OP
OP
They could use a rebuild but mainly for my peace of mind. I like to start as close to the baseline with maintenance items as possible.
So, you have the 2000 Cobra R brakes? Do those bolt right up without additional brackets?
White's '95 GT "Unicorn"
- Thread starter white95
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They could use a rebuild but mainly for my peace of mind. I like to start as close to the baseline with maintenance items as possible.
So, you have the 2000 Cobra R brakes? Do those bolt right up without additional brackets?
Correct. The Focus RS and Cobra R (2000) are a direct bolt on, bolt directly to the spindle. They use the Cobra 13” Rotor. I pick up the calipers for ~$200 a set. Then I powder coat them Black or Silver, then rebuild them. I usually have around $350 into a set including the cost of the calipers. I offer them up to customers when building cars. I have Wilwood, Aerospace, Brembo, and Alcon (Saleen and Roush as well) all in stock just in case.
OP
OP
Good to know. Could come in handy as a backup system.
What year Focus calipers and how are they compared to standard cobra calipers?
OP
OP
These will outclass the floating cobra calipers in every metric.
OP
OP
Sat back and decided I need some rear wheel spacers and this is going to bother me until I get them.
Spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the inside up and putting the interior panels in place. Didn’t take pictures of the rest but I bolted the seat belts in and put in a few more trim pieces.
Once it got dark, I started to mess with the Holley dash settings. The fuel level gauge is now fully operational and I’ve started on the turn signal & high beam indicators.
Spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the inside up and putting the interior panels in place. Didn’t take pictures of the rest but I bolted the seat belts in and put in a few more trim pieces.
Once it got dark, I started to mess with the Holley dash settings. The fuel level gauge is now fully operational and I’ve started on the turn signal & high beam indicators.
Attachments
ttocs
Post Whore
I am going to go for one more shakedown drive before I pull the dash to do some wiring back there as well.
OP
OP
It really just never ends..
Tell me about it
2002-2003 Focus RS. It was only available overseas. They out perform the stock two piston cobra brakes. By how much, not a ton in a 60-0 stop, but where it counts is in auto cross or even quarter mile. More surface pressure.
Interesting. I’m going to have to look for these. How accessible are these things?
apsmith49921
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Don't you have a square wheel setup for the auto x stuff? Wouldnt the wheel spacers cause issues with understeer as staggered wheel set ups do?
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OP
OP
No, I have staggered wheels but the tires are the same size although I’d imagine the contact patches are different. You’re correct about the staggered wheels adding to understeer. The front track is wider than stock and this has already increased understeer.
At this point I have little idea how the suspension will react as I haven’t pushed the car through any curves. At all. This morning, however, I did rapidly weave back and forth on a two lane road to test the steering. It is very responsive and I will attribute that to very stiff bushings. The tires are dry rotted from years of sitting around and until they’re replaced, I’m only going to putt around.
apsmith49921
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Makes sense. I'm not really into the road race/auto x stuff. I just happened to learn a little over the years.
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OP
Connected the wiring for the turn signal and high beams to show up on the Holley dash. They also flash through the shift light and that was an added bonus.
Finally wired up my export tail lights to properly function, well, pending the installation of a EP-27 flasher. Also, changed to some flat black tail light bezels.
Finally wired up my export tail lights to properly function, well, pending the installation of a EP-27 flasher. Also, changed to some flat black tail light bezels.
OP
OP
After a few days of trashing, I had readied the car for an attempt at passing state inspection. In Louisiana, anything pre-96 (OBD1 or older) is emissions exempt. If you looked past the fact the reverse lights and horn didn’t work, I stood a good chance.
Paid my $20 and waited my turn. Talked to the inspector to educate him on the nuances of my car and he said, “oh, it’s a ‘95? Looks like it’s pretty much a race car too. We automatically pass anything older than 96 so let me get your new sticker.”
Holy shit LOL
So, I decided to roll into the throttle and give it a quick pull to 5k in first and second. She pulls pretty freaking hard and makes all sorts of glorious sounds doing so. The suspension totally amazed me when she didn’t even step out of the lane when it was skating through 2nd even on old, dry rotted tires. Fuck yes.
That’s about when it started to go to shit. The engine started to sputter and “lay over” on me. It was back firing and started to clatter and clang. Oh boy. Limped it around the corner to my buddies house and called a tow truck.
After sitting around feeling sorry for myself I decided to leave it alone until today. Started by chopping a 10mm deep socket down to reach the only stud/bolt on the cam cover. Anyone Coyote swapping one of these cars needs to take note of this.
Paid my $20 and waited my turn. Talked to the inspector to educate him on the nuances of my car and he said, “oh, it’s a ‘95? Looks like it’s pretty much a race car too. We automatically pass anything older than 96 so let me get your new sticker.”
Holy shit LOL
So, I decided to roll into the throttle and give it a quick pull to 5k in first and second. She pulls pretty freaking hard and makes all sorts of glorious sounds doing so. The suspension totally amazed me when she didn’t even step out of the lane when it was skating through 2nd even on old, dry rotted tires. Fuck yes.
That’s about when it started to go to shit. The engine started to sputter and “lay over” on me. It was back firing and started to clatter and clang. Oh boy. Limped it around the corner to my buddies house and called a tow truck.
After sitting around feeling sorry for myself I decided to leave it alone until today. Started by chopping a 10mm deep socket down to reach the only stud/bolt on the cam cover. Anyone Coyote swapping one of these cars needs to take note of this.
OP
OP
After fighting the goddamn cam cover until I was ready to snap it’s freaking spine, it came out. My prayers seemingly have been answered and the cam phaser bolts backed out. Just like last time. Should’ve checked them when I did the passenger side. You live and you learn. I don’t see any evidence of metal shavings, chunks, none of the cam lobes are messed up and I’m generally optimistic I can torque the bolts down and move forward.
I will report back later.
I will report back later.
ttocs
Post Whore
I know some of these feelings. I took it up to 5k yesterday for the first time so I know the joy of hearing those sounds and feeling the pull. I am sorry to hear that yours ended like it did as that had to be a hell of a let down to go from "HELL YEA!" to "NO NO NO NO PLEASE NO". I also know both the joy and embarassment of finding bolts that should have been tightened down to be the cause of what was felt. I have had that feeling one time too many and now have swore to torque everything down and to double check. I am going to go under again next week to check it.
OP
OP
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re back in business. Torqued everything down to spec and reassembled the removed parts. Fired right up and didn’t make any unwelcome noises. Decided to drove it to the parts store for an EP-27 flasher to complete the export tail light job. Laid a smoke screen down because I didn’t tighten a few cam cover bolts down enough. Hey, they were tough to get to!
ttocs
Post Whore
Yea I also had a couple of bolts just last week that I was looking at and thinking that I bet I didn't get them tight enough since they were hard to get to. I was right and glad I did drop the steering rack and mess up the alignment to do it.
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