Fiesta ST stage 3 build

[Dylanaledhall]

So guys a bit of an update. Dropped the car off this morning to get the Stage 2 collins map and the parts fitted. I'll let you know shortly how everything goes.

[Dylanaledhall]

So I've finally got the car back. What a difference in power, definitely feeling better both bottom end and top end of the rev range. The Milltek is sounding nice and with the sports cat is allowing some lovely pops on the overrun at around 5 thousand revs. To be honest, the Milltek isn't known for being loud but the pops are insanely loud. Can't image what it would sound like with a decat and a 3" cobra system.
Unfortunately I don't have a dyno sheet but will definitely look around to see if anyone in the area is doing any dyno runs then I will show you guys what torque and power we've got.

Next on the list will be the brakes and suspension. But it will need to wait just for me to get more funds.

Thanks guys

[Dylanaledhall]

HazzaT said:

Nice one! I'm really looking forward to seeing how your project goes. I've got a Revo Stage 1 Mk8 (stage 1 on the Mk8 is roughly equivalent to stage 2 on the Mk7, so 240-250 brake) and it's absolutely fantastic. Mine has the Quaife diff as it's a Perf Pack car, it does still kick the TC light on into 3rd when it's wet but that's more due to the tyres being on their last legs. I'm going for the Ford Performance coilovers and the Revo brake kit as next on the list, I think 250 is the sweet spot for the me power-wise.

300+ will be mental in your Mk7 though! Enjoy lad

Thank you so much for reading and I'm really glad you're enjoying the mk8. I actually was very close to buying a Mk8 ST2 and I think it would have been £240 a month with £2000 deposit but for me personally I just preferred the look of the Mk7 although I think the MK8 is a stunning car , especially the interior compared to previous fiestas in my opinion . A diff and brakes are next on my radar just to put the power down a bit easier. Having said that, my tuner said he has a friend who owns a turbo EP3 that's making 750bhp and apparently puts the power down ok providing it's not damp, but he's about £60k deep into that thing
For me I think anything over 300 will de decent enough, on the drive home to me it felt plenty quick and I don't think I'd get bored of the power, but us car guys, always want that bit more each time

[Dylanaledhall]

MK1RS Bruce said:

Definitely get an ATB diff for it, that will make the biggest difference to the way it drives for sure! I have a mk7 fiesta ST and a MK1 focus RS and the biggest thing I miss on the fiesta is the diff! The brakes aren't bad for what they are in the fiesta and will be fine for the road which is probably all you will need for a while given the current situation. What tyres are you running on it, I have michelin PS4 tyres on the RS and they are also very good for high power FWD.

Hi, I can't quite remember what tires I have on the rear but I have PS4s on the front. As for a diff I am eager to get one but are so expensive to buy and fit However, if it's worth it and makes the car more drivable I'm a happy boy

[Dylanaledhall]

griffin dai said:

Not hanging about here Dylan!!

What’s the power/torque on their stg2 map?

Agree on the PS4’s they gave TONS of grip, really good.

I went to GotBoost in Bridgend for a RR day I arranged a few years ago, they were ok but struggled to get any traction on the rollers so my run was all over the place.

Another decent place is Indigo GT (Ystrad Mynach)

Hi Dave, nah, definitely not hanging about

Stage 2 maps on these can vary massively. Power can be anywhere from 225 to 255 ( some claim 260 on some dynos but I think the max this turbo can produce is 250) and some people have seen up to 280lb/ft on a stage 2. Not massive numbers but I'd like mine to be around the 240bhp and 250lb/ft. Apparently if I change the actuator I could gain an extra 5bhp but I probably won't bother till a bigger turbo goes on.
Got Boost are literally 5 minutes away from me so I may book it in there. As for indigo GT I believe their dyno is a bit harsh. A guy called Spark Plug Steve that lives in the valleys took his stage 2 ST to Indigo's dyno and only made 227bhp, he then took it to a dyno in Abercynon and made bang on 250bhp. He himself admits it's probably wise to go with 240bhp just so he's roughly in the middle of the two figures I'm definitely not chasing numbers though, I mean the car feels really good at the moment so I'd imagine at around 300+bhp it will feel fairly rapid. Still a long way to go though

[Dylanaledhall]

MK1RS Bruce said:

It all depends on what sort of driving you do with the car, but for b road drives the diff will make more difference than additional power, if its motorway pulls then it probably won't make any difference.

At the moment the only real place I'm noticing the absence of the diff is acceleration from roundabouts and corners. Straight line it feels ok but I think it will be a different sorry with more power. Torque steer is an issue on these cars from standard so anything to try and limit that is a bonus I suppose

[Dylanaledhall]

mooseracer said:

Good work A good map on these really transforms them.

For 240ish bhp and road use the standard brakes are fine imo. Looking forward to reading about the next installment!

Hi, thanks for reading . I agree the brakes are fine, may look at pads for now just to stay safe rather than sorry. My tuner also recommended better brake fluid when I come to changing the brakes entirely to race fluid I believe. Lucky he's a j hook brake supplier and can sort everything out for me. But at the moment I'm really happy with how the car is feeling

[Dylanaledhall]

Scobblelotcher said:

750bhp in an EP3? Nah that will be terrible, you know the bottom 3 gears will be wheel spin city. I have a good friend with a supercharged one (335bhp) and it struggles even with uprated suspension, improved wheel/tire combo and LSD. My old EP3 was okish @240ish but not amazing although my car didn't have any mods that could help it in that respect. I sold that car though after going in a ride in a Impreza, I was shocked by how ruthlessly effective the Impreza was across a typical British B-Road with 270bhp. In perfect conditions in my EP3 on these roads the Impreza was in a different league and in any wet/damp conditions it just disappeared.

Have you noticed any changes to the sound of your car? I've always loved an induction kit on a turbo car running high boost, the sound adds real drama to the car and even driving it gently you can hear the turbo spooling which is something I've always loved. I dislike overly loud exhausts and bangs though (everyone does it and it annoys everyone) but love induction noises!

Yeah, even though I was considering an EP3 and throwing a turbo kit at it, I wouldn't want anything near 750bhp because like you say on a normal British road it would be both too much to put the power down and by the time you've finally hooked up you're doing such stupid speeds there's no point. I watched Lee Lockwood's video with a 500+ bhp EP3 and that looked stupid fast, but even they said it was almost too fast for British roads.

As for my car I have noticed a slight change in sound. Before I went and got the car mapped I fitted an ITG intake onto the car and I really liked the sound but with the map, intercooler and exhaust now on I am definitely getting a lot more induction noise. I will try and video this over the next few days but sometimes it's difficult to get sound across on camera. Other than that the idle is a lot better than the standard exhaust and now I have a few pops on the overrun which again I will try and video at some point this week( but I completely understand it is very marmite, just wanted it to see how I get on with it, plus I've just come from a diesel so I am taking advantage of actually being able to get some pops). I think you certainly get more turbo noise once bigger boost pipes are fitted along with the crossover pipe and a diverter valve. If it's turbo whistle you're after then people usually mention that the X47-R turbo from pumaspeed makes a lot of whistle noises. But yeah, I have noticed a decent change in induction noise but may get better with a GFB diverter valve, boost pipes as I mentioned and the crossover pipe

[Dylanaledhall]

Kaveney said:

The X47 i had did have a noticeable turbo noise more like a low grinding whistle

Quick link to how the TT S280 turbo sounds on a fly by .

https://youtu.be/Od2y9L4k8pA

Haha, almost sounds like a supercharger whine

[Dylanaledhall]

culpz said:

The MK7 Fiesta ST remains the most fun car I've ever driven, and that was only a 20 minute test drive! I've wanted one ever since and they are looking really affordable these days. I will definitely buy one at some point and it's one of the few cars that could tempt me back into a manual. I also like how there's no faffing about with driving modes and stuff. You just get in a drive. I'm not too keen on modern obsession with configurability.

I know these things will happily take monster power pretty easily. The engines seem capable of big numbers with stock internals and i believe they have some kind of uprated racing clutch as standard? Happy to be corrected on that last one. I'd probably be happy with the stock power or go for the 251 kit. As much as i enjoy having 300 bhp in my Cupra, it just doesn't equate to fun. I'm sure one of these is a riot though!

Hi there, yeah they definitely are a very fun and capable little car. I think some can be bought for as little as £5k but will have a few more miles but a very decent spec ST2 can be had from £7k.
As for power there's some in the USA running 400bhp on stock internals but there's no way I'd be doing that, simply cause I think there's a limit to how much a little 1.6 can realistically take reliably. I think they're absolutely fine up till 340-360bhp without opening the engine, only thing that it advised is fuel pump upgrades along with better injectors. You're also absolutely right about the clutch, I think it's an AP racing clutch as standard and is rated for 350bhp ( apparently) but there's no harm in upgrading to the ST200 clutch when going bigger power. I'm surprised that you don't find 300bhp in a Cupra that much fun, I was considering getting one after the ST (A Cupra 280 to be specific) but I may just stick to wanting an M135i or M140i

[Dylanaledhall]

J4CKO said:

I was out in my sons one yesterday, he can keep the bloody BMW, might be a hint of novelty value but I have driven it before on a fairly regular basis so might just be it fits what I like from a car, it takes me back to older hot hatches and I like I did back then driving it, not nostalgia, just keyed in to the thing where as the BMW just doesnt provide anywhere near the level of feedback, partly due to being an auto but also as its not set up right out of the box.

Its just really good fun and retains most of the other virtues of the Fiesta, there is a reason why its the best selling Supermini.

Round the lanes here in Cheshire I struggle to think of anything that I could go faster in, self preservation kicks in before anything lacking in the car, on dual carriageways it could do with a slug more grunt though, I think what you have done should be plenty, 300 plus is probably laboring a point in a car this size, impressive but really not necessary and I would be worried it ruins the overall package.

Need to try a tuned one, or just get some stuff done, would do if it were my car.

Its funny being fifty and driving a Fiesta ST "Look at that old tit in his boy racer car"

Still prefer the little ST? That's amazing

At 240bhp these for the size as you said is plenty. To be fair even standard it felt ok and I'm used to going in a Focus RS. Now at stage 2 I'm not saying the ST would be as fast but I don't think there would be too much in it.

The only reason I'm aiming for 300bhp is because everyone who's done a 300bhp+ build had been blown away by how fast these cars can become. Stage 3 Fiestas should walk away from Golf Rs Focus Rs' and I've seen a video where a RT330R turbo fiesta leaves an A45 which I couldn't even believe myself. Another reason I'm doing it is just to see how a 300bhp fiesta compares to my dad's RS just to see if it's worth the extra money. Admittedly the RS has 4 wheel drive, launch control etc so in some instances the ST won't keep up no matter the power, but I just want to see how close I can get.

But hey, nothing wrong with being 50. I'm just happy you're enjoying the car

I am going to start uploading some gopro footage to my YouTube channel when I get change. It will basically be pov mainly but will in some cases include exhaust clips, drive by clips etc. But still need to find a proper gopro and a decent head mount. Should be good though

[Dylanaledhall]

Terry Tibbs said:

Really enjoying this thread, I’ve had mine a month now and although I’ve not been able to drive it properly (hurry up spring and warm and dry roads!) it’s been proper fun.
Seriously considering a sports cat and system and a stage 2 remap.
The torque limiter in 1st and 2nd is very apparent and getting rid of that would release a few more grins I reckon.

Honestly, stage 2 really is worth it. Most people will run decat systems just to keep cost down and to be louder but I couldn't be bothered with the "taking the cat off to put the old one back on" for the MOT. I'm also waiting on drier roads, although I'd love to see what the car can do I'm not willing to risk it with the wet roads currently

[Dylanaledhall]

Scobblelotcher said:

You can also get yourself £1000 fine for not cat!

Not just that, I know a story of 2 people in a Fiesta ST that passed away due to the car having a decat. Apparently carbon monoxide got into the cabin in a massive quantity. Quite scary really

[Dylanaledhall]

J4CKO said:

Thats really sad, a girl at my wifes school died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a barbecue.

But, that said I drove loads of pre cat cars, old Capris, Mantas, Golf GTI's and have had some classics but have never managed to gas myself, same as all the guys from that era and that drive classics now.

Is there something worse about a decatted modern car or a quirk of the design vs some of the old stters I used to drive, variously with exhausts in various stages of decomposition.

I wouldnt decat a car, can make enough power with one in place.

I guess with the ST there must have been an exhaust leak somewhere. But it's sad nonetheless. Even though my sports cat cost 3 times as much as a decat, I'm happier to be safe

[Dylanaledhall]

J4CKO said:

If at some point you do decide to change, make sure you try something like an M140i for a decent length of time as they are a very different car, I would say a Hyundai I30N or a Civic Type R are more of the upgrade path for an ST owner, at least over a standard ST.

Yeah security is what all brand new ST owners should consider. It's a shame that Ford haven't really sorted out the security but it's the same for Audis, Golfs etc so I can't really blame just Ford for it.
An m135i is a hell of a learner's car, I wish him all the best with his learning and test etc

To be honest I'm open to anything, I really like the i30n even though I've never driven one, all the reviews were great I'm just surprised I hardly see any on the road. The Civic type R is a weird one for me although I liked the EP3 , the brand new Type R just doesn't appeal to me and I don't know why ( and it's not the bonkers exterior). The m140i is what's the top on my list currently because it would tick most boxes for me. But again, although people say they're dull to drive, I wouldn't mind trying a Golf R just to be fair and not write it off straight away. Problem I have is when I'd be moving from a 300bhp Fiesta, will other German cars feel a bit boring? I think they will, I just hope the M140i doesn't disappoint

[Dylanaledhall]

Scobblelotcher said:

Yaris GR you know you want to! The Litchfield remap takes it beyond 300bhp and the little car will be a weapon with its AWD, it’s like a mini Evo or Impreza.

Oh my God I keep forgetting the Yaris GR exists haha. Admittedly it must be an awesome little thing, it's just the £30k pricetag is insane which is brand new Golf R/ Focus RS money so that's the only thing that would put me off it, but definitely an awesome little car

[Dylanaledhall]

Scobblelotcher said:

This is what I recommend for security (had it on various cars) it’s a brilliant system and lowers insurance too! https://autowatch.co.uk/veh-sec/ghost-2-menu

I wish there was also a better way to secure motorbikes as they are incredibly easy to take. I sometimes have serious anxiety on that front with my BMW S1000RR.

Will give it a look I'm not massive into my bikes although my Dad used to have a 600cc Kawasaki I believe. I've heard of Hayabusas, R1s etc but I think I'll stick to cars

[Dylanaledhall]

Scobblelotcher said:

Not a bad idea but if you want to experience the driving/riding experience there is literally nothing like riding a bike fast or slow, ask your dad! - I drove cars for nearly 20 years before getting on a bike and my biggest regret is not doing it earlier! Bikes offer unbelievable performance for the cost as well although I question the point of this in our heavily speed restricted roads these days. It's funny though when you're riding a litre (1000cc) bike they are so fast you can't actually tell most of the time if even very fast cars are trying to keep up/race. This is what a 7k bike can do to a Bugatti Veyron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zj2h-3AeiM&t=...

Anyway sorry for the thread derailment, this is about your Fiesta ST!

Haha no that's fine, I'm happy to discuss bikes but yeah I think I'd be too scared to ride a bike. Some are stupid fast but yeah, don't think it's for me personally I do however envy the ones that go to my University via bike cause they get to skip all the traffic in the morning and get to park for free and under some shelter in case of the rain. However, I definitely don't enby them when it's pouring down

Edited by Dylanaledhall on Friday 15th January 10:09

[Dylanaledhall]

culpz said:

Yeah, deffo looking like great value for money. Maybe around the 250 bhp mark could be the sweet-spot, so pretty much what you're running now. 300 bhp sounds almost unusable and maybe a bit pointless in such a small, light car. Probably a lot of fun, but would deffo need a proper LSD to put the power down. My Cupra can get up to silly speeds very quickly, although the DSG has a big part in that.

300 bhp in the SEAT is fun, but the whole package leans towards it being more of a fast daily than a proper hot-hatch. It's very capable, but feels like a typical VAG product. It's the most fun car I've had within the group, but i think these Fiesta ST's are on another level in that department. I'd also consider a Clio 200 EDC or a 220 Trophy, as i do like having a flappy-paddle 'box to play with.

My old man has an M240i and that's a stunning car. That engine is and gearbox is just a masterpiece.

It's actually supprising how many people build a stage 3 ST without a diff and I have no idea how to be honest. I'm guessing so many are put off by the cost which I don't really blame them if that's the case.
At my tuner's garage there was an M235i there and I didn't really rate them until seeing one in the flesh but what a stunning thing it was. But I still think I prefer the M135i/M140i just because I see myself needing more than 4 seats in future Certainly need that B58 in my life though

[Dylanaledhall]

Here's some exhaust clips for you guys. For anyone interested this is a milltek cat back non resonated ( non race) with a Scorpion sports cat I'll go to a multistory car park to get some pops soon