Learn Me: 2004 Focus SVT

Hi everyone,

The Mazda 6 used by my boys to get around needs a bunch of stuff and is a auto.  We are looking at alternatives with a manual.  I found a 2004 Focus SVT for $2500 that I am trying to look at.  

I wanted to know, from the collective, what should I be looking for?  The current owner started to pull the interior to make it into a track car and then lost motivation.  Says it has all of the interior pieces to add back. Are there any problem areas?  Places where there be dragons without looking hard?

Thanks!

-Mike

That era of Focus loves to rot at the rockers pretty badly. Aside from that I've considered them when I've seen them for sale, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet because most of the ones here in Michigan are showing rust.

Good cars, also ~20 years old and most have been abused from what ive seen. be prepared to deal with rear wheel bearings going out (easy fixes) and some part availability issues. usually, you can get around some of those issues with standard zetec stuff imo.

for that price, i say send it. 

Rust under the side skirts.

Parts are hard to come by since Ford discontinued a lot of the parts. Heck Ford discontinued the timing tensioner that is specific to the SVT. Ask when the timing was last changed. If they say recently ask what tensioner they used. If they used a gates or aftermarket tensioner it's a time bomb. The SVT engines are interference engines. Regular Zetec are not.

Like any other hot hatch car, a vaping monster energy drinking Johnny Racecar type has already beat the E36 M3 out of 90% of these cars at this point so you'll be fixing things. Also, taking it to your local "shop" has been the end of a lot of these cars. They are very specific and particular when they come to repairs. Fix it yourself. 

Theres a Facebook page that's halfway decent for support. I'm hated on there because I part out basket case examples of these cars. 

Rust, Rust, Rust.  The rear subframe bolts, and blots for shocks, and all that in the the back like to fuse together.  Like much worse than other cars for some reason.  Other than that, I loved mine.  Fun, revy motor, good trans.  Also axles are SVT specific, those are becoming hard to find.  

I might as well post the link and see if you guys see anything worrying.  I'm concerned about the right door area.  Going to ask for some more pics.

2004 Focus SVT on book of faces

In reply to Wxdude10 - Mike :

No detailed pictures so not much to say other than it's missing the side skirts that should be there. All zx3 SVTs had the side skirts stock, no exceptions. The zx5's did not have side skirts from the factory. 

That front bumper is unobtainium. I sell them for $400 plus but that one looks salvageable. 

Seeing NH plates I'm sure it's got rot. Look at the rear unibody in front of the rear tire. Poke with a screw driver. Also as someone else said, pay close attention to the rear subframe as they were made out of peanut brittle from the factory. Oh, and Ford didn't use antiseize on any of the suspension hardware so changing anything will be the worst day of your life. 

79rex said:

Rust, Rust, Rust.  The rear subframe bolts, and blots for shocks, and all that in the the back like to fuse together.  Like much worse than other cars for some reason.  Other than that, I loved mine.  Fun, revy motor, good trans.  Also axles are SVT specific, those are becoming hard to find.  

ha, i had SVT front hubs seize together and couldnt remove a bad ball joint. had to grind the rivets off the LCA and grab 05 MY specific hubs from the junkyard for a bolt in replacement.

right door looks like its rusted right above the crushed rocker.
I've yet to have many issues with rust but i should note that power tools and impact wrenches are my best friends 

I asked some questions and for more pictures of the door to see what's going on there.  I'm not sold that this is going to be worth it for my twins.  But we'll see.  

That passenger rocker at passenger door is a very popular place for Focus rust.  Examples found quickly with same rust. 

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/pittsburgh-ford-focus/7310947185.html

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/d/chagrin-falls-silver-2010-ford-focus/7305438311.html

Scotty Con Queso said:

Theres a Facebook page that's halfway decent for support. I'm hated on there because I part out basket case examples of these cars. 

LOL, so the SVO owner mentality has translated to the SVT Focus world.

"It should be restored!"  Yeah, let's dump ten grand into a car worth half as much when you're done.

ddavidv said:

Scotty Con Queso said:

Theres a Facebook page that's halfway decent for support. I'm hated on there because I part out basket case examples of these cars. 

LOL, so the SVO owner mentality has translated to the SVT Focus world.

"It should be restored!"  Yeah, let's dump ten grand into a car worth half as much when you're done.

There is no car in the world that costs less to restore than it will be worth when it's done.

Restoration is a labor of love, to preserve something of history for future enjoyment.  It's never a monetary gain, only a spiritual one.

Yeah, the facebook pictures are tough to tell. I am concerned about that dark/dented part at the front of the passenger door.  We'll see if I get any better pictures.

My Mazda 6 is rusting through the right rear wheel well (just behind the door, just on the flair part).  I'm not willing to deal with rusted out rockers if that is the case. 

I have had mine 10 years and it just makes me smile. I keep thinking I should trade up and I take it for a spin and I have no desire to sell. But the rareness is a challenge. No other car used this motor and there are standard things that break which don't stop it from running but make it run crummy till you fix. Mine is AZ and CA with low mileage so rust is not an issue. Does the person still have the interior or do you need to locate piece by piece? Finding SVT specific interior parts could add up. The seating is high but I appreciate the visibility. Best mods were minor, upgraded rear mount, better trans fluid and a mild tune from FSWerks. Plus car pulls so much better with more restrictive exhaust than some huge pipes in my opinion. I actually changed the timing  belt on my car recently but didn't touch the idler arm for the reason someone above mentioned. 

Wxdude10 - Mike said:

Hi everyone,

The Mazda 6 used by my boys to get around needs a bunch of stuff and is a auto.  We are looking at alternatives with a manual.  I found a 2004 Focus SVT for $2500 that I am trying to look at.  

I wanted to know, from the collective, what should I be looking for?  The current owner started to pull the interior to make it into a track car and then lost motivation.  Says it has all of the interior pieces to add back. Are there any problem areas?  Places where there be dragons without looking hard?

Thanks!

-Mike

Ha, I sent that car to my nephew a few days ago. He's been looking for a 2nd "fun" car lately. 

Ford does like to build a cool vehicle and then completely forget it existed about 10 years later and discontinue essential parts. That seems to be the case for these. Otherwise, if it's in nice shape, snag it! 

Just FYI, we had an SVT Focus project car.

Look for and enjoy:  dual-mass flywheels and dual-stage intakes.  Parts with extra parts always age well.  The upholstery, much like much of what is offered today in fabrics, turns coffee stains into something white and not at all flattering.  The ECMs like to go a bit haywire and re-tune themselves.  Like any Ferd, expect lots of check engine lights, but it's probably burned out by now.

I had two of these things, back in a different decade.  The VW GTI was pretty much always a better idea.

The engine specific parts have scared me off everytime I look at them.  They are approaching challenge car prices (or were until this year), and have the stuff to do well.  The engine specific cylinder head seems to be the hardest piece of the puzzle if you find one needing work.  Cosworth made some really cool parts for them once upon a time too.

Yeah I was hot on the trail for one for a while. Fun to drive, cheap to buy, not a VW, but I too was scared off them by the unique parts they need. 

I ended up adopting the belief that the ST version of these Focii with the Mazda 2.3 was a better buy. Similar performance with less bespoke parts. Although I never drove either as they are both thin on the ground.

I bought neither as someone essentially gifted me a boring car.

SVTs have a lot of nice creature comforts on to of the other stuff.  But if I were going to build a focus I would build a duratec car due to parts availability. You would probably end up buying a SVT parts car to swap stuff over. 

I drove one when new and liked it. But now I see enough of them in junkyards without crash damage to make me think things break and the parts just aren't out there to fix them or the parts are worth more than the car is.