Focus Mk2: Into the big upgrades

8 January 2018 - Reading time: 3 minutes

With the interior and electronics well on their way, it was time for some big-league changes.

Exterior complete

• Fitted facelift LED tail lights.
• Facelift hatch with tinted glass.
• Focus CC front bumper.
  

Electronics and driver aids

• ABS/ESP module swapped for facelift version, enabling DDS (deflation detection system).
• Blaupunkt NX navigation (asphalt grey fascia) installed, paired with a reversing camera and custom 10s delay relay so the image lingers after leaving reverse — just like OEM.

Drivetrain change  the big transplant

The ultimate upgrade: swapping in a "fresh" 2009 Duratec-HE with 4F27E automatic gearbox. This was surprisingly straightforward - my engine loom was already compatible, only the shifter connector had to be patched into the interior loom. The adventure with the purchasing the donor car in UK and the road back to Romania was a story by itself.

Keyless Go with Autostart

This was the most labor-intensive retrofit: required a full dash removal and loom change to integrate everything needed. My high-spec GEM didn’t even have the necessary traces and fuse points from factory, but fixed with soldering patience, we added them manually so we can programm the modules and drive the car back home. The GEM was obviiously replaced a week later with the right one, from a Kuga Mk1.
Now, the car starts with a button press (Autostart).

Final tweaks

• Fresh discs and pads, new MAP sensor, coils and spark plugs for the new engine.
• Refreshed the headlights with help from a fellow enthusiast, Sharky. The lenses had started peeling their clear coat, so we stripped and re-lacquered them. The result? Like-new clarity and a huge improvement in appearance and light output.
• New alloy wheels & fresh tires, improving both stance and ride quality.
  
  

From a tired, oil-burning 2,400€ Focus with a cracked windshield, I ended up with a high-spec, automatic Mk2 that merges OEM+ aesthetics with rare features normally found on ST/RS or top Titanium trims - and I learned a lot along the way.