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GB41's '14 OW ST1 build: Fun, Practicality, Subtlety, Budget

44K views 114 replies 21 participants last post by  GrinderBall41 
#1 · (Edited)
Okay folks, this one is going to go slow and steady, and not nearly as much fun as more heavily-funded build threads but I wanted to create a thread to hold myself accountable and track progress in one place.

Back story: I'm 28 and I got married to the most wonderful woman in the world last October. I have always loved hatchbacks, but have always driven coupes because, well, girls are more impressed with coupes. And then I marry a woman who couldn't care less about the type of car I drive... didn't see that coming. Four years ago I bought a '07 G35 coupe (auto). My wife has always hated that car, due to the stiff suspension and the fact that it ate tires for breakfast (staggered setup = no rotating). I decided to sell my G35 in August in order to get some more utility out of my car while still maintaining the fun-to-drive factor. Four doors and FWD (it gets snowy around these parts, although we plan to move to AZ in 2-3 years) contributed to convincing my wife that this would be a practical choice. The ST is my daily driver. So far I love the thing. It's my first manual car and that has been a lot of fun to learn.

The Core Values:
1. Fun. I love driving, and this car is a blast to drive. Anything that can add to that experience is a plus, with the other goals in mind.
2. Practicality. It's a 5 door hatchback Ford at the end of the day. It's great for hauling groceries, hardware, hockey equipment, kids (at some point in the future). I don't want any of my mods to sacrifice that.
3. Subtlety. I would like to maintain a stock-ish look and that "ah, he sold his G35 to get a Focus, what a responsible gentleman" spirit
4. Budget. I'm well aware that there are better purposes for my cash than investing in my commuter car, so I'm looking to keep my mod spending down around $100 per month from Sept '14 forward (after the wheels/tires, which were kind of necessary). With that in mind, I expect this build to take about 3 years. EDIT: For Phase 2 on I have bumped that up to $175 per month, including the $420 overage from Phase 1, as my income has increased and my car deserves a piece of that pie. Will drop that down to $150 per month for Phase 3. I've also added a phase 4 and a "Long Term" phase as I learn more about what I want... which means this is going well beyond 3 years, more like 5. The "Long Term" phase will not be budget restricted, but rather will save money by perfecting this car rather than upgrading to a newer car:)

The Plan:

Phase 1 (Sept '14 - Mar '15):

17" Enkei M52 wheels in Matte Grey DONE

Continental ControlContact Sport All-Season tires 225/50 DONE

Remove Focus Emblem from hatch DONE 9/5/14

Green Filter DONE 9/16/2014
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CMHIR4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4" ST stickers for side skirts DONE 9/20/14
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251567642954?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Rokblokz short mudflaps - black w/ red logo DONE 9/23/14
http://www.rokblokz.com/ford-focus-st-11-14.html

CF/ red vinyl overlays for front and rear ford emblems DONE 9/28/14
http://www.ebay.com/usr/sinclairgraphics

Black/ red vinyl overlay for steering wheel ford emblem DONE 9/26/14
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181398017951?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Cobb Accesport V3 DONE 10/2/14

Plasti-Dip front lip matte black DONE 10/26/14

Hella Optilux yellow foglight bulbs DONE 12/6/14
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002E2WMWG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Boomba 270g shift knob DONE 1/1/15
http://www.edgeautosport.com/manufa...-knob-ford-focus-st-2013-2014-fiesta-st-2014/

Cobb SS Plate DONE 1/3/15 - REMOVED 3/21/15 in favor of Breedt arm
http://www.edgeautosport.com/cobb-tuning-short-shift-plate-ford-focus-st-2013/

Boomba aluminum cable bracket bushings DONE 1/17/15
http://www.edgeautosport.com/manufa...bracket-bushings-red-ford-focus-st-2013-2014/

Custom Vibrant/ Magnaflow CBE DONE 1/30/15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E3VHWI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CCFZZQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XGC4M0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V19PUC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VQY660/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Mountune intake elbow DONE 2/07/15
http://www.mountuneusa.com/mountune-High-Flow-Induction-Hose-Focus-ST-p/2363-ih-blk.htm

Steeda symposer delete DONE 2/07/15
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380927527871?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

COBB AP3 holster (unfortunately mine didn't come with one) DONE 3/08/15
http://www.cobbtuning.com/Accessport-V3-Holster-p/ap3-holster.htm

COBB AP3 vent mount (just for the ball socket/ dovetail piece to fit onto the holster) DONE 3/08/15
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111349435843?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Arkon adjustable suction cup mount for AP3 DONE 3/08/15
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251379284115?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Needless Torque Calibrations Shift Cable Bushing DONE 3/14/15
https://www.facebook.com/groups/944538215556945/

CFM valve cover breather DONE 3/14/15
http://www.c-f-m.com/performancepar...2013-14-Focus-ST-ST250-p3732.htm#.VPeRwyvF-y4

Rocket Science Intake snorkel DONE 3/21/15
http://www.focusst.org/forum/rocket-science/

Breedt quick shift arm DONE 3/21/15
http://breedt-performance-car-parts...archPage=1&searchRank=salesrank&searchSize=12

Panda inlet tube DONE 3/22/15
http://www.pandamotorworks.com/collections/focus-st/products/inlet-tube?variant=1050553008

CP-E Stage 2 RMM DONE 3/22/15
http://www.focusst.org/forum/sold-sold-sold/35327-fs-cp-e-xflex-stage-2-rmm.html


Phase 2 (Apr '15- Feb '16):

Turbosmart 50/50 BPV/BOV DONE 4/18/15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IGWW5UC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Brisk Racing Silver spark plugs (used, 10k miles) DONE 5/3/15 - Removed 7/19/15 in favor of Densos

Modify exhaust to be flush with bumper DONE 5/9/15

Steeda lowering springs DONE 5/16/15
http://www.focusst.org/forum/sold-s...e-downpipe-steeda-lowering-springs-14-st.html

Garageline 15/20 wheel spacers DONE 5/18/15
http://dsautosport.com/shop/garageline-ford-focus-st-wheel-spacers/

Garageline Hood Struts DONE 5/20/15
http://dsautosport.com/shop/garage-line-2013-ford-ford-focus-st-hood-strut-kit/

30% tint DONE 6/3/15

Gloss black roof wrap and sideview mirrors wrap DONE 6/13/15

Black Gurney flap for rear spoiler DONE 6/13/15
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161457965732?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/usr/burtonracing?_trksid=p2047675.l2559


After Hours Fabricators CXRacing FMIC DONE 6/20/15
https://www.facebook.com/afterhoursfabricators

Depo Racing cold side charge pipe DONE 6/20/15
http://www.deporacing.us/shop/ford/ford-focus-st-intercooler-pipe-kit/

Rebel Devil Customs downpipe bracket DONE 7/1/15

Depo Racing Catted Downpipe DONE 7/1/15

Denso ITV22 Sparkplugs DONE 7/19/15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CJ04AK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Breedt IM Spacer DONE 7/19/15
http://www.focusst.org/forum/parts-...-spacer-non-ported-75-shipped.html#post892466

Roush airbox w/ AEM dryflow filter DONE 1/16/16
http://www.roushperformance.com/parts/ROUSH-Replacment-Air-Box-Seal.html
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JHN1W7G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291655572778?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


Replace rear hatch panel and wrap gloss black DONE 1/29/16

Panda Tune DONE 2/4/16


Phase 3 (Feb '16 - Jun '16):

FastMKCParts aluminum shift cable bushings
DONE 2/13/16

Boomba short throw shifter DONE 2/28/16

Boomba aluminum shifter base bushings DONE 2/28/16

Anarchy motive Atlas shift knob DONE 2/28/16

Redline shift boot DONE 2/28/16

Forge Recirc Valve DONE 2/29/16

Mountune Filter DONE 3/17/16

18" Advanti HY Hybris wheels DONE 3/18/16

245/40/18 Michelin Pilot Super Sports DONE 3/18/16

Depo Racing 3.5" intercooler Done 4/12/16

Bilstein B8 shocks/struts and required hardware Done 4/14/16

2013 Eibach Pro Kit Done 4/14/16

Revamped Custom Exhaust Done 5/20/16

ZL1 Rock Guards Done 5/28/16

Stratified E30 flash tune Done 6/27/16



---------------------------------------------------------------------
------- Hiatus as I move to AZ, buy a new house, etc -------
---------------------------------------------------------------------



Phase 4 (Feb '17 - May '18):

K&N Filter and airbox lid Done 2/17/17

TB Performance front traction bar Done 3/20/17

Velossa Tech Bigger Mouth Snorkel Done 4/16/17

Front grill bar delete and DHM Front Crash Bar Done 4/16/17

Massive rear endlinks w/ Eibach rear swaybar Done 8/14/17

Depo Racing hot side charge pipe Done 8/27/17

TB Performance Rear Traction Bar Done 8/28/17

Custom Exhaust pt. 5: Magnaflow 12276 in the midpipe, Magnaflow 10416 in the pre-axle section, rear muffler delete

Rear wiper delete

Paint calipers red

Headlight retrofit

Tial Q Bov on the hotside charge pipe and JBR symposer delete to run vacuum to the BOV



Long Term:
GTX2867r (or GTX2863r??? :serious: http://www.focusst.org/forum/strati...67r-gtx2863r-daily-driver-w-modest-goals.html)

Radium Engineering/ Panda Motorworks Aux Fuel Kit

Maxton Designs v2 front lip - gloss black

Maxton Designs side skirts - gloss black

Maxton Designs wing extension


Re-wrap rear hatch panel in Satin Black

Gel Badges AU black/red Ford badges

Custom satin black Mountune-style side vinyl graphics
(for reference: https://cdn3.volusion.com/rnmwa.rjxsk/v/vspfiles/photos/2363-SS-Color-6.jpg?1394710558 but with a 20" white/red Ford Performance decal in place of the Mountune text)


Big Brake Kit - Brand and Type TBD

Mfactory LSD

ACT lightweight Flywheel

Odyssey PC680 battery and Grimspeed Lightweight Battery Mount Kit


Here's a shot of the car after getting the new wheels/tires put on:

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Ford


I'll be documenting my mods, struggles with installation, etc here. I will also keep a focus on the budget. I want this to grow into a useful guide for people who want to do a modest build without breaking the bank.

As this is truly my first adventure into modding, any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!
 
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1
#2 ·
Welcome to the modding addiction! I've been trying to stick to similar goals with my ST as well. Feel free to check out what I did as I tried to balance being able to DD the ST with a 1 year old in a car seat, and being able to toy around, (on the track of course...) with the ST. Practical Enthusiast's Build
 
#7 ·
Yeah I like them alot. They completely hide brake dust and have a nice, open look that will look even better after I paint the calipers. They look custom without looking flashy, and I haven't heard any feedback... even from my father who hates about 90% of the wheels out there haha. I liked them because they look like the rims from the '07-'08 TL Type-S that I always loved. Kind of wish I had gotten 18" but 17" was the sensible choice. A little extra tire makes the ride a bit smoother and makes me less worried about potholes... Indiana and Illinois are ridiculous with potholes.

First I feel sorry for you in caring what a woman cared what you drove...

Secondly car looks good so far.
Yeah that's no way to live your life. I had a thing for shallow women for a while there. But don't get me wrong I loved my coupes... '94 Celica GT, '04 RSX, '07 G35... all fun cars in their own right. But the ST1 is the perfect car for me. Secondly, thanks! I also removed the Focus badge from the rear hatch and got permanent plates yesterday! Looks much better without the paper temp plate in the back window. No pics yet but I'll get on that soon.
 
#11 ·
#12 · (Edited)
I've gone green!

Pre-install:

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Auto part Hood


So I had read some comments from people in this forum about how tough it is to get the green filter installed, how they can't get the lid back on the air box... no. Changing the air filter in this car is way easier than it was on my G35. Zero problems. I even went ahead and reset the ecu as I have seen described on here, turning the car on and the headlights on and then disconnecting the battery for 10 min. I doubt it made any difference but I figured what the hell... here's a shot of it installed from my crappy phone in bad lighting!



The sound is nice, very subtle. Doubt it makes much if any difference in performace but hey the more airflow the better.

Total cost: $19.96 after $50 Amazon gift card which I redeemed from credit card rewards points.
 
#13 ·
In the process of getting a set of these made in 5" by 2" to fit our front/ rear emblems. It's tough for me because I know how ricey carbon fiber can look but I love carbon fiber. I think these are subtle enough though, and I want to cf wrap the interior trim so this will bring a bit to the outside of the car.

Motor vehicle Grille Vehicle Car Emblem


Ford Emblem Overlay F150 Carbon Fiber Front Rear Set | eBay
 
#17 ·
The problem with CF isn't CF or even 3M DiNoc. It's the Avery checkerboard print that's supposed to look like CF when in reality, it looks like a f-ed up checkerboard.
 
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#21 ·
Some fairly boring updates (patience is a virtue):

My Rokblokz are supposed to be delivered today so I'll try to get those installed tomorrow.

Got the ST decals on the side skirts this weekend. I wasn't sure I would like them but I do. I'll post pics once I get the Rokblokz on.

Still in conversations with Sinclair Graphics about getting the badge overlays made.

I've decided that the Boomba SS plate and cable bracket bushings would make great christmas presents, so I'll drop that hint and save up for a spending spree next spring/ summer. I've got a couple of space heaters that will make my garage sufficiently warm for a winter install of the bracket/bushings.

Just realized there are Cobb AP's on Amazon... so I will be saving up my rewards points until the spring to save a ton of money on that. No sense in adding torque in Chicago winter anyway.
 
#22 ·
I'm blocking Rokz!

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Wheel


Put the short Rokblokz on last night. The fronts take no time at all, but I tried to put the rears on without taking the wheels off. If you put these on your car, do yourself a favor and take the rear wheels off. It may be possible if you have a stubby phillips screwdriver but it sure is a pain. But I'm really happy with them. Nice thick plastic that has just a little bit of give to it but they are quite rigid on the car, meaning they won't flap around at all. The mounting holes are slotted so you can move them in and out. I mounted mine as far in as possible for the most low-profile approach but may end up moving them if I'm still getting some spray on the car. So far, so good though. Which is great because all of the roads between me and Chicago are being resurfaced right now which means plenty of rokz to blok!

Also took a couple of pics of the ST decals I got on ebay (link in first post). I wanted to have a little more red on the car, and I have to say I love the look of these. They have lots of colors to choose from and I went with red and matte black outline. Once I paint the calipers red and put on the cf/red Ford emblems I think it will really pull it together.
Land vehicle Vehicle Alloy wheel Car Wheel
Land vehicle Vehicle Alloy wheel Wheel Tire
 
#25 ·
Ordered my steering wheel badge overlay in matte black/red and Sinclair is sending me the front/rear badge overlays for free in exchange for the free marketing (did I just get my first sponsor?) So I should be putting those on and plasti-dipping the chrome trim on the front and rear badges within the week.

Monthly "Boostin' on a budget" update for September '14: $19 (green filter) + $15 (ST decals) + $72 (Rokblokz) + $10 (Plastidip) + $12 (steering wheel badge overlay) = $128.

$28 dollars over budget so far, but no worries. The only other things I have planned for this year are the Boomba bracket and bushings, which as I mentioned before would make great Christmas presents. Which means I'll have $600 (hopefully) saved up by April to get an APv3 and still have some left over!
 
#26 ·
Got my front/rear emblem decals put on, as well as the emblem decal for the steering wheel, but I don't have a pic of that one.

Tried to plastidip the chrome edge around these but failed miserably. Going to try to remove the emblems, plastidip them, and then stick them back on at some point in the future. May have to wait until spring if the weather doesn't cooperate though.

Anyway here are some shots of the emblem decals. They really came out great, IMO.

Red Motor vehicle Emblem Logo Symbol
Motor vehicle Emblem Vehicle Logo Car
Land vehicle Vehicle Bumper Car Automotive exterior
 
#28 ·
Access: Granted!

So I'm a couple of weeks late on this update but I was able to trade my stock tires + $80 for an AP3. Immediately loaded Stage 1 93oct and wow does it make a difference. Just mounted it in the car yesterday. Realistically, I'll be sitting in stage 1 for a while but even that is a ton of fun.

Vehicle Car Vehicle audio Multimedia Ford
 
#30 ·
Access: Granted!

So I'm a couple of weeks late on this update but I was able to trade my stock tires + $80 for an AP3. Immediately loaded Stage 1 93oct and wow does it make a difference. Just mounted it in the car yesterday. Realistically, I'll be sitting in stage 1 for a while but even that is a ton of fun.

View attachment 71548
Awesome! By far one of my favorite mods to my car. Even on stage 1 with no other mods it makes the car feel completely different. I also like all the decals. I'm usually not one for a lot of stickers and such, but those look good.

I plastidipped the chrome around my badges and it took me a few tries. Wasn't easy. I'm considering buying a second set of emblems (chrome and all) and painting them black. I wouldn't try and remove the emblems as I think you will have to bend the chrome part to get behind it and peel it off.

So far looking good!
 
#29 ·
Nice thread. I saw the ebay stickers on post #1 and went "oh boy I need to see what/how this looks". After seeing those sideskirts, I absolutely love them! I've always disliked how from the side there are no emblems or anything to differentiate the car. I may have to look into those. Very nice!
 
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#33 ·
Ebay gets a bad rap haha. Yeah I wasn't certain how much I would like them but since they were so cheap (I offered him $15 for two and he took it... turns out that was 2 PAIRS so now I have an extra set in case those fade or get damaged) I decided I would take a chance and just remove them if I didn't like them. I was hoping they would look like they came on the car, and I think they do.
 
#31 ·
Thanks! Ive heard the emblem removal can be done with a blowdryer and some fishing line. Im going to try it on the front and if I screw something up ill just order a new emblem. Ill probably leave the rear on since im painting the whole garnish plate on the hatch. I was on the fence about it but now theres a huge scratch on it so that makes my decision easier haha.
 
#32 ·
So we got some strangely spring-like weather in Chicagoland this weekend and I decided to take a stab at painting the front lip matte black. I removed the grill insert (it just snaps in) and cut up some cardboard to put in there to save the intercooler/radiator from overspray. I also masked off everything else... probably too much because the stuff really just rubs off with a dry microfiber cloth. I even got overspray all over my driveway and that rubs off by scuffing your shoe on it.

Paper Automotive exterior Paper product Banknote


And I think it came out pretty nice! Had some imperfect edges on the sides which I cleaned up with an exacto-knife.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Grille

Land vehicle Car Vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior


I think an EZ-lip will complete this look nicely. I also took another stab at painting those pesky chrome edges on the Ford emblems. I could not get them off with fishing line... couldn't even get the line under the thing... so I tried painting it on the car again. It came out pretty crappy but I think with a few more coats I can get it right. More to come there.
 
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