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All it took was for me to leave town - got the call today that my car has *finally* arrived, the same day that I hop a flight for weekend work in Tampa. So I'll create this thread and leave it basically content free until Tuesday when I'm back in Chicagoland and I can pick it up and then sit in the garage crying with joy.
As for the name - Colin, in honor of the late, great Colin McRae.
Dates:
Ordered: 5/12/2012
VIN available: 9/14/2012
Built: 10/5/2012
Original ETA: 10/15/2012
Revised ETA: 10/13/2012 (And yes, they gave me this revised ETA...which is *before* the original ETA...after the original ETA had already passed...)
Delivered to dealer: 11/1/2012
Picked up: 11/6/2012
I'm a little miffed that the 5 hour drive from Wayne, MI to Plainfield, IL took a month...but if everything I hear is correct, it'll be worth the wait.
Edit: Picked it up on a drizzly Tuesday morning, and spent the day trying not to give it too much stick during the break in period, and wearing a ridiculous sh*t eating grin. Then made the trip on Wednesday to a client (who has underground parking, or it never would have happened). And today, cold weather in Chicago notwithstanding, I managed to get a couple coats of wax and sealant on the car. Yes, I am taking PTO to obsess over my baby.
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![IMG_6754.JPG]()
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Everyone else has said their piece on performance. Which obviously is awesome compared to the SVT. I'll leave that alone. But I am really happy with the interior. The ST3 seats were worth the wait, and I'm one of the few people who like MyFordTouch, so overall, I'm very happy. I will say that compared to the SVT, I feel very nestled down in the ST. Driving the SVT now feels like I'm sitting up too high, with this towering view out over the hood, and not to mention the lower position of the gearshift in the SVT. So it's quite the transition.
I did find quite a few paint defects while washing and waxing...debating how big a stink I'm going to make, or if I'm going to accept it as part of the deal. My SVT was near perfect, maybe I got lucky. The ST has a couple little bubbles, a couple nicks...If anything, I'm going to make a deal about the hood. There's a scuff up on the edge near the wipers as well as what looks like impact damage from something knocking in to it a couple other places. No paint missing, just visible nicks now that I've got all the dirt off and it's perfectly clean. My hood gap wasn't the greatest, but I adjusted the stops down a bit, and it's OK now.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go down in to the garage and stare for a while longer. And I guess I can remove my snarky "Wal-Mart" comment from my signature...
Update 12-8-2012: Installed my JBR 70a RMM. Which...turns out to have way stronger NVH than I thought.
Update 12-28-2012: Installed the RMM from the electric plug-in Focus. Much better NVH compromise than the JBR 70a, and frankly, with about the same level of wheel hop reduction. For me, this is the sweet spot.
Update 1-9-2013: Picked the car up after having the hood repainted. Muuuuuch better. Now I just have to keep it in the garage for a while as the paint cures. I don't want to drive it (especially in the winter) without a coat of wax, and they said not to wax for 30 days or something. Crap, and it's supposed to be warm this weekend.
Update 6-30-2013: Installed the JBR solid shifter bushings. This is the install from hell (Ford's fault, certainly not JBRs), but that aside I do think these add a little more precise feeling to the shifter as it notches in to each gear. However, I think a lot of the rubbery feel of the shifter is due to flex/play in the cables. I can still put the lever firmly in to gear and then flex it another few millimeters "further in to gear". For example, put it in to 4th and then keep pulling back towards the rear of the car. I wonder if anything can be done about this - the shifter cage and everything are now securely fastened to the car, so I'd think the remaining play is in the linkages.
Update 7-04-2013: Installed the Cobb short shift plate. Details on my install here: http://fordstnation.com/focus-st-pe...hort-shift-plate-install-notes.html#post87939, but in a nutshell, this is a great addition. Loving the shorter throws.
Update 11-03-2013: Almost Colin's 1st birthday...Installed Redline Goods shift boot and armrest cover. Details on my install here: http://fordstnation.com/focus-st-in...ssories-shift-boot-armrest-cover-install.html. Also took this opportunity to properly install the solid shifter bushings - previously I had them on top of the shifter cage, with the small diameter portion facing down in to the shifter cage, rather than under the cage with the small diameter portion facing up. I can't tell that it makes too much difference, but I feel better about it now.
As for the name - Colin, in honor of the late, great Colin McRae.
Dates:
Ordered: 5/12/2012
VIN available: 9/14/2012
Built: 10/5/2012
Original ETA: 10/15/2012
Revised ETA: 10/13/2012 (And yes, they gave me this revised ETA...which is *before* the original ETA...after the original ETA had already passed...)
Delivered to dealer: 11/1/2012
Picked up: 11/6/2012
I'm a little miffed that the 5 hour drive from Wayne, MI to Plainfield, IL took a month...but if everything I hear is correct, it'll be worth the wait.
Edit: Picked it up on a drizzly Tuesday morning, and spent the day trying not to give it too much stick during the break in period, and wearing a ridiculous sh*t eating grin. Then made the trip on Wednesday to a client (who has underground parking, or it never would have happened). And today, cold weather in Chicago notwithstanding, I managed to get a couple coats of wax and sealant on the car. Yes, I am taking PTO to obsess over my baby.
Everyone else has said their piece on performance. Which obviously is awesome compared to the SVT. I'll leave that alone. But I am really happy with the interior. The ST3 seats were worth the wait, and I'm one of the few people who like MyFordTouch, so overall, I'm very happy. I will say that compared to the SVT, I feel very nestled down in the ST. Driving the SVT now feels like I'm sitting up too high, with this towering view out over the hood, and not to mention the lower position of the gearshift in the SVT. So it's quite the transition.
I did find quite a few paint defects while washing and waxing...debating how big a stink I'm going to make, or if I'm going to accept it as part of the deal. My SVT was near perfect, maybe I got lucky. The ST has a couple little bubbles, a couple nicks...If anything, I'm going to make a deal about the hood. There's a scuff up on the edge near the wipers as well as what looks like impact damage from something knocking in to it a couple other places. No paint missing, just visible nicks now that I've got all the dirt off and it's perfectly clean. My hood gap wasn't the greatest, but I adjusted the stops down a bit, and it's OK now.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go down in to the garage and stare for a while longer. And I guess I can remove my snarky "Wal-Mart" comment from my signature...
Update 12-8-2012: Installed my JBR 70a RMM. Which...turns out to have way stronger NVH than I thought.
Update 12-28-2012: Installed the RMM from the electric plug-in Focus. Much better NVH compromise than the JBR 70a, and frankly, with about the same level of wheel hop reduction. For me, this is the sweet spot.
Update 1-9-2013: Picked the car up after having the hood repainted. Muuuuuch better. Now I just have to keep it in the garage for a while as the paint cures. I don't want to drive it (especially in the winter) without a coat of wax, and they said not to wax for 30 days or something. Crap, and it's supposed to be warm this weekend.
Update 6-30-2013: Installed the JBR solid shifter bushings. This is the install from hell (Ford's fault, certainly not JBRs), but that aside I do think these add a little more precise feeling to the shifter as it notches in to each gear. However, I think a lot of the rubbery feel of the shifter is due to flex/play in the cables. I can still put the lever firmly in to gear and then flex it another few millimeters "further in to gear". For example, put it in to 4th and then keep pulling back towards the rear of the car. I wonder if anything can be done about this - the shifter cage and everything are now securely fastened to the car, so I'd think the remaining play is in the linkages.
Update 7-04-2013: Installed the Cobb short shift plate. Details on my install here: http://fordstnation.com/focus-st-pe...hort-shift-plate-install-notes.html#post87939, but in a nutshell, this is a great addition. Loving the shorter throws.
Update 11-03-2013: Almost Colin's 1st birthday...Installed Redline Goods shift boot and armrest cover. Details on my install here: http://fordstnation.com/focus-st-in...ssories-shift-boot-armrest-cover-install.html. Also took this opportunity to properly install the solid shifter bushings - previously I had them on top of the shifter cage, with the small diameter portion facing down in to the shifter cage, rather than under the cage with the small diameter portion facing up. I can't tell that it makes too much difference, but I feel better about it now.
