After a couple of months of show-related content (albeit with some Dijon updates mixed in) it’s time to geek out on Mk3s for this week’s entry, and take a look at some recent finds from one of the local junkyards.

The video showing the haul went live a few days ago, so as per our standard practice we’re following it up today with more in-depth discussion of the parts for anyone who may be curious. Personally, I always enjoy diving into the minutiae of vehicle options/spec choices/equipment and learning about how and when things were available, even for models I don’t currently own or even don’t ever plan to own. I find it interesting to learn more about how certain cars were built and could be configured, and what seemingly normal pieces are actually quite rare. For today’s geekery, the seemingly-normal-yet-actually-quite-rare pieces are the coloured accents available for select Mk3 interiors.

Some time in the summer of 2020, I remember I was browsing Kijiji when an ad came up for a free Mk3 Focus door panel. The story was it was left over from a car that was no longer around and the “seller” noted that if it didn’t leave to a new home in short order he’d just be throwing it out. The door panel in question however, featured a red leather insert; long story short I hopped in Mustard and drove straight to Airdrie to collect it (this also provided photos for the first Explore Alberta post which went up shortly after). In every other way it was identical to a standard Mk3 door panel but that insert was the piece I was after; it signified the door panel was from a Mk3 equipped with one of the two available “Interior Style Packages” that Ford offered for the 2012-14 models*.

*As always, everything is being discussed from our point of view here in Canada/USA. Other markets had other options but we’re not looking at those today.

To rewind and give some proper background, the Interior Style Packages (ISPs from here on out) were options that Ford provided on the 2012-14 Mk3 hatches and sedans. Buyers could opt for either the Arctic White ISP or Tuscany Red ISP, but neither was offered with all exterior colours nor on all trims (actually, the base S sedans were the only ones to completely miss out). Each ISP recovered or replaced a number of parts: the seats, headrests, door panel inserts, steering wheel, arm rest lid, floor mats, and dash/center console trim. They also added a set of stainless steel door sill scuff plates, and the rear seats featured 60/40 folding with a central arm rest. They were available on the trim levels (and with the exterior colours) noted below:

Year	Trim Level	Interior Package	Applicable Exterior Colours
2012	SE	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
	SEL	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
		Arctic White	Oxford White, White Platinum Tri-Coat, Ingot Silver, Kona Blue, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black, Red Candy
	Titanium	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
		Arctic White	White Platinum Tri-Coat, Ingot Silver, Kona Blue, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black, Red Candy
2013	SE	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
		Arctic White	Oxford White, Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Ruby Red, Performance Blue, Tuxedo Black
	Titanium	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
		Arctic White	White Platinum Tri-Coat, Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Ruby Red, Performance Blue, Tuxedo Black
2014	SE	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
		Arctic White	Oxford White, Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Ruby Red, Performance Blue, Tuxedo Black
	Titanium	Tuscany Red	Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Tuxedo Black
		Arctic White	White Platinum Tri-Coat, Ingot Silver, Sterling Gray, Ruby Red, Performance Blue, Tuxedo Black

Interestingly, you’ll note that the 2012 SEs were oddly limited to just the Tuscany Red ISP (that’s when SELs were available before their disappearance, and then later reappearance in the Mk3.5 model lineup) – but the Tuscany Red ISP itself was only ever available with three paint colours. The Arctic White ISP meanwhile could be paired with six different paint colours most of the time, and seven in the case of those ’12 SELs. As an aside, I had actually wanted to order an Oxford White Mk3 with a Tuscany interior, but when I discovered it wasn’t an available option it cemented my other idea of Yellow Blaze – which I then added some Arctic White to some years later.

Back on topic – I can’t recall what the price was to add an ISP when ordering a Mk3, but they didn’t exactly show up often. The fact that the aforementioned free door card has been in my collection for almost exactly two years now and I only just added to it this month, shows how hard it can be to find these parts. When I was collecting the pieces for Mustard’s door cards alone it was a solid six months of literally searching every day before a set finally appeared in Edmonton (and Paul picked them up for me).

For these additions then, I need to extend thanks to Dan for alerting me. I had actually just been at the other Pick-n-Pull in town to get some Mk3 bits so didn’t have a need for another trip; Dan happened to mention that he saw a Focus at this yard with a red interior and I knew immediately what he was talking about. I had checked the inventory of both yards when deciding which one to visit, but hadn’t seen anything in the photos (or run any of the VINs) to alert me of what was hiding in one sedan in particular. A few days later as soon as I had some time, I threw my tools into the back of Arabis and ran over to see what was still available.

Fortunately the little black sedan stuck in the back corner of the yard still had a lot of the pieces left in it, and even with panels missing for some time they hadn’t been destroyed by the elements – though “dirty” would be an understatement.

The pieces which I was mainly interested in were the door panels and their inserts. While the driver’s door panel was long gone, that was the piece already present in my collection. The rear driver’s side and front passenger side panels were still in the car and tidy, so they were the first to be removed.

With the yard closing soon at that point work continued quickly, and the pair of cards were joined by all four headrests, the arm rest lid, and single remaining trim piece from the dashboard.

After stopping by Donny’s for burgers on the way home, I unpacked the pieces and gave them a very quick wipe down to make them somewhat presentable for the video and final photo. They really are in remarkable condition, with the only notable damage to any of the pieces being the small nick on the bottom of the passenger door card as shown in the video. They should pass for nearly-new following a full and proper detail.

As for my plans, as discussed in the video I picked these up purely to add to my collection for the time being. Some parts could be transferred into a 3.5 but many more would fit a 3; regardless, I don’t plan for either Mustard or Arabis to receive red interior accents any time soon. For now these are going to reside in storage with that original door card as I continue to hunt for the fourth and final, and if I ever manage to come across more of the dashboard trim or other parts (incidentally I didn’t take the seats because I simply do not have room – I never collected the Arctic White seats either) that are also in good condition, they’ll be picked up too. I presently have a nearly-complete set of the Arctic White pieces between my spares and what Mustard wears, and I’m hoping to eventually have a nearly-complete set of Tuscany Red parts to match. There are only so many of these ISPs out there so as more inevitably wind up in junkyards, hopefully we can save additional pieces for use in our projects and others’.

-Bill