanatic about the 30+hp they got from the pzev but it wasn't street legal. i'm keeping my eye on that too and what focus central is doing with theirs, i think they got a 13sec time slip with theres.

OrangeSVT03 · Nov 13, 2004

Toget a ZX3 to out perform a stock SVTF requires alot of cash and time. People who say there aren't any differences between the 2 except for rear brakes TRUELY dont know what they are talking about. The SVT does cost more but it delievers more in the process, the handleing is awsome, stock power is fair, the interior is top notch. I looked at both before I bought my SVT, one test drive will answer all your questions

Hellacool · Nov 13, 2004

To answer your question about which year, I dont think it matters. I believe all are the same minus the Euro appearance package. If you are not interested in astetics then go either way but for me I really like the Euro package. Just the Recaro seats and HID lights are worth the extra cost.

sleepin · Nov 13, 2004

thanks guys, your really helping me out big time, i'm leaning towards an SVT focus with a procharger SC (i'm not too crazy about the intercooler mounted on the bottom of the car but it makes excellent number on the zx3 and i can only imagine better numbers for the SVT. i'm gonna start looking into the diff with the vortech SC and procharger SC but i like the procharger unit cause of the minimal maintenance and power output. i think i can get some pretty good times with the procharge SC and a few other upgrades. thanks again guys, this forum is awesome!

will someone guide the noob please?

sleepin

sleepin

Hellacool

Hocky

battousai

sleepin

EggYolk

whiskeytangofoxtrot

sleepin

once again

Hellacool

Bmorezx3

sleepin

sleepin

OrangeSVT03

Hellacool

sleepin

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