In the last update I said that the hatch received a new front lip, but didn’t specify which one. Some were able to correctly guess what it was though, which didn’t surprise me.

That’s because it’s one of my favourite parts offered for the Mk3 Foci – Downforce’s front lip. Specifically, this is the full Carbon Fiber version (FRP and FRP/CF versions are also offered). I had one on the sedan when it still wore the N/A nose and it received countless comments and compliments. When it was time to pick out a front lip for the hatch, it was quickly decided that it too would wear the Downforce item.

Now, you’re probably expecting this to be the sedan’s old lip but it’s actually not. That lip is still on the sedan’s old bumper, which is safely stored away. Remember I said a box had arrived at the door? This is a separate lip

Speaking of which, here is the sedan with its old nose. I dug way back into the archives for this shot, which was from Sunday School 2013.

Obligatory carbon fiber close-up.

What you see is here all you need to mount the lip. The install is fairly straight-forward, and while I would recommend two people, the second is only really needed to hold the lip in place while the bolts are installed and tape’s backing removed.

The lip is produced with 6 holes around the inner edge. These line up with 6 clips underneath the front bumper, which hold the front of the plastic undertray in place. For the install I copied what Terence and I did with the sedan as it proved to be perfectly capable of  holding the lip securely in place, even after a few scrapes.

First the 6 aforementioned clips under the bumper need to be removed, and then once 3M double-sided tape is run along the upper edge of the lip, it can be held in place on the front bumper. In the outer two holes (just in front of the front wheels) the OEM clips are reused, but for the remaining four locations a 1/4″ wide bolt is run through and a nut is threaded on to secure the lip to the bumper. Don’t forget a washer on either side!

And there it is! It flows with the black side skirts and rear valance, really improves the look of the car, and isn’t so big that it causes clearance issues (ignore the fact that the hatch is at stock height….). I know some people see the CF version as being too pricey, but keep in mind that it can be installed on the car straight away and there’s no need to spend the time and money for a body shop trip. From unboxing to admiring the finished product, it can all be done in under 20 minutes provided you have the hardware ready.

Another new change, but one that may go unnoticed, is a full set of purple and silver Ford emblem overlays. Yes the one on the nose is slightly off-center (I didn’t apply that one. Haha) but a new one is waiting to replace it. The emblems on the hatch and steering wheel were also covered with overlays, and even the chrome accents on either side of the front emblem were wrapped to continue the theme of purple accents.

So the hatch now has a front lip, new wheels and lug nuts, painted trim, and vinyl accents. Surely that’s enough for the 5 door, right? Well, not quite. It now also has OEM mudflaps (which are just visible in the first photo) and a few more small parts were added too, such as these:

97% stock is close enough to 100%, right?

-Bill