600 bhp. As far as performance cars go, that’s a pretty serious number. When I bought my Focus RS in late August 2016, I set out to tastefully modify it with a few bolt-ons. However once I drove the car for a while I fell in love with the performance and like most car guys, I realized that with juuuuuuuust a little more hp it’d be perfect. Most importantly, the car be reliable after its transformation.
Fast forward 1 year, 2 engines and lots of blood, sweat and tears and you have the current state. If you check my YouTube channel, there are over 30 videos covering the transformation of my Focus RS. You’ll find driving clips, dyno pulls, tech talk and other interesting tidbits about my Focus RS.
Check it out! – YouTube Channel
Focus RS Build Cost Breakdown
Following are the prices for each of the major components of the build.
Built Engine $7500
Manley I-Beam Connecting Rods, Extreme Duty Pistons, Esslinger Stage 2 Cams, etc…
Full Blown Motorsports Focus RS Fuel System $1800
Fuel rail, Ethanol Safe Lines, Flex Fuel Sensor, 1000cc Injectors
Syvecs MK3 Focus RS Engine Management $5000
Because the stock ECU has no way to directly run an additional set of injectors, the Syvecs replaces the factory Focus RS ECU to properly run the hybrid fuel system.
It also adds features like true flex fuel, rolling anti-lag, motorsport grade traction control, and infinite tuning options.
ETS Focus RS Titanium Exhaust $1750
The car is running 1 of 5 titanium exhausts built by Extreme Turbo Systems for the Focus RS. Because of the thin-walled titanium used along with a Helmholtz resonator, it produces an amazing sound, with no drone.
Full Blown Motorsports Focus Turbo Kit $5500
Full Blown’s hand – fabricated turbo kit consisting of dual TiAL wastegates and blow off valve, a Garrett GTX 3076r turbo and ancillaries like oil and coolant lines.
Focus RS Twin Disk Xtreme Clutch $1800
Because of the the huge increase in power and torque over factory, the stock Focus RS clutch wasn’t going to cut it.
Clutch Masters FX400 $1080
After ~13k miles with the Xtreme Twin Disc, I’ve switched to the FX 400 clutch by Clutch Masters. The twin disc is a great clutch but it’s very harsh for a car that’s primarily street driven. So far the FX 400 has held the power very well and is MUCH smoother overall.
Labor and Tuning $5000
The labor was done by 2-J Racing located just north of Atlanta, Georgia. I saved quite a bit on tuning since it’s primarily done it myself. Therefore, this estimate will likely be higher depending what labor costs wherever you are.
Total $29,400
It’s definitely not cheap but consider that you can’t buy anything on the market that has all wheel drive, develops over 600 bhp along with manual transmission. It’s totally worthwhile to me. Check out my post on building a reliable tuner car if you’d like to learn more about the process I used.
This is my R34 until they become legal in the U.S.
This Post Has 14 Comments
the gtr will be legal in 2032 same year as the ford falcon BA with the barra turbo. so you have while to wait.
I will be in line once it is available. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a clean one.
hey ron. can u tell me where u get the air filer? thanks
Sure JoseMari,
I got it from Amazon. Here’s a direct link to the exact one that I’m running. K&N Filter on Amazon. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
– Ron
Hi Ron,
Congrats on the fantastic build, and for sharing details!
I just picked up a set of KW V3s, and wonder if you’ll share your front/rear compression and rebound settings?
Best,
Bob
The settings I’m using are the recommended settings with the exception of the rear. I’m running 2 clicks stiffer compression than recommended in the rear to reduce squat under hard acceleration. KW’s recommended settings are really good. Let me know if I can help with anything else!
hey ron, nice ride, how is the fx400 clutch set? do u have their light fly wheel also? i saw a review with pedal pressure being too heavy on youtube, what do u think compared to the stock?
I love it. The FX400 is 1000 times easier to live with than the twin disc. I’m also running the aluminum flywheel from clutch masters. The setup is very smooth. The pedal pressure is not noticeable heavier than stock.The biggest difference is that it grabs a bit more than the stock clutch. I’d highly recommend it. Thanks for your comment!
Is the full blown ethanol content kit a true flex fuel kit where it lets you run any amount of ethanol whenever you please? Like the Cobb tuning kit?
That’s correct. I can run full anything between full E85 and 93 octane without switching maps. The Syvecs takes care of the injectors so that I hit the desired lambda target.
Could you speak to the durability of the rs with the mods you Currently have. What problems have your ran into ( after everything got dailed in)
Hoping to do something similar but hope to approach it from a bulletproof angle. Are you running Darton sleeves??
Biggest challenge after making the engine bulletproof was getting the transmission to live. The best advice I can give is to keep the torque under 450lb ft at the wheels for longevity. The alternative is to get beefier synchros installed by a company like Jack’s transmissions. Hope this helps.
Ron,
Looking into starting the journey, into modify my RS but am worried about the reliability of it all. Was wondering if you could give us an update on the RS as it is right now
Thanks in advance
Hi Tristan,
I sold the RS about a year ago and have moved onto another project car. As far as reliability goes the car did very well. The only issue you may run into once you get past 450lb ft of torque at the wheels is the 3rd gear synchros. Having a shop like Jack’s transmission rebuild you tranny will get around this issue. If you keep the torque under 450, you shouldn’t have issue from a longevity standpoint. Of course things like drag racing or hard shifting will have adverse effects but for a primarily street-driven car, you should be fine.