Under normal conditions, a Ford Focus, no matter of the year and model, can’t drift, simply because the Blue Oval never built its compact in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive form (the rally car doesn’t count here). Nonetheless, we’re not here to be normal, but to talk about a Focus conversion kit that brings you the automotive world equivalent of unicorns, namely a V8 and RWD.
The clip below shows us a first-generation Focus drifting its way through a mid-sized parking lot - the hefty brakes are also a clue that this isn’t your usual compact. Judging by what we can see in the footage, the Focus doesn’t make for the most driftable platform, but, with the right amount of practice, the sideways fun appears to be guarantee - as most of you know, a short wheelbase is the enemy of the slip angle.
The technical details
As it turns out, there’s a company that specializes in gifting your old Focus with a V8 and sensing its power to the rear wheels. The crew is called Kugel Street Rod Components and they offer two versions, one with a 4.6-liter engine and one powered by a 5.0-liter unit, both Ford V8 crate units.
Opting for the 4.6 V8 will mean you’ll have to pay over $10,000 for the full conversion package, while the five-liter V8 will see you adding about $2,000 to that. You can check out the PDF file below for the exact prices.
Nevertheless, you’ll also need to upgrade the brakes, as well as the wheel and tire package, which are not included on the aforementioned list.
Before we end this story, we have to warn you that this is the kind of investment that you’re not too likely to recover. For instance, such a Focus V8 RWD showed up on eBay back in 2013, as well as in 2014, but it didn’t seem to enjoy too much success.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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