Focus RS Mk1


R

R2SS X

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2009
Messages
66
Hey guys,

I'm in the market for a new car at the moment...after selling my EK9 about 2 years ago I have never been happy with anything Ive had since!

Since the Ek9, I've had a mk5 R32, mk4 R32, EP3, e46 M3 CL and a LCR....so I decided I would go for a DC5 or an Fd2 next as I have always loved Hondas :blabla:. I drove a few and really liked them.

I then got a phone call last night from my dads friend, who is a total cosworth nut, telling me he was selling his focus RS and I should come and have a go of it......

Im probably going to get slated for this on a honda forum, but....it was the funnest car I have ever driven :nerv: It sounds like a rally car with the pops and bangs from the exhaust and is blisteringly quick! Its got a remap and a primary designs cat back exhaust and I would say it was as quick (if not quicker) than an M3.

The only thing letting it down is the horrible interior! It looks straight out of my grans ford KA! with garish blue stripes down the sparco bucket seats :nono:

I'm seriously tempted to buy it, but have any of you owned one, if so, whats it like to live with? Whats your views on them? It would only be a 2nd car for me, so itll only do 5k odd miles a year.

To say I was impressed with it, would be an understatement! :D

And I promised myself the only Ford I would ever own would be an Escort Cosworth :nerv:

Thanks,

R
 
These things cost £500 tax a year it's mad nice looking car but expensive to run I'd go for a dc5 or fd2 if I was you but it's personal opinion so upto you mate!?
 
as dan said mate there expensive buggers to run although there stunning i would go with an fd2 :)
 
I thought the mk1's would be cheaper road tax ?
These are really nice cars, my mate is on the lookout for one after selling his evo.
As you mentioned the interior isn't up to the spec of the rest of the car.
 
If i could give you any advice from a previous owner of one (last car before the jordan)....you better have money in your pocket to fix it!!!

FORD = Fcuked Or Repaired Daily

Mines was an absolute disaster and many are in the same boat! Everything is over priced for parts!

Brakes from Ford = £900 without fitting :O

Bad Points:
Torque steer is very bad on them, In general engines are not easily modified (very expensive to see 300bhp), Wheels as standard are 19" so tires are not cheap, new parts not cheap, 2nd hand parts hard to get, LIFT OFF OVERSTEER!! SEARCH IT! Tax will be high, NO WATER TEMP GUAGE, boost gauge as standard! and most of all RELIABILITY!!!

Good Points:
Cheaper insurance than Subaru & Mitsi, Seats very comfy, looks great (IMO), Left foot braking works amazing *, Has the legendary RS following.

*(right foot full throttle, left foot controlling speed with brake...thus giving no lag! Works great and there is a professional video on it! This is due to the torque differential it has)

Thats about as much as i can think! Anything else pop me a question! I must state, this is my personal experience and my opinions! Any RS owners or anyone that thinks otherwise that decide to have a go at me can bite my sh!te! :run:
 
keithiesbig1....that was the sort of input I was looking for!haha

Thanks for the info mate :nice:
 
My dad had one of thses for approx three years and it was brilliant... As mentioned above though, you'd best have deep pockets. The clutch needed replacing on his one and he did'nt have much change from £1000 (from Ford...) Also the interior is a bit shoddy, the pull lever on the drivers seat to fold it forward just came apart one day... Not a massove deal but highly irritating! I owned both my rev3 mr2 turbo and ek9 during the time my dad had this and it whipped the mr2 to pieces! Very classy looking car not like the current st and rs focus which are far too 'in your face' styling wise for me!

Good Luck!
 
R2SS X said:
keithiesbig1....that was the sort of input I was looking for!haha

Thanks for the info mate :nice:
Click to expand...

No problem mate, I do not want to make your mind up for you, just my "first hand" experience! Sold the RS and bought the Jordan....then managed to buy a house :win:

And on the lift off oversteer subject....i ended up on my side coming off a roundabout with this :wow: When you take a corner, if you lift off throttle the back end becomes extremely unpredictable and light! £7000 lighter, £6000 on parts (lack of 2nd hand parts) it was fixed :angry:

To add....Mines was completely OEM, so modified suspension etc may sort a few problems but i dont have a clue :nice:

Good luck with the decision :run:
 
exterior wise I think they look OK. but I got to agree with you, interior and those seats are ghastly.
 
keithiesbig1 said:
No problem mate, I do not want to make your mind up for you, just my "first hand" experience! Sold the RS and bought the Jordan....then managed to buy a house :win:

And on the lift off oversteer subject....i ended up on my side coming off a roundabout with this :wow: When you take a corner, if you lift off throttle the back end becomes extremely unpredictable and light! £7000 lighter, £6000 on parts (lack of 2nd hand parts) it was fixed :angry:

To add....Mines was completely OEM, so modified suspension etc may sort a few problems but i dont have a clue :nice:

Good luck with the decision :run:
Click to expand...

Keith, what was the registration of your old one? Just to make sure I dont buy that one!ha I'm going to look at a few in Scotland over the next few weesks :thanks:
 
chap i bought my EK4 off had an MK1 RS... His had alot of very expensive parts on it and it was running 350Bhp.. with very expensive parts... i remember him saying he payed a 5 figure sum for it.. :nerv:

i was actually amazed at the chassis... i asked what suspension it had he said stock.. to which i was even more amazed..
His did not sound lie a rally car though... the pops and bangs were there but the RS engine note is far from a rally car...
His was a very smooth but powerful note.. i thought rally car's were raw and raspy. or do you mean the pos and bangs are like a rally car. lol.

anyway with 350BHP that thing was incredible 50 - 100 mph was so effortless and very quick. as you say way faster than an M3.. 600 bikes were not keeping up.

Hmm its a tough one.. they go very well. but they just look....well ...... like a ford and there is no getting away from it... its a ford..

you say about cosworth..... did cosworth have much to do with the focus RS.. ???
 
keithiesbig1 said:
If i could give you any advice from a previous owner of one (last car before the jordan)....you better have money in your pocket to fix it!!!

FORD = Fcuked Or Repaired Daily (and honda's aren't??)

Mines was an absolute disaster and many are in the same boat! Everything is over priced for parts!

i'd actually bet serious money that the equivalent ek9 or dc2 or even ep3/dc5 part would cost considerably more

Brakes from Ford = £900 without fitting :O
who the **** pays ford for brembo stuff £500 see's proper brembo blanks and brembo pads with mintex M1144 and standard rear discs (st170 fitment) thats pretty good considering the performance level

Bad Points:
Torque steer is very bad on them, In general engines are not easily modified (very expensive to see 300bhp), Wheels as standard are 19" so tires are not cheap, new parts not cheap, 2nd hand parts hard to get, LIFT OFF OVERSTEER!! SEARCH IT! Tax will be high, NO WATER TEMP GUAGE, boost gauge as standard! and most of all RELIABILITY!!!

what the hell?? i don't know where your getting this from.
standard wheels are 18's 225/40 r18 87w's
torque steer is only an issue if your not used to having a decent limited slip diff.
engines not easily modified.. are you mad?? the internals are good for 400bhp and the box will easily match that. turbo back exhaust decat, filter and remap see's 270-280bhp thats a huge gain over standard
2nd hand parts are very easy to get (i've been helping run 2 of them for the past couple of years and their a doddle to get parts for unless they are the rs specific interior parts)
no water temp guage.. so what get yourself a scanguage for very little money
new mini's and bmw's have absolutely no temperature gauges unless they are performance models and then it's only oil temp it's not a massive problem
lift off oversteer is much less of a problem than on the ek9 as the low comp turbo engine does not have anywhere near as much engine braking and the car handles it very easily (you could say lift off oversteer was a bad point about any vaguely decent powered front drive car if your driving like a tool and don't know how to deal with the throttle then it's always going to happen)
road tax is pretty reasonable as it's still on plg £260 for the year which it so happens is identical for the dc2 Both band K
Good Points:
Cheaper insurance than Subaru & Mitsi, Seats very comfy, looks great (IMO), Left foot braking works amazing *, Has the legendary RS following.

*(right foot full throttle, left foot controlling speed with brake...thus giving no lag! Works great and there is a professional video on it! This is due to the torque differential it has) (it's a quaiffe atb diff)

Thats about as much as i can think! Anything else pop me a question! I must state, this is my personal experience and my opinions! Any RS owners or anyone that thinks otherwise that decide to have a go at me can bite my sh!te! :run:
Click to expand...

:angry2::angry2:

can i suggest rather than going on here you visit PassionFord you'll get a much more accurate impression of ownership from there
 
Last edited:
Like I said my experience....he wanted opinions he got mine! Dont like it bite my sh!te!! :D

I posted my points and opinions on my experience not any one else's!

If you want to post up your opinion go for it! Still not going to change mine! :blabla:

Oh and my experience with honda's it's a lot cheaper and a hell of a lot more reliable!!!
 
Lol @ getting a more 'accurate' impression from a site dedicated to Ford and made up of Ford owners.
 
The fact it was over 2 years ago I think it's easy to forget a tire size....u ask about but defo don't just ask on a dedicated forum for fords as it will be bias obviously! Good luck with the decision :nice:
 
Go on a Clio forum then no one will be bias ;)
As you said though you will only be happy with a Honda
 
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