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2003 Updates to my car...

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12K views 59 replies 37 participants last post by  hEaT  
#1 · (Edited)
No fairy named car here, just the pursuit of OEM+ since 2001.

Special thank you to these people for helping me throughout the years.

Bryan (monkeyman28)
John (Odyssey)
Al at McLaughlin Ford
Tim at McLaughlin (Now Royal Oak Ford)
Steven P. at H&R Special Springs
Jeni (SunshineZX3)
Chris (cjmartiny)
Rob (Robs06)
Jake (JakeBrewer)
Mike
Ken
Drew (FocusOwnersKid)
Josh
Steve at Tousley Ford

THANK YOU to these companies for 1st class parts and service!
- McNews Automotive
- New Edge Performance
- FSWerks
- CFM
- Tousley Ford
- Capaldi Racing



First of all, I'd like to dedicate this build to James Hock, an original [FJ] member, and one of the very first SVT owners. He was a very nice guy, whom many Jetters from MI, IN, and OH had the pleasure of meeting. He had EVERYTHING going for him... Senior, about to graduate from Western Michigan, Engaged, brand new SVT Focus. He died the DAY BEFORE his 25th birthday at the g2g.

He was run off the road into a 13ft. ditch, when a vehicle came into his lane around a bend in the road. This happened during the convoy from the Ford dealership car show to a BBQ at a Jetters house. At the BBQ we all heard the sirens... None of us knew yet that somebody from our convoy went off the road because the ditch was that deep.
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2002:
Ford Fun Weekend Norwalk, OH
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Columbus, OH G2G 08/09/2002: Only a handful of SVT's were out at this time. Production delays, and I think a recall made SVT owners mad that I was cruising the streets with the body panels when the actual SVT was not even ready yet. Side skirts and fogs were not available in the system yet.
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St. Johns, MI g2g (Jetter James Hock died at)
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2003:
Installed FR Header, FS Flexpipe, Random Tech Cat, Quaife LSD, Centerforce Clutch, Fidanza Flywheel, and a BBK TB this year.

Milan Dragway Sport Compact Festival 05-17-03
http://www.activeperf.com/members/photo.php?photo=Sew_Fast04.jpg[/

Street Dreams Show in Detroit, MI 05-31-03
[img]http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1037/3352509281_f189504720_z.jpg

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2004: Finally added SVT side skirts, and painted handles for the complete SVT conversion.
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FITF 3 Elkhart, IN (When I had Mattig Cup Mirrors)
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2005 - Present: PWSC, Seized Engine, and Build.

JetFest South Bend, IN (Sunday only)
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Seized engine, the tear down Fall '05
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PWSC oil line slipped off, engine seized while coasting to the road shoulder. Engine was seized in 30 seconds from time my oil light came on. PWSC was only installed for 48 hours, with no oil pressure gauge installed. Put 200 miles on it. Piston #1 seizes while coasting at 10-15 mph.
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Basically shelved the car for 3 years, saving for a built engine. 2008 had an engine built, and finally yanked the old one out.
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I scored heated SVT seats along the way to complete the Red SVT interior. I have never really liked SVT seats, heavy and do not hold you in place. I wanted Recaro Speed seats, so I sold these. James Hock [FJ] memorial sticker on my windshield, can't forget him or that day.
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Built Engine install 2009:
- SVT Block
- Ford Racing Cylinder Head
- Crower Rods
- FSWerks oversized 9.6 Pistons
- ARP bolts throughout
- Balanced & Blueprinted
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The Stance Era (2008-present)
I feel like the most dedicated Focus enthusiast there ever has been. But the Focus scene started to go stale for myself and other long term members. The new fresh, open-minded Stance crowd provided me with a spark and excitement I needed! I grew up in the 80's loving wide wheeled Corvettes and Porsches. Often you would see BBS or HRE wheels on either. Using cars like that fir inspiration has been a game changer IMO. Love the scene, and want to see the clean OEM+ look be pushed further!

Having a forced induction car, I want a vented hood to release heat. I do not like most of vented hoods, way too busy. For me I only liked the Focus Central hood, but after looking for years I gave up on trying to land one. That's when I found this hood on Craigslist in 2008 for $400. It was already was egg yolk yellow, but eventually would paint the entire hood.
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Now I felt like this was a good looking hood that was fairly low key... But it was not clean enough for me. I wanted something that looked more OEM or Ford inspired. That's when I found inspiration from the APC dual vented hoods!

New look euro headlight and grille, with OEM+ APC hood project!
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Inspiration to turn that APC hood into OEM Ford looking product.
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Ordered OEM '03-'04 Cobra hood vents thinking they would fit! And they are the exact same shape, and barely fit... But they will work! Have to open up the cut outs on the APC hood, then paint factory yellow.
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Needed to install gauges, mocked up a 3 gauge pillar pod. Pillar pods just are not the clean look I'm looking for. I always intended to install in my radio bezel. Recently, I was able to make myself a 3 gauge plate that I will be powdercoating an OEM interior color.
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Boss caliper fitment courtesy of Dan @ CCW wheels.
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#5 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

Oh yeah!!!! There's she is. Some of the nicest cars never get seen, 'til now. While good shots, pictures can't do the car justice. I really like this car. My favorite would have to be the contrast the Yellow makes on the rear of the SVT bumper. With the blackout it just rocks. I have to admit I like it better with the stock hood back on though. Of course the falkens on Black Rotas rock too. And the SVT lights... and... Well, one piece at a time you are really making your car nice. It really needs the JBH carbon fiber spoiler to finish it though.
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#7 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

Originally posted by HotWheels:
the only thing i would change is the sideskirts (but i'm sure you plan on getting the svt ones sometime soon.)
great looking car! very nice
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">No actually, my car is exactly the way I like it except my paintable door handles are on the way. As you can see in the pic below, the black SVT front lip flows into the stock black sideskirts. This is the look I wanted.

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#8 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

I like the look ALOT, want to do something very similar, only same wheels with carbon fiber hood, fenders and replica stock bumper
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love your ride man, big props
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#9 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

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sexy car, now where's the pics of the driver so we can drool over him???
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Originally posted by Odyssey:
While good shots, pictures can't do the car justice.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">i definitely have to agree with this.... and i think i like it better w/ the cf hood.... even though i despise those things! yes, the car looks very nice... and tons, tons, TONS better in person!!!
 
#16 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

Originally posted by DJ Ibe:
Hey nice car, I seen you a few times on gratiot, one time I seen you were passing me, behind was a black focus with euro bumpers on.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">That would be none other then Monkeyman28 himself!
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#21 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

Originally posted by Ozmotear:
While your car is very nice, I don't like how you dressed it up to look like an SVT.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hey, do you see an SVT badge anywhere on that car? He's not posing.

Don't hate man, you can't deny that fact that it's original, and original is good. I personally think the front and rear bumpers look sweet on the yellow car.
 
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#23 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

Originally posted by The ArchAngel:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Ozmotear:
While your car is very nice, I don't like how you dressed it up to look like an SVT.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hey, do you see an SVT badge anywhere on that car? He's not posing.

Don't hate man, you can't deny that fact that it's original, and original is good. I personally think the front and rear bumpers look sweet on the yellow car.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Its really grey area to me. I don't look for a lightning logo when I see an F-150. Or a Cobra symbol when I see a Mustang. You can tell what kind of car it is by the kit on in.
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#24 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

I have the RS kit on my car (even though it's not the real one), I'm a trying to look like something I'm not, NO! I like the styling of the kit so that's why I got it, and I can pretty much say the same for revswin. He was even hesitant at first to get it, cause people might think the same thing as you. I think svt makes great looking cars, so if a mustang wants to put on a cobra kit or a f-150 a lightning kit, good for them, as long as they don't slap a svt badge on it. I think going with manufacturer designed bumpers, is a lot better than slapping on some POS fiberglass billy bigmouth bass kit that the company fitted off a civic. I guess the spoon replica rims are grey area too! Dressin it up to look like a spoon civic! LOL, well this part may be true. I guess I'm just trying to say the svt bumpers look better than some other bumpers out there that mimic other cars (cough: evo kit: cough), just my opinion though.

[ 11-16-2002, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: monkeyman28 ]
 
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#25 ·
Re: My Gratiot cruiser...

Originally posted by monkeyman28:
I have the RS kit on my car (even though it's not the real one), I'm a trying to look like something I'm not, NO! I like the styling of the kit so that's why I got it, and I can pretty much say the same for revswin. He was even hesitant at first to get it, cause people might think the same thing as you. I think svt makes great looking cars, so if a mustang wants to put on a cobra kit or a f-150 a lightning kit, good for them, as long as they don't slap a svt badge on it. I think going with manufacturer designed bumpers, is a lot better than slapping on some POS fiberglass billy bigmouth bass kit that the company fitted off a civic. I guess the spoon replica rims are grey area too! Dressin it up to look like a spoon civic! LOL, well this part may be true. I guess I'm just trying to say the svt bumpers look better than some other bumpers out there that mimic other cars (cough: evo kit: cough), just my opinion though.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">i kinda have to agree w/ bryan here. the fact that it has the SVT bumpers, lights, grills, mirrors may suggest to somebody at first glance that it's an SVT-wanna be, but once you look at it and see there is no SVT badge on the back, you can't really say much else. What would you do to somebody who had an SVT and choose to get it painted to yellow and re-badge it w/ SVT all over it. It's still an SVT, just a different paint color. The car looks wonderful nevertheless!!!!

Originally posted by The ArchAngel:
You have to see this car in person to truly enjoy it. Pics just don't do the drop or the wheels justice. Way to represent the MI crew! Two thumbs up!

BTW, to all you non-Great Lakers, Michigan has THE BEST G2Gs, period.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">dat's right!
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