Newbie looking at buying a Focus ST170

Snax · 16-01-2007, 12:37 PM

Hi Guys

Looking at purchasing ST170 for $23,000 has done 38,000KM.
I've been doing a lot of research on the net but I haven't found any owners review. I've got the following questions.
Does the St170 have any known problems with it?
Will I be better off buying Zetec?
Is it worthiet for the price?
Any other information that you can think of that I should know.

Any response will be helpful.

Thank you in advance for your help.

photn · 16-01-2007, 02:09 PM

Ware abouts are you from. what state?

On carsales there was about 4 about 3 weeks ago that i found.

The only really bad problem id say they have is that unless they where owned by a decent driver there where definately flogged in Enjoyment and passion.

There is a significant amount Look about the ST170. Every Focus owner wishes they had one. So if i where you id get it. the st170 has 127kw compared to 92kw(please correct) of the 2.0 Focus Zetec. it has a unique color, bodykit rear spoiler wheels and a 6 speed gearbox. to tell you the Truth id spend the Dosh on an ST170 anyday.....

melbzetec · 16-01-2007, 02:36 PM

96kw on the Zetec.

But yes, buy the ST170. No known issues that come to mind, except it was generally felt that it lacked some get up and go for the amount of engine power. But it has a lot more mumbo than the Zetec, and you could spend a fortune on a N/A Focus upgrades and not get near the power. All us Focus guys end up pinching bits from the ST170... which shows you it's well regarded. Plus the ST170 has a sportier suspension setup

Plus there is now plenty of knowledge in both the US
(eg www.focusfanatics.com..... look for SVT) and UK (www.ffoc.co.uk) should you want to tweak it in the future.

If I was buying right now, I'd grab an ST170

Snax · 16-01-2007, 02:55 PM

Thanks for your help guys but please keep it coming

Im actually gonna look at the car on the weekend, Im already in love with it and I only look at it from my computer screen.

Photn - to answer your question im in Melb, and yes the ST170 im talking about is in carsales.com.au

Melbzetec - From reading reviews on the net they do say the ST170 lack a bit on taking off, is there anything that can be done to make it take off faster. As you can tell I don't know much about cars, I just love driving them.

photn · 16-01-2007, 03:04 PM

I know there is a set of Vernier Pulleys that Orst170 got that improved the Power usage. The st170 has heaps of power but unfortunately the Gearing lets it down. My 1.6ltr Ford Fiesta Zetec Kept up with Marks 2.0 ST170 in first gear. that shows how short it is. but as soon as it hit second he took off. basically the car comes alive when you have it in the HIgher RPM's, yet its good for daily driving......it retains its daily driver feel but when pushed the beast comes alive so to speak.

melbzetec · 16-01-2007, 03:21 PM

The header and cat are terrific, but a catback may help. Have a search on the two websites I suggested and you''ll find heaps of info. (In the states it's called an SVT Focus)

It also kicks in the higher gears cos it has variable valve timing (Like Honda VTEC)

Check with the UK sites, but there is proabably an ECU reflash to give more power (Bluefin for example)

Of course there is always a supercharger!!! And yes you can get them for ST170. But I wouldn't worry about that at this stage.

Just go for a test drive. This is one of the best handling cars you''ll probably ever drive. Love it, buy it.

ps I know its a travel, but the one in Grovedale looks better to me for less k's at the same price. The one in Carnegie has a UK RS Focus steering wheel fitted, which suggests he has been adding DIY bits... you don't know what else he has done. Gut feel, but reckon the Carnegie one has been driven harder. (Grovedale would have covered longer straight distances as well, being in the country...easier on gearbox and suspension)

Snax · 16-01-2007, 04:43 PM

Thanks melbzetec I'm looking at the Carnegie one on the weekend. How can I find out if it's been flooged around?

Also whats the maintenance cost on focus, Minor Service & Major Service?

melbzetec · 16-01-2007, 05:19 PM

Any thoughts boys? Matt (Zetec) will have a fair idea

photn · 16-01-2007, 07:05 PM

take it for a test drive if you can.....ask who the driver was. if its been in any crashes, any warranty issues. like did anything get fixed under warranty, how many tyres they have been through. things like that.

orsest170 · 16-01-2007, 08:14 PM

The ST170 is a brilliant little car, but really needs to be modded to be fully enjoyed. The handling is nothing short of sublime (especially on Eibach springs), but the engine does not deliver the performance required to match the incredibly talented chassis. The ride quality is very good for a car with such flat cornering, and the getrag 6 cogger shifts beautifully. The interior is quite nice too, particularly the seats that both look and feel great. Fuel economy was also pretty good, and I once got it down to 6.5 L/100km on a long run, although combined city and country driving usually yielded a return of around 8.5L/100km.

Should you buy a Zetec instead? Zetecs are great cars too, but if the guys on this forum are anything to go by, you’ll probably only end up buying a heap of ST170 parts for the Zetec, and wish that you had just bought the ST in the first place.

Yes there are some issues with the ST170:

The heat shield around the catalytic converter will invariably work its way loose and start to rattle. You can simply retighten the bolts every time it happens, or get an aftermarket cat.

The car can be quite sluggish and rough on cold starts, but this normally only lasts a few minutes. Apparently an ECU remap will fix this though.

My front disks warped and had to be replaced, but I’m not sure if that’s a common problem.

Flickering dash display, or unlit dash display. The flickering can be fixed by simply turning down the brightness, and the unlit dash is fixed by turning off and on again.

Perhaps the most annoying ‘issue’ though was the intermittent lack of torque. After doing all the mods, my ST was no slouch, but it still always suffered from erratic low down torque delivery, particularly in second gear. Again an ECU remap will fix this.

Anyway here’s a list of Mods I had in case you are interested:

Focus Central aluminium underdrive pulleys
Focus Central 65mm throttle body
K&N Typhoon short ram intake
AEM adjustable exhaust cam sprocket
Random Technology high flow catalytic converter
Eibach prokit lowering springs

As for which of these mods is the best, well, for me it was definitely the underdrive pulleys. This mod was more noticeable than any other and the cheapest too! An ECU flasher like Bluefin or SCT XCalibrator will give the best gains, but they are quite pricey. European Parts now have the XCalibrator in stock and this would be the one to go for because of the added functionality, however you would need to check if it is compatible with the Australian ST170 ECU codes.

All of the mods make a difference, but I would go for the ECU remap over anything else because it is the only way to overcome the annoying faults of the standard ECU map.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

Simon.

zetec · 16-01-2007, 09:36 PM

Get the ST170.

The power issues only come to light because of the outstanding chassis. Tough problem to have really, the car handles SO well that it feels like it could cope with more power! My Zetec delights me with its performance every day, and the ST170 is more economical and quicker again, you will honestly have NO problems with performance out of an ST170. If you want straight line speed, go buy a trashed half roadworthy VN Commodore with burnout rims. If you want a perfectly balanced, fun-to-drive and safe hot hatch, or at least a fairly warm on, buy the ST170. Experience tells me that modding the Focus has mixed results and it's often best to just be happy with the standard car, they're so well polished.

I bought a Zetec, it's now half ST170 with indicators, grille, full suspension and wheels amongst other things from an ST170. It's a much better package and for that price, it's a great buy. It has the side airbags, standard traction and stability control and amazing suspension. All those things are either rare and expensive options on a Zetec (Stability Control) or not available at all (side airbags).

The ST170 is unique, only about 165 in the country minus the few dead/destroyed ones, of which I know about 3 or 4, that's just the ones I know of.

Simply put, the ST170 as a used car is worth the extra money over a Zetec. Brand new, it was a different story. A Zetec for about $27,000 plus on roads was much better value than an ST170 at $37,000 plus onroads.

I sold 2 ST170's as a salesman and now my Zetec is a half-ST itself! Trust me, get the ST170.

Fave review - http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring.../XRT_st170.htm

orsest170 · 17-01-2007, 12:29 AM

Yep it is a very polished package, but you simply can’t get away from the fact that it is a tad underpowered in stock form. Most ST170/SVT owners (and any journalist that ever test drove one for that matter) crave more power fairly soon after taking delivery, and it’s not simply so they can go faster in a straight line.

Because of the great handling you can take very tight corners at fairly ridiculous speeds, but when you attempt to accelerate away quickly out of the corner, it often leaves you feeling a wee bit disappointed.

Yes it’s true that modding doesn’t always work, but my ST170 became infinitely more enjoyable as a result of fitting a few bolt-on ‘power adders’. Anyway it’s a great car, stock or otherwise, and at just over 20k these days, they represent one of the best performance bargains around – so I say go for it too.

roden21 · 18-01-2007, 07:48 PM

Quote:

As for which of these mods is the best, well, for me it was definitely the underdrive pulleys. This mod was more noticeable than any other and the cheapest too!

Is this a fairly easy mod to carry out and does it become an issue at service time?

orsest170 · 18-01-2007, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roden21

Is this a fairly easy mod to carry out and does it become an issue at service time?

Well it’s supposed to be easy, but the mechanic that fitted mine reckons that he couldn't believe how tight the factory pulleys were, and had a hard time getting them off. I think you need a pretty good torque wrench to do the job, and if, like me, the extent of your mechanical abilities is performing an oil change, then I'd definitely get someone else to do it.

Nah, I had several mods and they never once commented at service time. However, warranty claims can be a different matter. Do you have an ST170? Surely it is almost out of warranty by now?

roden21 · 19-01-2007, 10:05 AM

I wish I had an ST170 but sadly no. I have an '02-MY 3DR Zetec so yes, it is out of warrenty but with FSH. I just don't want things getting too complicated when I put her in for the service but still want to get as much out of the car as possible.

I've had the CAT back system and headers to put on her for a while now, but have not had the time to fit them yet. Was hoping to do it over Christmas, but time flies when you're having fun I guess !