Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Possible svt focus 5 door 1 2

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  Jan. 2, 2010 5:35 p.m. ccrelan New Reader

  Hi everyone- My current daily driver is a 91 b13 se-r. The car is in very nice condition given the year car. I have gotten pretty much everything up to snuff on it and have made some improvements. As much as I love the car, it is not is particularly luxurious! The suspension is fairly stiff and it lacks a lot of options newer cars have. I drive a decent amount for work in the nyc area ie. not the best roads.

  I have been on the lookout for something fairly reasonable priced to buy outright for daily driver status. I went and looked at a 03 focus svt 5 door today. I test drove one a long time ago and liked the way it drove. I am a big fan of the hatch especially so in 5 door trim. The car drove well and had maintenance records for the last 2 years. The owner drives a lot for work and put on 50K in those two years. It has 152,000 total now. He hasn't gotten many bites on the car and is about to trade it in if it doesn't go soon. He is basically looking for anything above what he would get in trade. I could get the car for 3,000 or a little above that.

  I didn't notice any issues with the car. This seems like a no lose situation. What say you all?

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  Jan. 2, 2010 5:41 p.m. Carson Dork

  $3000 for a '03 SVT 5 door sounds like an excellent deal.

  Look at the Focus buyer's guide in this month's issue if you're still undecided.

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  Jan. 2, 2010 6:07 p.m. 1966stang New Reader

  Does sound like an excellent idea..and great price...

  Chris

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  Jan. 2, 2010 8:11 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

  Great car for the price. Even if you have to drop a new motor in there, you'll have a great car for years to come.

  "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi.

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  Jan. 2, 2010 9:18 p.m. billy3esq Dork

  Great cars. I miss my '03 3-door. I think it's the best blend of performance/handling that can be had for less than an E36 M3.
  

  If you think an engine replacement may be in your future, you may want to check on the availability of the engines. I'm not sure they're still cheap and plentiful. At one time you could get them in crate form from Ford Motorsports.
  

  New OE shocks (which are pretty darn good) are dirt cheap (<$200 for the set). The car rides very well for a sporty car, but the suspension is slightly travel limited. You may have a little bottoming depending on how fast you want to take those NYC roads.

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  Jan. 2, 2010 9:50 p.m. ccrelan New Reader

  In reply to billy3esq:

  My b13 doesn't have much suspension travel either. It rides is pretty stiff with kyb agx's and hyperco spring combo. I need to try out softer settings on the shocks as the roads around here are full of frost heaves and pot holes.

  The car had regular oil changes with Mobil 1 and drove with plenty of pep so I would be surprised if an engine swap was needed. The water pump was changed out at 128,000. He said the timing belt was done by the dealer prior to him buying it.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 1:54 p.m. billy3esq Dork

  I wouldn't necessarily worry about the engine, there was just a prior comment that brought it up so I thought I'd mention the point about supplies. It may still be a common item at FRPP, I just don't know.
  

  Mine was pretty much bullet proof except for barfing up a power steering high pressure line (a fairly common failure for this car). Since it did failed right after I passed the pit entrance during a track day, the following lap and limp home managed to take the pump with it.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 3:16 p.m. Woody SuperDork

  I saw photos of that car and it looks pretty good for three grand.

  Failure is not disgrace...we prepare for glory by failing until we don't.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 5:08 p.m. Nitroracer Dork

  As long as the high miles don't bother you its a great deal. I've put about 10k on my 03' SVT Euro and its a good solid car, just don't expect it to be a straight line car. I think the acceleration leaves much to be desired, but the suspension, useful hatch form, and reliability are all great.
  

  Things to look for are leaking clutch master cylinders (inside the car), and leaking o-rings on the thermostat housing. I've replaced both of these items in the last month but it cost less than $40.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 6:16 p.m. ccrelan New Reader

  I just made an offer on the car. We'll see how motivated he is to sell it.

  He replaced the thermostat housing two weeks ago so no worries there. I know these cars aren't rocket ships hp wise. I am just looking for a daily driver that is reasonably entertaining to drive with some practicality and conveniences that the sentra lacks. On paper, it sounds like a good idea. Not having car payments is important to me.

  However, I feel like I am almost cheating on se-r. I have a rare, clean, and rust free example that it kills me drive it in this salt. The prices on them are so cheap now. I feel like at some point in time (who knows when??) they have to start going up in value.

  I have bought and sold so many car over the years. It is like an automotive version of ADD. There are a few that I wish I had never sold. With any luck, I can hold onto the sentra for a number of years to come so I don't have to kick myself in the ass.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 6:37 p.m. Datsun1500 Dork

  $3,000 is about what he would get on trade. I hope you did not low ball him too much or he might just trade it in.

  I completely missed the fact that I am now a dork and no one told me.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 7:11 p.m. ccrelan New Reader

  I offered 3 grand and he came back with 3200. I haven't written back yet.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 9:15 p.m. ccrelan New Reader

  We settled on $3100 so I am happy. I haven't come across one cheaper than that by a long shot. I am going to get the car tomorrow night. Pics to come.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 9:38 p.m. Datsun1500 Dork

  That is a lot of bang for the buck. I think you won that one...

  I completely missed the fact that I am now a dork and no one told me.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 9:46 p.m. JohnW Reader

  ccrelan wrote: We settled on $3100 so I am happy. I haven't come across one cheaper than that by a long shot. I am going to get the car tomorrow night. Pics to come.

  I think you did well. And I understand your situation, at least to an extent. I owned a 91 SE-R for more than five years, selling it in 2006. They are great cars and to find a rust free example is certainly a rare thing these days.

  Try to hold on to it if you can. But, if it's any consulation, an SVT Focus was on my short list for next cars I wanted after the Sentra. Unfortunately they were more $$ than I wanted to spend. Needless to say, for $3100 I would have been on it in a heartbeat.

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  Jan. 3, 2010 10:18 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

  last time i looked (about 18 months ago), SVT Foci 5-door was bringing about $6k. under $4k seems pretty unbelievable, so congrats on a nice score!

  if you're gonna be a bear.... be a grizzly bear!

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  Jan. 4, 2010 12:32 a.m. MitchellC Dork

  I have driven my 3-door for about 55k miles; I got it with 31k on the clock.
  

  So far, it has been really good. It handles really well, drives sedately at 80 mph on the highway, and has "perky" acceleration. It also swallows up quite a lot with the seats down. There have been little things that keep it from being perfect, but it's a pretty good value and a really nice car in its class.
  

  Here are some common problems that I have faced: The ignition cylinder wore out; this happens frequently in all Foci from what I hear. There's a temp fix (hit the key with a closed palm), but a new ignition cylinder runs about $100 and takes 5 minutes to fix. One of the seals goes bad in the thermostat housing, causing a slow leak when the engine is cold. My clutch rattled when disengaged at idle; I think it's the throwout bearing (but I haven't done anything about it in 40k miles so it can't be too bad). The throttle response is slow, but I compensate by blipping the throttle before engaging the clutch.
  

  Only once has it not started for me, when the a/c compressor seized up and wouldn't allow the accessories to turn.
  For parts, I highly recommend Tousley Ford. They sell at 10% above cost, and ship quickly.

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  Jan. 4, 2010 8:49 a.m. Hal HalfDork

  MitchellC wrote: The ignition cylinder wore out; this happens frequently in all Foci from what I hear.

  To prevent this problem, make sure the steering wheel is not against the lock stop when turning the key. If the wheel is tight against the stop and you turn the key you are working against the weight of the car on the front wheel with only the key and a little pin in the lock cylinder. Do it too often and the pin breaks!

  MitchellC said:

  One of the seals goes bad in the thermostat housing, causing a slow leak when the engine is cold.

  Looks like that has been done. But the timing belt should have been replaced at 100K. Make sure it has been done and if it hasn't get it done ASAP. If you need to have it done it is a good idea to do the water pump while it is apart also.

  MitchellC said: My clutch rattled when disengaged at idle; I think it's the throwout bearing (but I haven't done anything about it in 40k miles so it can't be too bad).

  The infamous "tractor rattle". Standard equipment on a Focus.

  MitchellC said: The throttle response is slow, but I compensate by blipping the throttle before engaging the clutch.

  Some JB Weld and a dremel will take care of that problem. Search on FocalJet.com for "porting throttle body"

  MitchellC said: For parts, I highly recommend Tousley Ford. They sell at 10% above cost, and ship quickly.

  Excellent recommendation.

  2001 Ford Focus with a little help from Powerworks

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  Jan. 4, 2010 10:10 a.m. ccrelan New Reader

  The owner said that the timing belt was replaced by a dealer before he bought the car. He bought it with 103,000 on 8/08. It now was 153,000 so he put some serious miles on the car in a short amount of time. He replaced the water pump at about 125,000. I have a very detailed listing of all the maintenace he performed by milage since he's owned the car.

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  Jan. 4, 2010 11:18 a.m. dj06482 Reader

  I think you did very well, I've always liked the 5 door SVT Foci...

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  Jan. 4, 2010 12:43 p.m. MrJoshua SuperDork

  I didnt even know the SVT came in 5 door. Hmmmmmmm...........

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  Jan. 4, 2010 1:08 p.m. digdug18 Reader

  i want this..............

  http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2007-Ford-Focus-2-5-Turbo-ST-ST2-5-Door_W0QQitemZ16038350426...

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  Jan. 5, 2010 7:28 a.m. ccrelan New Reader

  I got the car home last night. The only issue I had was the lighting on the instrument cluster. The needles lit up but the back lighting didn't work. I could hardly see how fast I was going. The light adjustment didn't really help much. I haven't heard back from the owner yet and will have to investigate further today.

  Here are some pictures of the car with the snow tires on it.

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/30728763@N05/

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  Jan. 5, 2010 8:31 a.m. dj06482 Reader

  Beautiful car, hopefully you can get the lighting bugs worked out soon!

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  Jan. 5, 2010 3:53 p.m. Nitroracer Dork

  Once you do get the cluster to light up, it won't be as bright as a regular bulb or LED lit cluster. I have trouble seeing mine around dusk because it just can't get bright enough.

  Nice buy. But Im stilling diggin the classic se-r more. I want a B13 again.

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