Rocket ST170 in Dublin

[casesensitive]

I've just paid for my donor vehicle, in what is surely going to rank amongst the longest build diaries on this site.

I've picked up a cosmetically scruffy 3 door magnum grey Focus ST170 with a few bits done to it already; nice induction system, stainless steel big bore exhaust, wolfrace alloys and all the relevant belts replaced by its last owner, 70k miles, which I'm really happy about.
First trip will be down to my mechanic to find things I'd miss, and then I begin weight-stripping it.

I haven't got all my pennies saved up yet, and I've opted not to order the kit until I can get everything I want, so it'll be a little while, so for now I'm planning on getting as much weight out of the 1283kg as I can and pick up bits I'll need for my Rocket anyway.
Dash Computer - I'll rip out the whole dashboard when I get this
GRP seats - should save nearly 40kg in the difference
Wilwood 4-pots
etc


So, that's the plan, garage has been stripped out, built a work bench; all I need to do is for the money fairy to drop the balance of the money in my account!

[Paul (madeye)]

i have learned during the build, although good brakes wilwoods and other american stuff, try keep everything metric for simplicity and cost.
you can get just the chassis so you could begin test fitting parts.

[casesensitive]

Cheers Paul, hate to be pestering you, but what did you mean? Are Wilwood brakes going to be in /16ths (imperial) rather than mm? Would you recommend holding off until I can get the RTR-specific Hi-Spec callipers?
I've changed my mind a millions times, but I'm just going for it now, starter kit, grille bars and double hoop roll bar getting ordered on Monday, then I HAVE to figure out how to do the rest. The money will come from somewhere :-)

[Paul (madeye)]

Speak to bob n. He spoke to hi-spec direct and got a good deal

[martinw]

I've got Wilwoods on my Sonic - it's been on the road coming up 2 years now - and at the time of my build they were the brakes that were the choice on offer from MEV. As far as unions are concerned, yes, they are imperial, but that added no real complexity or additional cost. I know RTR now offer Hispec brakes for both front and rear, but I wouldn't discount the Wilwoods simply on the grounds of adding complexity or expense because they are not metric.

Martin

[Paul (madeye)]

sorry if my comments were misread, i am not discounting that wilwoods are extremely outstanding brakes, and they ne an only option for my rears as im after something different when im IVA.
my point is the imperial sizes are hard to get, for instance, my 90 deg banjos, i ended up with m12's anyway because its impossible to find them.
if i were honest, i would prefer wilwoods because of who they are and their history.
i would deffinately not buy the wilwood pedal box again, and would buy a tilton floor mount item, again my own choice. im not even sure if the master cylinders from likes of tilton are metric, but i would imagine so as i cant see european kit being imperial.
sorry martin, i wasnt meaning the brakes are not good, just a few problems i hit getting parts, however i am also very particular on what im after too