Hey everyone! So this is just my build plan, I currently have a 2017 Focus ST Kona Blue and I absolutely love this car in its stock form but I've always been the type to modify my cars and after spending weeks on this forum reading up on different builds and trying to decide what works for me the best this is my plan so far, feel free to chime in of course.
So I plan on my first couple of mods to be a RMM and short shifter, then possibly a Depo baby beast or Fwerks FMIC. I really can't decide between the two so if anyone has them let me know what you think ! Next of course a Cobb AP but I'm torn between Stratified and Freektune, I've emailed both vendors and they seem great and answered all my questions. Now my biggest decision is should I go WMI or E30, I know the pros and cons of both but just can't make up my mind lol I've very indesivie when it comes to my builds because a part of me wants a street beast and the other wants a fun little hatch with a little power when I need it, anyways that's all I have for now and I would like to hear everyones opinion !
I have used Depo 3.5 since the first batch was made. I am currently running a GTX2971 and soon to be adding Speed Performance Aux fuel kit to reach my 400/400 goal. The intercooler has performed as expected and should be able to supply me with the cooling I need to safely reach my goal. I used it on my stage 3 e30 setup with no issues as well. Car currently has 50k miles on it with this intercooler.
I used Stratified's flash tunes for my tuning on stock turbo as was happy with the numbers. Stratified tends to be safer due to the fact they are making a tune to be used on all cars rather than your specific vehicle but I honestly feel the extra money for a more expensive option can be better spent elsewhere.
However you could look into tuners like Purple Drank (who I use on my big turbo setup) that provide Lifetime tuning. This is a one time fee and regardless of how your vehicle changes or fuel you use down the road, except aux fueling and meth, they will retune the car for free. This is a larger upfront payment but may be worth it depending on your goals. For example, I purchased Stratifieds flash tune for 93 octane ($50) and e30 ($75) as well as 3 updates for my e30 tune (3x$25) for a total cost of $200. Lifetime tunes from tuners like purple drank are $275. So if I continued to update my tunes with Stratified, I would of actually spend more money than the upfront payments of some tuners. Also some tuners limit how many revisions you get before you are required to purchase an upgrade tune.
This is important to keep in mind when you are doing your build. How far do you plan on going? If I got a lifetime tune from the beginning I would of saved myself $200 and also not have to switch tuners when I went BT. I will always recommend Stratified as the best one time cost bang for your buck. They provide excellent power and an excellent price. But they constantly innovate their tunes which creates a desire to upgrade which may cost more money in the end.
When it comes to fueling I used e30. I don't like tuning for a fuel that can go empty during use without me knowing. There are ways around this but didn't seem worth the hassle compared to looking at my gas tank gauge and knowing I need more fuel. The math is easy to that didn't bother me either. I use WMI only for cooling and the cleaning it provides. For actual tuning purposes I prefer e30, but other factors come into play. How close in the nearest e85 station? I literally fill up daily if I am running e30 as I drive a lot. Your MPG significantly decreases if you drive the car hard. You are also putting more strain on your stock fuel pump where methanol runs off its own pump. Each one of these factors needs to be considered and no one can make that decision for you.
I do agree with your approach to upgrade the mounts and to make the car more enjoyable to drive without power. Some things, like the mounts and tires, should be upgraded to make sure the car can safely apply the power. As for the shifter, this is the number one thing, besides the steering wheel, you touch in the car every day. Make sure you enjoy this setup. My build path was very similar, my first mods were a RMM and a cobb shift plate. I also later upgraded the trans, cable and shifter base bushings which created a great shifting experience. Then I went crazy with power.
My only recommendation is to get an intercooler before a tune. Where I live, the Stage 1 tunes are just as fast as the stock tune and a local individual with a stock tuned car with just an intercooler is faster than all of the stage 1 tuned cars. Heat soak just robs too much power from these cars and I feel trying to add more power to a car already producing too much heat, isn't a good idea.
Hope this helps and I am jealous of your color. If it was available when I got mine, I would have hunted one down! Good luck on your build and let me know if you have any more questions.
do what you feel like you will enjoy!! The main thing is to enjoy everything you do to it. 
