Focus SVT buyers guide?

I'm going to look at a cheap SVTF today and I can't locate this article in my library of magazines.

Anyone know where it is?

Any tips from SVTF owners? 125k miles clean title for $2300.

I'll dig through my stash and see if I can find it.

I found a Focus buyer's guide beginning on page 55 of the February 2010 issue.

"Model T for today."

We had this discussion pretty recently

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-focus-svt/104149/page1/

I ended up buying the one referenced in the first post. I've been pretty happy with it, but it's definitely still a Focus at heart.

I can help with what I know from these cars. Theses cars have yet to meet a check engine light they didn't like. Take a code reader. The intake manifold runner control box always goes bad. There are some fixes online. The o2 sensors are always bad. Only replace with genuine Ford units. The engine is interference. Change the timing belt yesterday if it hasn't been done. The SVT head is specific and they are almost non existent. I sell them for over $400 and they sell in a day. Only only use Ford parts for the timing belt. I always heard this and said pfft. The reason is that the aftermarket units are for standard Zetecs only. The SVT timing tensioner is specific and requires twice the spring tension. A non OEM unit will fail. See above regarding cylinder heads.

I really think they handle well, but I hate the gearing and it drives like a car with 90hp instead of the claimed 180. They rattle and kreek. You'll want to replace all suspension components to get it quieter. Parts are hard to come by that's why I part them out.

They're a good car but I just don't love them after driving them for a while. I look at my 2002 as an appliance and not a fun car.

It's a great engine and they do handle really well.

That being said... there are other cars in that price range and category that I would buy before an SVT Focus.

I also think the gearing is weird and I don't like the driver seat position or pedal placement. That's all mostly personal preference so I'd say you gotta drive it.

In reply to BlueInGreen44:

Agreed. I really wanted the SVT to be the perfect car but it isn't.

I've only driven one focus before which was a 2.3 duratec ZX5. I really loved the car except my long legs and the ZX5's short doors made getting in and out a bit wierd. I think the ZX3 should suit me better.

As Scottah said there are a number of SVT specific parts on the engine. I have repaired the intake runner control with a sheet metal screw on a number of cars (the little plastic piece keeps breaking).

I crewed for an SVT endurance racer for 5 years and don't care much for them (always something that needed fixing). But I have a 2001 Focus with the standard Zetec that I bought new and really love the car. If I was looking for another Focus I would be looking for one with the 2.3L Duratec engine. Also gearing on the standard 5 speeds is much better than the 6 speed Getrag in the SVT.

Look for a thermostat leak. The o-rings on these things appear to have short expiration dates. You need to replace the tstat housing not just the o-ring.

Passenger side motor mounts go bad and make the car rattle like crazy. Visual inspection shows nothing, they leak out fluid and stop isolating the vibrations.

The 6 cd changers can be problematic. I think my radio just kicked it yesterday.

Hal has a point about lots of little things needing fixing. But you would have to do a ton of small and big upgrades to a Focus get everything you get with SVT. Sort of a catch 22.

Thanks to The_Jed I found the article in my GRM library. I did pick up this focus for under challenge budget. It is probably the nicest early focus I've seen in a while. It is silver with the bruise colored interior. I'm going to peel off the failing tint and get it cleaned up. I'll get some pictures after a wash. I must say the suspension is really good and I'm sure it could stand some freshening. There is a definite bad motor mount in there (clunk when shifting) and I need to figure out if the rev hang between shifts is normal. I'm going to do the t-belt and water pump just because I have no record of when they were last done.

2002maniac wrote: I need to figure out if the rev hang between shifts is normal.

Yep.

I actually remember reading this line in a Car and Driver comparo more than 10 years ago...

"During gearchanges, the engine hovers at high revs, falling too slowly for fast shifts to be smooth. Are emissions-control elves at work?"

I'm going to try cleaning the MAF and IAC. Hopefully that will make a difference?

Dual mass flywheel. It's normal and I hate it.

Spec sells a lightweight steel flywheel that's reasonably priced. They don't list a weight, but I would think it's between 12-15lbs which should be about right for a daily driver. I really don't like the way super light AL flywheels drive. I'll drive it a while as is and see if I get used to it before I start thinking of dropping the trans for a clutch/flywheel job.

I hated it at first too, but I got used to it. It doesn't bother me nearly enough to bother with dropping the trans.

Yeah it's a catch 22. I hear the Al flywheels chatter like crazy in the SVT. You may be on to something with the Spec unit.

GTwannaB wrote: Look for a thermostat leak. The o-rings on these things appear to have short expiration dates. You need to replace the tstat housing not just the o-ring. Passenger side motor mounts go bad and make the car rattle like crazy. Visual inspection shows nothing, they leak out fluid and stop isolating the vibrations. The 6 cd changers can be problematic. I think my radio just kicked it yesterday. Hal has a point about lots of little things needing fixing. But you would have to do a ton of small and big upgrades to a Focus get everything you get with SVT. Sort of a catch 22.

Changing out all of the motor mounts was transformative.

I have had mine for 10 years now, and it is just shy of 150k very hard miles. I have changed just about everything mentioned in this thread over the years. It has been on its deathbed for the last few months, though. Mine suffered from a few years of frequent overheating due to the aforementioned thermostat housing. I would just add coolant whenever the temp started to move from center. Per an SVT Focus driver from Tousley Ford, I installed a housing from an Escort, which has a different casting, to much better luck.

I always had a problem with a chattery clutch.

Over the last year and a half, I have changed out just about all of the suspension. It felt great until I began dailying an NC MX-5; now the Focus feels big and wallowy. I'm sure that most cars would feel big and wallowy, though.

Do you happen to have a part number for the escort housing?

It's a contour housing, actually. Go to Central Florida Motorsports website. They have it there.

Good call. I could never find the receipt when someone asked me last, so I was going from memory.