Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


St Kit Fitted...first Few Pics


gforce
 Share

Recommended Posts

Well guys, as a few of you may know I've wanted to put an ST kit on the Focus since I got it as I love the ST looks but doing well over 30k miles a year, I need the economy of a 'soot-chucker'! (Scroll down for pics if you want spared of the background info!)

It's been a long bargain-hunting road, riddled with pot-holes, speed bumps, diversions and plenty of exits too which I was tempted to take on a few occasions as parts-sourcing at justifiable prices was proving difficult.

I was in a minor rear-end shunt 3 days shy of 7 months ago and sustained a cracked rear bumper, so searching for a silver lining I decided to use this as my excuse to myself (and the missus!) to finish gathering up the parts and finally get my ST kit painted and fitted.

Car has been in an incredibly busy bodyshop for the last week, and having endured a white Mini from last Mon-Thurs and putting about 300 miles on it, I needed something bigger. Given the mileage I was planning on clocking up over the weekend, they gave me a 1.5 DCi Megane saloon with 75k on the clock, over 76k now after I had since Thursday evening until 9am this morn!

So, got the call yesterday avo that my car was ready, but only suited me to pick it up this morning. Absolutely chuffed with it! Complete front bumper with new CREE H8 fogs, complete rear bumper, side-skirts, new tailgate handle with new bulb holders and 18 SMD LEDs, nice fresh new reg plates and new mudflaps all fitted. Got the centre of the front lower lip done in gloss back and the rear diffuser section the same to match.

RS spoiler in the shed ready to go on, hopefully this evening if I can find the time. ST wing badges also waiting to go on, but thinkin of modding these in some way to remove the red ST lettering. Titanium badge to come off the back, and possibly the Focus badge too, but undecided as yet. Think it might need a TDCi badge on it somewhere, maybe front lower grille, just to show that I'm 'derv and proud' and not look like I'm trying to fool people into thinking that I have a Jeans Blue ST!

Top of the list now though is some sort of exhaust solution to fill the bumper cut-outs, then a wheel refurb maybe to finish it off...and maybe some new rear lights...and maybe some rear window tints...and maybe - you get the idea!

Anyway, enough jibba jabba, have a gander at the pics and hopefully you enjoy. Comments and advice welcome (as long as the comments are good and I agree with the advice of course, haha!).

I think a full 'build' thread should be in the pipeline soon enough with more pics, before/afters, interior mods etc, so keep an eye out for it!

post-30295-0-28670200-1366115254_thumb.j

post-30295-0-32080000-1366115347_thumb.j

post-30295-0-89265400-1366115357_thumb.j

post-30295-0-26071300-1366115371_thumb.j

post-30295-0-22605500-1366115380_thumb.j

post-30295-0-80652400-1366115391_thumb.j

post-30295-0-19443700-1366115415_thumb.j

post-30295-0-68827600-1366115433_thumb.j

post-30295-0-34952300-1366115450_thumb.j

post-30295-0-60931600-1366115464_thumb.j

post-30295-0-34683900-1366115475_thumb.j

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Very nice really sets the car off id get them rear windows tinted aswell to finish it off like :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers bud, definitely on the never-ending to-do list! Worst thing is they were tinted in the past but removed by the time I got the car, as the back three windows were covered in a layer of glue! Proper pain to remove it was!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice :D

You'll need to get a £20 rear exhaust from a standard ST and dummy fit it to be back to finish it off.. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Dal! Brilliant to get a positive comment from a genuine ST owner, rather than the generic 'waste of money...it's not an ST so why bother?' post! :)

Exhaust is definitely top of the list to fill the bumper, just not sure what to do with it. I believed the standard ST exhaust wouldn't be any good due to the non-ST models having the spare wheel well where the central back box on the ST exhaust sits. Think I've only seen it fitted to one non-ST and didn't like it as it was sitting really low as a result of the wheel well.

You know anything more about this? I haven't modified performance on this car, so dunno if I'll bother spending hundreds on a full stainless upgraded system etc, but just really want something to finish the look.

Being a lurker on STOC for a long time, mainly for the classifieds, I've seen a few upgraded exhausts and even just tailpipe trims that tickle my fancy. I visited a Powerflow dealer last year and he suggested these 3.5 or 4 inch slash cut pipes, with the blueish burnt effect on them. Didn't think I'd like them, but they matched well with my car's colour. Think that guy was quoting around £180 for a mild steel (2 year guarantee rather than lifetime) system which seems pretty reasonable. You running standard tailpipes yourself?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


As far as I know, you'll not be able to get the std ST exhaust back box in as you say, because the ST doesn't have the lower wheel well. But... standard ST exhausts - notably the back box and tips - come up on eBay all the time for very little money (and also on Focus STOC from time to time)

If that's the case, why can't you butcher it about so it looks like the tailpipes are real and in the right place? Possibly cut all but the outer skin off the middle big silencer and wrap it around the spare wheel well?

It'd be a bonus if after doing all the "dummy" work, your standard diesel exhaust was still tucked up inside the rear bumper so nobody could see it.

And yes, I'm running standard tail pipes - the standard cat back isn't that restrictive at all to be honest. Uprating the downpipe from the turbo and fitting a sports cat give the best results in terms of performance:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks great job well done

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks realy good mate is it lowered and if it is by how much and what brand. As you no i have a st replica too and i got a custom st style cat-back exhaust done by r-tech in st albans cost me £360 i think a while back. You need the the window tinted mate asap it will go really well with the colour of your car.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks absolutly fantastic Gary,

Great job done and still great mpg to go with it,

DeBadge the rear titanium and fit the spoiler this will make the rear fatter at the top and look more agressive.

The exhaust will be the iceing on the cake too.

Perhaps some gray faded to clear side strips

A light 30% tint would go nicely too, not too dark just nice,

Clear rear units will go lovely with the RS rear spoiler and provide good contrast with the blue body, black spoiler and tinted windows,

Perhaps colour code your engine cover too.

The cree fog lights look great too nice 6000k I've got them in mine too.

The ST pod would complete it mate,

You know it makes sence buddy.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Dal! Brilliant to get a positive comment from a genuine ST owner, rather than the generic 'waste of money...it's not an ST so why bother?' post! :)

I tend to not comment if there's a thread where there's something I don't like. I prefer to have a positive online persona :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers for all the comments guys, I'm loving the new looks!

Dal, I'd tend to agree on the old adage 'if you've nothin nice to say...'! As for the exhaust, I'm liking your idea of butchering a standard box alright, just taking the top half off it and that way it shouldn't foul the wheel well. Might look into that...would save on trying to keep them clean too, haha. I know what you're sayin too about them selling for peanuts on eBay and STOC, only thing is I'd need postage to over here in NI. They're a lot harder to come by over here, and I'd say few sellers who are letting them go cheap would be bothered with packing up and arrangin postage. I'll def keep an eye out locally, but just wanna get it sorted asap now too.

Moy, the car was lowered before I got it so not 100% sure, but pretty certain it's lowered 40mm on Apex springs. I'm sure your exhaust is top class, but I honestly don't fancy laying out anywhere near that much on one. Tints are definitely on the cards. Had never really thought much about them in the past, but seeing other people's cars on here, I think I need them.

Lenny, the Titanium badge is definitely comin off, probably tomorrow evening. Would have been this evening but had a football match straight after work and I'm aching now. Was even thinking earlier about fitting the spoiler tonight in the dark, but I'm in no fit state! Once the 'Titanium' comes off, I need to decide whether to take off the 'Focus' or not then too. Half tempted to get a black lettered ST badge for the tailgate and one for the front upper grille, then a TDCi badge for the front lower grille. Gonna take a look at my wing badges tonight before I fall asleep, think I'll put a bit of carbon vinyl over the red lettering Don't like the red against the colour scheme of the rest of the car, which is why I'm thinkin on black ST badges as well, and could maybe even put carbon into these to match the wings.

Anyone any opinions on the badging? Hadn't planned to put ST anywhere on it, but now that it's all done I'm thinkin there's no harm in it! Thinkin black ones would suit nicely.

Clear rear lights would suit lovely, especially as I've the LHD fog light fitted. As for the engine cover...I don't have one fitted and they're very hard to source at a price I'd be happy with, but I'm pretty sure that I already have the studs/bolts for installation already in, so just a matter of getting a cover. And as for the gauge pod...don't be putting ideas in my head, haha!

Pree and Sal, thanks for the comments lads! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice mate, how much was it for the kit ?? Did you end buying some parts from different places or the whole thing from one place ..?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks mate! I gathered up the kit in bits and pieces over a LONG period of time. I got really lucky with most of it, I'm a serious bargain hunter (aka cheap skate!) and found with a bit of patience and a bit of luck, the parts can be got pretty cheap...decent breakers round here are few and far between, so I was constantly on all the usual online sources - eBay, gumtree, forum 'classifieds' sections.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very good ST conversion indeed.

Agree about the ST exhaust cutaway idea, just don't turn it into a water/crap trap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Gary...you need to change your name to Del Boy :P

only joking!

well done for sourcing the parts on the cheap - they can easily add up to £1000's if your not careful. Personally, dont have any badges on it - make it mysterious!

you have to do the gauge pod - lenny's made a nice guide...Alan (AJT) is thinking about it too! do it, do it, do it! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

nice one mate i am going to put the Zetec s kit on my titanium , and i am going to bargain hunt tooo !! lol ....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very nice fella looks very good and the place that fitted look like they have done a great job

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sal, I know what you mean about the parts mate, a few times I was close to just selling on the parts I'd already accrued as getting the front end was proving difficult. Glad now I stuck with it though.

I'm definitely tempted by ST gauge pd mate, but I don't think I'd be bothered gettin it up and running is the only thing. I already have the dash pocket thing, so don't think I'd need to do any/much dash cutting, but I'd never get them up and running so would be purely cosmetic...and I'd lose my dash pocket then! The guy I bought the front bumper off told me he still had loads of parts left, so might drop him a txt to see how much he'd be after for the pod and panel.

What did you do with your exhaust? I think you've RS tailpipes fitted from memory, but are they just dummy pipes held in place with a bracket, or did you get a proper job knocked up and the tailpipes fitted on the end or what? Exhaust is seriously top of my list at the minute!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

nice one mate i am going to put the Zetec s kit on my titanium , and i am going to bargain hunt tooo !! lol ....

Good luck with it mate. Can be a frustrating process but very satisfying when you get a bargain or two!

Excellent work mate cars looking spot on

Thanks Jay, any tips on the exhaust and badging mate?

very nice fella looks very good and the place that fitted look like they have done a great job

Thanks Bazz, real professional outfit they are. Insurance approved and all that, so they know what they're doin! Was worried with supplying second hand parts they'd have a bit of trouble getting good fitment, but it's all spot on!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

ST only really stands for Stuff & Trim so go for the badge.. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gary - I've been there too with the parts and actually sold most of them to fund my new drive - i'm now trying to sell to fund my electric garage opener!

My exhaust is functional, I have a pipe going across both the tail pipes and the connection is in the middle (no backbox) to the smoke comes out at the same time! I got the tailpipes from eBay for approx £65 delivered...although i have seen a set go for more than £100 recently!

I'm thinking of changing mine BTW from black to chrome....

Surely you cant keep much in the dash pocket? Get the gauge pod and fit your own gauges! If you do decide to change from pocket to pod then let me know...i might be interested! i think the pocket is deep than the pod but i may be wrong!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dal, I think I'm gonna do it ya know. Gonna order a rear tailgate badge and a front grille badge, but gonna get them in black. Just been having a nosey on DMB website there now as well, and thinkin about ordering a set of badge inlays in carbon for them all then. Thinkin a set of Carbon/chrome overlays for front and rear as well. My brother's work Transit also has the TDCi grille badge on it, so I'm tempted to swipe this for my front lower grille and see if he notices! Again though, might fill the red lettering with carbon.

I had a stab last night at doing a wing badge myself. Used a bit of leftover 3M stuff I had from wing mirrors and a scalpel blade, but I could barely keep my eyes open so it's not the best job, and awkward to cut round the bends in the S. Hence why I'm thinkin of just getting some pre-cut inlays. What you think?


post-30295-0-60448200-1366200435_thumb.j

Sal, you got any pics of your exhaust setup? Did you knock it up yourself or get someone local to do it?

Can't keep much in the dash pocket at all, fuel receipts and that for work...comes in handy, when I remember it's there, haha! Would need to take a closer look to double check, but I have a blue interior/dash, so even if I did remove the pocket part, it might not be a match for the black interior. Could always be wrapped I suppose!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will try and get you some pics tonight Gary. I didnt know that there were different coloured dashboards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share





×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership