RE: SOTW: Ford Fiesta XR2 Stock Hatch

[rallycross]

rb5er said:

Looks like great fun. I'd love to do some cheapish racing.

If there are enough people on here interested in having a go then we should have some kind of Pistonheads team?

Pistonheads stock hatch team - and a different competition winner gets to drive the car at each even (8 this year).

Win a drive in a stockhatch sponsored by Pistonheads!

Winner selected in a timed driving contest at an airfield track, where everyone who enters the competition pays say £50 and gets an afternoon instruction on / off track with a timed lap.

Pistonheads - bringing the online community on track!

[rb5er]

Sounds interesting.

[Dr Imran T]

Excellent find. It works out a lot cheaper to buy one already 'prepared'.

I have had my Rover Coupe sent off to various outfits for fabrication and assembly etc and it costs a fortune. Add to the fact that I have to pay transportation costs each time it goes to a company, the costs do mount up.

Top SOTW for aspiring racers on a budget.

[Sprint Rich]

This..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170786338691?ssPageName=...

had me wondering just what would happen if you didnt eat for a month?
In the process of liquidating assests to scratch the itch......
(Anyone want to buy a kart?!)

[interloper]

Great shed!

As for the moaners pointing out a lack of MOT....Its a race car that seems to be ready to race, as opposed to a road car, ready for the road, so it is "fit for purpose".

[Agent Orange]

PH said:

Okay, so a 96hp Fiesta with the old carburettor-fed 1.6-litre Ford CVH is hardly the last word in high-speed racing technology

Maybe not but damn easy to work on. I have fond memories of borrowing our company's XR2 F89 STP (I think) and ragging it with a mate in a company Nova GTE from Canon Street under the Embankment tunnel about 1am, after a very, very long day on a customer site, and all the way down the A316, M3 and M27 to home.

A fine little car with great handling and a wonderfully easy Ford gearbox.

At least that's how I remember it - maybe wouldn't think the same now.

[CO2000]

Goodfella 555 said:

Have often looked for a cheap entry into the wonderful world of racing however i have always been put off by the fact that if i towed using a 540i then the car i was towing wouldn't be as quick, which to me defeats the object. As for SOTW i think this should have been a 'You know you want to' article. Used to love the XR2 wished i'd bought one when i was younger (when they were plentiful and cheap).

The XR2 would be quicker round most UK tracks than the 540i but I know what you mean.

[Wing Commander]

Maty said:

Fantastic shed! If I wasn't getting married this year or in need of a larger house etc etc!!!

I used to race an XR3i in the Ford XR Challenge, great fun! The 2's were always slightly faster than the 3's but we used to have some fantastic races. To whomever it was that would prefer to drive a Boxster on the roads, I'd take the racing anyday, no matter what car it was! There is absolutely no other driving experience I have ever had on the road that has even come close to that feeling you get when sat on the grid at Oulton, Donnington or wherever for that matter, staring at the lights, stting it for the first corner/lap and then the absolute addrenalin rush when the race is over, I miss it more than I care to say!

Watched a few stock hatch video's, racing looks really good, nice and close and cars look pretty equal. The XRC was great but when I left in 2003 the grids were dwindlling so stock hatch certainly looks like a better alternative.

I've already told the wife to be the new house must have a garage so I can fill it with some sort of race car!!

If I was going to post a message, it would be, pretty much word for word, this.

I used to race in the 750MC, in the single seater. I used to *really* enjoy it. Skydiving et al dont even come close - it is up there as my all time biggest rush, sitting on the grid.

I am also mid restoration of an XR2. It started completely standard, and will end up completely standard. Thread is here

I literally cannot wait for it to be back on the road, hopefully this summer so that I can enjoy the pure, unadulterated overrun splutter and go kart handling on some deserted B road.

96BHP is plenty, when it is packaged up in something so right.

[B'stard Child]

Starting to despair........ PH is going downhill fast it seems

Top choice riggers - I hate fords but as a cheap entry level racer or some safer than a std car trackday fun it's a great choice

[KM666]

YES! This sort of thing really is my cup of tea. None of your poncy soft touch plastics here, oh no.

Liking that KA and fiesta too, good finds there ebayers!

[MadDog1962]

sleep envy said:

Less that £1k for a TD car.

You can't really go wrong can you.

Err, well you'll need a trailer as well or mate with a transporter.

Agreed this would be a fun track day toy for a grand! :-)

All that safety kit would cost a fair bit on it's own. It's certainly value for money, but I still don't think it's in the true spirit of shed.

[blearyeyedboy]

Dinged and scraped, in need of repairs, wrong wheel drive, doesn't come with a German badge, I can't even drive it on the road, wheels look rubbish and it's a minging yellow.

None of that matters. I think it's brilliant!

[V8 FOU]

blearyeyedboy said:

Dinged and scraped, in need of repairs, wrong wheel drive, doesn't come with a German badge, I can't even drive it on the road, wheels look rubbish and it's a minging yellow.

None of that matters. I think it's brilliant!

Too right!

OK let's have a PH challenge series! Or perhaps a PH team for the PPC challenge??

[s m]

When my friend worked for Motoring News they used to get these as company cars.

A few of them ended up in Epping Forest burnt out but they were fun little hatches to cover ground in

[vjay48]

alright i'll come clean,i sold the XR2,most of you are real PistonHeads,the Volvo brigade are SomethingelseHeads,still we are a broad church! Let me put you in the picture, it was painted that attractive shade of orange because the previous owner worked for Halfords and they sponsered him.
The good news is it sold to the second caller,that means that the nigerian scammers didnt get to me,i am worried that people know that i have £950,am they could cleaning my bank account at this moment.
For all you posters who missed out,i retire next year and will be free to build replicas,make your cheques out for £950.00 payable my business partner C.Ash i will be in touch.

[mr_angry]

I've raced two of these in Stock Hatch. Class B now runs as a separate class it's so popular. The racing is really close, grids always sizeable and the driving standards surprisingly high. Honestly people, if you fancy it, don't hold back. You don't need anything faster than this if you're starting out, just drive it 11 tenths!

[CDP]

johnpeat said:

One BIG factor is where you live of course - if you're inside the 'triangle' you can commute to most of the UKs more popular tracks but if you're in the SW or the North you're facing a lot of costly travel/accomodation (9 nights in a Travelodge is £500 alone - fuel to get to most tracks is £100-150 a time).

Even £4500 isn't a small sum for a year's entertainment really tho is it?

Most people use motorhomes, tents or old Transits. Few use Travel Lodge. In fact the Transit is probably the best option as you can carry all your tools and bits in it.

Dr Imran T said:

Excellent find. It works out a lot cheaper to buy one already 'prepared'.

I have had my Rover Coupe sent off to various outfits for fabrication and assembly etc and it costs a fortune. Add to the fact that I have to pay transportation costs each time it goes to a company, the costs do mount up.

Top SOTW for aspiring racers on a budget.

A trailer is essential if you go racing. Fortunately you can get them for about £500-£600. (Mine was £300)

[iva cosworth]

The 2nd fastest i have been round Donington park was as passenger in a Stockhatch XR

Good ,cheap way into Motorsport imo.

[fastest was passenger in works Focus WRC]

[Maty]

johnpeat said:

One BIG factor is where you live of course - if you're inside the 'triangle' you can commute to most of the UKs more popular tracks but if you're in the SW or the North you're facing a lot of costly travel/accomodation (9 nights in a Travelodge is £500 alone - fuel to get to most tracks is £100-150 a time).

Even £4500 isn't a small sum for a year's entertainment really tho is it?

Travelodge!!!! Buy a tent! Part of the fun of going racing is the evenings spent in the paddock with the other drivers, bbq's, beers etc!

[Liquid Knight]

That KA's still at £400 and there's less than twelve hours to go.


Best of all it's taxed and M.O.T'd so all you trailer boys can jog on.