Rally Spec Focus Build (56k beware)

[comporange03]

message me, we can work something out

thanks for the kudos plan b

[tophe7d]

I've got my old e-brake cables that I removed. They should still work fine. I used them from the day I brought the car home from the dealer unitl I removed them for my racecar build-up. If you want them, you got them.

PM if interested

My first ever roadrace, I left with the new car intact and ready to run. Well by the time I got home, I was in need of a new front bumper, bumper cover, supports, headlight buckets (flip-up lights) and a good frame straightening shop...

I feel your pain. Hang in there and let me know if you need anything else. I'll see what I can come up with... pending I don't have it saved for when I trash my Focus

Chris

[smokindok]

Originally Posted by COSitsWORTHit

How can we get that blatant black water mark off the photos?! :-)

Buy the photos!

[eshaw]

Sucks to hear about this past rally not turning out so well. So are you going to be at the Rally WV in august?

[BigSandwich]

Yes I will be at Rally WV in August. I will also be running Rally Tennessee in May.

[eshaw]

Awesome! I'll definately see you there.

P.S. Those roads are a blast, we go camping out there pretty much every summer.

[RallyGuy]

Hate to pump another site but you can see some action from Sandblast on YouTube, even our "Bid Sandwich".

[BigSandwich]

Hello Everyone,

Time to bring this thread back from the dead. I have been licking my wounds from Sandblast. Which mainly entails writing big checks to the credit card company and ignoring the focus hoping that if I stop giving it attention it will behave better next time. Well I got off the couch this afternoon and did some work on the car. It was difficult with March Madness going on. But since UNC played last night and my bracket isn't work the bits that were used to create it I decided it was time. Plus my parents called and were pressing me for details on the car.

Well here are the pictures. Some of this is work that I did a few weeks ago and then stopped because it was getting too expensive. Everytime I went out there I seemed to fine another $100 I needed the light on fire.

Notice something odd about this motor mount.


How about now.


I had to build one of these out of some scrap wood laying around the garage. Too bad I gave my Dad his engine hoist back. wouldn't you know it would have helped.


I found the problem with the motor mount. I had to use an easy out to the get the bottom half of the bolt out.


Here is where the mount punched through the cam cover. All the canage at the bottom is right on top of the idler pulley.


The little aluminum lip is supposed to go all the way across. I found all of the pieces down around crank sprocket. Luckily this lip does nothing but add support to the upper cam cover so I will not need to replace this.


Here is the damage to the idler pulley. I gave it a long look and I think I am going to keep using it. At least until I put the FR head and cams on the car.


Here is the damage to the timing belt. It doesn't look like again fo the metal in the belt was damaged just the edge. So I don't really want to put a timing belt on until I replace the head so this is going to stay for now.


Here is the plug that connected to the speed sensor on the transmission. I think this contributed to the early end of my rally. I think what happened here is that the flex pipe came loose and hot exhaust gas was blowing right no this plug and this made is crispy. All of the wires were melted together which I think blew a fuse for the motor thus the no start situation at the rally.


Now for the fun stuff. Here is why the wheels were pointed in the wrong directions. If you look close you can see that the middle one is not only bent in the middle but also right where the rod becomes the ball on the righthand side. I put a new one in there just for the comedy of it.


Here is my solution for the body work on the door. 68 cents worth of washers from lowes and we are all good. Maybe if I get through the next rally without breaking anything I will spring for new door and a professional help.


Check out that body seam. Better than the way it left the factory.


Here is the damage to the rear DMS shock. It arrived at DMS north america on Friday for repairs. Nice thing about DMS is that you can completely rebuild them so this shock is salvagable.


Here is the bumper cover I ripped off trying to get the car back into the garage after the race. Anyone have a bumper cover they aren't using. Color doesn't matter?


And here is the back of the car. Notive that the bumper support, which is what the tow hook was welded too seperated from it mount on the passenger side. and just ripped the studs out of the unibody on the drivers side. I have taken it all appart and it looks like I will be able to remount it to the car would must headache. And I removed the tow hook so this will not happen again. I am going to switch to the using the factory one that part of the unibody.


There should be more updates soon. My goal is for the car to be running by the end of the month. I may put the stock suspension back on it so I can take it too the car wash and get all of the salt off of it.

[jinstall]

Did you need the rear bumper crash pad? i will send it to you if you need it. New in box.

[John B]

Carnage, dude! OuCh!

Hey, I learned something new today. DMS stands for Drummond Motor Sport!

Andy, think you'll get it buttoned up in time for Rally Tennessee?

[BigSandwich]

Originally Posted by jinstall

Did you need the rear bumper crash pad? i will send it to you if you need it. New in box.

Nope that is still intact. Or at least intact enough for my use. All I need is a new skin and the plasitic supports on the sides. Thanks for the offer.

[jinstall]

ever thought about using the trailer hitch from the e-spec focus to use as a tow hook mounting point?

[BigSandwich]

jinstall, do you have pics of said hitch? Also what does it mount to on the chasis?

My current plan is to just put a clevis through the factory tie down points and call it good.

[jinstall]

See where it is dirty? That is where it mounts and sits. Acts as a secondary crash bar. 4 bolts each side. bolt on no drilling.

[jinstall]

Google.de search Ford Focus Anhängerkupplung and you can see several photos of it. Comes in 2 style, fixed and removable hitch.

[BigSandwich]

Another update. But without pics. I can't seem to get an sftp connection to the place that hosts my photos.

My parents came down to visit this weekend and my father and I worked on the rally car most of the day Saturday and then Sunday morning. The results of the work are that I was able to drive the car the work this morning.

Here is a list of what was done:
- Front cover put back on.
- Old motor mount installed. (still broken but not badly enough to cruise around town with.
- Wiring for speed sensor reinstalled.
- New head sheilding added for above wiring.
- New fuse
- New Tie-rods installed
- Installed stock suspension
- Drove the car to the car wash and got it cleaned for the first time since the rally.

We also fixed the rear bumper with pop rivets some sheet metal. I still need to make a couple of struts to support the lower corner of the bumper but this will have to wait until I get the support finished. I found out that the bumper support is made out of hardened steel so it was nearly impossible to drill.

We did an alignment with a tape measure and it drives pretty straight even though the steering wheel is a little crooked. I will post pics as soon as I can.

Cheers,
Andrew

[ZX3autoxtasy]

Sounds great. So are the DMS shocks a definite street no-no?

[COSitsWORTHit]

Well we can all see why rallying is so damn expensive...I would love to do this with my car if/when I become a millionaire then I could buy all the best parts x4 for preemptive strike.

[BigSandwich]

The DMS will work for the street you just have to make one of 2 choices.

1) Run gravel springs with wheel spacers so a stock 16" will clear the spring perch / spring.

2) Run tarmac springs (Which are shorter)

I don't have my tarmac springs yet and I do not own any wheel spacers. The rear would not be a problem but I am still waiting for my damaged shock to be fixed and I did not want to put mis matched shocks on the rear of the car. The above choices do not apply to team dynamics rims and Hankook gravel tires because they are narrower.

Cos: You don't need 4 versions of the best stuff. You just need to keep the nut behind the wheel from hitting things.

[BigSandwich]

Ok time for pictures. UNC finally got their FTP server fixed.

Here is the broken motor mount. I reinstalled it so I could verify that the motor ran. It works well enough that I have been driving the car to work this week. I also purchased some socket head cap screws to replace the studs that came from the factory. This was also a temporary solution but I think I might keep it as I think they are a higher grade than the OEM studs and therefore less likely to fail again.


This is a shot looking up from below the transmission. See the nice heat sheilding that I put over the new plug. And for those that were wondering the 99- 0? Expedition uses that same plug to connect the alternator to the wiring harness. The other thing I have learned is to find the ford dealer in town that carries non motorcraft versions of these plugs. The motorcraft one was around $30 this one was around $7 and the were visually indistinguishable.


Look at that tie rod. Hot damn I had almost forgot what a straight one looks like.


My "new" SVT wheels. Thanks to Adam, the other rufroad motorsports focus for lending these to me. I did purchase 2 more new ones so I have one for every tire.


New couple of shots are of the bumper repair my Dad and I did last weekend. My parents came down to meet our new dog and my Dad helped all day on Saturday and again Sunday morning to get the car back on the road. Thanks Pops.

You will not see this when it is covered in dirt.


This one might be a little more noticable but not too bad for the bumper almost being in 3 pieces right here.


And here is the back side. We used heater duct because it was cheaper than buying plate metal from lowes and it is galvanized so it will never just or any of that other stuff. Total cost of bumper repairs $16.


Here is the running car backed out into the driveway you can see the damage a little better now. I will eventually have to pic up a new door and fender.


And one more shot with my dad in co-driver seat.


As the car sits right now I am still waiting on springs and my repaired shock to come from DMS. And I purchased a couple of poly motormounts from some jetters. I also need to get part of the bumper support welded back together. The good thing is that the car is running and it should be ready to go for Rally Tennessee.

Cheers,
Andrew

[John B]

Yay Dad!!!

Cool pics, Andrew!

Nice work on the bumper!

[COSitsWORTHit]

Awesome!! We have to keep this thread going and get pics of Rally Tennessee. If you can make it out of there without too much damage...hmm...*mindswimingwithideas*

[mikeyboy]

i saw this today and thought of you:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=250102548237

it's for a Class 2 hitch not a Class 1, but what a great tow hook option for the back of your car -- get a trailer hitch package (as someone suggested previously) and insert a receiver with a hook, or an eye attached

[Random]

Looks great man! I just read this whole thread. Keep it up and living out those hobbies!

-Kyle

[P-51]

Jinstall, that trailer hitch you talked about, I tried searching for it like you said but have trouble getting good pics.

I had kinda been looking for something that would work behind my Euro bumper.