In Model Year 2006.75 (06/2006-), the Ford Focus range is being expanded by a new model version. This model is a sporty Coupe Convertible version.
The Ford Focus Coupe Convertible has been developed jointly by Ford and the Italian company Pininfarina, a renowned manufacturer of high-quality, small-volume production vehicles and a specialist for convertibles. Production will take place at Pininfarina in Italy.
The particularities of this vehicle are the two-part electro-hydraulically actuated steel convertible top and a Rollover Protection Device (RPD), which is activated in the event of a vehicle rollover.
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Luggage compartment lid
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Rear floor member and trunk partition wall
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Rocker panels with reinforcements
Crumple zones and occupant protection
The passenger cell of the Ford Focus Coupé Convertible has been designed with a high level of occupant safety in mind. The structure of the passenger cell contributes significantly to passive safety.
When open, the convertible top is used as an additional deformation element. The trunk partition wall with integral Rollover Protection Devices provides additional occupant protection.
In frontal impacts, a large proportion of the impact energy is absorbed by the crossmember and the side members. More severe impacts, which cannot be fully absorbed by the crossmember and side members, are absorbed by the apron panel, the floor pan structure and the rocker panels.
Crumple zones for frontal impacts
Laser weld seams on the side members
As on Focus 2004.75 (07/2004-), there are laser weld seams on the front and rear side members. These laser weld seams are use to join body components of different material quality and different material thickness to each other.
Cut locations exactly on the laser weld seams are not permitted, as at present no joining techniques are approved for use in repair procedures that would re-create joins of the same quality.
NOTE:In the event of damage or repair work in these areas, the corresponding requirements is subsection 501-27 and 501-30 must be taken into account.
Body rigidity
The body has a high degree of torsional stiffness. This is achieved by using high, super-high and maximum-strength sheet steel and body reinforcements in specifically-targeted areas.
The A-pillars and the front roof frame have been reinforced primarily for side impacts and rollover.
This has been achieved by using tubular profile sections made from maximum-strength sheet steel which extend into the A-pillar as far as the front edge of the roof.
Tubular profile sections in the A-pillars
The rocker panels have been reinforced and, together with the adjacent body assemblies, for a solid box structure. The use of combined joints results in a floor pan and body that can satisfy the highest of requirements.
The high degree of body stiffness has been achieved by using high and super-high strength sheet steel in the rocker panels and individual sheet thicknesses of up to 2.5 mm. In a composite structure, therefore, material thickness can be as much as 6.75 mm.
Additional body stiffness has been achieved by special shaping of the statically-critical body panels and body components.
Panel thicknesses and shapes in the rocker panel area
High strength, super high strength and maximum-strength sheet steel
The Focus Coupé Convertible makes use of more high-strength, super-high strength and, in parts, maximum-strength sheet steel.
NOTE:The instructions for working on high-strength sheet steel given in subsection 501-25 must be followed during body repair work.
The tubular profile sections in the A-pillars are made from maximum-strength sheet steel. These components must only be replaced as a complete part during repairs. Replacement of partial sections is not permitted, as the required MIG continuous seam in the cut area would lead to structural changes in the steel which would cause a significant loss of strength.
Because of their strength, body components made from high-strength, super-high strength and maximum-strength sheet steel cannot always be worked on using conventional bodywork tools.
NOTE:When performing repairs in these areas of the body, the relevant requirements in subsections 501-27, 501-29 and 501-30 must be observed.
Overview of sheet steel body panels used
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Body components adopted from the Focus 2004.75 (07/2004-)
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Conventional bodywork structural steel, minimum tensile strength up to approx. 220 N/mm²
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High-strength sheet steel, minimum tensile strength approx. 240 N/mm²
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Super-high strength sheet steel, minimum tensile strength approx. 350 N/mm²
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Maximum-strength sheet steel, minimum tensile strength approx. 1000 N/mm²
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Aluminium, can be subjected to high stresses
Fundamentals of damage assessment
During damage assessment, it must be ensured that the vehicle is standing on the wheels and loaded by the weight of the vehicle. Owing to the potential damage to the body structure, damage assessment on a vehicle hoist could falsify the results of the assessment.
If the Focus Coupé Convertible is raised with the vehicle hoist, the front-end will drop by around 2 to 3 mm owing to the dead weight of the vehicle.
The altered door position is clearly recognizable by stiffness of the lock; the door moves upwards. This causes the lock pin to contact the guide element of the door lock.
General repair information
Load-bearing components can have negative effects on the stability of the entire body, due to deformation (folding) (e.g. reinforcements in the underbody area or rocker panels).
NOTE:Accident repairs to a cabriolet with structural damage differs considerably in some respects from the conventional repair of closed vehicles:
- During straightening and repair work, a model-specific attachment set must always be used. Fastening with clamps in the rocker panel area is not always sufficient in the case of the cabriolet.
- In order to prevent damage to the doors, these must always be open during straightening work. In the case of more severe damage, tension and compression spindles must be used to stabilise the door cutouts (between the A- and B-pillars).
- In load bearing areas such as the rocker panels, side members and floor pan, increased straightening forces are necessary due to the additional reinforcements.
- The relevant specifications and instructions outlined in subgroup 501-27 to 501-30 of the Repair Manual must always be observed prior to commencing the repair work.
Galvanised body panels
All external and corrosion-prone steel body panels are zinc plated on both sides.
Some internal reinforcement panels on the floor pan and on the A-, B- and C-pillars are not zinc plated.
NOTE:The instructions for working on zinc plated steel panels given in subsection 501-25 must be followed during body repair work.
Further corrosion protection measures
Clinched flange sealer is not applied to the hood, trunk lid and the doors until after the dip priming stage.
When applying clinched flange sealer as part of body repair work, an overlap of the clinched outer panel of at least 2 mm must be taken into account in addition to the width of the seam.
Clinched flange sealing
