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Old 10-28-2014, 04:53 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Definitely looks good.

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Old 10-28-2014, 04:55 PM   #12 (permalink)
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Beater Echo - '00 Toyota Echo
90 day: 42.67 mpg (US)

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I always liked the looks of these focus wagons, heck of a score finding a manual! I had a Focus, but it was an SVT hatch. It was hopeless for FE. Duratec should be a high 30s capable engine.
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Old 10-28-2014, 05:52 PM   #13 (permalink)
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Chorizo - '00 Honda Civic HX, baby! :D
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I enjoyed driving Dad's SFE. It was the complicated automatic, but the dash said 50 MPG when I started driving it.
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Old 10-28-2014, 09:33 PM   #14 (permalink)
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The New Focus - '07 Ford Focus ZX5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
I like the look.

Roof racks! :P
lol I know you hate roof racks but rest easy knowing that the cross bars are in the cargo area and not hanging out up top doing nothing

I'm torn on deleting the roof rack entirely. On the one hand it can help MPG and isn't needed probably 95% of the time. I've been driving for 13 years and never needed to put anything on the roof. On the other hand, I'm sure that I'll run into some issue where I REALLY need a roof rack and will wish I didn't delete it. Plus, I'd have to fill the holes in the roof; apparently Ford used Riv-Nuts on the roof so I guess I could just put a bolt in with some RTV in the threads to seal them but they also have a reputation for spinning in place when trying to remove the bolts. I don't know what to do but if/when I paint the car I'm gonna have to decide if I want to pull it to paint it or just mask around them. If I pull it, I'll probably just leave it off...

I'm still getting used to this car, and need to start looking in to a cut off switch; no injector fuse to hack a switch in, so I need to take a look at the wiring and see where I can interrupt it. I'm still working my way up to all the shut down spots I used to use with the Saturn as I don't want to start pushing my luck with the starter and ignition switch just yet.

I really miss my vacuum gauge, the scan gauge just isn't as fast or easy to read. Once I find a good source and spot I like for it I'll install it on this car but I never realized how much I used it before.
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2007 Ford Focus ZX5 - 91k - SGII, pending upper and lower grill bocks - auto trans
1987 Monte Carlo SS - 5.3/4L80E swap - 13.67 @ 106
2007 Ford Focus Estate - 230k - 33mpg - Retired 4/2018
1995 Saturn SL2 - 256K miles - 44mpg - Retired 9/2014

Cost to Operate Spreadsheet for "The New Focus"

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Old 11-19-2014, 09:31 PM   #15 (permalink)
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The New Focus - '07 Ford Focus ZX5
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Small update. We have had some cold weather here the past couple of days with 30degree days. Using my scangauge I'm seeing that my intake temps do not change as I drive. I make note of the temp when I start the car just to see how cold it is out, and have noticed that it stays there, or, if I'm lucky, it will go up 2 degrees. I'm thinking this is going to hurt my MPG all winter long and am trying to think of a way to warm up the air. The Duratec has the intake at the front of the car and exhaust close to the firewall; this might not be an issue except that all the emissions and PZEV "junk" is occupying the space that I would use to wrap a snorkel around the engine and pull hot air off the exhaust manifold. Many Focus owners have noted warmer intake temps and unconfirmed MPG gains from using a short ram intake with cone filter; I'm thinking about testing the "redneck" short ram but first I need to get a MAF tube off another Focus to hack up.

In other news, I plan on removing the roof rack side rails over Thanksgiving weekend, so hopefully that will cancel out what losses I might be seeing from winter temps...
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2007 Ford Focus ZX5 - 91k - SGII, pending upper and lower grill bocks - auto trans
1987 Monte Carlo SS - 5.3/4L80E swap - 13.67 @ 106
2007 Ford Focus Estate - 230k - 33mpg - Retired 4/2018
1995 Saturn SL2 - 256K miles - 44mpg - Retired 9/2014

Cost to Operate Spreadsheet for "The New Focus"

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Old 12-17-2014, 10:33 PM   #16 (permalink)
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The New Focus - '07 Ford Focus ZX5
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Another update: Roof rack side rails are still on but will probably be removed over Christmas break. When I got the car I did an oil change using M1 5-40 diesel oil that I had laying around. Today I changed it again and put in the recommended Motorcraft 5-20. We'll see if I get a small MPG bump. Unfortunately, during the change, I noticed that the oil pan is stripped. The plug is holding but not well enough for my liking so I'm exploring options for fixing it. My mechanic friends recommend using "time-serts" but the $120 price tag has me second guessing how "right" this fix needs to be.
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-Mike

2007 Ford Focus ZX5 - 91k - SGII, pending upper and lower grill bocks - auto trans
1987 Monte Carlo SS - 5.3/4L80E swap - 13.67 @ 106
2007 Ford Focus Estate - 230k - 33mpg - Retired 4/2018
1995 Saturn SL2 - 256K miles - 44mpg - Retired 9/2014

Cost to Operate Spreadsheet for "The New Focus"

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Old 12-18-2014, 12:30 AM   #17 (permalink)
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Beater Echo - '00 Toyota Echo
90 day: 42.67 mpg (US)

Hondizzle - '97 Honda Civic DX
Team Honda
90 day: 46.55 mpg (US)

Shaggin Waggin - '14 Chrysler Town + Country
90 day: 22.56 mpg (US)
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Get an oversize drain plug. Pretty easily available, they will cut their own new threads. They are pretty effective, I have had one on my Mustang for a dozen years. They are sold as just "oversize", eg. If your factory drain plug is a 1/2"x20 thread, you'll find one marked '1/2"x20 oversize' right next to it.
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Old 12-18-2014, 12:43 PM   #18 (permalink)
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I had a Focus ZX3 5sp. for a number of years. I loved that car; put 110,000+ on it and sold it with 199,xxxmi showing (should have held on to it long enough to roll over 200k! ). The guy I sold it to still has it and drives it daily. It was rock solid and drove like new.
Some things I noticed with it: winter KILLED mpg's. For some reason all my Ford's have suffered with unusually severity at temps below about 35deg. It was a battle all the way up until I sold it to minimize that loss but nothing seemed to help very much. A WAI was worth .5-1mpg in the cold, at best.

My biggest mpg gain came from dumping the factory exhaust manifold/cat combo and running an SVT full length header. That swap was worth a solid 1-1.5mpg (though obviously had legal issues). This was on a 'Zetec' engine though.

The lack of gearing options was infuriating. The car desperately needed a taller final drive but LOT'S of searching came up with nothing but SHORTER ratios.

Despite my best efforts 36-37mpg was the best I could consistently average during my commute. My Saturn bested that without even trying.

I still miss my ZX though. It was a fun car with a phenomenal chassis. Some basic suspension upgrades made that car SHINE on a twisty road.
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Old 12-18-2014, 09:54 PM   #19 (permalink)
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The New Focus - '07 Ford Focus ZX5
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Good tips Chaos, unfortunately I have everything keeping me from doing any of those upgrades. Mine is PZEV with 3 O2 sensor manifold/cat system that I believe is not upgrade friendly. Focus wagons have a different rear suspension and because of that there are about NO suspension options. I could use front stuff from other Foci but 05-07 have much less choices than the 00-04 cars. Apparently Ford decided for 05 that the front struts and springs should be slightly different from previous years. Pretty sure I'm going to cut the springs this coming summer.

I still want to try the DIY short ram to try and pull in warmer air and test if does actually get better MPG. Been dreaming up a kam back/box cavity like Donkey CRX did to the Mule VX but I just found a thread saying that the wagons have better aero than the hatches and makes me wonder if a kam would help. I'll find it and link it....
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2007 Ford Focus ZX5 - 91k - SGII, pending upper and lower grill bocks - auto trans
1987 Monte Carlo SS - 5.3/4L80E swap - 13.67 @ 106
2007 Ford Focus Estate - 230k - 33mpg - Retired 4/2018
1995 Saturn SL2 - 256K miles - 44mpg - Retired 9/2014

Cost to Operate Spreadsheet for "The New Focus"

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Old 12-18-2014, 10:01 PM   #20 (permalink)
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The New Focus - '07 Ford Focus ZX5
90 day: 32.44 mpg (US)
Thanks: 142
Thanked 205 Times in 149 Posts
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...5-a-22779.html

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-Mike

2007 Ford Focus ZX5 - 91k - SGII, pending upper and lower grill bocks - auto trans
1987 Monte Carlo SS - 5.3/4L80E swap - 13.67 @ 106
2007 Ford Focus Estate - 230k - 33mpg - Retired 4/2018
1995 Saturn SL2 - 256K miles - 44mpg - Retired 9/2014

Cost to Operate Spreadsheet for "The New Focus"

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