Green can have so many connotations these days. Environmentally conscious, inexperienced, the color of money, and the list goes on.  After getting a good look at Ryan Knutson’s ZX3, we suspect plenty of onlookers are green with envy. Ryan Knutson, hailing from Pierre, South Dakota, wasn’t originally inspired to build the mean green machine seen on these pages.  His original intent was to build a sleek silver >

Focus in much the same vein as Wings West’s original silver show car. He ordered numerous parts for the car even before it arrived at the dealership. He put them on, but the results weren’t quite what he was looking for. Money already invested be damned, Knutson wiped the slate clean and started over from scratch. Starting over certainly paid dividends. Winning numerous car show awards and even being selected by Ford to appear at its SEMA display stands as testament to that. Envisioning a clean, yet eye-grabbing piece, Ryan kept body mods restrained in a European idiom and went for a bright “Limetime Pearl” green (rather than wild body addenda) to fulfill the role of drawing attention to the car. That isn’t to suggest that body mods were minimal.

Lime Juiced

FOCUS FACT: Vortech claims 195 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque from its supercharger system with the
optional Charge Cooler. This is a unique air-to-water intercooler that allows for lower intake temperatures,
therefore allowing for increased boost.

 He used almost exclusively
German OEM and aftermarket pieces
to enhance the lines of the ZX3. A full
Rieger body kit—incidentally, the first in
the U.S.—gave the car a WRC-inspired
flavor that remains tastefully restrained
nonetheless. A full complement of
Hella lighting products available for the
Focus finished off the exterior. The
German lighting experts’ HID headlamps,
Magic Module taillamps, and Micro DE
foglamps (cleanly integrated into the
bumper) continue the European theme.
The interior received a similarly
exciting-yet-tasteful treatment. Sparco
Torino seats (upholstered in a black and
gray scheme) are complemented by
Sparco pedals and a Lap 5 steering
wheel. The rear seats, door panels, and
even the sound system area in the trunk
were reupholstered in Sparco’s theme
for continuity. The audio was also revised
with Alpine, Infinity, and JBL components
cleanly integrated into the interior.
Both the exterior and interior of the
car work cohesively, forming a distinctly
European look that’s much more Essen
than South Dakota.We can only imagine
the looks Ryan’s car must get as he
cruises the streets of his hometown of
Pierre. Naturally enough, though, he
wanted to ensure the car’s performance
could cash the checks that the
fantastic looks were writing.
The next steps involved a serious
power upgrade. The 2.0L Zetec
engine’s output was amplified by a
double shot of enhancements. First, he
installed Vortech’s Zetec supercharger
kit.Vortech has long specialized in
centrifugal-type superchargers, primarily
for Domestic V-8 applications. When
the company began making blower kits
for front-wheel-drive compacts, packaging
was going to be an issue due to the
transverse engine mounting and tight
underhood space typical of such cars.
Vortech’s ingenious solution was to
mount the supercharger near the rear
of the engine (where there’s more
space) and run a robust shaft to the
accessory belt.
A supercharged 50 percent more
horsepower than stock would be plenty
for most of us, but Ryan stepped it up
another notch with the installation of a
Nitrous Express kit, its bottle proudly
mounted in the trunk alongside the
subwoofer. Helping the enhanced powerplant
breathe better are JBA headers
shifting the exhaust gasses into a freerflowing
MBRP stainless steel exhaust.
Now the chassis’ turn. Ryan went
for quality race-proven German
components. Bilstein’s PSS9 coilover
system is among the most renowned of
such suspension kits. Allowing nine modes
of compression and rebound settings
along with ride height adjustment, the
PSS9 offers a virtually unlimited array to
the end user. Rough tarmac or smooth
racetracks are equally well handled by
Bilstein’s race-proven suspension
system. And for show, the coilovers
allow the body to practically kiss the
ground with a few easy adjustments.
Additionally, body roll was all but
eliminated with German-made 24mm
H&R sway bars. H&R’s front sway bar
for the Focus is adjustable, allowing
fine-tuning of the car’s handling attitude.
In addition, H&R uses a unique urethane
and Teflon composite for its bushings
that completely eliminates the squeak
found in some lesser sway bars’ bushings.
No messy periodic lubrication required
here—just install them and hit your
favorite twisty road.
The front brakes were upgraded as
well, with Powerslot drilled rotors
clamped down by high performance and
dust-free EBC brake pads. The factory
15-inch wheel and tire package was
replaced with elegantly simple 18x7.5-
inch Enkei ZR2 alloys wrapped in
P225/35R18 Toyo T1-S performance
tires. Those aggressive yet understated
wheels serve as the proverbial icing on
the cake on Ryan’s tasty and tasteful
piece. As wheels alone can make or
break the appearance of a car,we
applaud the use of this classic design
that complements the overall understated
look of this ZX3.
Starting over is rarely an easy
decision, as it involves scrapping time
and energy already invested, but we’d
have to say Ryan’s choice yielded one
fine overall package. It’s clean, tasteful,
and understated all at once, while
visually engaging. All too often, aftermarket
showcases like Ryan’s possess
little cohesion in design, with owners
focusing more on making their vehicles
extreme. We love extreme conversions
as much as the next guy, but cars like
Ryan’s impress us on a different level.
Careful integration of upgrades so that
they complement the design of the car
require a lot of aesthetic sense and skill,
and Ryan’s green ZX3 is certainly
reflective of that. ff