Why a Fiesta?

[carazy]

Hello all,
I'm looking at buying a Fiesta, well specifically I'll be buying the XR4 as soon as I can get it without stripes.. now while telling people about the Fiesta most people have laughed because it's such a small car.
I was initally thinking an XR6T but the handling just failed to impress and after driving the Polo GTI I knew I needed a fast small car.

So, to the owners of a Fiesta.. why did you buy one? Do you cop **** for it and are you happy with your purchace?

[Steffo]

I bought it because I didn't get finance for a 1.9 TDI Polo and it was cheap(er) enough to buy outright. And still a good car. A damn good one.

Don't cop flack from anyone really. Definitley happy with the purchase.

[Ives]

Well, I dont have the XR4... I have the LX and I'm all happy with it. Why did I buy it? to me the Fiesta is the best new car i can buy under $19,000. People and bogans alike said that the "Festiva" is a chick's car, but what do they know, right?

[kiwijohn42]

My Zetec was under 22 with the options listed below, including metallic paint. Handles as well as the Polo GTI but a lot cheaper. Sure it hasn't got a lot of grunt, but it's handling means you can use it all.
The only mods I'm planning are tints & some colour coding. More than happy with it just the way it is.

[MISTA FIESTA]

I bought one because i wanted one more than any other small car. I would always see ads in 04-05 about it and just cremed over its stance and appeal. Picked up WP Zetec with a few options (auto) for 22g, which is a bit much but i dont regret spending the money to what i think is the best small car around for its price. Straightline isnt its strength, but put it in a some nice twisties and it will shine.

But the XR4 will definitley make you smile. Approx September (2nd shipment) will have no stripes as standard. Check out www.fordfiestaxr4.com for more info.

[carazy]

Don't worry mate, I'm all over fordfiestaxr4

So you guys were going to buy a small car anyway and the Fiesta fit the bill ?

[goop]

Originally Posted by carazy

So you guys were going to buy a small car anyway and the Fiesta fit the bill ?

Yep. It's just me and the gf, DINKs; she has her own car, and I just couldn't justify a big car. I had ~$10000 debt that i needed to consolidate with the car loan, plus a mortgage. I wanted a small, quality, solid and reliable car. I love spirited driving tho, so it had to be entertaining.

Fez was the only choice for me. I've copped a little, but I really don't care - I'm still chuffed with my decision

[Danny]

Originally Posted by carazy

Do you cop **** for it and are you happy with your purchace?

Yes Yes Yes, A MILLION times yes!

I continually cop it for this car, but I am happy with the purchase. I love it ;)

[Fled74]

This old bastard I work with has called my car a "Matchbox toy" and a "buzzbox", but that's the worst. I mostly get positive comments from everyone.

I love the Fez. It's been said before that "the stop watch says it's slow, but the seat of the pants says otherwise."

[photn]

mate....I COPPED SH!T from Jodie and luc and james and lyndon (alll XR5Turbo Owners lol) they where calling it a shopping trolley, pram, and all that jazz.. thing is that i bought the FEZ cause i liked it, its affordable, economical, looks great, and handles a treat... so ideally it was perfect. it depends on what you want. if you buy it, you may get ****, but no matter what you get youll get **** from any1 about anyting....

[Ives]

Those bogans were funny though. The ones at Picton I mean

[Miss Sullivan]

carazy, the Fiesta is a German engineered and designed vehicle that blows away the comp. It has a wide wheel track and base that's not going to get tossed around on the freeway. Handling is phenomenal... features a plenty... If you don't like the stripes they can be taken off and the car rebadged. Wait for the XR4!

[Lplus]

Originally Posted by carazy

.

So, to the owners of a Fiesta.. why did you buy one? Do you cop **** for it and are you happy with your purchace?

I have a Fiesta ST (XR4) which I bought ( 2nd hand) because I wanted a small sporty car that handled really well, went really well, looked good and wasn't too expensive. It manages all of those and is bigger inside than it appears. I'm 6 ft 2 inches (188cm) and I have no problems in the driving seat, plus, I can sit behind myself (so to speak) and still my knees only just touch the back of the drivers seat.

I've had no flak for it, but in the UK small cars are more the norm.

I'm still pleased with it, it's a bit noisy on the motorway, but I didn't buy it for long journeys and on twisty country roads it's just great. I'm coming to Oz in a couple of months and wish I could squeeze it in my suitcase to take it for a run round the Adelaide Hills.

Mine had side stripes but I pulled them off.

[Ford_Boy]

those cars are awsome. i would buy one in a heartbeat if i had the money. are they n/a ? if so then imagine what it would be like with a turbo and awd. it would give plenty of xr8s a run.

[photn]

hey ford boy....yer a turbo and AWD would be nice...but its only got 150bhp (110kw).

Mate the XR4 will be worth the buy. if you feel that you dont have enough power you can always take it up to 200bhp easy with a couple of mods. thats enough power to give an AUS1 xr8 a run for its money.....

[Ives]

Originally Posted by Ford_Boy

those cars are awsome. i would buy one in a heartbeat if i had the money. are they n/a ? if so then imagine what it would be like with a turbo and awd. it would give plenty of xr8s a run.

Psst, tell u a little secret... it already is giving plenty of XR8s a run. It can EASILY eat XR8s in touge battles.

1.6l 4cyl 74kW and some elbow grease is all you need.

[carazy]

Originally Posted by photn

hey ford boy....yer a turbo and AWD would be nice...but its only got 150bhp (110kw).

Mate the XR4 will be worth the buy. if you feel that you dont have enough power you can always take it up to 200bhp easy with a couple of mods. thats enough power to give an AUS1 xr8 a run for its money.....

Don't you worry, the second I have it in my hands I will be fitting some Cosworth cams straight away.. as for other mods not to sure, depends on how much of a difference the cams make.

[photn]

if your doing cams, make sure you get a tune, you might as well get the EVO extractors and sports cat 200cell. ohh and Cosworth intake mate. youll be pumping a decent amount of power from that engine i tells ya. try 200BHP just from that. Ohh yer. include your Tune on the car...you should theoretically have more power to weight than an XR5Turbo. Though they have Peak Torque at 1900RPM......so who knows....when upgrading you need to make sure that you upgrade everything else. well essentially just your clutch plate......(when it goes) lol....im not going to get started on it, your making me think more and more about it and drewl lol.

[carazy]

Yeah, I've seen all those mods but Ford standard systems are normally bloody good on intake and exhaust flow.
Cams first, tune second, exhaust and others later maybe.

[Piotr]

Carazy the standard systems on the Fiesta arn't bloody good and not even good at all. The exhaust is very restrictive and intake is ok, but thats the result you get from tight emissions control.

Ud have to get the Cam and tune done at the same time or you will have PLENTY of trouble running

[carazy]

Well hang on, how much do you know about the Fiesta ST intake/exhaust system?

Emission controls actually result in better flowing, larger volume air intakes because the idea is for the engine to run as lean as possible and provide that volume of air from the lowest rev range as possible. Often the sports intake systems use longer intake runners that may even have a lower CFM to provide more power in the top end.

Furthermore, having assisted with the actual design of OEM Performance exhausts many years ago, I can tell you the XR model exhausts are actually very well engineered for flow. They don't have the massive noise most people want but flow extreamly well.
Don't get me wrong, extractors and a larger exhaust will flow better but the biggest power barrier I can see on the Duratech is the conservative cam profile.
You can't change this much because of the deck height and piston ceiling but the little bit you an change should make a fair difference.

As for tuning, the ECU's use the sensors to learn fuel curves and maintain economy, with a cam the computer will normally learn the changes.
Tuning, as far as a chip goes is normally just advancing the base timing and enriching the fuel tables.

I'm not stating anything specific to the Fiesta ST here, so for all I know you may be completely correct in saying the stock stuff is garbarge.

[Piotr]

Ive been doing research about the Fiesta ST since it was released in Europe.

So having a 4-2-CC-1 header system as opposed to running a more usual 4-2-1 system will result in better flow? I think not. It has been shown many times in the UK that the exhuast system is a rather large restriction, take a Look at milltek who got a 21Hp gain from a k&N plus exhuast. A 14% gain is very healthy for N/A tuning and this across the board not only up top as you would will a cam.

Im not saying getting new cams won't give you a power boost as it will. But letting the engine breath better will give the best result and will allow you to better match the cam to your needs. If you get a cam first and then get an exhuaust you run the risk of later finding out that youd rather a more agressive cam and have to fork out even more cash.

The ECU will adjust to the new condition but it will be a very rough and will run rich and may even just into limp home mode.

Lets also have a look at the the Cosworth tuning kits for the 2.3L (Which is very much the same engine). Tuning kit 1 Is a new Cold Air intake and Intake manifold and tune, Tuning kit 2 is a New exhuast manifold, larger throttle body and new cams. If there was more to gain with just a cam Cosworth would have done it to Tuning Kit 1. Going by that it would seem that the intake is the main thing to improve on the duratec (2.3L atleast).

[carazy]

Cams are more expensive to fit so they normally stay out of the initial kits.
Didn't know about the zorst though.. that is a little silly.
Still not really convinced on the intake side, but will certianly have to replace the exhaust..

My wife is going to love me

[photn]

lol what the wife doesnt know wont hurt her lol.. HAHAHA

[carazy]

problem is, she will know... I was driving along in my old telstar many moons ago.. started getting a click on the drivers side while turning..
Wife says "hmm either your ball joint it stuffed or your CV joints are on the way out"

With comments like that *I Think* she might notice a new exhaust and cam.

[MISTA FIESTA]

A 200HP Fiesta XR4 sounds hot.. Donations still acceptable over $100 to the " Damo wants XR4 Fund", Just recieved a MMS of a purchase order from one of the dealers ordering 5 XR4's in each colour except white. So doesnt look like there are too far off.

What colour you interested in Carazy??

[kiwijohn42]

She might believe "It'll get better fuel ecnomy", but really, I think you're stuffed there.

[photn]

HAHA not if you get them done b4 she can notice the Diff. like when you get the car. take it straight away and get em done lol... for all she knows. thats how it came. LOL HAHAHA

[carazy]

Lol,
You better believe that's exactly what I'm planning.

I may have to buy it from a Manthime (or what ever) Ford, they are a fair drive from where I am but they love fitting performance bits as part of the dealer delivery process. Not to many other dealers will do that.

As for colour.. I'm thinking the Sea Gray with side stripes.
I like the over the top stripes in photo's but I don't think I could live with them in real life.

[photn]

well they dont come in side stripes so you will have to import them in from the UK.

But i like the way you think lol.