Anyone Else Get Irrationally Angry Seeing a Beat Version of Their Car?

"SVTyler" (svtyler) 04/06/2015 at 19:32 • Filed to: None

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I saw another SVT Focus today. It being driven by a flatbill-wearing dudebro on shitty Discount Tire clearance rims, had rusted-out side sills with fucking holes in them , a fartcan, a fake carbon fiber hood, and non-factory xenon headlights >:|

I mean, it's not like an E-Type or E30 M3 or anything all that special, but it is a relatively rare car (14,003 built in 3 years) and is one of the few examples of early 2000's Ford actually giving a damn about making a half-decent car. Poor thing deserves so much better.

Tohru > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 19:45

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I usually drive a beat version of my car, so not really.

Also, 1st gen Focus: "So, I heard you like triangles."

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 19:46

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I dont. I never see any Taurii or Capris. I imagine I would get pretty torque'd if I did though.

Jedidiah > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 19:46

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Sometimes you can't help rust. But you can help by not being a dudebro and wearing hats correctly.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 19:49

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Not really. What they do for me is help me cherish what I have.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 19:51

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Yup. Of the half dozen or so D2 A8s that I've sen, one that I've seen repeatedly is in terrible shape.

SVTyler > Tohru 04/06/2015 at 19:53

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New Edge, brah. Sharp angles, brah. Round surfaces, brah. Clusterfuck of the two, brah.

Homerism aside, it has however aged pretty well for the time though. Like if you didn't know you wouldn't think the body style was 17 years old at this point.

promoted by the color red > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 19:53

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As a former Honda owner, I usually just wonder how many of the parts on that car were stolen off my car or another car.

SVTyler > Jedidiah 04/06/2015 at 19:55

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But how will my peers know I watch gymkhana and drink Monster???

Yeah, these cars are pretty bad for side sill rust, problem with the SVT cars is that spare rocker panels have since disappeared from our plane of existence so you can either Bondo the crap out of them or just accept your fate like this dude did.

SVTyler > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 04/06/2015 at 19:58

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I figure a lot of Tauruses were killed by rust a long time ago. I'm in Indiana and it seems the only 2nd-gen's are the ones you can see the frame through the rocker panels or the gas tank through the rear bumper, can't imagine Canada was any nicer to them.

SVTyler > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/06/2015 at 20:00

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Hmm, didn't think about it like that. I dunno, I take a lot of pride in my car and really try to take care of it, it just kinda sucks to see people who have what I consider to be an awesome car and they just don't give a shit.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:01

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Lol, I've never seen a more beat version of my car than mine in real life, so no.

SVTyler > promoted by the color red 04/06/2015 at 20:02

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You'd be surprised by the number of dudebros who have riced out their Focii (the forums are rife with them *shudders*). The demographic for my car seems to either be older dudes who use them as weekend cars and track toys or Monster bros who wanted a hot hatch but wanted to buy 'Murican.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:03

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I guess it's worse if your car is in great condition.

I have the worst condition 84 Cutlass Supreme Brougham Sedan on the face of the earth. However, this is one of those cars that you can do a low-buck restoration on, and really enjoy. And that's what I'm doing.

Rykilla303 > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:05

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nah. Just means I need to take twice as good of care of mine so there's a nice one left in the world.

SVTyler > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 04/06/2015 at 20:12

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There's gotta be some random dude on Craiglist selling a 94% rust AW11 for $1700 and wondering why no one's calling him.

Just wear your damn mask... > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:12

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No. I have much more important things to worry about than what someone is doing with their personal property. Seriously.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:15

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Eastern Canada kills cars. I saw a '91 Honda station wagon at the mall today and was so amazed I asked the old couple if i could take a picture of it. Me and the older gentle man who owned it talked about cars for almost 45 minutes about it while his wife was inside.

Its an Accord wagon right? He says the biggest reason he keeps it is because he can put a piece of 8x4 in the back.

Seat Safety Switch > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:16

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You know what my secret is?

I always drive the worst version of my car. That way every other example on the road is parts.

Autofixation > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:17

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Over the past few weeks I saw a Corsica, an Aerostar, and a Lumina APV. While these are not some of the nicer, faster, or more interesting cars on the road today, I live in New Hampshire, where the snow is more than plentiful, and the salt even more so. So that fact that I saw those cars still on the road amazes me.

SVTyler > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/06/2015 at 20:18

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So you're basically the opposite of me, you can only make the car better while mine can only get worse haha. I bought mine as a pristine example that needed absolutely nothing (clutch grenaded a month later but I digress) so I'm basically a hypocondriac about it. All OEM parts, only me working on it, nothing but the best synthetics, etc. etc. My parents say I take better care of it than I do myself but in the end it's a labor of love that's worth it.

Steve in Manhattan > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:18

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Saw a tricked out SHO when I still had my '97 - non-stock wheels, stickers, might have been lowered a bit. It didn't enrage me, but that car was hardly something that screamed out for mods.

SVTyler > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 04/06/2015 at 20:21

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Wow that is clean. We're kinda like you, in Indiana the only Hondas we have from that era are basically orange with rust from the door handles down. I have to get an underbody wash every week in the winter so the damn salt doesn't dissolve the bottom of my car.

SVTyler > Seat Safety Switch 04/06/2015 at 20:24

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So that's what I did wrong. I bought the most pristine, perfect, turnkey car I could find, so I'm basically a hypochondriac about keeping it super-nice.

SVTyler > Steve in Manhattan 04/06/2015 at 20:28

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Yeah, these cars aren't really wanting for anything besides power (if that) so it's kinda the same deal as your SHO. There are all kinds of dudes on the forums with ridiculous mods (300hp supercharged Zetecs, RWD Modular 4.6 swaps, mid-engine builds) and I just don't get the point for cars that are as good as ours out of the factory.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:31

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Crazy thing is, he said that thing had no less than 640,000km on it. One owner since new, and its been oil sprayed every year. It really works.

SVTyler > Autofixation 04/06/2015 at 20:31

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That is amazing, we had the Pontiac version of the Lumina APV and it lasted like five years on our roads. One guy I delivered pizza to had a pristine 1977 Gremlin (no idea why) that he said he could only drive from like April-September to avoid rain and snow and salt and stuff.

SVTyler > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 04/06/2015 at 20:35

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It always makes me weirdly happy to see people taking care of mundane cars like that.

Tohru > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:37

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>Focus
>good

SVTyler > Tohru 04/06/2015 at 20:42

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I'll have you know the SVT cars run the 70ft slalom faster than a 996 GT2, C5 Z06, S2K, Ferrari F355, and stops only 5ft longer from 70 than a Ferrari 360. At least according to one guy on the forums who compiled magazine numbers, most of the articles 404'd so it's not very easy to cross-check but the few I've found are true (the C2 does hit 47.5 through the cones).

http://forums.focaljet.com/showthread.php…

You can argue about their build quality but they're pretty decent little driver's cars.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:46

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If the sills were rusted out, I would wager it was a Hurricane Sandy car. Modern cars just don't rust out in 15 years without help. Salt water is willing and able to offer that acceleration the rust was looking for.

Besides, the killuh deal he got on a salvage ride let him make it better than stock in all the ways you listed.

Steve in Manhattan > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:46

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The SHO was a 4-door GT - 235 BHP (if I recall correctly) from a 2.3 liter V8. Nothing to write home about, but adequate. Great car for long trips. But if I was going to make a car a manual, would have been the SVX. Told my tale of nearly buying on in 1998 here before - long story short, the dealer would not come far off the sticker when they had 2 model years' inventory on the lot and the car had already been out of Subaru's lineup for 6 months. Ah, what could have been.

Tohru > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:49

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I was just making a snarky joke. I have no experience with an SVT Focus, just the regular Focus of that generation. While they were better than the Escort they replaced (except for the early base-model Focii that still used the shitbox 2.0L SPI CVH engine), I was never a fan of them. I never liked having to work on them at the salvage yard.

We had a local shop order one of the suspension arms for the left rear and we had to send them all the suspension arms from that corner because on a 3 year old Focus all of the suspension pivot bolts were seized to the point that neither my Ingersoll-Rand 1/2" impact (which was rated to 1000 ft./lbs.) or the shop's 3/4" impact could budge them.

SVTyler > Tohru 04/06/2015 at 20:53

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Oh I knew you were, I just find the stigma these cars have here in the States kinda funny. Like in Europe the first-gen Focus is a god of the working class, and here they're just like junky high school girls' cars.

I got the suspension on all four corners replaced over the summer and had to get a mechanic to do it because of how rusted in the bolts were. I know the dudes at the shop and they called me after they finished the job to tell me to go fuck myself for bringing such misery upon lol.

Sam > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:55

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What color was it? I may know the guy who owns that car...

Steve in Manhattan > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 20:56

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Sorry - 3.4 liter V8, with Yamaha heads.

SVTyler > Steve in Manhattan 04/06/2015 at 20:59

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For the time it was pretty cool; head from Yamaha, block from Cosworth making 235hp pushing around a ~3300lb car.

I remember reading your SVX story and being so sad. I love SVX's, there's dude in my town who drives a purple one that's just beautiful (potato doesn't do it justice). It's a 95 he bought in 97 so same deal you had basically, only thing was the dealer gave him a pretty sizable discount just to get it off the lot.

SVTyler > Sam 04/06/2015 at 21:01

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Sonic Blue, being driven by a college-aged dude with a beard? It was at Purdue if that helps.

banjo cat ghost of oppo past > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:02

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I drive an eclipse. People just assume my car sucks.

SVTyler > Just wear your damn mask... 04/06/2015 at 21:04

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It's not proper anger, just more of a like exasperated, "oh come on dude, really?" kinda thing. I try and take really good care of my car and it's just sad to see people who don't.

Shiftright > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:06

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I get pissed off seeing any beat up Alfa Romeo. God made Alfas to be loved dammit! If you can't take care of them then find them new homes ! I'm also annoyed by two year old cheap cars that already have a dent in every panel, a cracked windshield and missing three wheel covers. You would thing that if you can only afford a cheap car you would take better care of it right.

Reciprocally, I am always super glad / impressed to see any ten + year old inexpensive and / unloved car in immaculate condition , like a perfect mint metallic '80 Civic wagon I see around my neighborhood or the guy who keeps an immaculate Yugo under a custom car cover. Yes, I see that car all the time.

NonDriftingS13 > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:07

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When I first started paying attention to the local car people, I'd cry everytime I saw a destroyed S13. But then I ran out of tears a week later so there's that.

Just wear your damn mask... > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:11

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I ain't even care. Not my car, not my problem.

SVTyler > Shiftright 04/06/2015 at 21:14

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I'm with you, cars were built to be loved and cared for, not neglected. I don't mind the monetary value of the car so much as the intrinsic value; some dude in Italy or wherever spent months (even years) out of his life to make the best car he could, and it just ends up getting beat on by some moron who doesn't care. It's sad, really.

I too love seeing just regular, everyday cars like that Civic wagon or the Yugo (that dude deserves a parade or something), one guy in our neighborhood's had a Volvo 240 for like 20 years now and it's just perfect.

SVTyler > Just wear your damn mask... 04/06/2015 at 21:19

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Even these? :(

SVTyler > banjo cat ghost of oppo past 04/06/2015 at 21:20

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Same, most people don't know what my car is so they think it's just a crappy base Focus.

Steve in Manhattan > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:31

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Exactly - a good engine for its time, but now there are four-cylinders in hot hatchbacks that make as much horsepower or more.

computiNATEor > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:39

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This is still my favorite Focus, ever. Except for the dated interior, I think this has a classic design that will last far better than most other cars of the period.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:40

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I drive an SN95 Mustang, so how do you think I feel?

It's like a unicorn finding a clean one now a days. It's worse when I see an abused Cobra or Mach 1.

Bandit > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:42

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WHAT? There's an SVX in town??

SVTyler > computiNATEor 04/06/2015 at 21:45

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The SVT cars actually have a pretty nice interior for the period; leather trim (including the steering wheel) is soft, the seats are comfortable and supportive and heated (!), and there's a bunch of room in the back. Dashboard and center console are still crap but for an American car from 2003 you really couldn't do that much better, especially for the sub-$20k price range.

The design really was a good one though. I'd reserve the term 'timeless' for E-types and the like but it is a very contemporary design that still looks awesome.

SVTyler > Bandit 04/06/2015 at 21:49

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In Zionsville, sorry bro :| His kid goes here I think so there's a chance you might see it around town.

computiNATEor > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 21:53

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Haha, maybe I use timeless too often! Maybe it will be like a 55 Thunderbird; a car that is very clearly from the 50s, but is undeniably attractive.

As far as the interior, it's pretty nice compared with other stuff at the time, but there are a lot of funky oval/elliptical shapes that just seem like a leftover from the 90s, but of course, that's just my opinion.

SVTyler > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST 04/06/2015 at 22:02

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Luckily I've never seen a beat up Cobra or Mach 1, just a bunch of V6's (but Christ are there a ton out there now). Seems like the dudes who own the hi-po versions actually care about their cars a bit.

VonBelmont > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 22:04

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I probably had the only '90s BMW that was on stock rims and not covered in M or V12 badges (undid the damage my brother did), but it still was kinda ratty and died a month after I got it.

Speaking of my brother, thanks to his buddy's dog I've probably got one of the ruffest CR-V interiors as well :P

Just wear your damn mask... > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 22:04

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Even those. Are these a waste? Sure, but I'm not going to waste my time and energy getting angry over it.

SVTyler > computiNATEor 04/06/2015 at 22:07

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Nah you're right the dash is just weird, you can definitely tell it was a late-90's European car to start out with. It is kind of a cool little design, though, like weird in a good way kinda thing.

Sam > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 22:07

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Ah, no. His is silver and would have probably been around Franklin. He is a college aged dude with a beard, though.

Amoore100 > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 04/06/2015 at 22:28

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That's an awesome story...Accord wagons FTW!

Brickman > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 22:37

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I usually see some beat up dodge caravans, but why? I know it's not the most valuable mobile around but sheez, get some spray paint, hub caps or something. Mine is so clean, but not lately :D

SVTyler > Brickman 04/06/2015 at 22:44

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Are they 90's Caravans with wood paneling? I'm pretty sure there's something in the Constitution that decrees that every town shall have at least two white ones with rusty rear quarters and a minimum of two missing hubcaps.

Brickman > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 22:47

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3rd gen and starting to see some 4th gens with side damage and headlights so foggy im surprised any light get out the lens. :)

Mattbob > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius 04/06/2015 at 23:25

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come to Michigan, you will realize that they sure do rust out in 15 years.. Quite easily.

nafsucof > SVTyler 04/06/2015 at 23:51

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my SVT doors are starting to rust :(. The rubber strip holds moisture and dirt and combined with my wife dding it and not washing as often as it should be...

SVTyler > nafsucof 04/07/2015 at 00:08

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:( IIRC think there was a TSB out for rust around the doors and tailgate in like 2001 or 2002 so it could just be a problem with all these cars, not just yours.

nafsucof > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 00:20

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yeah it is staining my side skirt looks good underneath and I can stop it as it is only surface but that rubber strip has got to go. I just bought brake rotors pads and calipers and am about to totally refresh the brakes. Kind of excited!

SVTyler > nafsucof 04/07/2015 at 00:43

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Well at least you caught it so early, I did a bit of Googling and found a few dudes whose door sills looked like they'd belong on the Titanic. Plus it sounds like a simple fix!

New parts are always awesome, did you go OEM or aftermarket?

nafsucof > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 00:44

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oem calipers eBay rotors and pads

Tohru > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 00:47

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I don't blame them, I'd tell you to go fuck yourself too if I had to try and take that suspension apart.

SVTyler > nafsucof 04/07/2015 at 00:49

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Were they from a dude called like Brakemotive or something, came with slotted and drilled rotors and ceramic pads? PO put those on my car and they've actually lasted a decent amount of time (15k miles on top of however many he had, I think it was like 10k) with no worries.

gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 00:54

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I drive a 350Z... it's immaculate, and all stock except for a K&N intake (not a stupid hot air intake inside the engine bay, just a less restrictive filter box) and a fairly tasteful spoiler, courtesy of the previous owner.

50% of the other 350Zs I see on the streets are stanced and/or slammed, with "carbon fiber" hoods, aero kits, tacky wheels and they're all dirty and kinda neglected looking....

of course the other 50% I see are convertibles, and being driven by 60 year old gentlemen or ladies, with the roofs up on nice days.

Bite me.

nafsucof > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 00:54

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not sure ceramic yes but drilled no, opted for just blanks, more surface area less cracks etc...$100 for pads and rotors shipped!!!

SVTyler > Tohru 04/07/2015 at 00:58

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Well they only charged me for 4 hours labor so they must not've had too bad of a time. They mostly work on older muscle cars and stuff (that pic is from when I picked the car up) so I guess they were used to dealing with all that bullshit, just unhappy to find it in a newer car.

SVTyler > nafsucof 04/07/2015 at 01:02

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O.o That's one hell of a deal man, do you know where they were made? Could be an interesting post idea, 'how long do cheap Chinese brakes from eBay really last' kinda thing.

SVTyler > gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun 04/07/2015 at 01:10

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'Tasteful' is the operative word there, seems like most of the exterior mods people make are just God awful, especially to cars like the Z. There's one dude on our campus who drove a slammed 350Z with camber this extreme:

before he shattered an axle or something, no one's really sure exactly what happened beyond his car going away on a flatbed. But don't worry, he's back with double fartcans (sorry for the potato, might have to turn your brightness up):

nafsucof > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 07:20

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I'm sure China. My wife drives the car maybe 25 miles a day and never on the highway maybe once in a blue moon. I'm sure they'll last for what she does with them. My st on the other hand just got new konis, hawk hps pads and stop tech rotors lol

Tohru > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 10:11

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This picture is of an '01 Focus rear suspension. The arrows and numbers are pointing at all the parts that are probably seized together.

When I took apart that one at the salvage yard, the arms were all stuck together - 4, 8, 9, 10.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 10:17

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Fair enough. I guess we're opposites. I also don't use OEM parts (mainly because they're hard to come by), but I buy the best parts I can afford.

Seat Safety Switch > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 10:24

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Oh yeah. I did that too, once.

Never again.

When I still had the car pictured in my avatar, I once came out to see a badly-parked Acura RDX owner trying extremely hard not to ding my door with her door.

The reason, I can only assume, is that any door ding would cause more damage to her car than mine.

And that's a good place to be.

gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 16:02

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That kind of camber is horrifying...

This is my baby:

SVTyler > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/07/2015 at 17:25

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Tbh the main reason I get OEM parts is because most parts places don't distinguish between SVT and regular parts so I've accidentally bought the wrong thing before. I'm surprised you have problems finding parts yourself, I thought GM was really good about continuing to make replacements.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SVTyler 04/07/2015 at 17:29

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No, they have a 20-year policy. There's not much left.

SVTyler > gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun 04/10/2015 at 00:07

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That color + the black rims are incredible.

SVTyler > nafsucof 04/10/2015 at 00:10

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That's some serious stopping power, planning on tracking it I assume?

nafsucof > SVTyler 04/10/2015 at 00:12

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one or two track days this year. I only want to do it once!