2003 Ford Focus ZX3 Pro Touring V8 - RWD

There is always something to say about having a rare car. When you’re driving along in a car you’ve spent a lot of money on, you do not want everyone else on the block driving the same thing. But there are two different types of rare cars: those you spend an enormous amount of money on and those you put a lot of effort into making rare. Today we are focusing on the latter.

You might see a Ford Focus driving in your neighborhood, and heck you might even see a 2003 Focus ZX3, but it only takes a few seconds to realize that there is something special about this car. Taking a quick look at this Focus, it doesn’t really pop out at you at first. You might be thinking, yeah I’ve seen a Focus with nice wheels before. Wait what’s that heat extractor in the hood and what bumpers are those? The answers to your questions would firstly be, yes. Neatly fitted to the hood of this Focus is a heat extractor from a 2011 GT500 Mustang. The front and rear bumpers are Ford parts from Europe. The front and rear bumpers are fitted with custom stainless steel mesh grilles. Hella fog lights are fitted nicely into the front and a shorty billet aluminum radio antennae sits atop the roof. This is no aftermarket body-kit glued onto a rice mobile, these are Ford parts and fitted with care and passion. It really is almost easy to look right over this car thinking it’s a stock body.

Inside is more of the same. Mostly stock looks with some tasteful add-ons. The first and most noticeable of these is the A-pillar gauge pod and Autometer Phantom custom gauges behind the wheel. The stock Blaupunkt CD player rests in the dash, but the speakers have been replaced in favor of some with a little more quality. The windows have been swapped from manual to power, keyless entry has been added on, and cruise control has been added as well for easy highway driving. There are a few extra little buttons, but we’ll get to those later. Other than that, it’s pretty stock and a pretty solid ride.

So what makes this Focus so special? Is it more than a few custom parts here and there? Well yes, it is. Start this bad boy up or pull up next to someone at a light and they’ll instantly know this is no ordinary Focus. The rumbling from the engine and exhaust are unmistakable. Laying under this hood is a Ford Motorsports Sportman 5.0 block. Yes, that’s a big V8, pushing 450 horsepower stuffed into this little car. The engine has been well taken care of with forged pistons and a forged steel crank. We also have AFR 185 aluminum heads, Scorpion roller rockers, and a custom grind cam to round it all out. Up top we have a Edelbrock Victor JV intake manifold converted to EFI to help this thing breath and consume some fuel.

This 5.0 engine is hooked up to a 4R70W custom built overdrive automatic transmission with Buammator stand alone computer control. All of this sends power to the rear wheels through its 8.8 Ford differential with 3:55 gears. That’s right, a rear-wheel-drive Focus, powered by an amazing V8 powerplant.

Translate all of this into driving and it’s more mental than anything else. Here at txGarage, we’ve driven plenty of muscle cars and performance cars, but to have all this power is such a light and unexpected car is mental. Start this car up and immediately tingling sensations begin to run up your legs and down your arms. Look down to the shifter and you’ll see a small switch. This flips the transmission computer from mental everyday driving into insane race mode. Better leave if in mental for now. Shift down to drive and tap the throttle with your big toe and receive a jolt and slide from the rear-end. From a standstill, this Focus really makes it easy to break the rear wheels loose, but we’re merging onto the street so lets keep that in check. Heading in a strait line again I smashed the throttle once again propelling me to the roads speed-limit of 60 mph before I could even try and enjoy the sensation. This is one fast ride.

It’s not all about speed though. The builder of this ride paid as much attention to ride and handling as he did to the massive engine. Sway bars, control arms, adjustable caster camber plates, adjustable coil over struts, lowered, triangulated, polyurethane bushings, and 4 link are all words that came out of his mouth while we took a tour underneath this Focus. What it translates to is ride comfort and handling in the turns. Adding to the grip and handling are the racing tires mounted to the 18 inch wheels. The rear tires on this Focus are 9.5 inches wide; now that’s some grip!

When you have all this power and handling in a ride you never want to forget about stopping power. Luckily for us this Focus had plenty of it. The front brakes are a big break conversion kit for the Focus SVT with EBC slotted disc rotors and ceramic pads. In the rear, the discs are pulled from a V8 Explorer also slotted with ceramic pads and custom stainless steel braided brake lines. Let’s just say these come in handy when you’re coming into a turn a little faster than expected – which you inevitably will with this car.

To sum it all up, I’d have to say that this is one of the best conversions I’ve ever seen. It’s not every day that you see a six-figured supercar and it’ll be an even more rare occurrence to see something else like this driving down the road. This Focus delivers amazing performance in a stealth package that really is feasible for everyday driving. If you’re looking for a car that you can have fun in, show off to your buddies, and still use every day and get 20 mpg, this is a ton of fun.

Check out the Video of the 2003 Ford Focus V8 Project car on YouTube:

Check out the full photo albums on Facebook and Google:

Related posts:

1. 2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302 review by txGarage
2. 2012 Ford Focus Reviewed
3. The Jay Leno Show Electric Focus: w/Video

Being in Texas, how could we not include one of the most hard-core production trucks on the market? The F-150 Raptor jumped on the scene with big promises and big expectations. In 2008, it delivered on all those promises when it finished 3rd in class in one of the most grueling off road races there is, the Baja 1000. The SVT team wanted nothing more than to finish the race in this production truck; finishing 3rd was unexpected for everyone.

The Raptor is unique in many ways from the stock F-150. Not just including suspension work, but the truck is wider by 7 inches and the 5.5 foot box is unique to the Raptor as well. Powering this performance truck is either the 5.4 liter Triton V8 or the 6.2 liter V8 with 411 horsepower and 434 lbs-ft of torque. With 5300 confirmed orders, first year Raptor sales exceeded those of the 1999 Lightning F-150.

Related posts:

1. F-150 Raptor to a Border Near You:
2. 2011 Ford SuperDuty at the State Fair of Texas
3. The 2010 Texas Truck Rodeo

Day 7 2010 Shelby GT500

Day 7 with the 2010 Shelby GT500 was by far the most fun we had all week. We worked hard and tried to get lots of video and pictures of the car to show to you guys. As we talk about in the video, after tearing up the streets of Texas for a week in the GT500 we were never faced with an obstacle that the car couldn’t handle. Ford, SVT, and Shelby have made a great car with this one and we cant wait to check out the 2011 GT500 with the all aluminum block!

Till then, check out our video!

Follow us on twitter and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Check out Days 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 - 5 and check out our review!

Related posts:

1. Review: 2010 Shelby GT500
2. Day1: 2010 Shelby GT500
3. Day2: Shelby GT500

2010 Shelby GT500

When you think about the history of Carroll Shelby, his racing, and his cars, there is no doubt that performance Mustangs pop into mind. As a matter of fact, Shelby Mustangs have been ever improving for the past 45 years making Shelby one of the most signed names on a car in the world. Carroll graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas making him a Texas boy who’s heart never went to far from home. The Terlingua Mustang was named after the town where Shelby decided to open a ranch with Dallas friend David Witt.

No wonder the Shelby Mustangs fit in so well here in Texas, no matter if your driving down a long highway to the middle of nowhere or a back windy country road, this car does it all. In the 2010 GT500, this was apparent to us at txGarage as we never wanted to get out of the car. And although this thirsty beast needed to stop for fuel more often than we would have liked, it just gave us another reason to burn rubber out of a parking lot.. There really isn’t a lot that I could find wrong with this GT500. Yes the fuel economy wasn’t that great; yes the interior was still a little cheap for spending $51,000 – although it has improved greatly – and yes the ride was a little harsh and the clutch was heavy; however, all this stuff would be whisked out of your head as you smash down on the throttle sending the back wheels into a panic looking for grip and finally being far down the road from where you were a few seconds ago. The GT500 isn’t, by far, the most powerful car money can buy and it doesn’t put that power down as well as other cars out there, but for the shear and raw emotion and theater of it all, you simply cannot beat this thing. Never have we been so scared – entertained – in a production car. The shear madness of it is worth every penny! The looks are just about the most menacing you can find but when you climb into the cockpit, its actually quite comfortable and nice. The SYNC system is a great addition to all Fords and we still got great use out of it in this car, although it took us 3 days to even bother with touching it. The practicality, yes practicality, of this car can’t be beat as well. If I really had to pick one car to compare it to, it would be an Aston Martin for the British. Aston Martins are not the fastest cars you can buy for the money, but the pure emotion and beauty they portray are unbeatable. I think of the GT500 as the American Aston Martin: it’s beautiful and emotional. That is what makes the car so great, and on that thought its quite a bargain too.

The 2010 GT500 was built starting with the formula from the 2008 GT500KR. In 2011, the GT500 will be getting an all aluminum block right out of the Ford GT super car. The GT500 now has a steel block. Even if the power doesn’t go up, in which case there is no need, the car will be much lighter and hopefully add to the driving experience. Other potential down sides to the current GT500 are the all new 2011 GT with the reintroduction of the 5.0. This new GT will finally feature all the latest engine technology while also increasing horsepower and fuel economy. They already have a wonderful interior, and with a little shopping trip to Ford Racing, the 2011 Mustang GT could easily be made to run with the big boys of the Mustang brand. For the name -Shelby- and the looks of the GT500 though, it’s still a hard choice to pass up.

Mega Gallery: 2010 Shelby GT500

Related posts:

1. Day1: 2010 Shelby GT500
2. Day5: Shelby GT500
3. Day2: Shelby GT500

2010 Ford F-150 Truck of Texas

The Texas Auto Writers Association gathered together last weekend for their annual truck event known as the Texas Truck Rodeo. This year it was held in San Antonio where the trucks and SUV’s would be put through the test at the Knibbe Ranch.
Every year, the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) names the Truck of Texas after this event and for the past six years that truck has been the Ford F-150. This year was no different with the new Ford F-150 taking the big prize yet again. For 2010, the F-150 didn’t just get a new look, it got an all around new package. The interior is a nice place to be whether you are roaring down a highway or driving through an open field. The powertrain has been tweaked giving the new F-150 a boost in fuel economy by as much as 12% over the prior year model. The title for Truck of the Year seems to be well deserved for Ford’s hard work on the F-150 year after year.

Ford also earned the number one spot for Luxury Truck of the year with the 2010 Ford F-150 King Ranch. With its upscale and quiet cabin with plush leather seats, it isn’t hard to see why. This truck combines everything you would want in an upscale luxury car – including heated and cooled seats, navigation, cruise control, leather wrapped everything, and wood grain trim – with everything you would want out of a truck – including 310 horsepower, 4×4 capabilities, 8,200 pounds of towing capacity, and easy maneuverability. So if you are looking for a great truck around the 46k plus range, the King Ranch is for you.

Ford also took home awards for the 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost (Full-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle of the Year), the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Supercab (Full-Size Pickup Truck of the Year), the 2010 Ford Expedition King Ranch (Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle), and the 2010 Lincoln MKX (Mid-Size Crossover Utility). They also claimed the Truck Line of Texas award and claimed the award for Outstanding Feature with its Ford Work Solutions.

So was there anything left to give out after Ford grabbed up its eight awards? Well yes, GM racked up two awards with one vehicle. The 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo beat out the competition for Luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle of the year and took an overall victory with Crossover Utility Vehicle of the year. The 2010 SRX 2.8L Turbo is a great 2.8L V6 turbocharged to 300 horsepower with a 6-speed transmission. The powertrain hooks up to an All-Wheel Drive system and 4-channel electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation. It also has luxuries like front and rear ultrasonic parking assist, power liftgate with memory height, adaptive remote start, 10 speaker Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound system, navigation, rearview camera, and a laundry list of more. This CUV with its Cadillac sleek looks and premium luxury most definitely deserved these awards.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC also brought home two awards winning the Sports Utility Vehicle of Texas and Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle of the Year. This premium 7 passenger SUV is all Mercedes, the pinnacle of luxury. Coming in at a price just under $60,000 the only complaint I’ve heard about this luxury SUV is that its Navigation system and radio don’t split screen. The BlueTEC has a 3.0 liter V6 producing 210 horsepower with a 7-speed automatic transmission affording you 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

Lexus won out for the Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle with its 2010 Lexus R450h. The “h” of course is for the hybrid drivetrain that now produces 295 hp (27% better than last year). Everything has been re-looked at on the RX, including the sheetmetal used. The sheetmetal used on the 2010 RX is slipperier than before with a 0.32 coefficient of drag. They also updated the interior including an “iDrive” like information center called “Remote Touch”. This is something Lexus has needed to really compete in the luxury market.

The 2010 Subaru Outback claimed the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle title. The Outback has grown over the years but always remains true to its nature, a 4×4 off-road machine. Probably the first to be able to claim the rights of being a Crossover Utility Vehicle the Outback has always been a great ride. The 2010 is larger, more fuel efficient, and higher up than its predecessors. You have the choice between a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder boxer engine with a 6 speed manual transmission pushing 170 hp or a 3.6 liter 6 cylinder boxer engine with a 5 speed automatic transmission pushing 256 hp. Both come with Subaru’s great all-wheel drive system as standard.

Now we have Chrysler getting into the mix with an award for the 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4×4. The Jeep won in the Compact Sport Utility Vehicle class. Although no one knows the future of the Jeep brand or what the Patriot might look like with some Fiat infusion, we can say that the 2010 is worth a look. The 2.4 liter inline 4 makes 172 hp and gets 23mpg city and 28 mpg highway; not bad at all. We also get to see the two trucks picking up awards for Chrysler. The 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4 took home the Mid-Size Pickup Truck award and the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 took the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck award.

Last but not least, the 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition picked up an award for Mid-Size Sports Utility Vehicle of the Year. We first saw the 2010 4Runner at the debut at the State Fair of Texas media day. I knew from that day this was going to be a great new SUV, especially for the younger audience. Features like “party mode” allowing the 4Runner’s sound system to be concentrated toward the rear of the vehicle for tailgating parties is just one of the many details Toyota has looked at while making the new 4Runner. The reason the Trail Edition made it to the top of the list for Texas is for the cleaver off-roading capabilities of the 4Runner.

For more information on the Texas Truck Rodeo check out the TAWA site:

Related posts:

1. The 2009 State Fair of Texas Media Day 2
2. 2011 Ford SuperDuty at the State Fair of Texas
3. Texans and our Trucks

Ford SVT F-150 Raptor

We haven’t yet had the privilege of taking a Raptor out in the Texas countryside but from everything we have seen and read about the Raptor we are excited to get the chance. This is one great truck the SVT program has come up with, so good in fact that the Border Patrol has been toying with the purchasing the Raptor F-150. And why not? This is what this truck is made for, high speed off road endurance driving.

The US Department of Homeland Security reportedly wants at least ten Raptors for their Customs and Border Protection divisions. No word on where these would be stationed, but you would have to assume that California and Texas would get a few. So if you see one of these patrolling through Brownville to El Paso snap a pic and give us a shout!

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