After getting my first year of driving a car out of the way (Corsa B 1.4) Ive decided the sensible sleeper route is the way to go rather than boy racer.

So I picked up this X reg Focus Estate TDDi Zetec for just £550!
191,000 on it but its had a new engine in, god knows about the milage but it runs and sounds sweet.

Couple of things with it, the drivers side CV joint is knocking and there is a wheel bearing going on the otherside, apart from that everything is mint!

Slight dent in the tailgate but not too bad, and the driverside headlight adjuster doesnt work, thats it!





So Straight away I fitted a fuel computer and got well stuck in. (Even though I had most of the wiring I didnt have the actual plug! So I had to follow a guide, anyway it all working now!.






Also with it nudging 200,000 miles I gave the intercooler a good clean as it needed it!

 

Nice little project! Love projects like these

 

Thank you! Next is to fix the head lamp adjustment motor, variable wiper and Ghia interior lights!

 

How did you wire the fuel/trip computer in.

 

Is it staying standard?
There great for daily duties...

My old one...

 

Seen this on the internet before when I was looking for insparation, I was going to go down the usual diesel route, Cat back, possibly straight through and a decent remap, Escort cosworth alloys, but I do like the ones on this!

Not too sure what else I could do with it but I know il find somthing

I wired the computer in using a guide, pretty bloody pointless at the moment as the fuel tank sender has decided to read whatever it bloody wants!

Wired the computer in using this http://www.luckyb.pwp.blueyonder.co....too%20comp.pdf

 

With the car having a gammy fuel gauge, reading pretty much whatever it wanted I decided to change it, last thing I wanted was it running out of fuel, being a diesel it can cause allsorts of problems. So 3 days later a present arrived!



So got the car up in the air ready to get the tank out.




Took out the 1 bolt that holds it all in? Drained some of the diesel out which took half an hour to say there was only 9 litres in it!



Finally got it out and swapped the floats over, I test the other one on a multimeter and the readings were all over the place (when there was any) so put the replacement in and put it all back together and it started first time no coughing or farting!




And there we have it a working gauge!



Took about 2 hours to do roughly, so not too bad getting it back in took 5 minutes. Had to replace all the jubalee clips aswell as they had all rotten and wouldnt come out!

 

Nice project, I've got an old diesel mondeo that I run around in, it's done nearly 140k and still runs like new, the older diesels will go on forever if you look after them!

 

Could upgrade the headlights to st170 items, looking good for a car fueled by the devil

 

Right been a bit since ive put anything up, no mayjor changes but a grumbling sound from the rear got my attention!

Diagnosed a gammy wheel bearing so off with the hub and I found this.


Looks like these shoes have been changed in a while! Also One half of the bearing came out which reveled the ball bearings, all covered in grit and dry so I got a new one, along with new shoes all round.

Also turns out the other side was just as bad but the wheel bearing seems okay.


And upon closer inspection!

And half a wheel bearing!

 

Those shoes have seen better days!

 

Right now ive managed to secure a job and get some money, ive started eBaying already!

Wasnt too sure about this one but I fancied getting rid of the standard exhaust tip and swapping it for a twin one, not massive or blingy just so it looked standard fitment. I thought it would of been a bit bigger but I like it!














And my thumb after the grinder slipped!


All in all I think it looks pretty good, not massive and sticking out like a sore thumb (see what I did there ) but it looks 'tidyer' as I intended it to!

 

Looking good, I did the same thing with a grinder a couple of weeks ago, made me say bugger quite a bit!

 

How it didnt bleed I dont know! Did ache a bit!

 

A standard focus Rs tailpipe would look nice...
Twin pipe looks ok...

 

Would be adding a silencer though!

 

Got a bit more stuff done recently.

Got some clear lenses (which are filling with water already!)



Before:


After :

Looks much more modern!

Removed the tow bar also, ive got no need for it and it weighs about 25kg so that was taken off, and for sale £20 if anyone wants it.



Got a second hand Ghia Variable Wiper Switch which went straight in and works!


Fitted!


Also I have a problem of contsantly loosing stuff in the footwells so I ordered some footwell lights which were supposed to be white, they turned up and they were blue... I dont want my car to look 'max power' style but I do like the colour they are so I guess they're staying!


Wiring, just wired it straight to the bulb so it mimics it, fades in and out well!


Finished! They are much brighter to the eye.


New, more modern looking badge turned up!


Before...


Cleaned off....


After!

 

Nice mate i'm tempted to get something like this as a daily, are things like budget coilovers etc available for the estates? Slammed on escos wheels would look great!

 

Escos alloys were what I originally wanted but £500ish for a decent set.

I havent looked at springs yet but im guessing the rear on the estate is differnt, the suspension all round is uprated (from my knowledge of other focus's) It handles are rides very well for a car of its size though I would like it a bit lower.

Ive got my heart set on some Mondeo ST24 4 Spoke alloys, with some spacers it should look pretty good!

 

Looking good, as for your leaking clear side indicators, go to Ford and get some ST170 ones, a couple of years ago they were about 3 quid each.

As for the footwell lights, the majority of Focus's have bulb holders in the footwells, have a look up underneath the dash, you should see a socket poking down, put a sidelight bulb in there, job jobbed.

 

Ive never seen them sockets in the footwells Richie. I wired some lights into our focus for the footwells.

 

Good progress.Your brake shoes looks like the handbrake cable has been adjusted incorrectly.

 

Suspension kits are expensive for the estates, stick with springs if on a budget...

 

Yeah I do need to sort the handbrake cable, im just weary of taking the drums off as the bearings stick badly so its a bit hard to get them off sometimes.

I had a look when I was fitting them to see if there was apower source but I couldnt find any sockets. Even though mines a Zetec trim model it seems to be missing quite a few looms that 'should' be there.

 

Any idea where I could get some that you know of? Ive had a look around but most stuff is stupidly low or stupidly expensive.

 

Looking good mate do you have any more updates?

 

Undo the four hub bolts from behind, the drum complete with hub comes off leaving the backplate and shoes in place and ready to (easily) work on.

I've also got a 1999 TDDI Focus Ghia Hatch, love it and have started a build thread.... computer, suspension refurb, rear disc conversion etc.

 

Shit yeah, didnt even think of that! Thanks haha!

Im after a remap soon for mine, along with turning the boost up a tad, should be hoping for 120bhp!

 

New Shoes have arrived! 195/45/16 rubber, I think it will need lowering slightly now! If anyone knows where to get springs from!

 

Bloody hell it does look high.

 

yeah think you should lower it now it looks a tad high
keep up the good work

 

Been a while since ive done much with it really as im up to my eyes with work, 6 months ago it was a differnt story!

Since the last look its had new pads all round, which required bloody spacers as the ST24 alloys are slightly more offset for my brake pads! Now when its on full lock the steering wheel doesnt return!

I have however had a remap, not off any particular company a mate of mine re wrote the map from a map he already had on the TDDi engine. So far the Fuel economy has gone up from about 45 as an average up to 49! Along with a very healthy difference in power, will spin the wheels in second easily! Its all low down grunt and torque, so much more easy to overtake cars now, and with putting 2 stroke oil in the tank theres no smoke what so ever!

Ive done a couple of mods to the front, including a MK1.5 grill and a set of clear indicators! Looks much more modern and crisp now! I was going to go with an ST170 bumper but I didnt think it would suit the alloys, plus I prefere the pre facelift look!

Before:


After:

I dont know why the left headlamp looks misty! Its not like that!

 

Nothing too much to update, ive got some spring compressors and ive had hassle with my Payroll at work since theyve changed it to Monthly now ive got to wait well over 6 weeks to be bloody paid so I havent spent any money on the car just incase!

Quick nip to halfords today to spray the bump strips and colour code them, I always think black trim on a car makes it look a bit like a lower trim level, I cant take them off as they have positioning holes behind them!




Getting Ready to be rubbed down and primered.


This was the stuff I got from Halfords, 1 can of this, 1 of primer and 1 of lacquer was less than £20! The paint is ever so slightly lighter.


Primered!


I warmed up the cans under the engine bay, then I bloody noticed this! The bolt wasnt even that tight! Gonna have to get another one of them now, this one is shagged anyway, both the boost hose rubber clamps have snapped.


Warming them up under a Halogen Lamp.


Put them back on and there we have it! Probably only took an hour and a half to do including waiting for the primer and paint to dry. Lets hope they stay attached!

 

that looks much better now with the strips colour coded

 

Looking alright

 

The side strips look miles better painted. Them boost hose rubber bobbings always split and come apart. Shit idea. Ive just used nuts and bolts on the tranny connect vans at my work.

 

Get some st headlights and fogs fitted. They totally transform the front end.

 

Mines the older front end, I prefer the pre facelift one.

 

The intercooler concertina hoses are crap.

I replaced mine with Forge ones which are cheaper than the factory ones.

Shameless piccy of mine.


And other pic from years ago when I first got them


I also prefer the pre-facelift front and rear ends, much cleaner and less cluttered. But I also like the amber indicators as well.

 

Now that's clean!!