MK6 Fiesta ST150....Future Classic?

[LukeyP_]

Evening all,

Some of you may remember, back in June - I foolishly bought an ST which actually turned out a bit of a dog - needed around £1,000 worth of work to make it to the standard I was happy with - including new calipers on the back, gearbox issues, thermostat and broken air con compressor. That car was quickly moved on and I went back to my trusty MK1 Octavia 'Shed' with 175k on the clock for daily duties - as I was slowly going back into the office, it made sense to pile the mileage back onto that workhorse.

However, back in August - a lot of stuff was starting to hit the fan on a project at work and literally pushing me over the edge, so I decided enough was enough and new job was on the cards - it's not a nice place to go to your wife and admit you are struggling mentally, but I feel I am coming out the other side now. Anyways, I got the job and started on 5th October - the job is working back for old company, which seem to have gone places since I left and now basing everyone from home - so it was a no brainer for me! We've just had another baby, so to be at home all the time - working flexible hours and unlimited annual leave - I was a fool to say no!

I started to be an idiot again and view Fiesta STs, I felt like I hadn't fully itched that scratch and also, the value of these does seem to be going one way. For instance my friend just bought a ST500 for £6k. I had given up hope viewing Autotrader/eBay as all were abused examples, so I went onto FB marketplace when I found this one an advert which read like the following;

"2008 Fiesta St, 79k miles, HPI clear, ultimate spec, every option ordered in Panther Black. Sony bluetooth stereo, privacy glass, cold AC, grey dash, full heated leather, stripe delete, auto lights, auto wipers, auto folding heated mirrors, new tyres that have done 10 miles, full refurbished alloys. Meticulously maintained by myself for the past 3 years, service history upto then. Recent brembos front and rear, K&N oil filter, K&N panel filter, NGK iridium plugs, carbon pollen filter, fully sythentic oil every 6k, new O/S track rod end and full wheel alignment, new standard OEM type exhaust. Few extras - -30mm Apex springs, fog light protection, miltek downpipe"

I mean what isn't there to like about that advert? It looked fantastic, owned by an ex-tech who had looked after her and was the spec anyone would need (well, apart from the dual zone climate). I spoke to the guy for a few days and left a deposit. The car was based in Somerset, but given I'm in Bradford - who could be bothered to go Bradford > Leeds > London Kings Cross > Paddington > Taunton and drive back - no thanks, so I got in touch with the guy I used last time who kindly delivered the car for £180. The train was going to cost £100 one way plus fuel (and 12 hours of my day!).

So here she is, just ticked over 80k miles and absolute gem! The seller even shoved it through an MOT so had nearly 13 months when it arrived, with only an advisory for anti roll bar and small oil leak (which isn't there, it's an old patch of oil). Looking through the MOT history its only ever failed ONE mot for a dodgy wiper - that is a sign of a well looked after car in my book.

• These are the photos the seller sent me as weather been that bad since. He even waxed/polished it before it was collected**

If I'm honest no real plans, but here is the list

- Remove ST badge from grill - DONE
- Replace Ford badge
- Fix hazing on lights
- Respray front grills into a Gloss Black
- Remove small dent in rear quarter
- New Mats
- Change PAS fluid (and re-locate)
- Heko Wind Deflectors
- New plates
- Remove fog light protectors

Then ENJOY!

Thanks
Luke

Edited by LukeyP_ on Wednesday 28th October 19:04

[LukeyP_]

Gad-Westy said:

Looks great. I think these are quite underrated. They seem to be one of the few Fast Fords that can be bought for sensible money but are great fun to drive. They seem to be fairly dependable too. Great choice and congrats on the new job.

ETA, what's this about?

"- Change PAS fluid (and re-locate)"

Thanks for the comments! Exactly, one of the last NA engines too!

PAS is located right next to the manifold, so it doesn't have chance to cool down as it comes back in so then ends up boiling itself. Currently the fluid is black, it's only a year old so first job is to replace the fluid now, then get a relocation kit so it sits nearer the battery instead.

[LukeyP_]

MattHall91 said:

Aren’t these the 6.5? Facelift with the bulges in the lights.

I had an ST500 for a year. Fundamentally it was a decent warm hatch, but the engine was strangled deliberately to keep the insurance lower than its competitors at the time (namely the Clio 182). So frustrating.

Like you said, good value nowadays nonetheless. Enjoy.

They are yes, I just though the title looked better with MK6 lol.

Yeah completely, the insurance on this is lower than my Octavia but once you get the downpipes on - they do come alive a bit. The ST500 has defo gone up in value I bet since you had one.

Paul S4 said:

Looks a great car you have there.

I always thought that the Mk6 Fiesta is one of the best designs of Fiesta.

I have never owned one, but recall I hired one in France to go skiing, from Geneva airport to the Alps.

Really liked that car, probably only the 1.4 petrol !

Thanks Paul - agreed, I love this shape Fiesta even 12 years on. I'd love to own a MK7 or MK8 at somepoint.

[LukeyP_]

motorbloke said:

As a small note, experience tells me this is also possibly the sign of someone who is familiar with an MOT tester.

Previous cars I have bought were done so on the basis of a very good MOT history, but actual inspection showed that the MOT testers had previously been lenient or incompetent. I think a bad MOT history tells you something, but a clear one perhaps less conclusively.

This is true, but looking through the history it's been at different places most years.

[LukeyP_]

Crazy money, there is no real differences cosmetically either!

[LukeyP_]

Truckosaurus said:

I think there will be a demand for cars with NA engines and manual gearboxes in the near future - cars like this or the Clios with the 2.0 engine - as they will be cheap fun when compared to newer hot hatches with small turbo engines and auto boxes.

Agreed, it's actually quite pleasing driving a car that is NA. I have had turbo cars since 2008! Crazy when you think about it really....

Evoluzione said:

You're a brave man buying cars without seeing them first.
I believe this has the Duratec engine in it, it's achilles heel is a fault which causes them to use oil at a rapid rate so keep an eye on that.

I know, this one felt right though given how it had been looked after and multiple telephone calls with the seller.

Yes, I have read that and believe it can happen around my mileage. No blue smoke and oil level seems pretty spot on so far!

[LukeyP_]

Now, the 'Shed' Octavia has to be moved on - my attentions will be turning to this.

Already had a new thermostat and housing fitted, due to it leaking and struggling to get 70 degrees. Now it gets warm really easily.

Maintenance Issues

1. Check for rumble sound on right front wheel area - worry is gearbox, but it's still there I think when in neutral so hopefully not.
2. Full service - oil, filters, gearbox oil
3. Door check strap
4. Replacement droplinks
5. Replacement Front & Rear Wipers
6. Fix clicking on NS mirror

Modifications / Improvements

1. New clean registration plates
2. Ford badge
3. Remove and spray grills into Gloss Black
4. Armrest
5. Remove haze from lights
6. Give paintwork good clean/wax/polish
7. HEKO Wind Deflectors
8. Alpine 5x7 speakers and fit my Pioneer Stereo

First job is getting the gearbox / rumble checked, then take it from there. Aim is to make it a near perfect ST. Mileage wise only 500 miles since October, so I doubt I'll be doing massive miles per annum in it. I hope over time value will go up.

[LukeyP_]

MC Bodge said:

Good luck. I tried and failed to do that to one of our Fiesta's lamps. I ended up buying a very good pattern part headlamp unit for about £50.

Ah really? I saw someone do it on YT with wet / dry - I just presumed it would be rather simple.

[LukeyP_]

Thanks for the advice on the light restorers, I'll defo explore those.

Yes rust wise, they are not bad - nothing on arches etc. There is odd bit underneath but that is normal on subframes etc - same as Octavia I have.

[LukeyP_]

Thanks all for the kind comments.

Yes, I guess it will be more of a weekend car - but will get used for odd runs to the shop, school drop offs during the week - as I am home based now, I only average 20 - 30 miles per week so I guess in reality, Skoda going kaput on me is better as it wasn't doing it any good parking there - condensation galore this winter, started to get a bit smelly inside due to the age I think. This Fiesta you could leave it all week and not feel as a guilty if that makes sense - but it will be used (and already got routes planned out over the summer).

[LukeyP_]

Gad-Westy said:

Haven't watched it yet but I see JayEmm on youtube has just reviewed one of these.

Just watched it, decent video to be honest and agree with what he has to say.

One thing he says is these might not cost a lot, but for driver experience - they are up there and that rings true! It's one of the last old school analogue cars if you like and no fancy turbos, just pure NA engine with nice direct steering and no fancy add-ons!

[LukeyP_]

Decided to go on a spending spree this morning with the ST, seeing though I'm sat at home after having the snip yesterday!!

Here is the first lot of parcels to arrive;

5W-30 Fully Synthetic Oil
Power Steering Fluid
2x Droplinks (got advisory on MOT, but will replace both)
Fuel Filter
Cabin Filter
Oil Filter

I have a panel filter fitted, so will get that cleaned up.



Other orders are;

Wipers for front and rear
Armster armrest
Bluetooth FM transmitter
12v adaptors so I can dashcam/bluetooth
Ford badge for grill
Alpine speakers
New ST keyring

[LukeyP_]

Another quick update;

Car has been over at my family members garage today. I asked him, as I do with all my cars - to go over them on the ramp, pick anything out that may need doing in future. He greases up the brake lines to save them causing issues later on down the line too. I also asked him to check for a grumble from the OSF I have - it seems there could be a bearing going on the driveshaft that may need replacing in the near future, we've put some lube around it and see it goes for now.

I also took over the oil and fuel filter to replaced whilst I was in there - the fuel filter had been changed at somepoint but I had no evidence of it recently - so quick 10 minutes job to switch over for piece of mind.

Overall got a good appraisal from him - everything seems really solid, bit of surface rust but nothing too concerning.







Few more goodies have arrived too;







So I have quite a bit to keep me occupied there for now. I may fit the armrest this weekend and change the PAS fluid too. There is also a panel filter in the car so will get out/cleaned when changing over the pollen filter, then I'm confident it's in good shape moving forward

[LukeyP_]

NGRhodes said:

Underside looks pretty clean for the age.
If you are keeping it have you considered protecting the underside (eg Dinitrol ) ?

Thank you. It is better than I expected.

I think I may invest in doing something, given the condition - it would seem daft just to leave it I think. I am going to keep this a few years and watch the value closely too.

AndrewGP said:

Very nice Luke and it seems in great condition too.

I had one too, it was a facelift car on a 55 plate and I really enjoyed it. My only real dislike was that it was a bit breathless above 5k rpm but overall it was fun to drive on my daily commute and cost buttons to run. It never let me down either and just required routine servicing.

Keep the updates coming

Thank you. Yes, I know what you mean - it can be. This one seems quite torquey but I presume that's down to the downpipe too.

[LukeyP_]

Morning all,

Managed to do a little bit more work on the car yesterday. It was time to get the armrest fitted, after driving cars for last 10 years with armrests - to drive one without, was awful - so I bought something that looked OEM and was of good quality. Meet the Armster 2...

It was a bit of a faff to get installed, as it has a bracket which needs to go under the handbrake. Process was as follows;

1. Remove handbrake cover
2. Unscrew the screw which holds the bit below, then undo a 13mm bolt which was handwork using a spanner (I can't find my socket set).
3. Install bracket, then managed to hand tighten the bolt but had to borrow my Dads to finish tightening it
4. Then follow process in reverses
5. Install armrest, then screw into place using.4 screws.

Overall seems quite sturdy and I'm happy with it (and sorry I took photos wrong way around)











Some anti slip mat for areas of the dash;



New fresh number plates, stuck on instead of screwed.

[LukeyP_]

NGRhodes said:

Looking good, always a fan of accessories that match the oem style.
I can see why you want a new front badge !

I know, it's awful isn't it - ordered 2 now, both wrong size. Looks like the ST badges are bigger than any other MK6 badge.

[LukeyP_]

No real updates as such, just enjoying the Yorkshire moors for a nice spirted drive on Easter Sunday.

[LukeyP_]

NGRhodes said:

Looking good, wheels fit the arches nicely.
Where were those shots taken,?

Cheers buddy, yes it's lowered just the right amount.

They were taken up on Baildon Moors - on the road between Shipley Glen and the road that takes you to Eldwick.

[LukeyP_]

Trying to get the front end totally sorted now;

Old badge



New Badge



I also went to Bristol and back yesterday, to collect this beautiful ST500. One of only 300 left on the road - this is for my wife's cousin, drives really well given it's got 109k on the clock.

[LukeyP_]

A long overdue update I think.

The car continues to be my little weekend toy, only covered a mere 1,400 miles since I got it last October. At the moment, it's parked at my parents whilst I use my Dads car for a few weeks as he had his licence suspended for a health issue so someone needs to keep his wheels turning.



This is the 2.2d 150ps but the torque it has is fantastic!

I have done a little bit of work on the car since the last update, unfortunately forgot to take a few pictures though (which is typical).

Work so far;

Replaced NSF droplink after an advisory on the last MOT
Changed the PAS fluid after it boiled itself
Tried to replace centre section exhaust, for a straight pipe but old owner has welded it!!
Cleaned all air filter and housing (K&N panel filter)







The bolt on the old droplink was seized solid, so with my neighbour who is mechanic lent me his impact drill - we had it changed over in 15 minutes.

The PAS fluid was a right ballache, managed to remove the return line and drop it into an old Fanta bottle. Turned the steering wheel multiple times and heard the fluid spewing out into the bottle, which was charcoal black. Once that had come out, I proceed to pour the nice cherry red new stuff into the tank (please be careful, as it's awful on your skin and stinks). Once refilled, I started the engine up and let the car run whilst moving the steering around and then removing the car from axle stands, topping up and bleeding as required. Overall, it's much better and the PAS pump is also much quieter so I'm happy overall that has been sorted. I think I'll add it to my 6 - 12 month service schedule.



As I mentioned here before, my mechanic I use is a family member and whilst MOT'ing my other car last week, I said I was enjoying doing work on my car myself and he said I'm more than welcome to use his ramps, so that helps come servicing as I'd like to more hands on in future.



A few other small things have cropped up on the car which I'd like to fix such as the breather foam in the airbox is pretty gunky in oil, so that will be replaced with an official Ford part (£9.99) and I am also going to buy the standard panel filter from Ford too. When under the car doing the exhaust, I noticed we have a couple of screws missing from the bumper so that explains why that was so flimsy - so I have found a seller who sells all new bits for these little Fiestas so will be looking to purchase a few bits to get it where I need to be.

Overall, the car is still enjoyable as day 1 and I absolute love taking it for a spin on the Yorkshire Dales roads. I am actually booking a day off work soon, just so I can enjoy taking it from Bradford across to Pately Bridge via Blubberhouses (if anyone knows the road, there is some fantastic scenery and enjoyable bends). I am also looking to get it protected underneath before winter sets in, but also looking to take it off road during the winter and look after it - I think with DVLA these days and the DD tax - I will probably run it April to October, then take it off road for 5 months. I do want to cherish this car for a good few years yet and hope the value will continue to creep.

Random pictures with the ST500 (We are doing a shoot of them together)



Little video of Tickover with the OEM Type exhaust

https://youtu.be/ZJpnijNsop0