RE: Ford Fiesta ST150 | Shed of the Week
Discussion
I remember sitting in one of these at the motor show when they were new and I was quite interested in them. I liked the idea of 150bhp(same power as my xr4x4 from years ago) in a smaller and lighter(admittedly not by much) package.
Fords Red colour is a challenge to keep Red though. I had a mk5 RS2000 in Radiant Red and it wasn't long before it changed into a Pink colour!
Fords Red colour is a challenge to keep Red though. I had a mk5 RS2000 in Radiant Red and it wasn't long before it changed into a Pink colour!
I had a 2008 58 one of these in silver. Bought second hand at 18 months old as my first car, kept completely standard and owned for a few years.
Got rid as needed something more suited to motorways for work (felt it always needed a 6th gear), and had a few brake balance issues which a couple of garages couldn't fully resolve. Otherwise totally reliable, and the Sony stereo was OK - even had Aux in.
Mine also had the optional fish tank in the doors, but poking a stick in the drains usually got things moving again.
Got rid as needed something more suited to motorways for work (felt it always needed a 6th gear), and had a few brake balance issues which a couple of garages couldn't fully resolve. Otherwise totally reliable, and the Sony stereo was OK - even had Aux in.
Mine also had the optional fish tank in the doors, but poking a stick in the drains usually got things moving again.
cerb4.5lee said:
I remember sitting in one of these at the motor show when they were new and I was quite interested in them. I liked the idea of 150bhp(same power as my xr4x4 from years ago) in a smaller and lighter(admittedly not by much) package.
Fords Red colour is a challenge to keep Red though. I had a mk5 RS2000 in Radiant Red and it wasn't long before it changed into a Pink colour!
I had a Mk1 Mondeo in Radiant Red that went pink. I had a Mk3 that didn't. Paint must have improved. Fords Red colour is a challenge to keep Red though. I had a mk5 RS2000 in Radiant Red and it wasn't long before it changed into a Pink colour!
s m said:
Performance ( acceleration/in-gear) is the same as a GT86 at legal speeds. Owners of those claim it's no bar to having fun when you have decent handling
Her indoors had one for a few years and really liked it. Ultimately it was the gearbox that let them down, thirst due to no 6th gear, and it wasn't unheard of for the gearbox to spill it's guts. For less than £2k they are a bit of a bargain now though, and unlikely to throw up Clio 172/182 type bills.I drove one of these at work a few years ago and couldn't believe how high the seat position was. I know Ford's hatchbacks have never been particularly 'low seated' and even having owned a Mk1 Focus Zetec Ebony in years gone by, this one seemed to have a seat like a perch. The engine was quite responsive but overall it felt pretty slow, even when revved out.
I had a mk5 Fiesta Zetec S as my first car (type pictured below). It was a great car and much more fun than this type of Fiesta ST.
I had a mk5 Fiesta Zetec S as my first car (type pictured below). It was a great car and much more fun than this type of Fiesta ST.
s m said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Fords Red colour is a challenge to keep Red though. I had a mk5 RS2000 in Radiant Red and it wasn't long before it changed into a Pink colour!
Jamescrs said:
Had one of these in blue as a first track car a few light modifications and it was a great car, loads of fun had with it for not a lot of money.
I since sold it for pretty much what I paid and bought the PH favourite MX-5
Was going to say, I saw so many of these at a recent track day; Ford must have done something right!I since sold it for pretty much what I paid and bought the PH favourite MX-5
dufunk said:
150 from a 2L sport was this 1988!
How many 2.0-litre engines were pushing 150bhp in 1988? 2.0-litre pinto was what, 110? There were a few, but many were under 130bhp. The engine in the Fiesta ST was just a swap from the 2.0-litre Mondeo. Ford also offered 165bhp and 185bhp upgrades through mountune if people wanted more. It wasn't the most powerful car in its class at the time, but power isn't everything.
Xcore said:
Acouple of my pals bought these brand new, felt more sturdy then the equivalent 172, but they are still very slow
Very slow compared to what? I mean it's slower than a 911, but it's faster than a 1.4 Fiesta. I'm not really sure what people expect from a moderately sporty Fiesta?SweptVolume said:
No, because in 1988 there were no catalytic converters or other Euro IV compliance that had to be met, strangling engines of power.
Ford got more out of (I think) this engine with the VVT ST170 Focus, but had they thrown on a couple of massive carbs and a lumpy cam al-la 1988, I suspect they could have got more.
The ST170 Duratec was actually an evolution of the cast-iron block Zetec engines, while the Fiesta ST engine was a 'true' Duratec, so alloy block and based on a Mazda engine. The ST170 struggled to make it's claimed power too, most are low 160s.Ford got more out of (I think) this engine with the VVT ST170 Focus, but had they thrown on a couple of massive carbs and a lumpy cam al-la 1988, I suspect they could have got more.
blade7 said:
Her indoors had one for a few years and really liked it. Ultimately it was the gearbox that let them down, thirst due to no 6th gear, and it wasn't unheard of for the gearbox to spill it's guts. For less than £2k they are a bit of a bargain now though, and unlikely to throw up Clio 172/182 type bills.MC Bodge said:
Yes.
We have a (inherited) facelift 1.4 Zetec, probably worth peanuts, with not much more than half the power of the ST. The gear change and steering are also very good. The ride is quite firm, but good over bumps - I'd be interested to know what the ST was like in comparison.
The performance is actually adequate, but the extra grunt of the 1.6 from the Zetec S would probably be the ideal.
Actually one criticism I would make is that the ride is too firm and it gets a bit bouncy over a really bumpy road. I see EVO made a similar criticism when comparing the latest Mk8 ST to the Hyundai i30n in a recent comparison test. Apparently the ST struggled to keep up with the i30 over the really testing yumpy sections and I can believe that, as our ST doesn't like really bumpy bits. Its quite a tall car for a supermini and coupled with 40 section tyres, I don't think that helps. We have a (inherited) facelift 1.4 Zetec, probably worth peanuts, with not much more than half the power of the ST. The gear change and steering are also very good. The ride is quite firm, but good over bumps - I'd be interested to know what the ST was like in comparison.
The performance is actually adequate, but the extra grunt of the 1.6 from the Zetec S would probably be the ideal.
MrBig said:
My brother had one of these back in the day. Not a quick car, but nippy enough and good fun. Certainly worth a look at shed money IMO. Especially as this is one of the better looking pre-facelift cars before they brought in those silly bugeye headlights and the horrible dash.
I quite like the facelift ones.Interestingly, there are 3 of this era of Fiesta in our road, amongst the ubiquitous Merc/Audi and SUVs of Middle England, and they still look quite good. They don't appear to rust much and seem to last well.
These have never done it for me. They just seem kind of boring. Generic 2.0 engine from a Mondeo, less power and more weight than the equivalent Clio 172. Preferred the earlier Zetec S and the later ST's would run rings around these (though obviously not for shed money). I think I'd rather go for a Clio or save a few more pennies and get an EP3 Type-R.
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