[Smike]

Saying hello FJ,

Yes, I am one the apparent few that races a Focus. Warning: some of what I have done to the car may make you shutter. If your bag is keeping a car showroom floor pretty - look away. Track cars look good from a far, but take the abuse outright at the track.

Long time racer, had a ZX3 way back. Then an Evo 8 track prepped. Back to the SVTF. On third season with the car. On to the car!

I'll be doing this seasons race prep in a week or so. I'll get current pictures of the car, mods, and interior to show how it all looks.

Pre-Interior Gutting:

The Details:
NASA TTE and SCCA SMF Prepped SVTF

Number 2704 of 4788. One of 589 that are Pitch Black and have a blue interior.



Videos:
http://vimeo.com/14334555
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4t7o0gEcI4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftwb7gU08O8

My season starts at Mid-Ohio in April, May is a charity event in Indianapolis, June is Grattan (MI), maybe Road Atlanta in June too. July back to Mid-Ohio.

Daily Driver:
Custom ordered v6 67B option car

 

[OmniFocus]

Ah, most excellent.

Good to see somebody using the car for something other than shiny parking. :thumbup:

 

[Smike]

Ah, most excellent.

Good to see somebody using the car for something other than shiny parking. :thumbup:

:rock:

I see a nice looking Focus in that in that avatar there.

 

[Boosted_SEL]

Most of us prefer a track use then showroom quality anyways.

Welcome to the Jet.

 

[Smike]

Most of us prefer a track use then showroom quality anyways.

Welcome to the Jet.

Thanks! Actually not too far from you. Well car is. My work covers North America. Home is technically Ohio. But I am from Michigan. So its ingrained in me to hate saying "I live in Ohio."

Some more pictures:

What happens when a 2002 car sees X amount of winters - awesome rust! Power Steering actually failed at a track day. Found the connector to the pump had rusted enough to really weaken the material and it snapped. Luckily off the track. So I did not make a mess for everyone else. Easier fix was to hack in to the line and replace the failed section:

Other rims:

Generally how the car looks off season:

 

[Smike]

Last track car:

And I thought I had a picture of my ZX3 here:

 

[GapBoyPCS]

Welcome to FocalJet

 

[mysvtftoy]

Funny to see this image. Reminds me of a retrofit we did to my car in 2006. Lots of folks complaining about power steering connection failures on their SVTF track cars (most notably the late garyk) so I had my mechanic do a rework to make the whole thing more resilient. Added an adapted AT heat exchanger too. Seems to have held up.

Some pics of our rework in the thread: Link to old thread about our retrofi.

Welcome aboard.

 

[Indecision]

Sweet looking car, I would lose the under drive pulleys and put the stripe on the correct side, haha. But I love to see cars getting romped on.

I just drove through Ohio today... I hate that state too. I'm from central Indiana and was headed back to DC.

 

[6spd_RS]

Hey, welcome!

Where in Ohio do you reside?

Love that you use your SVT properly.

 

[Smike]

Welcome to FocalJet

Thanks!

Funny to see this image. Reminds me of a retrofit we did to my car in 2006. Lots of folks complaining about power steering connection failures on their SVTF track cars (most notably the late garyk) so I had my mechanic do a rework to make the whole thing more resilient. Added an adapted AT heat exchanger too. Seems to have held up.

Some pics of our rework in the thread: Link to old thread about our retrofi.

Welcome aboard.

Ah, I see others have had the same issue of heating the PS. The car has been raced since 2002 with her previous owner. First failure its really had in the PS area was after a track day in OK with ambient temps above 115F. If it fails again in the Midwest season I am going to add a cooler to the system like how I am going to do with the oil cooler.

Sweet looking car, I would lose the under drive pulleys and put the stripe on the correct side, haha. But I love to see cars getting romped on.

I just drove through Ohio today... I hate that state too. I'm from central Indiana and was headed back to DC.

Ha, UDP came on the car. Correct side says you

Only fun parts to that drive is once you get into the mountain regions.

Hey, welcome!

Where in Ohio do you reside?

Love that you use your SVT properly.

About 30 mins south of Cleveland. Not that I've been there much this year. Touring the South at the moment for work.

:rock: Thanks!

 

[old]

So how would you compare the track handling of the Evo vs. Focus?

 

[Smike]

SVTF is more nimble and sharper overall. Ultimate grip was not that far off.

Power, hands down - Evo. Car made 340whp on a Dynojet. First track day in the SVTF had to get used to getting my doors blown off. Before I was the one doing all the passing.

SVTF can go in later into the turns. I late brake like its going out of style. SVTF is about carrying all the speed to can muster. Evo was about ripping out mid-turn with the power and AWD.

 

[OmniFocus]

I would lose the under drive pulleys....

Why? They work well, particularly on a Zetec... they also keep your accessory speeds out of the stratosphere. If you're at high RPM and WOT for long periods, that is a good thing.

 

[Smike]

Correct. Track cars often see the full 7k for a good 20 mins straight.

 

[Indecision]

Ha, UDP came on the car. Correct side says you

More true in series that have a lot of LHD, RHD, and drivers positioned in the center. But they put a stripe above the driver so if there is a wreck the rescue crews know where to go and don't waste time going to the left side of a RHD car. I was just messing with you, but there was some truth to the statement.

Why? They work well, particularly on a Zetec... they also keep your accessory speeds out of the stratosphere. If you're at high RPM and WOT for long periods, that is a good thing.

True, I was thinking street car, not track car.

 

[Smike]

Well, how about that. I'll have to re-watch some old races for that.

 

[bflesher]

Something new every day.

 

[6spd_RS]

I love your avatar, btw.

AKU!!!!!

 

[Smike]

:lol: Thanks

Sadly, retiring this helmet this season. I have a SA10 HJC AR10II now.