2003 Focus SVT EAP $201X Build

Picked this car up out of Cleveland last night. It's a 2003 Focus SVT with the European Appearance Package (EAP) which has the multispoke wheels and best of all, black leather Recaro seats. Car has just over 200k miles and while it has been loved, it has been used almost as an appliance car, so it does need some love. I sold my Miata for 3600, but we really need to replace a few windows at my house, so I devoted 201X to car fund and the other to order some windows to replace myself. I seem to have more fun working on cars with a tight budget for some strange reason, so I figured I would start a 201X build. Will this car ever see Gainsville? Well, maybe. In the mean time, I just want to have fun!

Right now it does have some issues that will need addressed. The clutch is going out, the rear caliper needs replaced due to sticking when the e-brake is engaged, and there is a water leak somewhere causing a musty funk interior smell. Has a rusty driver door that is too far gone for repair (common Focus problem), due for timing belt, needs driver side CV shaft, and some dents on the driver side. I must say that the Recaros are the best stock seat I've ever sat in, and the car drives and behaves extremely well even though I drove it home in 12° weather last night.

Don't expect me to just dive right into this project, because well, it's cold outside! Also, I'm studying for an upcoming test in April, I have a 10-month old, and a baby due in August. So to say the least, time will be hard to come by, but I'm hoping spring will yield some garage time.

To start the budget:

Car purchase: 1300

Remaining: 700

Pictures are from the seller. Thanks for looking! -Scott

Very cool!

IIRC, the SVT head on the Zetec make it's an interference engine. So do not defer that timing belt any longer. I'm slightly jealous, you bought that at a pretty good deal. Good Luck!

Definitely an interference engine. The TB was done around 50k miles ago, so technically it has 10k to go on the conservative side, but it is throwing a code the the VCT (v-taaak). From what I've read online with that code, either the VCT sensor is bad, or the VCT is out of time, which is a somewhat easy fix. The VCT being out of whack doesn't hurt the engine, but does cause a bog from time to time. Either way, I'm going to replace the timing belt and components to be on the safe side and re-time the VCT properly while I'm at it.

always liked these cars. solid buy with the EAPackage!

RossD wrote: IIRC, the SVT head on the Zetec make it's an interference engine. So do not defer that timing belt any longer. I'm slightly jealous, you bought that at a pretty good deal. Good Luck!

I was just telling someone how bad those scare me, but with plenty of them still running around it should be a hell of a car for the money.

Jealous. I keep seeing the twin of that car for sale on the local Craigslist for $3000 with a salvage title.

Isn't there something about the SVT intake manifold that makes it 'easier' to attach individual throttle bodies?

$1300 seems like a screaming good deal. Congrats! Do you think you can do what needs to be done while staying under the $201X cap? Hopefully you can without having to do something drastic like sell those great seats.

In reply to dyintorace:

Don't even joke about selling the Recaro's!!!! I should be able to stay on budget. Suspension was recently refreshed with stock SVT components. I'm not sure on brakes, but the tires are around 60% tread. I will have to see what the specs are on the tires, but I do know they are Toyos.

I'm really torn on if this car actually needs a clutch. The driver CV boot is torn do to the PO running over a deer carcass, and the motor mounts are plain shot. PO said it was the clutch because it releases so high (there is no freeplay or adjustment on the SVT), but the clutch doesn't slip at all. Even with the 5th gear 30mph pedal to the floor, no slippage. What I do have a chatter FEELING, not sound at lower RPMs. I really think the CV dried, and the poor motor mounts have caused the chatter making the PO think the clutch is bad, but I could be wrong.

I'm tempted to replace the cv shaft, motor mounts, fresh trans fluid (motorcraft), new shifter bushings, waterpump,timing components, plugs and wires. Then see how the car holds up. I can get the above for around 300-350 bucks, so if all else fails, I can still get a clutch kit from Rockauto. We'll see after I actually drive it around some more.

4 Tires are budget exempt for the challenge. Beg borrow or steal some r comps, give it an aggressive alignment, make it pretty, and add a 50-75 shot all fast and furiously with a button in 3rd and 4th gear for the drags. Should net you a top 15 finish.

Need parts? Saw this on Craigslist, no affiliation, not mine. http://westmd.craigslist.org/cto/4275949470.html

Those are way more than that in my area too. One in similar condition but with pretty major body damage is the cheapest running one on CL at $3k.

You stole that thing, well done!

the Recaros are the best seats EVAR, but worth more than the car. tough choice for a challenge car, but i'm not selling mine.

check the clutch master cylinder, it's inside the car at the top of the clutch pedal. it's made of plastic, and mine was leaking and behaving strangely. cheap part, easy fix.

the engine mounts are filled with some kind of magic liquid, when the rubber breaks, the stuff leaks out. they still work but at reduced capacity. i'm gonna try filling with a polyurethane compound from Smooth-On.

Well carp. It looks like my budget will get blown in a hurry. After a weekend of filling three different online shopping carts at Central Florida Motorsports, Rock Auto, and Advanced Auto for the cheapest possible combo of needed parts, I'm still around 1100 for everything I think I need. Notice I said think. I know that there will be more associated costs. Besides tires, what items are "budget exempt?"

I'm not too sad, because I'm pretty sure that I will never enter the car in a Challenge. Unless that is, they actually bring one to Summit Point.

NewEdgePerf wrote: Need parts? Saw this on Craigslist, no affiliation, not mine. http://westmd.craigslist.org/cto/4275949470.html

Thanks for the link. Tempting to say the least. A lot of money to be made from that car. At least 2000 in profit to be had if you're patient enough.

Found another one of the car from the PO. This was a while ago when the car was in a lot better shape. It does give me hope of how nice it will be.

Isn't some car maintenance exempt? That's rough if you buy a $500 car and you happen to have to spend $1000 to get it safely running and ready for performance upgrades.

Makes me sad to see it. My brother had an 02 SVTF. He ruined the motor (don't remember how). Bought a used motor without changing the timing belt. Ruined that motor. Gave it to me as a project car and I held onto it for 2 years until I realized I didn't have the time to get it going. I still have a few parts if you're interested.

If you still need a CV boot I've got a better deal. I'm sure I have a pair of SVT axles with CV's etc, low miles. Yours for the cost of shipping from 48025 ZIP

ScreaminE wrote: Found another one of the car from the PO. This was a while ago when the car was in a lot better shape. It does give me hope of how nice it will be.

I had an orange EAP just like the one in the foreground. Fun little car, but I wish 1st was geared to get off the line better. It got totaled with minimal damage to the rear from a tahoe hitting me on the highway. I bought it back and then sold it, the next owner had it fixed up within a few days. Rare little things and it did feel special. You got a smokin deal on yours even needing some work.

And it begins. Finally got some garage time in. My garage is a mess from random E36 M3 my wife needs to throw away, or I need to put in our storage shed after a re-paint. I basically got the car up on jack stands to start prepping to pull the engine/trans. After a lot of looking over, I just figured with all the rusty parts and difficult access parts, things would be easier just to pull the entire engine to clean things up and do the maintenance. Tonight I cut the header bolts, and accidentally cut into the header with the cutoff wheel (doh). I also broke loose the axle nuts and sprayed a lot of PB blaster. Every darn exhaust bolt is the rustiest thing I've ever seen.

I will be buying an engine stand from HF this week, and I have a ton of parts showing up tomorrow and Tuesday. I'd like to pull the engine before the end of the month and push the car outside for some serious engine bay cleaning/wire brushing/painting. It's going to need a lot of elbow grease.

I have a lot of items that would benefit from sand blasting. Would this be too expensive? Are local places pretty cheap for this service?

Hey, our cars look almost identical right now! On jackstands, awaiting parts...

Have you already bought everything? Of course not. There's always something else. I think I'm doing a very similar job (clutch/pressure plate/flywheel/slave cylinder, plus starter motor). I found the best price on the clutch kit (LuK 07-175) on Amazon. For all of the major Ford part purchases, I have bought them from Autonation Ford of White Bear Lake, MN, formerly Tousley Ford. I have been using them for years; they are really dependable and have much better prices than my local dealers. I picked up a few miscellaneous hardware items (clutch retaining bolts), and they were almost twice as much as Tousley.

Use this link to their parts department.

I noticed tonight that my right inner CV joint is torn, so I guess that's getting added to the list. Great.

In reply to Mitchell:

Appreciate the info on the clutch kit. It's still on my list to buy. With free shipping it's around 40 bucks cheaper than RA (which is 100 cheaper than anywhere else). I def. will be hitting up the dealership formally known as Tousley.

Just when I think I've got all the parts I need, I go to the garage and find 5 more things to buy.