I can't afford insurance on anything more than a 1.6 right now.
I know the 1.6 Sigma engine is fragile, I know of one recently that was newer and had less miles that threw a rod.
Every time I put my foot down theres a nag in the back of my head that maybe it could let go.
Not only that the Sigma really isn't a torquey sort of lump, 55mph in 5th on the motorway, sick your foot to pull out and nothing, you have to drop into 4th or sometimes 3rd! When you get above 4k she flies, but under that theres bugger all torque.
I'd love a 1.8 or even a 2.0 but like I said, insurance hates me enough.
I get the feeling that the Zetec engine overall is a much more durable lump and abit more in the way of low down grunt, I don't want the car to be any faster, just want a little more low down.

So how easy would it be to chuck a 1.6 Zetec in to replace a Sigma?
I was having a think about this earlier and I presume the 1.8 Zetec is a Similar engine to the 1.6? So if I was to find a Focus somewhere with a nackered 1.8 and swap the engine loom over, ECU and get all the ancillaries from the 1.8 and stick them on a 1.6 Zetec it would drop in fairly easy? Then just get the ECU remapped to match? I imagine this way would also make it easier to drop in a 1.8 to 2.0 if I wanted to in the future?

Or would there be a way of using the standard 1.6 engine management system and loom on the 1.6 Zetec? I'd have guessed that if there was there would be more people upgrading to Zetecs from Sigmas?

I'm not scared of the mechanical side of swapping over, it's just I'm not really good with engine management systems.

I gather the IB5 will bolt up straight to the 1.6 Zetec too?

Any advice about this is appreciated, even advice how to get more low down torque from the 1.6 too.

Ta, bailes.