"citizennick" (citizennick)
07/24/2015 at 14:45 • Filed to: oppo review, oppositelock review, Focus ST, ST
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"citizennick" (citizennick)
07/24/2015 at 14:45 • Filed to: oppo review, oppositelock review, Focus ST, ST | 16
| 37 |
Every once in awhile I see someone on Oppo post a review of their car, so I figured with a little time on my hands I would do the same.
So, a little over one year ago I traded my treacherous 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer (literally the worst car I’ve ever owned and I’ve had cars catch on fire. They weren’t as bad as the Lancer) in for my 2014 Ford Focus ST. I had spent month’s researching what I wanted. Being a car guy you understand it varies wildly.
Finally, I settled on the Focus ST, it was the most practical (scary word, I know) of all my choices. I got the ST3 package mostly because I love HID’s and Recaros. The sunroof I could have done without but at the time of purchase it was difficult to locate one, silver wasn’t even my first choice. I was living in Houston at the time and they had to bring one in from Alabama because there was such a lack of inventory for them.
It was about a month into the purchase (and living in Nebraska now) when I decided to throw on a Cobb CAI (because hearing the turbo is kind of nice) and a MBRP 3-inch exhaust. I thought “that should be good enough”, but when the mod bug bit, it bit hard.
The next thing you know I’m ordering an intercooler, piping, downpipe and a Cobb AP3 tuner and having it shipped to my brother’s shop down in Houston. So I took the car back down to Houston, and left with more power.
So I got through the winter (thanks to some awesome Nokian Hakkapeliita R2’s) pretty harmlessly for my wallet. But it started to get nice, and there was auto-x, and track days. So obviously I’m like “OMG I NEED ALL THE GRIP”. I justified this by seeing a great deal on some Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels from a vendor on the forum. A sign, right? I had to. This was followed by getting a set of Nitto NT-01 tires.
After participating in the first auto-x with this setup I then told myself I needed coilovers. Too much compression in the shocks for this offset, suffered from slight tire rub under hard cornering. A short time later I had some BC Racing BR Type coilovers on their way. Got them installed right before the next auto-x. And my goodness... I had all the grip now.
Now we are closer to today with this review. Last week I took it on the track for the first time. Had some great runs....
....but the brakes, the fade... sigh. I MUST HAVE ALL THE BRAKES.
so two days ago...
Hawk HP+ pads and StopTech slotted rotors. Along with new braided brake lines and fluid.
So there you have it... this review pretty much just shows that I have a problem guys. I am never content. Maybe we can start an Oppo support group?
Stuff I’m waiting to have installed: Meth kit and Mishimoto Oil Cooler.
Next week’s story will probably be something along the lines of “My car is too slow, so I put 4 turbos on it”
EDIT: I’m sure some of you are wondering why I would do all this to a daily driver, especially the brake pads, but this isn’t my daily anymore. Recently got something to match it.
SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 14:47 |
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Hawk street pads.... yuck
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citizennick
> SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
07/24/2015 at 14:47 |
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yes, you mentioned that yesterday.
d1ck
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 14:49 |
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Which methanol system did you order?
SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 14:50 |
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Have you been on the track since the brake upgrade? I’m curious as to how it works. I’ve heard that because of the brake vectoring working pretty much all of the time on track that they end up overheating without a major upgrade to bigger calipers and discs, but I was curious as to what your experience was with it.
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citizennick
> d1ck
07/24/2015 at 14:52 |
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no clue, my brother is putting it together for me. Originally planned on the Cooling Mist system.
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citizennick
> SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/24/2015 at 14:54 |
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I just got them put on a couple days ago. Will be getting an LSD in the near future, since I can’t seem to stop modifying the thing. I would have gone with a BBK but my race setup is 17 inch wheels, don’t think they would clear.
TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 14:57 |
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Hey, I’m down in Houston! Hope business is good for your brother! Your ST looks on point. Nice mods.
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citizennick
> TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma
07/24/2015 at 15:01 |
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Yeah, he’s been busy as heck. He’s disgusted still that I drive a Ford and not something with a GM V8.
R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 15:03 |
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Just so you know, I will likely be mimicking your entire progress so far. Although I have an ST1 and will not be doing any kind of meth-injection system.
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citizennick
> R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
07/24/2015 at 15:06 |
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I wish I started with an ST1 for weight. I'm considering taking some on the interior out to lighten it up. Also thinking of putting a cage in the back so I can run a 5 point harness. Too much sliding in my seat in the corners, even with the Recaros.
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R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 15:10 |
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Lol, I can’t wait to see what happens next
\subscribed
TheRealBicycleBuck
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 15:34 |
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Meth Kit?
Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 15:43 |
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2.7 or 3.5 Ecoboost, or 5.0?
Street Surgeon
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 15:52 |
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Nice! I too live in Nebraska and own a ‘14 ST3 though mine only sports a K&N Filter and Cobb Accessport. I purchased an intercooler, piping, and an MBRP downpipe but ultimately ended up leaving those mods off and will probably end up selling them. The MBRP downpipe was hands down probably some of the worst fab work I’ve ever seen from a respected company so it went back, and really I’m just not sure the intake/intercooler/exhaust combo will make enough of a difference to warrant putting that stuff on. The turbo on this thing is so damn small!
I actually just spent a day out at RPM/MAM for one of the Full Throttle/Fast Friday events and it was a ton of fun though towards the end of the day I did get a healthy dose of brake fade. I’m interested in how well the simple rotors/pads/fluid/lines swap will help for sure!
TheOnelectronic
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 16:02 |
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Be glad he didn’t mention the Suzuki Every Joy Pop Turbo
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citizennick
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
07/24/2015 at 16:03 |
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3.5 Ecoboost
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TheOnelectronic
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 16:04 |
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Next you’ll run out of grip and need AWD.
That’s honestly what’s keeping me from doing anything major to mine. I figure if I want to go much faster, I’m better off just getting the RS.
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citizennick
> Street Surgeon
07/24/2015 at 16:05 |
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Hey! Look up the OmahaST group on Facebook and join up! Its a great place for Nebraska ST guys, everyone is pretty awesome on there! One of them was just at RPM/MAM the other day for a track day, he was in a TS ST.
And agree, that MBRP downpipe I got was plain horrible to put on.
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citizennick
> TheOnelectronic
07/24/2015 at 16:07 |
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Yeah, I’ll probably end up dumping more money into it, sell it for chump change, and get something else. I’m looking at the 2016 Camaro, but it’ll be when they offer the 1LE package. Who knows when that is.
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Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 16:09 |
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Any plans on tuning it?
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SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 16:11 |
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And my views haven’t changed since
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SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
> TheOnelectronic
07/24/2015 at 16:13 |
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SHUT UP!!!
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TheOnelectronic
> SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
07/24/2015 at 16:16 |
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That sweet taste of forbidden fruit.
That thing does actually look like a ton of fun.
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TheOnelectronic
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 16:17 |
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I feel like I’d have the same issue with the Camaro that I had with the Mustang GT: It’s fast and fun and all that, but after the ST everything just feels so dull and uninteresting.
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citizennick
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
07/24/2015 at 16:24 |
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nah, focusing on the car for now. I doubt I’ll really do anything with the truck. If anything maybe a CAI.
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citizennick
> TheOnelectronic
07/24/2015 at 16:26 |
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Really? I think the new Camaro will be a beast. Problem with me and the ST is that I feel like I keep having to do stuff to it to stay interested in the car, lol.
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TheOnelectronic
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 16:32 |
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It’s just something about the size and bulk of it. It feels like maneuvering a couch around, regardless of its actual handling ability.
I kinda felt the same way about the ST, but after test driving the GT, STI, etc... nothing else really grabbed me either.
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citizennick
> TheOnelectronic
07/24/2015 at 16:52 |
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There’s also something about out-pacing guys in BMWs and Corvettes at the local track, too. I kinda hope the RS is ridiculously expensive so it makes it easier for me to keep the ST, lol.
MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 17:15 |
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Make sure you bed the new pads and rotors in properly. I just ruined a set of StopTech rotors in 3 months because I didn’t use new pads with them. Old pads had like 70% life left, but I guess that bed in process is SUPER important, and now they shake like crazy. Oh well, live and learn, I guess.
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citizennick
> MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
07/24/2015 at 21:00 |
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Yep, in the process of doing that. I've hardly driven it since but hope to get out tonight and do some driving and breaking them in.
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Street Surgeon
> citizennick
07/24/2015 at 22:41 |
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Hah, one look at mine and it was immediately determined that it would never get put on!
http://www.focusst.org/forum/focus-st…
nafsucof
> citizennick
07/25/2015 at 10:16 |
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LSD was the best mod I did and it takes away a lot of the braking problem because it controls the tvc. Wheel spin at speed isn't really a thing anymore. You want ALLL THE GRIP? LSD FTW.
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citizennick
> nafsucof
07/25/2015 at 10:51 |
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What did you go with? I don't think I've heard one bad thing about an LSD on these yet.
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nafsucof
> citizennick
07/25/2015 at 11:00 |
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I went with the m factory diff for $599 shipped. It’s about half the price of the quaife and the wavetrac. The wavetrac might have an advantage on rally stages where a tire could come off the ground but I hammer back roads and have a ton of confidence doing so. Autocross has been amazing in first gear and second gear wot from turns it just hooks up. Car is more neutral too because the tvc isn’t as(or at all) active so you can tune the rear to be more stiff an rotate more linearly. I went with the Strano bar and full stiff and it's nice and consistent. Very pleased with the overall performance. What size nt01s are those btw? They look huge! I only run 245 40 17s on my re71r.
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citizennick
> nafsucof
07/25/2015 at 12:27 |
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That’s the LSD I would probably go with. It’ll be interesting to see how the torque vectoring does with my new pads/rotors, hopefully it won’t be an issue.
255’s. RE71’s are the bomb though. I’m in SMF class so I can run an R-compound tire, but if I was still in GS or STX I would definetly be running RE71’s. What class are you running? Modifying an ST really kind of screws you when it comes to that stuff. They’re amazing in GS but overmatched in SMF. And you can’t even run an aftermarket Intercooler in STX, right? That’s like the first thing that should be replaced on these cars, stock one is crap.
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nafsucof
> citizennick
07/28/2015 at 00:17 |
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So after your post I read and read and yup, aftermarket intercoolers bump you so my first autocrosses this year maybe 7 have been stx incorrectly. This weekend I moved to dsp and was still competitive. I finished 2nd of 3 behind a veloster turbo on bfg r1 slicks and coilovers, .9 slower than his fastest but faster than an evo 9mr on some sticky tire. But I was loving winning stx every week. Lol oh well, I have 5 1st place pint glasses now!
Can’t help but think that after looking at these pictures, since I’m in DSp I can/should do more suspension mods. So maybe some springs are next for the Konis.
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citizennick
> nafsucof
07/28/2015 at 09:58 |
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You could also run R-compound tires in DSP. I’m annoyed that putting an intercooler on these cars automatically makes you have to run SMF or DSP, both of which allow R-compound tires, so the PAX is less forgiving, and I would much rather run a good set of summer performance tires like the RE71’s.
Do you got anyone in SMF in your region? A lot of guys on the forum prefer SMF to DSP mainly because in DSP you're matched up against some potent RWD competition.