Roadhawk

1973 Torino wagon....serious workhorse 1991 Probe...outstanding car in every way 1985 Bronco...rusty but never quit 1991 Taurus SHO...great car but pricey to maintain 2012 Focus...Huge fun to drive but DC transmission was a problem child 2013 Taurus...awesome machine save for leaky sunroof and that huge dead pedal on long trips 2013 Escape 2.0T AWD....super machine, useful, fun...I wish mpg was a bit better but oh well. Still love it! 16-18 Edge Titanium 3.5....(next to come) as soon as my convertible is paid for! :)

I was curious myself if it had to be MKX cluster or would the MKZ work as well?

I agree that if you just slap a cone filter on with out the heat shield or just delete a muffler you will probably see very little gain but a lot more noise. Taking the time and a little extra effort and expense makes a big difference. The cost of tuning a turbo engine vs N/A is no different and exhaust expense can actually be more if you invest in a downpipe. Intercoolers are pricey anywhere you get them but intake/tune/exhaust on N/A can easily yield more like 30 hp/trq and that's worthwhile. Both of my current vehicles are 2013 so I don't consider them past technology.

Its funny but I read these threads all the time where people say intake, throttle body, porting and exhaust do nothing. Sorry but I beg to differ. A tune alone can often add 20hp and thats nothing to sneeze at. Better flow via intake and TB can add another 5-10hp in upper range WOT power. Exhaust does nothing? If you just chop off a muffler, yes, probably not much, but larger tubing, hi-flo cats, free-flow mufflers/resonators, swapping "T" joint for "Y" pipes can all make a difference. If none of this stuff works, why does the factory do exactly the same things when they offer higher HP models? I've done most of the above mods to my convertible and it went from a sedate cruiser to a hair-trigger, growling animal that peels rubber from a stoplight (it never did that before) No, mods for a N/A engine will not yield 80-100hp like cranking the boost on a turbo, but it will make it more fun to drive and wont destroy the MPG like a turbo does. My EcoBoost Escape is rated for 28 hi-way and its NEVER hit that number in the almost 4 years I've owned it. But I dont drive it 55mph either. Maybe it would get that number falling off a cliff. I have a good friend with a heavy-modded Focus ST and he freely admits the car is a monster (it IS) but the mpg went to hell in a handbag. DO a better intake, TB (optional) a tune and better exhaust. Any competent exhaust shop can fab up a system to your specs for a fraction of the cost of an out-of-the-box stainless cat-back system. Yes, stainless will last but its mighty pricey. You'll enjoy the noise and the better performance without killing you at the gas pump.

A cone filter intake will definitely give you some good sound from your 3.7 As far as exhaust goes, I've always had good results with Magnaflow products. I keep the factory resonator or replace it with a round straight thru unit, then a pair of shorty 9 inch ovals out back...or depending on the set-up, a crossflow/dual exit unit. I've used this on several vehicles including my EcoBoost Escape and my V6 convertible. Check out the clips

Has anyone added a front spoiler/ splitter to their SEL or Titanium without swapping to the entire Sport front fascia? Most just attach to the bumper cover with screws so it seems like it could easily be done.

B-58 Hustler Pima ASM B-36 Peacemaker Pima ASM CH-53 Pave-Lo Pima ASM C-130s lined up in The Boneyard, Monahan-Davis AFB

I've always had good success with Magnaflow. I keep a straight-thru resonator/muffler after the cat to kill the highway drone and then small ovals out back for a mellow sound. If the pipe comes to a "T" at the rear axle, I generally have that swapped out for a true "Y" joint. After going thru 5 different systems on my old Pontiac GP, this is the formula that works best for me. The 2.0T EcoBoost on my Escape follows that except out back it has one crossflow-dual exit muffler as opposed to twin ovals. No sputter, no popping or back-rapping. I'm sure the 2.7 in the ST will sound better than the 2.0

I actually liked the "bird beak" face the Lincolns used to have. The new front fascia is more understated, I agree but I did like the boldness of the older design

Started flight lessons in my youth but never finished...life happens. But, since I was a kid I've always loved to visit the aircraft museums and go to the air shows...that has never changed. I cannot begin to list my fave aircraft but US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson, Pima Air and Space in Arizona, US Naval Aviation at Pensacola and Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles in VA are some of the best places I've been. F-14 Tomcat, deck of the USS Midway Floating Museum, San Diego CA

I currently have the 2.0T in my 2013 Escape and while it is an over-achiever for its size, the mpg isnt stellar for a 4cyl. I've also read in other places that if you have heavy foot (and I kinda do) then the EcoBoost will not be kind at the pump. That aside, there are two other downsides. One is the perpetually sooty exhaust outlet. I know it sounds petty but the filthy black tips on the Escape do annoy me a tad. I've been told its the nature of the beast with any DI engine. Fair enough. Number Two, and this also is a quirk, but I do love the sound the intake generates on a N/A engine. The turbo whoosh on my Escape sounds like the most badazz Dyson to ever hit the carpet but it doesnt tickle my fancy for driving. Granted, I do like the idea of the better suspension the Edge Sport rides on but I figure between wider wheel/tire combo, poly bushings and lowering springs, I should be able to mod a Titanium to be almost as good. The 3.5 is a good engine and I'll be happy to be sitting behind another one as good as the Taurus.

I'm with you @IcyFridge The factory driving lights on my Escape aren't crazy bright but I do like the wider view at night. I swapped to LEDs in both head and fog lights on my convertible and I love the difference. I honestly think the color being a more white light vs the more orange you get from halogen helps with clarity. I've been looking online at kits for the 15-18 Edge but I'd like to retain the DRLs. I added LED DRLs to my 13 Taurus and while not as effective as a fog light, it still added some wider view at night. Are the factory fog lights LEDs? If not, I'd get some factory style housings and add the good LED bulbs

I've used the sets of puzzle lock lugs that come with their own wrench from Autozone. The red anodized finish has faded on one set but the condition of the lug nuts themselves is unchanged. I have another set on my convertible and they are holding up great. I also like that they fit into the deep holes on aftermarket wheels easier without the puzzle socket scraping up the wells.

Super sharp looking and nicely done....good info too! Thanks! I swapped from rubber to poly bushings on the sway bar on my car....not a huge difference but the harder you corner the more it seems to help.

How many different levels of suspension are offered on the 15-up Edge? Are they all the same except for the Sport? Does the Sport get lower springs and bigger sway bars? If you have the SEL or Titanium is it better to just go with lowering springs? My 13 Escape Titanium handles well with a larger wheel/tire combo but the Escape doesn’t offer a Sport pkg. Thoughts?

The base cluster was in the SEL I test drove along with the 4in Sync screen in the center stack. I suppose I should’ve took a few moments to see what the right side control pad on the steering wheel was linked to. loss of the right side screen is all I see being lost and not that crucial IMO. So would downgrading to the base screen require different firmware?

This is the cluster I was thinking about. Since its the base model the lens mask should already work, correct?

This is the one I added to my Taurus...not a bolt-on but it still went with the lines of the hood nicely

Sadly, I tried that with a previous car and the paint on the fiberglass kept cracking near the hood hinge area from the stress...so even that didn’t help. This is a color matched bolt-on scoop on my convertible and I like the way it turned out.

Has anyone done any kind of hood scoop/vent treatment? I guess its an old school thing but all the sporty cars had hood scoops, no matter if they were functional or not (most were not) but I think they still look cool if the proper choices are made. (For me) first of all it has to be color matched or go with the color theme of the car. It has to be sized properly and the style of hood treatment should work with the lines of the vehicle. Molding in is fine if you don't mind the cash but the bond tends to crack over time. Stick-on/bolt-on can also work if the execution is done right. Just throwing it out there. I know a lot of folks dont like them at all unless its factory, but then I've never been a mainstream type LOL

Its just a thought at this point. I'm sure there are other mods I'll do first but it would eventually be on the list I think. (Gotta get the car first) LOL

This looks like a really cool swap but also a challenging one if your programming skills are limited (or non-existent) LOL Along a similar train of thought, if you have one of the upper trims, could the base cluster with analog gauges and the center screen be installed? I honestly like that one better. I'm on board with everyone thinking the cluster with twin screens and central speedo is both boring and outdated. (It was in my 2013 Taurus and it was boring then)

That stripe WORKS with the rest of the blackout touches.I like the lower sill accent stripe too. I've also thought about a candy red tint for the entire taillight width. Something about the clear look that rubs me the wrong way LOL Did you paint your calipers?

I'm super impressed...great looking ride! I can see we may think alike in a few ways. I love to mod my cars for a personal touch and I'm pretty sure I'll want to black out any chrome trim after I finally get mine. The model photos at the start of the thread are slick looking but here in VA you have to watch tinting/paint on any lights...it get frowned on at inspection. I think I'd like the splitter better without the center "scoop" section but thats personal taste. The lights look great! I'd like to do actual fog lights in the center of the lower DRLs Keep up the fantastic work!

Hello to one and all, I've been in shopping mode for the last few weeks. I have a convertible that is my garage toy and I plan to have it paid off this coming year. After that is taken care of I'll be looking for a new daily driver for myself. My past experience with Ford has been a bit checkered but each has been impressive in their own way. I had a 2012 Focus that was a hoot to drive but not so comfortable on a long trip. I also had problems with the DCT but I give Ford credit, they fixed it under warranty without question. However, I traded it before anymore issue came about. Then I got a beautiful Deep Impact Blue Taurus SEL and I must say, that was an incredible car. The 3.5 V6 was a serious runner and still got great mpg but for all its attributes, the bulge in the driver's floor area from the wheelwell intrusion was its biggest downfall. I'm a big guy(6'3"-300) and my wife has relatives scattered all over the east coast, so road trips are a thing. On a long drive that welt proved to be mighty uncomfortable. I even tried cutting away the plastic dead pedal for more room but it just wasn't enough. On the upside, my current daily driver is a 2013 Escape Titanium AWD EcoBoost 2.0T, and after three years it has been a truly excellent workhorse. I wish it got a little better mpg but its not horrible, I wish the gas tank was larger (11gal...really?) which forces more fill-up stops on road trips but we simply refer to it as the "itty-bitty tank." When the ragtop is paid for, I plan to pass the Escape over to my wife (she likes it too). I originally wanted a wagon but that is rare beast these days. I drove a 2013 Edge but it suffered from the same wheel bulge in the floor as the Taurus. But yesterday I drove a 2017 Edge SEL and I was impressed. It had the same 3.5 as the Taurus (love that) and felt like a slightly bigger version of the Escape as it has many familiar things inside. I figured I should get to learning more about this vehicle as I highly value a great support system when it comes to ownership. I can envision a real love affair with one of these although I'm sure I'll want a 2016-18 as I'm not crazy about the 2019 restyle. I've already been reading some threads and the Lincoln MKX instrument swap looks like a great idea (I do love me some mods to make a car my own) Looking forward to reading, learning and interacting that will hopefully lead to ownership in the coming year. Thanks in advance everyone!