Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part VIII

razor5

Tapped on my BMW exhaust tip today and it finishes what Ford started. Dah, why couldn't they have offered this simple little $12 option that finishes off the car as it should be. Saw 1 white, 1 blue and 1 black ZX3 today, all in my neighborhood. I think I started something. The dudes in the parts department at BMW were again awed and on the ground looking under, making racy comments....I think they like it. Has anyone seen the new BMW mini-van-suv-bus-thingy which is being introduced in Europe, but not in US. It looks like the mother that gave birth to the ZX3; rather awsome! If you check the current issue of CAR (European car zine) you'll see atleast a dozen copies of the ZX3 hitting the market this model year, but on the Ford version hits the mark.
And, I've not received a recall notice yet, but Autobytel let me know that there is one. Does anyone know what it is? razor5

zx3beast

razor5-go to www.ford.com
if you register your vehicle there,you will receive instant notifications.also.is just by size coincidence that bmw tip fits?

fgaydos

Another ex-Festiva owner here.
I agree with ZX3beast that you should not really care what others think. Remember you are saving lots of $ on gas. It is peppy and .....well it's peppy.:>)
But, I gave up the Festiva when the radio guys said it was a coffin on wheels. I feel much safer in the ZX3 among the SUV's.
When you drive the ZX3 you will never go back. Test drive one this weekend and you will be amazed how much nicer the ride is, how high you sit, how much room you have, with all controls within easy reach, how much quality there is built in.
Do it!

projectzx3

i hope this link works. it should take you to the 'parent directory' where you can view a couple of my zx3 pics. let me know. if you think the bmw exhaust tip 'finishes' the zx3 off then check out what the razzi ground effects, borla exhaust and tsw sgv's from focussport did for mine.

http://hometown.aol.com/mugwieh/myhomepage

tickbitty

zx3, carorder isn't a "robber," they just made some poor business choices, it appears. Sold lots of cars to people (like me) at a pretty big discount, where they (CO) had to subsidize our purchases with checks to the dealers. SO they lost 1000 - 3000 or so on every car for a few months, in order to get some great word of mouth going, and presumably to gain value as a dotcom stock if they go public. Now the bottom has fallen out of the overvalued tech stocks market, and they need to try to make some money, so the prices have gone up. Will be interesting to see if they can hold it together. Good luck, and sorry to everybody for the off-topic.

hugoz

Ninja500: I've checked my dipstick every which way, hot, warm, lukewarm, tepid ... maybe it's just an illusion, but I swear I can detect a difference in the acceleration between the 5 quarts and the now 4 to 4.5 that's in there.

Pat: like that analogy, oil filters and dirty socks....

On Festivas: I personally have never driven one but I always figured that, based on the design and specs, it was the kind of car you'd get only if you couldn't possibly afford something better...sort of like the Yugos (no pun on my name).

tickbitty

Hi Project!

projectzx3

Hi Tickbitty! Did you check out my pics? how's the orange focus doing? I will try not to be such a 'stranger' from here on ... but my work schedule has been a real 'you know what!'

wmichgrad

You can now receive messages posted on the club via e-mail. Check it out if you haven't already done so. 389 Focus owners, enthusiasts and fans to date! The largest Ford club on Yahoo!

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/fordfocusplace

ninja500

Well I deemed it official today. The dealer did overfill my oil at the first service. I don't really understand how that happens especially at the dealer's service dept. I am going to call today and speak to the service manager. I checked it this morning and it seems about 1/4 inch over the full mark. Rediculous.

cdunham

the dealers occasionally overfill because of the difference in the SPI and Zetec engines. The SPI takes 5 Quarts and The Zetec 4.5. I guess those dealers haven't serviced enough Foci yet to pay enough attention to the difference (though thats not any excuse).

jwkessler1

Haven't gotten my ZX3 yet, but after reading all these posts on over filling with oil, I wonder if it wouldn't be a worthwhile underhood addition to add a nice, neat warning sign next to the oil filler cap. An example may be...

Warning!

Overfilling this engine with
oil will result in damage!

Do not add more then 4 1/2 quarts

Never exceed the full mark on the
dip stick.

At least this would give a heads up to who ever puts in the oil that the proper level is critical, and that the owner is going to check on this.

I can imagine a nice engraved plaque would look nice, if one could be found that would tolerate the heat.

drebe73

Hey guys,

Beast : When I first got the car back, I drove with only the window open and no radio because I was getting used to driving stick. I don't remember hearing the noise. The other day we had a down pour while I was at work my car was parked and I didn't drive during the rain storm. Alas, I think I did first notice the noise after that day. What do you think? Should I have Ford check it out?

Project : Hey great pics. Your baby is looking beautiful. If I had the choice I probably would have gone with the twilight blue. I still love my pitch black, so either way I would have been happy. I really want to put the wings west kit on my car too. I just dont have that kind of money. I still havent put my tip on yet, need the cash first. I will post pics as i get them, glad to finaly see yours.

Dre'

klonoa

Hi, i just turned 18 a few weeks ago and i am looking to purchase my first car. I am very intrested in buying a focus ZX3. I am intrested in this car because i am tired of all the mod'ed hondas out there, and I heard that there will be alot of after market support for the zx3. I want to know if it is possible for me to get the car as close to the invoice as possible and where can i do this? Any web pages? any help would be appreciated!

togneter

Where do you live?

pcleveland2

Super nice! Looks like a great ride. Must attract a lot of attention.
Pat

silver_bullet

ND - In typical BMW fashion, the tip comes with a set of multi-lingual instructions telling you how to install it! Essentially, you just knock it on with a soft-faced mallet (rubber or vinyl is fine) until it is located where you want it to be.

mzn

Friends, post #237 above is hidden because it contains a link that skews our screen size. To read it, just click on "hidden post."

carlady/host

zx3

Today, Thurs May 18, a Ford dealer refused to accept my ZX3 order.
He said........
"We just received word from Ford --- that as of today --- we are not to accept any more '00 Focus orders".
zx3

vadp

Some previous posters showed concern in regards of building quality of ZX3. As we all know ZX3s are being build exclusively at the Mexican Ford plant in Hermosillo. Recently I found an enteresting article about mexican autoplants. Here are some quotes revelant to Ford (May issue of Ward's Autoworld):

"Believe it or not, Mexico's auto assembly plants now are equal to those in the rest of North America in quality and labor productivity-and sometimes better.
Just back from a visit to a Ford plant in Hermosillo, Mr. Harbour(president of Harbour and Associates Inc.)says it easily ranks as one of Ford's best. Many Mexican plants in fact are standouts in quality and productivity. The low labor costs are just icing on the cake.
Ford's Hermosillo facility was ranked as the 6th most efficient subcompact car assebly plant in North America last year by Harbour.
In fact, analysts say workers in most Mexican assembly plants now have as good or better education levels than their counterparts in the U.S."

pcleveland2

Considering the 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser is out, I would be thinking of retooling too. No comments on the PT Cruiser, its on a Neon platform, enought said.

Love my ZX3 everyday!
Pat

zx3

Pat, congratulations on having had the "good sense" to buy your Z when they were still being produced. Because I hear the '01 will be more money, with AC standard equipment.
zx3

adamzx3

As of tomorrow, I will be joining you all in what I hope to be happy-ZX3-owner's-land. My silver ZX3 came in today and I can pick it up tomorrow! I was excited about this car even before I read this board--now, I can't wait! Thanks for all the good info, critiques, and glowing remarks about this car--it really put my mind at ease.

Will start posting with my take on the car tomorrow! Oh, one question--What sort of break-in driving do you all recommend?

calico1

Gorgeous, Project. Simply gorgeous. As I wash and detail my malibu blue calicomobile every weekend (dirty malibu blue is not a pretty sight, right, Pat?), part of me envies your twilight blue "project." In fact, I "sighted" a twilight blue ZX3 with out of state temporary plates (couldn't make them out) on my way home from work yesterday. It's an awesome color and beautiful car, but your work really makes a great car truly distinctive. Congratulations, comrade Project ZX3!
calico

togneter

This has come up a lot in this forum:

I did a lot of research on break-in before I received my ZX3. There are a lot of schools of thought, but what follows is my best attempt to combine what I've read.

The reason for break-in is because the engine parts need to wear into each other. When they are brand new, they don't fit perfectly.

Break-in in modern automobiles is not as critical as it once was. That does not mean that you shouldn't be careful, however.

A few pointers:

- Take it relatively easy for the first 1000 miles

- vary speeds and revs a lot during this period (i.e., don't just take a long trip on the hwy)

- try to avoid super short trips. This will allow the engine to heat up fully. When the trip is finished, also let the car cool completely. It's important that the engine goes through complete heating/cooling cycles.

- don't rev the car TOO high during break-in, but it won't kill the car to ease it into the upper ranges as you progress through the 1000 miles.

I think that about covers it.

I've found that drives on windy, scenic roads are great, because they allow you to get in some miles, have fun, and they necessitate speed/RPM variance.

Anybody have anything else?

anonymous

vadp

Brakes.
Don't step on them too hard for a while.
The pads need some time to completely break-in too.

zx3

To Togneter:
Thanks for the excellent "engine break-in" advice.
(You said, "don't push your engine hard for first 1000 miles"). I have a question .....

Local Ford Dlr, has Black Z hatchling, Automatic. Price: $130 over Invoice. That's nice.

Here's the catch ...
He bought it from another dealer 315 miles away.
The other dealer drove it to his place.
You can bet your life, the driver probably pushed that Z at maybe 70-80 mph, for most of the way.
Most likely did not use "break-in" procedures.
I'm guessing, he just jumped into it, pushed it hard on the expressways ---to get it delivered as fast as possible.

Now, how the heck could I (if I buy) "break-in" that engine? It's a little late, ain't it?
Should I buy it? Would you? Thanks for any info.
zx3

projectzx3

i have alot of friends who race cars... some have legit bigtime sponsors. they've always told me drive the car from day one just as you want to drive it later. break in periods are nonsense. thats a great price ... don't hesitate to buy it if you like it!

projectzx3

if the motor has machining or other flaws it is best to find out while within 36k warranty. drive it and have fun!

vadp

Break-in is the most important period in your car's life. And it's not just for the engine.
Every moving part does some adjusting during these time (wheel bearings etc.)
I would refuse to buy a car with more than 10 miles on it. Unless I plan to trade it in in a couple of years.

Here is a link to a forum dedicated to this topic.
Those guys have some real mechanical knowledge.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?f=0&c=Pickups&t=1791&q=43-62

vadp

How about my 85' Chevrolet Sprint.
Just turned 250K on its original engine(no overhauls) and tranny.
BTW it has a 3-cylinder 1,0 Liter 90% of the time full load stressed engine.
Hard to beat, HAH?

zx3beast

beauuuuuuuuutiful!projectzx3-thanks for sharing
the pics-that is one fine looking car man.now
that is a mod with class.a job well done.also,i
happen to agree with you about the break-in theory.
never made much sense to me to take it easy in the beginning,then drive like you normally would.
i did however take it easy at first because i was
treating it like a newborn,it grew up real fast.drebe73- i have experienced the same noise after the well is wet-coming from rear.once it drys
out its fine.there is some kind of carpeted material wrapped in that well area.kind of funky,
but has good sound quieting qualities.i like it
it cleans up real easily.all cars have their little quirks. i consider this only a minor annoyance.

zx3beast

dries-sorry once again,would you believe i actually
used the spellcheck-time for glasses-old age setting in

zx3

Thanks zx3beast and others for weighing in with your opinions ("Is it wise to buy a new Z hatchling that the dealer has already driven FAST for 315 miles? Did he shorten the engine life?").
The vote so far is split. Anyone else?
Hmmm... maybe I should just pass on the sale. But $135 over Invoice is sure tempting.
zx3

zx3beast

zx3-ultimately of course,its yours to make.consider
the fact you will have a 3yr./36000 mi. warranty
i have posted previously that i traded my zx2 for zx3.my zx2 having 35,500 milesat the time + zero
problems.same engine as zx3.drove it hard+fast from
day one.as many here have posted before this engine
loves to rev.now now,$135 over invoice is a very
good buy. i paid $200 over in january.given the extraordinary value that the z is, that $135 over
is hard to pass up.demand for car will drive price up.also,those who bought the first year have received the best value + are the beneficiaries
of lower depreciation.what cant be measured in pure dollars is the pride of ownership of a truly breakthrough automobile.i was around when the first mustangs caused a sensation.ford has done it again,
with an even more refined vehicle for another generation.i have never seen,heard or read as many people excited by a car as much as this one.
although ford is targeting the youngsters this car
has appeal to all age groups + both genders.i believe that caught them by surprise.good luck in
whatever you decide.i do sense however that you want to go for it.

rubberban

my catback finally came today. this was the last of my 'power' mods for a while. (i have the cool flo and superchip). installing it wasn't too bad, i'm a pure novice and this was the first exhaust i've ever done. the hardest and longest part was taking the stock exhaust out. all i had was a 6 inch reciprocating/hacksaw and it took me a good 45 minutes to hack off the old exhaust. putting it in was a cinch, took about 30 minutes. i used rhino ramps to raise the car and used a pair of 7/16 inch bolts, washers, nuts to fasten the system to the flange. as for first impressions, well i was impressed! it's a lot quieter than i'd expected, which is a good thing. from the inside , it seems a lot quieter than all those civics and integra's that have aftermarket exhausts. it gives a nice and mean sounding drone at idle and it doesn't really get that much louder. at higher rpms, it seems the sound is coming more from the intake but this might be because i'm closer to the intake. i only drove it around the block but performance wise the car seems a lot lighter and quicker and everything happens faster i.e going to peak rpms and shifting. the back end of the car looks a lot nicer too, the tailpipe isn't outrageously big and i like the fact that it has no resonator.

by the way for anyone who plans on keeping the stock air box, i'm looking to sell the pera air filter (drop in) that came with the system. i'll sell it for 20 dollars shipped unless someone makes a better offer. let me know, my email is kban@yahoo.com.

silver_bullet

Well... what does Ford say? The manual does recommend a brief break-in period to allow the various friction surfaces (engine internals, brakes, clutch) to "get to know each other". Having a virgin car blasted down the highway from Day 1 doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy, but that's just me. As far as racers saying you should break it in like you plan on driving it, well, remember that racers look at engine rebuilding as a necessary maintenance item, often done at the end of every season (or sooner). Most racers I know are very fastidious about mechanical integrity, but they are usually looking for more power, not multi-year engine longevity. All opinions here... I'll just add my recent experience of having purchased TWO ZX3s in the last 90 days. Neither car had more than 9 miles showing on the odo. One car was purchased for $26 UNDER invoice, the other for $50 over. The dealers seemed happy to sell them. It all comes down to supply and demand, and there doesn't seem to be much demand for a thoughtfully designed hatchback here in Houston.

projectzx3

I also have the Borla system and consider it pretty loud. But I have a question for you. Mine is a 2.5" diameter system. I heard that at the L.A. Autoshow Borla had two systems displayed on Foci ... one a 2.25" diameter system and another with a 2.5" system. My 'accuseal' clamps did not fit because the clamps were 2.25". I think they may have shipped me the larger diameter system which is not supposed to be available to the general public. My zx3 runs great but it is loud and has 'crackling' on backpressure. Is your system 2.25 or 2.5" diameter?

projectzx3

i was one of the first 30 people to order the system according to Borla. I am not complaining...i love it! just trying to verify and/or reason as to why i might have rec'd the H.O. version used on thier concept focus. any info would be appreciated.

silver_bullet

Does the Borla tailpipe fit the existing cut-out on the rear valance, or did you have to modify it? Since the stock pipe is 2" diameter, I'd guess your Borla pipe fits okay, correct? A tip (no pun intended) - when replacing exhaust parts, it is a very good idea to give the clamping hardware a light coating of high-temperature anti-seize compound as you bolt everything back together. Some day, you'll need to remove the system again, and you won't need a hacksaw if you use the anti-seize

vadp

"The car was driven normally and with considerartion".
If it was true I would be the first in line to buy a dealer demo and save some bucks.

ZX3,
you've heard enough.

Just use your common sence.

ninja500

Well I spoke with the service manager at the dealer where I purchased my car. They overfilled the oil ay the first service so I told him they needed to remedy the situation. I drove to the dealer last night and they performed another oil change with the correct amount of oil this time. It's odd but the car accelerates better with no stubles (it tended to stumble especially in first when accelerating hard). The difference is very noticeable. I spoke with the service advisor and told him that I had read that the SPI and the Zetec took different amounts of oil. He said he didn't know that. I thought that is very interesting.

tuner1

The waiting is over I took delivery of my pitch black ZX3 today.This car looks sharp in black and I'll save a few bucks not having to color match the mirrors and moldings.Unfortunatly its raining in N.Y.so I will have to wash it tommorrow.Thats the price you pay with a black car.

tuner1

Thats a great deal,its not like the car was a demo with 50 different drivers flooring it.It took one trip dealer to dealer not a big deal.I think a break in period is important but having to pay attention to varing speeds is crazy.I for one turn on the car let it idle for 30sec.or so and take off.Just take it easy the first few minutes and you'll be ok.

judas

Normally and with consideration? Hee hee. That's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. I sold cars at three or four different dealerships in about 2 years before I went to college and some of the things I've seen salesman, mechanics, lot monkeys, do to cars is pretty abusive. A lot of these guys (And pretty much the lot boys are exclusively) are pretty young (Depending on the dealership). I saw another salesman yank the e brake on a brand new Miata coming down an off ramp at about 50. Saw another salesman (This guy was like 40) come slide into a Wal Mart parking lot completely sideways with the engine redlined in a brand new TA. Saw a mechanic doing 5000 RPM launches and power shifts in a new 4.6L 5 speed F-150. Personally, I saved my abuse for the used cars, I couldn't abuse a new car that some poor guy might have scrimped and saved to buy and then have it burn oil at 40K miles because I was redlining the bejesus out of it going to the gas station to get a pop. Anyway, bottom line, yeah, dealerships aren't jerks. But some people are. And some of those people happen to work at dealerships. And the boss isn't always watching, trust me.
I don't subscribe to the "Break it in like you're going to drive it" theory. There's absolutely no real reasoning behind it and nothing to back it up, although I've heard a lot of people say it (Including a mechanic or two). When an engine is put together, not everything fits perfectly, it needs a chance to wear together. If the only chance you're giving it is at 7000 RPM, its going to wear in too fast, and you could end up with some oil buring problems amongst other things. The other thing is heat cycling. Take a piston out of a brand new engine and put it in an oven at about 500 degrees for awhile. When it comes out its going to be a mess (Cracks etc). Do the same thing with a piston out of a 100K mile engine and it will look exactly the same. You subject brand new parts to too much heat and they deform. You do it gradually over time and they dont.

vadp

Thank for your input.
Finally we are getting somewhere.

focuszx3r

I changed my own oil at 1,000mi, and now the car has 2,000miles. I NEVER noticed any oil smell, and I put in 4.5 quarts. I susoect that the dealer is putting in 5(cuz alot of ford's are 5) or they are not giving you a new filter and then adding 4.5. i can believe the dealer would over fill becuase for example on those old GM Corvairs (VW wannabe) they used to overfill them by like 1 quart and ruin all the oil seals in the engine. Not very nice!
BUT IT IS 4.5 QUARTS AND MY MALIBU BLUE ZX3 PROVES IT!!

ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A LOCKING GAS CAP???

MY WEBSITE:
http://members.xoom.com/SubaruRally

rvtex1

My infra-red AARP mobile arrived two days ago and now has 150 "FUN" commuter miles on it.
It was ordered March 23rd with manual trans, ac, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, map/dome lights, electric windows and mirrors, abs, side air bags, and cruise control. Paid dealer invoice through Auto Nation/Charlie Thomas Ford here in Houston.

In reference to several posts ago, mine still had the Good Year tires, not the Firestone.

After having read yall's posts for the last 9 weeks, I feel I know my new car better than Ford. Thanks for all the tips and advice on the previous posts. It's nice not to have to learn problems by experience like some of you have gone through.

One thing stands out so far, the wait was worth it. It is amazing that this little car looks so good, drives so well, and is so practical. We have one of the best kept secrets in the automotive world.

My chrome BMW tip is on, Window tinting and waxing this weekend.

Having fun in Houston traffic, which used to be a contradiction in terms.

RV

norwaydoug

You have one fine zx-3. I hope you really enjoy your car.What color interior do you have on your red z?

I just installed the chrome tip on my z too and it looks good! I paid 9.84 with tax. The BMW dealer was very pleasant and was not at all snooty that it was being installed on a Ford Focus. Very gracious actually. I just twisted the tip on and it went on without difficulty. I made sure my tailpipe was cool before I performed the installation. This concludes my mods on my zx3.

Have a nice week end!

ND