You liked the idea "relocate block-heater outlet on a Focus". On a related topic .....
What do you think of permanently-mounting an "All-Weather Waterproof Outlet" on a Truck / SUV? Mount it somewhere Outside (of cab, side of hood, side of fender, front grill, etc). Such an Outlet can be bought for $10 in any hardware store.
You mount it as Above, then wire it to one or two Devices, that are inside the Truck (like an "Engine Block Heater" and aftermarket "Cab Warmup Heater"). The devices are "powered-up" ONLY when you plug a 120V extension-cord from your House into the Outlet. Here's benefits from using the devices....
Your Truck/SUV is parked in your driveway on a bitter winter night. When you get into it next morning, you want two things to be "already done".... (1) You want the engine oil to be WARM (so you don't cause engine-damage, by running "cold-engine on cold-oil"). (2) You want the CAB to be already WARM, ice/fog all melted from glass (no ice-scraping, no freezing in ice-cold Cab). zx3
Drebe73, you are probably correct about that underseat harness. You might want to snoop around a large dealership that has a Focus with side bags and peek under the seat - you'll probably see a similar harness plugged into the seat.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who refuses to allow the dealer to attach their logo to my car. I'll take delivery if they only put a license plate frame with their name on the car (I just trash it), but I always write on the buyer's order, "no advertising emblems applied to the car". They don't want to know what my advertising rates are, trust me
Taking the "tip" from our club, I stopped by the BMW/Audio dealership after work to find a chrome exhaust tip. Park in front the Parts Dept. right next to an Audi A6. It too was pitch black as is my ZX3. Before I could get into the parts showroom, a small crowd of mechanics, salesmen, and others assembled around my ZX3. They were awed and the two vehicles together were a site to behold. The mechanics thorough gave it the "once over" and pronounced it as an "awsome" car; also commenting on some of the poor exterior materials, ie, wheel well lining, etc. "Hey, I didn't pay $40,00 for it either." Anyhow, after trying 4 different chrome exhaust tips, none were found to fit. One came close and it was the best looking with a ring around the end. Unfortunately, the crimps were too tight to slide over the exhaust tip. Has anyone purchased a chrome plated exhaust tip from a BMW dealership? It's cost? And, it's part number? There were all like $35. Thanks for any help. razor5
the reason the pedals vibrate is to relax the femur in case your vehicle is equipped with drl and it fails and your inadvertently not seen in the blazing july heat and ......you know the rest
You say your '93 Escort has "better road feel" than the Z you were driving? Strange. I clicked on the Photoshop pic you showed, the cars looked nice. Question: Who's that Ford dealer, you say will sell a Z for "Invoice price"? Sounds real nice. zx3
jwkessler1- a keen observation on noting the a/c compressor cut-off,it is indeed a deliberate de- sign feature. it was done so as not to compromise engine performance+ fuel economy. personally,i like it.thanks for the zinc yellow pic. ive been wanting to see what the z looked like in that color. good luck in your purchase.i always find the hunt more fun than the capture.probably has something to do with being an old guy,not much to do around the cave.
Every car my fatther has ever bought has been without a dealer sticker, your not alone. i hate those things and my ZX3 had one from the dealer we sourced from and i had them remove it before I got the car!! And as for the license plate frames, the rear was replaced by a NJ Devils ( i live in NY) ring and the front was replaced by a free ring i got at hot import nights saying "Powered by Eastern" in red. i dont even know what eastern sells but if it looks good and is free......
Towcrazy, If you pull in driveway and back out, place the plug in front (Cut out in grill between bumper & air dam would be good spot) of vehicle. That way if you forget to upplug, it just pulls out as you back up, and does no damage. Make sure you get plug with spring loaded cover. We have guys who forget to unplug all the time and drag extention cord down road til they lose them just because the plugs are on the side of the trucks and pull out of the electrical outlets instead. Hate to admit it, but I've even done it. Pat
Somebody asked me if I was using aftermarket chip. No, but if the price comes down or I find a great deal, I'll sure be considering it. Only aftermarket xtras are "deer alerts" and exhaust tip. Ordered a K&N drop in air filter and Lund X-terminator Bug Deflector today. The darn bugs are a real pain. Using Mobil 1 Sync Oil and plan to switch to a sync ATF around 30K. Would like to find a better Air Box and smooth tubing to connect to it. Also would like to go to a Amsoil Oil Remote Filter step up if it becomes available.
Thanks for the exhaust "tip-tip" gize. I'll let you know what they try to charge me. Has anyone added the airplane fuel depot cover with exposed fasteners? Source? Do modifications have to be made to the opening? And, has anyone seen a locking gas cap cover? Many thanks and good Z'n ya!
Edmunds has been in touch recently, and has indicated our club "spot" isn't too far off. Keep the comments coming here for the time being, and we'll get an update from Carlady when they're ready to move us to our dedicated site.
I called one of the vendors for this mod, just to see what was involved to install it. The guy said you needed to remove the existing fuel door cover (duh), as well as the black plastic liner that surrounds the actual filler neck. That necessitates finding another way to secure the vent/drain tube, and he suggested using a cable tie to attach it to the filler neck. Hate to be a killjoy, but I would think twice before tinkering with ANY part of the fuel or emission system. If you set a fault code & illuminate your check engine light, or somehow void your emission warranty, you're going to be very unhappy.
zx3 - The road feel thing is rather subjective. I personally think the Escort GT, despite it's stodgy aura, is a pretty decent car. Even it's styling has sort of grown on me in the four years I've been driving it. Only the rust is making me want to change at this point.
The Focus felt much "softer" and perhaps the apparantly higher driving position added to the effect. It feels like a big car to me. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, only different.
I found two local dealers who quoted decent deals so far. One was Royal Ford in Owego (not Oswego) NY who quoted $100 over invoice. The other is Walter Noyes in Afton NY who said they could "give me the car" (I liked that expression) for invoice. Of course I'm ordering one. If I picked a car off the lot, or had them find one, for me, It would have been more.
Interestingly, one of these dealers told me the non-ZX3 versions of the Focus haven't been selling that well for them. So for only one special order wagon and one four door have been sold. They have sold several ZX3s, though I have yet to see one on the road.
zx3beast - Thanks for the confirmation on the A/C operation. I agree that's a really good feature. It's nice to know that all my power will be available to the wheels when I really need it.
As a fellow old guy I agree the hunt is a lot of fun.
I'm still debating the yellow. It could look really sharp, or I could spend the next four or five years driving around looking really silly.
You may want to find out if anyone else has this harness. Is it plugged into anything? Cars usually don't come with extra wires like this. It may also be related to the seatbelt pre-tensioners that are on this car.
jwkessler1- if it was available when i made my pur- chase , i think i would have went for it.however,it probably would have been on impulse.i do like it. the better half says its really sharp.as i have posted before ,i went with my safe choice pitch black.but i gotta tell you,that yellow is cool. enjoy the hunt!
Re: the mystery underseat harness, other than the side airbags, the only other thing I can think of would be a connection for the seatbelt warning lamp, but of course that should be connected. In the cars I've owned, I've often come across similar "mystery" wires - a neat bundle of wires, a plug, and nothing for it to attach to. Manufacturers try to standardize the wiring harness as much as possible to streamline the assembly process. I'd bet the U.S. spec ZX3 has one main harness design taking into account many of the powered options. This will result in some unused electrical leads on a base level car.
Pat, Where were you able to find a bug deflector for the focus? Is there a link you could provide us with? (All I can find is Lund deflectors for pickup trucks))
thanks, Gabe [And to think, I was almost to the point of buying a bra for my focus because I gave up looking for a bug shield.}
Pat, Good tip on "remembering" that you're wired to the block heater!
I installed overhead, retractable power cords on each side of the garage... That bright orange cord hanging there in front of the windshield is a pretty good reminder that we're "plugged in."
Picked up a related tip over on the Dodge Truck forum... Hook up an in-line timer that kicks on about an hour before you leave in the morning... Same effects of quick start, minimal wear, instant heat and defrost, but minimizes power consumption.
Gabe - "backlight" is British English for "rear window", so this refers to a rear window with a defroster grid (which our cars already have). I'm stumped by "IVD" and the reference to "RKE"...
Gabegarwick, Searched all over for it and found it thru Edmunds search service. The part # is posted on Accessories Conference for the Focus. It is a Lund "x-terminator". Only pics I have found is on P/U, but am assured that it is for our ZX3. It is contoured, goes fender to fender following front hood line angleing back behind headlights, and is only available in smoked. Any Lund dealer should have it listed in their new 2000 catalog. $43.00.
The spring bugs have really committing sucide on the hood of my ZX3, plus I just found a very small stone chip injury on the hood. Got to do something, as I remember the condition of the hood on my last vehicle. Doesn't matter what bug deflectors look like, just the functionallity of them. People say stay away from big trucks, ya, try that one. And as someone who drives a big truck, I feel for the guy behind me who is catching the stones being picked up and thrown by my tires. If you stay way back then one is passing you and you still get it. Can't avoid them. Pat
".........Interestingly, one of these Dealers told me the "non-ZX3" versions of the Focus haven't been selling that well for them.... So far, only one special-order Wagon and one four door have been sold....." ".....They have sold several ZX3s, though I have yet to see one on the road...."
Comment: I've wondered about that myself. I mean, I see a good fair-sized number of Focus sedans and wagons on the Dealer's lots in my area (about 8 cars average) --- but very FEW of them are "Z" cars. I've suspected the Dealers "over-ordered" the Sedans/Wagons (thinking they would sell fastest) and ordered many fewer, Z models.
Result: the '00 model year is ending, and they are stuck with oversupply of sedans/wagons ... and a shortage of the hotter-selling Z models.
(The above comments are NOT meant to knock the Sedans and Wagons --- it's only to point out that the Z model seems to have captured the hearts of many Focus buyers).
Also, thanx for info that Dealers are more likely to give you car for Invoice price if you place an order --- than if you buy it right off the lot, or have them find one from another dealer. Makes sense, in a way. How so? Well, if they "order from the factory", and sell it to you for Invoice --- they're happy, 'cause they get to keep the FULL "Holdback" fee (the factory gives them) -- and you're happy, 'cause you got it fer "Dealer Invoice" price. It's a "Win-Win" deal. Comments? zx3
Not even close. 4-doors are selling pretty well. ZX3 could be in short supply. Simply because Ford coudn't anticipate such a strong demand for them. Remember what all the marketing data shows--hatchbacks don't sell in the U.S. And as I know 2001 Honda Civic which goes on sale this fall is not gonna have a hatch version.
Comments
What do you think of permanently-mounting an "All-Weather Waterproof Outlet" on a Truck / SUV? Mount it somewhere Outside (of cab, side of hood, side of fender, front grill, etc). Such an Outlet can be bought for $10 in any hardware store.
You mount it as Above, then wire it to one or two Devices, that are inside the Truck (like an "Engine Block Heater" and aftermarket "Cab Warmup Heater").
The devices are "powered-up" ONLY when you plug a 120V extension-cord from your House into the Outlet. Here's benefits from using the devices....
Your Truck/SUV is parked in your driveway on a bitter winter night.
When you get into it next morning, you want two things to be "already done"....
(1) You want the engine oil to be WARM (so you don't cause engine-damage, by running "cold-engine on cold-oil").
(2) You want the CAB to be already WARM, ice/fog all melted from glass (no ice-scraping, no freezing in ice-cold Cab).
zx3
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who refuses to allow the dealer to attach their logo to my car. I'll take delivery if they only put a license plate frame with their name on the car (I just trash it), but I always write on the buyer's order, "no advertising emblems applied to the car". They don't want to know what my advertising rates are, trust me
Anyhow, after trying 4 different chrome exhaust tips, none were found to fit. One came close and it was the best looking with a ring around the end. Unfortunately, the crimps were too tight to slide over the exhaust tip.
Has anyone purchased a chrome plated exhaust tip from a BMW dealership? It's cost? And, it's part number? There were all like $35. Thanks for any help. razor5
in case your vehicle is equipped with drl and it
fails and your inadvertently not seen in the blazing july heat and ......you know the rest
zx3
Gabe
I clicked on the Photoshop pic you showed, the cars looked nice.
Question: Who's that Ford dealer, you say will sell a Z for "Invoice price"? Sounds real nice.
zx3
sign feature. it was done so as not to compromise engine performance+ fuel economy. personally,i like it.thanks for the zinc yellow pic. ive been wanting to see what the z looked like in that color. good luck in your purchase.i always find the hunt more
fun than the capture.probably has something to do with being an old guy,not much to do around the cave.
recently.
Pat
If you pull in driveway and back out, place the plug in front (Cut out in grill between bumper & air dam would be good spot) of vehicle. That way if you forget to upplug, it just pulls out as you back up, and does no damage. Make sure you get plug with spring loaded cover. We have guys who forget to unplug all the time and drag extention cord down road til they lose them just because the plugs are on the side of the trucks and pull out of the electrical outlets instead. Hate to admit it, but I've even done it.
Pat
Pat
Has anyone added the airplane fuel depot cover with exposed fasteners? Source? Do modifications have to be made to the opening? And, has anyone seen a locking gas cap cover?
Many thanks and good Z'n ya!
The Focus felt much "softer" and perhaps the apparantly higher driving position added to the effect. It feels like a big car to me. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, only different.
I found two local dealers who quoted decent deals so far. One was Royal Ford in Owego (not Oswego) NY who quoted $100 over invoice. The other is Walter Noyes in Afton NY who said they could "give me the car" (I liked that expression) for invoice. Of course I'm ordering one. If I picked a car off the lot, or had them find one, for me, It would have been more.
Interestingly, one of these dealers told me the non-ZX3 versions of the Focus haven't been selling that well for them. So for only one special order wagon and one four door have been sold. They have sold several ZX3s, though I have yet to see one on the road.
zx3beast - Thanks for the confirmation on the A/C operation. I agree that's a really good feature. It's nice to know that all my power will be available to the wheels when I really need it.
As a fellow old guy I agree the hunt is a lot of fun.
I'm still debating the yellow. It could look really sharp, or I could spend the next four or five years driving around looking really silly.
chase , i think i would have went for it.however,it
probably would have been on impulse.i do like it.
the better half says its really sharp.as i have
posted before ,i went with my safe choice pitch
black.but i gotta tell you,that yellow is cool.
enjoy the hunt!
Thanks to fgaydos for beating me to post the part#. :-)
Gabe
Where were you able to find a bug deflector for the focus? Is there a link you could provide us with? (All I can find is Lund deflectors for pickup trucks))
thanks,
Gabe
[And to think, I was almost to the point of buying a bra for my focus because I gave up looking for a bug shield.}
Good tip on "remembering" that you're wired to the block heater!
I installed overhead, retractable power cords on each side of the garage... That bright orange cord hanging there in front of the windshield is a pretty good reminder that we're "plugged in."
Picked up a related tip over on the Dodge Truck forum... Hook up an in-line timer that kicks on about an hour before you leave in the morning... Same effects of quick start, minimal wear, instant heat and defrost, but minimizes power consumption.
Searched all over for it and found it thru Edmunds search service. The part # is posted on Accessories Conference for the Focus. It is a Lund "x-terminator". Only pics I have found is on P/U, but am assured that it is for our ZX3. It is contoured, goes fender to fender following front hood line angleing back behind headlights, and is only available in smoked. Any Lund dealer should have it listed in their new 2000 catalog. $43.00.
The spring bugs have really committing sucide on the hood of my ZX3, plus I just found a very small stone chip injury on the hood. Got to do something, as I remember the condition of the hood on my last vehicle. Doesn't matter what bug deflectors look like, just the functionallity of them. People say stay away from big trucks, ya, try that one. And as someone who drives a big truck, I feel for the guy behind me who is catching the stones being picked up and thrown by my tires. If you stay way back then one is passing you and you still get it. Can't avoid them.
Pat
".........Interestingly, one of these Dealers told me the "non-ZX3" versions of the Focus haven't been selling that well for them.... So far, only one special-order Wagon and one four door have been sold....."
".....They have sold several ZX3s, though I have yet to see one on the road...."
Comment:
I've wondered about that myself.
I mean, I see a good fair-sized number of Focus sedans and wagons on the Dealer's lots in my area (about 8 cars average) --- but very FEW of them are "Z" cars. I've suspected the Dealers "over-ordered" the Sedans/Wagons (thinking they would sell fastest) and ordered many fewer, Z models.
Result: the '00 model year is ending, and they are stuck with oversupply of sedans/wagons ... and a shortage of the hotter-selling Z models.
(The above comments are NOT meant to knock the Sedans and Wagons --- it's only to point out that the Z model seems to have captured the hearts of many Focus buyers).
Also, thanx for info that Dealers are more likely to give you car for Invoice price if you place an order --- than if you buy it right off the lot, or have them find one from another dealer.
Makes sense, in a way. How so?
Well, if they "order from the factory", and sell it to you for Invoice --- they're happy, 'cause they get to keep the FULL "Holdback" fee (the factory gives them) -- and you're happy, 'cause you got it fer "Dealer Invoice" price. It's a "Win-Win" deal.
Comments?
zx3
ZX3 could be in short supply. Simply because Ford coudn't anticipate such a strong demand for them.
Remember what all the marketing data shows--hatchbacks don't sell in the U.S.
And as I know 2001 Honda Civic which goes on sale this fall is not gonna have a hatch version.
In the meantime, I'll freeze this now and make a new beginning. I know you guys, if I turn my back for a second you'll be at 700 posts! :-)
Let's continue in part VIII. See you there!
carlady/host