# Hatches only...lets see em'!



## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Here is mine...2013 Ford Focus..love this car! Lets see your "hot" hatches..VWs..Subis...Fords...whatever!


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## mark729 (Apr 6, 2013)

Slow sti.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Ain't got no bike mount on it, yet!

Just drove this off the lot last night, a 2014 Focus SE w/leather. Windows will be tinted tomorrow. Ordered a hitch for it already to use my killer ol' Yakima RimRock but I want a roof mount set-up as well. I have the bars on Control Tower mounts on my 2 trucks but no trays. I'm going with 2 Highrollers and I need to get 4 Q-Tower mounts for the Focus. Is that the base mount you're using TiGeo? Is that a pretty clean and safe set-up?


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## Zomby Woof (MCM700) (May 23, 2004)

When I first bought my bike I had a '95 Mitsubishi Eclspise GST:


Now I have a Lexus CT200h. I really would not call it a "hot hatch" as its a hybrid and the least powerful car I have ever owned, but great gas mileage. Same bike and carrier too.


Here is a picture of the whole car:


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## pablobaq (Jun 23, 2011)

Here is my 2014 GT with a roof rack Loving the look!


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## fst aslp (Aug 17, 2009)

A bit bigger:


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## tk1971 (Aug 10, 2007)

My CT200h 49mpg hybrid hatch...

With my hardtail:



With my FS:



The Swagman XC2 (from 05 or 06) outlived 4 previous cars.


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## deapee (Apr 26, 2014)

Add me to the 2013 Focus hatch crew. I had a 2012 Fiesta hatch, but my son outgrew the back.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Here's what I mostly drive. 225 HP, super light racing wheels, Stoptech brakes, Borla exhaust and fully adjustable coilovers and sway bars.









This one is getting a new paint job and some bronze wheels in a couple months. It will be my primary bike hauler. I have a Saris roof load bar to go in the door with a fork mount and I'll use a Sea Sucker for the rear wheel.


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## kojarena (Oct 4, 2009)

2015 VW Golf Mk7 R... collected it three days ago.


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## 2low2go (Nov 30, 2011)

^^^looks awesome! Makes me wanna trade in my mk5!


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## k8r1 (May 3, 2014)

*2007 Suzuki SX4 rack*







Ordered my Bars and Towers on Amazon for about $75 and then my Mountain bike holder is from Yakima....towers and bike rack does lock as well.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Okay...finally done. Week old 2014 Focus. Windows tinted now. I just put the Draw-tite hitch on yesterday after picking up my Thule T2 on a smokin' deal from Art's Cyclery. I decided against the roof rack that I nearly bought.


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## deapee (Apr 26, 2014)

I really like the way they sit...as opposed to mine. How much was the hitch, and did you have to drill or were there already holes there?


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I paid $130.06 delivered, from an ebaY store and that included a drawbar I will likely never use. There is no drilling and you need a 13mm & 11/16" socket for 6 bolts, and tin snips to cut a small section of the heat shield where the hitch mates to the frame.

I literally set my chrono when I started and it took my 52 minutes and I puttered around leisurely. The most time consuming part, but still easy, was using the supplied fish-wires to fish 2 carriage bolts and large rectangle washers into the frame of the car. There's a great video, I think at eTrailer.com or on Draw-Tite's site that shows all the little tricks.

Here's the dealer...when I ordered last Wednesday they stated delivery for next Wednesday the 7th but I got it in 2 days by FedEx free shipping!

Draw Tite Class 1 Trailer Receiver Hitch for Ford Focus Sedan Hatchback | eBay

Here's the video that is on at eTrailer.com. I bought the identical hitch from them a week ago but 3 days later they tell me it would be middle May before I'd see it. It was $132 there WITHOUT a draw bar.

If you would like some pointers on the install from my experience, just ping me!

http://images.etrailer.com/Merchant...tall-trailer-hitch-2012-ford-focus-24872.webm

BTW...the Draw-Tite hitch number you need for your hatchback is the #24872. The ebaY fitment guide is marginal so I checked with Draw-Tite and confirmed it would fit my 2014 Hatch (which is the same as a 2012 and 2013). I also called the ebaY dealer and he said if Draw-Tite said it would fit, IT WOULD FIT! And it did!


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## deapee (Apr 26, 2014)

Thanks man. I'll have to wait a bit now -- I just got this Thule Gateway 2 -- which is a great carrier, it's just yours is much more secure and a lot easier to take on and off.


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## Vic-20 (Apr 18, 2013)

'12 CTS-V 6MT; Kuat Rack

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## gravitylover (Sep 1, 2009)

^^ Nice ride dude.

All you asked for is a shot of the hatch so here ya go


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Oh My Sack! said:


> Ain't got no bike mount on it, yet!
> 
> Just drove this off the lot last night, a 2014 Focus SE w/leather. Windows will be tinted tomorrow. Ordered a hitch for it already to use my killer ol' Yakima RimRock but I want a roof mount set-up as well. I have the bars on Control Tower mounts on my 2 trucks but no trays. I'm going with 2 Highrollers and I need to get 4 Q-Tower mounts for the Focus. Is that the base mount you're using TiGeo? Is that a pretty clean and safe set-up?


Using whatever Yakima recommended. Q-Towers and don't remember the Q-Clip numbers were. So far after a year it has been v. secure.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks for the reply! As seen in post #13, I made a radical departure from my initial desire based on a few things. I'm loving the Thule T2 platform!


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

pablobaq said:


> Here is my 2014 GT with a roof rack Loving the look!


Buddy just bought one of these...cool car and not too many on the road! His looks nice with racks as well.


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## Skeeter97 (Feb 2, 2012)

2014 Fiesta ST with a 1up USA rack. Fun little car so far!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Earthpig (Jan 23, 2004)

*Cooper S*

2008 Cooper S, chrome package, 1.4" H&R lowering springs, Koni yellow struts, K&N CAI, RSB and rear lower control arms on order. #1 Idaho mountain bike license plate. Soon to sport Breyton GTS rims. Pocket rocket that gets 30 mpg in mixed driving.

Oh and a Jet 9 RDO hanging out on top after a ride. Gotta have a fast bike if you have a fast car.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Skeeter97 said:


> 2014 Fiesta ST with a 1up USA rack. Fun little car so far!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I want one of these so bad.....


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## StuntmanMike (Jul 2, 2012)

That Caddy is HOT!!!

I like the Focuses (Foci?) too. I rented one in Vegas a few months ago and was mostly impressed with it. The gas mileage was great, we took it out to Red Rock and back and cruised the strip and it only took five bucks to fill it.

It was comfy and had a nice ride, the 3 things that turned me off were that it was slow, the autotranny shifted weird, and WTF is up with all the dash buttons??

It's a great looking car though, especially compared to the oddity that is the sedan. Why do they even bother making the sedan version? I hardly ever see any on the road.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

StuntmanMike said:


> That Caddy is HOT!!!
> 
> I like the Focuses (Foci?) too. I rented one in Vegas a few months ago and was mostly impressed with it. The gas mileage was great, we took it out to Red Rock and back and cruised the strip and it only took five bucks to fill it.
> 
> ...


Many of the issues can be handled by simply buying the manual Focus. A little more pep can be easily added for $50 by dropping a K&N in and removing the intake silencer. The manual will do zero to sixty in the low 7s according to Car and Driver's testing...that is pretty quick for an econo-box!

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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Like Ti says, I stuck with the 6 speed Select Shift Transmission. Allows for traditional "automatic" 6 spd shifting when in "D" but utilizes push-button manual shift when dropped into the "S" position. The transmissions are not like conventional automatics. They are Dual Clutch and have no torque converter so it's a much different feel than what most are used to driving.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Oh My Sack! said:


> Like Ti says, I stuck with the 6 speed Select Shift Transmission. Allows for traditional "automatic" 6 spd shifting when in "D" but utilizes push-button manual shift when dropped into the "S" position. The transmissions are not like conventional automatics. They are Dual Clutch and have no torque converter so it's a much different feel than what most are used to driving.


I am not talking about the shiftable DCT..I am taking about the regular ol' 5-speed manual.

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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

TiGeo said:


> I am not talking about the shiftable DCT..I am taking about the regular ol' 5-speed manual.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Oh! LOL! Didn't even realize it was still available except for with the ST. There wasn't one out of all my dealer had on the lot. I test drove an ST for a day. It was great and definitely something that I could get a ticket in! I'm just done with clutch shifting and the turbo idea sorta scares me for later potential repair costs.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Oh My Sack! said:


> Oh! LOL! Didn't even realize it was still available except for with the ST. There wasn't one out of all my dealer had on the lot. I test drove an ST for a day. It was great and definitely something that I could get a ticket in! I'm just done with clutch shifting and the turbo idea sorta scares me for later potential repair costs.


Absolutely available. Had to do a little searching to find a loaded-up SE with a manual but I found it and SO happy I did! The ST has the 6-speed and drops the RPMs on the highway a bit but the 5-speed is smooth and works great. I test drove the ST as well and in retrospect regret not getting it. I was a little turned off by the Recaro seats - I drive 60 miles each way to work 5 days a week and thought they wouldn't be that comfy. Also, the mileage is a bit less. Turbos are very common and as long as you follow the maintenance schedule, you should have no issues with longevity more than any other kind of motor. I have driven manuals for a long time and just prefer the ability to control the RPMs..if I sat in a lot of traffic I wouldn't have one. It really brings the Focus (that handles superbly) alive! The DCT is plagued with issues and apparently is quite odd in slow/stop/go traffic.


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## Naturally Aspirated (Aug 17, 2011)

My MKVI GTI


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## StuntmanMike (Jul 2, 2012)

TiGeo said:


> Many of the issues can be handled by simply buying the manual Focus. A little more pep can be easily added for $50 by dropping a K&N in and removing the intake silencer. The manual will do zero to sixty in the low 7s according to Car and Driver's testing...that is pretty quick for an econo-box!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


I guess if I were to buy one I would consider the stick, but I'd really prefer an auto in that type of car. Definitely an auto as a rental.

I found that Dual Clutch auto to be jerky at low speeds. I've read similar complains in the car mags.

K&N's are just hype. You're not going to notice a power increase with a drop in filter, and if I'm keeping a car for a long time, I don't like the reduced filtration aspect of it either.

The Amsoil filter would be a better alternative, as it doesn't need to be oiled and has better filtration performance.

K&N just has a great marketing dept.

As far as turbo's, as long as you keep up with the oil changes and use good oil, there shouldn't be any problem. My Volvo is a turbo (120k miles) and on the Volvo boards I don't ever recall seeing a mention of a failed turbo.

Pretty soon you probably won't have a choice when it comes to turbos, with engines getting smaller and smaller, pretty soon turbos will become pretty much standard equipment on 4cyl engines.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

StuntmanMike said:


> I guess if I were to buy one I would consider the stick, but I'd really prefer an auto in that type of car. Definitely an auto as a rental.
> 
> I found that Dual Clutch auto to be jerky at low speeds. I've read similar complains in the car mags.
> 
> ...


Careful here. Lots of specific, dyno-tested results for the Focus with the K&N with the intake mod I referenced...its not just a filter...its a combo of the two that net some gains.

Snorkel Delete - Focus Fanatics

On the K&N letting more dirt in..plenty of internet banter on this one too..careful again...plenty of folks with clean UOAs running K&Ns. If they were hammering motors with dirt and folks were having failures..you would know.

Why would you prefer an auto in a small car like the Focus? Just curious.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I have personally experienced proof that the K&N sucks....sucks in lots of dirt. I do UOA's on all my cars, motorcycles, and work equipment. I put K&N's on a truck as well as a motorcycle. I got an email from Blackstone Labs after sending in a few UOA's at the same time. They knew nothing about my recent mods and they wondered what happened all of a sudden? Was I missing an air filter? The alarm was triggered on the vehicles with K&N's. Silicon (I live within a few miles of the Pismo Dunes) traces went sky high and my wear metals, chromium, iron, et al., also spiked indicating excessive wear. The K&N's got sh*t-canned immediately and I returned to Wix paper elements and my numbers all went back to well within universal averages. Problem solved. 

There's an excellent study floating around from one of the diesel manufacturers, I think it was. I lost the file in a hard drive crash. It compared a very wide variety of air filtration elements and K&N, after it's rapid loss of filter oil, came in with abominable results. My experience just confirmed it for me.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Oh My Sack! said:


> I have personally experienced proof that the K&N sucks....sucks in lots of dirt. I do UOA's on all my cars, motorcycles, and work equipment. I put K&N's on a truck as well as a motorcycle. I got an email from Blackstone Labs after sending in a few UOA's at the same time. They knew nothing about my recent mods and they wondered what happened all of a sudden? Was I missing an air filter? The alarm was triggered on the vehicles with K&N's. Silicon (I live within a few miles of the Pismo Dunes) traces went sky high and my wear metals, chromium, iron, et al., also spiked indicating excessive wear. The K&N's got sh*t-canned immediately and I returned to Wix paper elements and my numbers all went back to well within universal averages. Problem solved.
> 
> There's an excellent study floating around from one of the diesel manufacturers, I think it was. I lost the file in a hard drive crash. It compared a very wide variety of air filtration elements and K&N, after it's rapid loss of filter oil, came in with abominable results. My experience just confirmed it for me.


I have seen that study. Sounds like you live in a v. dusty area....I do not. I we be doing a UOA on mine next change and get some data.

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## choey (Apr 8, 2014)

I will give this a shot here, I am looking to get a bike rack for my 2012 VW GTI I would like to get a rack that is on the back of the car rather than have to put my bike on the roof everytime. I just wanted to hear your suggestions for a decent carrier for the hatch I have a stock wing and I just want to make sure I do not damage it.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

Oh My Sack! said:


> I have personally experienced proof that the K&N sucks....sucks in lots of dirt. I do UOA's on all my cars, motorcycles, and work equipment. I put K&N's on a truck as well as a motorcycle. I got an email from Blackstone Labs after sending in a few UOA's at the same time. They knew nothing about my recent mods and they wondered what happened all of a sudden? Was I missing an air filter? The alarm was triggered on the vehicles with K&N's. Silicon (I live within a few miles of the Pismo Dunes) traces went sky high and my wear metals, chromium, iron, et al., also spiked indicating excessive wear. The K&N's got sh*t-canned immediately and I returned to Wix paper elements and my numbers all went back to well within universal averages. Problem solved.
> 
> There's an excellent study floating around from one of the diesel manufacturers, I think it was. I lost the file in a hard drive crash. It compared a very wide variety of air filtration elements and K&N, after it's rapid loss of filter oil, came in with abominable results. My experience just confirmed it for me.


Don't mean to get off topic, but I had the exact same experience. K&N drop in resulted in high silicon levels. I asked Blackstone and they said it could be due to dirt getting through the filter. I switched to OEM paper filter and no issues since. K&N claims 25% (or whatever) more airflow. Logically, you can't let more air in given the same surface area of the filtering media without letting other crap in. There was no power gains anyway so no advantages I can see of running a K&N.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

choey said:


> I will give this a shot here, I am looking to get a bike rack for my 2012 VW GTI I would like to get a rack that is on the back of the car rather than have to put my bike on the roof everytime. I just wanted to hear your suggestions for a decent carrier for the hatch I have a stock wing and I just want to make sure I do not damage it.


Get a 1 1/4" hitch receiver, then get a hitch rack.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

But the real question is...do the higher SiO2 levels really hurt anything? Again..the gains I feel and have been shown through dyno work are a result if a higher flow filter combined with a mod to the intake system on the Focus. Will run a UOA soon and see what I am getting...others have posted UOA with normal levels using a K&N.


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## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

I'll play.
My little rig. '08 SX4 with my new GT atop. The locking rack is configured from a few odds and ends I got from Swagman. 
The wind noise was unbearable so I installed the Thule air deflector to class it up a little. Had to make up some custom mounts but it's solid and eliminated the howling noise. I even took it through the automatic car wash to check the integrity of the deflector. It stayed put!
I removed the back seats so I can put the bike in the car when I travel. Tinted the windows too. I've slept back there on trips as well. Not too uncomfortable.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

TiGeo said:


> But the real question is...do the higher SiO2 levels really hurt anything? Again..the gains I feel and have been shown through dyno work are a result if a higher flow filter combined with a mod to the intake system on the Focus. Will run a UOA soon and see what I am getting...others have posted UOA with normal levels using a K&N.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


In the end, it may not matter, TiGeo. Plenty have run K&N for 300k+ miles with no engine issues, so who knows. But I'm just not keen on seeing abnormal amounts of any material on those reports. I mean, it can't be helping, right? Just want my engine to run for a loooong long time.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

Barman - I like those SX4's. Too bad they're not available in the US anymore. Cool little cars.


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## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

stremf said:


> Barman - I like those SX4's. Too bad they're not available in the US anymore. Cool little cars.


They're not bad. Could be a little easier on fuel though. Combined I get around 22 MPG but for what I paid I can sacrifice a little on fuel, and I don't drive this one too much anyway. Great in the snow too especially with the Geolanders I installed.


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## root (Jan 24, 2006)

Here ya go, turbo shermbo, my little 1.6l NA FX16 from '87 is putting STi's to shame at our rally cross. Of course it helps that I'm willing to wind it up, broken three drive shafts already. That Toyota 4AGE loves redline!


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

root said:


> Here ya go, turbo shermbo, my little 1.6l NA FX16 from '87 is putting STi's to shame at our rally cross. Of course it helps that I'm willing to wind it up, broken three drive shafts already. That Toyota 4AGE loves redline!
> View attachment 893471


Umm, if that's what you want to believe, that's ok with me!


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Umm, if that's what you want to believe, that's ok with me!


I'm not saying I'm spanking them, but being able to match their times surprises a lot of people. On bigger straights it wouldn't have a chance, but our courses only hit top of second so it holds it's own.
ive driven a STi, and not stock either, on same course and honestly prefer driving my FX. The STi undoubtly has power, but it's big and heavy. That's also why I'm not in a big rush to get my Celica AllTrac going too, it feels like a heavy pig and difficult to rotate.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Like I said, it's ok if you want to believe that!


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Like I said, it's ok if you want to believe that!


Driver factor in racing is big. I've beaten up on P-cars/M's with incompetent drivers when I had my old Honda. Many "mismatched" races where the severe underdog came out on top. If you've ever been involved in races (at a local amateur level), not sure why this would be so hard to believe.


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## root (Jan 24, 2006)

You can't dismiss the little guy, light and nimble counts a lot for small technical courses, same reason the prepared Miatas can hang with the GT-R at autocross.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

^ Like the old Minis used to do.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

stremf said:


> Driver factor in racing is big. I've beaten up on P-cars/M's with incompetent drivers when I had my old Honda. Many "mismatched" races where the severe underdog came out on top. If you've ever been involved in races (at a local amateur level), not sure why this would be so hard to believe.


I'm just giving him a hard time.


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## StuntmanMike (Jul 2, 2012)

TiGeo said:


> Careful here. Lots of specific, dyno-tested results for the Focus with the K&N with the intake mod I referenced...its not just a filter...its a combo of the two that net some gains.
> 
> Snorkel Delete - Focus Fanatics
> 
> ...


I would guess that most, if not all, the gain comes from the intake mod. It's a flat panel filter..unless the stocker has never been changed and is completely caked with dirt, how much power can you really expect from that?

Anyway, a car like this is just an appliance to me, which is why I'd want an auto. If it was something that I'd be doing any type of spirited driving in, then I might want a stick. But for a weekend, toy, not a DD.

And before anyone jumps in to say how quick these are or what mods can be done to them, etc, my idea of spirited driving includes RWD and 8 cylinders.


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## BuickGN (Aug 25, 2008)

TiGeo said:


> Careful here. Lots of specific, dyno-tested results for the Focus with the K&N with the intake mod I referenced...its not just a filter...its a combo of the two that net some gains.
> 
> Snorkel Delete - Focus Fanatics
> 
> ...


This isn't the 60s. New car manufacturers do not leave hp on the table with a restrictive air filter. Just the thought of them leaving 10hp on the table did to a restrictive filet after millions of dollars in head design and optimizing every aspect of efficiency from low friction to the highest compression ratio available on a given octane is asinine.

The air filter is the single most important filter on the engine, more important than the oil filter. I've seen time and time again, excessive upper cylinder and ring wear from K&N filters along with compressor wheel abrasion in my turbo cars.

Any hp gain from a K&N is from the other inlet tract mods usually don't at the same time and even then it's not likely to show a gain. Dyno'd are done with the hood up. Now tell me how a cold air induction shows a performance increase over stock when the hood is up and the car is stationary for both tests.

Lower restriction in the intake tract can not under any circumstances give better mpg in a closed loop feedback fuel injected car. AFR stays the same regardless of restriction. The ECU knows how much air is being ingested. It checks itself with the 02 sensor post combustion and adjusts accordingly via the fuel trim.

Think about it, if freeing up inlet tract restrictions gave better mpg, the car would get better mpg at full throttle when the throttlebody is fully open. It's job in life is to restrict airflow to throttle the engine and we all know the worse mpg is attained when at full throttle when inlet restriction is at it's lowest.

UOAs are completely worthless in determining engine wear. Silicone readings arent a good indicator of dirt in the oil. The spectro tests that Blackstone uses for wear metals is worthless. It can only "see" metal particles under 10 microns. It can't see larger particles. Usually when there's excessive wear occurring the particle size is larger. Some oils that clean well like Redline and even Mobil One will show excessive iron levels because any oxidation cleaned will show up as wear metals even though the size is tiny and it's not actual wear metal.

Only a particle count can be taken seriously of you want an idea as to what's going on inside of your engine. This costs more than the spectro tests but it's not a total waste of money so I consider it a much higher value.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

One single arbitrary UOA says very little. A series of UOA's over a period of time says a lot.


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## BuickGN (Aug 25, 2008)

TiGeo said:


> But the real question is...do the higher SiO2 levels really hurt anything? Again..the gains I feel and have been shown through dyno work are a result if a higher flow filter combined with a mod to the intake system on the Focus. Will run a UOA soon and see what I am getting...others have posted UOA with normal levels using a K&N.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Very much so. I've watched wear rise exponentially with higher silicone and even with a K&N and normal levels of silicone through particle counts. In my own car I've seen excessive upper cylinder and ring wear along with compressor wheel abrasion.

Again, the wear metals portion of UOAs is worthless. Even trending over the life of the engine is only good for seeing a change. Even if you see wear metals increase it might not be bad, it can actually be a reduction in wear. It could be oxidation being removed. There's evidence to suggest the increase in small particles, the only size the spectro tests can pick up have zero correlation to increased wear. You can have low wear metals and still have excessive wear occurring. I've experience that first hand.

You have to ask yourself why you want more airflow. Measure restriction with an old stock filter at full throttle. Then measure with a K&N or even no filter. There will be no difference on most modern cars. In fact, the OEM filters are oversized enough so that as they load up they won't become a restriction. Most OEM filters are invisible to the engine.

Amsoil makes a legit high flow filter that outflows paper and a K&N while filtering better than an OEM filter and it does not require oil. These newer synthetic glass medias offer many advantages over traditional cellulose filters. How can they filter better AND flow better? The pore size is smaller and of a consistent size. That's where the superior filtering comes in. The fiber size is much smaller and more consistent (less "dead" space) which means many more holes giving more flow and better filtration.


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## osusnake (Dec 26, 2012)

Here's my mazdaspeed3 at my local trailhead.


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## Skeeter97 (Feb 2, 2012)

osusnake said:


> Here's my mazdaspeed3 at my local trailhead.


Love the MS3! Nice setup. I had planned on checking out the Mazda place but the people at Ford gave me too good of a deal to pass up on my Fiesta ST

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## pablobaq (Jun 23, 2011)

TiGeo said:


> Buddy just bought one of these...cool car and not too many on the road! His looks nice with racks as well.


Yeah, Its great not to see many out there. Is your friend's white too?


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## drew840 (Mar 4, 2013)

only asking cause I've seen of few of them on this thread now... Can anyone driving a Focus give me their feedback on the automatic transmission ? 

I'd love to get an ST but it's just not in the budget right now and my wife only drives automatic... Were looking at used 2013 Focus models but I have seen mention of odd shifting and not smooth transmission. ??

Trying to find a smaller hatchback that will avg. 33mpg and is under $16k.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

drew840 said:


> only asking cause I've seen of few of them on this thread now... Can anyone driving a Focus give me their feedback on the automatic transmission ?
> 
> I'd love to get an ST but it's just not in the budget right now and my wife only drives automatic... Were looking at used 2013 Focus models but I have seen mention of odd shifting and not smooth transmission. ??
> 
> Trying to find a smaller hatchback that will avg. 33mpg and is under $16k.


I'm 2500 miles in with our 2014 SE 6 spd SSL "auto" trans. I read a lot about this Dual Clutch transmission before we bought. I'm actually liking it. It is different than a conventional hydraulic/torque converter trans so you need to understand that aspect right out of the box. There were software updates that went in to it that fixed some of the "concerns" after Aug 2012, IIRC. One thing I notice when driving in the "D" mode is it goes all "economy" and likes to jump through all six gears in short order and is a bit boggy like that. You have to keep your foot into it if you want the pep. Drop it into "S" mode and don't touch the shift button on the gear shift knob and it drops into more of a sport mode, will hold off its shift points longer which builds more rpm and it automatically shifts between 1-5 on it's own. Push the shifting button while in this mode and it puts the trans into a manual mode and YOU have to up shift between gears and it gives you back gear 6. You can manually downshift as well but if you do nothing, as you come to a stop, it will downshift back to S1 for you but you will need to upshift as you go, again.

Around town, I tend to either manually shift or run it in the "S" mode and let it shift for me depending on my mood. I leave it in that mode as I accelerate on the freeway and when up to cruise, drop it into "D" mode and let it take over to scratch the best economy out of it. As it's breaking in, we're climbing up to an average of 29-30 mpg combined around town with short freeway hops. I just ran to So Cal a week ago last Sunday and up to Carmel this past Sunday. My highway mileage is increasing with 33 mpg and then 35 mpg respectively. The last trip was at speeds of 70+ with quite a few stretches in the 80's. After coming from a Ford F150 SuperCrew, I'm rolling with a top-of-the-line Passport 9500 Radar Detector because I find it real easy to haul-ass in this rig. I'm really loving it!

If your looking at 2013, you could check the VIN records with a Ford Dealer and see if any updates have been done to the transmission software. It may not have needed it, though. Is it an SE or SEL? They don't make the SEL anymore but the SE has the same stuff now plus a different interior "group" available. We got the "sport group" which added leather interior, 17" wheels with low profile tires (handles fantastic), and a few other bells and whistles. It stickered at just over $23k minus $3k in rebates.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

Skeeter97 said:


> Love the MS3! Nice setup. I had planned on checking out the Mazda place but the people at Ford gave me too good of a deal to pass up on my Fiesta ST
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


How is your Fiesta holding up? Any issues so far?


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## Skeeter97 (Feb 2, 2012)

stremf said:


> How is your Fiesta holding up? Any issues so far?


So far so good. Just about to hit 10k miles in the next week or so. Once in a blue moon I wish I had more space but for the most part I'm loving this car. Fun driver for sure

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## Bakudan (May 19, 2011)

I'll join in on the hatchattack. Ford Focus SVT.


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## Spidey2422 (Mar 13, 2013)

here's my 2 babies Ford focus ti '12 and my mach 5.7 carbon '13 on a Sea sucker Mini Bomber


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## ghost_03 (Apr 29, 2005)

06 GTI. Stoptech 328mm 4-pot brakes, shocks, springs, sway bars, and Michelin Pilot Supersports. 121k miles, of which no small part was driving to MTB trails .

I like having a hatch because it gives the option to put bikes on the roof, inside the car, or on a trunk rack. Unfortunately I am too low to put a hitch rack on, but the roof rack was a good purchase as I also haul kayaks and other large items with it.


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## Gritter (Dec 21, 2010)

I think mine is considered a hatch. Might be a "wagon" though, I'm not sure.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Gritter said:


> I think mine is considered a hatch. Might be a "wagon" though, I'm not sure.


Doesn't yours have ambulance doors? Here's a hatch:


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## Gritter (Dec 21, 2010)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Doesn't yours have ambulance doors?


Oh yeah, I guess so. I just knew them as, "Hard Top" and "Clubman" - I didn't fully realize the definition of "Hatch" - I thought they were both hatches, but you're right. Then Edmunds calls the Clubman a hatchback: 2014 MINI Cooper Clubman Hatchback Review, Pricing & Pictures | Edmunds.com

"The modern-day Clubman is a four-seat, two-door hatchback that's a bump up in size and price from the iconic Mini Cooper."

Also, Kelley Blue Book agrees: Photos and Videos: 2013 MINI Cooper Clubman Hatchback Colors - Kelley Blue Book

Even the new, six door, Clubman with bard-doors is being called a hatchback here: MINI premieres the clubman concept, a six-door hatchback in geneva

My mistake, sorry for posting where it doesn't belong. I was confused as to the "hatch" designation. My bad.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

^ No need to be sorry, it's a nice car!


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## Gritter (Dec 21, 2010)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> ^ No need to be sorry, it's a nice car!


Ditto to your red hardtop! Repect!


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## Yougi (Mar 17, 2014)

It took me a time to decide exactly what i wanted. Wanted thule aero bar but didnt want de silver look. Finaly found black Aerobar. So thule arb53 with 480r foot and a rockymounts euro pitchfork carrier.


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## drew840 (Mar 4, 2013)

Was looking at the Titanium Focus hatchback but decided to go a different route.

Found a 2011 Audi A3 with 26k miles... still under full warranty until mid. 2017

now to find some racks for this baby...


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## ghost_03 (Apr 29, 2005)

Nice A3. I think the Yakima Whispbar looks great on German luxury cars, my mom has one on her Cayenne and I think it's great. It's quiet and doesn't need a fairing.

Here's one on an A3 with bars that overhang. They also make it with flush bars which looks better IMO.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I'm whoring pics...only because I'm finally done with my configuration. 3 bike mobile with the Thule T2 hitch rack and the 594XT Sidearm roof rack attached to a Yakima rail system that I built up for pennies on the dollar, thank you craigslist. I have a Yakima SpaceBooster cargo box that goes on the passenger side of the rack for the long trips.


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## Big Scott (Jan 5, 2007)

*2013 Focus ST*
















Team Green.


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## WCroadie (Sep 4, 2014)

osusnake said:


> Here's my mazdaspeed3 at my local trailhead.


Nice, love the black MS3:thumbsup:

Here's my MS3, looking at getting a hitch so I can stop getting the inside dirty!


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## rizon25 (Aug 26, 2014)

Hi, I'm new to the forums and here's my 2010 Mitsubishi Sportback with my new Airborne Seeker and my wife's GT.


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## m2_boy (May 11, 2004)

*Mazdaspeed 3*

2008 Mazdaspeed 3
Yakima racks


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## WCroadie (Sep 4, 2014)

Looks good, nice to see some MS3 love on here.


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## EWilly315 (Sep 1, 2014)

How about the world's smallest 4 seater hatch with a rack? My 2012 Scion iQ.

My hitch mount, which was returned to the store. The frame damage from it was not acceptable. Maybe I'll grab a wheel mount style one in the future.









Replaced it with a Yakima rack, and Thule Circuit mounts. Yakima fairing had to be ordered, so that is in the mail now - the howling is driving me mad in the meantime. Also need to get a couple wheel forks, hard to fit 650b and 700c wheels in the back area :lol:


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## PDX:ST (Sep 10, 2013)

Here's some pics of the rack setup I just installed on my ST. I got tired of having to drive the truck everywhere when I wanted to go for a ride, so I took advantage of REI's 20% off Labor Day sale. I also picked up a Thule Force Alpine cargo box that fits between the bikes and still allows the hatch to open, but I don't have any pics with it installed yet.


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## StuntmanMike (Jul 2, 2012)

Just saw this thread and realized my 'Bird qualifies, technically.

2000 Firebird Formula

Fits my road bike in the back with both wheels on, and my 29'er fits great with just the front wheel off.


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## Tunalic (Feb 13, 2012)

'14 XV


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