zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Some Genius Made a 2014 Ford Transit ST and We Love It
Some Genius Made a 2014 Ford Transit ST and We Love It-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:01

2014 Ford Transit Connect with Focus ST engine swap

At Jalopnik, we love when people come up with crazy combinations to make unexpected vehicles, suddenly become performance gods (or wannabe gods). Take this . At first glance, sure, it’s just a Ford Transit van. But underneath the sheet metals beats an unexpected heart: the turbocharged I4 from a 2014 Focus ST.

Together, we have what Ford would likely have never given us, a Ford Transit Connect ST. From the outside, everything appears stock, aside from the ST badging. It’s a subtle hint letting you know that this Transit truly is something special, and different.

2014 Ford Transit Connect with Focus ST engine swap

Sure, keen-eyed observers might recognize a few ST details like the 18-inch Focus ST wheels, the rally car-like mud flaps and the center exit exhaust. But there’s more where that came from.

Now to be clear, this van isn’t just a Focus ST engine thrown into a Transit Connect. This vehicle has been given all the mods to ensure that it drives well, like a Focus ST, too.

2014 Ford Transit Connect with Focus ST engine swap

Starting with the ST’s 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, which in its stock form makes 252 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, and is paired to a six-speed manual. That part of the drivetrain has been modified with a stage 2 tune from Cobb, a stage 3 clutch kit from SPEC Clutch, a Mishimoto radiator, and a limited-slip differential from MFactory. The owner also threw on an Eibach lowering spring kit. Unfortunately, a dyno sheet wasn’t provided for the Transit’s mods, so it’s not known just how much of the work may have increased power output.

2014 Ford Transit Connect with Focus ST interior

Inside there’s what looks to be the ST’s Recaro seats and its whole instrument cluster, auxiliary gauges on the center stack for things like oil pressure and temp, and a nice sound system setup including a Kenwood head unit and an Alpine amp.

2014 Ford Transit Connect with Focus ST engine swap instrument cluster

There’s a rather glaring problem with the instrument cluster. The seller says that when the factory cluster was swapped for the ST cluster “the instrument cluster was programmed to display the chassis mileage.” That means that the exact total mileage of this thing isn’t known, though the seller notes he’s put 7,000 miles on it since the swap was done in May of 2021.

Other problems appear to be a list of weird electrical gremlins like the radiator fan remaining on, or the a/c turning on after the car has run for a bit. Power steering also just kicks in after “the first five or 10 feet of driving,” and the traction control, ABS and rearview camera all do not work. Maybe that comes down to some programming things. But regardless, all things to keep in mind.

If you can see the potential in the list of electrical maladies, the little scratches here and there on the outside, and the wear on the seat bolsters, there’s still time to nab this creation for your garage. At the time of writing, there’s still six days left, and the .

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Ween--'Cold and Wet'
Ween--'Cold and Wet'
Traffic sucks, so why not start your morning off with some music? You provide the toast and we’ll provide the jams. This one goes out to all my peeps in the midwest who are having quite the “June.” ...
Apr 5, 2026
Major Fiat Chrysler Executive Has Filed a Whistleblower Lawsuit Against the Company
Major Fiat Chrysler Executive Has Filed a Whistleblower Lawsuit Against the Company
In the wake of a fraud investigation over Fiat Chrysler Automobiles screwing with sales figures, reports that the company’s Head of U.S. Sales Reid Bigland has filed a lawsuit against FCA alleging that he was scapegoated and had his pay cut in retaliation for cooperating with the SEC. Bigland...
Apr 5, 2026
Fiat Chrysler Abruptly Backs Out of Merger Negotiations With Renault: Report (Update: FCA Confirms)
Fiat Chrysler Abruptly Backs Out of Merger Negotiations With Renault: Report (Update: FCA Confirms)
Just over one week ago, Fiat Chrysler executives laid out a formal offer to a “merger of equals” with French automaker Renault. Today, , that offer has been abruptly rescinded after the second day of negotiations came to a close. According to WSJ sources, the negotiation process came to...
Apr 5, 2026
The New Season of Top Gear Will Debut on BBC America on July 14
The New Season of Top Gear Will Debut on BBC America on July 14
We’ve , sort of, we’ve mourned the loss of and , we’ve , and you’ll finally be able to watch the new-new-thistimeactuallyNEW setup when the season debuts on BBC America on July 14. Season 27 hits American viewers on Sunday, July 14 at 8 p.m. EST, 7 p.m. Central,...
Apr 5, 2026
If You Like Dodge Challenger Bumper Strips, Get a Load of This Ford Ranger
If You Like Dodge Challenger Bumper Strips, Get a Load of This Ford Ranger
It’s kind of A Thing for Dodge Chargers and Challengers to wear little yellow bumper protectors . It’s, uh, but the masses have spoken and a lot of people think they look cool. So maybe the next move is this sweet crash test tape as decorative trim? To be...
Apr 5, 2026
Now You Can Get Jaguar's Most Exuberant Car Without The Vulgar Wing
Now You Can Get Jaguar's Most Exuberant Car Without The Vulgar Wing
Jaguar has a mad group of talented folks in its specialty vehicle operations department. They’re the ones responsible for the XE SV Project 8, a manic high-power muscle sedan that shares almost no components with the XE sedan it is ostensibly based upon. With huge flared arches, lots of...
Apr 5, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved