trailbikerider's other vehicle: Supercharged '02 Ford Focus

[trailbikerider]

So this is the vehicle that introduced me to the world of automobiles. I purchased this as my first car 10 years ago this upcoming November from a friend of my dad's for $1200. It had ~150,000 miles on it at the time.

Flash forward to now, it's got a shade over 200,000 on the body, with a newer engine that has around 45,000 miles on it. I quit daily driving this car in the summer of 2010 when the engine blew up on me. That was when I purchased my new DD and first truck, a 1994 Ford Ranger 2.3 5 speed manual.

I have put far too much money into this car since then....especially since it sits for the vast majority of the year. I don't drive it much.

Here's a few photos throughout the years.
















A little encounter with a deer







Lowered originally with a Ford Racing 1.5" lowering kit





Got rid of the awful eBay headlights



New tires and mudflaps





Header and cat from an SVT Focus



Grilles from a european Focus



This is funny now that I own a Toyota :laugh:



Header swap and Volant CAI

 

[trailbikerider]

Ford Racing EAP wheels. Looking back, I don't know why I ran these. I hate black wheels.







KABOOM, time for a new engine



After the rebuild. I did quite a few things at the same time. A set of 5Zigen Super Six wheels, an SVT front bumper, coilovers, SVT MACH HID head lamps, and european focus rear tail lamps.





The (at the time) 10 year old paint needed work, so my buddy who is a detailer did a full paint correction. Around the same time I put another set of new wheels on. 17x8 ESM 004s.











MOMO Monte Carlo steering wheel. Only had this for a while until I realized how much I missed cruise control.



In the process of removing my rusty old rear subframe, also POR15'd most of the underside of the car at the same time.





I got tired of how slow the car was, so I purchased a used Vortech Centrifugal supercharger kit. Looking back on this again, I wish I would've either gone with a roots setup, or a turbo. The car is noticeably quicker, but it didn't make a drastic improvement which is kind of lame.







Recaros out of a european M3 Alpina.

E36 M3 Alpina Seats by Blake Nichols, on Flickr

 

[trailbikerider]

New wheels again! 17x8 Rotiform BLQs.

DSC_0421 by Blake Nichols, on Flickr

Paper Mill by Blake Nichols, on Flickr

Model A Museum by Blake Nichols, on Flickr

Annnddd time for new wheels again! 17x8 Team Dynamics PR1.2s wrapped in 215/40r17 Falken Azenis. I got tired of the super stance life and raise the car up a little for some sticky rubber and lighter weight wheels. Also seen here are ST170 headlamps for a european Focus ST170 (the SVTs euro-counterpart).



Some nicer shots with my DSLR.

DSC_0723 by Blake Nichols, on Flickr

DSC_0716 by Blake Nichols, on Flickr

 

[Iluvboost]

I like those team dynamics wheels. Gives it a touring car flavor.

 

[trailbikerider]

I like those team dynamics wheels. Gives it a touring car flavor.

Thanks man! Yeah, especially when the car was still lower with those wheels on it really looked like a DTCC car.