zx2reme
04-22-2008, 09:48 PM
** all updates will be in this post **
My project began with the purchase of a brand new Ford Escort ZX2 from Westlie Motors in Minot, ND on May 26,1999. My reasoning for buying it was due to the fact there weren't many hooked up ZX2's on the road, giving me the chance to be unique. The only downside to this is the lack of aftermarket support due to the ZX2's unpopularity. Some of the parts I will be using for this project will be among the first of their kind, with little to no feedback on them.
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It wasn't until 10 months after I purchased the car that I began my first modifications. To make the car more appealing visually, I slapped on a set of 17X7 TSW VX-1 wheels wrapped in Nitto 555 Extreme tires. I lowered the car with a set of Progress springs which lowered the car 1.75". To give the car a more aggressive tone I had Minot Muffler install a Borla exhaust. Finishing off my first round of mods was a set of NR white- face gauges, a B&I carbon fiber dash kit, and tinted windows courtesy of Too Dark Auto Tinting.
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Up to this point, the only thing I really cared about was looks. I had never raced, however, that all changed when halfway through the summer of ‘00, I raced for the first time at the Dakota Flat Track. My best run was an 11.6 in the 1/8th on 17's. With the stock wheels put on, my best run was an 11.2. It was the best experience of my life and I had been bitten by the racing bug. I purchased an FZ Racing header, Weapon R intake, Ford Racing PCM, and a B&M short shifter. With the help of my friend, Dave, we installed all of the parts and I returned to the track to bust out a best run of 10.9. I didn't neglect the appearance side and installed a Ford Racing leather shift boot, B&M carbon fiber shift knob, and a mesh grille on the outside (don't ask, I was poor! And by the way, it is still installed!-DT). Around this time, I also had Pacific Sound install an Alpine six- disc CD changer. This single audio mod was enough to satisfy me, as I was all about racing and saw the added weight of a set of subwoofers as an anchor.
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Towards the end of the summer, the only other modifications were painting the mesh grille silver to make it stand out and painting the brake drums and calipers red. I also had my valve cover powder coated red.
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Then things turned for the worse. One night, myself along with the majority of Clutorrtech Racing were out driving around in search of late-night festivities. After an hour of driving we were ready to head back to town. At this point we were on County Road 19. We proceeded to make a u-turn. My friend Kyle was driving my car while I was in my friend Eddie's car. Kyle was the last person left to make the u-turn. He was off to the side of the road waiting for some cars to pass by. The first car slowed down and went through. The second car, however, didn't make the same adjustments. Traveling around 60 mph, he struck the rear clip of my car. The guy had been drinking and driving. Kyle was rushed to the hospital, and later released that same night. My car had $7,185.55 in damage. Fortunately, my car was fixed, at the expense of the other driver. Unfortunately, that was all that happened to him because he wasn't legally drunk, so he got off fairly easy. This is a lesson to be learned from. It doesn't pay to drink and drive. Luckily in this case, no one was seriously hurt or killed.
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Once the car was picked up from Jerome's Autobody, I started working on her some more. I added a polished strut bar and oil cap to the engine bay. I also had the strut bar connector plates, radiator brackets and other miscellaneous brackets powder coated. The chipped rotors were repainted and the rear drums and lower control arms were powder coated red. This was all done by Too Dark.
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Once the summer came back around, it was time for the race season. I decided to race for points this time. In my first race of the season, I took first place. Then on the second, I placed second. Those were the only top finishes I had. I did finish strong for the rest of the season, though, finishing in the semi's a few times. This was enough to secure second place overall, for the season, in the Super Trophy class.
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Of course, like any other car nut, I wanted more power. With the modifications I did do, my best run to date was a 10.7 second 1/8th mile. It wasn't enough. The thought of everyone else stepping up, while I was being left behind, literally, didn't sit well with me. Everyone at the time was spraying nitrous, while there were only a handful of turbocharged cars. I decided to go a different route and keep my car all-motor. So, I bought a stage two head package from Esslinger Engineering. The head was port and polished and given a three- angle valve job using 33mm oversize intake valves and 29mm oversize exhaust valves. A set of their High Rev valvesprings and titanium retainers were also installed along with solid lash Buckets. To finish it off, it has a larger intake cam (258 deg duration - .405" lift). At the beginning I mentioned that some of the parts I am using will be the first of their kind. Well, this is one of them. I was one of two people who had this stage head package, the other belonging to a Focus owner. So there wasn't any feedback from prior customers. I also bought their underdrive pulley and a set of their adjustable cam gears. Finally I bought an MSD DIS-2 ignition. With these parts installed, I pulled off my fastest run to date; a 9.6 second pass, but with a 2.5 sec 60 ft. With a new set of drag radials I should be able to drop my 60 ft to 2.2, possibly 2.1, which will put me in the lower nine second range. So I think this package is definitely worth the money.
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After the summer was over, it was time to think about what I wanted to do over the winter. I didn't start anything until February of 2002. I was tired of all go and no show, so I contacted ZXTuner and had them ship me a carbon fiber hood, which to my knowledge, was the third of its kind in the country, at the time. A set of Sparco hood pins was used to hold it down. I also had a Wings West W-Type body kit added. This was all done by Jerome's Auto Body.
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2002 was the beginning of a terrible string of bad luck. A week before the Wild About Wheels show, I started having trouble with my ignition. It turned out that the connections in the wires weren't good enough, so I was getting fuel and no spark. Once that was fixed, a week after the show, I broke a valvespring on my way home to Texas. So after spending an entire day in Jamestown, North Dakota, some friends showed up at midnight with a trailer to make the 170 mile trip back to Minot. Once I began tearing into the motor, I rceived more bad news. Esslinger dropped their original supplier of valvespring and switched to Crower, which meant I had to order a whole new set of valvesprings and retainers. Once I received them, I had Mann's Machine shop do the work on the head. Once I got it back, we installed it and found out that the cams were binding up. So we took the cams to Mann's and they checked to see if they were bent. They were fine. We pulled the head off since noone knew what was wrong. At that time, the Devil's Run Rod Run was coming up, so to at least have it running, we decided to put the stock head on. While putting it on, a bolt broke off inside the head. We tried to get it fixed, but to no avail. So we concentrated on the Esslinger head. After having several conversations with them, it turned out that the Crower valvesprings were larger than the old ones, so the shims in the head had to be removed. Since Mann's disagreed, I sent the head back to Esslinger and had them do the work. In the meantime, the race season had already been underway. It was halfway through the season and it looked like I wouldn't be able to race this season. While my cylinder head was getting worked on, I ordered some more parts. I ordered a set of stage 3 axles from ZXTuner. These are much more beefier, capable of handling 300+ horsepower. Plus they save me 13 lbs. over the stock ones. I also ordered a Centerforce Dual friction clutch, Fidanza aluminum lightweight flywheel, Phantom-grip LSD, Energy Suspension motor mount inserts and a set of ARP headstuds to bolt the head down when I got it back.
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Once the head was back, we installed all of the parts just in time for the Motor Magic show. We started it up and as I drove it off for a test drive, disaster struck again. My adjustable cam gear broke. It turned out to be the cam seal on the back of the gear was backwards and was causing the timing belt to wind unevenly. The strain on the gear was enough that it stripped all of the allen screws on the gear. So we turned the seal around and put my other adjustable cam gear on that cam and the stock one on the exhaust cam.
Since I wanted to score some more points for the show, I got a good deal on a set of Sparco Torino seats (Thanks Jay). I also bought a set of Sparco Stripes pedals and a Sparco Biochrome shift knob. I also had Jerome's paint my mirrors to match the body.
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After Motor Magic, I decided to race the next weekend. Once again, luck was against me. On my first pass I blew a hole in my transmission. So back to the garage it went. It sat for six months before I touched it again. Wild About Wheels 2003 was around the corner. In preparation for Wild About Wheels ‘03, I installed a set of Sparco 4pt. harnesses. Once again ZXTuner came through and sent me a dual gauge pod for my A-pillar and it's filled with a set of Autometer gauges. For performance, I wanted to step up to the next level once again and so I decided to add a Venom Nitrous kit to the mix. After having the car towed up to the show, I ended up winning "Best Display" and ironically, "Best Engine" for the Sport Compact class.
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After the show, it was towed back to storage where it would wait for two months. I decided that I was going to build my motor up this time, so myself and Dave pulled the motor along with the tranny. I painted the block red, bought a new transmission and was waiting to save up for pistons and rods. However, I ended up changing my mind and put the motor back in for Devils Run. My friend Mitch and I put the motor back in and had it running in no time. On the way to Devils Lake, however, disaster struck again. A faulty timing belt tensior over-tensioned my timing belt and snapped the pulley bolt. Luckily, we were only twenty five miles out of town and towed it back with my Focus.
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I got the broken bolt out and ordered a new one. The car was once again running. At the time, I re-enlisted and I used my bonus on a bigger exhaust cam, Hotshot 2 ½" exhaust, and best of all, a set of 18" RO_JA Formula 5 wheels in 215/35ZR18 Nitto 450 Extreme tires. I also had a 6 1/4" in dash TV and DVD player installed for some extra entertainment. A Clarion head unit was installed into the cubby space below stock stereo location. Also, I polished my valve cover to get a little more pizzazz. With the new gear on, I was ready for Motor Magic 2003. Unfortunately I didn't win anything, but some of the guys from Tintmasters in Fargo, ND were at the show and invited us to come to their show the next weekend. There was a show and drag racing going on. I made the journey out to Fargo to enter the show. I did better there and won 1st place for "Best Domestic". After getting the car back to Minot, I put it up for the winter.
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After keeping the car in storage for a few months, it was time once again to bring her out for Wild About Wheels '04. I didn't add anything new to the mod list seeing as how most of the stuff I did the past summer hasn't been seen at this show. I managed to snag the award for "Best Display Sport Compact" for the second year in a row. After the show, the ZX2 made its way into storage, but not in a storage facility, but into its new home: the garage of the new house we purchased and moved into a couple weeks earlier (this was another reason no additional mods were added for the show).
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When summer arrived I tried to avoid adding any new parts and just enjoy the car. Now, just because I wasn't adding any new parts didn't mean I didn't purchase any new parts. I bought a 75mm Pro-M MAF with Ford Racing 24# injectors to match. I also purchased a set of ZXTuner billet radiator brackets. To top all this off, I bought a Ford Racing intake manifold. For handling I purchased a set of Ground Control coilovers.
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Once the fall came, I decided to take on another project: a rear disc conversion from a '95 Escort GT. I also swapped out my puny little 13mm sway bar for a much beefier 21mm sway bar, also from the Escort GT. The conversion was pretty simple save for a couple rusted in bolts. I also added a set of Techna-fit stainless steel braided brake lines and Prestone synthetic high performance brake fluid.
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Trying to improve on every aspect of the car's performance, I felt I needed to further improve upon the braking. So I purchased a Precision Brake Company big brake kit. Currently, there are only three sets of these out for a ZX2. My kit is the only version that is slotted only, while the other two are cross-drilled and slotted. My reasoning for going this route is because of the horror stories of cracking cross-drilled rotors. And while I know there are many new and improved processes used to reduce the chance of cracking, there is still that small chance, so better safe than sorry.
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The kit includes Precision's 13" slotted two piece rotors, Wilwood Dynalite 4-piston calipers, your choice of performance brake pads, instructions, and hardware to install the kit. This is truly a bolt-on kit. Installation time ranges from 2- 4 hours depending on mechanical ability.
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With the new gear on, it was time to hit the show scene again. In 2005, I had some success at the car shows in our region. I received "Best of Show" at the Roadsounds Full Throttle car show. I received 2nd place for "Best Domestic" at the Devil's Run Rod Run and 2nd place Best Domestic "Mild" at Motor Magic 2005. And finally a return trip to Fargo ended in another win for 1st Place "Best Domestic Sport Compact" at the Tintmasters Perfect 10 Car Show.
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For 2006, I decided to take a break from the show scene and focus on completely transforming my car into the perfect blend of performance and style. Everything on my car was removed, save for the body kit and carbon fiber hood. My plan was to start over from scratch, or almost scratch. A lot of the parts have been sold to fund the new project, while others will be reinstalled during the rebuild.
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Now, to the present. My rebuild has been broken down into four phases. Phase 1 will pertain to the engine/performance. Phase 2 is the exterior of the car to include paint/bodywork. Phase 3 is the interior and Phase 4 will be wheels/suspension. Now for the first phase.
To take this car to the next level, I am going a whole different route. The base for the new setup is a CGI block from FocusPower.com. It features their billet main caps and is equipped with the optional oil squirters. The block has been decked and bored out to fit the new JE 9:1 pistons, which were balanced along with the Crower billet rods and polished crank. This was all done by Heidahl's of Minot. Additional items purchased included a Ford Racing oil pump, BDL polished fuel rail, and Precision 84lb. injectors. The Centerforce clutch will be replaced with a Spec Stage 3+ clutch.
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Breathing new life into this engine is a custom built turbo setup based on a Precision SC61 turbo. The remainder of the setup consists of a Neukin ramhorn manifold, Precision intercooler, Tial 44mm wastegate, Tial 50mm blowoff valve, and exits out a Neukin downpipe, Trubendz 3" exhaust, and Apex-i N1 muffler. Boost levels are monitored via a Greddy Profec-B ll electronic boost controller and turbo life will be extended thanks to a Greddy Full Auto turbo timer. All that is left to buy for the kit is the piping and a few odds and ends for the fuel setup. Here is a sneek peek.
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While the motor was being worked on, my friend Torr graciously assisted me with removing the stock engine.
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With the engine removed, I was able to get the engine bay ready for paint. Everything was removed from the from the bay with the exception of the brake components. The A/C and power steering will be removed for good. Hopefully it will be painted sometime next month and I will be able to put everything back together.
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While waiting on a few parts for the engine build, I moved on with another stage of my build. I basically gutted the interior out to prepare for paint and other stuff. I haven't decided if I want to paint the interior or just leave it gray.
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Turning my attention back to the engine, I cleaned and prepped the block for paint. I chose to just go with a gloss black, from the flat black it came in. I transfered all the bolts and hardware from the old block. I also installed a Jay's Racing PCV cover for better looks and to get rid of the bulky canister that normally sits there. I had to hold off on the build until I got a new set of oil squirters, since somehow the ones I had just upped and walked away.
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With the help of my friend, Torr, the bottom end was finally assembled. I also purchased a few more items. I received a G5-M tranny with a Mazdaspeed LSD and Zxtuner axles from 2001zincsr. Appearance wise, they will need some TLC, but that will be taken care of in due time. I also purchased a Gates Racing timing belt. I should have the remainder of the bottom end put together by week's end. I am also in the process of sand blasting all my miscellaneous brackets to get them ready for paint/ powdercoat.
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The oil pan girdle and Ford Racing oil pump were prepped and painted with Eastwood Alumblast paint. I really liked the cast appearance it gave. My water pump was next in line for painting. I also finished a set of motor mounts in flat black.
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The water and oil pumps were installed followed by the ARP head studs. After making sure the block's deck surface was clean, I got a little help from my 4 yr. old installing the stock head gasket. This was followed up by the installation of the Esslinger head from my previous setup.
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I decided to clean up a bunch of miscellaneous stuff with paint. This is all being done while the head was taken off and sent to Heidahl's to get torn down, cleaned and reassembled. It should be back next week sometime. Hopefully the entire engine will be assembled by next weekend.
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While the head is gone, I focused my attention on the transmission. I first took the bell housing off to inspect the gears. Everything looked fine and I then cleaned it up with a wire brush and a Dremel. The tranny was then primed and coated in Alumablast paint.
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I finished painting more brackets and miscellaneous engine parts and began installing what I could. I also painted the bolt heads for the tranny to add that little bit of details. My next project is refurbishing my axles. They are really rusted out. I have already began sanding one down.
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The head finally came back form Heidahl's. Now that it was cleaned up and all the valve seals replaced, I could go ahead and install it using the ARP hardware. At this point, I didn't install the cams yet, because I was uncertain if I wanted to buy a set of turbo cams. So instead, I decided to bolt up the manifolds to mock everything up. I needed to see where the turbo sat to determine where I wanted my oil return line to go. I also wanted to test out the Neukin downpipe since it was made for a Focus Zetec.
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The downpipe barely touched the front corner of the oil pan. Two ways to fix it. Modify the oil pan by beating in the corner a hair, or just cut the downpipe, put in a small wedge, and that should move the downpipe over and tighten it up against the oil pan girdle, where the downpipe should run anyway. I'm going with the second option. I am really pleased with how the setup is going so far.
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I got bored waiting for more parts, so I thought I would try my hand at painting my valve/ timing belt cover. It took a while, but it came out decent. I still have some sanding to do. Plus the Ford logo could use some more work. All in all, it was a good effort. I also installed the Esslinger cam gears. Next comes the Gates Racing timing belt.
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This is where I am at currently.
mod list
1999 Ford Escort ZX2
Engine:
Cylinder head:
Esslinger port and polished head w/ 3 angle valve job
Esslinger oversized valves
Crower heavy duty valvesprings
Crower titanium retainers
Stock Cams
Esslinger adjustable cam gears
ARP head studs
Block:
WRC CGI Block (Blueprinted, line bored, honed)
JE 9.0:1 pistons
Crower billet rods
polished crank
Ford Racing oil pump w/ CFM billet gears
Focus Power billet main caps
Clevite 77 main and rod bearings
Turbo Setup:
Precision SC61 turbo
Precision intercooler
Neukin ramhorn manifold
Tial 45mm external wastegate
Tial blowoff valve
Exhaust:
Neukin 3" downpipe
Trubendz 3" exhaust piping
Apex-i N-1 muffler
Fuel/ Air/ Spark:
BDL fuel rail
Precision 84 lb. low impedence injectors
Versafueler
Pro-M 70mm MAF
MSD Dis-2 ignition
MSD coil pack
Ford Racing 9mm spark plug wires
Ford Racing intake manifold
Misc. Engine
Greddy oil catch can
Gates Racing timing belt
Jays Racing PCV cover
Painted/powdercoated engine components
Energy Suspension motor mount inserts
Polished oil cap
Transmission:
stock G5M transmission w/ Mazdaspeed LSD
Spec Stage 3+ clutch
Fidanza flywheel
Exterior:
Wings West W-Type bodykit
Paint matched mirrors
Tinted Windows
Wheels/Suspension:
RO_JA Formula 5 wheels
Nitto 450 215/35ZR18 tires
Ground Control coilovers
Tokico HP Blue struts
Progress adjustable rear sway bar
OTL Motorsports lower tie bars
Precision Brakes Company 13" slotted rotors w/ Wilwood 4 piston Dyna-lite calipers
Escort GT rear disc conversion
Techna- fit steel braided lines
Axle King 28 spline axles
Looped power steering rack
Interior:
Sparco Torino seats
Ford Racing leather shift boot
B&M Pro Edge short shifter
'99 ZX2 S/R carbon fiber shift knob
Greddy Full Auto Turbo Timer
Greddy Profec B II boost controller
Alpine 6 disc CD changer
Misc. Pics
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My project began with the purchase of a brand new Ford Escort ZX2 from Westlie Motors in Minot, ND on May 26,1999. My reasoning for buying it was due to the fact there weren't many hooked up ZX2's on the road, giving me the chance to be unique. The only downside to this is the lack of aftermarket support due to the ZX2's unpopularity. Some of the parts I will be using for this project will be among the first of their kind, with little to no feedback on them.
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It wasn't until 10 months after I purchased the car that I began my first modifications. To make the car more appealing visually, I slapped on a set of 17X7 TSW VX-1 wheels wrapped in Nitto 555 Extreme tires. I lowered the car with a set of Progress springs which lowered the car 1.75". To give the car a more aggressive tone I had Minot Muffler install a Borla exhaust. Finishing off my first round of mods was a set of NR white- face gauges, a B&I carbon fiber dash kit, and tinted windows courtesy of Too Dark Auto Tinting.
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Up to this point, the only thing I really cared about was looks. I had never raced, however, that all changed when halfway through the summer of ‘00, I raced for the first time at the Dakota Flat Track. My best run was an 11.6 in the 1/8th on 17's. With the stock wheels put on, my best run was an 11.2. It was the best experience of my life and I had been bitten by the racing bug. I purchased an FZ Racing header, Weapon R intake, Ford Racing PCM, and a B&M short shifter. With the help of my friend, Dave, we installed all of the parts and I returned to the track to bust out a best run of 10.9. I didn't neglect the appearance side and installed a Ford Racing leather shift boot, B&M carbon fiber shift knob, and a mesh grille on the outside (don't ask, I was poor! And by the way, it is still installed!-DT). Around this time, I also had Pacific Sound install an Alpine six- disc CD changer. This single audio mod was enough to satisfy me, as I was all about racing and saw the added weight of a set of subwoofers as an anchor.
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Towards the end of the summer, the only other modifications were painting the mesh grille silver to make it stand out and painting the brake drums and calipers red. I also had my valve cover powder coated red.
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Then things turned for the worse. One night, myself along with the majority of Clutorrtech Racing were out driving around in search of late-night festivities. After an hour of driving we were ready to head back to town. At this point we were on County Road 19. We proceeded to make a u-turn. My friend Kyle was driving my car while I was in my friend Eddie's car. Kyle was the last person left to make the u-turn. He was off to the side of the road waiting for some cars to pass by. The first car slowed down and went through. The second car, however, didn't make the same adjustments. Traveling around 60 mph, he struck the rear clip of my car. The guy had been drinking and driving. Kyle was rushed to the hospital, and later released that same night. My car had $7,185.55 in damage. Fortunately, my car was fixed, at the expense of the other driver. Unfortunately, that was all that happened to him because he wasn't legally drunk, so he got off fairly easy. This is a lesson to be learned from. It doesn't pay to drink and drive. Luckily in this case, no one was seriously hurt or killed.
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Once the car was picked up from Jerome's Autobody, I started working on her some more. I added a polished strut bar and oil cap to the engine bay. I also had the strut bar connector plates, radiator brackets and other miscellaneous brackets powder coated. The chipped rotors were repainted and the rear drums and lower control arms were powder coated red. This was all done by Too Dark.
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Once the summer came back around, it was time for the race season. I decided to race for points this time. In my first race of the season, I took first place. Then on the second, I placed second. Those were the only top finishes I had. I did finish strong for the rest of the season, though, finishing in the semi's a few times. This was enough to secure second place overall, for the season, in the Super Trophy class.
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Of course, like any other car nut, I wanted more power. With the modifications I did do, my best run to date was a 10.7 second 1/8th mile. It wasn't enough. The thought of everyone else stepping up, while I was being left behind, literally, didn't sit well with me. Everyone at the time was spraying nitrous, while there were only a handful of turbocharged cars. I decided to go a different route and keep my car all-motor. So, I bought a stage two head package from Esslinger Engineering. The head was port and polished and given a three- angle valve job using 33mm oversize intake valves and 29mm oversize exhaust valves. A set of their High Rev valvesprings and titanium retainers were also installed along with solid lash Buckets. To finish it off, it has a larger intake cam (258 deg duration - .405" lift). At the beginning I mentioned that some of the parts I am using will be the first of their kind. Well, this is one of them. I was one of two people who had this stage head package, the other belonging to a Focus owner. So there wasn't any feedback from prior customers. I also bought their underdrive pulley and a set of their adjustable cam gears. Finally I bought an MSD DIS-2 ignition. With these parts installed, I pulled off my fastest run to date; a 9.6 second pass, but with a 2.5 sec 60 ft. With a new set of drag radials I should be able to drop my 60 ft to 2.2, possibly 2.1, which will put me in the lower nine second range. So I think this package is definitely worth the money.
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After the summer was over, it was time to think about what I wanted to do over the winter. I didn't start anything until February of 2002. I was tired of all go and no show, so I contacted ZXTuner and had them ship me a carbon fiber hood, which to my knowledge, was the third of its kind in the country, at the time. A set of Sparco hood pins was used to hold it down. I also had a Wings West W-Type body kit added. This was all done by Jerome's Auto Body.
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2002 was the beginning of a terrible string of bad luck. A week before the Wild About Wheels show, I started having trouble with my ignition. It turned out that the connections in the wires weren't good enough, so I was getting fuel and no spark. Once that was fixed, a week after the show, I broke a valvespring on my way home to Texas. So after spending an entire day in Jamestown, North Dakota, some friends showed up at midnight with a trailer to make the 170 mile trip back to Minot. Once I began tearing into the motor, I rceived more bad news. Esslinger dropped their original supplier of valvespring and switched to Crower, which meant I had to order a whole new set of valvesprings and retainers. Once I received them, I had Mann's Machine shop do the work on the head. Once I got it back, we installed it and found out that the cams were binding up. So we took the cams to Mann's and they checked to see if they were bent. They were fine. We pulled the head off since noone knew what was wrong. At that time, the Devil's Run Rod Run was coming up, so to at least have it running, we decided to put the stock head on. While putting it on, a bolt broke off inside the head. We tried to get it fixed, but to no avail. So we concentrated on the Esslinger head. After having several conversations with them, it turned out that the Crower valvesprings were larger than the old ones, so the shims in the head had to be removed. Since Mann's disagreed, I sent the head back to Esslinger and had them do the work. In the meantime, the race season had already been underway. It was halfway through the season and it looked like I wouldn't be able to race this season. While my cylinder head was getting worked on, I ordered some more parts. I ordered a set of stage 3 axles from ZXTuner. These are much more beefier, capable of handling 300+ horsepower. Plus they save me 13 lbs. over the stock ones. I also ordered a Centerforce Dual friction clutch, Fidanza aluminum lightweight flywheel, Phantom-grip LSD, Energy Suspension motor mount inserts and a set of ARP headstuds to bolt the head down when I got it back.
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Once the head was back, we installed all of the parts just in time for the Motor Magic show. We started it up and as I drove it off for a test drive, disaster struck again. My adjustable cam gear broke. It turned out to be the cam seal on the back of the gear was backwards and was causing the timing belt to wind unevenly. The strain on the gear was enough that it stripped all of the allen screws on the gear. So we turned the seal around and put my other adjustable cam gear on that cam and the stock one on the exhaust cam.
Since I wanted to score some more points for the show, I got a good deal on a set of Sparco Torino seats (Thanks Jay). I also bought a set of Sparco Stripes pedals and a Sparco Biochrome shift knob. I also had Jerome's paint my mirrors to match the body.
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After Motor Magic, I decided to race the next weekend. Once again, luck was against me. On my first pass I blew a hole in my transmission. So back to the garage it went. It sat for six months before I touched it again. Wild About Wheels 2003 was around the corner. In preparation for Wild About Wheels ‘03, I installed a set of Sparco 4pt. harnesses. Once again ZXTuner came through and sent me a dual gauge pod for my A-pillar and it's filled with a set of Autometer gauges. For performance, I wanted to step up to the next level once again and so I decided to add a Venom Nitrous kit to the mix. After having the car towed up to the show, I ended up winning "Best Display" and ironically, "Best Engine" for the Sport Compact class.
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After the show, it was towed back to storage where it would wait for two months. I decided that I was going to build my motor up this time, so myself and Dave pulled the motor along with the tranny. I painted the block red, bought a new transmission and was waiting to save up for pistons and rods. However, I ended up changing my mind and put the motor back in for Devils Run. My friend Mitch and I put the motor back in and had it running in no time. On the way to Devils Lake, however, disaster struck again. A faulty timing belt tensior over-tensioned my timing belt and snapped the pulley bolt. Luckily, we were only twenty five miles out of town and towed it back with my Focus.
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I got the broken bolt out and ordered a new one. The car was once again running. At the time, I re-enlisted and I used my bonus on a bigger exhaust cam, Hotshot 2 ½" exhaust, and best of all, a set of 18" RO_JA Formula 5 wheels in 215/35ZR18 Nitto 450 Extreme tires. I also had a 6 1/4" in dash TV and DVD player installed for some extra entertainment. A Clarion head unit was installed into the cubby space below stock stereo location. Also, I polished my valve cover to get a little more pizzazz. With the new gear on, I was ready for Motor Magic 2003. Unfortunately I didn't win anything, but some of the guys from Tintmasters in Fargo, ND were at the show and invited us to come to their show the next weekend. There was a show and drag racing going on. I made the journey out to Fargo to enter the show. I did better there and won 1st place for "Best Domestic". After getting the car back to Minot, I put it up for the winter.
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After keeping the car in storage for a few months, it was time once again to bring her out for Wild About Wheels '04. I didn't add anything new to the mod list seeing as how most of the stuff I did the past summer hasn't been seen at this show. I managed to snag the award for "Best Display Sport Compact" for the second year in a row. After the show, the ZX2 made its way into storage, but not in a storage facility, but into its new home: the garage of the new house we purchased and moved into a couple weeks earlier (this was another reason no additional mods were added for the show).
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When summer arrived I tried to avoid adding any new parts and just enjoy the car. Now, just because I wasn't adding any new parts didn't mean I didn't purchase any new parts. I bought a 75mm Pro-M MAF with Ford Racing 24# injectors to match. I also purchased a set of ZXTuner billet radiator brackets. To top all this off, I bought a Ford Racing intake manifold. For handling I purchased a set of Ground Control coilovers.
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Once the fall came, I decided to take on another project: a rear disc conversion from a '95 Escort GT. I also swapped out my puny little 13mm sway bar for a much beefier 21mm sway bar, also from the Escort GT. The conversion was pretty simple save for a couple rusted in bolts. I also added a set of Techna-fit stainless steel braided brake lines and Prestone synthetic high performance brake fluid.
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Trying to improve on every aspect of the car's performance, I felt I needed to further improve upon the braking. So I purchased a Precision Brake Company big brake kit. Currently, there are only three sets of these out for a ZX2. My kit is the only version that is slotted only, while the other two are cross-drilled and slotted. My reasoning for going this route is because of the horror stories of cracking cross-drilled rotors. And while I know there are many new and improved processes used to reduce the chance of cracking, there is still that small chance, so better safe than sorry.
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The kit includes Precision's 13" slotted two piece rotors, Wilwood Dynalite 4-piston calipers, your choice of performance brake pads, instructions, and hardware to install the kit. This is truly a bolt-on kit. Installation time ranges from 2- 4 hours depending on mechanical ability.
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With the new gear on, it was time to hit the show scene again. In 2005, I had some success at the car shows in our region. I received "Best of Show" at the Roadsounds Full Throttle car show. I received 2nd place for "Best Domestic" at the Devil's Run Rod Run and 2nd place Best Domestic "Mild" at Motor Magic 2005. And finally a return trip to Fargo ended in another win for 1st Place "Best Domestic Sport Compact" at the Tintmasters Perfect 10 Car Show.
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For 2006, I decided to take a break from the show scene and focus on completely transforming my car into the perfect blend of performance and style. Everything on my car was removed, save for the body kit and carbon fiber hood. My plan was to start over from scratch, or almost scratch. A lot of the parts have been sold to fund the new project, while others will be reinstalled during the rebuild.
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Now, to the present. My rebuild has been broken down into four phases. Phase 1 will pertain to the engine/performance. Phase 2 is the exterior of the car to include paint/bodywork. Phase 3 is the interior and Phase 4 will be wheels/suspension. Now for the first phase.
To take this car to the next level, I am going a whole different route. The base for the new setup is a CGI block from FocusPower.com. It features their billet main caps and is equipped with the optional oil squirters. The block has been decked and bored out to fit the new JE 9:1 pistons, which were balanced along with the Crower billet rods and polished crank. This was all done by Heidahl's of Minot. Additional items purchased included a Ford Racing oil pump, BDL polished fuel rail, and Precision 84lb. injectors. The Centerforce clutch will be replaced with a Spec Stage 3+ clutch.
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Breathing new life into this engine is a custom built turbo setup based on a Precision SC61 turbo. The remainder of the setup consists of a Neukin ramhorn manifold, Precision intercooler, Tial 44mm wastegate, Tial 50mm blowoff valve, and exits out a Neukin downpipe, Trubendz 3" exhaust, and Apex-i N1 muffler. Boost levels are monitored via a Greddy Profec-B ll electronic boost controller and turbo life will be extended thanks to a Greddy Full Auto turbo timer. All that is left to buy for the kit is the piping and a few odds and ends for the fuel setup. Here is a sneek peek.
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While the motor was being worked on, my friend Torr graciously assisted me with removing the stock engine.
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With the engine removed, I was able to get the engine bay ready for paint. Everything was removed from the from the bay with the exception of the brake components. The A/C and power steering will be removed for good. Hopefully it will be painted sometime next month and I will be able to put everything back together.
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While waiting on a few parts for the engine build, I moved on with another stage of my build. I basically gutted the interior out to prepare for paint and other stuff. I haven't decided if I want to paint the interior or just leave it gray.
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Turning my attention back to the engine, I cleaned and prepped the block for paint. I chose to just go with a gloss black, from the flat black it came in. I transfered all the bolts and hardware from the old block. I also installed a Jay's Racing PCV cover for better looks and to get rid of the bulky canister that normally sits there. I had to hold off on the build until I got a new set of oil squirters, since somehow the ones I had just upped and walked away.
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With the help of my friend, Torr, the bottom end was finally assembled. I also purchased a few more items. I received a G5-M tranny with a Mazdaspeed LSD and Zxtuner axles from 2001zincsr. Appearance wise, they will need some TLC, but that will be taken care of in due time. I also purchased a Gates Racing timing belt. I should have the remainder of the bottom end put together by week's end. I am also in the process of sand blasting all my miscellaneous brackets to get them ready for paint/ powdercoat.
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The oil pan girdle and Ford Racing oil pump were prepped and painted with Eastwood Alumblast paint. I really liked the cast appearance it gave. My water pump was next in line for painting. I also finished a set of motor mounts in flat black.
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The water and oil pumps were installed followed by the ARP head studs. After making sure the block's deck surface was clean, I got a little help from my 4 yr. old installing the stock head gasket. This was followed up by the installation of the Esslinger head from my previous setup.
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I decided to clean up a bunch of miscellaneous stuff with paint. This is all being done while the head was taken off and sent to Heidahl's to get torn down, cleaned and reassembled. It should be back next week sometime. Hopefully the entire engine will be assembled by next weekend.
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While the head is gone, I focused my attention on the transmission. I first took the bell housing off to inspect the gears. Everything looked fine and I then cleaned it up with a wire brush and a Dremel. The tranny was then primed and coated in Alumablast paint.
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I finished painting more brackets and miscellaneous engine parts and began installing what I could. I also painted the bolt heads for the tranny to add that little bit of details. My next project is refurbishing my axles. They are really rusted out. I have already began sanding one down.
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The head finally came back form Heidahl's. Now that it was cleaned up and all the valve seals replaced, I could go ahead and install it using the ARP hardware. At this point, I didn't install the cams yet, because I was uncertain if I wanted to buy a set of turbo cams. So instead, I decided to bolt up the manifolds to mock everything up. I needed to see where the turbo sat to determine where I wanted my oil return line to go. I also wanted to test out the Neukin downpipe since it was made for a Focus Zetec.
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The downpipe barely touched the front corner of the oil pan. Two ways to fix it. Modify the oil pan by beating in the corner a hair, or just cut the downpipe, put in a small wedge, and that should move the downpipe over and tighten it up against the oil pan girdle, where the downpipe should run anyway. I'm going with the second option. I am really pleased with how the setup is going so far.
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I got bored waiting for more parts, so I thought I would try my hand at painting my valve/ timing belt cover. It took a while, but it came out decent. I still have some sanding to do. Plus the Ford logo could use some more work. All in all, it was a good effort. I also installed the Esslinger cam gears. Next comes the Gates Racing timing belt.
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This is where I am at currently.
mod list
1999 Ford Escort ZX2
Engine:
Cylinder head:
Esslinger port and polished head w/ 3 angle valve job
Esslinger oversized valves
Crower heavy duty valvesprings
Crower titanium retainers
Stock Cams
Esslinger adjustable cam gears
ARP head studs
Block:
WRC CGI Block (Blueprinted, line bored, honed)
JE 9.0:1 pistons
Crower billet rods
polished crank
Ford Racing oil pump w/ CFM billet gears
Focus Power billet main caps
Clevite 77 main and rod bearings
Turbo Setup:
Precision SC61 turbo
Precision intercooler
Neukin ramhorn manifold
Tial 45mm external wastegate
Tial blowoff valve
Exhaust:
Neukin 3" downpipe
Trubendz 3" exhaust piping
Apex-i N-1 muffler
Fuel/ Air/ Spark:
BDL fuel rail
Precision 84 lb. low impedence injectors
Versafueler
Pro-M 70mm MAF
MSD Dis-2 ignition
MSD coil pack
Ford Racing 9mm spark plug wires
Ford Racing intake manifold
Misc. Engine
Greddy oil catch can
Gates Racing timing belt
Jays Racing PCV cover
Painted/powdercoated engine components
Energy Suspension motor mount inserts
Polished oil cap
Transmission:
stock G5M transmission w/ Mazdaspeed LSD
Spec Stage 3+ clutch
Fidanza flywheel
Exterior:
Wings West W-Type bodykit
Paint matched mirrors
Tinted Windows
Wheels/Suspension:
RO_JA Formula 5 wheels
Nitto 450 215/35ZR18 tires
Ground Control coilovers
Tokico HP Blue struts
Progress adjustable rear sway bar
OTL Motorsports lower tie bars
Precision Brakes Company 13" slotted rotors w/ Wilwood 4 piston Dyna-lite calipers
Escort GT rear disc conversion
Techna- fit steel braided lines
Axle King 28 spline axles
Looped power steering rack
Interior:
Sparco Torino seats
Ford Racing leather shift boot
B&M Pro Edge short shifter
'99 ZX2 S/R carbon fiber shift knob
Greddy Full Auto Turbo Timer
Greddy Profec B II boost controller
Alpine 6 disc CD changer
Misc. Pics
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