Mk 5 Fiesta 1.7 Track car build

[donny1]

Hi,

Early last year myself and a couple of friends all decided to have a bit of fun and buy some track cars.

I decided to buy something a bit different a 309 gti, which there is already a thread running for. My friend Martin who isn't on here picked up a mk5 fiesta track car already built with a puma engine for a good price.









It was a built on a budget but a great buy for the money.

Rough Spec

1.7 puma engine (exhaust induction kit)
Striped out
New bucket seats and harnesses
New AP coilovers
New discs and pads
Front upper and lower Strut Braces
Half Cage
3 sets of wheels with track tyres

Plus other things I've forgotten to mention.

A picture the day before its first track day.




Our nearest track is Knockhill and the fiesta was alot faster than its BHP would suggest.





After that the bug came for some modding and through 2016 the fiesta went on an extensive diet.

Lights out and some holes for cool air




Some door lightning which with only half a cage made none of us want to get in it with him.



Perspex windows and fibre glass bonnet and boot



A remaped ecu was also purchased and some general maintenance carried out.

Then the fibreglass was painted and some decals added. Being called Martin....



With theses mods it was easily a match for track spec clios and civic type r's with much more power.

That takes us to last month, ill add more tomorrow.

thanks

[donny1]

Around December last year it was agreed a full cage/door bars were needed. There was however a slight issue, although the car looked good from the top it wasn't quite so good underneath.

There were some holes in the floor, the rear chassis rails were crumbling, brake lines almost gone and the arches/sills were just starting to bubble.

While he was considering what to do next this came up for sale less than 10 miles away for a ridiculously cheap amount.



Spec

group n cage
fully seam welded
seat rails lowered and welded in
sill stand points
2 new quarters
brand new sills

90% of the fabrication work was done and it also came with alot of parts.

2 new front wings
2 doors
2 spare sills
boot
front bumper
brand new st rear disc set up
lightened/strengthened and powder coated front subframe and rear axle
rear axle spacers
powder coated wishbones, hubs etc
full set of brand new black series poly bushes
1.6 engine and gear box

The seats and half cage were sold and it was basically paid for.

It was meant to be a quick install of a full cage but at this point with so many parts and a good shell it was decided to spend some money and do it properly.

First thing was to make some sill stands



We then set about stripping the underside and welding up some holes. Flaring the rear arches/sealing and stone chipping.



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The front subframe has just been built up with new droplinks/track rod ends/bearings and poly bushes.

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Currently in the middle of building up the rear and cleaning up the brakes.



That brings us up to date, Martin has bought a couple of other parts for it.

A limited slip diff

Full braided lines should be here this week.

Some new seats



Some oz magnesium wheels should be arriving this week



Next step is to get it rolling, test fit all the panels then start prepping the interior and engine bay for paint.

thanks

[donny1]

JonJon2015 said:

Bookmarked.

Is the car being built up with the old 1.7 or the 1.6 that came with the new shell?

Will be the 1.7 as it seems to go well, hes talking about maybe spending some money on the engine next year.

[donny1]

Got a bit more done over the last week.

Unfortunately it started with the stone chip reacting under the drivers side and driver side sill so that was scrapped off and we are waiting on more paint

Offered up the driver seat assuming the seat rails would be in the correct place but apparently not...

so started modifying the side mounts rather than cutting the rails.



1 step forward two steps back it would seem.

A couple of other things going slightly more to plan.

Battery mounted in boot.

Cleaned up the fuel tank and a quick coat of silver.



Brakes all built up Brembo discs and EBC pads on the front.








Wheels also arrived, i may need to steal them for the 309

[donny1]

Test fitted the axle and new wheels. Had to lose the axle spacers as they are wider but now a perfect fit.



And finally finished the stone chip on the underside, hopefully top coat on monday night.





thanks

[donny1]

WolvesWill said:

Liking this

Doing away with the rear axle spacers is no bad thing - assuming they are the cast aluminium ones, I have read tales of some of them breaking up over time (whether through a casting fault or through some strange sort of galvanic corrosion, I'm not sure). I had some 12.5mm ones on a Fiesta ST150 which were fine but if I was having spacers now I'd only go for the machined billet ones from Anembo engineering - https://www.sico-developments.co.uk/products/anemb...

They came with the shell and were stamped ford. The guy that was building it didnt seem to be cutting any corners and they looked good quality. Regardless not needed with the wider wheels

[donny1]

JonJon2015 said:

Most likely Ford '909' parts originally designed for the Racing Puma.

Thought as much

[donny1]

WolvesWill said:

The spacers are a genuine Ford item, I remember mine for the ST Mk6 came direct from a main dealer, you could get 10mm, 12.5mm and 20mm ones. Not all of them seemed to fall to bits after a few years mindbut I remember a big scare on the STOC forums when some people found that theirs had started to disintegrate...not a part I'd want to fail! Regardless, you're rid of them

Any plans for the engine? I recall Shawspeed making a few bits for this engine, cams, ITBs and similar. Realise it starts to get a bit mad price wise with such mods, would add greatly to the character of the thing though

Looked at engine swaps (st150) etc but it was just meant to be a rollcage he's not happy the amount I'm making him spend on everything else haha.

That said it will defo be getting cams and an inlet or bodies if a set comes up cheap enough middle/late this year.

[donny1]

Been a bit busy recently but got some more done on the car.

Removed the front end, will be made bolt on.



Welded up aerial and door locks.





Bulkhead holes.



Started some sanding in between jobs as doing it all in one go is rather soul destroying.

Boot floor and struts.





Engine bay.



Also made a start on the front wings again going to be bolt on with rivnuts.



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Quite a few other things that look like 10 minute jobs but end up taking hours to get right.

Passenger seat mounts have been altered to fit.

Numerous brackets have been removed, more welding and grinding.

Thanks

[donny1]

Feel like we are getting somewhere over the last week.

Worked on the car a couple of nights and a friend who helps out now and again had a spare day off.

1st fill on both quarters/arches





Bit of work, some more filler and the passenger side is getting there.








Other front wing fitted, front panel refitted and with a bit of persuasion/swearing the doors are on.







Also got a new saxo vts radiator with a built in water tank as the standard tank wont fit with the cage.



Hopefully get some more done over the weekend.

[donny1]

Its my friends who shares the unit. Proper monster. 300bhp n/a and around 900kg.

bodies
2.3 block
forged
billet crank
cams
dry sump
swirl pot
pedal box
big brakes

etc, etc

[donny1]

Got a couple of nights in this week.

Bit more filler work on the driver side quarter/arch.



Bay getting prepped



Seam sealer



High build primer (a very light grey but looks white)


Frozen white top coat













No reactions this time took alot of paint to cover the stonechip though.

Get the axle and subframe on this weekend and it will roll plus give me a bit of motivation to prep the inside, its always nice adding shiny parts to new paint

[donny1]

Bit of an achievement at the weekend...... it rolls

















Got the wings and engine in so we could set up the suspension and then flare the arches.

The strut tops seem to be modified to make it sit lower and have more camber which is a bonus.

Spent another hour or two prepping the inside, getting there slowly.

thanks

Edited by donny1 on Monday 20th February 10:00

[donny1]

Been rather busy of late and heading down to a track day at Rockingham and Sunday service this weekend but there has been a little progress.

Trimmed the dash and test fitted.





Had to make a bracket for centre support. Will be making a main panel with switches/gauges at a later date.



The insides getting very close to paint. Hopefully make a start next week.







A couple more parts have also turned up.

6 Point Harnesses



Bonnet/boot pins



thanks

[donny1]

Well progress has been slow but finally managed to dust off the car and get some more work done.





Inside sealed, primed and painted






Wasn't the easiest thing to paint :/

[donny1]

Been a while but finally got a bit more work done.

Alot more filler work

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Got the boot fitting alot better, still need to fibreglass it back together though..



Flared the front arches and gave them a 1st fill.







Thought it was about time to get some paint on the shell



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Then guide coat and wet and dry









Passenger side sanded down, some bits im not happy with but couldn't tell till it had a shine so will need more filler/primer.

[donny1]

Been a while since i updated this but still going

Painted white



Some rear poly windows, lights.



Seals, steering column, pedals.



Got all the brake lines routed

[donny1]

Did alot of stripping back and tidying of the looms and also started on the engine.



Engine was all stripped and painted.

New gaskets, belts, water pump, clutch and Heat wrapped the manifold.





Engine in





Then the fuel lines, Gear Linkage, interior loom.





Currently working on the engine loom.

thanks