Blue Hedgehog Build

[Ataru]

First off, I will state that I am going to do everything I can to make it to FR11. That's what this thread is all about. However, things around here have been challenging lately with work and money situations. I'm looking for a new job and my wife's medical issues keep going. Plus 2011 is our 15th anniversary so the wifey wants to take a trip for that. She does know how much I want to make FR11 however.

So, money is TIGHT and most of my ideas require very little money out of my pocket to pull off, and this thread is to show my ideas for some feedback.

Here's Sonic's current look:



Next week I am getting the estimate done to repair the damage from hitting the coyote. Once I have that claim filed, I will take that money and repair as much of the damage as possible myself (radiator and support....stuff I can do) and then use some of the money to buy the new SVT front bumper from Steve. Any remaining money will go towards painting the bumper and sideskirts then I'll install them.

At first I wasn't sure about the TDs compared to the Momos, but I guess I am a wheel whore and need change, and the TDs have grown on me a LOT since I've had them on the car. I usually hate black wheels, and with these being so dark, I thought I would feel the same, but they are NOT black and I think they are very close in color to the factory wheels on the 2010 Mustang, and I love the look of those, color and all:



The only problem is that since they are dark, they lack anything that makes them pop. I need something to draw attention to the wheels and then I started thinking of other items to tie things together. So bear with me as I go down the list. Give me some feedback on what you think too.

1) Paint the calipers red. Yeah, I've had black calipers for 5 years to draw attention AWAY from them and to the wheels themselves since they have all been bright colored wheels. But now with the dark wheels, there needs to be some color thrown in. Here you can see those wheels on Barry's car with his red calipers:


And of course I want them red for the whole Sonic tie-in.

2) Custom centers on the centercaps. I have a Sonic image on the autocross wheels, so I was thinking of this:



Done in red over a black background for the centercaps, or a second choice, just the red SVT logo over a black background like CaysE has on his car.

3) Custom emblems. The Sonic above in Red over the blue background for the front, rear, and steering wheel emblems.

4) CF hood. Barry has the CF hood that was on his car. When I get my bumper and sideskirts painted, I thought about taking the CF hood and painting the sides blue and leaving the center CF, like MANY have done before. But then putting a thin red pinstripe line between the CF and blue to separate them and add a little more red in there.

5) Valve cover - powdercoat it red. That would be the ONLY item in the engine bay red. Then paint the strut tower bar black.

6) Bumper turn signals - switch back to stock amber from the clear ones.

I know some of you will give me shit for just painting stuff, but it's what I can afford and make some accents on the car.

Oh, and if I can come up with some extra money, it will probably go towards this:



R-comp tires for autocross. Thinking about bumping up classes for 2011 and going with the sticky stuff. Plus with Grayson competing in 2011 at the Ford Nationals in his XR4Ti, I will need everything I can get to try and stay close to him on course. At $195 EACH, that's twice the price that I have spent in the past on autocross tires, so I am not sure if I can make that happen.

Ok, so let me have it...

[NorCalFocus]

I like the ideas for the red accents. The brake calipers should really pop that way.

Oh and you may want to look at red wrinkle paint for the valve cover. Its looks super sexy IMO. My buddy had it done on his sonic blue SVT.

[Ataru]

Paint would be a lot cheaper than powdercoat too.

[NorCalFocus]

Yes it will.

Here's a picture of it. Never mind the egg mcmuffin. It was cold and we wanted to warm it up.

[txSVTchris]

ROFL @ microwave heat shield...

Nice Jason! Hope all comes together! I too want to make FR11 but damn sooooo much needs to be done hahah'

Red calipers, an if your get the CF hood an paint the sides adding the red pin stripe would look really good. Eitherway Good luck, an since i love your svt so much ill be sure to keep an eye on this thread

[slocussvt]

Everything sounds good, Jason. Hope to see it all at FR11, along with your fancy Sonic display.

[Ataru]

Not sure if I am going to do a full on Sonic display or not. Still haven't decided. I know I don't want it to be the same as last year, so no spinning gold ring and Sonic music playing all day.

You can thank me later. lol

[Kenzx3]

Not sure if I am going to do a full on Sonic display or not. Still haven't decided. I know I don't want it to be the same as last year, so no spinning gold ring and Sonic music playing all day.

You can thank me later. lol

LOL! Will do.

[SVT3658]

I like all the plans you have so far Jason!

My only **possible** beef though, and I'm not even really positive about it, is that the red pinstrip on the hood might look a bit out of place. I'm envisioning it, and a random pinstriping on the hood just seems like it could either look badass or majorly weird. Are you planning to do a super thin red stripe, or a thicker pinstripe line? I think with a really thin strip it has the potential to look great.

[Kenzx3]

I like the ideas, and best thing is, not overdone. Paint is okay as long as it is tasteful.

Don't forget, if you need to rock wheels there is a set of RS's you can borrow.

[Ataru]

I'm afraid if I borrow them, they might not make it back off my car before the drive back home.....

:o

[Kenzx3]

LMAO! Then you better be ready for Ken coming to Oklahoma and staying the night LOL!

[SVT3658]

[Kenzx3]

Fucking think I'm joking

I don't fuck around with wheels.

But I will keep an eye out for you this year at Spring Carlisle there Jason. For those who don't know, Carlisle has a big spring time Swap meet deal that takes over the whole town and the fairgrounds. All types of crazy deals, I got a Roush Cluster for $50 there last year, a set of EAPs for $150, a set of White Roush Wheels for $200, and a few other things for el cheapo. There are always Focus parts hidden in any of the tents selling closeout Ford Racing stuff as most of that is discontinued anyway. For those that have never been here is a birds eye view of a portion of the fairgrounds during the Spring Carlisle Swap Meet:

[glowin3232]

[Kenzx3]

Imagine that place with 2500+ Mustangs, 200 Foci, 150 Merkurs, 5 Escorts, and like another 2,000 other Fords and you've got Carlisle Ford Nationals.

[Ataru]

Did you ever find out anything about those RS wheels from that contact we were talking about Ken?

And Josh, I know better than to fuck with Ken and his wheels. Those are like his children and he thinks everyone out there is a child rapist! lol

[Kenzx3]

Did you ever find out anything about those RS wheels from that contact we were talking about Ken?

No not yet, meant to drop by but never did, I plan to this week or next though.

And Josh, I know better than to fuck with Ken and his wheels. Those are like his children and he thinks everyone out there is a child rapist! lol

Jason's coming up to Carlisle, snatching your reeemz up, trying to rock 'em, so ya'll need to hide yo eaps, hide yo rs', and hide yo hylands cuz he's rockin errything roun' here

[Ataru]

lol....I think those EAPs are safe.

[Ataru]

Okay, I wanted to se what the hood might look like so I used Forza to mock it up. I would paint along the inside body line on each side of the hood and the curve the paint towards the upper tip of the hood with a red stripe betwen the CF and blue like this:



Not 100% sure I like it yet. Maybe with that and the red in the emblems and the brake calipers, it would be JUST enough red accents without going overboard.

[NorCalFocus]

Thats same line I followed on my old two tone hood. It looked great and fit the flow nicely.

The red is good. That line isn't to wide and I agree it would tie the other accents in.

[Ataru]

Oh, and a mock up of the emblems:

[glowin3232]

I like all of your ideas. I think the hood looks pretty sweet painted like that, red calipers to match would be....

[Ataru]

and of course this popped up for sale today:

http://forums.focaljet.com/appearance/642909-sale-rs-collection-front-bumper-kit.html

$600 is twice the price of the SVT bumper thought, and I still like the ST170 bumper better than that one.

[trailbikerider]

Same thought I had, I can't swing $600 for a front bumper.

[Kenzx3]

Yeah thats a bit high of a price as you can get them from European Parts new for about that price. Or hell from ebay for less minus the lights.

[Cobrawannabe]

Jason, I found a pair of stickers that I just HAD to pick up for you. PM me your address and I can send the out to you. I'm posting this here so I stop forgetting to tell you. The centercap design also jogged my memory.

[SVT3658]

Jason, I talked to Mark and he paid about a grand shipped for his R/S bumper from european parts. 600 for that one really isn't toooooo terrible. If I was local id dangle 450 or 500 in his face. That bumper is about 1200 bucks from BAT INC

I like your newest ideas!

[Ataru]

Shit....now I'm considering going back to the Momos. I can't decide!



Basically it would take my car back to this with the ST170s back on there, but just add SVT sideskirts and 225/45/17 tires....which means I MUST roll those fenders to stop the rubbing.

[SVT3658]

I like it!

[jholso]

[Ataru]

You guys aren't helping. lol

[Bellicose87]

I prefer your Td's, I'm jealous of your center caps

[SVT3658]

You guys aren't helping. lol

I really think the TDs belong with the ST170s, and the Momos with the MACHs. But mixing them looks great too, just not as good as dark with dark and bright with bright

If you're going back to the ST170s then the amber sidemarkers will "match" nicely with the amber blinker in the STs, whereas the MACHs are all clear until the blinker turns on.

[Ataru]

Yeah, that's my problem. I like the look of the ST170s better than the Machs and I like the Momos better because they are more rare and they have some lip.

[Kenzx3]

I'm undecided, its a hard choice.

[Yocrew]

Momos looked best.

[Ataru]

Ran into some good luck tonight.



Within 10 miles of hitting that number, I just missed smacking two deer running in front of me.

[SVT3658]

I'm glad you didn't hit them, that would've sucked

[NorCalFocus]

Did you also buy a lotto ticket?

[Ataru]

DAMNIT! I knew I forgot something!

[Ataru]

Old autocross wheel look:



The work begins:



All primered:



Backside of first wheel after finished with color. The color looks a bit brighter than the old red:



Yeah, it's WAY brighter!



I decided to try a brighter red for this next autocross season. The old red looked great in direct sunlight when it hit the metalflake, but in the shade, it lost all of its luster and looked too dark honestly.

I won't be doing the white stripe the same. I will probably do a double white stripe on one of the spokes perpendicular to it.

First autocross is this Sunday so I'll have some pictures of them on the car then.

Oh, and I also filed the claim for when I hit the coyote last November and had my insurance adjuster look at Sonic today. After removing my deductible, they cut me a check for $1460.00 So repairs will begin shortly on Sonic plus installation of the SVTF sideskirts.

Yes, I'm lazy. I just copied this from FJ. lol

[slocussvt]

Looking good, Jason!

[SVT3658]

Progress is good!


I think you should buy one of those R/S collections bumpers floating around the for sale forums

[Ataru]

Can't afford the cost of one of those bumpers and also get the other stuff done too.

[NorCalFocus]

The wheels look much better.

[Ataru]

[SVT3658]

Needs moar other wheels

[Ataru]

Update!

Waiting for Jimmy to come over and help install the sideskirts:



Rocker panels are completely clean.....those are rock chips from the years of driving. Wider stock SVTF wheels and no stock skirts on the ZX5 SVTF = LOTS of rocks tossed on the body panels:





BAM! FINALLY got them installed after scoring them at FR10 last year thanks to the help of a bunch of Focus peeps that were there!









Jimmy had a set of Euro tails sitting in his hatch that he had never installed. We also took care of that this evening:



Yup....Jimmy's car is bad ass!

[SVT3658]

I'm really amazed at the color match of the paint. Looks great Jason!

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