Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Focus vs. Contour parts observations

I spent the afternoon getting up close and personal with a 2001 focus zx3. I have seen posts time and time again about how focus parts wont work. These are my obsevations soley based against my 99 Mystique

Focus intakes wont clear not true we put my CTA on the focus and the focus had hood clearance problems but clears my hood fine this started me looking harder

Focus headers dont clear the radiator not true in fact my car has 1/4" more clearance to the radiator fans
the only problem is the cat mounting flange in fact the ZX3 has a tube header from the factory (should be a cheap mod and maybe where they get the extra 5 hp and 5ft. lbs.)

Engine to fire wall clearence is the same so why wont the jackson racing supercharger work (got me maybe because the contique is no longer in production and nobody mods them anyway they just buy the svt so why try)
drive belt configuration is the same down to the same part# on the belt We put my udp on the focus and used the same shorter belt I was running.

Pro M makes a 70mm maf so I put his stock maf on my car (six wire conection)it ran ok for 5 mins (we were in a hurry) The throttle body was different the focus has a plastic one slightly different configureation but mines atx focus mtx. Coud be worth further investigation.

HMS turbo fits both cars coicidence I think not Please let me know if I'm wrong on that one Terry

As I said these observations are based soley between my car and this ZX3 but it seems to me that there are a whole lot of focus paarts out there that I could be using
I'm not saying they will work for you but if you have a local speed shop that will let you go in the parking lot and match parts to see if they look like they'll work you may be supprised

The Focus is going to try for 15's this evening at the track I think he'll get there

first off look closer at the TB location... it is sitting closer to the driver side than it is on the contiques.... then take off your TB and the one on the focus and you will see more differences... then goto a dealership and do the same to one with the opposite type of trans as the one your friends has if he has a MTX go look at a ATX and you will see more differences there.

Still, this forces us to ask the question: who really made sure that Focus headers don't fit?

AS it has been said a million times before NOBODY has every tried it.... if you want to go for it... but you best make sure whoever you buy it from will allow you to return them if they don't fit.

WERD.

Well I tried workin with a short ram CAI system from Ractive for a 99+ focus and well it works awesome as long as you modify the AIT sensor a bit and do not reset your comp..

for some odd reason when i reset my computer it made me have a huuuuuuuge lull from 3500 on till peak, so if you modify the intake to make you AIT sensor fit and dont reset your comp I think you may be fine, but my car is also a 95 so i have the OBD I, so I cant say much for the OBD II..

Ohh, here are a few pics of it unfinished without the AIT sensor in it yet.....



and another one...

Looks like you have more clearance than I did with the CTA. I sold the cta and udp because I am thinking of trading this car to get one of the last Camaro's but the focus started me thinking?
Joe there was sombody up here a while back running a jba focus header with a steel plate type adaptor for the cat dont remember who. they had a problem with welds breaking on the header and pulled it off after the third broken weld. I tried the zx2 jba but it exited right above the A/C Compressor and would have required alot of exhaust work and a cat under the car. If I dont trade the car The dude with the focus is talking about getting a header in a couple of weeks if he does and I dont trade I'll get his stock one and do some R&D on it. If not the pacsetter is cheap I would be willing to put some bucks up and try it and let you know.
Face it no one is going to make parts for our cars there just isn't the market for mass produced parts. Also I havent checked out other contours I just based this on my 99 VCT

That doesn't make sense

The computer will learn the differences over time anyway and trim the a/f whether you want it to or not. The fact that you do or don't reset your computer simply speeds up the process.

And what exactly are you modifying on the IAT sensor?

hey if one of you guys will buy it my Stique can be the lab rat....

has anyone thought about "trying" to find a salaved Focus SVT engine and putting it in one of our cars?

but hell if you'll do that go ahead and do a Tour SVT swap.
unless you like the 4 banger...

later
MP