I have read a lot of posts lately about oem tires. All zx-3s I have seen have 195/60 GoodYear RSA Tires that are either made in Mexico or USA. On the sedan, I have noticed that they have Firestone Firehawk tires.
I am near certain that everyone can be rest assured that their ordered zx-3 will have the Goodyear tires.
Of course, as our Euro owners have stated, they get 16" Pirelli P6000 tires and I hope everyone realizes that this is a superior tire. I think treadlife is an important factor for us NA consumers while the Europeans do not mind less tirelife, but better performance.
Can someone tell me if we can fit 16" tires such as the Pirellis on our current stock wheels and the tire size. Or do we require new wheels to fit the larger tires?
As you know, the zx-3 will be available in the 1001 MY with a 16" tire option from Ford as are rear seat head rests both of which I would LOVE to have NOW.
1. Why not have a height adjustable seat cushion on the passenger side?
2. Why not have a passenger side automatic slide forwarding seat to allow rear passenger easier access?
3. Why not have a split rear seat cushion so that one can have one side of the rear with a completely flat surface?
4. Why not have a standard chrome exhaust?
5. Why not have a lumbar support for both front seats?
All the above criticisms are minor, but it would add much to the appeal to the car without costing more than 100 dollars to the list. I recommend to Ford to do it next year.
Notice I didn't write...why not have 160 HP engine with 150 lb-ft of torque even though it is my desire to have better performance from this car. This cannot be described as a pet peeve.
I put Dunlop Sp Sport 5000s on my stock wheels 205/55x15 these are about as big as you can go with the stock wheels. They work great and look ten times better than the stock tires.
consider all the stock value you get for the money alloy wheels,zetec engine,cd playerw/excellent+ natural sounding speakers,leather-wrapped steering wheel,fog lights,rear wiper.id rather have all that than extra cupholders,height adjustable front pass- sliding seat+chrome exhaust tip.there are always some trade-offs in design + production .the z as is represnts an extraordinary value.i still cant believe one gets so much value at this price point.
Scratch my "pet peeve" number 6; the front does have 2 drink holders -- I was thinking of thinking of that little round holder behind the handbrake, which is a joke if you have 2 kids in the back.
Otherwise, I would also agree that our hatchlings are a great value for the money. By the way, we're getting our first serious heat wave this weekend in the Maryland/DC metro area; 90 degrees and humid. Had to really crank up the A/C for the first time.
Just under 4 months and I'm in posession, once again, of my Pitch Black, 5 speed, ZX3. So far so good. I am very pleased with the work that was done by my body shop. The car looks as good as new. I was moving to a new apartment most of the day yesterday so I didn't have alot of time to drive it. I did get a chance, though, later on that night to drive it to a friends house. That was quite a nerve racking experience. Since I am new to driving stick, I am not very good at it. I am fine once I get going but I have had some problems with first gear, I tend to peel out, or lurch forward. I'm looking forward to the day when it becomes second nature. I'll just have to keep practicing and I plan to avoid driving during times of the day known for heavy traffic. I really wanted to thank all of you who posted words of encouragement and support while I waited all those months for my ZX3 to be fixed. Glad to be part of the team again. I hope to post pics on the yahoo club soon. Keep an eye out for them soon. Thanks, Andre'
drebe73 - you will be an old pro at it before you know it. one suggestion-dont avoid the traffic, relish it- it will make you better quicker.two weeks from today,you will never want to drive an automatic again.get in there and bang some gears man! hugoz-just as hot here in philly,what are your initial impressions of the a/c performance?
When I got my Camaro, I had trouble with first gear as well. After some practice I realized that the clutch is VARIABLE. To avoid peeling out, you have to give the car a little gas, and then while maintaining the gas, ease out on the clutch. Once you start moving, you may have to increase the gas, but remember that you're just trying to get the car moving in first gear. Also, it helped me to pay more attention to the sounds the engine makes rather than to watch the tachometer. You may have to roll down the windows since the ZX3 is so quiet. When I test drove the ZX3 I realized it is a very different animal than my Camaro. Well, a different car, anyway. The clutch travel is about half, and the shifting felt quick and rubbery in comparison. It will be interesting to learn how to drive again when my ZX3 arrives, but I'm sure it will be even more enjoyable.
I just went to do an oil change and to my great surprise I couldn't find the oil filter. Well I found it alright up under the the car beneath a a metal plate. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get the filter out? Or is it 1 of those cars were you HAVE to take it to jiffy lube or dealer to get the oil changed?
I just saw a fully-loaded yellow ZX3 at my local Ford dealership, and IMO it looked pretty darn cool up-close-and-personal. I've got a twilight blue hatchling on order, and my dealer says it's not too late to change my mind about the colour.
i initially started out for something loud.first thoughts were autumn orange.zinc yellow i have not seen, although it sounds intriging.knowing myself if i bought something other than black or blue,i would regret it later.to me a darker color is easier on the eyes long term.as i have posted previously,i again went for black-always my safe choice.a pain to keep clean but always worth the effort.there were previous post about color choices twilight blue is a sharp color.i personally like all the colors available.as much as i like ford some of their color selections in the past were putrid.some really funky looking blues + greens. i remember some nasty looking pinto + mustang colors back in the 70s.of course its your choice your the only one who has to like it.from the post i have read,i can conclude that the z buyer is an independent ,open-minded individual,who all share in common the good sense and intelligence to have selected a fine automobile to purchase. by the way the fun factor has just started.
Drebe-My ZX3 is also my first manual too. Yes, it was pretty ugly when I first got it, but by the end of the day I had things figured out. Just think of the clutch peddle as your brake peddle but only reversed. The more you let up on it, the more friction there is in the clutch. When brake you gently depress the brake peddle. When you get into first, you gently let up on the clutch. Does anyone notice a grinding noise in the manual when letting up on the gas. I feel a little lurch and hear the noise. It's my first manual and don't know if it's normal. I used to think the vibration in the shift lever was abnormal until I drove my friends' sentra and civic. Now I know our ZX3's is much, much smoother.
About the AC-maybe I'm biased, but I think it works pretty well. My old topaz's AC stopped working about 5 years ago. My only complaint is the amount of power it sucks from the engine. The AC had a pretty detrimental effect on my topaz, but then again it only had at best 98 HP. I thought with 130 HP that having the AC on wouldn't affect things too much. It is quite noticable though.
deanb34, Buy yourself a set of ramps to drive up on. The filter is accessable from underneath. I will have to get new ramps as the ones I have hit the bumper before the tires start up. Someone posted name of ramps which work well a while back. Maybe they will post it again, or else we will have to go back and find it.
IMHO, I don't trust any of the quick oil change places. Young guys who don't know anything about your auto, and don't care, doing the work. Don't know 30w from 5W30 from transmission fluid. Way to much room for error, not saying that I don't make mistakes. Plus I've heard all the horror stories. Forgot to put plug back in oil pan, put automatic transmission in crankcase, forgot to put oil in crankcase, and so on! Plus their oil comes out of a hose. I like to buy my oil in a can, that way I know what I've got. The oil refineries are very particular about their products. A sample of each batch goes through the lab before shipping. I can't see what's coming out of a hose!
Buy a good quality oil and oil filter and do it yourself, that way you know it was done right.
i bought mine at pep boys approx. $30. i will be doing my oil changes since even the ford dealers overfill our zetecs. as i stated a long time ago, the overfill caused quite a 'stink' until i drained approx 3/4 qt of oil out. the smell is finally gone. i am due for my second oil change. i'll be switching to redline synthetic and using the stock motorcraft filter. take pat's advice... do it yourselves if you can.
This is such a helpful group here - I've been reading for a while now, and believe this to be the friendliest, honest bunch on the site.
Anyways, I am a week or two away from buying my new ZX3. I am so excited, especially after following this forum. I had my apprehensions at first, after all Ford and small cars don't have a fabulous track record, but your posts have played a big part in my decision, so thank you all!
I just found out last night that I have some (somewhat distant) relatives working at a Ford plant, which my uncle thinks may qualify me to buy on the Ford "A" Plan. Does anyone know much about this? I've researched some info and I think I may qualify for the "X" plan but not the "A". I've managed to negotiate a price of about $400 over (approximated)invoice price without knowing about these plans. Can anyone give me any info? I should mention that I am Canadian, if that makes a difference.
Thanks again to everyone for a great forum! Looking forward to my Twilight Blue baby!
Things to expect when your ZX3 arrives and you park it in your driveway: 1)First day: Neighbors will peek out of the corner of their eye. 2)Second day: Neighbors will drive by at night, stop and when you go to the door to check your car, they'll drive away fast. 3)Third day: Neighbors will be lined up in your front yard to take a peek, ask a mulititude of questions, make comparisons to their pick-up trucks. Be firm in your response. "This is not your Daddy's pick-up truck. It does not have a remote ignition. No, you cannot carry your Harley in the back. If you've got more than two children, forget it. If you have no children, get one (and don't let your wife drive it. Let her get her own). Yes, it's a different kind of car and regardless of what people say about Ford automobiles, if you take care of your car, it will last you for a long, long time (my second car is a 13 year old Volvo with 300K miles and I'm gonna keep right on driving it since the dealer only offered me $600 for trade-in.) SO THERE!
When I brought my car home on Friday, I was home for about 5 minutes, and a neighbor drove up in her Jeep, and asked, with a big smile on her face, how I liked my ZX3. I was surprised that I'd got a comment so soon. It felt great to actually experience what all of you have encountered. Oh, thanks for the info on driving stick, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon. I noticed that I have improved a tiny bit since Friday. It is a whole new experience coming from an auto trans. I have driven it twice so far and have made it to both destinations without to many problems. I make sure to drive with my windows down and no radio on so I am sure to be able to hear my car. I'll be sure to keep you posted as I improve. Thanks again. Andre'
Well, it finally happened, my first dink in my shiny new ZX3. Seems from the look of it a kid crashed into it with his/her bike. Seems too far up for a car to have scratched it without doing damage below. Anyway,it was bound to happen sooner than later. Has anyone had any experience with the touch-up paint provided by Ford? Looks like the scratch is layers deep and about 1/16" wide by two inches long on the front fender where the top crease is. What is the next step? Any thoughts on prep work or do I just dab on the paint? TIA
fgaydos-first clean area well, i use kit scratch out-comes in small thin bottle. follow mfg. instructions. this will remove loose paint surface.do not over do it ,work it in lightly then use another soft cloth to buff out -when completed use a quality carnauba wax. you may notice an immediate improvement. may not need touch-up. you will see if it does. keep us posted.
I have read this forum on and off and noticed some time ago someone asked about his oil appearing to have a greenish color to it on the cars very first oil change. Sooooo I am doing my oil change and notice the very same effect. Green oil? Anyone have any ideas about this?
Also watch out for that accessory belt plastic shrowd under the car. It appears to be in place to prevent debri from blowing up from the passenger tire into the pulley system. Well, only two bolts hold it on and it vibrates a lot. I had one bolt bust through the plastic with less than 100 miles on the car. Uggghhhh dry heat in Arizona is hell on plastic and rubber. But less than 100 miles? hmmmmmmm
For those of you who are new to manual, a word of warning. Do not drive around with your hand on the gearshift and your foot on the clutch.
Those new to driving with a manual tend to keep their left foot on the clutch for far too long. The clutch should come up as the accelerator goes down. This may take a second or two in first gear, but much less in higher gears. As soon as the shift is done the foot should come off the pedal. Slightly depressing the clutch will allow the plates to slip against each other, which is very useful in hill starts or when slowed in a traffic jam on a hill, but you are generating quite a bit of heat between the plates and you will burn the clutch if you are not careful. Cautious beginners are very prone to this problem as they never fully let up on the clutch, partly because they don't want to stall the engine and partly because they want to be ready to brake. It is a habit which you must not let form.
Driving with your hand on the gearshift is also a bad habit. It puts undue stress on the detents and the shift mechanism and it is dangerous as you really should have both hands on the wheel.
When placeing my old ramps in front of my ZX3, I noticed that the air dam would hit before wheels. Ended up having to use floor jack to lift her to change the oil. Can you drive your ZX3 up the Rhino ramps without hitting the air dam under the front bumper?
Hope I didn't violate the DRL thing. Still trying to find it on my Focus. Least I know all about femurs. My left one is just a hair shorter than the right one. That's from pushing down on a clutch all these years.
Regarding my criticisms, my goal was to say that the car is not perfect and if by chance a Ford Representative actually monitors this townhall...then perhaps the 'shortcomings' can be added as additional standard features. Criticisms also open up discussion and are by no means meant to be negative or destructive. I think a lot of you know that I love the z. To say it is a good value for 13.5K is an understatement.
My z is running great and is definitely well assembled. No rattles or funny noises heard at all. Tight as a drum! I am very pleased overall.
I am doubly pleased that Drebe is back on the road and that the body shop did a great job on his car. Good Luck Drebe and I hope you get many enjoyable miles from your fabulous car! Happy Motoring!
My fiancee picked up her ZX3 yesterday, and now we're twins... TWO Silver hatches! It is pretty disorienting when I walk out to the driveway and see matching cars. I need to get a tailpipe tip for her car, then we'll match completely :-)
A few interesting differences - my car was built 12/3/99, and hers left the factory 3/10/00. I noticed her car has a vinyl heel pad attached to the carpet on the driver's side, while my car has none - just smooth carpet. Her car does not have the smoker's package, and the lined pull-out tray and power plug aren't so bad after all. Her car's steering wheel is dead straight, so I guess the guy working the alignment machine in Hermosillo has finally gotten the hang of it. She just loves her car!
Pat - the Rhino Ramps are terrific for the ZX3. Changing my oil and filter was a breeze, and the ramps won't even come close to your front spoiler. I found mine at Walmart for about $30.
I just got back from a road trip to Cleveland, Tenn (500 miles round trip). While I was there, I was driving a friend of mine around in my ZX3. When he tried to open the door to get out of the car on his side, it wouldn't open! I have no idea why it won't open. I had to get out, walk around and open the door from the outside, it worked fine that way. It is something that is preventing it from opening from the inside. Does anyone have any idea why, or has anyone else had this problem? It has nothing to do with the locks. If your door is locked, you can open it while it is locked (from the inside, of course). I am going to take it to Ford Service if I can't figure it out soon. I wonder if this would fall under the warranty, and they would fix it for free?
Thanks for the tip. I did notice upon closer inspection that the paint seems to be from the bike, a deposit on top of my paint. Should I proceed as you suggested?
Took a short hop (75 mi. one way) to see relatives today. I thought the seat did a marvelous job of supporting me, especially my legs. (I did however have a little discomfort in the lumbar area) For long trips I'll probably end up putting one of those lumbar pillows behind me).
Just figured my gas mileage for the trip. 38 mpg!! Sweet!!
When I have the CD on and then shift the gears to Drive,(Automatic), my music gets louder between Park position and Drive position. This happen to anyone else?
Also, the rubber seal on the bottom of my window came loose. Guess I need to reglue it?
absolutely-may turn out to be o.k. to all-you know good ol' pc might be on to something about the relationship of drl + femur. got me to thinking ,could drl actually be da right leg ? i beg your forgiveness if i strayed..........off topic that is.
I plan to buy a ZX3 in a couple of weeks. I want to know what to expect as far as monthly payments goes. I plan to put down $4000 with no trade in. I do not know what the interest rate it is going to be,etc.I want an automantic loaded.
that is an adjustable feature on the radio. hit menu. you will see AVS. it if the amount the stero turns itself up to adjust for road noise as u go along. u can set it from 0 - 7 i believe. it should also explain it in owner's manual
Jedimaster-- it sounds as if you have a child-proof lock on your passenger door that somehow got tripped. Check the frame of your door for a latch that looks like a gate lock or something like it. You probably got a car with someone's special order for the safety latch without asking for it. Hope this helps.
And fgaydos, your CD/stereo is supposed to get louder to compensate for road noise. (Just like silyboy said). It is hard for those of us who didn't grow up with such technology to get used to, but once you do I think you'll grow to appreciate it. Good luck fixing the bike ding. Yes, proceed as you were advised -- it is definitely the way to go with a small scratch.
drebe, welcome back to the ranks of the living!
Chandra, I live in Louisville where there are a lot of people who take advantage of the A plan. I think you have to be an immediate family member, though. Congratulations on your good choice in cars!
christine, try a loan calculator like the one here at Edmunds. You should probably expect to get the 4.9 percent for 2 0r 3 yrs or 5.9 for 4 yrs plan thru ford finance.
It helped me, I actually told the guy at the ford place exactly what I was financing, and what the monthly payments would be. All he had to do was run the numbers to doublecheck. DO NOT let them determine the price of the car by what you can afford to pay monthly!!! (not that you would, but I notice dealers actually try this a lot! You could pay forever!)
Just got throught the first really hot weekend here in Virginia. As anyone who lives here knows, it gets pretty miserable in the summer, and we got a nice taste of it this past weekend. The a/c worked well, but I thought it could have been a bit colder. Anyone else have the same thought? Someone noticed that the a/c sucked a lot of power from the engine, and I'd have to agree. I definitely noticed the loss of acceleration. Still, I thought the car did great! All you people driving manuals for the first time-- enjoy! I've never driven anything but a stick, and the times I've driven automatic I've felt very bored. Nothing to do but sit there. Manuals give you better gas mileage and are just more fun to drive (my opinion, anyway). Plus, the ZX3 is a particularly fun stick to drive, very responsive. Tickbitty, I know you live in VA. How did your car do with the a/c?
and yup, it was HOT!! The AC worked fine, wasn't so stinky anymore, did rob some power but I think that should be expected. My only AC complaint right now is that the vents are just too darn loud. If the blower is set on 2, 3 or higher it's very, very noisy! I keep doublechecking to make sure the vents are open, and they are! This is my first car with AC in 10 years, (10 hot VA summers) so I sure appreciate it.
I was at the NY car show about two weeks ago..they had two ZX3s, 2 Sedans and 1 Kona Edition ZX3... It looked very cool, it reminded me of the "Crocidile Dundee" version of a ZX3. The side moldings had a design on them rather than just smooth. The seating material was made out of the parachute type material and had a Kona/Focosu Logo on them. Supposedly, Ford is only going to make 5,000 of the Kona Edition for the whole US. Driving demand way up I suppose.
Yesterday I tried fitting my R/C plane in the back of my ZX3. It was too long so I went to fold the rear spit seats down. To my surprise it folded down but did not fold flat, the seat back stayed at an angle. I called may sales guy and he said that the rear splits seats do not fold flat. Is that what everyone ahs found??? Makes it somewhat useless in my opinion.
someone else is going to have to help you on this one ninja as I haven't got my car yet. Normally, however, with split rear seats, the bench is split as well, and you have to pull up the bench, which will fold against the front seats, before lowering the backrest.
I don't know if this is how the focus is set up as I haven't got mine yet! Ooooh, the anticipation is killing me!
Per the manual (yes, it is explained in detail), you need to flip the rear seat cushion forward before folding one or both seatbacks down to obtain a flat floor. Failing to flip the cushion & forcing the seatbacks down might damage the seatback hinges - so don't do it.
the WHOLE back seat folds perfectly flat, you just have to pull up the bottom cushion first. You just can't have part totally flat, with seat space in the other part at the same time.
zx3beast & bjammin2: I also think the A/C worked fine this weekend in the Maryland portion of the heat wave, but yes, the A/C did seem to affect the Zetec's power at lower speeds. But I don't think it's a problem at all once you're on the freeway doing 60+ mph.
Comments
I am near certain that everyone can be rest assured that their ordered zx-3 will have the Goodyear tires.
Of course, as our Euro owners have stated, they get 16" Pirelli P6000 tires and I hope everyone realizes that this is a superior tire. I think treadlife is an important factor for us NA consumers while the Europeans do not mind less tirelife, but better performance.
Can someone tell me if we can fit 16" tires such as the Pirellis on our current stock wheels and the tire size. Or do we require new wheels to fit the larger tires?
As you know, the zx-3 will be available in the 1001 MY with a 16" tire option from Ford as are rear seat head rests both of which I would LOVE to have NOW.
1. Why not have a height adjustable seat cushion on the passenger side?
2. Why not have a passenger side automatic slide forwarding seat to allow rear passenger easier access?
3. Why not have a split rear seat cushion so that one can have one side of the rear with a completely flat surface?
4. Why not have a standard chrome exhaust?
5. Why not have a lumbar support for both front seats?
All the above criticisms are minor, but it would add much to the appeal to the car without costing more than 100 dollars to the list. I recommend to Ford to do it next year.
Notice I didn't write...why not have 160 HP engine with 150 lb-ft of torque even though it is my desire to have better performance from this car. This cannot be described as a pet peeve.
ND
(6) a two-cup drink holder for the front.
(7) separate drink holders for the rear.
On the performance, I think I like the ZX3 fine the way it is -- if it were more powerful, I'd want to go even faster and would surely get in trouble.
Speaking of performance, has anyone seen a ZX3 with the new Kona option package? Any thoughts on whether it's worth it?
205/55x15 these are about as big as you can go with the stock wheels. They work great and look ten times better than the stock tires.
alloy wheels,zetec engine,cd playerw/excellent+
natural sounding speakers,leather-wrapped steering
wheel,fog lights,rear wiper.id rather have all that
than extra cupholders,height adjustable front pass-
sliding seat+chrome exhaust tip.there are always
some trade-offs in design + production .the z as is
represnts an extraordinary value.i still cant believe one gets so much value at this price point.
Thanks,
Andre'
relish it- it will make you better quicker.two weeks from today,you will never want to drive an
automatic again.get in there and bang some gears man!
hugoz-just as hot here in philly,what are your initial impressions of the a/c performance?
And please, no more politics.
Decisions, decisions...
thoughts were autumn orange.zinc yellow i have not
seen, although it sounds intriging.knowing myself
if i bought something other than black or blue,i
would regret it later.to me a darker color is easier on the eyes long term.as i have posted previously,i again went for black-always my safe choice.a pain to keep clean but always worth the effort.there were previous post about color choices
twilight blue is a sharp color.i personally like all the colors available.as much as i like ford
some of their color selections in the past were
putrid.some really funky looking blues + greens.
i remember some nasty looking pinto + mustang
colors back in the 70s.of course its your choice
your the only one who has to like it.from the post i have read,i can conclude that the z buyer is an
independent ,open-minded individual,who all share
in common the good sense and intelligence to have
selected a fine automobile to purchase. by the way
the fun factor has just started.
About the AC-maybe I'm biased, but I think it works pretty well. My old topaz's AC stopped working about 5 years ago. My only complaint is the amount of power it sucks from the engine. The AC had a pretty detrimental effect on my topaz, but then again it only had at best 98 HP. I thought with 130 HP that having the AC on wouldn't affect things too much. It is quite noticable though.
Buy yourself a set of ramps to drive up on. The filter is accessable from underneath. I will have to get new ramps as the ones I have hit the bumper before the tires start up. Someone posted name of ramps which work well a while back. Maybe they will post it again, or else we will have to go back and find it.
IMHO, I don't trust any of the quick oil change places. Young guys who don't know anything about your auto, and don't care, doing the work. Don't know 30w from 5W30 from transmission fluid. Way to much room for error, not saying that I don't make mistakes. Plus I've heard all the horror stories. Forgot to put plug back in oil pan, put automatic transmission in crankcase, forgot to put oil in crankcase, and so on! Plus their oil comes out of a hose. I like to buy my oil in a can, that way I know what I've got. The oil refineries are very particular about their products. A sample of each batch goes through the lab before shipping. I can't see what's coming out of a hose!
Buy a good quality oil and oil filter and do it yourself, that way you know it was done right.
Pat
Anyways, I am a week or two away from buying my new ZX3. I am so excited, especially after following this forum. I had my apprehensions at first, after all Ford and small cars don't have a fabulous track record, but your posts have played a big part in my decision, so thank you all!
I just found out last night that I have some (somewhat distant) relatives working at a Ford plant, which my uncle thinks may qualify me to buy on the Ford "A" Plan. Does anyone know much about this? I've researched some info and I think I may qualify for the "X" plan but not the "A". I've managed to negotiate a price of about $400 over (approximated)invoice price without knowing about these plans. Can anyone give me any info? I should mention that I am Canadian, if that makes a difference.
Thanks again to everyone for a great forum! Looking forward to my Twilight Blue baby!
Chandra
1)First day: Neighbors will peek out of the corner of their eye.
2)Second day: Neighbors will drive by at night, stop and when you go to the door to check your car, they'll drive away fast.
3)Third day: Neighbors will be lined up in your front yard to take a peek, ask a mulititude of questions, make comparisons to their pick-up trucks. Be firm in your response. "This is not your Daddy's pick-up truck. It does not have a remote ignition. No, you cannot carry your Harley in the back. If you've got more than two children, forget it. If you have no children, get one (and don't let your wife drive it. Let her get her own). Yes, it's a different kind of car and regardless of what people say about Ford automobiles, if you take care of your car, it will last you for a long, long time (my second car is a 13 year old Volvo with 300K miles and I'm gonna keep right on driving it since the dealer only offered me $600 for trade-in.)
SO THERE!
Andre'
Seems from the look of it a kid crashed into it with his/her bike. Seems too far up for a car to have scratched it without doing damage below.
Anyway,it was bound to happen sooner than later.
Has anyone had any experience with the touch-up paint provided by Ford?
Looks like the scratch is layers deep and about 1/16" wide by two inches long on the front fender where the top crease is.
What is the next step? Any thoughts on prep work or do I just dab on the paint?
TIA
out-comes in small thin bottle. follow mfg.
instructions. this will remove loose paint
surface.do not over do it ,work it in lightly then
use another soft cloth to buff out -when completed use a quality carnauba wax.
you may notice an immediate improvement.
may not need touch-up. you will see if it does.
keep us posted.
Also watch out for that accessory belt plastic shrowd under the car. It appears to be in place to prevent debri from blowing up from the passenger tire into the pulley system. Well, only two bolts hold it on and it vibrates a lot. I had one bolt bust through the plastic with less than 100 miles on the car. Uggghhhh dry heat in Arizona is hell on plastic and rubber. But less than 100 miles? hmmmmmmm
carlady/host
Those new to driving with a manual tend to keep their left foot on the clutch for far too long. The clutch should come up as the accelerator goes down. This may take a second or two in first gear, but much less in higher gears. As soon as the shift is done the foot should come off the pedal. Slightly depressing the clutch will allow the plates to slip against each other, which is very useful in hill starts or when slowed in a traffic jam on a hill, but you are generating quite a bit of heat between the plates and you will burn the clutch if you are not careful. Cautious beginners are very prone to this problem as they never fully let up on the clutch, partly because they don't want to stall the engine and partly because they want to be ready to brake. It is a habit which you must not let form.
Driving with your hand on the gearshift is also a bad habit. It puts undue stress on the detents and the shift mechanism and it is dangerous as you really should have both hands on the wheel.
Ho hum, just a couple of thoughts. Happy driving!
Oops, no specific Focus info. sorry carlady.
Or somebody who knows,
What is a DRL?
Pat
When placeing my old ramps in front of my ZX3, I noticed that the air dam would hit before wheels. Ended up having to use floor jack to lift her to change the oil. Can you drive your ZX3 up the Rhino ramps without hitting the air dam under the front bumper?
Hope I didn't violate the DRL thing. Still trying to find it on my Focus. Least I know all about femurs. My left one is just a hair shorter than the right one. That's from pushing down on a clutch all these years.
Pat
Regarding my criticisms, my goal was to say that the car is not perfect and if by chance a Ford Representative actually monitors this townhall...then perhaps the 'shortcomings' can be added as additional standard features. Criticisms also open up discussion and are by no means meant to be negative or destructive. I think a lot of you know that I love the z. To say it is a good value for 13.5K is an understatement.
My z is running great and is definitely well assembled. No rattles or funny noises heard at all. Tight as a drum! I am very pleased overall.
I am doubly pleased that Drebe is back on the road and that the body shop did a great job on his car. Good Luck Drebe and I hope you get many enjoyable miles from your fabulous car! Happy Motoring!
ND
A few interesting differences - my car was built 12/3/99, and hers left the factory 3/10/00. I noticed her car has a vinyl heel pad attached to the carpet on the driver's side, while my car has none - just smooth carpet. Her car does not have the smoker's package, and the lined pull-out tray and power plug aren't so bad after all. Her car's steering wheel is dead straight, so I guess the guy working the alignment machine in Hermosillo has finally gotten the hang of it. She just loves her car!
Pat - the Rhino Ramps are terrific for the ZX3. Changing my oil and filter was a breeze, and the ramps won't even come close to your front spoiler. I found mine at Walmart for about $30.
I just got back from a road trip to Cleveland, Tenn (500 miles round trip). While I was there, I was driving a friend of mine around in my ZX3. When he tried to open the door to get out of the car on his side, it wouldn't open! I have no idea why it won't open. I had to get out, walk around and open the door from the outside, it worked fine that way. It is something that is preventing it from opening from the inside. Does anyone have any idea why, or has anyone else had this problem? It has nothing to do with the locks. If your door is locked, you can open it while it is locked (from the inside, of course). I am going to take it to Ford Service if I can't figure it out soon. I wonder if this would fall under the warranty, and they would fix it for free?
Clint
Just figured my gas mileage for the trip.
38 mpg!!
Sweet!!
This happen to anyone else?
Also, the rubber seal on the bottom of my window came loose. Guess I need to reglue it?
to all-you know good ol' pc might be on to
something about the relationship of drl +
femur. got me to thinking ,could drl actually be
da right leg ? i beg your forgiveness if i
strayed..........off topic that is.
And fgaydos, your CD/stereo is supposed to get louder to compensate for road noise. (Just like silyboy said). It is hard for those of us who didn't grow up with such technology to get used to, but once you do I think you'll grow to appreciate it. Good luck fixing the bike ding. Yes, proceed as you were advised -- it is definitely the way to go with a small scratch.
drebe, welcome back to the ranks of the living!
Chandra, I live in Louisville where there are a lot of people who take advantage of the A plan. I think you have to be an immediate family member, though. Congratulations on your good choice in cars!
Have a good week, gang-
Calico
Here's the calculator:
http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/loan/calculator.html
It helped me, I actually told the guy at the ford place exactly what I was financing, and what the monthly payments would be. All he had to do was run the numbers to doublecheck. DO NOT let them determine the price of the car by what you can afford to pay monthly!!! (not that you would, but I notice dealers actually try this a lot! You could pay forever!)
It looked very cool, it reminded me of the "Crocidile Dundee" version of a ZX3. The side moldings had a design on them rather than just smooth. The seating material was made out of the parachute type material and had a Kona/Focosu Logo on them. Supposedly, Ford is only going to make 5,000 of the Kona Edition for the whole US. Driving demand way up I suppose.
I don't know if this is how the focus is set up as I haven't got mine yet! Ooooh, the anticipation is killing me!