FEELING BLUE
The Fondeo is treated to some TLC as Dan sees that the damaged and scuffed front bumper gets sorted in time for summer
QUICK SPEC Focus ST-3 ■ Direnza MVT intercooler and hard pipes ■ Gravity sports cat ■ Gravity full exhaust system ■ Peron/AET Motorsport stage one remap ■ Steeda cold air inlet system (CAIS) ■ Turbosmart dump valve ■ Steeda short-shifter ■ H&R 25mm lowering springs ■ H&R 20mm wheel spacers ■ Powerflex Handling Pack ■ Focus RS Brembo callipers ■ EBC USR discs ■ EBC Bluestuff front/Yellowstuff rear pads ■ EBC braided brake lines ■ ST Mk4 19in alloys
Trust can be tricky when it comes to handing over your car keys. I don’t mean chucking them into a bowl at a dodgy dinner party; I just mean the simple stuff like letting an oily-fingered oik loose with your pride-and-joy. And no, I’m still not talking about wife-swapping.
Every time Watchdog-type TV programmes run stories on rip-off garages, there’s either a fast-fit manager making up unnecessary work on brake pads, or a junior mechanic is ragging the arse off a car he’d like to own. Sometimes, that’s a Focus ST.
Whether you’ve got a Fiesta or a Ferrari, it’s important to know your motor will be treated with respect. In fact, one of the reasons I do most of my own spannering is because I know I’ll do the job right. And if I can’t, then I’ll find someone I can trust…
Which is how I stumbled across Hull-based paint professional Modified Coatings. The lads there are proper enthusiasts – not just in Fords (or their own naughty passion for Nissan Skylines), but in anything with four wheels. That’s always a good sign.
I’d seen Modified Coatings advertising with pics of Mercs and Range Rovers, but when I saw the guys’ work on some extra-special supercars, I realised my humble Ford Focus estate would be small fry.
Fortunately, I’d also noticed Modified Coatings working on a few Fiesta STs, so I knew the pricing would be suitable for a tight northerner like me. Modified Coatings was advertising a full front bumper repair and repaint for a measly £145, so I decided to get the faithful Fondeo booked in.
Of course, the ST250’s Spirit Blue metallic deserved the full treatment, so I blew the budget and got Modified Coatings to take the bumper off the car, flat it back and lather it with love. But even I wasn’t expecting this much attention to detail – every little mark’s been painted, buffed and perfected.
The Modified Coatings lads know I live on a farm with rutted roads, and the bumper will be scuffed again in no time, but that didn’t matter: the whole bumper received a firstclass job.
Just look at the pics. It’s so good, I’ve already sent the old bus back for more…