Fiestas, and me, we're in a love, I can't get enough of them, and I've purchased a 97 1.8D to get me to college and back, (about a 60 mile round trip each day.)
Now, I am a die hard petrol head, but the 50+MPG appealed, its a Fiesta, its Blue, I thought, I'll love it.
Me and "Sooty" fell out pretty quickly, after jumping out a mk4 1.4 Zetec into a mk4 1.8 diesel, I promtply revved the nuts out of the engine and nearly blew it up on the way home. I thought, "I know these things are slow, but....." It struggled to get to sixty in two miles of clear, straight road, and the soot pouring out the back was causing people to flash their headlights at me.
One new exhaust and EGR valve later, (EGR valves are common fault on these engines,) she ran a lot more smoothly, and when she's "warm and wound up," she's not to much of a slug, but far from quick, or even nippy. The engine is supposed to run out of steam at about 96MPH, I've never driven "Sooty" that fast, but I can't see any reason she wouldn't get there, if not a touch over it.
Sooty, in here nine years have covered just under 160,000 miles, so she's a bit of a high miler, but these engines are based on some drawings possibly by Noah or Aristotle, their very simple and crude, but have practically 100% reliability, I've seen Fiesta vans that have spun the clock over three times, and are still rattling and banging away. The slightly odd thing about these engines is they have two timing belts, (one for the cam, and one for the injector pump,) these need replacing regularly (mechanic's who own them change them every TEN THOUSAND miles!) As if one or the other gives way, your in trouble, and cam belt failure is common on these engines. But providing you replace the belt and tensioners regularly, and keep on top of the servicing, (remembering to change the fuel filter every service on these crude old derv's) Its a case of "not an awful lot to go wrong." Rather than strict component reliability
The interior of the LX's (Derv Fiesta's of this time only available in LX) Have a cigarette lighter, sunroof, air recirculation, self priming pumps, and mine has metallic paint, I don't know if this was an option or standard. The Polar White diesel is probably best avoided, as the soot stains make cleaning it a pretty pointless thing to do.
These Fiesta's have the famed handling capabilities of the mk4, but being a bit front heavy, you can't have as much fun with them. Also the weight of the engine means they can much through engine mounts if not driven "overly gently."
Here's to the Fiesta Tractor!
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Jan 13th, 2006
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