NorCal's I hope I can go to FR11 and meet some cool turtles build thread

[NorCalFocus]

Thought I should post this here to. Over here I'm more open to getting suggestions and ideas.

So I have decided to park my car in the garage this winter and go at it. Its time to get my car cleaned up and make it an attention getting. Right now it kinda seems like a car that any Honda fan boy could do. I plan on doing this with OEM plus style mods. The car is in the garage for now, but I can't really tear into the engine as I have to wait till after Christmas to put my decorations away.

The build list...

• install camber plates
  
• install poly front sway bar bushings
  
• install SVT header swap
  
• build a custom 2.5" exhaust
  
• install new CF trunk lid (the first ever MK1 CF trunk lid)
  
• make a new custom hood
  
• more low [clap]
  
• install Roush spark plug cover on the Contour valve cover
  
• engine bay wire tuck
  
• paint and clean a few items in the bay
  
• possible batter relocation
  
• shaved rad support
  
• more as I think of it
  

12-19-10

My custom hood from last year is gone. It went to an awesome car and a good guy so it will live on here in Nor Cal.

Engine bay as it sits right now. I've already done a few things, degas cover and replaced the painted fuse box cover with a OEM.





My SVT header, flex and Roush plug cover.



Kyle (volcomstone1966) cutting into my hood last night.





The ruff cut.



Cleaning up the cuts.





Step one complete.

[J_Train]

i don't think thats going to look as bad as i thought

[Yocrew]

I think the it's just too big of a hole. i thikn they look better smaller and off to the sides. Than again I'm not much of a hole in the hood type a dude.

[NorCalFocus]

The mesh will help it out a lot as well.

This is where I really got the idea from.

[Bellicose87]

you are brave, I would never cut my hood with out screwing something up lol. Looking forward to seeing your project complete

[NorCalFocus]

you are brave, I would never cut my hood with out screwing something up lol. Looking forward to seeing your project complete

Thats why I got someone else to cut my hood, lol.

[NorCalFocus]

So where can I get good quality tubing couplers for my intake? I got cheap ebay stuff right now just to make it function.

[trailbikerider]

Check and see if you could just get the couplers from AEM? Just a thought.

[NorCalFocus]

AEM will have the rubber style. I want the layered silicone like you would use on a turbo.

[Kenzx3]

Vibrant and Injen have 'em, or go to your local performance store, they'll have 'em

[NorCalFocus]

Sweet. Gloss black is the only color I want.



*EDIT*

Holy shit $68! http://vibrantperformance.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1022_1073_1141_1216&products_id=1111

[Yocrew]

CFM should have them too.

[NorCalFocus]

CFM doesn't have the 90* 2.5"-3"

I may just get another one off ebay or check out spectrae.

[J_Train]

Check some auto part stores... idk if you have pep bays out where you are but they usually have em as well as the turbo kind too in all angles

[NorCalFocus]

Cool I 'll check out pep boys later today. Its a bl;ock away from my wife's job and I took her to work today.

[Cobrawannabe]

Sooooo, are you gunna paint that battery box semi-flat black, again? Otherwise, car looks pretty solid. I'm looking forward to seeing progress.

[NorCalFocus]

If I don't do the battery relocation then yes it will get painted. But I would rather move it to the trunk.

So I was thinking because the intake tube is going white should I change the rubber elbow to a black one?

[Kenzx3]

White and Black engine bay. Nuff said

[NorCalFocus]

Sweet. Thats what I was thinking. The only red is going to be the valve cover and the strut bar.

[Kenzx3]

White Strut Bar, White Valve Cover, Jet Coated Header, White Intake Tube, Black Degas Cover, Build a custom metal battery cover and paint it white, then clean up engine bay completely.

[trailbikerider]

Get some strut tower plugs too, only like $5 from the group buy on FJ I believe. Subtle, but it's a nice touch.

[Kenzx3]

Get some strut tower plugs too, only like $5 from the group buy on FJ I believe. Subtle, but it's a nice touch.

Yes. Black on them too

[NorCalFocus]

How about all the stuff you said with the valve cover red and a white Roush spark plug cover? Or black wrinkle valve cover and plain billet spark plug cover? The issue with the white OEM paint is I'm not sure if it will handle the heat being on the valve cover. The SVT header will get a custom heat shield by Kyle (volcomstone1966) and heat wrapped, then the cover will be painted black.

I'll check that out right now Blake.

[Kenzx3]

The red throws it off, personally I'd just do two colors, black and white, with some polished bits from CFM or TeamTorquesteer thrown in.

And White should handle fine on the cover if powdercoated. Powdercoated VC is a classy $50 mod that looks great. Do like Corey's (CWCZX3) and have the letters show thru or paint them silver, trust me, White can be done. Not gonna say what I have planned on the '00 but well there is a powdercoated VC sitting in the garage right now in white.

[trailbikerider]

Just wrap or have your header ceramic coated. I personally hate header heat shields.

[NorCalFocus]

Hell I could always through my Ford Racing engine cover on.

I know I can have it PC, but thats kinda against my religion being a paint guy and all, lol.

I'm liking the black wrinkle with billet bits. Black wrinkle with the letters showing through and a billet oil cap. I think it would break up having so much white.



Blake they hate you too.

[NorCalFocus]

I was going to start pulling stuff out of the car to prep for paint but I had to work on the wagon today. So if nothing else comes up tomorrow will be a tear down day for my car.


*EDIT*

Just ordered the strut tower caps.

[NorCalFocus]

Update finally!









Stuff I got pulled off for painting white so far.



Before...



Just the coil isolators out (I had two pair in)





Then a little witchcraft...





I'll adjust the camber in on the rear tires tomorrow. Also need to pound flat my inner fender on the drivers side. The passenger side was done already. Going to be working on a friends Focus tomorrow, so I may or may not get to the fronts tomorrow.

[J_Train]

looking good. needs the center caps imo

[NorCalFocus]

Oh I have them, they're just not on. Still need to torque the lugs down.

[J_Train]

lmao i was just looking about a minute ago and noticed the center caps are on your wheels in your avatar....

[NorCalFocus]

So Derek (deathbomber) came over today so we could work on his car. He had a pair of spring compressors so we cut my front spring and installed my camber plates. The plates raised it up a little so I'm glad I cut the front springs. So thats one major thing crossed off my list. I also prepped my strut bars for painting and laid the first coat of paint on my rear sway bar.

Where's da gold at? On my sway bar!

[SVT3658]

lookin good! Looks like the front needs to come down a bit more though

[NorCalFocus]

It does but I can't cut any more spring in the front. The camber plates are what is keeping it up that high. I'm thinking I might put the stock plates in to see how low she goes.

[trailbikerider]

Wait.....are you running SPC camber plates?

[NorCalFocus]

I am now why?

[Kenzx3]

I really need to post pics of what happened to my SPC's and maybe folks will learn.....

[NorCalFocus]

Post em up. I needed some camber plates and the price was too good to pass up.

[Kenzx3]

I'll post 'em up tomorrow night if they are easily accessible. You know those Brass Plates that are flat? Ever seen them tweaked at a 60 degree angle? Yeah great SPC quality there, I'm back to stock now and happier

[NorCalFocus]

Well as you can see in the pics stock plates would get me lower. I'm just worried about the amount of camber I'll have. Damn I need to win the lotto and buy Dom's new arms.

[Kenzx3]

SPC's are fine as long as you avoid pot holes, I hit some PA construction about 3 days prior to H2Oi and the Camber Plates went completely!

[NorCalFocus]

So how much camber do you have on the stock plates? Didn't you go lower today?

[NorCalFocus]

So I took off the camber plates today. The camber isn't bad at all so it looks like I may have wasted $45. Hopefully I can sell them and buy something else.

[SVT3658]

You can definitely sell them Chris. I sold a set for $45 shipped with ease.

But when I had SPCs, I didn't use them for taking away camber, I used them for MOAR camber

[Kenzx3]

So how much camber do you have on the stock plates? Didn't you go lower today?

Actually not much in the front, my alignment guy is a genius!

[NorCalFocus]

You can definitely sell them Chris. I sold a set for $45 shipped with ease.

But when I had SPCs, I didn't use them for taking away camber, I used them for MOAR camber

I know, I just installed them in the car yesterday

[NorCalFocus]

So how much camber do you have on the stock plates? Didn't you go lower today?

Actually not much in the front, my alignment guy is a genius!

Yeah I looked at mine after taking out the camber plates and there isn't much. I'd like to know your alignment guy's tricks. Only because I am my own alignment guy.

Your alignment guy isn't Bill Viney is it?

[Kenzx3]

Your alignment guy isn't Bill Viney is it?

Nope but it's Bill's alignment guy thats like a mile away from his house. The place that we all go to have done a number of the Mid-A Foci and do them well! From Racers to Stancers, they dew werk son!

[NorCalFocus]

So a little update

I got the strut tower caps, the FSW oil cap, thought I had a short throw but I think its for a SVT.

I was going to tear into the bay today, but now I'm doing axles for a local.

[SVT3658]

Sweet.

Do you have a picture of that STS?

Wanna come change my axle for me? haha

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