To get started on our install,...
To get started on our install, we needed to get the new body parts into primer. Our painter hadn't used Sikken's buildable primer before and felt more comfortable using his stock gray base before applying the Colorbuild.
Sikkens Colorbuild primer...
Sikkens Colorbuild primer has been around for several years, and the exclusive system allows the primer to be color-matched to your vehicle so that if you get a chip, it is still the same color underneath. The Colorbuild is available in a high-build version for when you have a lot of surface imperfections, and a wet-on-wet version for painting fresh factory sheetmetal.
The Autobase by Sikkens is...
The Autobase by Sikkens is your average acrylic urethane basecoat, but it's designed to reduce drying time and is cost-effective with regard to its coverage rate. We used Autobase Ford No. 94, as there were several shades of the Focus' Infra-Red.
The Sikkens Colorbuild primer...
The Sikkens Colorbuild primer was accompanied by its appropriate activator and hardener. Plastoflex adhesion promoter was also used.
With the body components sanded...
With the body components sanded and primed, the Sikkens basecoat paint can then be applied.
After curing in the paint...
After curing in the paint booth, the parts are ready to be installed on the car.
We've looked at it long enough--the stock Focus body, that is. Though our Konig Blatant wheels have garnered numerous looks, the Pepper's stock body panels just don't do that much for us, so we decided to look for an aftermarket body kit to put the pepper in our Pepper.
Since the Focus is a "sport compact," you can imagine what most of the aftermarket Focus body kits look like, however we found one that really caught our eye. As it turns out, the folks at Roush Performance released a performance version of the Focus that we got to test last year, and we really liked the body kit on it.
The Roush Focus had all the Roush Mustang lines with a bit of rally-inspired styling thrown in. Roush is also one of the only companies to offer a kit for the five-door ZX5 model, so we were sold and promptly put in an order for the Red Hot Chili Pepper.
The Roush Performance body kit retails for $2,016.80 and includes a front fascia kit with driving lamps, a rear fascia kit, right and left side skirts, an upper wing, a mid-wing, a hoodscoop kit, and heavy-duty hatch struts.
As the Roush Focus is available with an intercooled turbocharger setup, there is an opening in the Roush front fascia for a front mount intercooler, which worked for us since the Pepper's Precision Turbo unit was rather hidden behind the stock bumper cover.
During our test of the Roush Focus, we also noticed that Roush offers the same MagnaFlow after-cat exhaust system, which fits neatly within the rear fascia's design. This was an added plus as it would limit the number of modifications needed to fit the kit to our car.
Obviously, we needed to paint the new body parts to match the Pepper's Infra-Red exterior hue, so we called Akzo Nobel Coatings of Marlboro, New Jersey, for some of its urethane basecoat/clearcoat Sikkens paint.
According to Akzo rep Rick Stanford, Ford used five different shades of Infra-Red, so we scheduled a meeting where he could match the Pepper's exterior color with one from his color palette. Once that was out of the way, we headed to Newark, New Jersey, home to Motor City Auto Body where the master technicians have been whipping Project Frightning into shape in addition to numerous other projects we have done with them over the years.
Paint and prep took several hours, and we then spent a good 6-7 hours installing the parts. Motor City's Luis Henriques headed up a team that included Austin Costeira and Alex Branco who made up Motor City's summer intern staff.
Fit and finish of the Roush Performance Parts body kit was as good or better than OEM. That's what we've come to expect as our experience with Roush products has evolved over the years.
Even though it's not what they normally use, the Motor City crew liked the performance of the Sikkens paint. We liked the color-matched primer and have already seen how it works as we managed to get a big nick in the front air dam already. That's New Jersey roads for you.
Thanks to the Roush Performance parts and the Konig wheels, our Focus has been transformed from a grocery getter to a hot compact. We've received numerous compliments from both young and old, but more importantly, we think it looks good.
As our Red Hot Chili Pepper nears the end of its project car status, look for a final installment as we tinker with the tuning a bit more and take care of a few loose ends.
The front grille needed to...
The front grille needed to be removed to access some of the front bumper cover fasteners.
The bumper cover is held in...
The bumper cover is held in place with numerous plastic fasteners located at the top and sides of the cover.
Remember to disconnect the...
Remember to disconnect the foglight harnesses and side marker lights.
Roush Performance Parts supplies...
Roush Performance Parts supplies additional hardware for installation of many items such as the new foglights.
The new lower lamps require...
The new lower lamps require new harness ends to get them to mate up with the factory wiring. Roush includes these with the kit, so you don't have to drag your car by its harness to the Ford dealership to get the correct terminals.
The turning marker lights...
The turning marker lights must be transplanted to the new bumper cover.
Somewhere in transit from...
Somewhere in transit from office to body shop, we managed to lose the supplied plastic grilles for the various openings in the Roush body kit. Motor City came to the rescue and installed a wire mesh.
We found that the new foglights...
We found that the new foglights were a bit deeper than the stock lights, and the passenger-side one came in contact with one of our intercooler charge pipes. We simply cut off 2 inches from each end, which moved the pipe toward the driver and out of the interference range.
Having an extra set of hands...
Having an extra set of hands is extremely helpful when installing the bumper covers.
The side skirts are fastened...
The side skirts are fastened using a combination of two-part epoxy and several sheetmetal screws. Using the epoxy will help reduce sagging over time, though we have never seen a Roush body part sag. It's OEM-quality stuff.
There are a couple of holes...
There are a couple of holes at each end of the side skirt to secure the skirt to the car.
The rear bumper cover is held...
The rear bumper cover is held on by plastic fasteners just like the front. If you break or lose some of them, they are usually available at the local Ford dealer.
If you use some common sense...
If you use some common sense in removing the bumper covers and not damage them in the process, you can always eBay the stock parts to help offset the cost of the body kit.
Since the Roush bumper cover...
Since the Roush bumper cover hangs lower, bracket spacers are included with the kit to make up for the difference.
The new rear cover was mocked...
The new rear cover was mocked up so we could determine where we needed to cut the wire mesh. If you're using the supplied Roush grilles (which we lost), then you can skip the trimming step.
Be sure to trim enough material...
Be sure to trim enough material so that the tailpipe doesn't rattle against the mesh.
Not quite a fart can, but...
Not quite a fart can, but loud enough. Thankfully the turbo is plenty vocal, too.
Roush includes a paper template...
Roush includes a paper template to aid in centering the hoodscoop on the hood.
Measure from the reference...
Measure from the reference points on the paper to the edge of the fender. This will help you get centered.
The paper template also has...
The paper template also has the four holes marked that need to be drilled for the hoodscoop. Roush also includes two-sided tape to secure the edges.
To mount the mid-wing, you'll...
To mount the mid-wing, you'll need to pull off the tail gate interior panel. This will then give you access to the studs which will be protruding shortly from the exterior side of the hatch.
Motor City employed these...
Motor City employed these handy plastic devices that fit into the wing. Lightly tape them to the wing and then place it on the tailgate.
When you have the wing where...
When you have the wing where you want it, tape the plastic devices to the tailgate and carefully remove the wing. The plastic thingamabobs will then have given you the reference points to drill the holes for the wing.
The mid-wing side pieces were...
The mid-wing side pieces were epoxied to the body.
For the upper wing, we marked...
For the upper wing, we marked the studs on it with a wax marker and then set the wing on the car. The wax marks gave us our drilling points. Yes, we said more drilling, but you're almost done.
Since the hatch has now sprung...
Since the hatch has now sprung two wings, Roush Performance Parts includes new struts to compensate for the extra weight. Using a screwdriver to install them, simply pop off the old ones and push the new ones on.
The third brake light needs...
The third brake light needs to be transplanted to the upper wing as well. In addition to the light wiring, there is also a hose for the windshield washer fluid. Make sure you don't pinch either between the wing and the body.
In addition to looking better,...
In addition to looking better, the Red Hot Chili Pepper now blasts the front-mount air-to-air intercooler with fresh air from the front of the car. The Konig Blatant 18x7-inch wheels shod with Nitto Neo Gen 215/40/18 rubber have gotten us numerous compliments (and stoplight challenges), and now we have finally put the "sport" in our sport compact.
The general consensus around...
The general consensus around the office is that we could have done without the mid-wing, but overall everyone thought the car looked pretty tough.