Not really sure if there will be much interest in this one but I thought I'd share some details of my little run around - a modified 2008 Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi - which I'm extremely fond of. If there's any interest I'll add further photos and flesh out the details but here's a little intro for the time being.

I've always been quite a fan of Fords tbh and had a particular soft spot for Fiesta's. Personally, I believe them to be amongst the best handling fwd small cars available and I've always had exceptional reliability from them.

I wanted a small car for the daily commute that was primarily cheap to run and fun to drive.

I decided upon a 5dr Zetec Climate 1.6TDCi Fiesta as it was the most tuneable cheap new car I could get for my money. I needed it to offer cheap tax (its £30 per annum) do decent mpg

 

At the time I really liked the Zetec S TDCi but it was only available as a 3 dr. They then made the Zetec and Zetec Climate available with the same engine. It was one of the last CR engines available to not utilise a DPF - this was essential for me and the type of driving the car may have ended up doing.

I bought it new in 2008 and as it happened it was one of the very last of the mk6's to ship to a UK dealer before the newest shape took over.

 

I specified it with quite a few options and saved a total of almost £6k off the rrp bringing it in at just over £10k.

Specified options were:

Panther Black Metallic Paint
Sony Audio upgrade consisting of upgraded Sony double din head unit and 6 uprated Sony speakers.
Perimeter Alarm
Reflex Pack (Side airbags, curtain bags and a centre rear headrest).
Sports Pack
Technology Pack (power fold mirrors, automatic headlamps and wipers)
Advanced Bluetooth
Rear parking sensors
Eibach -30 Lowering springs

First day home:



After a waxing session:


 

 

 

 

 

 

Current modifications are:

Celtic Tuning remap (giving 109bhp and 208lb/ft torque - if ever a car proved torque, not power actually gets you moving, this is it!)

Larger ST 280mm front brakes (up from the standard 259mm setup) with Brembo Sport HP2000 pads and ATE Super Blue fluid.

Bilstein B8 dampers and Eibach -30 lowering springs, shortened rear bump stops and Powerflex front arb bushes.

I've also done a few interior tweaks (mainly ST parts) and did an EGR delete around 30,000 miles.

It currently has 57,000 miles on the clock and has been reliable. The only failure was an engine sensor that needed replacing at around 46,000 miles. Other than that its been totally reliable but it does receive the same OTT servicing regime as the Yeti; namely, two oil changes a year, approx. every 4,500 miles apart, an air filter every second service (so yearly) and a new fuel filter every third service.

 

Wheels off, full inspection, oil and filters every 4,500 miles:

 

 

 

 

It does 55+mpg in town driving and will better 70mpg on an extended 60mph run.

 

Here's the typical (taken this morning) summer time daily commute mpg figure over 10 miles, four of which are at NSL and six are in town. Winter driving see's this drop by approx. 3mpg:

 

 

70+ mpg on my regular trips to North Wales:

 

 

Externally it looks totally standard, although lower, and with the tailgate being devoid of any model or trim badges. Its a surprisingly capable little hatchback, always puts a big grin on my face and costs peanuts to run.

Not really sure if there will be much interest in this one but I thought I'd share some details of my little run around - a modified 2008 Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi - which I'm extremely fond of. If there's any interest I'll add further photos and flesh out the details but here's a little intro for the time being.

 

I've always been quite a fan of Fords tbh and had a particular soft spot for Fiesta's. Personally, I believe them to be amongst the best handling fwd small cars available and I've always had exceptional reliability from them.

 

I wanted a small car for the daily commute that was primarily cheap to run and fun to drive.

 

I decided upon a 5dr Zetec Climate 1.6TDCi Fiesta as it was the most tuneable cheap new car I could get for my money. I needed it to offer cheap tax (its £30 per annum) do decent mpg (it does 55mpg in town driving and will better 70mpg on an extended 60mph run). At the time I really liked the Zetec S TDCi but it was only available as a 3 dr. They then made the Zetec available with the same engine. It was one of the last CR engines available to not utilise a DPF - this was essential for me and the type of driving the car may have ended up doing.

 

I bought it new in 2008 and as it happened it was one of the very last of the shape to ship to a UK dealer before the newest shape took over. I specified it with quite a few options and saved a total of almost £6k off the rrp bringing it in at just over £10k.

 

Specified options were:

 

Panther Black Metallic Paint

Sony Audio upgrade consisting of upgraded Sony double din head unit and 6 uprated Sony speakers.

Perimeter Alarm

Reflex Pack

Sports Pack

Technology Pack

Advanced Bluetooth

Rear parking sensors

Eibach -30 Lowering springs

 

 

 

Current modifications are:

 

Celtic Tuning remap (giving 109bhp and 208lb/ft torque)

Larger ST 280mm front brakes (up from the standard 259mm setup) with Brembo Sport HP2000 pads

Bilstein B8 dampers and Eibach -30 lowering springs,

 

I've also done a few interior tweaks (mainly ST parts) and did an EGR delete around 30,000 miles.

 

It currently has 57,000 miles on the clock and has been reliable. The only failure was an engine sensor that needed replacing at around 46,000 miles. Other than that its been totally reliable but it does receive the same OTT servicing regime as the Yeti; namely, two oil changes a year, approx. every 4,500 miles apart, an air filter every second service (so yearly) and a new fuel filter every third service.

 

Externally it looks totally standard with just the tailgate being devoid of any model or trim badges. Its a surprisingly capable little hatchback, always puts a big grin on my face and costs peanuts to run.

I've got a soft spot for them too,before buying my Roomster I was looking for the exact same version that you've got,one came up locally the day before I bought the Roomster,but it sold the same day.

With that re-map you've got yourself a very decent all rounder.She's got a nice shine on her too !

Edited 14 April, 201511 yr by faradaycage

I for one would definitely like to know a bit more.

I've got a soft spot for them too,before buying my Roomster I was looking for the exact same version that you've got,one came up locally the day before I bought the Roomster,but it sold the same day.

With that re-map you've got yourself a very decent all rounder.She's got a nice shine on her too !

Thanks. The one thing I wasn't happy about when I received her was the quality of the dealer prep of the paintwork so after a year of letting the paint fully harden, I gave her a full mop and paint correction. Since then she's been regularly washed/polished/sealed/waxed...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even at seven years old and almost 60k on the clock, I quite often get comments regarding how good the paint looks on her!

Nicely done

My missus has an '07 Zetec S TDCI and they are a nice drive, and as you say, very cheap motoring. Unfortunatley we had to drop a new engine in hers at 102k, but found one with only 60k on it at the cost of about £500 all in.

I like the idea of the brake upgrade as they're a little rubbish as standard, although not sure if that's more to do with what I'm used too with my Fab?!

Will try and keep her away from this thread as she will be asking me to make some changes to her car!

Nicely done

My missus has an '07 Zetec S TDCI and they are a nice drive, and as you say, very cheap motoring. Unfortunatley we had to drop a new engine in hers at 102k, but found one with only 60k on it at the cost of about £500 all in.

I like the idea of the brake upgrade as they're a little rubbish as standard, although not sure if that's more to do with what I'm used too with my Fab?!

Will try and keep her away from this thread as she will be asking me to make some changes to her car!

The brakes aren't good as standard. They are just to small to deal with any repeated use. :(

 

New engine... Turbo failure? They seem to have a problem of blocked oil galleries at higher mileage leading to injector seal and turbo issues... hence why ive done an internal inspection recently, only use premium fuel and do regular oil changes. If I ever had to drop another engine into mine, id drop in the higher 115ps output version used in the Focus with the slightly bigger turbo (our ones are the size of a snails shell but are great for low down pull when mapped). 145ps and 240lb/ft torque when mapped! I have actually considered sticking the turbo from the Focus on, putting in the bigger injectors and having Shark Performance map it....

Nothing to do with the turbo. Two weeks after purchase we had the cambelt changed but there was something wrong in the head that meant the chain kept jumping when it was being timed back up. It was in my mates garage for 12 months with him trying to work out what was wrong and in the end stick a new engine in. He still has the old one and will keep working on it until he's found out what the problem was.

Didn't consider a completly different engine as she wanted a cheap car and the insurance would rocket. Although now you've said it, 140 in the body would have been awesome!

That said, Zee does want it mapped and I will have to insist on upgraded brakes.

Car modding is a slippery slope! At least with the Fiesta its fairly affordable. Interesting engine problem you had - not heard of that one before! :(

Car modding is a slippery slope! At least with the Fiesta its fairly affordable. Interesting engine problem you had - not heard of that one before! :(

Yup and she's watched me plough money into my Fab and wants to get involved

Yeah it was mystery. Even the Ford tech we got in was scratching his head. My mate will get to the bottom of it as he's not one for being beaten by mechanicals so will keep going until he's found the cause. Wasn't many threads to get info on and all with similar problems ended up in replacing the engine :(

Sister had a 1.4 zetec version of this model fiesta,

 

I took it to work once to service it and took back roads on way home and what i laugh it was to drive i didn't want to take it back,

 

I even considered buying it off her when she traded it in for a new one last year,

I had a mk5 1.25 fez, was quick for the size and handled really well. Had it for three years, and I still miss it

Sister had a 1.4 zetec version of this model fiesta,

I took it to work once to service it and took back roads on way home and what i laugh it was to drive i didn't want to take it back,

I even considered buying it off her when she traded it in for a new one last year,

I had a mk5 1.25 fez, was quick for the size and handled really well. Had it for three years, and I still miss it

Out of all the cars I've had, its always been the Fiestas that have stayed around longest. They are just easy to live with and so much fun as you say. I used to have a mk4 1.25 zetec - absolutely loved it - koni suspension, bigger brakes and the very rare (and very subtle) Ford accessory body kit - same servicing regime, oil change every 5k and I sold it to the brother in law at 48,000 miles, he sold it to a colleague at work at 89k. Now with 128k on the clock it still goes like a rocket without so much as a puff out of the exhaust! That little 1.25l Yamaha designed engine was a gem

Spent Saturday afternoon doing a few bits on the Fiesta. 

 

New wishbones and bushes

New arb drop links

New arb bushes (PowerFlex)

Gearbox Fluid change

 

 

 

 

The wishbone and bushes I just wanted to do, simply as Id just done the dampers etc and wanted it to feel as good as it possibly could - it worked, it now feels absolutely brilliant - it turns in more keenly, steering seems to weight up more, the more you turn the wheel (although this is more to do with the alignment setup now) and surprisingly, its quieter, with less road noise transmitted into the cabin at motorway speeds. 

 

The gearbox has been a little notchy lately, when it was cold at least. This has steadily been more noticeable over the last 4,000 - 6,000 miles. Ford say they shouldn't be touched for 100,000 miles in terms of a fluid change but I felt confident this was what was needed. The job wasn't as straight forward as id hoped as the IB5 box doesn't actually have a drain plug, only a filling hole. The decision was then to either pull a drive shaft or remove the reverse lockout module from the front of the box. As the reverse lockout was so low down in the gearbox it was ideal as it meant that more fluid would come out! The capacity of the box is 2.3 litres  and I managed to get 2.1 litres of new fresh Ford fluid using this method. The difference is marked now and the box is ultra smooth and slick once again. Issue resolved.

 

 

The only thing that beat me was doing the arb bushes. Its a big job (needing the whole front sub frame dropping!) that I just ran out of time on. Imo its abad design to need that doing for a pair of bushes but a visual inspection shows no noticeable wear on the current ones so I'll probably keep hold of these Powerflex ones until I have a need to drop the sub frame.

 

 

 

Finally, a full alignment. Job done.

 

 

Next on the list for the car:

 

Coolant change and two new Michelin Pilot Sport 3's for the front axle. 

Nice little car!

 

Over 100bhp and 200 fl/lb of torque isn't half bad either. It's got more than my car and probably weighs a lot less too so when I think how well ours can shift when you want it to yours must feel like a little rocket.

 

Phil

Nice little car!

 

Over 100bhp and 200 fl/lb of torque isn't half bad either. It's got more than my car and probably weighs a lot less too so when I think how well ours can shift when you want it to yours must feel like a little rocket.

 

Phil

Thanks Phil, it does move nicely. Decent gearing and that mapped torque figure give it more than you'd expect. Between 30 and 70mph it pulls very slightly (half a car length) on my friends Fiesta ST150 running a full exhaust with sports cat, enlarged 60mm throttle body and decent intake. On the dyno that got 166bhp apparently so it proves a deficit of power can be balanced with additional torque. Plus mine is 400cc down to start with but weights 65kg less than the stock ST I believe. The nice thing is that mines so effortless, pulls well from 1500rpm in any gear and after repeated runs of the above, still shows an mpg of 48mpg instead of high teens/low twenties!

Whilst recovering from surgery I've been driving around in my missus' Zetec S and I have to say it is a nice drive! I'm used to driving my modded, tractor like Fabia vRS around and the Fiesta is very quiet and smooth on power delivery compared to mine, although does feel rather gutless (not surprising really as mine is over twice the bhp and three times the torque)

Had more repairs needed though, dog-bone mount, crank pulley & driveshaft bearing, but was only charged for one hour labour for all

Next up, a proper clean and mop, hopefully will turn out as good as yours, Yeti_Man.

Are the ST brakes a simple bolt-on job?

Whilst recovering from surgery I've been driving around in my missus' Zetec S and I have to say it is a nice drive! I'm used to driving my modded, tractor like Fabia vRS around and the Fiesta is very quiet and smooth on power delivery compared to mine, although does feel rather gutless (not surprising really as mine is over twice the bhp and three times the torque)

Had more repairs needed though, dog-bone mount, crank pulley & driveshaft bearing, but was only charged for one hour labour for all

Next up, a proper clean and mop, hopefully will turn out as good as yours, Yeti_Man.

Are the ST brakes a simple bolt-on job?

Funnily enough I checked over my engine mounts etc on Saturday, they look ok. The ST brakes bolted straight on. Id read something beforehand about a hole on the carriers or somewhere that needed to be drilled out a further 1 or 2mm... but mine literally bolted straight on first attempt.

 

Regarding the brakes, the ST setup is a good bet. You can do the Focus ST 300mm setup if you want to use spacers - I didn't and wanted to keep the OE alloys in place. The disks and pads are now fully bedded in and are very good BUT I wouldn't go for the Brembo HP2000 pads again over the Ferodo DS2500's in performance terms. My feelings are that the DS2500's can not only tolerate more heat but felt slightly better from cold. The Brembos also create a heck of a lot of dust!

 

Oh, and good luck with the recovery.

Awesome, thanks for the info. I think the Fiesta ST will be plenty for this

I'll get searching .....

This is a lovely looking car and excellent fuel consumption. I may start looking for one of these soon.