Saw this today .... looks like it would clean up well! Has Kamei front spoiler too. Anyone know specifics on XL model and what this is worth? Worth pursuing? From what I can tell interior looks decent but it was pretty dark with all the dust on the windows.
I don't recall much except that they were a monster with a mid/rear engine swap from a first generation Taurus SHO. I think they were called a Shogun.
Now, you have your plan!
Do it- built in Germany? Low horsepower, lightweight, Kent engine. You want this one.
That looks like it was loved and cared for at some point.
Where's your build thread?
Cute little bugga. I would love to have one
It appears like it could be a great little car! I think even the sunroof could be factory as it was an option in '79 .... seriously thinking about it, SWMBO is gonna kill me
I had one of those, did a lot of laps at Watkins Glen, could be great fun.
There are a few weak points, nothing to important, mostly the front hubs and front wheel bearings.
TurboFource said:SWMBO is gonna kill me
No, she's going to high five you and compliment the intelligent decision you made.
I don't ever remember seeing an XL model. There was an S model that came with a rear sway bar and a sunroof.
In reply to TurboFource :
There were 3 trim levels, base, Sport, and Ghia. The Ghia had the factory sunroof(actually, you got a body-colored one and one with a screened panel), rear wiper, and alloys. I had a '78 Ghia in metallic red with black cloth interior.
It had tiny brakes, but that didn't really matter. With the right parts, will rev to 8,000 RPM.
Nice!
I no longer have that yellow car, but I do know where it is.
If you do buy and need any info, to make it more fun, let me know.
It's entirely possible XL is a dealer package, air dam, rear louvres and tape on sides.
In reply to Rons : Maybe so,I was wondering about that, maybe there is some paperwork with it ...
TED .... will do!
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:I don't recall much except that they were a monster with a mid/rear engine swap from a first generation Taurus SHO. I think they were called a Shogun.
Now, you have your plan!
You're thinking of the Festiva, which was a Kia-built Mazda 121. The Fiesta was a Ford of Europe Golf-fighter.
TED_fiestaHP said:
It had tiny brakes, but that didn't really matter. With the right parts, will rev to 8,000 RPM.
And that's the pushrod engine!
Some English firm called Ducktin or something made dual overhead cam heads for that engine. Because they were imaginative, they called it the Belt-Drive A engine or BDA. Those revved to well, well over 8k..
In the late 70s, Ford Motorsport stuck a BDA in a Fiesta to see how it compared to the rear drive Ford Econoboxs that were then currently being campaigned in stage rally, since front drive was going to be their future and they wanted to assess the situation. Apparently the torque steer was phenomenal, and they didn't use power steering back then. I actually found this article moldering on my hard drive this morning, I don't have an easy way of sharing it right now.
Edit: They decided to use the new Group B regulations to make a rear drive variant of the MkIII Escrot using a turbocharged 1.7l variant called (imaginatively) the RS1700T. Still Kent based. Then they realized that they needed to drive all four wheels to be competitive anymore, so they scrapped that and built the RS200 around that engine, just in time for Group B to get canceled.
They also tried a BDA based turbo engine for Formula 1 and found that the engine blocks couldn't handle 11000rpm and 30psi boost at the same time, so they made an all new V6 instead.
I have a spare Lotus Twin Cam head that I think will go on this block ....
In reply to TurboFource :
Do it!
Yes that engine, or parts of it have a lot of racing history.
Formula ford used a very similar engine, the ford fiesta engine was modified slightly, to fit better, it was made shorter, mostly with different front and rear covers.
Lotus used parts of the kent engine.
Versions of this engine were used in racing or hot street cars, for many years, interesting parts are still available. Look up burton power, British. The shipping for most stuff wasn't to expensive. Some stuff is available from Pegasus, since they support formula ford.
The fiesta does have a few weak points. Front hubs and front wheel bearings. I converted to ford Ford Econobox hubs and wheel bearings, then when thee transmission failed, I adapted a ford Ford Econobox 5 speed transmission. The brakes are tiny, I still remember changing shoes, sitting on the trailer, looked at the brakes, thru the wheel, and could easily cracks on the rotor. I put fresh rotors and pads on just before that weekend. The rear drum are ok, since you want the front to do most of the braking.
Classic front drive, brake in a straight line, as soon as you turn the wheel, start feeding power. It's only stable with the front pulling, don't lift in a turn. In the rain you can learn to throttle steer.... Load it up in a turn, lift a tiny bit, let it rotate, when it's pointing the right directing, hit the gas. Pray for rain, you will suddenly have a advantage over those that spend far more money. Rain feels like ice, but you have a element of control, but it feels like you are on the edge of disaster the entire time.
If driven properly, you will often lift the inside rear wheel. You won't know but it will scare anyone behind you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsHTgay6nTk
Link to the one time I had the camera in the fiesta working. Not a great film. To bad I didn't get some good films with that car. This was back when oak tree turn still had a tree.
This started with a random conversation with an elderly guy that stopped to look at the SVO at a car show. In the conversation he mentioned Festiva's, he has owned 25 of of them. I said I had a 5 speed one, he was like "really, do you want to sell it"? I was like I haven't really planned on it... he said what about a trade, I am here in an Aspire with 63K on it? I haven't seen an Aspire in years so we looked at it .. clean ... a 4 door ...no thanks. He said I have a Fiesta would you consider trading for that? I said what year? ...1979 ... I live 5 minutes from here, we can look at it after the show. I said "why not" figuring it was a clapped out POS and head out after a quick look. And then he opened the garage door....he is working on getting title etc.
I had planned if I ever finish my Europa project to do the Challenge with my Festiva that was FMV'd at $250, if he actually trades car would the Fiesta be worth $250 for Challenge purposes?
I don't think a fiesta has a lot of market value. One that has been sitting in stowage for a long time, that just can't have a lot of market value
New it was a cheap car, and don't think they held much value. Never had AC or a automatic trans, so not a lot of market value, at least not here. The festive was a more modern car.
But the fiesta can be great fun....
Do the challenge, then consider SCCA H prod racing
You would need a racing license but anyone can get one, I got mine after I found out about having MS. Sometimes I get asked by someone in the medical field, do you still drive? Yes and I still hold a competition racing license.
In reply to TED_fiestaHP :
A local dealership that specializes in weird imports had an '80 Fiesta automatic. It sold at $10k.
Granted that was for a running driving car in respectable visual condition. Wish I'd screenshotted the vehicle listing on their website.
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