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Fiesta - yeah, another one

28K views 93 replies 14 participants last post by  steve 
#1 · (Edited)
Building a Fiesta ST...very approximate plan is mostly stock + suspension + bits modeled after M-Sport R2

Friend sends me an email...and this wasn't the first one, but it's the one that finally cajoled me.



That car went for about $4k - I thought it was too expensive, so I kept looking...



This one hit my price point, but it has significantly more damage. Online, it's a roll of the dice on what exactly is damaged.



Both frame rails are bent from the impact, broken tie rod, and everything in the front end module is smashed.

It's a salvage title, so the first order of business is to get it road worthy and get it re-titled as rebuilt, then we can do the rally prep.



Once the bumper beam is out of there, you can see it took a pretty good wack. 2014 is the first year the Fiesta passed small frontal overlap impact tests. Anecdotal evidence suggest the left side structure is modified from 2013, and based on this, it sure moves a lot.



Andrew and some buddies spent a couple of hours and peeled off the bad, and pulled a bit on the frame with prybars. This is our starting point.
 
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#66 · (Edited)
gravel tire is much bigger than the stock one and won't fit in.
i tried to hummer out that but still not big enough.
that's the thing.
updates on my build: don't know how to attach pictures so here are the links:
made a massive skid plate

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fuace0be7sCax7Nd2

in case You wondering: i welded L shaped pieces (with welded nuts on the inside) to front rail
had to drill holes for those nuts to fit in. one was already there, just had to make it bigger.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hlcpJrcaheGAOT6l2

was pulling my hair (not like if i have much left already lol) what to do about windshield washer reservoir.
cut it short and plastic weld the filling neck but after mounting it realized it'll be rubbing left tire so had to relocate it further forward and
made flexible filling neck. it'll hold enough water to last in-between services.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Balb0UJVRq9j4g1w2
 
#67 ·
just found out my HVAC wasn't working. and i mean it won't budge at all!
did some reading and it seems like 2016 ST's have some issues with that.
complains are pages long!
http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/threads/7315-Climate-Control-Heater-Issue
So after checking fuses and relays I decided not to waste time figuring out what the problem was
but to dump automatic climate control altogether and switch to manual.
Started splitting wires from my other n/a HVAC manual unit but since some connectors were different from ST ones
I just left manual fun control and will remove all the servo motors, also will make shutters open/close manually to simplify things.

On my Mini Cooper I ditched that stupid automatic climate control unit and installed controls from a 100 y.o. Subaru
The conclusion is: make sure Your heater works properly before doing final assembly
 
#69 ·
i found an unplugged connector and can't find there to plug it.
sent You a PM with the picture.
If You check it out that'd be great!

everything was working in my car as well. i think the part of the problem might be is a/c being removed
as for blower all You need is a resistor pack and a slider that controls speed.
for Mini i got that off one real old subie from scrap yard
in case if Your unit doesn't work. hopefully it's not the case.
 
#70 ·
#72 ·
Did you pull your restraints control module out? I picked the super hottest day of the year so far to start trying to get the wiring back into the car.

It's been a pain in the neck, especially because I put the dash in before doing the main body harness. Not sure what I was thinking there.

I suspect I'll be taking the car apart again after I get it running again and get a few more things figured out- I'd like to get the restrains module and all that wiring out of it. The two other modules on the passenger side seem superflous, and I'm still figuring out what to do with the junction box on the passenger side. It doesn't seem like there is anything to mount it to?
 
#73 · (Edited)
i was putting everything back in a hurry because we had a rally coming up and don't remember if it's plugged in. i think i might've been but will check later.
junction box is a body control module, just leave it alone unless You go stand alone and rewire all the body wiring Yourself or buy a simplified made harness.
i wired rad fan directly via switch because it wasn't working! probably due to a/c removed?
and since the stupid instrument cluster doesn't have coolant temp. gauge i downloaded free torgue app. to my old smartphone
and plugged in blue tooth thing into OBDII to watch it. attached the phone with velcro to console and it did the job.
Now:
we run it at Rocky Mountain Rally last weekend and Rocky was a Rocky as always and even a bit rockier than last year lol.
since we didn't have a goal to make a podium i literally rolled in 1st gear over big rocks and bolders getting used to the car during first day.
i didn't like the car at first. for some reasons it has tremendous understeer. it's just want to go straight!
also compared to supercharged Mini it surely lacks torgue and not having it tuned doesn't help either lol.
i have to adjust my driving habits. LSD is a must thing and it's now 1st on my to do list.
there were two more P2WD cars and we won all the stages in class except for one when i kinda went a bit wide (again due to oversteer) and lost some time getting back on the road.
second day stopped caring about tires and such and pushed it a bit and we had a blast on first two opening stages.
on third went into a ditch on late note and bent control arm and de-beaded front tire.
i honestly thought we're done but started it up and got it moving. road was very narrow and i had to find a safe place to change a tire.
lost over 10 min. on stage altogether. finished it nonetheless and coasted the last one and limped to the finish.
M-Sport Bilsteins are OK. had to preload the springs during first service. they're made for n/a which is i think like 200 lb lighter. rears were OK
all cars were weighted before the rally and mine was 2600 with half tank full
the car grew up on me towards the end of the rally and she's a tough cookie i must say.
would love to install higher final ratio alone with LSD but unfortunately it all comes down to budget =o(
 
#74 ·
Yeah, you want to get the control arms plated.

The car was designed to do some torque vectoring with the ABS system, so I guess if you unhook the ABS, you're going to get a bit more understeer than ideal. Did you leave the front sway bar hooked up or did you unhook it? Leaving it on will give you understeer.

I had to talk to M-sport about the shocks - I got a bit confused how to mount them to the plastic strut bearings and they told me you need to open up the hole a bit more to clear the lower urethane washer they ship them with.


The cooling fan and the AC disconnect shouldn't be related. My fan worked and Iv'e never had working AC.


If you know the coolant temperature, what do you do with the information? The PCM will derate as the temperatures go up and protect the engine, assuming you have coolant in it at least.
 
#75 · (Edited)
i just didn't have time figuring out rad fan issue.
during transits temp stays where it should be even in a hot weather (stayed 86-87 C) but right before the start i just did turned fan full blast
and we had two stages going up and up and up the hill all the way for 14 kms.
i glanced on the gauge in the middle and temp was over a boiling point (112 C it was) so i flipped up heater blower full speed as well
(damn it was hot inside lol)
guy with other Fiesta says he had overheating issue as well but since there's no gauge You can't really tell till it starts steaming.
my suspension came with the instructions and yes, it was about opening up the hole to accommodate washers in stock top hats.
i was exercising the idea of removing stabilizer bar links but watched Team-ONeil vids and saw they have them hooked
also my friend has an R2 here and he has them hooked too so i just left them alone.
i think installing LSD will solve the understeer issue
PS.
forgot to say: for some reasons strut bolts that mount them to knuckles were getting loose.
had to tighten up left one and checked the other but next service the left had to be tightened up.
though when i put the car together i know i tightened them all up pretty good.
also for some reason front control arm front bolt got loose as well.
so You might keep it in mind and check those during services when You run it first time and see if You have the same issue?
 
#77 · (Edited)
At Pacific Forest rally which we didn't finish due to co-driver's motion sickness.
car performed exceptionally well though. i shaved about 1 min/10 kms compared to my last year's run in Mini Cooper S.
However right front strut insert went through top hat but by then our rally was over anyway.
You might consider adding wide thick washers between strut and stock top hats because OEM mounts metal is real thin.
i'll post a picture later to see what i mean.
 
#80 ·
Year later update-
I got my pilot's license this year, so the car sat abandoned for a long time. Good thing I have photos of those logbooks, now I know what they look like so I can try to figure out where I put them.

I had some space problem between my cage and the brake fluid tank. I finally got a tank fabbed up to fix that problem and am proceeding with getting the rear disc adapter kit installed.


Automotive design Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Automotive fuel system Hood


Tank is stainless with brass push on fittings threaded into weld in bungs for the MC fill and clutch master line.
 
#81 · (Edited)
Thanks for bringing the thread up to top so I saw it. My Fiesta ST is only a RallyX car and is very much closer to stock than your guys. I'm just now tuning and adjusting a newly installed Cusco gravel spec suspension supplied by Yawsport. Have only a shake-down rain autoX and some light dirt testing on it. Currently working to redistribute jounce vs droop travel to get the bump stops a bit further away. I'd like to keep it at stock ride height for handling goodness, but may have to lift it a bit to be able to crash the rough stuff a little harder.

If you're interested, Brett at Yawsport has (maybe had) a Cusco limited slip for this car. I was planning on using it, but am not unhappy with the electronic vectoring stuff, so put it off for now. I know he thinks I'd be faster with it. But this car is already pretty competitive locally, so I can afford to develop slowly. BTW, anyone know where I can grab a second set of Team Dynamics Pro Rally wheels for this car? They seem to have disappeared from the US. I found some old Focus alloys in 15x6 that I guess will do for now for my mud tires. But they lack the extra high safety bead, so a debead risk. At least the price was right.

-- Bill
 
#84 ·
but am not unhappy with the electronic vectoring stuff,

-- Bill
if You bypass ABS pump by replumbing brake system the problem will go away.
well i had to do it because i wanted brake line to be inside of the car, same as fuel line.
can probably get away with simple unplugging one of the wheel sensors
as for LSD I bought the cheapest available from M-Factory. i think it was around $600
same as Quaife or any other torsen/helical diff, does job just fine and i don't have to worry about wearing clutch plates.
 
#82 ·
Only non-stock stuff so far is just tossing the base car suspension bits on it- rear beam and front knuckles. Had to grind off some of the Bilsteins struts to get them to clear the ST CV boots. May have to grind more. I haven't driven it for 2 or 3 years.

I don't think I need more power, although I keep eying the Pumaspeed final drive.

Did you email Paul Eddleston to ask about the wheels?
 
#83 · (Edited)
No, didn't check TIM. Sent one off.

Word I got from others is there are no USA distributors currently, nor likely any 108's on shelves. So best bet would be used.

I suppose importing from UK is a possibility. Given the strength of the dollar, I can sometimes get things cheap enough to be able to eat the shipping. Or I can suck it up and go to Braid.

EDIT -- They don't have them...at least not mine...but they import them from Spain I think he said, and mine is in stock over there. Haven't heard cost yet.
 
#86 ·
I got my car out of the garage for the first time in 3 years this past week. Yay.

It has a lot of problems I need to figure out. I think I either have brake fluid or coolant leaking. I can't tell entirely which fluid is leaking, but my brakes are horrible, and my coolant is low, so I'm going to start with those.

I can at least re-organize the garage a little bit with the car out of there.

Rally car prep is amusing for me in that I feel the best when the car looks the closest to "stock" in terms of not having crap scattered all over.
 
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