Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance My Plans

The stock pistons and rods are perfectly balanced from the factory. If your not racing the engine or moving your rev limiter any higher, run a rebuilt stock bottom end. The overbore won't be worth the money or the performance gain. If you want power, focus on the headwork. A good port and polish with a 3 angle valve job with yield the best results. Titanium valves, valvesprings, locks and retainers are best for high revving race engines that are disassembled alot. On stockers that will be street driven it is best to stay with more durable steel valves, locks and retainers. The titanium ones need to be checked for wear quite frequently due to the material being less durable. The locks will wear and let the retainer pop off of the spring. This lets the valve drop into the cylinder. The springs would make a nice addition though. Cams would help immensely as well. Make sure you get a ported head - one that is flowed or port matched, It is the only way to know that the head is flowing equally on all the cylinders and producing REAL gains. Try to avoid the home done ones, granted there are alot of people out there who know what they are doing, but they don't have the benefit of a flowbench or the ability of actually showing the improved airflow. If done wrong, you can hurt airflow more than help. It doesn't take much to hurt it either.

How do you get over $7000 out of $5825 (check your math)? There is ALOT that you will not need to run at 200hp-

- Most aftermarket built heads will come complete with titanium valve train at the $1500 mark. Not that it is required.
-$400
- A built trans with a LSD is not a requirement at 200hp. It is nice though. It is a bit trickier to launch, but still do-able.
-$1800
- The stock intake manifold is hard to beat and flows WELL over the 300 hp mark. Besides, there isn't anyone out there that actually sells a coveted performance manifold for the ZETEC-contour.
-$400
- The stock radiator is more than enough for even a built Zetec of well over 300 hp. Yet again, would be nice to have though.
-$100
- I would definitely have a chip burned for the combo ESPECIALLY on the DYNO. However, if your combo isn't anything crazy such as a boosted application dyno time shouldn't be anything over an hour or two. I have done some calling around and found that superchips dealers will tune in a combination for about $500 with dyno time included for a boosted applicaton probably less for the n/a one.

I would definitely spend some money on a set of camshafts as they will unlock even MORE power.
$350

For a real $3475 you can safely have 200 hp. Now you might not need some of the other items on the list, but they would be a good idea. 200hp might not sound that great, but throw 75hp of nitrous on there and your playing with stock EVO's and STI's. Besides it will definitely put a smile on your face.

I got 200 hp for under that.

So EVO, I see you list that you have a ported head. Did you have a local shop perform the work? I plan only a mild improvement over stock so will the stock (new) springs & retainers be find with stock cams but a 3 angle valve job and P&P? I want to tell the shop that I take it to exactly what I want. BTW has anyone used the ARP stud kit for the head? There is a used one on ebay that I am thinking about bidding on. I might even think about forking out the cash for a new one since I will bumping the compression.

you must be talking 200 at the crank evo because there are SEVERAL focal jet members with your listed mods and then some that aren't even close to putting down 200whp. TurboTom built an NA zetec that hit slightly over the 200fwhp mark and he spent more than his turbo kit costs.

If you could hit 200fwhp NA on a zetec for $3475 you would be worshipped by all zetec equipped owners.

I ran out of room to list mods done to my car. (i didn't abbreviate) I have not put the car on a dyno, but according to my gtech the car is putting over 180hp to the ground without the nitrous. (it was only off 10 hp when we ran my 5.0 on it and then the dyno)I spent just over $2600 on that combination. But I also put in je pistons and eagle rods. I work part time at a machine shop and do all of my own machine work. So it definitely helps in the money department.

EVO,

Your math isnt any better than mine, my total was close to $6400, and that is pretty close to right.

Go check the FocusSport head package, $2k with cams and cam gears.
this is adyno proven head that is very populaur, no valve train components.

And to get over 200HP, redline needs to be raised, so a titanium valvetrain (or atleast an upgraded valve train) is necessary, stock ones will not visit over 7K and hold out.

The stock intake mnaifols will not flow over 170HP (give or take a few HP) NA. Do some reseach. Focaljet members complain about its dyno proven restriction all the time.

Again, the radiator is undersized for over 200HP, why do you think the SVT ha sa larger one. And the Zetec naturally runs hotter than the Duratec.

And if you want to visit the track at all, the stock diff sucks ass. Stock SVTs can shatter it. Though not necessary, it is recommended. Besides, the clutch and flywheel need to be upgraded, so the trans mught as well be too while its out.

And as pointed out earlier, many Foci owners have almost everything I mentioned and still are just barely getting close to 200 crank HP.
The Zetec is not a NA friendly engine, boost is definately the way to go.

My word isnt gospel, but it only takes about 1 min to find most of this info.

So Evo, based on all the statements here I am going with a stock but rebuilt bottom end and some mild head work. Since you have done this kinda of thing before are you interested in building me a head? I would send you a complete stock head and you ship it back port polished and three angle valve job. No cam work or anything else. What do you think? This wouldn't be for a couple of months most likely. At the very least if your not interested could you give me an idea of what that kind of work would cost less the shipping price? This will help me plan my project better.

And thanks to everyone here.

Just using the numbers you started with. I am running a stock tranny with my stock radiator right now and have no problems other than launching. Yes, you should upgrade most anything under the hood if your going to be building the car. But most people don't have 10 grand to drop into thier car at once. (at least I don't) So you build it piece by piece. Saving up for big upgrades like a head swap or a turbo kit. There are alot of you should's that go along with building a vehicle. But in alot of cases you can make do with what is already there. Just respect the parts that your straining and they will live longer or at least until you can afford to replace them. You can shatter stock differentials with a stock engine if you beat on it.
The focussport head is $1500 with valvetrain in it. If you spend an additional $500 ($150 for the cam gears and $350 for the cams just like in my breakdown) your at $2000 for the head your talking about. I listed everything there, just took the parts off of your list not absolutely required to make 200hp live under the hood.

Alamo Motorsports built a Focus hatch a while back they called the Focus SHO. That particular car pushed 430hp with a stock intake and throttle body (potato chip). Of course they were a restriction at that point. But thier research states that the plastic intake on the 2.0l runs out at 350-360hp. It is not a very desireable intake, but I haven't seen anyone who is producing an aftermarket one that yeilds more numbers other than some one off custom pieces. Who knows what they are good for.