.Nickgt40 said:I want to start out by saying thank you. I am still just amazed that I won, the level of competition was crazy and I’m honored to be the owner of this year’s Focus of the Year.
Not to discount anything earned before but this one has been the big goal, the one I have wanted for a long time. Thanks again to those who’ve helped me build the car up to where it is today. Many have become very good friends of mine and FJ is at the heart of that.
So after owning the car for almost 7 years it has come a long way. Let's start this thing back in '05, I bought my car the weekend before senior prom with a whopping 21k miles on the clock. It was a well optioned ZX3 with power everything, 16s, an MTX-75 and was owned by a nurse for her 3 mile commute to the hospital. At that point I had never even driven a car with a stick… thankfully I learned quickly.
I have done quite a lot in this car over the nearly 7 years of ownership. I've off-roaded it out in the desert, I've taken it up and down California's fabled Highway 1, ran over a cow, and I've enjoyed the backseat with a lady or three, and it was my daily driver until March of last year when I got my Liberty.
So unfortunately these are the earliest pictures I still have of the car (computer crashed with the first actual ones).
Woo 4x4!!
![Image]()
![Image]()
This was my first g2g during the summer of '07. I had owned the car just over a year by this point. As you can see I had taken the stock 16" wheels off and replaced them with a set of 17x7 Centerline Storm wheels, plus a few other slight mods. The Anit-FOTB as it was known was in Morro Bay, CA and was where I met most of the NorCal crew (Rachel, Randy, and a few other So.Cal natives made the drive up too) Not too bad for the first year but I had much bigger plans...
On the day after Christmas I decided to wash up the car and take some pictures
![Image]()
The very next day I was driving back to school 4 hours away and this happened:
![Image]()
I hit the lid to one of those Knack or Rigid tool boxes that go across the back of a truck. This was the front wheel, the rear got messed up pretty bad too. Thankfully there was no blowout and the bead held for the remaining 150 miles where my stock wheels were without issue.
I had to really save up since my near brand new wheels were shot so not much changed leading up to FOTB ’08. At this point I had done a bit to the motor, took off the crappy ebay projectors, got some Rota SDRs, and put on an SVT front lip.
![Image]()
Above is the car the day before the show, below is during:
![Image]()
After the show I really caught the modding bug, I was ready to start really putting money into the car to get it where I wanted.
(Pssst.... this is where it starts to get good [giddy])
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
So I decided to buy a set of ST170s and a Euro Grille sometime in 2009, as you can tell combination of a good camera and Euro parts does wonders!! Cut to a year ago, Feb 2010. At this point, I was spending money like a madman! I installed a Collection rear bumper from the UK, switched out the stock seats for some Momos, installed a Kona rack, and I had put Team Dynamics Pro Race 1s on the car as well.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
I found a great deal on some Mk1 RS wheels two months later and the car really began to get noticed, and for good reason.
![Image]()
![Image]()
Now, fast forward to August and it all began to really come together.![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
So I added a Euro collection front bumper, Roush sideskirts, Focus RS wing, painted hatch strip, and SVT mirrors. Not too bad for 4 months, eh?
I started working in Las Vegas helping to build the Cosmopolitan. So my California car was driving to/from LA to Vegas every other week and it racked up miles quickly. Thankfully I had my own garage to keep her nice once I was there. In fact, this was the only period until recently where the car has been garage kept.
![Image]()
A few more parts needed to be installed, so on went the newly powdercoated SVT brake set up and matched valve cover with a few maintenance items.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
I ended up moving to a new job in a new city and that really strapped me for cash, so the modding subsided for a bit while things built up. As I normally did, I amassed a bunch of parts to install all at once, including wheels.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Finally, after trying a few different suspension set ups I ended up with TEIN Super Street coilovers to get the car where I wanted it to sit. Unfortunately one of the RS wheels caught a nail so my 5th different set of Rota SDRs went back on car.
![Image]()
OmniSpeedTuning doing some surgery on Halloween weekend 2011:
![Image]()
A few months later I made a deal with the devil and started the process of me buying the Work Meisters from Jorge.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Another set of wheels and some huge brakes are in the works, more on those within the coming months though.
![Image]()
For now I’ll leave you with the most recent pictures of the car. New tires are coming soon among an ever growing list of mods. Thanks again to everyone involved, I’m so honored and so blessed.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
EXTERIOR:
RS Collections Front Bumper
RS Collections Rear Bumper
SVT Mirrors
Roush Sideskirts
RS Rear Wing
KONA Roof Rack
ST170 Headlights
'98 Euro Upper Grille
Nightshaded Front Signals
Debadged Rear End
Rear Wiper Delete
Color Matched and Smoothed Hatch Strip
Color Matched and Smoothed Handles
Color Matched and Smoothed Moldings
Cosworth Sierra Hood Vents
(not installed)
INTERIOR:
MOMO Airleather Knob
MOMO Front Buckets
MOMO Rear Seat Cover
Intermittent Wipers
SVT Steering Wheel
SVT E-Brake Handle
K.C. Flocked Radio Surround
Me!
ENGINE DRESS-UP:
Powdercoated/Polished Contour Valve Cover
SVT Degas Cover
FocusSport Polished VC Cap
PERFORMANCE:
AEM CAI
Screamin' Demon Coil
Red Live Wires
Lunchbox Delete
Ported Throttle Body
Kent Cam Gears
VF Upper Motor Mounts
Poly Insert Dogbone
SUSPENSION & BRAKES:
TEIN Super Street Coilovers
FSWerks Race Camber Plates
18mm Front Sway
22mm Roush Rear Sway
Prothane Rear Endlinks
FSWerks Lower Front Stress Bar
Rear Camber bolts
Powdercoated Full SVT Brake Swap
WHEELS, TIRES
18x8 42mm Offset Focus RS Wheels
215/35/18 Pirelli PZero Neros
18x8 23mm Offset 2-Piece Work Meister S1
215/35/18 Bridgestone RE760s
18x7 40mm Offset 2 Piece Boyd Coddington Customs
Tires TBD
17x7.5 45mm Offset Rota SDR
215/45/17 Goodyear Eagle F1
17x7 42mm Offset Forged Centerline Storm
(Looking for 2 more of the Centerlines BTW)
Ataru
Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40 - RIDONCULOUS CONTINUOUS UPDATES!!!!
.Nickgt40 said:I want to start out by saying thank you. I am still just amazed that I won, the level of competition was crazy and I’m honored to be the owner of this year’s Focus of the Year.
Not to discount anything earned before but this one has been the big goal, the one I have wanted for a long time. Thanks again to those who’ve helped me build the car up to where it is today. Many have become very good friends of mine and FJ is at the heart of that.
So after owning the car for almost 7 years it has come a long way. Let's start this thing back in '05, I bought my car the weekend before senior prom with a whopping 21k miles on the clock. It was a well optioned ZX3 with power everything, 16s, an MTX-75 and was owned by a nurse for her 3 mile commute to the hospital. At that point I had never even driven a car with a stick… thankfully I learned quickly.
I have done quite a lot in this car over the nearly 7 years of ownership. I've off-roaded it out in the desert, I've taken it up and down California's fabled Highway 1, ran over a cow, and I've enjoyed the backseat with a lady or three, and it was my daily driver until March of last year when I got my Liberty.
So unfortunately these are the earliest pictures I still have of the car (computer crashed with the first actual ones
Woo 4x4!!
![Image]()
![Image]()
This was my first g2g during the summer of '07. I had owned the car just over a year by this point. As you can see I had taken the stock 16" wheels off and replaced them with a set of 17x7 Centerline Storm wheels, plus a few other slight mods. The Anit-FOTB as it was known was in Morro Bay, CA and was where I met most of the NorCal crew (Rachel, Randy, and a few other So.Cal natives made the drive up too) Not too bad for the first year but I had much bigger plans...
On the day after Christmas I decided to wash up the car and take some pictures
![Image]()
The very next day I was driving back to school 4 hours away and this happened:
![Image]()
I hit the lid to one of those Knack or Rigid tool boxes that go across the back of a truck. This was the front wheel, the rear got messed up pretty bad too. Thankfully there was no blowout and the bead held for the remaining 150 miles where my stock wheels were without issue.
I had to really save up since my near brand new wheels were shot so not much changed leading up to FOTB ’08. At this point I had done a bit to the motor, took off the crappy ebay projectors, got some Rota SDRs, and put on an SVT front lip.
![Image]()
Above is the car the day before the show, below is during:
![Image]()
After the show I really caught the modding bug, I was ready to start really putting money into the car to get it where I wanted.
(Pssst.... this is where it starts to get good [giddy])
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
So I decided to buy a set of ST170s and a Euro Grille sometime in 2009, as you can tell combination of a good camera and Euro parts does wonders!! Cut to a year ago, Feb 2010. At this point, I was spending money like a madman! I installed a Collection rear bumper from the UK, switched out the stock seats for some Momos, installed a Kona rack, and I had put Team Dynamics Pro Race 1s on the car as well.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
I found a great deal on some Mk1 RS wheels two months later and the car really began to get noticed, and for good reason.
![Image]()
![Image]()
Now, fast forward to August and it all began to really come together.![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
So I added a Euro collection front bumper, Roush sideskirts, Focus RS wing, painted hatch strip, and SVT mirrors. Not too bad for 4 months, eh?
I started working in Las Vegas helping to build the Cosmopolitan. So my California car was driving to/from LA to Vegas every other week and it racked up miles quickly. Thankfully I had my own garage to keep her nice once I was there. In fact, this was the only period until recently where the car has been garage kept.
![Image]()
A few more parts needed to be installed, so on went the newly powdercoated SVT brake set up and matched valve cover with a few maintenance items.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
I ended up moving to a new job in a new city and that really strapped me for cash, so the modding subsided for a bit while things built up. As I normally did, I amassed a bunch of parts to install all at once, including wheels.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Finally, after trying a few different suspension set ups I ended up with TEIN Super Street coilovers to get the car where I wanted it to sit. Unfortunately one of the RS wheels caught a nail so my 5th different set of Rota SDRs went back on car.
![Image]()
OmniSpeedTuning doing some surgery on Halloween weekend 2011:
![Image]()
A few months later I made a deal with the devil and started the process of me buying the Work Meisters from Jorge.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Another set of wheels and some huge brakes are in the works, more on those within the coming months though.
![Image]()
For now I’ll leave you with the most recent pictures of the car. New tires are coming soon among an ever growing list of mods. Thanks again to everyone involved, I’m so honored and so blessed.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
EXTERIOR:
RS Collections Front Bumper
RS Collections Rear Bumper
SVT Mirrors
Roush Sideskirts
RS Rear Wing
KONA Roof Rack
ST170 Headlights
'98 Euro Upper Grille
Nightshaded Front Signals
Debadged Rear End
Rear Wiper Delete
Color Matched and Smoothed Hatch Strip
Color Matched and Smoothed Handles
Color Matched and Smoothed Moldings
Cosworth Sierra Hood Vents
(not installed)
INTERIOR:
MOMO Airleather Knob
MOMO Front Buckets
MOMO Rear Seat Cover
Intermittent Wipers
SVT Steering Wheel
SVT E-Brake Handle
K.C. Flocked Radio Surround
Me!
ENGINE DRESS-UP:
Powdercoated/Polished Contour Valve Cover
SVT Degas Cover
FocusSport Polished VC Cap
PERFORMANCE:
AEM CAI
Screamin' Demon Coil
Red Live Wires
Lunchbox Delete
Ported Throttle Body
Kent Cam Gears
VF Upper Motor Mounts
Poly Insert Dogbone
SUSPENSION & BRAKES:
TEIN Super Street Coilovers
FSWerks Race Camber Plates
18mm Front Sway
22mm Roush Rear Sway
Prothane Rear Endlinks
FSWerks Lower Front Stress Bar
Rear Camber bolts
Powdercoated Full SVT Brake Swap
WHEELS, TIRES
18x8 42mm Offset Focus RS Wheels
215/35/18 Pirelli PZero Neros
18x8 23mm Offset 2-Piece Work Meister S1
215/35/18 Bridgestone RE760s
18x7 40mm Offset 2 Piece Boyd Coddington Customs
Tires TBD
17x7.5 45mm Offset Rota SDR
215/45/17 Goodyear Eagle F1
17x7 42mm Offset Forged Centerline Storm
(Looking for 2 more of the Centerlines BTW)
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Congratulations, that is a lot time,work,love in that car! You should reshoot with the vette now :evilgrin:
Congratulations, that is a lot time,work,love in that car! You should reshoot with the vette now :evilgrin:
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Goes to show that less is so much more.
Congratulations :wub:
Goes to show that less is so much more.
Congratulations :wub:
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Wow! Congrats Nick! Can't believe how well those Work's fit on a narrow bodied Mk I lol.
Your car is so well conceived and executed!
Wow! Congrats Nick! Can't believe how well those Work's fit on a narrow bodied Mk I lol.
Your car is so well conceived and executed!
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Holy CARP Nick! I just saw this, CONGRATULATIONS MAN!!!!arty:
Extremely well deserved! :thumbup:
Holy CARP Nick! I just saw this, CONGRATULATIONS MAN!!!!
arty:Extremely well deserved! :thumbup:
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
I haz pictures of the first time we meet :wub:
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Congrats buddy.
I haz pictures of the first time we meet :wub:
Congrats buddy.
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Congrats, can't wait to see your car in person. I'm afraid its going to hurt my wallet...
Congrats, can't wait to see your car in person. I'm afraid its going to hurt my wallet...
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Took a few pictures today after prepping for a g2g that's tomorrow.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Thanks again for all of the kind words guys!
Took a few pictures today after prepping for a g2g that's tomorrow.
Thanks again for all of the kind words guys!
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
![Image]()
Oh yeah who's car broke down at the meet yesterday?
Oh yeah who's car broke down at the meet yesterday?
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
:lol:
Can't really help a battery just deciding to take a crap out of the blue, I'm thankful it happened there and not up at the range.
:lol:
Can't really help a battery just deciding to take a crap out of the blue, I'm thankful it happened there and not up at the range.
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
As many of you know, I'm going to be driving my car to Carlisle, PA for the All Ford Nationals (Focus Rising) in a few months. As part of that I'll be setting up a website to take donations for a certain national charity within the coming weeks (name to be released when final details are confirmed).
Hopefully the FJ community will stand behind me in support of a great cause. Donations will be made directly to the charity, will be tax deductable, and every single penny will go towards the cause.
Thanks for your future support guys and gals!!
As many of you know, I'm going to be driving my car to Carlisle, PA for the All Ford Nationals (Focus Rising) in a few months. As part of that I'll be setting up a website to take donations for a certain national charity within the coming weeks (name to be released when final details are confirmed).
Hopefully the FJ community will stand behind me in support of a great cause. Donations will be made directly to the charity, will be tax deductable, and every single penny will go towards the cause.
Thanks for your future support guys and gals!!
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
nick i love your car the most out of all the cars here on [fj] and also i cant wait to see your car in person Congrats Nick!
nick i love your car the most out of all the cars here on [fj] and also i cant wait to see your car in person Congrats Nick!
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
I still can't wait til Boyd comes out to play. Congrats Nick, thats one fine Focus you have there!
I still can't wait til Boyd comes out to play.
Congrats Nick, thats one fine Focus you have there!
Re: Focaljet's 2011 FOCUS OF THE YEAR - Nickgt40
Owen, having seen Boyd in person, I can say he is dead sexy.
Owen, having seen Boyd in person, I can say he is dead sexy.
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