2013 Bagged Ford Focus ST - Michael Zaragoza

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2013 Bagged Ford Focus ST

Michael Zaragoza

Instagram: @thatmansmike 

Photographer: Pablo Colon

Instagram: @pablo.thelabna

Hi, my name is Michael and I own a bagged 2013 Ford Focus ST. My life in the car scene consists of local meets and travel car shows that I attend with my crew members and family. 

Going to meets allowed me the opportunity to get to know some really cool people and make lifelong friendships. It did not take long before I knew I wanted to be a part of a solid car group and that’s when I learned my friends Alex and Pablo shared the same interest, not long after Sleepless was founded. 

This group has opened me up to so many new car friends, amazing experiences and opportunities. I remember back to when I first got involved with the car scene. Throughout high school, my friends that were a couple of years older than me began buying cars and after being with them at meets and helping them with car projects my love for this hobby grew. The first car that brought me into the scene was a Mk4 Volkswagen Jetta. I loved this car; it was tornado red with a 1.8-litre turbo and a 5-speed gearbox. Like many older cars, this Jetta was far from perfect. 

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Eventually, it began leaking oil beyond repair and although this was a sad realization, I was ready to find something else to provide me with just as much fun. In early 2017 I set out once again, to find a new car. I knew my next car needed to be technologically advanced, turbocharged and manual. My selected fleet was a turbocharged Mini Cooper S, Fiat 500 Abarth, Volkswagen GTI, and an Mk3 Ford Focus ST since I could not afford the Mk3 Ford Focus RS that was recently introduced. After a long weekend of going back and forth, I went to test drive the Focus ST and almost fell in love instantly. 

Everything about it was perfect to me, the way the Recaro’s held me in place, the growl from the motor, and the smooth shifting of the 6-speed gearbox, I knew this would be my car. A few days later, I went back to the dealership and purchased the fully loaded Focus ST in a tuxedo black. I drove the car as it was for about two years until I became bored, but I saw potential in the vehicle, and this is where the journey really began. I knew immediately I needed a tune and I mapped the car with an off-the-shelf Cobb tune. My next move was purchasing a catless downpipe, and an AWE track edition exhaust and had my mind on a ton of other bits to make the car quicker. 

After about one year of the car being mapped on nothing but an off-the-shelf tune, I decided it needed more. I purchased an intercooler, intake, motor mounts, new plug upgrade, tial blow-off valve, and charge pipes, everything that was suggested for a proper Stage 3 map. As for tuning, I paired with Brian Tyson at JST- Performance for a 93 map that woke the car up tremendously. During this time I also ordered a complete aero kit from VegaModified.com, this included a front splitter, side skirt extensions, canards, a rear diffuser, and a spoiler extension. I then added raceland coilover suspension and put Fifteen52 formula GT wheels on the Focus. Next to my list of purchases was a carbon vented hood by Seibon composites and Mk3 Focus RS Brembos. 

What I thought would top off the final piece to my car was my license plate which reads 2BRKE4RS, I thought this was fitting since when I purchased the ST, I couldn’t afford the RS at the time. After a few years of the car being tuned and fitted with its new look, I decided once again it was time to do something different. 

I then bought an Airlift 3p kit from a friend that was parting his ST. My creativity didn't stop there though. I still felt that the car needed more, so I had my ST wrapped in Teckwraps Acid Lime vinyl. To pair the car with the new colour, I built a set of BBS RS2’s with white faces and highly polished stepped lips. Soon after I revealed the new look, I was featured in this magazine. 

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The car was easily recognized by other people in the car scene and brought me a lot of pride. Eventually, like most other car enthusiasts I started chasing another vision. That brings me to where I am today. I removed the wrap and resprayed the car back to its original colour, Tuxedo Black. I finally decided it was time to address my interior. I had a custom steering wheel made, carbon fibre A-pillars created, I purchased a carbon fibre shifter and door pull trim, and also was able to score a sponsorship with Braum Racing for new bucket seats, harnesses and a harness bar. I then wanted to add finishing touches to the exterior, so I bought a new crash bar from TB performance and rebuilt my headlights. 

Next, I painted my Brembos midnight purple, put purple tints on from Zaboos Customs, and colour-matched my Thule and Beeks grille. I also added an Agency Power carbon fibre mid-spoiler. To complete the car I scored a set of true 5x108 Work VS-TX wheels. 

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Full Spec List

Interior: 

• Braum Racing Elite-x bucket seats, 
• Braum racing harnesses and Harness bar 
• Full Sony head unit and Sony 8in subwoofer,
• OEM carbon fibre package ST shift knob, 
• Carbon fibre door pulls, 
• Carbon fibre shifter trim, 
• Custom carbon fibre A-pillars, 
• Custom Zen carbon Steering wheel, 
• Carbon airlift remote cover

Exterior: 

• Vega Modified aero (side skirts, front splitter, rear diffuser, canards, window vents and spoiler extension) 
• OEMTuxedo black paint, 
• Work VS-TX, 
• Mk3 Focus RS Brembos, 
• Beeks deep dish grille, 
• Window Louvers, 
• OEM colour matched Thule cargo box, 
• OEM Euro Roof racks, 
• Custom Circuit Demon retrofit headlights, 
• Diode Dynamics led fog lights, 
• Spec D smoked tail lights, smoked sequential mirror signals, 
• Fifteen52 Cup spoilers, 
• Seibon Carbon fibre vented hood, mirrors and trunk garnish, 
• Anderson Composites carbon vented fenders, 
• AWD mods Carbon Trim, 
• Zen carbon fibre door handles, 
• California pony cars
• Carbon scratch plate,
• Custom carbon fibre Ford emblems and ST logos, 
• Carbon fibre Agency power carbon fibre mid spoiler, 
• Modern performance Carbon fibre lip, 
• Cobb Rear wiper delete, 
• Adf customs plate relocation kit, 
• Euro-spec Focus ST front bumper, 
• Zappos customs Purple metallic tint

Performance mods: 

• AWE track edition Exhaust, 
• Depo racing Catless downpipe, 
• Damond racing motor mounts, 
• Cobb intake, 
• Cobb intercooler and charge pipes, 
• Steeda sound symposer delete kit, 
• CPE tial exhale kit, custom JST Stage 3 tune

Suspension: 

• Airlift performance 3p management, 
• Steeda massive end links and Godspeed camber arms, 
• Mazda Fitment Onikyan Camber plates

Engine bay: 

• California pony cars Carbon fibre battery cover, Engine cover, coolant reservoir, fuse cover and air box

Trunk: 

• Custom hardwood flooring 
• AVS Evolve manifold and compressor mounts, 
• Dual Vlair 444cc compressors and hardlines
• Carbon fibre Airlift manifold plate

This current version of my build is by far the most meaningful, as it is dedicated to my late grandmother, Sonia Melendez. She was amongst one of my biggest supporters and believed in all my visions. The purple details on the car are for her, as it was her favourite colour. Owning my 2013 Ford Focus ST has been quite the journey, and one of my biggest accomplishments yet.

Big thanks to all the below, give them a follow

@whoribly_3uro and @oneupperformance for helping me install things @vegamodified for the kit @pablo.thelabna for the solid photos and support @pat_solchaga and @brianlohouse for installing the air ride with me @shaudi_blue for all my detailing and ceramic coating needs @sleepless_cube for helping me design and with install my trunk setup along with modifications to some interior and exterior work. @doghouseperformance for my tire stretching needs

Please leave your comments on my story in the comments section at the bottom of the page, it helps the story get more views and reach the Printed Magazine, Thank you.

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