New guy here, yet to buy a Focus!

[FunnyDano]

Hey all! I registered here so I could pick your brains....I'm looking at a 2003 SVT Focus 4-door hatchback with 56K on 'er....it does not have the winter package (which would be nice living in MN, but either way) the price they're asking is $9965...which I guess might be a little high, but I am looking at trading in my Scion tC...so i'm hoping for some room to work there.

So basically i'm asking, what I should look for, what to look out for, and whatnot??!

All comments, opinions, advice, or whatnot is all welcome and greatly appreciated!

Thanks
FunnyDano

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Originally Posted by FunnyDano

Hey all! I registered here so I could pick your brains....I'm looking at a 2003 SVT Focus 4-door hatchback with 56K on 'er....it does not have the winter package (which would be nice living in MN, but either way) the price they're asking is $9965...which I guess might be a little high, but I am looking at trading in my Scion tC...so i'm hoping for some room to work there.

So basically i'm asking, what I should look for, what to look out for, and whatnot??!

All comments, opinions, advice, or whatnot is all welcome and greatly appreciated!

Thanks
FunnyDano

Where is the car? I'm in White Bear Lake myself

$9965 is way high.

Welcome to the Jet, check out MNFOCUS when you get a chance.

[pablo]

Welcome to [FJ]

$9900 is way too high, don't care what the mileage is. Is this a dealer or individual? [or did I miss that ]

Start below $8000 and go from there.

[Lancer211]

Does it include EAP?

[lightning2nd]

welcome

[frdfocszx3]

Welcome to the jet. I'm with everyone on the price. Too high.

[FunnyDano]

Alright guys, and FORDSVTPARTS...it is at a dealer...Luther Westside Volkswagen, and the deal is....I still owe just over $10K on my Scion tC....but my wife and I are looking to upgrade to a 4-door. I came across this on carsoup.com...thinking, nice a 4-door that could be a lot of fun to drive (a friend of mine used to have a 2-door SVTF, and FORDSVTPARTS, I know a mechanic at Tousley through this friend...the mechanic owns a yellow S/R) anyway...I used to have a 99 ZX2, had some fun with that (rims,tires,cai,exhaust)....ok ok...i could blab away...to get to the point....

My wife and I are trying to keep to the same payment number...so that makes it so we're stuck at a car that's approx $10-$11K maybe $12 at the most.....

And now I'm finding out that it might be a little tough to get a loan on an 03, considering that it's 6 going on 7 years old....but like I said, I was trying to get ideas from you guys...and make sure i'm not making some monster mistake...

Thanks again
Dano

[GapBoyPCS]

Unless you sell privately, I doubt you'll get the money you owe on the loan from the sale of your Scion. But it depends on how much used Scion tC's are going in the marketplace. I'd avoid getting upside down i.e. buying this SVTF and then still owing money on whatever you lose on the sale of the Scion.

The other things to keep in mind are this:
- premium gas needed to run the SVTF
- having to deal with some necessary repairs due to its age/mileage (like timing belt and clutch)
- Since the car is an 03, and we're getting into 2010, I'd start to be concerned about the ability of finding repair parts. I'm sure Steve can help find parts, but I'm hearing that some items are now getting harder to come by, and most OEM parts on any car start getting phased out after 7 model years.

[FunnyDano]

Originally Posted by GapBoyPCS

Unless you sell privately, I doubt you'll get the money you owe on the loan from the sale of your Scion. But it depends on how much used Scion tC's are going in the marketplace. I'd avoid getting upside down i.e. buying this SVTF and then still owing money on whatever you lose on the sale of the Scion.

The other things to keep in mind are this:
- premium gas needed to run the SVTF
- having to deal with some necessary repairs due to its age/mileage (like timing belt and clutch)
- Since the car is an 03, and we're getting into 2010, I'd start to be concerned about the ability of finding repair parts. I'm sure Steve can help find parts, but I'm hearing that some items are now getting harder to come by, and most OEM parts on any car start getting phased out after 7 model years.

Thanks, I didn't know about the premium gas...but as far as going upside down, I think i'm in that boat no matter what I get....but you guys have helped me tremendously....I think I might just stick with my original idea, and get a big roomy car like a Dodge Magnum or Chrysler 300....being that i'm 6'3" and north of 300 lbs...and my wife and I and at least 1 kid if not 2...with all the crap that goes with that....I suppose it might get kinda tight in the focus....just thought it would be fun..LOL

Thanks again
Dano

[IowaSVT]

i payed 10 for mine back in April, but mine only had 35000 miles on her. I had to buy it at 10, i had no negotiating room

[20focus03]

damn 10 k is steep.i would have left right away,9 times out of 10 they make up some bs about having to ask there manager then come back with a lower price

[Zoomer69]

I wouldn't even consider this price if the car spent any time exposed to road salt. I'd start warming up to it if it was under 50,000 miles and from a southern state (or garaged in the winters). Even then, I wouldn't pay more than $9000 for it.

What I'd look at instead is a Mazda 3s. It's newer, it comes stock with a stronger engine (and plenty more power with bolt-ons), it has most of the handling of the SVT Focus, and IMHO it has a better interior.

Bonus - it's based on a better platform - the same platform the current European Focus is, as well as the C30 and S40 Volvos.

[Lancer211]

Originally Posted by Zoomer69

I wouldn't even consider this price if the car spent any time exposed to road salt. I'd start warming up to it if it was under 50,000 miles and from a southern state (or garaged in the winters). Even then, I wouldn't pay more than $9000 for it.

What I'd look at instead is a Mazda 3s. It's newer, it comes stock with a stronger engine (and plenty more power with bolt-ons), it has most of the handling of the SVT Focus, and IMHO it has a better interior.

Bonus - it's based on a better platform - the same platform the current European Focus is, as well as the C30 and S40 Volvos.

Unless you're talking the Mazdaspeed 3, the Mazda 3 doesn't have a stronger engine than the SVT Focus.

Current gen Mazda 3 should give us an idea what the 2010 Focus should feel like. (Same platform)

[GapBoyPCS]

Originally Posted by Lancer211

Unless you're talking the Mazdaspeed 3, the Mazda 3 doesn't have a stronger engine than the SVT Focus.

Current gen Mazda 3 should give us an idea what the 2010 Focus should feel like. (Same platform)

I think he's referring to the Duratec engine platform being stronger than the SVT Zetec platform.

[Lancer211]

Originally Posted by GapBoyPCS

I think he's referring to the Duratec engine platform being stronger than the SVT Zetec platform.

That's two different statements. He mentions the engine being "stronger" than the SVT, and THEN mentions the platform. The NA Focus is on an older platform until 2010. The European Focus is already on the same platform as the Volvos and the Mazda 3.

IIRC the Euro Focus is on the C1 platform, while the NA Focus still uses the C170.

[GapBoyPCS]

Originally Posted by Lancer211

That's two different statements. He mentions the engine being "stronger" than the SVT, and THEN mentions the platform. The NA Focus is on an older platform until 2010. The European Focus is already on the same platform as the Volvos and the Mazda 3.

IIRC the Euro Focus is on the C1 platform, while the NA Focus still uses the C170.

It's all in how the term "platform" is used I was using the term "platform" to refer to the engine, not the entire vehicle.

[Zoomer69]

I was using the term "platform" to refer to the chassis, not the engine.

My "stronger motor" comment might be a bit of a stretch - the SVT Focus motor wins on horsepower, but the 3s motor wins on torque, and it drags the roughly 150lb-heaver 3s to virtually identical 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, according to Car & Driver. That would qualify as "stronger" to me.

[Lancer211]

Originally Posted by Zoomer69

I was using the term "platform" to refer to the chassis, not the engine.

My "stronger motor" comment might be a bit of a stretch - the SVT Focus motor wins on horsepower, but the 3s motor wins on torque, and it drags the roughly 150lb-heaver 3s to virtually identical 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, according to Car & Driver. That would qualify as "stronger" to me.

Fair 'nuff.