Project: The AeroFocus

[slownugly]

Good to see there's still some younger guys with ambition and a head on their shoulders. Keep up the good work!!

Yea it's street legal but I had to squeeze it past emissions the first year. I work at a garage so it wasnt too hard. I know where you are coming from. I'm 24 and lots of what I've learned has come from doing myself. Trial and error. Sometimes it's the best way to learn

[tru]

Originally Posted by HydroJim

The angle aluminum is 2" x 2" x 1/8". I bought it a long time ago from onlinemetals.com for another project and I simply cut my scraps up into 1"
wide strips and drilled a 3/8" hole in the end. I used the mounting hardware from the original side skirts to mount the angle to the car so that I would not have to drill any holes into the car. The mounting hardware consists of plastic anchors that snap into holes in the car which allow for a screw to be screwed into them. similar to dry wall anchors.

hmm, i dont think mine has side skirts like yours may have had... i think my cars sides are part of the sheet metal body

[HydroJim]

Originally Posted by tru

hmm, i dont think mine has side skirts like yours may have had... i think my cars sides are part of the sheet metal body

My car originally had plastic black side skirts that were not part of the car. I removed them and am replacing them with my own custom made ones.

[HydroJim]

The aerofocus on jackstands. hmmmm I wonder why?


The underbody


Belly pan! (work in progress)

[NeilBlanchard]

Jim,

You are maxing out this project as quickly as possible! You should start a fuel log, for sure.

[JRMichler]

Yeah, fuel log. Or all your mods don't count.

[HydroJim]

It'll probably be until christmas until my dad gets home to help me swap my transmission so until then I'm limiting my driving so I don't wear out my current transmission to the point of being non drivable. After that though, I'll be driving regularly so I can log my fuel use.

[arcosine]

U can use a transmission with a 3.42 axle ratio. Using a transaxle with a numerically lower axle ratio will improve mpg of Aerofocus by reducing engine friction. The codes listed below come from the Vehicle Certification Label which is typically attached to the door latch edge on the driver side door.

Originally Posted by arcosine

im, you can research focus transmission gear ratios and find one that is geared up for lower rpms.

Ford Focus Gear Ratios


Transmissions:

Gear Ratios

5-Speed Manual Transmission

1st: 3.42 2nd: 2.14 3rd: 1.45 4th: 1.03 5th: 0.77 Final Drive: 3.82

[HydroJim]

arcosine- Are you saying there is a transmission available that will bolt right up to my engine that will allow for lower cruising RPM's?

Belly pan is almost done!



I still have a few holes to cut out of the front section of the belly pan for the exhaust, oil pan, and oil filter.


Does anybody with belly pan experience have any tips or tricks?
I plan on covering the exhaust tunnel with some sheet metal because I didn't think the coroplast would do well covering that area.

[Gealii]

I haven't done a belly pan hoping on getting out there and starting from the radiator to just behind the tranny this week, but here is an idea can you cut holes in the coro along the exhaust's route. Leaving enough space between the holes to not sacrifice structural integrity but to allow space for the hot air to escape, allowing the coro to stay cooler? Was just kinda thinking about it