Bullseye TV Ford Fiesta Top Prize
Discussion
Evercross said:
Mercedes did that too with the W124. Admittedly it was a single wiper blade and the swept area was symmetrical, but it 'parked' on the right regardless of whether it was a LHD or RHD model. Wouldn't have taken much at all to fix that compared to the French problem!
The W124 was different for left and right hand drive. 
XRMike said:
Perfect thread for me to finally have a bash at Ford and their absolute failure to keep up with modern times.
Go back to autumn last year, and I start a new career in the NHS. Times are exciting for me, new job and that. Then imagine being sent out in a company van (2021 Ford transit connect) to find it has manual wind-up windows and manual door mirrors that are adjusted by actually pushing on the glass itself to move it! Utter madness! To top it off the window winders look identical to those found in a 90's Ford escort!
Wtf are Ford playing at?!
Ford have a good range of spec for their commercials. Basic work van spec is as basic as you can get, as you've described. Spend a bit more and there's big car luxury available. Heated seats, climate control, 360 cameras, etc. Go back to autumn last year, and I start a new career in the NHS. Times are exciting for me, new job and that. Then imagine being sent out in a company van (2021 Ford transit connect) to find it has manual wind-up windows and manual door mirrors that are adjusted by actually pushing on the glass itself to move it! Utter madness! To top it off the window winders look identical to those found in a 90's Ford escort!
Wtf are Ford playing at?!
Bobupndown said:
No big hardship in a work van? The mirror thing would frustrate me unless I was the sole driver of the vehicle and didn't have to adjust them every time I got in.!)
You say that, but I do 30k in my work van, my own car covers less than 10k in a year, but has much better spec. Just because it’s a tool doesn’t mean it should be basic Dapster said:
Evercross said:
Mercedes did that too with the W124. Admittedly it was a single wiper blade and the swept area was symmetrical, but it 'parked' on the right regardless of whether it was a LHD or RHD model. Wouldn't have taken much at all to fix that compared to the French problem!
The W124 was different for left and right hand drive. I always wondered what would happen if you had a time machine and took a new Fiesta back in time and put it in a TopGear review to compare it to the cars sold back then. What would they have thought?
If Ford sold the new Fiesta back then it would have wiped the floor with the competition, it would be better specc’d than big luxury cars of its day. A revelation.
I was surprised to read that a modern Honda Civic Type R is faster than exotic supercars from the 90s.
If Ford sold the new Fiesta back then it would have wiped the floor with the competition, it would be better specc’d than big luxury cars of its day. A revelation.
I was surprised to read that a modern Honda Civic Type R is faster than exotic supercars from the 90s.
Edited by Mr Miata on Thursday 30th March 00:23
The Transit discussion is interesting, at work we have a couple of them in various configurations - but all base spec. They don't go too far 90% of the time.
We have a Connect, the small one, which has absolutely no creature comforts. The dash shows average trip mpg and there's not even a switch to change it.
We also have a Custom, the mid-size one, which has air con, bluetooth, and electric mirrors. This one's the most popular out of the fleet because it's a decent size and has enough kit to keep the drivers happy.
We finally have a Jumbo, just a single rear axle 3.5T version. It's got all of the above, plus cruise control, fancy lights, and a rear camera. Much more kit as standard than the smaller Transits but it's more annoying to drive because it's big. Most complaints are about how it doesn't fit through the drive-throughs nearby.
We have a Connect, the small one, which has absolutely no creature comforts. The dash shows average trip mpg and there's not even a switch to change it.
We also have a Custom, the mid-size one, which has air con, bluetooth, and electric mirrors. This one's the most popular out of the fleet because it's a decent size and has enough kit to keep the drivers happy.
We finally have a Jumbo, just a single rear axle 3.5T version. It's got all of the above, plus cruise control, fancy lights, and a rear camera. Much more kit as standard than the smaller Transits but it's more annoying to drive because it's big. Most complaints are about how it doesn't fit through the drive-throughs nearby.
With regards to the existence of an 850cc Fiesta engine, I did doubt my memory as the only reference in my mind was from an AE Bearing catalogue which also told of some Ford OHV engines having a 'reground' crankshaft from new. I'd ordered a heap of these trade catalogues from AE/Hepolite to make my business look 'professional' and having mild autism, I read them cover to cover. It was at the time I started my first garage business at the age of eighteen*. However, I just found this evidence:
https://picclick.co.uk/FORD-FIESTA-MK1-850cc-OHV-E...
If it's the company I think it is, they have been in business since at least the early 'seventies, I don't think it'll be an error. Very cheap too at £49.
I think the quoted power from this budget engine was 39bhp.
The Mk3 Fiesta 1.0 was hopelessly underpowered. I bought one to resell and can recall the speed dropping to 45mph on an uphill section of the M1. One can only wonder how asthmatic an 850cc one must've been?
I didn't think this topic would be so popular :-)
https://picclick.co.uk/FORD-FIESTA-MK1-850cc-OHV-E...
If it's the company I think it is, they have been in business since at least the early 'seventies, I don't think it'll be an error. Very cheap too at £49.
I think the quoted power from this budget engine was 39bhp.
The Mk3 Fiesta 1.0 was hopelessly underpowered. I bought one to resell and can recall the speed dropping to 45mph on an uphill section of the M1. One can only wonder how asthmatic an 850cc one must've been?
I didn't think this topic would be so popular :-)
- As a family, we were all made redundant in early 1983. As I'd only just passed my college exams and was still an apprentice, no garage would employ me. There were no jobs anyway, so I rented a lockup garage for £20/mth and bought a £19 trolley jack, £22 dwell meter & timing light and set up in business. I only did one job that with more experience, I'd have done it better. And just the one complaint, front pads on a Rover SD1 which started to squeal horribly: Unipart pads being the cure. It is still beyond me why customers would hand their keys over to an 18 year old, who looked more like 12. I did free collection/delivery as I was ashamed of my premises...
Puddenchucker said:
Toyota Aygo / Peugeot 107 / Citroën C1 only got one gas strut on the tailgate:
Enabled by the tailgate itself containing no sheet metal. It's a simple pane of glass with the hinges and latch attached directly, so it's incredibly light.My daughter has a mk1 Aygo and I still haven't made up my mind if I like it or not. It treads a fine line between cheap and funky, and just cheap. Engine is horrible as well.
She likes it though, which is the main thing.
The Citroen Xantia's handbrake was mounted towards the rear of the left hand side of the centre console. That was great in a left hand drive car. Did Citroen reverse the setup for RHD models? Of course they didn't, so applying the handbrake necessitated reaching all the way across the console and behind the gear lever for a control somewhere in the vicinity of the passenger seat.
Worse, however, was the plastic clutch cable retaining clip on the same car's pedal. Plastic isn't strong enough to keep a clutch cable attached to a pedal long term, so they'd snap. Replacement was a dashboard out job...
Worse, however, was the plastic clutch cable retaining clip on the same car's pedal. Plastic isn't strong enough to keep a clutch cable attached to a pedal long term, so they'd snap. Replacement was a dashboard out job...
Puddenchucker said:
On early right hand drive Mk2 Vauxhall Cavaliers, the brake servo was left on the left (passanger) side. as per LHD cars, and the pedal was connected by a rotating rod:
On later versions it was relocted to the driver side.
The transverse link rod arrangement was fairly popular in the eighties, also being found in Escorts and various VWs. On later versions it was relocted to the driver side.
Puddenchucker said:
On early right hand drive Mk2 Vauxhall Cavaliers, the brake servo was left on the left (passanger) side. as per LHD cars, and the pedal was connected by a rotating rod:
On later versions it was relocted to the driver side.
Same on the Ford Puma/Mk4 Fiesta. You can see the vacuum master cylinder and rod here in a PumaOn later versions it was relocted to the driver side.
And even better here without an engine in a Mk4 Fiesta.
They kept it there for the Mk5 as well but then the Mk6 moved it to the right side (but it's buried under the scuttle so can't find a photo).
tobytronicstereophonic said:
With regards to the existence of an 850cc Fiesta engine, I did doubt my memory as the only reference in my mind was from an AE Bearing catalogue which also told of some Ford OHV engines having a 'reground' crankshaft from new. I'd ordered a heap of these trade catalogues from AE/Hepolite to make my business look 'professional' and having mild autism, I read them cover to cover. It was at the time I started my first garage business at the age of eighteen*. However, I just found this evidence:
https://picclick.co.uk/FORD-FIESTA-MK1-850cc-OHV-E...
If it's the company I think it is, they have been in business since at least the early 'seventies, I don't think it'll be an error. Very cheap too at £49.
I think the quoted power from this budget engine was 39bhp.
There was no 850cc Fiesta engine; I suspect your pic click link is a typo. https://picclick.co.uk/FORD-FIESTA-MK1-850cc-OHV-E...
If it's the company I think it is, they have been in business since at least the early 'seventies, I don't think it'll be an error. Very cheap too at £49.
I think the quoted power from this budget engine was 39bhp.
dxg said:
Wasn't there a bit of EU regulation which meant that, so long as the swept area was a sufficient size, it didn't matter where the wipers parked. I recall both the Merc and the Renaults having cammed and pantograph wipers respectively to make sure they swept a bigger area than the traditional arc...
I had a C Class with the single wiper. The mechanism is really clever.Until it starts to jam, on the M25, in the pouring rain.
Fastdruid said:
Puddenchucker said:
On early right hand drive Mk2 Vauxhall Cavaliers, the brake servo was left on the left (passanger) side. as per LHD cars, and the pedal was connected by a rotating rod:
On later versions it was relocted to the driver side.
Same on the Ford Puma/Mk4 Fiesta. You can see the vacuum master cylinder and rod here in a PumaOn later versions it was relocted to the driver side.
And even better here without an engine in a Mk4 Fiesta.
They kept it there for the Mk5 as well but then the Mk6 moved it to the right side (but it's buried under the scuttle so can't find a photo).
I love utilitarian cars, Citroen 2cv with its split front windows, wind up flap for ventilation, floor mounted window wash, rubber carpets, canvas roof and still had a starting handle! Old beetles are similarly austere, there window washers power cones from the air in the spare tyre....but my favourite was the mk1 Panda 750l, rubber mats, four speed box, simple seats the rear one could double as a hammock, fabric dash deep enough for a briefcase, absolute delight, I'd have another in a heartbeat
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