BIG CHANGES COMING SOON
Jamie’s been enjoying the recently-fitted Quaife ATB, but now has his sights on some big changes for the months ahead…
Attention all Mk3 Focus owners (both ST and RS) – if you haven’t already got a Quaife ATB fitted to your car then stop what you’re doing and go and get one… now! It really is that good. Good enough to put any other planned updates on hold until after you’ve got the ATB fitted.
Last month I took my RS to mountune to have the Quaife ATB fitted at their Essex HQ, and this provided the perfect back-to-back test opportunity. I drove my car the 300-odd miles there with an open diff, and drove back the next day with the ATB installed.
And boy does it make it difference – easily one of the most noticeable upgrades I’ve ever made to any car, ever. The RS benefits hugely, so I can only imagine the ST – without the added traction from AWD – will reap even greater rewards. If you don’t want to take my word for, just drive a car with one fitted. It’s all the convincing you’ll ever need.
And after racking up even more miles this month, I can say that the ATB has rejuvenated my love for this car. As such I’ve been driving it everywhere recently; from simply popping to the shops (which are within walking distance, but why would you walk when you can take an RS!?) to having the car on display at meets like the Dorset RSOC BBQ night (full feature coming soon) and the ever-impressive RS Combe show.
While I may have been too busy actually driving the RS this month to make any further upgrades, I’ve still been busy amassing parts for some big changes to come. I’ve been speaking with 3M about re-wrapping the car in a new colour later in the year, but first I’ve ordered a new set of wheels...
Velgen is a brand associated with highvalue sports and supercars, specialising in the Ford market for the mighty Mustang, but they’ll be releasing their ‘Classic 5’ design in Focus RS fitment very soon. As soon as I found out – after a friendly chat with Steeda UK, who are the UK exclusive dealer for Velgen – I managed to get my name down to have the very first set of RS-fitment wheels in the UK, coming straight from the factory.
And they’ve just arrived, literally as I type this! After ripping open the boxes for a couple of quick snaps I’m really excited to see what they’ll look like on the RS. I’ve just ordered some sticky R888Rs in 235/35R19 flavour from Toyo too. I’ve heard nothing but good things about these, so they were my number one choice for rubber for the RS – and they will give me the best opportunity to venture onto track in the future too. Hopefully I’ll be able to get everything fitted in time for Ford Fair...