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Old 09-20-2011, 11:52 AM   #1 (permalink)
tru
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tru - '05 Ford Focus ZX3
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05' Ford Focus ZX3 Hatchback Aeromods

I havent done much yet but i have seen an improvement in mileage since purchasing a scan gauge and being mindful of my instant fuel consumption. Now more recently i have added some light aeromods to the car and increased fuel economy from 33-34 before the scan gauge to 39 and change after the grill guard and gauge. the commute consists of essentially 15 miles medium city driving and 30 miles of rural highway driving.

Im not saying the grill guard was responsible for the majority of this, i have certainly adjusted my driving style as well as reduced my highway speeds in an effort to save fuel on each trip. but with the addition of the grill i have certainly seen an increase in mileage at the pump.

Since everyone loves pictures here's the vehicle with first grille guard in temporary form (got some weird looks and a lot of questions at work).


Notice the lower partial block is only on one side, originally i had them symmetrical on both left and right. however on my first test run (across the state) i noticed intake and water temps exceeding what i was comfortable with. AIT was reaching 130 before the electric fans would cool the engine bay. So i removed the driver side block which was inline with my air intake, at stop lights on hot days my temps still get into the 120's but will drop quickly at green. I am considering adding more lower blockage in winter.

To this: As you can tell I painted coroplast and secured it with fishing line and some clear tape on the lower grill.



from another angle




Needless to say my girlfriend approves of the new look in comparison to the blue tape before lol


Last edited by tru; 09-20-2011 at 12:00 PM..
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Old 09-20-2011, 06:10 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Nice works on the grill mod.

You seems to do a good job at driving it since I've never done any better than 32 on my 06.
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Old 09-22-2011, 08:24 AM   #3 (permalink)
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I like the clean look of the grill block. With the good fit around the blue oval, it just kind of fades out of sight unless you look for it. Good work!

If you are anything like me, the biggest economy improvement was adjusting the nut behind the wheel.
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Old 09-22-2011, 12:11 PM   #4 (permalink)
tru
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gasstingy View Post
I like the clean look of the grill block. With the good fit around the blue oval, it just kind of fades out of sight unless you look for it. Good work!

If you are anything like me, the biggest economy improvement was adjusting the nut behind the wheel.
Ha, yes and no.

The motivation for purchasing the vehicle was the low mileage in my truck combined with a 90 mile roundtrip commute. when i first got the car i was rough on it in town but tried to keep it under 70 on the hwy which yielded the 34mpg's avg before finding this site. 34 vs 15 made m happy at the time, certainly the driving habits has made a large difference but not as much as one would think.
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Old 09-26-2011, 05:56 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Got the 03 version of the ZX3 and best I've seen this summer is 36 mpg avg...now down to 34 or so. Mine is a California model and I'd guess the fuel mix is more controlled by the rear O2 in order to provide a complete burn in the cat...or so I've heard.

Also mine is an auto.

Will be testing the Volo chip soon.

Here is a pic of a new mod I just finished:



Made of 3/8" sheathing plywood...edges were painted with fiberglass resin and 2 coats of oil based paint put on. Made the mistake of not paying attention to warping...after the sheet is off the stack...they warp. If I had made it so that it warped DOWN...I wouldn't have needed the stiffeners. Drilled 2 holes in the xmember to hold it at back...2 more will be in the plastic lip at front...4 in all. The hole in the middle is for the cat and exhaust...they don't sit down in the hole...just there to keep the heat away from the wood.

I THINK this will be more effective than the lawn edging I had on the front...not to mention that it would never handle the snow. At the back it is at the same height as the lawn edging was. I figure a gradual redirection of the air is better than a blunt forcing of it to the sides.
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Old 09-26-2011, 06:16 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Cool ! Any idea on its weight ?
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Old 09-26-2011, 07:51 PM   #7 (permalink)
tru
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Thats pretty sweet, i crawled under my focus the other day to see how feasible a belly pan was and noticed except for the rear its not "too bad" under the car. I still want to really smooth it out but the rear would probably benefit the most.
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Old 09-27-2011, 04:53 AM   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tru View Post
Thats pretty sweet, i crawled under my focus the other day to see how feasible a belly pan was and noticed except for the rear its not "too bad" under the car. I still want to really smooth it out but the rear would probably benefit the most.
Under the front on mine(style is a little different on the 05?)...the OEM dam is about 5" above the general undercarriage. This area under the engine and trans allows air to directly hit the oil pan and trans pan and assorted "stuff"...likely causing a lot of turbulence to the rear. Once past the engine...things look pretty smooth...except right at the back near the bumper....but the bumper is above the rest of the undercarriage...so it shouldn't catch air much. *After looking at it again...guess things are pretty sloppy in front of the rear axle too.

Might install some kind of deflector in front of the tires on both sides....thinking of angling them so the air is routed out to the sides.

As far as weight...it isn't real light....maybe 15 lbs or so. But unlike plastic it won't deform with heat....and is strong enough to handle snow...etc. 1/4" plywood might work OK...but it's hard to find it with outdoor type glue.

I'm going to close off the upper opening in the front like you did...and maybe some of the lower area temporarily during the winter.

Actually installed it...no issues on a 65F day with the wood getting too hot near the cat and exhaust. It does decrease the ground clearance by maybe 1/2" or so at the back.

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Old 09-28-2011, 09:03 AM   #9 (permalink)
tru
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looks really nice, how did you mount it?
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:25 AM   #10 (permalink)
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At the back you can see the 2 5/16" 18 bolts...the xmember was drilled and tapped for these. The front sits on the air dam lip...but also has two screws holding it just in case.

I used some old paneling to make a pattern. Cardboard was used to shape the wheel well areas...mostly following the plastic liners. Once the back was shaped...I just bolted it up and then traced a line around the front dam...cut it there. Had to trim the bottom of the plastic serpentine belt shield also.

The stiffeners should have been placed a little farther to the front....or even better...should have used the other side and had it warp DOWN. Due to the shape of the lip...the plywood won't sit perfectly on the lip.

The 1/8" paneling fit much better...but the indoor glue would have delaminated fairly quick?

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