The history of Fast Fords and why the Focus ST170 is classic as a Cosworth. 

ive got an ST170, ive had it 2 years & 2 months ive done 26000 miles and I love it

Just got myself an st170, fantastic cars with good old skool power. Easy to work on. Mine is on 92k with still it's original exhaust, and original brake pipes. Had to do some welding the the rear of the sills and inner wheel arch but it's good to go for another 20 years.

Great summary Geoff, the ST170 is clearly a gem and not yet appreciated in the way other earlier Fords are. In any guise a Mk1 Focus is a handling benchmark, but as an ST170 even better.

Nice review! I love my ST170, a Cosworth tuned Ford with an N/A engine in the spirit of the old Escort RS 1600 / 1800's. It's not the fastest in a straight line but on challenging A and B roads very little can keep up with it due to it's lovely balance of ride and handling 😀

Had one of these for years 2002 st 170 with the comfort pack. Best of times. Bought it at at 5 yrs old, 43k on the clock, best £6.5k I ever spent. Rust got involved in the rear archs, sills and boot lid just above the number plate. Sold it on 2014 for £700 at 145k miles to a guy who I think took the engine for his rally car and scrapped the rest. Miss those full leather Recaros. Great video - thanks. Have to say my manual Spec b Legacy is the perfect replacement.

The ST170 will never be held in the same regard as a Cosworth.

I have a st170 had it 15 years and it's still like a new car. I had it stored for 12 years. Still has no rust all original paint work round about 55k on the clock

Man I felt old when that 1999 photo came up 😂 I was turning 25 then. I grew up beside a ford dealership, were I was a regular visitor. Although Im a Sierra man first, I definitely visited the showroom as a teenager when the Escort Cosworth first came out. Great memories 👌

I absolutely loved my ST170 unconditionally. I agree with everything you said. I do like my Mk 3 ST estate. But there was just nothing you can say against the 170.

Bang on mate can't even argue with a single word as I run an old focus

The st170 will shoot up in price, always wanted a st170 estate but there super rare

I love the st170 one of the best fords of it's time so true I could go on for hours about today's geniration miss the 2000s ❤

I've just finished restoring mine. Bought for £500 about six years ago, it had 11 months MOT on it but the tester must have been in a bloody good mood. I absolutely love it. I'm running an MEpro vvt controller and id delivers the power way better. I'm on th look out for another one to tinker about with. Good video mate. Keep it up.

Great video! Ive bought one ST170 and i love it lot of fun to drive it

I never expected to see my video of the rusty focus in this video! I am an escort guy at heart but definitely have a little soft spot for the focus. Excellent video Geoff, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nice one geoff really enjoyed that little history lesson the mk 1 focus was a game changer 👍

I have SVT ,and always knew it's pure treasure))

Nailed it! Perfect review! This is exactly what the st170 is and exactly why the prices are shooting up.

Wow mate, loves your video, thanks for ur effort I just bought a st170 today and now im here wow amazing

I still own a mk1 focus ghia, even now they look fantastic and in my opinion far far better looking than any of the newer focus models.

Had a focus mk1 2.0esp back in 2001 when I was 20 and was an excellent handling car, and insurance group was nice and low compared to the likes of Astra Sri and golf gti’s of similar era. Chassis on the focus was amazing though, still up with the best Cars I’ve driven albeit underpowered, would love to get an st170 to tuck away as I agree they are massively overlooked and are a real sweet spot in Ford back catalogue.👌🏻👍🏻

I love my ST225, but you make a good point.

It’s the Focus SVT here in the US and I think on the order of 20,000 total sold. Now, find parts for it other than scavenging off other cars being parted out. And the worst part, that Getrag MT-285 that you can’t buy a rebuild kit for or determine which other car transmissions might be suitable and usable for a swap. Lovely, fun car though.

Yea, ST170 is great car to drive. I bough one few years ago. It wasn't in great shape. Amount of money it takes, to keep it in good shape is a lot. At least for me. But I try to take good care of it. Change fluids, parts, keep it clean in and out. I have this dream, one day I strip it from it's motor, seats, etc. Then do full restoration of the body. New paint etc. :) But that's just a far away dream, for now. Finland winters are nightmare for cars, mainly to car's body. I'm glad they don't use as much salt on roads as they used to. But well.. Nice vid mate.

Wow. Change of style for you Geoff. Really interesting and detailed. Very good!

Got one as a 21st birthday present…. New from the showroom… had so much fun ….. kept it until the mk2 came out …. Memories, solid fun car

Great video. Been a Ford man my entire life. Owning a succession of Fiesta’s and Focus’s. Never a fast one though. Feel like time is running out as well. With everything going electric. You’re right though, for me growing up, nothing could hold a candle to the Escort Cosworth

Great video! That silver ST170 you’ve been showing through out the video is (EXTREMELY RARE) having a sunroof. You never see any mk1 focus with a sunroof let alone an ST! Wow I’m so jealous haha 😆

I drove a diesel version of rhe fiesta and it was unreal. Probably one of the quickest cars ive ever driven in the real world due to its handling 9:36

My uncle had the US spec SVT focus. I loved driving it. My first car was a 2.0 zetec se. It surprised a few folks with how much speed I could carry in the corners lol

I've got an 04' 3dr imperial blue St170.. My friend bought it brand new and I bought it when he emigrated to Spain. Done 80k. All stock apart from a pipercross filter.

I have driven the st170 and can confirm it's a beast , granted by today's modern cars it's not the fastest but it holds its own in handling and speed. Great car.

Nice review Geoff.. quite professional by your standards!

I loved my Mk1 1.8 Zetec Focus! It had the ST 170 alloys and boot spoiler! Really looked the part! Until my wife wrapped it around a transit van 😭

The ST170 was my first leap into fast cars. Had it for 4 years and ragged the s##t out it every day. Eventually the gearbox went bang and a family friend bought it to salvage the engine for his escort. I now have an st180 fiesta and before being mapped the two felt really similar, if the st170 had a turbo it would have been an iconic car, but ford wanted to use the VVTI. Advice to anyone buying one, don't bother trying to get more BHP unless you got lots of disposal cash and Instead invest in upgrading the handling and brakes, standard are good but can always improve upon. Get rid of the radio, it crap.

It’s like I wrote this myself! Born in the mid 80s into a Ford family I have had numerous RS’ and STs. Still have a mk1 FRS, but think my favourite was the Fiesta Zetec S as a teenager, handling out of this world! Had a 170 but was disappointed with the power although handling and looks were great!

I bought a 2003 3 door ST170 in 2010, I still have it. It should be back on the road next Month after a cam belt change and full service, standard apart from a K&N in the standard inlet tract and aftermarket wing repeater lenses, it's had the sills repaired and a offside new front wing the air con doesn't and I need to replace the drivers door window moor. it was dyno'd a few years ago and ran 169.7 on supermarket fuel. Current mileage is 69.307, bottom line is I prefer driving it most of the the time more than my other car (Impreza Hawkeye WRX STI Type UK)

i recently got an st170 nice car

This is the only car in GT6 I managed to roll .. I didn't think that was possible in that game lol.

Had a 53 plate 04 ST170 in the blue loved it But with nearly 180k on the clock got rid now got a mk2 Focus ST225

one of better reviews Geoff/joe tbh and very interesting

Nice video and I pretty much agree with you on the fact that the hot hatch has just gotten silly now

i prefer the mk1 sport tdci.the mk1 focus club preservation recently met up at derby classic museum. great day.

The Focus was the only car I could cry over. Too many things to list about it. I've had a lot of other cars but that is the benchmark of how close to perfection a car could be.

That, Mr Hunter, is a very nice car indeed.

I owned three mk 2 1300s all of them yellow, I loved them to bits (literally) . Wish I still had one of them ! Also had a mk 1 xr2i fiesta in black with pepper pot alloys !!! I’ve always wanted a mk 2 R/S 2000 or a 3ltr capri just the shape of a capri is sooooo sexy !!! Peace out from the police 👮‍♂️ state of north Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

me an American : you guys get cool fords?

the mk2 fokus is so cool with that five cylinder engine.

You should have spent more time on the legendary focus RS MK1. Thats the hottest hatchet in this video

I've got one in Panther Black with the comfort pack ( Xenon headlights ) only done 72k, love it but the fast ford forums all seem to be a bit sniffy about the 170, or Mk1s in general, not sure why

the mk5 escord will always be my favorite.

Not correcting you here, just adding some info. 😁 You said that the Mk6 gave us the RS2000 when it was actually the MK5 that saw the first use of the RS2000 name since the MK2. It came back with the MK6 and they later introduced a 4x4 version of it.

What about the T190 and T230?

I love st170s I'm torn between one or a v6 Mondeo. But they have the "classic ford" price range suddenly. They can't be that good.

The standard 2.0l engine was actually 130 horsepower

Yeah unfortunately you forgot about something within the focus line it's the RX series they had the rx3 the rx4 in the rx5 I still have my rx3 and I will not trade it in for no ST or anything else and yes it is a focus that was part of that air and helped create the St series

Great review but what about the great little st150

Great review, but let me correct you in one point. I had 2 ST170's over the years, and the 6 speed gearbox in them is garbage, nowhere near as good as the 5 speed paired with the 130ps 2.0 liter engine.

It's a lovely example of the ST170. Love the fact it has a sunroof. It's actually the complete opposite of the Escort RS Cosworth. The Escort Mk5 was wildly received by the motoring press as a terrible car, so bad in fact Ford had the face-lift well underway before it was even launched. The Escort RS Cosworth was brought forward to try and save the day by adding some sparkle. The Focus however was loved from launch and set the benchmark for what good looked like, the ST170 wasn't particularly inspiring at launch, I remember driving one and thinking... Ohh. Is that it. Probably more in the league of the Mk5 and Mk6 RS2000, great handling but vastly underpowered. As I said, love the car but it's no RS Cosworth 👍

I regret selling mine😢😢😢

Had a few. Crap gearbox, EML lights would come on for fun, rear arches would rott out from inside because of the carpet lining on the inner arches, fuel economy wasnt great for an n/a 2.0, doesnt really have rarity helping it and even for 2002 it wasnt quick. They are fairly priced. Imo. Though i did still strangely like them.

Recon the puma would get you home quicker the a zetec s

Best hooligan vehicle? MK1 Bandit 1200.......imo.

@0:39 “Simple is efficient” …. Now in 2023 Ford only sells bloated trucks; not one simple efficient car in the lineup while also claiming to be “green.” 😂

Ehh front wheel drive is no good Vibration through engine mounts, throw out bearing problems. Gearstick surround broken. Only thing is they look good and the motor is good to transplant into an old ford. RS is the one to get. I wouldn't bother otherwise.

The st170 won't ever be worth cosworth money imo just because of the MK1 focus rs st170 still a wicked car tho

I just don’t get the ST thirsty, unreliable and slow could have been so much better but they didn’t want to step on the toes of the much better RS.

Sorry but no. The ST170 Focus is good, but its not in the same breath as a Cosworth of any description, and when the ST170 is completely outclassed by the RS Focus, its simply the "classic" that people can afford because the RS is stupid money now. The other thing that doesn't help it, horrific rust problems on the back ends of the ST170, I don't know why the specifically attract it, but they rot out terribly behind the rear arches and into the corners, secondly there wasn't that many built in comparison to the everyday models, and because of this, they're a bit like the Cavalier GSi 2000 and Calibra 16v, in that they too were raped for their engines to put into other cars, and the ST170 has suffered massively because of it.

lmao no way

It reminds me too much like the AU Falcon which was released at the same time.... it's ugly, yes solid and reliable but still it's UGLY, 1997 was the last year a good looking Ford was made 1998 onwards they are ugly. Good thing my EL Falcon XR6 is a '97 model.