High-Performance Ford Focus Builder's Handbook (S-A Design) (Paperback)

by Richard Holdener (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The sport compact performance market is hot and getting hotter-and while the Honda Civic and Acura Integra have long been the dominant players in the market, a newcomer is emerging as a popular car for performance modifications-the Ford Focus. Well-built, inexpensive, good looking, and easy to modify, the Focus is quickly catching the Hondas in terms of market popularity.

This book shows Focus owners exactly what it takes to improve their car's performance, from simple modifications like installing a new air intake to radical mods like installing a turbocharger. The author also shows what those modifications can do, with before-and-after dyno tests for each modification. There's also extensive information on suspension and brake modifications for better handling and braking. It's a one-stop shop for those who want a sharper, faster Focus.

About the Author
Life-long automotive enthusiast Richard Holdener's connection with Fords began when he special ordered a 5.0L LX Coupe to which he added a roll cage, harnesses and a fire system and took racing as an SSGT car. His first race resulted in a win, and later that car became somewhat of a legend, having run in nearly all of the Silver State Classic open road races, including an overall win at an average speed of 167 miles per hour. During one of the events at which the boost was increased to 9 psi, the Vortech supercharged 5.0 Liter was timed at 193 mph on the 13-mile straight. "The Little LX That Could" has been featured in "Hot Rod," "Car Craft," "Super Ford," "Muscle Mustang and Fast Ford" and even in "Road & Track"'s Supercar issue. Holdener has written numerous articles on the Ford Focus for a number of Ford and sport compact enthusiast magazines. He lives to conduct dyno tests.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: S-A Design (November 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884089895
• ISBN-13: 978-1884089893
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #529,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool book - slanted toward off-road, February 17, 2004

By A Customer

Okay, here's the short version:

At a price of around $14, this book is the second-best bargain I've ever seen (the #1 bargain was when I bought my Focus below invoice).

Now the long version:

This is a really cool book. The author takes a very methodical and systematic approach in order to find out where the Zetec engine is restricted, and where the stock components will suffice. Throughout the book, the engine modifications are tested on the dyno in order to tell what works and what doesn't. Case in point: the stock throttle body looks like a bottleneck, but the author made well over 200 wheel horsepower using it on a turbocharged Zetec. On a supercharged Zetec, however, the author shows that the stock throttle body is indeed a restriction. While other guys are wasting their time with mods that won't make any noticeable difference, Holdener is actually testing all of the changes he makes and passing on what he has learned. If you're a beginner, this book will save you a lot of money. If you're experienced, this book will save you a lot of time.

This book was clearly rushed into print, as there are a LOT of typos and mislabeled graphs - you've got to pay careful attention to the text. In one case, it appears that the graphs were put on the wrong pages entirely, as the numbers on the graph are nowhere near what they should be. The quantitative value of the graphs is limited, but the qualitative value is enormous. The reader can see just where a given configuration makes its power, which is crucial for both off-road and street use. I, for instance, have no use for some wild engine that makes peak power between 7,000 and 8,000 rpm's. On the other hand, I fell in love with the power curve of Pectel's turbo - it looks absolutely perfect for street use (which is ironic given that I'm pretty sure it's not street-legal - I guess it's designed for rally cars). Unfortunately, this brings us to the biggest problem with this book - it's not appropriate for street cars.

This book is definitely aimed at off-road use. There is very little discussion of emissions - in fact, I can't recall any of the turbo setups being street-legal. I would've liked to see a catalytic converter squeezed in for a few of the tests, especially since the cat can be such a restriction under the right conditions. That is, I'd like to see a comparison of the stock cat to a high-flow aftermarket cat. That would be VERY helpful.

This book focuses (no pun intended) almost entirely on the [Zetec] engine, with turbocharging receiving the most attention. Supercharging and normally aspirated mods are covered pretty thoroughly, but nitrous, sadly, is almost ignored. There is only one dyno test on a nitrous setup, which is unfortunate given nitrous' affordability. Ironically, nitrous is probably the most likely mod for a novice to make, yet this book leaves us flying blind in terms of the fuel requirements (how many beginners have the equipment to measure air/fuel ratios?). It would've been nice to see a couple more dyno runs so that I can tell how large my injectors need to be. Of course, the reader can use the other tests in the book to get a rough idea of what injector size is required for a given power output, but nothing compares to the usefulness of one of Holdener's tests.

As I said earlier, this book is almost exclusively about upgrading the Zetec engine. It touches briefly on suspension mods, and very briefly on the drivetrain and brakes. There are no dyno tests to show the effect of the aluminum flywheel vs. stock. Nor are there any scientific tests on the torque-biasing differential, the upgraded brakes, or the effect of the new final drive ratio (again, it appears that the book was rushed into print). This doesn't seem like a terrible shortcoming, except that I think a discussion of rotating mass would be a great addition to this book. For example, the lighter flywheel should've made a noticeable difference off the line, and the up-sized wheel/tire package would obviously place more demands on the brakes.

Overall, this book is awesome! Just keep in mind that the text is STRONGLY biased toward racing. In fact, Holdener used Union 76 118 Pro Stock race fuel for one of the tests (last time I checked, that wasn't one of the choices on the pump at my local Hess station). A word of warning for beginners: after reading this book, you're going to want all the stuff you've seen in Holdener's cars. If you're poor (like me), either start looking for a second job or get ready to be extremely envious!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True ratings, March 14, 2007

By	Griffin B. Bartman (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's nice to have a third party book with true horspeower and torqu finds and product comparisons. No hype, just tests. The book would be better though if it included more vs. stock comparisons. I'd like to see an updated version, and would buy it if it were released.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, May 12, 2007

By	Focii - See all my reviews

Lots of info in here, many dynos and comparisons. Not too sure on the accuracy of some of the claims or the consistency of some of the dynos (ex: testing one part on a "stock" car when the dyno shows one with a full array of bolt-ons and/or a supercharger). A good read overall, should help anyone building a Zetec motor.