PileOfRust

i will start driving in may next year, and im currentley doing up a mk1 fiesta 950. im going to get it looking all pretty and everything which is fair enough.
but theres the issue of the majorley gutless engine, its my first car, and it will be damn light, but its still way underpowered. i still want to get up hills and be able to drive on the motorway at more than 50 and having to rag the engine all the time to get anywhere, it will be crap on fuel.

alot of you are going to say 'you dont need it to be quick' i dont really need it to be quick as such, just nippy in the same way as a 1.2 corsa or 1.25 fiesta zetec as i will be out with mates and i obviousley dont wanna be left trailing behind

i was thinking about a 1300 xflow, but declaring it will put insurance through the roof (i think?) or i could just not declare it, then ill get caught and insurance will be void so i may aswell not pay for insurance at all.

so what would you do if you was in my position?
anybody driven one before?

no stupid comments please
cheers

orionmojo

iTrader: (1)

Dont bother trying to go quick on a small engine. it just wont happen. You'll waste lots of money to get somewhere near a standard 1.6 or similar.

build up some no claims for a year or two then worry about it. i know you dont want to but we all had to do it. Try living in Birmingham then insuring something nice

squizxr

There aint much odds in a 950 to 1.1, but that will give you a few more ponies!! 1300 are quick for what they are, but insurance will kill you!!

Get the suspension sorted, coilovers etc if you can afford them, polybushes etc, they might beat you in the straights, but you'l eat em in the bends!!

PileOfRust

the car will be lowered 25mm maybe 40/50mm on the standard shocks depending on how good they still are.
is the 1100 identical to the 950?

Dr. Blofeld

Don't dodge the insurance. They'll give you 6 points for it and I think you'll lose your licence for that.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong...

PileOfRust

i know you get 6 points but didnt know about the licence bit?!!

squizxr

It is to look at mate yea, the 950 and 1100 are Valencia engines, where as the 1300 is a xflow!!

Your gonna want better shocks that that mate really, bear in mind there gonna be 25+ years old!! I put brand new standard rear shocks on mine and it was mint!! Go lower than that too

Edit - 6 points in your first two years means you have to e-sit your test

PileOfRust

yeah the x-flow is a dead give away with the exhaust manifold etc
best place to get shocks from apart from ebay?

orionmojo

iTrader: (1)

if you get 6 points during the first 2 years of driving you loose it and have to take it all again.

PileOfRust

James

www.xrtwo.com click on forums, always people there selling suspension etc

marky_g

2.0 zetec and dont decalre

vaughant

iTrader: (1)

For me the 1.3 x flow is a cracking little motor,webber carb,34/32 something like that (it's a long time ago now!!) and they fly,good 110mph motor.The 1.1 isn't too bad really,no tuning scope but they do zip along very well.the 957 is just dire,it even feels slow in a superlight mk1,just awful,1st gear up hills job and yes,it'll soon piss you right off.

I was always under the impression that aside from the block markings there's very little to tell the engines apart,would an engineer even be able to tell them apart in this day and age?I mean,when the fuck did they last see an x-flow mk1 fiesta even on the road!!

I've been in the accident game and I've dealt with loads of insurance assesors,they don't even open the bonnet,on a car like that they wouldn't even bother coming to look at it half the time as they know it's a write off.

Probably a very good chance that it's had an engine swap at some point anyway,albeit usually to a 1.1 but honestly,who would ever know?you all know that back in the day there were millions of mk1 fezzas in the scrappy,I've done loads of those motors and I can't even remember looking if it was 957 or 1117!!!

PileOfRust

even if it has had an engine swap (doubt it, was last on the road in 2005 and has been sat on a farm ever since hence the rot ) the engine is tired anyway.
is the 1100 a big improvement?

PileOfRust

thats quite a risk but would be good

dingla rs

iTrader: (2)

my first car was a fiesta van 1.1 at 17 only stayd that way for a week banged a 1.6 in it me old man was fine an didnt tell the insurance ,i had been driving for years before my test tho lived on a farm

tabetha

Don't fiddle the insurance, don't do any mods and not declare them, if stopped by the plod they can ask your insurance co if they know about alloy wheels lowered suspension etc, they will call a official plod examiner if necessary, it does happen, then your insurance can be voided on the spot, car will them be taken away and cost you at least Ł150 to get back after getting proper cover, that will be a lot more expensive, then a few weeks later when your in court for no insurance, get your 6 points get banned do your test again you'll find insurance dearer still, seriously just not worth it.
Just knuckle down and get some NCB first, even just 1 year make a big difference cost wise.
tabetha

v man

alot of insurance companys now give cheaper policys if the car has a moddification

work that out

you could alway go for a classic policy that way 2.0 ztec will be cheap as chips even for a first time driver

example.........

my first car at 17
2wd saff
stage 1
exhaust filter alloys

all declared 400 quid fully comp

vaughant

iTrader: (1)

Yeah but be honest would any copper REALLY know the difference between a 1.1 or 957cc? I fucking wouldn't,even the 1.3 would be a push.

The 1.1 would make a big difference,I think its 40bhp v 59bhp or something rising to about 70-75 for the 1.3.I'm pretty certain from memory that there's no difference whatsoever in wiring,plumbing and so on between the 1.1 and 957. Shouldn't cost you more than Ł100 for the full engine,probably with the box for that as well!!!!!

If I were you I'd do the swap and just declare any visual mods,lowering alloys etc as that's where you'll come unstuck,be honest,if someone had already fitted the 1.1 in would you have a clue if it was your first car?doubt it,you'd already be thinking about upgrading anyway!!!

155lee

iTrader: (10)

youre pissing in the wind whatever you do as its going to cost a fortune to insure.if you want to keep up with your pals in their 1.2 corsas which,if they are the 3 cylinder engines are quite nippy will be impossible no matter what suspension you have.lowering it will make the car more able to go round corners quicker,but thats maybe beyond your skills and you will end up in a hedge and there will have to be a lot of corners for you to be able to keep up,and what happens when they lower their cars?.the old saying if you cant beat them join them,if you want to cruise on motorways or keep up with your mates you need 1a bigger engine,thus costing more insurance as the car will be modified,and prob wont be that much better,2,you buy a newer fiesta and sell the 950 and problem solved,3,you modify the car and dont declare it,maybe resulting in a ban,having the car crushed and be worse off than before,4,lower it and drive like a demon till you crash and kill yourself or someone else.
sorry if that sounds harsh but its the way it is.

tabetha

That's bloody good who was that with, assume that was limited mileage though ?, I do around 20-25 thou a year in mine.
tabetha

Eigdoog

Just get a better car a get your mum in insure it and you be the second driver.

My first car was a 1.8 focus and i dont know how the hell i did it but it only cost me 500 smackers!

2.0 focus was a different ball game

Matt Tenpenny

get a later 1.1 say out of a mk3.5 with a 5 speed box, lighten the hell out of the car,poly bushes good brakes and suspension set up and youll be king of the twisty stuff.

i had a mini 1000 as my 1st car, standard engine but sorted suspension and lads in faster cars never kept up down the lanes.

but more importantly stay safe. you WILL crash your 1st car.id say 99 percent of people have,its just a case of when and how badly.

just remember that when your piling money into it

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Never thats well cheap. Im 31 and im paying 500 quid for me and my 26 year old wife.. Who are you insured with.

Willis1989

If youve just passed your test then 6 points will mean you will lose your license and have to re-sit your test, and then when you pass you probably won't even be able to insure a 1.0 litre car.

Just keep with the 1.0 for a year, get a year no claims then maybe you'll be able to go to a 1.6 without having to pay through the roof.

DanRSturbo

To be honest, just suck up being last to the pub, get a years no claims built up and move onwards. I started in a 1.1 Fiesta which I had for a year and got a 1.4 Escort so you can make slow progression. Unfortunately it's all about money and true m8's will understand what you can and can't afford and "banter" rather then "boast".

zetec-Sam

iTrader: (2)

When were you 17 though...last year insurance prices have gone up something like 47% for 7-212year olds, so there's no way that was in the last 10 years or so...

massivewangers

iTrader: (1)

If you were the main user of the car, that is called 'fronting' and is against the rules. They can void your insurance if they suspect foul play, and I've seen them do it. That scheme is well out in the open, and a known problem insurance companies are trying to tackle. The only way you can do it like that is by stating that the youngster is the main driver, and then it probably wouldn't be much cheaper.

I really don't think that's true at all. I never crashed my first car, and out of the ten or so people in my group of closer friends at that age, only about two crashed cars, so that's less than 25%! Common misconception that.

I think the best thing you can do; is shop around for some quotes, see what difference it make with an engine swap, try a few specialists and things, see how it works out. You probably won't find anything much cheaper to insure than what you've got. Corsas and things cost a fortune for youngsters to insure, as they're the cars that they all buy and crash.

If it's going to cost loads to insure with an engine swap, just put up with it with the standard engine for a year, sort out the chassis and looks and things, and then either upgrade, or buy a better car.

I'm a great believer in just knuckling down and getting on with it. The sooner you build up NCD, the better. Just adding 1 year makes a big big difference, so best to just get on with it!

PileOfRust

how many years ago was this

PileOfRust

anyone else driven the 950 or 1100? what are they like on fuel, reliabilty and motorways etc

squizxr

All depends really mate!! if i was you id ditch the points and put a mk2 dizzy on it, that would make it better on fuel!! There quite reliable, a good service keeps them running, can take all sorts of abuse!! The motorway driving is down to the gearbox, and only having 4 gears is gonna make the motorway a noisyn and lonely plave if ya mates all fuck off

PileOfRust

well the valve seals need replacing first as theres smoke when you take the oil breather cap off, and the spark plugs etc. needs a tune up aswell really...
one of me mates has got a mk1 with a 957 in it (i bought mine off him) but he might be getting a 1300, he aint bothered about getting caught lol i just dont wanna look like a tit if i do

James

my 1.1 wasn't great on fuel, about 25mpg. but i had a four branch manifold, mk2 dizzy and a 34 weber carb. i had a cam and a twin choke weber for it too, but decided to bail out for a 1.7 crossflow.

Did i tell the insurance? nope. However, i wouldn't do it now as you'd only need to be stopped for a brake light out and have some arsey copper call vosa to do a inspection at the road side.

Agreed they probably won't be able to tell the difference, escpecially between a 950 & 1.1 as they are identical engines. In my experience the mk1/2 engines are alot better than the mk3 stuff so don't even go there.

My 1.1 was a bit nippy, but did struggle on hills, but most small engined cars do really. It was ok on the motorway too, biggest mistake for motorway driving i ever did was fit a loud exhaust, it soon pisses you off and gives you a headache!

I hammered the fuck out of my 1.1 and it had about 140k miles on it iirc, nothing serious went wrong. & when i went 1.7 crossflow, again it got used as intended and apart from annoying oil leaks it was relaible and NOTHING even comes close to the sound of a 1.7 crossflow at 6krpm!!!

PileOfRust

what cam? kent cam? and what 4 branch manifold was it?

and yeah crossflows sound gooooood

James

it was a kent cam and peco mannifold. the twin weber inlet was a ford group two part.

Those three parts took me years and years to eventually track down, and that was almost ten years ago now so i really do wish you luck!

STAFFY OWNER

110mph out of a 1.3 sounds a bit optimistic, i don't think the 1.6 MK1 XR2 was much (if any) quicker than that.
Also sounds a bit optimistic IMO.
^^^^^^ Best reply yet. One thing i would suggest is insuring the car in your own name but also adding your parents as named drivers as this has always made quite a reduction to my step sons premiums. I wouldn't bother trying to fiddle your insurance, like others have already said, if you get caught you just make it even harder for yourself in the future.
One last resort, start thinking of some quick bitching comments regarding your mates Corsas if/when they start humiliating you.