Ford Focus Mk2 [ST] Estate Sleeper - Build Thread

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Emeye said:

muhnkee2 said:

is there an award for the fastest build thread in PH history?
in the time you have done this, i have still not finished bleeding the brakes on my morris minor.
maximum respect to you - thanks for being an inspiration to the rest of us!

I don't think the build has been real-time, the OP started posting a while after starting - still seems pretty quick though.

I'm afraid it isn't real time, very close to catching up to where I am now. Although, we added up the time we've spent on it, subtracted the time we spent doing stuff stupid-time consuming ways, and came up with a total of two weeks with two of us working on it to get us up to where we are now.

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Ilovejapcrap said:

TonyF55 said:

Love this, and a really nice job you have done too, here is your great grandad



160bhp Escort Estate

Wow love this

This popped up on my saved searches on eBay for 'sleeper', and then I saw it on the cover of Performance Ford. Not to take anything away from it, but if this pulled up to you at the lights you would know something was up because you don't see mint Escorts like this anymore!

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AyBee said:

CHR15 G said:

Love the red brake callipers behind the steelies hinting at something non-standard

Glad you like it!

The plan was to hint at the performance through the red callipers, big discs, visible intercooler and partially visible exhaust.

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JackP1 said:

So what exhaust are you going to run? Try and do it through a downwards pointing single exit?

It will be a custom fabricated one, single pipe and single exit on one side at the rear (following the routing of the original exhaust).

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Chr1sch said:

just an fyi but i bizarrely came across 17" Ford hub caps the other day on ebay - Came off a fusion i believe (they do look much like an ST alloy)

Was this a US Fusion? As the UK one is basically a Fiesta and I can't believe they would have fitted that with 17" wheels!

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CHR15 G said:

davepoth said:

Awesome work OP. Are you going to use a genuine Ford wheel trim, or will you go and look for a random one on a grass verge somewhere?

Thanks! Don't think I can use a genuine Ford one, as they don't make 17 inch steels. It will have to be a Halfrauds special.

When I said this the other day I was mistaken... Ford do make 17" steels on the Ranger (wrong pattern) and the Kuga (correct fittment), but these were so rare I couldn't find any second hand ones for sale (new they were £80 each). That's why I went to the Peugeot ones, as they have the same 5x108 and are much more available.

So, as far as wheel trims go I could use some Ford ones!

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The interior is all back in, apart from swapping over to the new ST door cards. Then I put the front wings on and lined them up with the front doors to get good shut lines, and then the bumper on which attaches to the front wings.



Then I attached the bonnet and used this to fine tune the position of the front wings to get a nice even line down the wing/bonnet shut line.



And from the back. The exhaust is a mixture of Milltek 2 3/4" to the rear axle and 2 1/4" standard diesel from there back, connected together with a little adapter from eBay. Straight through apart from the cat, it's loud, pop-ie and bang-ie (just temporary to get me to the exhaust shop)



It all went together easily and all the lines are pretty good for a first try, when I was just desperate to get it out and drive it home for the first time! (not before picking up a very important passenger though)



So I did! Here it is on the driveway, about a 5 mile drive from the barn (but I took the long way back). All seems to be well but I did take it very slowly and it was all a bit of a blur! It's odd being in a car that seems so normal and run of the mill but knowing that almost every nut and bolt on it was put together by you!

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rohrl said:

Congratulations on a good job well done.

This would make a good magazine feature car for one of the Ford specialist mags or Practical Performance Car.

martin mrt said:

One of the best threads in a long time. What a cracking build

BenWRXSEi said:

This is truly excellent - really enjoyable thread

I genuinely covet this car!

BOBTEE said:

Absolutely love it, well done!

JackP1 said:

Top Job!

Zombie said:

Brilliant, that'll be a right riot to drive I bet! Enjoy

whytheory said:

Top work!

james_tigerwoods said:

Ps, the is properly awesome

ka90 said:

Looks fantastic! What a project.

Thanks for all the love guys, it means a lot to me! It's still not finished though, it's gonna look even better yet!

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james_tigerwoods said:

Do you need to do anything legal like for this now given the engine change - like an mot or vehicle inspection?

Ps, the is properly awesome

As far as I can tell there is no requirement for an MOT after you have completely dissembled and reassembled your car! As the tax class is going up all the DVLA want is to know the new engine size and tax class, if I was swapping the other way they would want to do a vehicle inspection as they would be getting less tax (as far as I can tell from their website). The V5 has been changed to represent the new engine size and fuel type, and is fully representative of the vehicle. Insurance is with Adrian Flux and has all of the modifications declared.

ps, thank you!

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ka90 said:

Looks fantastic! What a project.

This has got me wondering about converting a Fiesta ST mk7 into a sleeper.
Wouldn't take much- remove badges, spoiler & bumpers and replace with Style bumpers, steelies and a TDCI badge and a 58 reg plate.

Do it! One of those would be fantastic, especially with a few engine mods, and I suspect that no one else has done it yet.

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velocefica said:

Not sure I could fit the impact bar without giving it a coat of trust and some matt black.

I'm not sure I understand, what is 'trust' and why matt black?

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The Spruce goose said:

yes the thread throbbers seemed to have stayed away.

Well done Op, now we just need some videos for the money shot.

When the exhaust is done I'll be a chav and get some drive-by videos!

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pingu393 said:

I hope the statute of limitations has long gone. I did a sleeper many moons ago and didn't tell a soul. I'd be interested to know the cost of insurance. Is it comparable to the ST?

Cracking job, I'd love to do it again.

You didn't say how long ago you built it, so I'm sure the time has passed by now...

Without having done a back to back comparison with a modified ST, I think it has come out cheaper!

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PaulD86 said:

Best build thread I've seen in a very long time. Great work and great result! I always loved the ST225 and wanted to buy one - a requirement for more space and doors meant I bought an ST220 instead - you've come up with the perfect solution.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else you do with it now and I get the feeling that the type of person who takes on a project like this will not be stopping with projects once this is done... Got the next project lined up yet?

It may be the perfect solution, but it's quite a lot of hard work!

Now my Clio isn't being used everyday I'm going to treat it to a bit of TLC along with the 205. Next big project will be a chassis for my Land Rover Series III

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TartanPaint said:

I absolutely LOVE this. Very well done. Massively impressed with the skills, effort, perseverance, and of course the result, which is just my cup of tea. I love lots of go with no show.

Don't let the thread die. Keep the final updates coming, and definitely a test drive video would be massively appreciated.

Thank you very much!

No, I won't let it die as I have a couple more updates already.

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StoatInACoat said:

Love it. Perfect daily! Needs a National Trust sticker in the back window though.

Very jealous of your workspace too.

I'm actually a National Trust member (young persons pays for itself in under two visits just with the parking...), but I could never bring myself to put the sticker in the Clio, which the NT people could not understand at all!

But yes, I will stick it in the Focus with [ironic] pride!

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Dr G said:

And a tartan blanket?

yes, covering the back seats!

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I drove it 22 miles to work (and back)! The only thing I found that didn't work was the windscreen wipers, but as they were now 22 miles away in the barn after I had forgotten to fit them, I think the blame will have to lie with me and not the component. I will fit them and give them a second chance. I hope I haven't forgotten to fit anything else less accessible...



When I got home I fitted the towbar, as the new exhaust will occupy a similar area and I didn't want that to be fabricated and then not allow space for the towbar to be fitted. It's a secondhand Witter, fixed flange mounted ball with single electrics. Removing the rear bumper was fairly straight forward, which now means the only body parts not to have been removed are the rear doors and boot lid. The towbar bracket would have been a lot easier with two people or an adjustable jack, mine was at the barn and I was doing it my garage, so I had to balance the end I wasn't working on on piles of stuff.

I didn't get any good photos as I was either holding one end or the other!



Next up it's off to the exhaust shop.

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Exhaust. 3" cat back for now.





The welds are like artwork. It's a shame that they're under the car.



The length of the rear (and only) silencer has been reduced in length from the original plan due to the tow bar. We may put a central one in if it's too loud.





Exit is behind the rear bumper so that gases don't get sucked back.





Fairly invisible, and it should dull down too.

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DS197 said:

By far my favourite project on the site! Hopefully there'll be plenty of occasions to teach some people a lesson or two

Thank you! I hope I will have the chance, but would people even feel the need to try if it pulled up at the lights next to them?