This video is just as important, and informative, and impressive as your "working your ass off" videos. To adapt a saying, "measure twice, cut once." Better to brainstorm and game plan now, than have to return or remove something that doesn't work. Personally, I think the cage is the most important purchase. The other fabrications seem WAY easier and less costly. Also, the cage might save your working your ass off ass. PS - Good to see you smiling.
I'm so happy to see Charlie back!!! Excited for this project and look forward to Future updates!!! It is really nice to hear the thought process behind the builds as well.
Engineering is 80% planning; this is a planning video. Nice work, Sarah! Charlie seems like a nice person to consult with, knowledgeable and doesn't talk down to you.
For the roof just cut out a big area and rivet in a polycarbonate panel. I did the same on my racecar, works great and you save a lot of weight. Keep up the good work!
I had one for four years, loved it. It was to much fun,. Took corners to fast. Damn leaves. The seat airbag almost knocked my fried out. Focus fanatics was a great forum/community,. Haven't experienced anything like it since.
If you have gotten back together with Charlie, I'm very happy if your happy. If not, its nice that you can still be friends. God knows there are plenty of ex's that would just as soon kill each other as look at each other.
Once again your build prowess has us salivating on Sir Cosworth and Charlie is a plus as I think your long time viewers have missed him in your vids/builds. Lately you may have been feeling ill but it seems that your soul is now more excited. Continue following you gut and you will be fine.
I think it's awesome that you're looking for shop space and that Charlie's willing to partner up with you on that. Good luck and I hope you find something affordable soon. That's a good first step into making your videos even better.
Nice to see Charlie back. Like the brainstorming coming up with a plan, spend money on the safety and budget on the parts that can be changed later. Makes it more attainable to anyone else watching who wants to have a go. Good luck hunting for a shop.
You've done the right thing by discussing what you need to do with the car. You've also got a great helping hand in Charlie. I'd probably start with looking at the right tyre as well.
Definitely do a rectangular rock-slider tied into the chassis and remove the side skirts not only for door protection but it gives a useful lift point down the whole side of the car don’t forget you will need recovery points as well. Always nice seeing Charlie in a video it’s just like the old days
Charlie has many good, sound ideas. Definitely glad that he’s happy to help you with fabrication. All those braces and gussets add useful strength to existing components without costing a packet. Hope you are enjoying better health & stay happy 👍🏻
It's good you got Charlie involved in this. His fabricating skills are going to be very handy. As some others have noted, when it comes to shop space, you will always need more than you think you do. I know that you have a limit to what you can afford. I would think in terms of vertical space, as much as horizontal space. In essence, by getting a couple of lifts, you can stack your cars and put twice as many cars in the same space. Also, think similarly when it comes to your tools. There are many ways to build upwards on your tool boxes.
Joe Hopes is rite and more financial planning verses wants and needs is required. I absolutely refuse to finance anything. I saved up and built a 40x60 shop with 14ft high door which is ok for my ole Freightliner stacks are 13'6" but the combine I need to upgrade to needs 16ft or i have to take hopper extention off to get it in the shop. Future planning is always had to do, you go with what you think you can afford only to find out that you need more space or height and then have to calculate how much the move or rebuild is going to cost.
I would make sure you have recovery hooks on both the front and back of the car in case you go into a ditch. Always keep a good spare in the trunk for punctures from sharp Arizonan rocks, along with a good jack that can get under the car if you are sitting on a rim, better if you are sitting on the hub. If you are going to replace the side skirts weld some open tubes in either end. Then you have a great place to jack from and a create a place some fabricobbled high jack stands to connect to. You see them all the time in WRC and ARA pits. You are doing something I always wanted to do but never had the time, money, and mechanical skills to do.
Roof vent is an awesome idea...without all the carpets and sound baffling, the interior of race cars gets HOT. Try to get plenty of airflow happening.😎
As a former owner of one. Theres some cool things to know and ways to get a smaller wheel and tire combo for the car. Which is going to help a lot in rally. Grabbing the aluminum front calipers and rotors from a 2008-2011 body style focus will net you the ability to run any 15" wheel on front and back. The braking will feel about the same as the 300mm fronts due to the bigger front piston on the updated calipers. Its 100% bolt on and go too 🙂 No need for the spacers if you run stock zx3 springs. If you really need spares for struts the basic focus from 2000-2004 fits with no issues. 2005.5 and up have a bigger strut diameter/ ball joint and the knuckle changed to compensate ( its also stronger) Gutting the car is going to really lift up the back end (the rear seats are 60 pounds!!) The lowest point on the car is actually the cosworth designed header. If you bash it real bad obx makes a cheap knock off on eBay last i looked. Id replace the lower rad support with one Charlie can make all together. As for cooling, the stock radiator can support a v8 conversion. As long as the cooling fan resistor pack ( on the fan shroud) is in good working order. And the thermostat housing isnt leaking you'll be hard pressed to overheat the car. I wish i could get those wheels for my fiesta ST. But shipping to wisconsin would be murder.
ISC has Coil overs for the Focus SVT so does H&R. If you are going to get into some fabrication,... any kind of coil overs could be adapted to fit. Looks like you should search for Bump steer gauge from Jegs. Check with the local tech schools, they might have tools or resources you could use.
I've raced the Rally-Cross track in Tucson. Great folks. Fully Stock 1990 Celica and I learned a lot. As you said " Get out of your head" Just get it solid, with good wheels and tires. And smash the gas
With regard to the shop, go as large as you can afford. You WILL find that you'll need more space. I for one don't mind all the talking- or rather, planning. Planning is good. Especially when safety and finances are involved. Charlie has a good point about not ripping a project apart multiple times. Planning will help alleviate that. Good vid! Can't wait to see what's in store!
Love the plan! Prefab cage install. Sell the SVT bumper, side skirts, and interior. Steal a roof skin to replace the sun roof and add a scoop. Under body stiffening and protection. Slightly raised suspension. I might recommend seeing if a brand sells beefier shocks/struts like on Rock Auto too. Sometimes they sell the thicker uprated versions. Looking forward to more on this beast! Fun to have Charlie share his knowledge too.
That Charlie talks a lot of sense... I always learn something from your videos, but this time I learned A LOT! And I am really looking forward to the rally car build... :)
KISS. Keep it simple. New standard shocks, good tires and start having fun. Replace or strengthen when needed. If needed at all. No need to go overboard with unnecessary modifications. OEM cars can handle much more than you think.
Your game plan is set from the way you and Charlie were bouncing things off each other, Roll cage must , maybe different steering wheel, Hitting the junk yard another smart idea.
OK, I got tired of reading through the comments; I hate repeating what others already said, but here goes. Food for thought on wheels. Steel wheels can take a beating and be bashed back into shape. Bang an aluminum wheel and the chunk that's GONNA break off will likely disappear, and there's the possibility of unseen stress cracks. Someone really good at repairing aluminum can weld in a missing chunk, but not much can be done about invisible stress cracks. Overall, sounds like solid plans for a fun, safe learning toy! Enjoy, and I'm looking forward to new Sara-ventures with your rally car!
Sorry if I missed it but a hydro handbrake is an absolute must. Don’t cheap out on this one and just use an extended handle. Being a FWD, if you do any rally cross on tight tracks you’ll be pulling the handbrake 20 times per lap so your arm will basically just fall off by the end of the stage if you don’t have a hydro. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you do with the exterior, especially the lighting. Building a rally car is the one time we get to live our fantasy and install an obnoxious amount of Hella off-road lights so I’m totally jealous.
Some Ford Focuse were wagons or station wagons & you can use those struts & shocks for your build.. Those wagons are heavier than the smaller SVT Focus so you may get 1.5 inch ride height plus a slightly firmer suspension.
Glad to see the Focus get some love again. It and the MR2 are both interesting projects and are bound to bring you tons of fun even after they're done. It's reassuring that you're taking safety seriously on this build and don't just treat it as an afterthought. We all want you to be safe and happy!
Glad to see some work on the SVT. Really is a rewarding car to drive on track in stock form. If you can, later, consider the Jackson supercharger bolt-on and LS for the gearbox. You will not be disappointment!
Also Sarah you can look into those car lifts that are designed to store cars for long periods of time there’s a place in Austin Texas it sells them there around 2800 bucks and we use them in our shop so will put a car up on the lift and will still have a car underneath to work on and stuff like that they save a lot of space because you can store two cars in one spot
I watched this entire video and haven't a clue why - I enjoyed it so thoroughly. Pure and simple, interesting to watch this phase of a project car. Well done, Sarah.
As a professional in auto collision and fabrication I understand where Charlie is coming from on the roof patch. I would have to say though these tops are simple to remove the skin and put another one on. It would save a ton of body work/weight and also open up for the cage installation. Some prefab cages are a bear to work around but with that roof skin off u can insure space to finish welding and even paint it
There won't be anything I say that you probably already thought of, but Brakes and Steering to avoid the obstacle, Roll Cage, Seat and Harness in case you do hit something, don't under estimate the strength that Seam Welding can add to the body, and Fire Suppression, just a couple a couple of small extinguishers to start, even a remote activated one for under the bonnet to give a few extra seconds if you need it.
Love the planning/brainstorming - keeps us in the loop! Def. pull the SVT wheels... Fab the front brace/skid plate FIRST, and build it so you can pull it off and put it on super quick. You want to be able to play with this thing as you go since it already runs, and this way, you'll be able to bash it up without ruining anything. Can see just how far your mods go to improve stiffness/handling, etc. You're going to have a blast with this thing!
Tom's Turbo Garage has the perfect garage for car work. Something just slightly larger so you can share the space makes sense. Something about 30ft. x 50ft. with some additional storage space. And definitely with more than 2 garage doors.
I enjoyed listening to you two bounce ideas off each other. It gives us a good understanding of where you'll go with the build. Also, get a place with air conditioning!
I enjoy listening to you planning out the build and put together a game plan. It was super informative especially since I'm trying to put together project and trying to decide what to do with it.
Hey. The stuff you and Charlie made reference to is UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). It has excellent impact strength and a high compression modulus. I buy it in sheet and various other shapes from McMaster Carr. Best of luck and stay well.
Put 3M "security shield" inside on your glass. Clear or tinted, it is polycarbonate film and it will the glass in one piece, even if something tries to smash it. Good protection, just remember that also makes it harder to break a window *out*. So leave the rear windshield for escape access.
It's really cool to see and hear this! I've always been interested in making a rally car, but it always seemed... daunting. This really makes it sound far easier and more accessible. THANK YOU!
Thanks to this build I found your channel and I'm not missing anything from it. I also want to get one to send it on gravel roads near me since they're super common on junk yards. I'm learning a lot from this video actually!
Really enjoyed this video enough to comment. A big part of being a mechanic is working through the possibilities and deciding what is best, showing this bit of the processes is great
If it were my project, Sarah, I'd probably use the regular focus bumpers. Ya they're boring but they also likely have more ground clearance then the SVT or RS replica, particularly on the front where you'll tend to hit first. Plus stock Focus bumpers are likely the cheapest option. As for shops, I'll echo what others have said... get as much space as you can possibly afford. I have 1600sq ft and it's easy to fill up.
In my experience the priority items for a street legal race car are safety, handling, power in that order. Charlie is a great resource and has some really practical ideas.
Go team! Good to see maturity and teamwork. 💪🏼 . Where I work i see tragedy daily. Good people have to love each other. Hope it works finding a good place. Charlie, just taught me what porsche is emulating with the door straps on the GT3 RS. This vid is gonna blow up. I love the techie jargon.
Brainstorming discussion and shop searching vlogs rock! I can't wait to get a project car again to enjoy this world. My daily is wrapped up and anything more starts to put it into extreme lands. - Keep these coming! Love to see fun times making things more beanular! and cookie-er (er?)!
Great to see you moving forward with the Rallye Racer! Remember that you need a helmet and might need a fire jacket or full firesuit for racing; they're not inexpensive, and you don't want to cheap out on safety equipment. Keep up the awesome work, Sarah!
Myself and a friend rallyx'd his focus for a couple years. I was on the cover of the scca rallyx rulebook in it :D thoughts and tips. the rear control arms break where the swaybar attaches. Newer versions of these arms have plates welded on top from factory. You can see if yours do too most rally tires are 15". whether or not you use them is up to you but the svt brakes are quite big and not easy to fit 15's to. Team dynamics are basically the only ones that fit i believe. with a 1" lift in the front, zx3 springs will probably not make it even. We use the zx5 wagon springs and it was a good compromise. the SVT dampers are good and relatively cheap. I believe we had a big rear swaybar to help the car rotate nicely. We were using "oversized" rally tires, 205/65/15 pirelli KM4's.
Hi Sarah, search for - Blue Line Adjustable Coilover Kit For Ford Focus I (1998 - 2005 ) JOM on ebay, they are cheap but when you search on the internet don't forget to search for ST170 or Focus Mk1 parts as well. I have a ST170 focus and have had a clutch replacement done. These cars use a dual mass flywheel but can be converted to a solid flywheel but do your homework as there is a solid flywheel for sale but you can't get a clutch kit for it easily. I hope this helps. Eddie
Maybe make a list of all the specs for the things you want to do with the car, so you don't have to go back in to chance stuff, and be done, and sure about that part of the build in one go. and maybe look into how to fiberglas your self, with wood and foam molds to make your own roof scoop, hoodscoop, sideskirt replacements ect. bumper inserts for extra lights that kinda stuff.
Steel brake lines, good pads, and MOTUL fluid in the braking system...don't worry about calipers/rotors until you have to. Brakes become VERY important on dirt.
I've had a 2004 SVT since new. Two suggestions: 1. Get a full kit of polyurethane bushings with coil spring perches and 2. If you want more power the SINGLE LARGEST improvement is a reflash/tune. Underdrive pulleys don't really do much ... at all. It already has a cold air intake and high flow header so an 'off road pipe' if you can get one (or the Borla cat-back entire system but they're rare now) are good. OH! and always use Motorcraft SP 463 plugs, much better running - none of that 'magic in a box' crap $20 per plug things, they're too hot and are a waste of money.
This should be a really fun build. Be sure to check out the front suspension as well as steering components. The car may be a good candidate for upgraded bushings. Brakes and rotors are another consideration that you didn’t mention. The last consideration is weight distribution.
FYI, Grassroots Motorsports magazine did a Focus SVT rallycross build a few years ago, it's on their competed project cars section. Have fun, driving a slow cheap car fast is a riot.
![Rebuilding An Abandoned 2003 Ford Focus SVT "SEMA Show Car" in 3 Days! [BUDGET TRANSFORMATION]](/img/n.gif)
Charlie talks a lot of good sense, and in a good analytical way.
This video is just as important, and informative, and impressive as your "working your ass off" videos. To adapt a saying, "measure twice, cut once." Better to brainstorm and game plan now, than have to return or remove something that doesn't work.
Personally, I think the cage is the most important purchase. The other fabrications seem WAY easier and less costly. Also, the cage might save your working your ass off ass.
PS - Good to see you smiling.
I'm so happy to see Charlie back!!! Excited for this project and look forward to Future updates!!! It is really nice to hear the thought process behind the builds as well.
Faye Hadley ❤️😊
Engineering is 80% planning; this is a planning video. Nice work, Sarah! Charlie seems like a nice person to consult with, knowledgeable and doesn't talk down to you.
Engineering philosophy in my grad school is "Measure with a micrometer, mark with a crayon, cut with torch."
Talking through the project is just as interesting and informative as watching you working on the project. Good video.
Get a roof spoiler. They look so good, maybe a little ricer but it 100% is worth it. It may or may not provide additional down-force.
Nice to see you and Charlie again. No matter what that means. It’s always good to have dome qualified help. Good luck with the Focus.
I really enjoy listening to experienced people who really know what they are talking about - Very interesting to hear what Charlie has to say here.
For the roof just cut out a big area and rivet in a polycarbonate panel. I did the same on my racecar, works great and you save a lot of weight. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Charlie for helping and input.
I had one for four years, loved it. It was to much fun,. Took corners to fast. Damn leaves. The seat airbag almost knocked my fried out. Focus fanatics was a great forum/community,. Haven't experienced anything like it since.
If you have gotten back together with Charlie, I'm very happy if your happy. If not, its nice that you can still be friends. God knows there are plenty of ex's that would just as soon kill each other as look at each other.
Geoff /// M Nelson you “let her” I hope your joking.
@@trevorsayell9614 you're*
Thanks guys you ruined my life. Hope you are happy
They're not.
Ohhh Hail Yeah 'SaleenDriver'....Go Gators!! Nice to s@@ a fellow traveler to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ; )
Cooling mods, lots and lots of cooling mods for the engine and brakes!
Once again your build prowess has us salivating on Sir Cosworth and Charlie is a plus as I think your long time viewers have missed him in your vids/builds. Lately you may have been feeling ill but it seems that your soul is now more excited. Continue following you gut and you will be fine.
Glad to see that you have help. Also that you still have a friendship. Hope you get the work space to make your shop.
Great video Sarah, there is nothing wrong with the conversational style of it at all, informative and still fun, good to see Charlie in the vid.
I think it's awesome that you're looking for shop space and that Charlie's willing to partner up with you on that. Good luck and I hope you find something affordable soon. That's a good first step into making your videos even better.
Nice to see Charlie back. Like the brainstorming coming up with a plan, spend money on the safety and budget on the parts that can be changed later. Makes it more attainable to anyone else watching who wants to have a go. Good luck hunting for a shop.
You've done the right thing by discussing what you need to do with the car. You've also got a great helping hand in Charlie. I'd probably start with looking at the right tyre as well.
Definitely do a rectangular rock-slider tied into the chassis and remove the side skirts not only for door protection but it gives a useful lift point down the whole side of the car don’t forget you will need recovery points as well.
Always nice seeing Charlie in a video it’s just like the old days
Very interesting to see the thought process and the reasons behind decisions made. The question answer format worked well I thought.
Charlie for the win..!
Add push bar with fog lights and a light bar on the rooftop oh and a cb radio
Charlie has many good, sound ideas. Definitely glad that he’s happy to help you with fabrication. All those braces and gussets add useful strength to existing components without costing a packet. Hope you are enjoying better health & stay happy 👍🏻
It's good you got Charlie involved in this. His fabricating skills are going to be very handy. As some others have noted, when it comes to shop space, you will always need more than you think you do. I know that you have a limit to what you can afford. I would think in terms of vertical space, as much as horizontal space. In essence, by getting a couple of lifts, you can stack your cars and put twice as many cars in the same space. Also, think similarly when it comes to your tools. There are many ways to build upwards on your tool boxes.
You'll out grow 1600 sq ft. fast, go as large as you can. Tools and equipment will eat up space real fast.
joe hopes I can only afford what I can afford 🤷🏻♀️
Joe Hopes is rite and more financial planning verses wants and needs is required. I absolutely refuse to finance anything.
I saved up and built a 40x60 shop with 14ft high door which is ok for my ole Freightliner stacks are 13'6" but the combine I need to upgrade to needs 16ft or i have to take hopper extention off to get it in the shop. Future planning is always had to do, you go with what you think you can afford only to find out that you need more space or height and then have to calculate how much the move or rebuild is going to cost.
A good rule of thumb for real estate is to get a area nice enough that you are the trash on the block.
@@SarahnTuned Was that dirt track down there out side of Tucson?
I would make sure you have recovery hooks on both the front and back of the car in case you go into a ditch. Always keep a good spare in the trunk for punctures from sharp Arizonan rocks, along with a good jack that can get under the car if you are sitting on a rim, better if you are sitting on the hub. If you are going to replace the side skirts weld some open tubes in either end. Then you have a great place to jack from and a create a place some fabricobbled high jack stands to connect to. You see them all the time in WRC and ARA pits. You are doing something I always wanted to do but never had the time, money, and mechanical skills to do.
Roof vent is an awesome idea...without all the carpets and sound baffling, the interior of race cars gets HOT. Try to get plenty of airflow happening.😎
As a former owner of one. Theres some cool things to know and ways to get a smaller wheel and tire combo for the car. Which is going to help a lot in rally. Grabbing the aluminum front calipers and rotors from a 2008-2011 body style focus will net you the ability to run any 15" wheel on front and back. The braking will feel about the same as the 300mm fronts due to the bigger front piston on the updated calipers. Its 100% bolt on and go too 🙂
No need for the spacers if you run stock zx3 springs. If you really need spares for struts the basic focus from 2000-2004 fits with no issues. 2005.5 and up have a bigger strut diameter/ ball joint and the knuckle changed to compensate ( its also stronger) Gutting the car is going to really lift up the back end (the rear seats are 60 pounds!!) The lowest point on the car is actually the cosworth designed header. If you bash it real bad obx makes a cheap knock off on eBay last i looked. Id replace the lower rad support with one Charlie can make all together. As for cooling, the stock radiator can support a v8 conversion. As long as the cooling fan resistor pack ( on the fan shroud) is in good working order. And the thermostat housing isnt leaking you'll be hard pressed to overheat the car.
I wish i could get those wheels for my fiesta ST. But shipping to wisconsin would be murder.
Sarah have fun glad you have help with charlie
Looks like Miss America is off the market but its nice to see you smiling again
Russell Buce I know.
ISC has Coil overs for the Focus SVT so does H&R. If you are going to get into some fabrication,... any kind of coil overs could be adapted to fit. Looks like you should search for Bump steer gauge from Jegs. Check with the local tech schools, they might have tools or resources you could use.
I've raced the Rally-Cross track in Tucson. Great folks. Fully Stock 1990 Celica and I learned a lot. As you said " Get out of your head" Just get it solid, with good wheels and tires. And smash the gas
With regard to the shop, go as large as you can afford. You WILL find that you'll need more space. I for one don't mind all the talking- or rather, planning. Planning is good. Especially when safety and finances are involved. Charlie has a good point about not ripping a project apart multiple times. Planning will help alleviate that. Good vid! Can't wait to see what's in store!
Love the plan! Prefab cage install. Sell the SVT bumper, side skirts, and interior. Steal a roof skin to replace the sun roof and add a scoop. Under body stiffening and protection. Slightly raised suspension. I might recommend seeing if a brand sells beefier shocks/struts like on Rock Auto too. Sometimes they sell the thicker uprated versions. Looking forward to more on this beast! Fun to have Charlie share his knowledge too.
Yay Sarah has a friend in the garage again!!!
That Charlie talks a lot of sense... I always learn something from your videos, but this time I learned A LOT!
And I am really looking forward to the rally car build...
:)
KISS.
Keep it simple.
New standard shocks, good tires and start having fun.
Replace or strengthen when needed. If needed at all.
No need to go overboard with unnecessary modifications.
OEM cars can handle much more than you think.
Liked this video format and seeing your/Charlie's thought process. Hope to see more like this!
Your game plan is set from the way you and Charlie were bouncing things off each other, Roll cage must , maybe different steering wheel, Hitting the junk yard another smart idea.
OK, I got tired of reading through the comments; I hate repeating what others already said, but here goes. Food for thought on wheels. Steel wheels can take a beating and be bashed back into shape. Bang an aluminum wheel and the chunk that's GONNA break off will likely disappear, and there's the possibility of unseen stress cracks. Someone really good at repairing aluminum can weld in a missing chunk, but not much can be done about invisible stress cracks.
Overall, sounds like solid plans for a fun, safe learning toy! Enjoy, and I'm looking forward to new Sara-ventures with your rally car!
Sorry if I missed it but a hydro handbrake is an absolute must. Don’t cheap out on this one and just use an extended handle. Being a FWD, if you do any rally cross on tight tracks you’ll be pulling the handbrake 20 times per lap so your arm will basically just fall off by the end of the stage if you don’t have a hydro.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what you do with the exterior, especially the lighting. Building a rally car is the one time we get to live our fantasy and install an obnoxious amount of Hella off-road lights so I’m totally jealous.
I found your channel yesterday and have since binge-watched videos like crazy! you are awesome!
Some Ford Focuse were wagons or station wagons & you can use those struts & shocks for your build..
Those wagons are heavier than the smaller SVT Focus so you may get 1.5 inch ride height plus a slightly firmer suspension.
Glad to see the Focus get some love again. It and the MR2 are both interesting projects and are bound to bring you tons of fun even after they're done.
It's reassuring that you're taking safety seriously on this build and don't just treat it as an afterthought. We all want you to be safe and happy!
Glad to see some work on the SVT. Really is a rewarding car to drive on track in stock form. If you can, later, consider the Jackson supercharger bolt-on and LS for the gearbox. You will not be disappointment!
Also Sarah you can look into those car lifts that are designed to store cars for long periods of time there’s a place in Austin Texas it sells them there around 2800 bucks and we use them in our shop so will put a car up on the lift and will still have a car underneath to work on and stuff like that they save a lot of space because you can store two cars in one spot
I watched this entire video and haven't a clue why - I enjoyed it so thoroughly. Pure and simple, interesting to watch this phase of a project car. Well done, Sarah.
As a professional in auto collision and fabrication I understand where Charlie is coming from on the roof patch. I would have to say though these tops are simple to remove the skin and put another one on. It would save a ton of body work/weight and also open up for the cage installation. Some prefab cages are a bear to work around but with that roof skin off u can insure space to finish welding and even paint it
BOOM they back together, celebrate Sarahtunders
Love this video. It's great to hear you two thinking out loud. Enjoy hearing the planning going on
Smile’s per dollar
That’s a great saying.
Thanks Charlie I’m going to use that.
There won't be anything I say that you probably already thought of, but Brakes and Steering to avoid the obstacle, Roll Cage, Seat and Harness in case you do hit something, don't under estimate the strength that Seam Welding can add to the body, and Fire Suppression, just a couple a couple of small extinguishers to start, even a remote activated one for under the bonnet to give a few extra seconds if you need it.
Love the planning/brainstorming - keeps us in the loop! Def. pull the SVT wheels... Fab the front brace/skid plate FIRST, and build it so you can pull it off and put it on super quick. You want to be able to play with this thing as you go since it already runs, and this way, you'll be able to bash it up without ruining anything. Can see just how far your mods go to improve stiffness/handling, etc. You're going to have a blast with this thing!
I’m not sure what stuff you need to buy for your rally car, but I’m buying popcorn 🍿 to watch the entire build
Like seeing Charlie, protect your ❤️
Turner Hayes dont dig. Let the past in the past.
@@musica51502 That's right ......
@@musica51502 you mean leave the past in the past 😂
frank miles thank you for the help, english is not my first language.
@@musica51502 you are welcome 🇬🇧
Tom's Turbo Garage has the perfect garage for car work. Something just slightly larger so you can share the space makes sense. Something about 30ft. x 50ft. with some additional storage space. And definitely with more than 2 garage doors.
I enjoyed listening to you two bounce ideas off each other. It gives us a good understanding of where you'll go with the build. Also, get a place with air conditioning!
Welcome back Charly. Nice to see you both collaborate on a project again !
I enjoy listening to you planning out the build and put together a game plan. It was super informative especially since I'm trying to put together project and trying to decide what to do with it.
Hey. The stuff you and Charlie made reference to is UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). It has excellent impact strength and a high compression modulus. I buy it in sheet and various other shapes from McMaster Carr. Best of luck and stay well.
Put 3M "security shield" inside on your glass. Clear or tinted, it is polycarbonate film and it will the glass in one piece, even if something tries to smash it. Good protection, just remember that also makes it harder to break a window *out*. So leave the rear windshield for escape access.
Excellent video. Planning and preparation videos are great tools.
I hope some big assed spotlights are on the shopping list. Even if you aren't going to drive in the dark it will look epic.
It's really cool to see and hear this! I've always been interested in making a rally car, but it always seemed... daunting. This really makes it sound far easier and more accessible.
THANK YOU!
Thanks to this build I found your channel and I'm not missing anything from it. I also want to get one to send it on gravel roads near me since they're super common on junk yards. I'm learning a lot from this video actually!
The Focus SVT is the perfect project car!!
Definitely give the trailing arms more support and reinforce the core support. Charlie does have some good advice. Nice to see him again!
Hi sarah maybe while the focus is topless would be the time to put the rollcage into it.
Really enjoyed this video enough to comment. A big part of being a mechanic is working through the possibilities and deciding what is best, showing this bit of the processes is great
You always brighten my day. Thanks for being you!
I like the idea of using the RS bumpers!! I think your ideas to shore up the car for a beaten is a good start!
It's nice to have someone else to bounce ideas off of. Im an avionics tech we always work in pairs!
Cool seeing Charlie back 👍👍
If it were my project, Sarah, I'd probably use the regular focus bumpers. Ya they're boring but they also likely have more ground clearance then the SVT or RS replica, particularly on the front where you'll tend to hit first. Plus stock Focus bumpers are likely the cheapest option.
As for shops, I'll echo what others have said... get as much space as you can possibly afford. I have 1600sq ft and it's easy to fill up.
Good luck! A lot of work to come.
I have a 03 svtf and it has the spacers along with focus wagon rear springs
In my experience the priority items for a street legal race car are safety, handling, power in that order. Charlie is a great resource and has some really practical ideas.
Go team! Good to see maturity and teamwork. 💪🏼 . Where I work i see tragedy daily. Good people have to love each other.
Hope it works finding a good place.
Charlie, just taught me what porsche is emulating with the door straps on the GT3 RS.
This vid is gonna blow up. I love the techie jargon.
Love the videos you do. Super funny and informative. Wish you luck with all of your cars and shop findings
Brainstorming discussion and shop searching vlogs rock! I can't wait to get a project car again to enjoy this world. My daily is wrapped up and anything more starts to put it into extreme lands. - Keep these coming! Love to see fun times making things more beanular! and cookie-er (er?)!
Yay! The Focus us back! Good luck with finding a new space to work on. I'm excited to see your channel grow even bigger.
It's all about Perspective on your build. Get your game plan And then proceed. This is a great video to get started with keep up your good work
Front roll bar drop links are a must, the stock ones snap for fun just on regular roads.
Great to see you moving forward with the Rallye Racer! Remember that you need a helmet and might need a fire jacket or full firesuit for racing; they're not inexpensive, and you don't want to cheap out on safety equipment. Keep up the awesome work, Sarah!
Just hope all is well. And all will be well in the future.
Myself and a friend rallyx'd his focus for a couple years. I was on the cover of the scca rallyx rulebook in it :D
thoughts and tips. the rear control arms break where the swaybar attaches. Newer versions of these arms have plates welded on top from factory. You can see if yours do too
most rally tires are 15". whether or not you use them is up to you but the svt brakes are quite big and not easy to fit 15's to. Team dynamics are basically the only ones that fit i believe.
with a 1" lift in the front, zx3 springs will probably not make it even. We use the zx5 wagon springs and it was a good compromise. the SVT dampers are good and relatively cheap. I believe we had a big rear swaybar to help the car rotate nicely. We were using "oversized" rally tires, 205/65/15 pirelli KM4's.
Thanks for the good info, am looking at doing something similar and love to see people like you reaching out!
Alright Sir Codsworth! Yes stainless steel brake lines and good pads, no need for larger calipers in short track events.
I just can't wait to see the rallycross vlog videos 😆
I had almost forgotten what a great team You and Charlie make looking forward to watching where this build goes !!
Hi Sarah, search for - Blue Line Adjustable Coilover Kit For Ford Focus I (1998 - 2005 ) JOM on ebay, they are cheap but when you search on the internet don't forget to search for ST170 or Focus Mk1 parts as well. I have a ST170 focus and have had a clutch replacement done. These cars use a dual mass flywheel but can be converted to a solid flywheel but do your homework as there is a solid flywheel for sale but you can't get a clutch kit for it easily.
I hope this helps.
Eddie
Nice to see Charlie 👍
Such a fun project, can’t wait to watch the progress - great video, thanks Sarah and Charlie
I'll take those front and rear bumpers!!!!
Good job Sarah 👍🏼in my older truck builds. I like using tube rails for the side. They protect way better & stronger in my opinion.
Maybe make a list of all the specs for the things you want to do with the car, so you don't have to go back in to chance stuff, and be done, and sure about that part of the build in one go.
and maybe look into how to fiberglas your self, with wood and foam molds to make your own roof scoop, hoodscoop, sideskirt replacements ect. bumper inserts for extra lights that kinda stuff.
Steel brake lines, good pads, and MOTUL fluid in the braking system...don't worry about calipers/rotors until you have to. Brakes become VERY important on dirt.
I've had a 2004 SVT since new. Two suggestions: 1. Get a full kit of polyurethane bushings with coil spring perches and 2. If you want more power the SINGLE LARGEST improvement is a reflash/tune. Underdrive pulleys don't really do much ... at all. It already has a cold air intake and high flow header so an 'off road pipe' if you can get one (or the Borla cat-back entire system but they're rare now) are good. OH! and always use Motorcraft SP 463 plugs, much better running - none of that 'magic in a box' crap $20 per plug things, they're too hot and are a waste of money.
This should be a really fun build. Be sure to check out the front suspension as well as steering components. The car may be a good candidate for upgraded bushings. Brakes and rotors are another consideration that you didn’t mention. The last consideration is weight distribution.
FYI, Grassroots Motorsports magazine did a Focus SVT rallycross build a few years ago, it's on their competed project cars section. Have fun, driving a slow cheap car fast is a riot.
New Year and New Garage. And with a Fab Tech to boot! Wishing you the best to find your new home for cars.