May FOTM: SVT Round 2 - mysvtftoy
and the winner:
mysvtftoy
Quote:
|
Focustein and FocalJet This Ford Focus SVT started its journey in April 2004 as #1883 of 1978 made that year. It was one of the last 100 SVTs made. When we initially purchased the car at the end of May 2004, it was planned to be a dual purpose car: part-time track-toy, part-time grocery-getter. By the end of the year, it had racing seats, a welded-in 4-point roll bar, a fire-suppression system and harnesses. My wife never drove it again. Its first visit to the track was in June 2004 (less than month after purchase). It's made 32 visits to our local tracks since then. I've tried to be rational about the process of moving the car forward as a track-oriented street car, but along the way *many* parts have gone on and come off. Some have gone back on. Some new bits are sitting in my office even now pending installation (to replace aftermarket bits that had replaced stock bits). Does it ever end? I *think* I'm getting close. The only thing I'd probably do differently -- if I could turn back the clock -- is that I would have waited on any engine/power mods until I was ready to go with the Powerworks supercharger. The bolt-on parts (short of forced induction) just don't make that much difference for my purposes...until you strap on that big MAHLE part. "Yeah baby, yeah." Over the past three years I've posted countless questions to [FJ] forums and PMs to members regarding suspension setup, tire pressures, splitters, wings, fluids, superchargers, turbos, airbag deletion issues, CF hoods, brake pads, extended lug bolts, spark plugs gap, etc. You name it. The list is nearly infinite. I owe much of what the car has become to the resulting bits of e-advice from the many responding members here -- folks like belacyrf, bri, Byron 3465, COSDEVSVT, FORDSVTPARTS, the late garyk, rheacer, and a host of others. I've also had the good fortune to actually meet a number of quality local [FJ] members. Portland's captain-orange saved my butt at a Mustangs Northwest track day in July 2005 after my car's shift linkage assembly popped apart. The transmission was stuck in second gear. We jacked the car up and he fixed it on the spot (with Dfocusin and McSVT lending moral support). I didn't even miss a session. It was awesome. Another local member made my personal favorite modification. It's a mounting plate that attaches the stock cruise control buttons under my aftermarket steering wheel. Violent_Ed replicated the one he made for himself and installed it in my car the day before a March 2005 Portland track day. We have a great (albeit small) crew of folks up here. To everyone at [FJ]: Thank you.  Keep the shiny side up. Modifications Suspension
Nitto NT01 tires in 205/40-17 on stock 2004 Ford SVT 6-spoke wheels
Focustein at the Track Then (2004) and Now (2007) |
Photos Courtesy of On Sight Productions (Portland International Raceway, April 2007)
Video clip from my first visit to Portland in Sept. 2004: Right click to download (5 MBytes)
More photos, periodic updates, links, etc.: Focustein's page
