A Rather Bright Focus ST3

A Rather Bright Focus ST3

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CT05 Nose Cone

Original Poster:

25,243 posts

234 months

Saturday 11th May
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Decided it was time for a new car, as much as I've enjoyed my GT86 it wasn't really suitable for my 50 mile motorway commute. It had occurred to me I'd never owned a fast/warm Ford, but finding one was harder than I though. Fiesta was too small, to me the pre facelift mk.3 Focus looks ugly, and would have to be an ST3 since only they came with heated seats. So when I spotted this on AT I drove to the middle of nowhere Norfolk to collect it. The advantage leaving at 7am to the middle of nowhere though was I could say goodbye to the GT86 with some lovely driving roads whilst the 42mph brigade were still in bed. Whilst they may have been out in force on the return journey I did manage to get some scenic pictures. Safe to say that you won't be losing it in the car park:







Although I did pick it up 4 miles too late




Not quite completely standard as I'd wanted, but it has seemingly every factory option, refitting the rear wiper should be simple enough and the main thing is there's no god awful exhaust or map. Whilst I would have preferred an estate, they're even rarer so I had to compromise.

d_a_n1979

9,674 posts

79 months

Saturday 11th May
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I really like that; always liked the shape...

A lad down our cul de sac has one but in dark grey; he's had the exhaust and remap by the sound of it too, and 'blips' it when driving down the small, quiet cul de sac... rolleyeslaugh

Still lives with his parents too hehe Say no more

HazzaT

503 posts

52 months

Saturday 11th May
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I'd normally defend fitting an exhaust to a fast ford but with the Mk3 it just makes more noise, unless you're going down the sports cat route for stage 2 I probably wouldn't bother anyway

CABC

5,798 posts

108 months

Saturday 11th May
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they're different cars, but your comparative thoughts?

Nyloc20

650 posts

70 months

Saturday 11th May
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Good timing ,there’s a thread going on Car Buying about ST3 models. Your car looks great, my wife decided the colour was too bright for us two old gits but I’m happy with frozen white.

Stick Legs

5,966 posts

172 months

Saturday 11th May
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It’s Bahama Yellow isn’t it?

An old Aston Martin colour.

Very cool.


CT05 Nose Cone

Original Poster:

25,243 posts

234 months

Saturday 11th May
quotequote all
d_a_n1979 said:
I really like that; always liked the shape...

A lad down our cul de sac has one but in dark grey; he's had the exhaust and remap by the sound of it too, and 'blips' it when driving down the small, quiet cul de sac... rolleyeslaugh

Still lives with his parents too hehe Say no more
I currently have the "pleasure" of living 2 doors down from someone who has done similar to their Scirocco, suffice to say I will not be doing the same.


CABC said:
they're different cars, but your comparative thoughts?
Too early for me to judge the Focus aside from that it's faster, but the GT86 feels like a sportscar in that you sit very low with a small windscreen very direct steering feel and almost no body roll. Was perfectly usable day to day as long as you don't have more than 1 passenger, but did tend to drone on the motorway, you had to work it to get peak power which could be annoying, and it had what might be the worst standard sound system I've ever heard in a car released in the last 25 years. Ride was hard and could feel jittery, but the alcantara seats were honestly some of the best I've ever experienced.

d_a_n1979

9,674 posts

79 months

Saturday 11th May
quotequote all
CT05 Nose Cone said:
d_a_n1979 said:
I really like that; always liked the shape...

A lad down our cul de sac has one but in dark grey; he's had the exhaust and remap by the sound of it too, and 'blips' it when driving down the small, quiet cul de sac... rolleyeslaugh

Still lives with his parents too hehe Say no more
I currently have the "pleasure" of living 2 doors down from someone who has done similar to their Scirocco, suffice to say I will not be doing the same.
Ha; yeah, not ideal! He's a young lad; think we've all been there / done that... I know I did with my JDM Honda's in my early to mid 20s etc... But I didn't blip the exhausts when I was parking up in the cul de sac my folks live on rolleyes

Fortunately for us he's right at the bottom of the cul de sac and they seem to be a nice family; always polite when they walk past and say hi etc...

All huge Preston North End fans; might explain a lot hehe

Mr Tidy

24,348 posts

134 months

Saturday 11th May
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That looks fantastic - I do like a stand-out colour on a lairy car!

Zad

12,762 posts

243 months

Saturday 11th May
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Stick Legs said:
It’s Bahama Yellow isn’t it?
The official name is Tangerine Scream I think.

EX51GE R

1,501 posts

217 months

Saturday 11th May
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Zad said:
The official name is Tangerine Scream I think.
Yes, my S1 exige is painted the same colour.

Stick Legs

5,966 posts

172 months

Saturday 11th May
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It wasn’t a criticism.

It’s a damn cool colour.

Nice car as well.

The Bearded Tit

261 posts

39 months

Sunday 12th May
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If they offer a colour like this it wouldn't make sense not to have it! I've come across plenty with the usual exhaust and pop/bang map, and like most modern turbo-four-cylinders, they all are horrid. Like the golf GTi and golf R, it's just noise. It's nice to see one relatively unmolested!

I don't mind the wiper delete, though. As popular as it is with people we don't usually like to be associated with, it does tidy up the look of the rear end a little, plus weight-saving, bro! That rear wiper motor must weigh at least a kilo!