Neil’s Fiesta RST Update (298)
This is the last backdated Staff Cars update for today – these are months old, so for all the latest news on our cars remember to pick up a copy of Fast Ford from your newsagents!
Modding can be a stressful and expensive habit. If you get it right though, you can’t help but stand back with your arms folded and nod a little smug grin of approval. That’s exactly what I have been doing.
I opened the garage to be greeted by my car sporting the Performance Trim carbon bonnet, the Tar•Ox six-pots and the billet three-piece Image wheels. Even after all these years with the car, it still made me smile from ear to ear. The car looks pure quality now. The Image wheels have given me a serious arch-filling stance. I love them, they really change it. The Performance Trim bonnet has been fitted; it is so light that the fans on the rolling road can hold it in mid air! It contrasts so well against the red paint. The Tar•Ox brakes fill the wheels and have so far proved to be a great brake package with the Motul high temperature brake fluid. While I was ordering that, I got some oil and some gear oil for the FRS gearbox.
The car looks and runs fresh so it’s time to sit still and enjoy it. Err, no! This is me and my car; modding is my life. The exhaust manifold has been causing me some issues. I’m sick of having to get it welded. Airtec and Devil Developments have designed a new manifold, which when compared to rivals is an absolute bargain. I got one of the first to test to the extremes. It has been holding up really well. It flows good power, looks pretty and, importantly for me, it has lots of space at the front that I didn’t have previously. Bonus!
Devil Developments fitted the manifold and mapped the car to a safe level again. The power’s been knocked back to around 270bhp on low boost while I sort the handling.
The car’s been a little wayward of late and knocked my confidence to give it maximum attack on the bends. I needed the help of one of the RST game’s big players – Jamie Going. I took my red shed to Jamsport the day before Ford Fair (last minute motorsport as usual!). After laughing at the current settings, the lads got the car in the air and made the necessary caster and camber adjustments. There are still tweaks to make but the difference is night and day. The car feels so much better.
At Ford Fair, things were not great, I had to end a session due to a suspected head gasket problem. So now the car is back at Devil Developments to be sorted and prepared for Pembrey and TRAX. Bring on the track sessions!
Posted on Monday, April 11th, 2011 at 4:26 pm under Cars, Fiesta, Neil, Staff Cars. You can subscribe to comments. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
