Anyone driven a 1.8ltr or 2ltr focus?

Cyrus

Just wondering what are the 1.8/2.0ltr petrol focus's like? are they quick, figures dont look too hot but surely they are easily tunable? isnt the 2.0 the same engine as is in the st170?

HashSlinging

I think its harder to tune normally aspirated engines. Apart from a K&N and an exhaust etc though as proved before I could be wrong.

bazz26

The 1.8/2.0 petrol Focus is as rare as hen's teeth in Ireland. Little or no demand as you could tax/insure the bigger Mondeo for almost the same money plus VRT killed the purchase price. I don't even think they were officaly sold here or at best were probably a special order and came only with the auto box. Most would have been destined for the UK so any for sale are probably imports.

The 2.0 Focus did not use the same engine as the ST170. The ST170 uses variable valve timing whereas the ordinary 2.0 is the same 16 valve unit found in the Mondeo.

Cyrus

plenty in the uk tho, love ot get one with leather etc

very reasonable get a good 01 for 5k stg

ando

There was a lovely 1.8 Focus for sale here a few months ago:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=213264

I'm not sure what the story is on the car now but you dont see many like it in Ireland

Cyrus

yep thats the one that got me thinking

fletch

I'd say the 1.8 is quick....my Dad has a 1.8 Mondeo with the same engine & it's very fast....as far as I know the 2.0ltr ain't all that quicker and as 2.0ltrs go doesn't produce all that great horsepower

Cyrus

i think from what i can see the 1.8 is circa 115bhp and the 2ltr is 130

ando

1.8
BHP 113.0
Torque (lbs feet) 118.0
RPM to which the Torque refers 4400
Maximum Speed 123
Acceleration (0-60) 10.2

2.0
BHP 128.0
Torque (lbs feet) 131.3
RPM to which the Torque refers 4500
Maximum Speed 125
Acceleration (0-60) 9.2

bazz26

Are those Mondeo or Focus figures?

Neither are really great on paper by today's standards. I would have thought that the Focus would perform alot better with the larger engine.

ando

Their Focus stats

ST170
BHP 171.0
Torque (lbs feet) 131.3
RPM to which the Torque refers 4500
Maximum Speed 134
Acceleration (0-60) 8.2

RS Focus
BHP 212.1
Torque (lbs feet) 228.6
RPM to which the Torque refers 3500
Maximum Speed 144
Acceleration (0-60) 6.4

peterk19

I drove 2.0 focus last year for a day not that great to be honest although it depends what your used to i had just come back from New Zealand where i was driving V8 Falcons most days but i just didnt think the 2.0 focus was anything special

bazz26

Well if you compare the standard 2.0i Focus or Mondeo which both have around 130bhp, this is not particularly impressive when you look at something like the standard Honda Accord 2.0i which has 155bhp.

I would have expected the 2.0i Focus to be more powerfull as the car is smaller and lighter so the engine would have less work to do.

Cyrus

well the engine will have the same bhp no matter which car its in, as to whether it will give more power in a lighter focus, maybe ill just have to drive one

i doubt getting the 1.8 over the 1.6 makes any sense tho?

bazz26

Of course a 1.6 will sell on faster in Ireland too due to being cheaper to tax and insure (unless it is diesel).

Mayshine

Hi,

I am the owner of the 1.8 focus as linked to earlier in the thread, so perhaps I am best quaified to comment on it

Anyway, I bought the car because it had all the toys which you never see on the 1.6. This includes heated leather seats, all round disc brakes, a/c etc. It was nice that it came is the pretty 3rd shell also.

As for the performance, I am in a good position to comment as my previous car was a 1.6 focus.

While the top end power is not massively different, the low and mid range torque is significantly nicer. This mean not having to rev it as hard etc.

Also the 1.8 engine is quite strangled by the exhaust design and will respond quite nicely to modification.

{I should add I have a ST170 4-2-1 header and 300mm disc brakes in the garage at home also... makes a nice additional to the car}

As for a comparison with the ST170, this is effectly the 2.0 block with a new head and variable valve timing, however the block is the same, so the extent that the nice cosworth designed headers for the ST170 will bolt right onto the 1.8 and 2.0.

As for insurance, it cost me 50 euro per anumn more to insure and it think road tax is an additional 80 euro or something.

Pity I am in Singapore still and the car is left with my folks for their benefit. I really must come home soon and sell the yoke

Peace out
Dave

Mayshine

Also for an idea of the 0-100kph time of my 1.8, you can refer to the following


Gauges

Dave

quarryman

That car is quality. I'm shopping around for a Focus at the moment and am probably going to head to the UK for extra choice available.

Yours is a bit out of my price range but if I had the cash....

Mayshine

Its a very nice car, I'm heading to the UK in Sep/Oct to replace it.....


with a nice E46 M3

quarryman

also, what's the difference between the Lx and Zetec version of the focus? They seem to both have the same BHP.

bazz26

There is nothing different under the bonnet. They are just different trim levels. The LX Focus is the basic bread and butter model whereas the Zetec is the sportier looking model with things such as alloy wheels, front fog lights, sunroof and sports seats. One costs more than the other, it is purely a visual thing, no performance benefit unless you opt for a bigger engine.

WizZard

Dammit Mayshine, if I thought you still had that car I'd have bought it.
I've just bought an '03 Focus Collection instead!

Mayshine

I've been abroad for this spring and summer, and I have never got around to selling it. My bad

Anyway, I'm home if a short while, so time to flog it I think. However I could part out the various part of the car, seats, 17" alloys ST170 fog lamps, ST170 brakes, eibach springs individually if there was any interest....

Dave

ando

quarryman wrote:

That car is quality

I seen the car when I was in the Focus owners club and I have to say, it really is a nice looking car and has a lot more grunt in her than you would think, and those ST170 brakes are superb

mayshine wrote:

with a nice E46 M3

oh my, thats sounds tasty. You'll have to give me a look at that

Mayshine

Off Topic - Ando, I'm gonna be based in Scotland for the Winter, well for 6 months or more, so never a better time to buy a new car when I can avoid the VRT. Prices look good and the selection is there. My consolation for moving from the equator to such a cold place...

Anyway, bookmark a test drive for late october/early november...

Dave

quarryman

Mayshine wrote:

I've been abroad for this spring and summer, and I have never got around to selling it. My bad

Anyway, I'm home if a short while, so time to flog it I think. However I could part out the various part of the car, seats, 17" alloys ST170 fog lamps, ST170 brakes, eibach springs individually if there was any interest....

Dave

put me down for the alloys anyway.

WizZard

Mayshine wrote:

I've been abroad for this spring and summer, and I have never got around to selling it. My bad

Anyway, I'm home if a short while, so time to flog it I think. However I could part out the various part of the car, seats, 17" alloys ST170 fog lamps, ST170 brakes, eibach springs individually if there was any interest....

Dave

I would be interested. Give me a PM when you get home. (brakes/discs, repeaters, springs, alloys(if quarryman doesn't take them!))

Cyrus

how much for the car dood?

Mayshine

Pm for you Cyrus

Guys, I'll be selling this car in about 3 weeks, so if I cannot find a taker for the car as is, then I will be having part out auction on the car. Everything up for grabs...

Dave

Yugo

Regarding the Mondeo, I notice that the 1.8 LX version in Ireland comes with a 110bhp engine. This is (apparently) not available eslewhere. The LX is rated at 123bhp(ish) in the uk. I think the 1.8 Zetec in Ireland has the 123Bhp engine though. Probably cheaper to produce and therefore another example of VRT getting in the way..

As regards Zetec Vs Lx spec in general., they are just trim levels. There is usually no significant difference between them mechanically - with a few exceptions though (as per above)

Had a new style Focus Zetec rental in the UK last week. 1.6VCT (109bhp)- lovely car to drive and generally nicely thought out but a bit slow. It was brand new though so maybe very tight. Shudder to think what the 1.4 is like in that new heavy body shell. It also had rear drum brakes which look awful with the spoked alloys. No left foot rest - really missed on motorway.

The old 1.8 ( and above) has rear disc brakes which the 1.6 or lower still don't and didn't have previously. The old ST170 cost something absolutely crazy in Ireland - approx. 40K? I think, no wonder there are not many around!