Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part VII

zx3

You posted to me, the following .....
"ZX3, the gates on your Golf may be shot after 13+
years of enthusiastic shifting, but why should an
automatic be any better? Do you really think that
the autobox in a ZX3 is going to perform like new
after 13 years of driving? You talk of $$$ for a
replacement on the golf, what's a new autobox goingto cost you?"

QUESTION:
What brought on that, Outburst???

I had said, my stick's "shift-gates are badly worn after 13 years use".
(Well, no surprise there, right?).
I then said, I'm considering Auto in my next car, and asked members for their "input".
So, what's your problem?

However, one part of your Post, was interesting....
You said a stick will wear out faster if you rest your hand on it, continually, while driving.
I didn't know that. I've never even heard that said before.
I'm not doubting your statement --- but I am interested, in probing into it.
(Because I'm one of the "culprits" who does it).

So, will you please explain how, "holding hand on stick continually" will accelerate stick-wear?
Thank you.
zx3

focuszx3r

Being a 17 year old high school student and ZX3 owner, I agrre that to what togneter is saying. i think that fake chrome is just plain cheesy and I wouldnt want that stuff near my car. I too laugh at all those acuras, and dont forget civics and Golfs too--they are just soooo bad looking!! I call them "ghetto" becuase they are just plain ridiculous. Ever see the kids with the 13 in wheels that are pushed out of the body--I suppose you want to do that to your ZX3, too.
People who do that stuff like cheesy fake chrome also put stickers that say turbo, or even cooler--Limited Edition, on the side, you may think you are cool but I believe the word is dumb.
I see lots of eclipses on the road like that and it is such a joy to smoke them in my classy, non pimp car!! The only sticker on my ZX3 is the one in the back window that says "TEAM ZX3".

audiolizard

I say again, look at the pictures before you make uninformed, disparaging comments about this mod. IMO, it's not cheesy at all and is a great improvement until somebody offers aftermarket grills. You're comparing this to totally different things without having seen it for yourself.

pcleveland2

To xz3:

This is my first auto in years (and I mean years!). I find it very responsive. Am really amazed with it. Have on occassion drove a auto. i.e., rented, mother's, son's, friend's. In a smaller car, I find the ZX3 to be really snappy with the auto. Much more response than I expected. Just seens to get up there quicker. The auto is very smooth shifting (plan on going synthetic auto tranny fluid around 25 K, they claim that makes it better yet).

Know what your talking about with VW Golf. Had both Rabbit and Golf, diesel and gas. Diesel had blow-by, you hung on for dear life going up hill, she took off like a jet and wouldn't stop for nothing.

I have to admit that I get a bit notalgic hearing the "younger bunch" talking about their sticks. But my broken in ZX3 (9000 miles+) is doing 0 to 60 in under 9 seconds. Am running Synthetic oil in cranckcase now. That seems to help both MPG and power a bit. Maybe I would get better MPG if I kept my foot off the floorboards (BUT, ITS FUN). Almost like a second time in the teen years.

In others words I REALLY like that auto(matic). Just put her in overdrive and the tranny takes care of herself.

Now remember that I'm pulling around 8200 gallons of jet fuel all day, but when I get out of work I look forward to "driving" the ZX3. Never felt that experience for looking forward to driving after work before.

Test drive one!

Pat

pcleveland2

Gabe,

Okay, I get it now. I know if you let the cruise do it's own thing you can get better MPG. Don't have cruise yet.

Pat

togneter

audiolizard,

If you re-read my post, I was being disparaging about silly mods in general. I haven't seen yours. If you like it...so be it. I'm personally fond of the black matte finish on the grill as is.

I'm glad you're happy with your mod. My post is a very general comment about the silliness of the pimped car.

As far as the ZX3 goes...the one thing I want to do is find a good shock spring combination. I do this for 2 reasons:

1) I'd like a slightly stiffer ride.

2) I find the rear wheel gap a little unsightly. Aesthetically, it's the only part of the car that I'd like to change (maybe new wheels eventually).

togneter

Sure I'm young(ish)--27--but I just prefer manual. I've driven them for 12+ years, and I'm not tired of it yet.

I've driven the AT in this car. Very nice, but not quite as much fun. It's also a control thing. I fell much more in control of a manual, and I feel like I get more feedback from the car.

Once again...to each their own. However, if you're buying an AT because you've never learned to drive a stick, learn...you don't know what you're missing.

zx3beast

to cefurod- you are correct,i am old-in fact ford
is coming out with an over 40 special edition
called the bi-focus.i did miss a few mods that
were suggested such as the reverse beep. a great idea.i was considering those glow in the dark
strips + neon lit license plate frame.man is that
cool.i was also thinking about a bolt-on hood scoop
+ one of those big [non-permissible content removed] spoilers.ill probably wind
up with one of those chrome grills too.do i know
how to dress-out a car or what?i want to be seen
man.people be saying ,hey man that is so cool.you are it man.your happening man. far out; dig it man.
that car is the cats meow. its sure is cherry.i know i must be missing some cool mods can anyone suggest any? drebe73- you know where im coming from

togneter

Make sure he's pissin' on a Ford logo though. I keep seein' Acuras and Hondas with Calvin peein' on their own logo...

rubberban

there's nothing about the chrome grill mod that says cheap or ghetto. all you are doing is covering one plastic part with another plastic part and in turn makes the car a little more distinguished. i also lined my hood and my hatch and i think they look pretty good. the chromed hatch looks nice with the chrome 'focus' and 'zx3' which are also fake/plastic. if you think fake chrome is ghetto/cheap looking, why not be consistent and remove the 'focus' and 'zx3' lettering. and why don't you all replace the fake titanium shifter knob and the plastic e-break handle? by the way unless you're living in the city, i think it's sacrilege to get the zx3 in an automatic if you know or willing to learn how to drive a five speed (i hate calling it a stick...what kind of stick is it? a stick of wood? a stick of gum?). passing with a five speed is so much more fun and responsive. so unless you're an old lady or in the city, get the damn five speed. by the way i think it would be really hard to make our zx3's look ghetto.

audiolizard

First of all, the chrome grill isn't my mod. I'm still waiting for my ZX3. Rubberban originally commented about it, thanking the original poster, lmeray287@aol.com, who I believe posted info on another forum. He sent me the pictures, and I thought it was a nice improvement the way he did it. However, certain people here started spouting off about tacky overkill mods that have nothing to do with the Focus, lumping this one into the same category without even seeing it for themselves. I'm just trying to say that this one isn't tacky and has little to do with any of the others. I thought some people here may be interested in trying it for themselves, especially considering that it's cheap, easy, and reversible, unlike paint. It's a shame that others had to put it down before it was even discussed. If that's going to be the pervasive attitude here, then forget it.

catmom

I think you should add a lambs wool steering wheel
cover to match the seat covers. I'm afraid that
the hanging air freshener might interfere with the
dangling dice or graduation tassel.

If you're old enough you might remember a tiger's
tail hanging out of the gas tank (From the gas commercial "Put a tiger in your tank", remember)


A Garfield cat stuck to the window would be nice
if you are careful to match the color. There are
also a lot of appropriate bumper stickers..."I
brake for animals"..."Baby on board", etc.

torinopaddy

Ok, first things first.

ZX3...It's a question of culture. I'm a complete stranger here and though I am (almost) a Focus owner, even then I don't really belong as my car is going to be quite a bit different to yours. The problem here is not that one is better than the other, just different. The driving culture here is, I am beginning to realise, dramatically different to that in the US. We want different things from our vehicles. Our roads, our driving habits and our expectations are different. Which brings me back to what you saw as an outburst.

I don't understand automatics. I find the idea abhorrent. This is more a result of the culture into which I was born than for any practical reason. The thought that someone could 'tire' of a manual shift is incomprehensible to me. In this country, an automatic would only be considered as a 'normal' option on an E or S class Merc. That is where I'm coming from.

Is it possible that what you are really tired of, and frustrated with, is the sloppy gear shift on your Golf? Why not take the Focus for a test drive in both auto and manual and then decide for yourself?

You were complaining of the wear on the shift-gates after 13 years of driving. As you say, no surprise, but I find it a strange reason for a shift to an auto. If you have always driven it with your hand on the stick then you have only contributed to its demise. It's a simple question of the load on the shift mechanism. It may only be a few extra pounds, but year on year it will cause excess wear on the moving parts, especially as the parts are vibrating due to vibrations along the transmission. I'm not making this up, honest. It was one of the things I was taught when I learned to drive.

Did you know that if you take your driving test in an automatic car here, it is written on your licence and you are only licensed to drive automatic cars? If you want a manual, you have to take your test again.

Anyway, no offence intended ZX3, I just don't understand why anyone could prefer an auto. It's a culture thing.

rlr207 shows the gap between our thinking. As he wrote...."in the real world, my car is to get me from A to B with as little help from me as possible". This is antipathetic to how I feel. I want getting from A to B to be as enjoyable, involving and as much fun as possible. His reasoning that the automatic saves you fuel by shifting earlier may be perfectly reasonable, but you can do that in a manual too without being forced into it by what the transmission decides you should be doing or how you should be driving. He can't control the urge to floor the throttle and push the engine high into its powerband and bemoans the fuel cost of such behaviour, but I presume he does it because he enjoys it. To take this element away from the Focus is a shame in my opinion.

Which brings me around to sports cars, or rather the dressings that people stick on their cars. I am very much in the less-is-more camp. I saw a road-test of the Focus T230 on the BBC the other day, and frankly I was disappointed. It was black and had loads of plastic wings and skirts stuck on it. I rather the standard car. I love the way BMW do their performance models. I wish Ford would take a leaf from their book, or even offer two versions, one in the big dress and another in rather more discrete clothes. I love driving, but I don't fell the need nor the desire to express it in such a vulgar fashion.

focusfanatic

I tend to like discrete decorations that individualize a car, however, these decked-out hondas and acuras everyone is speaking of are terrible looking. If you'll notice, the cars that are butchered like that are usually the least performance oriented model/trim level. Most slammed civics in my high school's parking lot are Dx's, the lowest of the bunch (boasting an incredible 110hp). An even more disgusting trend (and one that is spreading in popualrity) is that of customizing gargantuan SUV's! I think that when these car/truck buyers realize how weak their performance is, they must conceal it by making their cars look fast. There are always exceptions though, so please, no one take offense. As for focus-customizing, I'd love to get that crosshatched grill thats on the euro version and also on civic SI's here in the states. Anybody know where I can get one of those without having to remove those cool grill turn signals?

tuner1

Who the hell talks like that!There seems to be some hostility towards people who mod. there cars.So what if I want more power,mod. the suspension,add a carbon fiber dash kit and larger wheels.There are plenty of ways of doing this with taste.

zx3beast

catmon-you are hip!hmmm....graduaton tassel or
dangling dice. lots to think about.nice touch, lambs wool steering cover,now your cooking.hey,im
just going to remove my grill. this way i wont have to worry if it looks like chrome or not. i might
paint my side moldings chrome color or better yet
just wrap them in aluminum foil.this way if i get
tired of that mod, i can use it for sandwiches.
by the way for less than 2.00 dollars,uou can purchase 75 ft.of reynolds aluminum wrap.listen folks ,im talking heavy duty here. you can do your front grill,door handles,fuel filler door.wow! why
stop there,go nuts ,you can wrap your stick ..er
5spd.your auto shift selector,all your contol knobs
and still have enough for leftovers.

focusfanatic

In case I offended some good tuners out there- I was refferring to the "decorations" and improvements that are bought solely for looks. I whole-heartedly support someone improving actual preformance, it's the imitators that bother me.

drebe73

You all fail to see the humor (femur) in beasts posts. He was being sarcastic. Get It.
It's funny, I too call those outragous hooked up cars "getto" too. I didn't post it because I didn't want to offend. One time I actually saw a minivan that was lowered and had rims. Talk about "ghetto". Another thing that kills me is when people put japanese style lettering on domestic cars. Not to say that adding some mods to a car instantly makes it tacky. I have seen some tastefully hooked up cars. A friend has a 99 Civic coop and he did alot of mods to it and it looks great. Very classic
I plan to add stuff but not too much.

mzn

Neutral corners on mods, please. Thank you. :-)

carlady/host

zx3beast

drebe73 is right-on. its like the zx3-either you get it or you don't.do you know what i really like
best about the zx3?.....the people who drive them.
the point is again: its your time + money.its the
enjoyment you derive from whatever mod you perform.
it doesn't really matter what others think or say.
if you want to drive a forrest gump focus, thats
your business.individual freedom of speech+express-
ion is what its all about.no hostilities toward mods here.i like or dis-like something because thats me.the only reason i joined this forum was
to share in the passion+comraderie expressed in this special vehicle.i've gotten great tips + suggestions from the good folks here.life is way too short,enjoy each day to its fullest.peace!

fgaydos

The phrase 'different strokes for different folks' fits the discussion of Auto vs. Stick and Mod vs No-Mod. Variety is the spice of life, Variety makes the world go round, a rolling stone gathers no moss....oops! Nuff said.

kdominczak

Pat, are you using a superchip?
Superchip does have a great positive affect on A/T. It changes shift points, so your automatic feels more sporty and the 93 octane fuel gives it some more kick, superchip dealer told me that it will improve fuel economy, too.(Better economy but more expensive gas,1-2 miles more per gallon) Let's be realistic, superchip does not turn our zx3 into a rocket but for $229 you can't beat it. I think it's a must upgrade for a A/T.
Are there any bad affects of superchip on the car?

zx3

Thanks for the lengthy, informative post.
As you said, it is largely a culture, priorities thing, and we each have our own.
Also thanks for the excellent "hand-on-stick" explanation. The points were well made.
I agree with your point about " not overdoing it" (re. adding "gimmicks"). I too, think it cheapens a vehicle, makes it look somewhat juvenile, silly.
(However, to each his own).
Your posts are always informative and intelligent .... it is a pleasure reading them.
zx3

bjammin2

Has anyone tried to add power windows to their car? I had cruise on my old topaz and thought I couldn't live without it. I'm starting to get used to doing without. I didn't have power windows on the old beast, but I think it's a must have now on the ZX3. Those window cranks are a pain in the butt, especially when trying to roll down the passenger side.

OK, I may be getting into some hot water by asking this, but does anyone know where I can find a TASTEFULL spoiler. The women just keep saying how "cute" my car is:( If I wanted cute I'd go for a beetle. Anyway, the spoilers that I've seen have all been of the juvenile kind that everyone including I detest.

All the mods I've made are very minor, but I think are tastefull. Just a chrome tipped exhuast from Autozone and two small plastic door ding guards. All I want now is that spoiler and some bright white headlights. Maybe a sunroof, but that's quite iffy.

zx3beast

check-out- www.focussport.com

kevnyboy

Hi all, Has anyone had any problems with their emission's sensor in their Focus? Mine seems to be one all of the time... A little background:

It first came on at about 600 miles, I took it in for a check-up at the dealer, they worked on it for about 2 hours, could not find anything and re-set the codes, and let me go. They said if it happens again, to let them know.

Well, off and on for the next 2500 miles the thing would come and go. I had it in for an oil change last week, light was on, had them try to diagnose the problem when it was there. They first came back said it was my gas cap. I told them that I checked that. I also told them the light comes and goes, wet weather, dry weather, morning, noon or night, cold-start or even if I have been driving for an hour. There does not seem to be any pattern to why it goes on. I also have even go to four different gas stations to try to rule out the possibility that it may have been a gas quality question. Again they re-set the codes, and said if it happens again to let them know.

Now I have made a third appointment for them to look at it. (The light came on within a few hours of leaving the dealership.) This time I am able to give them the car for a few days for them to trouble shoot. A good friend of mine who is a mechanic mentioned that the either the sensor is bad or the wire is bad. I would agree with this as there is no pattern as to when the light goes on or off. I have also thought that maybe that the gas cap itself is the culprit. Both of these points I am going to have them look into.

My question to the group is, has anyone had this problem? What was your remedy? What else should I insist that they look into? Anything I should try on my part before the appointment? I do have the ability to go to one of three Ford dealers in the area, but would rather stick to one, but if I get the ol' 're-set and let us know', I will go somewheres else.

There has been no problems with the car otherwise, everything seems fine, getting the same gas mileage and performance does not seem to be effected.

This issue is getting a little frustrating for me as you can imagine. This is a great little car, I am totally digging it. By the way, I got the mug last night, about 2 months after having the recall done, had the recall done on the first appointment with the car to look into the sensor.

Thanks gang...
Kevin A. Boyce

towcrazy2

To the writer from New England...

If your salesperson is telling you that the block heater is a "gimmick," then he obviously doesn't know much about engines and wear factors.

The block heater is simply a heating element located in the oil pan area, and serves two purposes:
1. Reduce engine wear during start-up/warm-up in cold temperatures.
2. Provide a faster warm-up under such conditions.

I live in Michigan with winter climates similar to yours. I ordered the (cheap) factory block heater on my wife's ZX3 for the same reason I have it on my 2000 Dakota Quad Cab... minimize the "cold shock" and engine wear that occur under extremely cold temperatures.

While I don't know where the receptacle is located on the ZX3 yet, it's probably going to be like most others... A small cord in the grill area. It's a matter of popping the hood, plugging a 110V extension cord in, lowering the hood, and letting her sit overnight with the confidence that you'll have a quick warm-up and minimize engine wear in the morning.

I don't plug mine in unless I know the overnight temps are going to dip below 10 degrees. Can't tell you what the amperage draw is except to say that it's miniscule. Can tell you that what little you pay to keep that oil reasonably warm will pay off many times over in engine durability.

If you found/have a ZX3 without the block heater, no sweat! Most auto parts outlets offer aftermarket block heaters. Installation is simple... Usually just attaching a magnetic heating element to the oil pan, tie-wrapping the cord to a spot under the hood, and off you go!

Good luck!

mknight

My question is: what are the codes saying? They should be telling the dealer what is wrong.

--Mike

zx3cdn

I believe a block heater costs about 8 to 10 cents an hour to operate. Another option is an inline heater. This kind simply hooks into your coolant hose and warms up your coolant at the same time it pumps it through your engine. Costs a little more, around $30.00
I use mine when it gets below 30F

gabegarwick

Top of the rear window rally style wing
http://www.kustomz.com/focus.html
(scroll down a little on the page)

Touring cup wing:
http://www.focussport.com/wings.htm

3-piece spoiler that goes under the window:
http://www.focussport.com/bodykit.htm

cefurod

Ok ok, let me clarify something. To zx3beast, i didn't intend my post to be a putdown. I didn't know "old" was something degrading. What i meant was that the mods you had first mentioned were done like back in the 80s (or 70s?). So you must be "older." I'm 25 and i've already found out i'm one of the younger guys in this forum. I also meant the post to be sarcastic but not degrading or as a slam on your taste. I didn't think you would take it negatively.
I thought this forum was supposed to be friendly so people should take things lightly and laugh about it. And i know my post was not in any ways mean or flagrant.

To Togneter: I agree with you about "certain" mod done that just look totally dumb. Just check out riceboypages.com. You'll laugh your butt off.

By the way, I have no mods done to my car except for tints so all those sarcastic remarks concerning big hole tailpipes, acura stickers, etc.., doesn't apply here.

Drebe.. so i'm immature now for my opinions here? I have posted only a few comments here and some have been targeted to people constantly complaining about the same thing. I have my rights too. You get what you pay for, but in our cases, more for our bucks. Here's my advice, don't hit anymore deer.

drebe73

I was just making a comment based on the tendencies of your posts to be somewhat insulting at times. This forum is for all things Focus. This is a whole new car for the US market as we all know, so this forum is basicly a "support group" for Focus owners to discuss every aspect of Focus ownership, be it mods or mugs. This reason is why I really wish the ZX3 club would open so we wouldn't have to go to different forums to discuss different topics. I really didnt mean to degrade you, it just seemed that your posts were all attacks on what others posted, and I was commenting on that.
Please forgive me and let's get back to the real matter at hand.

I have an A/C question, I have a 5 speed and I ran the A/C for the first time, today. I noticed that when I had the clutch pedal pushed in I can feel a slight vibration in the pedal and when i turned off the A/C then the vibration stopped. Is this normal? Has anyone experienced this with their Maunual Trans?

audiolizard

You're one to talk about insulting posts, drebe73. Why don't you go back and read your own post #342. If I were Rubberban, I'd be really insulted. Your, togetner's, catmom's, and especially zx3beast's posts about mods were not only derogatory; they were completely off topic! I try to talk about what I think is a great, cheap mod, and I get completely shot down. I fail to see the humor in any of it, and frankly, I don't feel like posting anything here anymore, at least until my ZX3 is delivered.

silver_bullet

Say folks, why don't we all kiss and make up, and realize that a more interesting and DIVERSE group of people probably does not exist anywhere else on this forum. Our cars can and should be as unique as we are - and just as much fun. You don't have to agree with a particular post, performance mod, or opinion, but let's keep the information flowing, shall we?

tickbitty

haven't noticed what you speak of concerning the A/C, but I do get a fair amount of "road feel" vibrations from the pavement textures, etc, thru all my pedals in general. More than I'm used to. Have you guys noticed that?

I went over a railroad crossing, and naturally it was bumpy, but I could actually feel the road ridges between the rubber pads vibrate my gas pedal. It's not a BAD thing, in fact may be good to keep in touch with the road that way. Not something I've experienced quite like that before though.

silver_bullet

I've noticed some mechanical vibration (A/C cycling off and on, high engine rpm vibration) feeding back through the pedals, but it hasn't struck me as excessive. This phenomenon is often attributable to the design of the pedal cluster - how the pedals are suspended, and how the cluster is attached to the firewall or surrounding body panels. Eliminating vibration at the driver "interface points" (fingers, feet, and seat of your pants) is a challenge met with varying degrees of success by designers. I'd rate the ZX3 slightly better than average in its class.

towcrazy2

To ZX3CDN:

You've surfaced an interesting point regarding preheating the engine, and whether it's more effective to keep the coolant or the oil warm. I honestly can't answer that, though I would commend you for ANY effort to extend the life of that engine!

Funny... I've read a lot in this forum about appearance and performance issues (and I DON'T knock them), but relatively little about durability/reliability. It's heartening to hear comments from someone who obviously has some compassion for what that little 2.0L mill must endure!

Kudos!!!

norwaydoug

My dealer stated that the check engine light may go on due to improper closing of the fuel cap. He stated that you should just shut it until you hear 1 (ONE) click. Not 2 clicks or 3 clicks or multiple clicks....but just ONE click. SO maybe try that out. Unfasten your fuel cap (while not smoking) and refasten it and tighten it until you hear ONE (1) click!

On to other topics:

Trust me....you don't want to hit a deer with your zx-3. For the record, I believe Drebe73 was hit by another car. It was ME and Project that hit a deer!

As far as appearance performance 'enhancing' modifications are concerned: What's the big deal if someone thinks it is unecessary or unactractive? The person is not modifying YOUR z afterall. That would be a different story! Imagine waking up and finding whitewall tires on your z!

If I insulted some whitewall tire fanatic....I apologize in advance... For the record, I am very insensitive.

I am choosing to keep my z stock, but would like to put on 205x15 inch pirreli tires and put a chrome exhaust tip.

ND

zx3beast

silver bullet- did rodney perform any mods ?

tickbitty

let's not talk about the mods on that poor fellow. I'm sure Silver bullett just meant "can't we all jsut get along?!"

togneter

I am a little more lenient on what I consider "on topic" and "off topic." If a discussion flows out of another discussion, so be it. As long as it's car related (i.e., no politics, etc.). I try not to insult people. If you read my posts, you see things like "To each their own" and "If you like it" and so on.

I think it's important to let discussion go where they may, as long as personal insults are left out of it. I think there needs to be a little less hypersensitivity to countering opinions and a little more "that's your opinion, and this is mine" attitude. Forums where everybody agrees are pointless.

A discussion like the DLR one that occured earlier is not exactly on topic, but it is useful information to people in this forum who might not think to go look at a DLR forum. That is until it strangely degraded into some sort of political thing. I'm not sure how that happened.

MILEAGE:
FYI, my mileage is slowly increasing. My first tank on mostly city miles I got just over 20 MPG. I now kave 1700 miles, and my fill up yesterday yielded just oover 23 with similar driving patterns (except I opened her up once or twice).

I'm not sure where some of you are getting your great mileage, but good for you. You must shift much earlier than I do

togneter

I meant DRL...but you knew that.

togneter

One more thing. I put a dent in the left rear corner of my ZX3 a week ago. Some giganto truck was sticking out like three feet from the rest of the cars in the lot, and I rolled VERY SLOWLY into it as I was giving a friend some space to back out.

No damage to the beast truck, but I put a three-inch round dent in my car. No paint damage, so I called this place called "The Dent Wizard." For about $200, I had it fixed the next day. I mean you can't tell it was ever there. EVER.

My advise: If you put a small ding in your car, check these guys out. They apparently were recently bought by Ford (coincidence), and I think they have stores all over. They were very courteous, and did a GREAT job. Also, much cheaper than a body shop.

zx3beast

tickbitty, i agree with you. i just found it in-
teresting how that statement has become part of pop
culture.
to all-anyone can say anything they want about me.
ive never been offended by anyone here.i enjoy the
free wheeling group+topics.isnt it better to get an
honest response from another person?i find it rare
+refreshing.if you agree with someone fine,if not
just as well.what do you gain if everyone just kissing-up to each other.bring on the thoughts+ideas and hash it out

drebe73

I am sorry to anyone who was offended by the one slightly rude post I have ever made. I have been posting since part one and I just felt very strongly against that stripping. I have seen what people do to their car with that stuff. Ok, no I didn't see how the grill looked before I posted which was unfair. I just dont like how it looks when people outline everything in that stuff, it looks tacky. If you like it than do it, it's your ZX3. If you feel like you don't want to post here, that's fine too. We are all entitled to our opinion and I am one who tends to expresses mine strongly, I don't usualy hold back. I just ask that you realize that I have nothing against any of you, I actually admire alot of you, even if I dont agree with you. I just wont hold my tongue if I have something to say.

torinopaddy

I contacted the dealers yesterday to find out when the car was to be delivered, only to discover that the car is subject to a recall and they will deliver after the mods. They have to replace the oil cap, the battery connections, add an extra temperature sensor in the engine bay and change the sound-deadening material under the hood.

Apparently my car, along with 9,213 others have to undergo this intervention here in Italy. Heaven knows when the car will be ready. The dealer said this week or next. I have my doubts.

I don't know how closely related the European/US Zetec units are, but it may be worth your while sticking your head under the hood to check if the engine is losing oil from the oil cap. If so, I wonder what presents Ford will be handing out this time?

silver_bullet

The Italian Focus recall caper... I like it :-) With a "problem" like that, maybe the free gift should be a fire extinguisher? Just kidding. It will be interesting to see if this work is unique to the cars built for your market. BTW - where are your Foci manufactured?

zx3

Thank you Tow, for the detailed description to me of how to use Ford block heater, and/or how to install an Aftermarket model.
I most certainly will get o, or the other.

One thing I DON'T want, is to have to raise hood of parked car at night (in order to plug the 120volt House extension cord into the block-heater's outlet).
That's sloppy. That's work. That's Un-cool.

When I get one, I will somehow figure out, how to wire the block heater outlet to a hidden, but accessible spot (like under the front bumper).
So nothing will be sticking out from car, either.

Then, when a "cold night" comes, and I want to use the block heater (so the car-oil is warm in the morning) I WON'T have to raise the hood of car ... plug in the 120V extension cord from the house into the block heater's outlet ... then close the hood. That's useless work!

Nope ...All I'll have to do is plug the extension cord into the hidden-outlet behind the bumper.
And that's it. No fuss, no muss. Neat.
Comments?
zx3

catmom

I'm so sorry. I never realized that my post would be interpreted as being hostile toward anyone. That was not my intent--only to have some fun and be silly. I'll try to be more careful.

mzn

Re: #408, togneter, I have never known a discussion about DRL that didn't quickly end up in a slugfest. :-(

carlady/host