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Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part VIII - READ ONLY

553 messages,  Last post on Jul 20, 2000 at 4:19 AM

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Messages Page 55 of 56

#534 of 553 try the club by zx3beast

May 31, 2000 (12:43 am)

togneter-im glad you said try "the club" + not
join the club.

#535 of 553 ZX3 ROCKS!!! by gypo

May 31, 2000 (1:44 am)

Hey people I just joined the forum. I am going
to buy a ZX3 really soon. Maybe in the next
couple of weeks. It will be Infra-Red and Auto.
Auto because of my wife. She hates stick. Anyway, this forum is completely awesome. You guys are the reason that I'm totally sold on this little Gem. I'm a fan of the Subcompact as it is. I am currently driving a Festiva. I know, I know, it's
a death trap but I just love my little car. However, I feel like it's time to get another car. Thats where the ZX3 comes in The car is just so sweet I can hardly believe it. I don't
even have one yet but I already feel like a proud owner of a ZX3. Partly because I think it's
awesome but mostly because I've read about 600 to
800 posts in this forum already. I say 600 to 800
because I lost count. Anyway, I look forward to
getting my car and, as far as I'm concerned,
becoming one of the elite
Also I have not seen that many here where I live.
I live in North Georgia. So far I've spotted 4. 1 Black SE Sedan, 2 silver Sedans, and 1 Blue Sedan.
I've yet to see any ZX3's. Hopefully I'll be the
first around here to flaunt one. I can hardly
wait to enjoy mine. In the meantime, keep the
Subcompact (and the forum) alive.


Gypo

#536 of 553 Just Rambling by jwkessler1

May 31, 2000 (1:52 am)

I keep reading references to "curb" in this forum. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe someone made a typo and everyone else has been propagating it. I think the original reference should have been to "curve" as in torque curve. This would refer to a graphic representation of the torque produced by the engine over a range of RPM. The chip Ford uses apparently is designed to alter the shape of this curve to achieve reduced emissions or better mileage.


Has anyone considered having a nicely engraved plaque made up which could be mounted under the hood near the oil filler cap? The plaque would list the correct oil fill, include a big warning not to over fill the engine with oil, and perhaps add something about possible engine damage. I bet mechanics would be less likely to casually overfill the engine after seeing a reminder like that.


I saw an interesting demo of the club on TV a few years ago where a pro-thief (is there such a thing?) removed one in seconds by simply deforming the steering wheel.

#537 of 553 And another thing... by jwkessler1

May 31, 2000 (1:57 am)

Oh, I forgot... I saw my first ZX3 that wasn't on a dealer's lot today. It was a flat black one. Some slob hasn't ever cleaned that poor puppy!


This was in Binghamton NY.


Soon (I hope) I'll be adding my Zinc/Egg Yoke Yellow ZX3 to the Binghamton scene. I hope to keep it a bit shinier!

#538 of 553 oil overfill by projectzx3

May 31, 2000 (2:11 am)

over-filled oil foams when it gets hot. i stand by my opinion that the car should get 4.5 qts. and not one tiny drip more! operate the oil level in the safe zone on the dipstick and you will get better performance and longevity. 4.25 to 4.5 qts. with filter change. also you know what i think? i think the suckers didn't change my filter when i took it in for the complimentary oil change 1900 miles. and since the fl-2005 motorcraft filter on our z-babies is designed to retain oil for immediate flow to the motor upon start up... i think thats where the excess oil in my case came from! they put 4 to 4.5 qts in and the filter they should have changed (said they changed) already had approx 3/4 qt in it! i shoul've put a crayon mark on the filter! hehe

#539 of 553 focus crash test results by tuner1

May 31, 2000 (2:13 am)

      I came across some interesting info.check out the results to our cars crash test.Our hatchling got a five star rating while the sedan received a four star rating.Thats the price you sedan guys pay for those two extra doors! http://www.autosite.com/new/grabbag/crash/1918.asp

#540 of 553 Drebe - Velcro revisited by silver_bullet

May 31, 2000 (2:15 am)

My curiosity got the better of me, so I checked my car - the cargo floor mat does have velcro attached to the underside of its rear edge, which mates with velcro attached to the rear panel. Keeps the rear edge of the cargo mat nice and smooth.


ZX3beast - I think my parts are on national back-order, at least that's what my dealer has said. Maybe you will have more luck finding them.

#541 of 553 Stolen Focus & The Club by catsoft

May 31, 2000 (2:16 am)

The Club will deter the casual thief and may provide peace of mind, but it won't keep any serious thief from stealing the car. It's trivially easy to remove The Club. Sure, the thing itself if from hardened steel and hard to cut, but the stearing wheel is made of very soft material designed to give way in a crash (or at least limit bodily harm somewhat). A simple metal saw will cut a steering wheel like butter and remove a Club in very little time...


Having said all that: I use The Club in a minivan I own. Hopefully it'll deter some Joe that wants to make a quick snatch. Just wanted to make sure no one has any illusions about the thing.

#542 of 553 new owner by zx3ow2

May 31, 2000 (2:23 am)

Hi,


Just joined the zx3 owners club on Friday 5/26.
Been reading about the zx3, test drove several other cars and chose the zx3. Malibu Blue, 5 speed.


What is the part no. for the bmw chrome pipe. I know that I read it in an earlier session, but don't know which one. Please advise.

#543 of 553 Oil Overfill by catsoft

May 31, 2000 (2:32 am)

Can't help myself here to add a few comments about overfilling oil. Fist the disclaimer: I'm no mechanic. On the other hand, I've taken a number of motorcycle engines apart, fixed them, and put the things together again (yes, they always worked). 4 stroke motorcycle engines work exactly the same as car engines.


IMHO no manufacturer will design an engine that is so sensitive to overfill that going a bit over the mark will ruin it. It would just be too much hassle to deal with all those resulting warrantee cases.


From a mechanical point of view, the oil sump is just that, a bucket hanging under the engine holding oil. Putting in more won't make any difference, up to a point. Things get bad when rotating parts (crankshaft) start hitting the top of the oil. That's when pressures build, it'll foam like mad, and gaskets/seals get blown. Of course, no one knows how much overfill the engine will handle before that happens.

Messages Page 55 of 56

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