RE: Fast Fiestas: a history lesson
Discussion
Interesting to hear all the positive and negative comments when comparing to other manufacturers of the era. I suppose VW back then used to be built properly. A mk1 or mk2 Golf would have been very cool then, but at much higher prices I suspect. I also loved the shape of the 205Gti, but the interior seemed very cheap. Much like Renault of that era. I loved the Clio Williams but couldn't live with its interior.
T66ORA said:
k-ink said:
Would it be wrong to build a mk1 Fiesta like an RS1800 Escort? Fit supersport alloys, strip it out, make it RWD and spray it white. That would be amazing.
Ford motorsport did it in 1979, for the Monte Carlo rally.1.8 BDA RWD.
(driven by Roger Clark and Ari Vatanen) were FWD 1.6L Kent engined cars running
twin 40 weber carbs.
This was the genesis of the XR2.
Edited by eglf on Tuesday 10th May 22:04
Edited by eglf on Thursday 12th May 19:07
I had a Mk2 XR2, fantastic car, loved every minute of my ownership time, and still think it a great looking car to this day. It had a rather unique sound to it, and one drove past me the other day, and its noise instantly took me back 20 years to when I owned it! Mercury grey it is, D reg.
I sold it to buy another great torque steering Fiesta, that you do not even mention in your article (!!!) at a time when everyone else was buying the rather common Escort RS Turbo, the Mk3 Fiesta RS Turbo. Mine was a 1991 J reg, in bright red with the green stripe, it was massive fun, quite rare, went to all the shows in it, but sadly it was stolen off my driveway, alarm and immobiliser got around, and completely striped bare within 2 days.
I sold it to buy another great torque steering Fiesta, that you do not even mention in your article (!!!) at a time when everyone else was buying the rather common Escort RS Turbo, the Mk3 Fiesta RS Turbo. Mine was a 1991 J reg, in bright red with the green stripe, it was massive fun, quite rare, went to all the shows in it, but sadly it was stolen off my driveway, alarm and immobiliser got around, and completely striped bare within 2 days.
J4CKO said:
Aged 18 I used to work for a dealer that would buy up as many MK2 XR2s and some other Fast Fords, fond memories of battering them senseless on the way back from auction, would buy them at 2 to 3 years old from fleet auctions during the week, would bid slightly over the odds and he had become a bit of a specialist, whatever he paid it meant that there were queues of young lads with fresh bank loans ready for an XR2, it was the car to own at the time, I had a MK1 Golf GTi and remember thinking it would be loads fast, it was a bit quicker but they were proper little go carts and had decent brakes which was never something you could say about a MK1 Golf.
If your Golf was a 1.6 then yes, you were right, they weren't that much quicker than the Mk2 XR2, not until you were headed to 3 figures. The 1.8 mk1 felt, and was, usefully quicker. I had a 1.8 and apart from the brakes ( which I thought just needed bleeding and new pads ...wrong, they were just "mushy" ) and the clutch cable/bulkhead problems it was well built and reasonably quick. Never as much fun as the Mk2 RS2000s that book-ended it though, esp as they were so cheap to mod.Truth is, I never remember any of the hatches of the early 80s being markedly quicker apart from the R5GT Turbos and RSTurbos, plus the Lotus Sunbeam.
I had a Mk1 XR2 as my first "fast" car. Sunburst Red I think the colour was called ....loved that car. Part exchanged it eventually against a Golf GTI.
Some years later I ended up with an XR2i ( also a shade of red ). Took it out for a test drive around Southend, thought it was alright so bought it ( should have taken it for a longer test drive but was desperate for a car at the time) Pretty much regretted it before the end of the 20 mile drive home though. It had none of the fun factor of the Mk1.. To be truthful I couldn't wait to sell it. Eventually did and then bought a nearly new Saxo Vts.... But that's another story.
Some years later I ended up with an XR2i ( also a shade of red ). Took it out for a test drive around Southend, thought it was alright so bought it ( should have taken it for a longer test drive but was desperate for a car at the time) Pretty much regretted it before the end of the 20 mile drive home though. It had none of the fun factor of the Mk1.. To be truthful I couldn't wait to sell it. Eventually did and then bought a nearly new Saxo Vts.... But that's another story.
I had been given my Granny's (yes) 1990 Honda Civic 1.4 GL in 1999 to go to uni in. The same year my mate got his XR2i.
Suffice to say when we met in the carpark of Chessington World of Adventures for the first day of that summer season, we were both quite surprised at the victor of our Leatherhead bypass runs. The Honda actually revved, had extremely keen PAS steering and decent brakes.
Suffice to say when we met in the carpark of Chessington World of Adventures for the first day of that summer season, we were both quite surprised at the victor of our Leatherhead bypass runs. The Honda actually revved, had extremely keen PAS steering and decent brakes.
Only echoing what has already been said but a Fast Fiesta article without the RS Turbo is pretty poor in my opinion..
Back in the day a couple of my friends had the Mk1 Super Sport. OK it only had a 1.3 Kent engine but it certainly looked the part (at the time) and allegedly paved the way for the Mk1 XR2.. Good days..
Back in the day a couple of my friends had the Mk1 Super Sport. OK it only had a 1.3 Kent engine but it certainly looked the part (at the time) and allegedly paved the way for the Mk1 XR2.. Good days..
I had a Fiesta Mk2 XR2, but it wasn't built in Essex or Germany.
The engine may have been Welsh and the radiator was from Basildon (the dealer left all the labels on after PDI), but the car was assembled in Valencia, Spain.
It taught me all I needed to know about torque-steer!
The Super Sport was a great little car and IMHO better-looking than most of the later Fiestas.
The engine may have been Welsh and the radiator was from Basildon (the dealer left all the labels on after PDI), but the car was assembled in Valencia, Spain.
It taught me all I needed to know about torque-steer!
The Super Sport was a great little car and IMHO better-looking than most of the later Fiestas.
Nothing compared to my Alfa 147 GTA a lifetime later, but still amusing.Roy C said:
The Super Sport was a great little car and IMHO better-looking than most of the later Fiestas.
I would agree there - loved the supersport looks.
Was the SS made in smaller numbers though? They seemed very rare (even back when I was a boy racer). I'd say the MK1 was a better handelling car than the Nova SR, but the SR did have the luxury of the 5th gear, reccaro seats and the 6 dial dash.
Steamer said:
I would agree there - loved the supersport looks.
Was the SS made in smaller numbers though? They seemed very rare (even back when I was a boy racer). I'd say the MK1 was a better handelling car than the Nova SR, but the SR did have the luxury of the 5th gear, reccaro seats and the 6 dial dash.
http://youtu.be/-1VoFFYxCpM
s m said:
Steamer said:
I would agree there - loved the supersport looks.
Was the SS made in smaller numbers though? They seemed very rare (even back when I was a boy racer). I'd say the MK1 was a better handelling car than the Nova SR, but the SR did have the luxury of the 5th gear, reccaro seats and the 6 dial dash.
http://youtu.be/-1VoFFYxCpM
Now that is Super!T66ORA said:
k-ink said:
Would it be wrong to build a mk1 Fiesta like an RS1800 Escort? Fit supersport alloys, strip it out, make it RWD and spray it white. That would be amazing.
Ford motorsport did it in 1979, for the Monte Carlo rally.1.8 BDA RWD.It was one of those 'Sports Scene' products and I only keep a video recorder in the spare room, so I can rewatch those old rally videos.
chrispphunt said:
generationx said:
The XR3i was available in 130 and 115bhp versions 
But yes the 130 was the version in the RS1800. Always thought it was a shame they used that name on a Fiesta when it really means
The XR3i was actually available as 105bhp and 130bhp 1800 Zetec :-PBut yes the 130 was the version in the RS1800. Always thought it was a shame they used that name on a Fiesta when it really means
but yeah its the 130spec in the RS1800- the only real difference between the specs was a hotter cam.
The later 1800 zetecs where then all 115bhp as fitted to the mk6 escorts.
sorry I'm an escort anarok lol.
such a shame there no mention of the RST it was the really special MK3 imo.
The 105/130 Difference was Cams, Throttle Body and Ecu.
I know that, because I had a 1.8 105BHP LXI as a cheap runaround, that I stuck the 130 ECU, Cams and throttle body from a scrapper 130 into. The cams were almost the same spec as 2.0 cams, but not exactly the same.
There was actually both a 105 and 115bhp version of the 1.8. The silvertop engines 105 and the blacktop zetec E engines 115.
I agree that the RS1800 was a poor name as it detracted from the SVA/Post Boreham BDA engine RS1800 cars.
Someone mentioned the 2.0 being a 'boat anchor', but that descript is usually associated with the Pinto 8v lump and sometimes the poorly conceived twin cam 8v lump found in the Sierra and Mk5/6 RS2000.
(again that RS2000, was nothing compared to the rwd predecessor)
Hol said:
The 105/130 Difference was Cams, Throttle Body and Ecu.
I know that, because I had a 1.8 105BHP LXI as a cheap runaround, that I stuck the 130 ECU, Cams and throttle body from a scrapper 130 into. The cams were almost the same spec as 2.0 cams, but not exactly the same.
One key difference is the HO (High Output) inlet manifold specific to the 130. At the time I converted two engines and road tested them; the performance difference really surprised me. The 130 also has piston oil cooling jets.I know that, because I had a 1.8 105BHP LXI as a cheap runaround, that I stuck the 130 ECU, Cams and throttle body from a scrapper 130 into. The cams were almost the same spec as 2.0 cams, but not exactly the same.
Hol said:
There was actually both a 105 and 115bhp version of the 1.8. The silvertop engines 105 and the blacktop zetec E engines 115.
The 105 was the Series 1 Zetec. The 115 was a Series 2 with later plastic inlet manifold. Both Silver Top if we're talking Escorts Hol said:
Someone mentioned the 2.0 being a 'boat anchor', but that descript is usually associated with the Pinto 8v lump and sometimes the poorly conceived twin cam 8v lump found in the Sierra and Mk5/6 RS2000.
(again that RS2000, was nothing compared to the rwd predecessor)
The RS2000 had a 16 valve head and made 150 bhp, which matched the Astra GTE/GSi of the era, even if it did lack the C20XE's scope for tuning. It was a nice engine as I recall. Quite a gruff, offbeat note, and a very wide spread of useable power.(again that RS2000, was nothing compared to the rwd predecessor)
While it never achieved the cult status of the mk2, I thought the mk5 RS2000 was quite underrated. Went really well, and the SVE team had worked wonders on the chassis.
I never understood the point of the 8-valve version of the engine in the Sierra though.
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