‘I almost forgot what it looked like,’ driver cries after working to bring abandoned Ford back to life for upcoming trip
A CAR lover has refreshed his love for a modified Ford Focus ST after his daily driver started costing nearly $100 per fill-up.
Other modifications would be done to stop it from being “obnoxious.”
Robert Williams, an automotive enthusiast and YouTuber, uploaded a recent video to his account (@Iamrobertwilliams) showing his viewers how he resurrected his heavily modified Ford Focus ST wagon after sitting for a month.
“So, today we are going to work on bringing ST back to life,” he said, beginning the video.
“I feel like every time I make content with that car I say the same exact thing, but guys, truth be told, I don’t drive the car. It just sits.”
He clarified that nothing was wrong with the Focus – he was spending time behind the wheel of his other car.
“I would say it’s mainly because the NISMO is up and running, but we’re going to wash it today,” he said.
“We’re going to revive it.”
Aside from washing the dust coming from the inside of the car cover, there was some light maintenance he needed to do.
“We got to fix the front splitter, so let’s get to it.”
Williams walked onto his driveway where the Focus ST sat under a car cover that covered the wagon in a noticeable layer of lint.
“This car is extremely dirty underneath here,” he said, running a clean finger through the lint.
“Mainly because of this cover. I don’t even know what that is.”
He mentioned the car hadn’t been started or run in a month, and removing the cover helped revive his love for the car.
“I almost forgot what it looked like,” he said.
“It looks great.”
He did a walk around of the vehicle, showing the lowered height of the vehicle to sit over larger and much shinier aftermarket wheels.
Williams took great care to add a front splitter onto the bumper and a rear spoiler for added downforce.
All the windows except the windshield were tinted dark.
Despite engine modifications, he revealed that he decided to wake up the ST to help him save at the pump.
“We’ve been driving the [Nissan 370Z NISMO] and having fun in that, but honestly I am extremely tired of spending money on gas,” he said.
“Literally half a tank in this car is about 70 to 80 miles, and a full tank only lasts about 160 miles, and that is nothing for an 18-gallon tank… If I go down to ‘E’, it’s about $70 to $80. Every single time and it’s insane.
“So, I’m going to try and save money on gas and we’re going to park that car for a while.”
How Often Should You Wash Your Car?
Professionals recommend an interval that may be surprising
Depending on where you live and what your typical day looks like the suggested interval for cleaning a vehicle is every two weeks.
“Regularly washing your car removes everyday contaminants like tar, road debris, and bird droppings that can ruin your car’s paint job over time,” wrote Progressive.
“But there’s no one right answer to this question — it depends on factors like your lifestyle, the climate where you live, and how you store your vehicle when you’re not driving it.”
However, if applying a fresh coat of wax after every cleaning session or if the vehicle is parked in a garage, cleaning may not have to be done as regularly.
“Waxing your car creates a barrier between your clear coat – the layer on top of the paint – and outside elements, so it won’t be able to absorb and affect the exterior of your car,” the site continued.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
Walking back over to the ST, he mused over the shiny wheels and the bright, neon green brake calipers.
“Those wheels with those brakes will never ever get old, man,” he said.
Before doing a deep cleaning on the exterior, he replaced the rubber liner on the front splitter and cleaned the trash out of the interior for “weight reduction.”
He washed the paint and wheels and dried them before he started the car.
“This is easily the loudest car I own,” he said.
“I might turn off the pops for now because it might be because I haven’t driven it for a while, but they’re kind of obnoxious.”
A day’s work of caring for the Focus made the car driveable in time for his trip to Santa Cruz to spend time with other car enthusiasts.