Got a 1995 M reg fiesta sat on the drive. It has the 1.1 engine which at the moment is running badly and needs a rebuild.

I am either thinking of sticking a bigger engine in maybe a zetec or something or stripping it right down to the chassis and building something else up. Obviously breaks suspension transmission etc.. is all going to be changed maybe from a doner car.

I do not know a lot about this car has anyone ever tried anything before a long these lines? Seems a shame to just scrap it!

Cheers

 

Zetec Turbo it!

 

itd say get an xr2 engine, they have 95ish brake horsepower and with them being carbrettor they should be easy enough to get in, and is different to all the zetecs at the moment

zetec would be a bit more sensible and more poweful though

 

which zetec engine would fit best? And is there any specific guides for a specific engine? I am thinking possibly a 2.0 ltr or possibly a 1.8 will be easier but not sure from what car.

 

Yep - carb it. Sell it.

 

st 170 it......go source one and drop engine,gearbox,manifold,loom,hubs shaft brakes the lot off it and start transplanting. need to make mounts etc but wont be too difficult and be a proper little weapon.

 

Cant afford the st 170 as much as I would like to. Was thinking more a long the lines of a doner car with a zetec engine in it. Which one would be most appropriate? Thinking escort or mondeo?

 

Focus rs motor would be mint in a mk3 fiesta

 

much you looking to spend on engine??

 

would probably prefer to get the donor car as I think in the long run it would be cheaper and could transfer all the parts over!

 

ok thought of something even more stupid. After looking around for a zetec donar car I had a crazy thought to put a v8 in. i know someone who has one for sale cheap however it does need a rebuild. I think its the 3.9 liter rover v8 lol. Has a V8 been put in a mk3 fiesta before!?

 

yeah zetec turbo it.. or just a zetec on throttle bodies

 

what would I need to consider for the transmission though? Where would i get a gearbox capable of handling the power?

 

mtx 75? itll probs blow up but theres an abondance of them out there.

 

zetec on throttle bodies FTW!

 

what previous experience have you got with projects and cars??? you say you cant afford an st 170 engine but your going to rebiuld a v8 and do a rwd conversion

 

if its a standard rover engine v8 its a 3.5 mate ive got one lying in the workshop unless its had major work done already.

if you want to go all out on a v8 rwd conversion it'll be a hell of a lot more work on a fiesta than a zetec conversion ever will be!

v8 rebuilds for uprating them will cost just as much as a zetec or focus rs engine conversion by the time you fabricate everything, then uprate and buy all you need to buy....

if your not sure what to do then speak to a few people on here that are doing mk3 engine conversions or your local tuner and they'll advise you on your budget.

 

yeh there will be a lot of fabrication required. V8 was a stupid spur of the moment idea which is unlikely to happen. Decided on turbo charging a 2.0l zetec there are some good guides around if i need help. Was thinking possibly the s1 RS turbo gearbox..

 

what is the BUDGET?

 

Really I do not want to be spending any more thank 2k on the entire project but I really do not know if this is realistic. Obviously the engine will hopefully be worth a lot more money and producing a decent amount of power when finished. But the project is going to be ongoing so I am prepared for costs to increase.

 

if you replyed to peoples questions they are askin maby they could help more? buget ! big part of any project , zetec turbo / focus rs engine by time uv got the lot ur be about 5k ish well to a good set up

 

ok well at least now I know how much I am going to be looking at. 2k is not going to be enough!

 

i'd say it might just be possible if you hunt for the odd bargain. depends on what power your after though and if you go the decomp route or buy pistons. if its going higher boost you will prob need rods too(focus rs or ST170), focus rs manifold or go modded rs turbo escort route, fiesta turbo exhaust,an intercooler and pipework. management will prob be an issue for you as there is a few options fiesta turbo, cossie or aftermarket..all will need mapped properly for best results. a rebuilt escort rs turbo(rebuilt before you fit it).....EBAY WILL BECOME YOUR FRIEND LOL. is any of your mates into rs turbos cossies etc?

 

will i need to be using forged aluminium pistons? and no my mates arent into cossies

 

Its better to but you dont need to you can always run a decomp plate.

 

no offence mate but questions like this worry me a bit and think you might be biting off more than you can chew......some people with more experience have had issues with these conversions but we are here to try and help ya.....are any of your mates into modding there cars that can help you?

 

2.0 zetec out of a mondy which will pretty much drop straight into a mk3.5 which you have and put carbs on it. Or get a 1.8 out of a later 2i or rs1800 and swap it over to make it a nice cheap sensible sleeper.

as the others have said. Do you have much mechanical knowledge mate?

 

this probably is a bit out of my depth but I have a car sitting there doing nothing and a will to learn with help from you guys , mates and online guides. I have a little mechanical knowledge I have rebuilt engines before by myself. Have done many repairs on the fiesta and other cars and have been training on mills and lathes for the last 6 months.fingers crossed it will turn out OK and work and I will learn a lot!

 

zetec conversion on 45 carbs sounds like a better starting point for you mate to be fair.......then upgrade with head ,cams etc.

 

This is really simple.Putting a 2.0 into a Fiesta mk3 is a job that can be done in a weekend if you know what your doing. The 2.0 engine will go into a fiesta easily...

Parts needed from the 1.8 Zetec engine as found in Fiesta mk3's/Escort's.

* zetec engine mounts from fiesta 1.8 XR2i's/GTi escorts.
* sump and oil pickup / sump tray from the 1.8 Zetec engine.
* Oil and Water pumps from the above engine again.
* Inlet manifold from the 1.8 Zetec again.

Getting a donor car will really help as you can use the radiator and you will have the loom and ECU already to hand. If you dont have the loom to hand you can use the fiesta xr2i loom or the Fiesta Si 1.6 loom but you can only use certain ECU's, DEEP is definetly one you can use as i'm going to be running that in my 2.0 fiesta eventurally.

oh and heres the list of other things i had to change...

1.1 fuel lines dont match to the zetec engine so needed zetec fuel lines from my xr2i,if you intend on swapping the power steering or something from a mk3 to a mk3.5 you need to swap the hubs,driveshafts,track rod ends as none of it swaps over from mk3-mk3.5 *that was fun to find out mid conversion*

Oh and if swapping hubs SORRY but mk3.5 suspension wont fit in mk3 hubs properly so the whole lot needs to be swapped over.

A problem I had with putting a zetec into a mk3.5 that had a 1.1 engine is that the chassis legs didnt have the captive nuts in them to mount the Zetec engine mounts.Check this first as you may need to get them welded in or find another way to fit the mounts...I just welded mine onto the legs and no issues so far lol

I hope thats helped somewhat. 2.0 zetec is 128bhp out of the tin so its a WIN in my book.