Not posted here in nearly 2 years, although I've lurked on and off... but since I'm back in a Ford with a bit of 'go' about it then I thought I'd do a thread about it here cause it might interest some people... but I've also got a BMW that I can talk about if there are still more PassionBMW members here than PassionFord members?!

Little bit of background, I'd been running my Transit Connect for the past 3-4 years (longest I've ever kept a vehicle!) and had no real plans to move it on.. however, after picking up an E92 M3 and deciding that it won't see the winter salt/crap on the roads, I was less happy about the prospect of tooling around exclusively in my Transit Connect with it's 75ps engine and billy basic interior (no electrics, no AC, no support in seats etc..) for a portion of the year.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

Once I decide that it's time for a car to go then it's very difficult for me to come back from that, so I'd started to look at upgrading the Connect with something like a VW Caddy; however for the age, specification and condition I wanted, they were a fair old hike in price over the value of my own van and not something which I was feeling too comfortable about paying out for, so I was a little stuck about what to do... until I spoke to one of my friends (the person who I bought the Connect off actually!) that told me he had just decided to move on his Fiesta ST which he'd been using to commute in, he had already paid to have the rear windows removed and van panels sprayed and fitted in their place, it still ran a full interior front and back, so the cogs started turning in my head!

I knew you could get a Fiesta Van, so there must be conversion parts available for those, meaning that I should be able to remove the rear seats and retrofit the flat van floor in it's place... ok it would never be as spacious or practical as the Connect, however it would transport the dogs around and be practical enough to chuck bags/shopping/etc in too...... so a part exchange deal was done and the wee Fiesta was mine!!

Here are the details:

Fiesta ST-2

Cruise Control
Style Pack (Darker standard alloys, illuminated sill plates and painted brake calipers)
Mountune MP215 Package Fitted (now redundant.. see below!)


Engine Modifications:

Turbo Technics S242 Hybrid Turbo
Airtec Stage 3 Intercooler
Turbosmart Recirculation Valve
Revo Intake & Heat Shield
Mongoose Downpipe
Milltek Resonated CAT-back Exhaust
Revo Stage 3 Remap (Estimated c300bhp & 300lbft)


Misc. Modifications:

Graham Goode Racing Shortshift
Graham Goode Racing Mount Upgrade
Eibach Sportline Lowering Springs
Standard Discs with EBC Yellowstuff Pads Front & Back


Exterior Modifications:

17" Bola Alloys & 205/40/17 Pirelli P-Zero Nero
Maxton Design Rear Spoiler Lip
Maxton Design Front Splitter
Van Panels (Professionally Sprayed & Fitted)


When I first got the car it was covered in signwriting and absolutely hanging with road grime and dirt.. not a good time of year to keep your car looking good though!

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

During the clean up:

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

Then I broke out the trusty Diva hairdryer... unsure whether it'd last the journey, which all told took over 4 hours to remove everything!!

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

Now here are some various pictures that I've taken over the past few days with the car:

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

First impressions are very good, with traction control off (I've only had cold/greasy roads to test yet) then it'll spin the wheels instantly in 2nd gear and some of 3rd gear if you're lead footed and don't modulate your throttle input. But providing it has grip then it will pull very well indeed, I'm sure it's got the ability to at the very least worry, if not humble, some quite quick cars!! That said, given it's not buzzing too high in 6th gear on the motorway then it can also return decent MPG as well, this was my average through an 85% average speed camera infested trip home of ~80 miles:

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

It's also got DAB radio, cruise control and the warmest/fastest heated seats on the planet.

So there we go, something a little different and probably won't appeal to some of you guys who think turning a wee hot hatch into a van is absolute sacrilege but it'll hopefully suit me down to the ground.

 

Love that! Most won't expect it to have that much power. I have just just got rid of my mk7 zetec s, it was a wicked car to drive but so slow!

 

What a lovely van ..awesome mate .

 

Gotta love a van....I have a custom sport but would love to downsize

 

That looks Awesome I love that. Small vans are my favourite to mod of all time

 

Looks great

 

Cool wee van!

 

The tranny connect looks class. What was it like to drive on the focus rs wheels.

The Fiesta st van is cool too. Its a bit of a sleeper. It needs a TDCi badge on the back.

 

Yep, I drove a MK7 ZS yeeeears ago.. was a hire car and it handled amazingly, I couldn't believe how much fun it was. This is the same, just with the extra power to keep the fun going on straights/up hills that the ZS lacked.

Cheers mate, would look even better on some RL7s....

Thanks guys.

 

TDCi badge is something I think I'm gonna do, the ST one is definitely coming off anyway... I'm 99% sure it's just stuck on, but I'll double check before taking it off cause I don't want to be left with a couple of wee holes in boot.

The Connect was ok to drive on the lowered suspension and big wheels, it banged about a wee bit and the 19" wheels killed what little performance the 75ps engine had originally.. but it looked the danglies and I never really carried much stuff in it (did a couple of house moves with it though!) most of the time and it was fine for buzzing around in!!

 

Cracking vans the connects. Sadly the sills rot like fook.

Defo put a tdci badge on the back.

 

Both vans very nice mate, I have a wee fiesta sport van myself very handy�� How much has it been lowered by ?

 

really like that!

My mk6 st is stripped out and i was playing with the idea of fitting the van window panels, might visit it again after seeing yours

 

Yeah mine had 72k miles and had lived a very easy life, but even that was starting to bubble a little on the sills.. although a wee rub down, treatment and paint would have sorted it out cause they were still really solid.


I'm not sure mate, it's on Eibach springs.. and they don't normally go crazy low, so I'd guess that it's maybe a 20mm drop roughly? It rides better than a standard ST, but it's still pretty stiff at low speeds so longer term I might look into switching to adjustable suspension instead.


Thanks mate.. aye the van panels makes it a little more different to the norm, which I like.

 

Mine was on 50mm h&r springs, it was so firm!

 

50mm lower must have been decked Richie? Unless the standard ZS rides significantly higher than an ST does as standard?!

 

I think the connect sills rot from the inside out.

 

This was mine on the h&r springs

 

Awesome daily motor I think it’s cooler as a van than a car tbh something about a nice looking van even better if they got a bit of go