This should be moved into general car chat due to the fact it isnt Ztec specific.

I wount have done M3 mirrors, and would have started with a better engine.

 

Thats funny your list is all things I have been saying for years are worthless (except for my tune of course LOL)

To try to help you some , the jrsc isnt that good of a FI option

Tom

 

I would have spent just a little more and bought an 03 Cobra instead of the SVT Focus

 

Amen! Too bad theyre so expensive, though. I want one so bad!!!

[burnout]

 

^hater



I'd of gone the suspension route first, then do engine mods. As it stands now my suspension is stock with Moog endlinks (like that makes any difference). But all in all where I am right now is where I wanted to be from the start engine wise. Only thing I'd change is the FC header for the SVT one and a bigger exhaust.
I don't have my COP setup installed yet but chances are it was a worthless investment (I got a killer deal I couldn't pass on though).

Oh and the chip. God was that a stupid investment, but at the time there was little support and what there was was expensive and limited.


Far as I've seen the proper order should be suspension, driveline (LSD) then go after the motor. It doesn't take as much money into the motor as it does to support the power and make it work to your advantage.

 

I'd of gone the suspension route first, then do engine mods.

THIS!

The horsepower war is a losing battle. Handling is where it's at—HUGE bang for the buck.

 

lol. i actually got a chance to do it all over again. my first 01 focus i did all bolts ons and fr2's and only putt down 130hp 133tq. then i threw on a FR head with fr3's and put down 150 hp and 150 tq. then i wrecked that car sold all the parts to buy my current 01 focus and i didnt spend any money on mods and just went straight to Turbo. best choice ever. i made lots more power and spent alot less. Now im going bigger and building the motor and plan to make 300+ till i run out of fuel.

 

E X A C T L Y ! ! ! Your a smart guy

Tom

 

i wish i would bought a stock SVT instead of my zx3.
I also wish that when i did buy a SVT that it didnt have a JRSC (thats been causing me grief ever since).
but i do love my zx3 now, i just wish i stuck with modding it for FSP auto-x from the beginning instead of focusing a year and alot of effort on the SVT, when it was completly uncompetative in SM.
I wish that i never bought crappy new wheels. (bought w/tires for 1500, sold for 600). i've learned that used wheels give 100% performance at a fraction of the cost.

i think alot of the post that are/will be in this thread will prove one thing: AS much as you read and try to research before commiting to something, a lot of times you still have to make mistakes to really learn the lesson.

 

i would have just bought a prebuilt rally car!!!

 

me i would do the v-8 conversion and put a badass 302 in it and make a sleeper wagon

 

i would have either got a subie or evo.
or jsut bought a focus shell and tried doing a awd swap or something.
i bought my car cash.

 

I would say...

Not spend almost $400.00 to get the windows tinted (the lifetime warranty is great! [thumbd] whatever...)

 

I would have looked for an svt or a zx-3 with the 2.3l

 

i would of bought cams and a throttle body before buying half a turbo kit thats sitting and not being finished cause im broke but 15.6 isnt bad for cold air exhaust a tune ac delete and no back seats lol

 

i wuldve bought a car that didnt have an effed up exterior, and instead of buying an svt, just bought an 05 zx3 in good condition n turbod it

 

save money to pay car off then boost the hell out of it with a built motor of course

 

Yea, I would have just bought a jeep and lifted it...etc and been happy, but now I end up with 5 vehicals b/c I couldnt buy one to do everything like a jeep. No speeding tickets no stupid mexi honda race drivers, I will never buy a CAR again. Yet its so hard to let the zx3 go...Its just so much easier with one...

 

My first "mod" was the svt suspension. I'm glad I didn't go any stiffer. Since then a cat back, plug wires, and an air filter thing from focus sport plus a centerforce clutch/fidanza flywheel install. It's been fun. A whole lot quicker than stock. It's my daily driver now but next year I plan to buy something new and make the fofo my hobby car. Most likely a 351W install.