Ford Focus 2.0 Zetec ESP
Discussion
This is my car!
May not be the most PH of cars however it does what I need it to do and more.
I bought it thinking it was just a 2.0 Zetec. Turns out with a bit of digging it's actually a Zetec ESP. Which means it gets ESP. See what Ford did there? This one is a 2001 example in Smokestone with a grey cloth interior - other than this completely unmodified. I did post up a couple of pictures about 6 months ago but I've made a few changes so thought I'd start a thread just to show that older, lesser cars can be played with.
So at this stage there are no exterior touches or mods - purely because I wanted to get the interior as up to date as I could as that's where you spend most of your time!
First thing was to sort the stereo out. The early Zetec ESP's came with a 6000CD standard which isn't too bad - but the one in this skipped as soon as you hit a bump. Onto eBay I go and bought a 6006CD which has a built in 6 disc changer and uses existing stalk controls, plus doesnt use a stupid fascia adapter! Alas they sent me one with a different connector!
So I'm now left with the issue of what do I do! Searched through my masses of Ford connectors and found a Parrot bluetooth adaptor that fitted in the 6006 and an ISO connector for the cars wiring! Now at this stage I could have been naughty and hard wired it but in the spirit of a proper modder I constructed a plug and play loom.
Voila one fitted 6006CD that works with AVC and stalk controls.
Next up was the interior. Several options open at this cars age, however most appeared to be either the other side of the country, or silly priced or very worn. I wanted either full leather or ST170 half leathers which are more sporty and comfortable than Zetec seats. Stumbled across a seller on eBay selling a full ST170 interior with door cards for £90 about 10 miles from me. Told him I'd be there that night. Turned up and he was a Focus breaker, so asked him if he had a Phase 2 centre console with the deeper cupholders and different gear gaiter - guy done me the console, ST170 handbrake lever and interior for £100! Top shedding. Then I needed to find a gear gaiter surround with an ESP switch hole - their are a few ST170 ones dotted around for £30 odd - managed to find a Ghia wood effect gear surround and stereo surround for £15 posted. Ill get round to flattening it back and painting it matt silver at some point - but for the minute it doesn't look too bad!
Turns out the phase 2 console has a rear cigarette lighter, something thats always annoyed me about the MK1 is that it doesnt have two - so ran cables under the console and wired to the front one. It was at this point I noticed that the rear one doesnt light up, but using the right lighter surround it could! Therefore one was salvaged from an old dash I had laying around and here we are (plastic was extremely easy to mark sadly!)
Hope you've not got too bored by the end of that! Any suggestions with where to go next with the exterior would be great - not up for spending mega cash but ideas are always helpful. Ideally don't want to mess the handling up, as at the minute it is spot on!
My plans are simply to make it mine!
May not be the most PH of cars however it does what I need it to do and more.
I bought it thinking it was just a 2.0 Zetec. Turns out with a bit of digging it's actually a Zetec ESP. Which means it gets ESP. See what Ford did there? This one is a 2001 example in Smokestone with a grey cloth interior - other than this completely unmodified. I did post up a couple of pictures about 6 months ago but I've made a few changes so thought I'd start a thread just to show that older, lesser cars can be played with.
So at this stage there are no exterior touches or mods - purely because I wanted to get the interior as up to date as I could as that's where you spend most of your time!
First thing was to sort the stereo out. The early Zetec ESP's came with a 6000CD standard which isn't too bad - but the one in this skipped as soon as you hit a bump. Onto eBay I go and bought a 6006CD which has a built in 6 disc changer and uses existing stalk controls, plus doesnt use a stupid fascia adapter! Alas they sent me one with a different connector!
So I'm now left with the issue of what do I do! Searched through my masses of Ford connectors and found a Parrot bluetooth adaptor that fitted in the 6006 and an ISO connector for the cars wiring! Now at this stage I could have been naughty and hard wired it but in the spirit of a proper modder I constructed a plug and play loom.
Voila one fitted 6006CD that works with AVC and stalk controls.
Next up was the interior. Several options open at this cars age, however most appeared to be either the other side of the country, or silly priced or very worn. I wanted either full leather or ST170 half leathers which are more sporty and comfortable than Zetec seats. Stumbled across a seller on eBay selling a full ST170 interior with door cards for £90 about 10 miles from me. Told him I'd be there that night. Turned up and he was a Focus breaker, so asked him if he had a Phase 2 centre console with the deeper cupholders and different gear gaiter - guy done me the console, ST170 handbrake lever and interior for £100! Top shedding. Then I needed to find a gear gaiter surround with an ESP switch hole - their are a few ST170 ones dotted around for £30 odd - managed to find a Ghia wood effect gear surround and stereo surround for £15 posted. Ill get round to flattening it back and painting it matt silver at some point - but for the minute it doesn't look too bad!
Turns out the phase 2 console has a rear cigarette lighter, something thats always annoyed me about the MK1 is that it doesnt have two - so ran cables under the console and wired to the front one. It was at this point I noticed that the rear one doesnt light up, but using the right lighter surround it could! Therefore one was salvaged from an old dash I had laying around and here we are (plastic was extremely easy to mark sadly!)
Hope you've not got too bored by the end of that! Any suggestions with where to go next with the exterior would be great - not up for spending mega cash but ideas are always helpful. Ideally don't want to mess the handling up, as at the minute it is spot on!
My plans are simply to make it mine!
Stoatman said:
Nice, how easy were the seats to fit? Rumours that they have different connectors underneath and an electric adjust on the st170
They do indeed! The MK1 connector is completely different to the MK1.5. I broke apart the floor side of a MK1.5 connector and made up a new one which I then wired into the floor loom positive and negative. I then fitted the seat and found it sat higher! Not liking the new position I whipped the seat out, unbolted the ST170 subframe from the cushion and backrest, and did the same to the MK1 manual cloth seat. Fitted the ST170 back and base to the MK1 subframe, and refitted. All it needed was the airbag connector taping up and Robert is your mothers brother! StuntmanMike said:
Cracking little cars these, I wouldn't mess with the exterior, it's been done too many times and will probably look barried, unless you are subtle.
I'm quite tempted to just detango the front end and tidy it up. Dont know whether a subtle tint would look out of place or not! I've spent all day today cleaning it so it looks tasty!
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