RS 500 Fog light grilles

[matt]

You all know me well enough by now to know i didnt just slap them on the car as soon as i got home. Heres how to fit them properly;

Hiding behind the fog lights are the horns and the wiring loom for the washer bottle pumps etc, i can't leave that like it is.



Heres what it looks like with the bumper off.



The only answer is to move them all.



As you can see i have simply made a new bracket for the horns and by temporarily removing the washer bottle there is just enough room to re-route the wiring loom behind the front panel.
Much neater i think you will agree.

[RST-Steve]

Thats a very neat installation Matt, much neater than just banging them straight in!

For me personally tho, i know it looks a bit more 'motorsport' BUT i can't quite see the appeal of removing the fog lights to effectively have a couple of empty spaces in the bumper (is there any real gain to doing this?) ......... but again, it does look very neat so a definate is deserved!

[Daz-cos]

generally ithink air flow is the key. i think undebonnet temps are reduced by the increased amount of cold air forced in. correct me if im wrong of course

[Fireball]

I'm with Daz, but surely you need some kind of tunnel/funnel type affairs to feed the air into the bay....? Like you have for K&N kits? No idea, just wondering!

Cool lookin tho 

[Daz-cos]

in the pics theres 2 great big oval holes in the chaissis which would allow air through to the bay. again correct me if im wrong

[matt]

Correct daz, the large oval hole on the drivers side is the intake to the airbox. So i Belive its not a coincidence that Ford put the fog light right in that very spot.

I will when i get a chance make up some ducting to bridge the gap between the bumper and the intake.

[Churchy]

Great work Matt, does look alot cleaner for moving the horns etc... But, I'm with steve on this one, after seeing lots of both, I prefer the fog lights over the grills. Still, each to their own and all that.

[Daz-cos]

id b e happy to have an escort cosworth in the first place lol. again each to their own as both look good.

[cozmeister]

The RS500 actually had brake cooling ducts behind the grilles...  Didn't realise the Escort had a pipe up to the airbox.  2nd nugget of trivia - the foglights on the '500 were included, and dealer installable - if you preferred foglights, you got them, and the grilles in case you changed your mind later.

[NathR]

Nice work Matt, I like to see things done 'properly' and is worth the effort in my book too. 

You need clear indicators though, especially to match the new rears, clear side repeaters also if you're still sporting the orange ones! 

[RST-Steve]

NO, NO, NOOOO, you need to keep the ambers Matt!!


... sorry Nath

[massivewangers]

I must say, I'm with Steve on this one. But sort of with Nath as well lol.

With the rear lights its got, it needs clear indicators and side repeaters.

BUT, I do prefer ambers these days, so I think it should keep them and go back to standard rears 

But, we all have our likes and dislikes! Love the foglight grills though, think they add some aggression and work well with the ambers 

[cozmeister]

I swap my lights more often than my underpants, that's why I have a set of each

[rstaaron]

I swap my lights more often than my underpants, that's why I have a set of each

Twice a year isn't often... 

[NathR]

I have the same issues with lights, I have three sets for my Mk1 but the smoked rears are currently on ebay, not sure if I've made the right choice though.

I'm loving the standard look these days BUT as Matt has the more modern half clear rears then the fronts/sides MUST match.    BUT if he puts the standard rears back on then the oranges should match round the rest of the car. 

Its an OCD nightmare for me personally, on the Mk1 FRS people go either all clear, all smoked or old skool orange or any mixture!! I can never make my mind up! 

[Fireball]

Close up pictures are very cool, but have you got any full frontal (nude) shots matt? Would be good to see it from 10ft back if you see what i mean? Get a better feel for the overall change in appearence

[massivewangers]

I have the same issues with lights, I have three sets for my Mk1 but the smoked rears are currently on ebay, not sure if I've made the right choice though.

I'm loving the standard look these days BUT as Matt has the more modern half clear rears then the fronts/sides MUST match.    BUT if he puts the standard rears back on then the oranges should match round the rest of the car. 

Its an OCD nightmare for me personally, on the Mk1 FRS people go either all clear, all smoked or old skool orange or any mixture!! I can never make my mind up! 

I can imagine it is! Difficult to get it right on the Focus RS I think. Though, if I'm honest, I think standard is best, or maybe just swap the rear lights for the US spec ones. I like the contrast the standard lights give with the paintwork really.

Think Steve is right, some pictures of the whole car would be good!

[matt]

Its about time i put a full frontal shot up as you say to get a better idea of the overall look.
Also just nipping back to Chris' point about the brake ducts. If you look closely at the lower grille of an Es Cos you will notice a blanking piece at each end, well hidden behind these are a shaped duct with a pipe outlet that runs along the chassis rail to the brakes. All you need to finish it off is a length of flexi pipe and some cable ties

[RST-Steve]

Nice use of Fast Ford pics there Matt

[cozmeister]

So when is it going to  be a whole car again?

[matt]

It will be back on the road on April 1st, so probably not until the weekend before that

I still have more bits i want to take off yet

P.S I have the disc with all the FF photos on it if anyone wants to borrow it 

[cozmeister]

April Fool's Day is probably not the best day to put a Cossie back on the road, Matt.