I've been spending a lot of time at home in the last few weeks so haven't got a heap done on the Vocus.
The hoist has also been occupied too and I didn't have the enthusiasm (or free blocks of time that were longer than an hour) to drop the suspension out of it and fit-up the coilovers.
So, I got the rear bar swap done instead.
In theory, it should have been easier than it was - LS/LT and LV are the same shell with some minor panel differences.
I picked up a rear bar from an LV Focus XR5 a while back in the right colour with good paint. It had the reverse light assembly and fog light assembly fitted but was missing the 'diffuser' - It really isnt a diffuser, rather it's a textured, unpainted plastic infill which fits around the exhaust tips and looks a little sporty.
I tried over the last month or so to get hold of a used one from a wrecker, with no luck, so bought a new one. Even at my pricing it was stupidly expensive for what it is.
I also needed to buy the globe holders for the reverse and fog lights for the LV style light assemblies as the LS/LT style ones dont fit.
Here's my starting point -
Already have the LV tailgate on (in pic) and LV tail lights fitted (not pictured)
So, bar off -
With the bar off I did some tidying up of the wiring loom and gave things a quick clean, replaced a couple of the captive nuts (plastic) in the body that locate the top of the bar, etc.
My new globe holders fit the rear bar - win.
My existing body wiring loom connectors for foglight and reverse light do not fit my new globe holders - fail. F**k you, Ford!
One way to approach this would be to find a car at a wrecker and cut the section of the loom with connectors out of a car and re-join this to mine. I dont know of any LV Focus' in wreckers within a couple of hours drive and I've not been able to venture too far from home while Jae is recovering.
So, solution -
On left are the reverse light and foglight assemblies as per LS/LT Focus XR5. In the picture they've had the back cut out of the housings.
On right are the reverse light and foglight assemblies as per LV Focus XR5. In the picture they've had the back cut out of the housings, a larger sized hole cut in the housings and the fitting/mounting point from the LS/LT housings bonded into them with Sikaflex. It's watertight, sets quite hard and will never come off.
It means I can fit LS/LT globe holders into LV housings. Not particularly elegant but very functional. Needed about 36 hours to cure fully.
Bar mounted and aligned, lights not yet fitted -
And for comparisons sake -
An original pic and a current one.
