Posted by: Starship

03/25/2007 02:47AM

Thanks for checking out my ZX2! I like what you've done to yours. The jewels around the radio and ashtray are a neat touch that I've never seen before. However, I'd be concerned about the ones you have over your airbag. In an accident, that could cause an injury.

Posted by: Bs_4d_Focus

03/19/2007 08:46AM

Nice job on the ZX2! I like the purple interior neons.

You commented on my ZX2 and asked what I have planned next for it. To be honest with you, not much. I have done a lot with the car in terms of suspension and don’t have any plans to upgrade the engine except for may be a Cold Air Intake(CAI). Some CAI’s are on E-Bay for as low as $35 (BOMZ Racing). I have a Bomz Racing CAI on my Focus and I like it.

I am all about suspension and handling of the car. I think the engine is powerful enough. I live on back country roads that are very twisty so, suspension is extremely important to me. I want to be able to maintain 60 mph even if there is a “25mph” curve up ahead. :-)

If you are looking for suspension upgrade advice, I would say the 19 mm rear sway bar(RSB) helped a lot. It really helped the car “sit down” in a curve versus the sloppy and tiny 13 mm RSB. I did this upgrade along with the front strut tower bar(FSTB). The FSTB took a lot of the slack out of the chassis and in my opinion (IMO) really helped handling. Many people will tell you the FSTB is absolutely worthless and a waste of money but IMO it was worth every penny.

I still wanted a tighter handling car because I was only doing 45 mph in a 25 mph curve. My goal was 60mph!!!!!! So, I purchased lowering springs, struts and the Energy Suspension Kit. It was an insane job to take on by myself but well worth the blood, sweat, and tears. Long hours of wrenching on old rusty bolts with many bloody knuckles. Now, I can do 60 mph in a 25 mph curve with room to spare!! Remember, if you are thinking of lowering your car, tack on an additional $500 for the alignment. If you take the car to a good alignment shop, they will stick it to you with the additional camber bolts and installation. I have talked to many people who have lowered cars and $500 seems about average for a good alignment. If you are serious about lowering your car, I can give you some tips on how to tackle the huge and almost overwhelming job.