Box Fresh–A Sorted Mk1 16-Valver Fiesta Super Sport (Part 2)

No limits

A five-speed BC5 ’box was always penciled in for gear-selection duties, though Tom originally specified an LSD as well. Though it was effective, he just couldn’t gel with how it worked, and felt that it actually detracted from the driving experience.

Tom bought the car minus an interior, and sourcing a complete Super sport one was tricky to say the least!

“I hated how it dragged the car all over the road as it hunted for traction, and you could never feel that confident planting the throttle on the road.” The Fiesta now sports an open diff, though as the Zetec is in a near-standard state of tune it isn’t that much of an issue.

Outside, you’ll spot two things right away; the RS kit, and the iconic shade of Sunburst Red. Once the shell was back in shape, Jo and Paddy wasted no time in getting the rare RS body kit sitting right, then tubbing the rear arches, as Tom had always stated his intention to run deep-dish 13-inch wheels of some description. The workmanship on the exterior is second to none, though Paddy admits getting the kit to line up (and working out the German instructions) were a bit of a stumbling block! It’s all worth it though, as the Fiesta sits oh-so-very well, the 7.5x13 inch Midland Racing wheels look great, wide enough to look purposeful, not so extreme as to look ridiculous.

Pump up the jam

Of course, the Super sport always had reasonable handling characteristics, but it’s also fair to say damping and braking technology has come on a lot over the last three decades. Tom originally intended to run coil-overs, custom poundage springs and poly bushes, but the desire to use the car on the road as much as possible eventually led him to XR2 shocks and springs, plus a full set of poly bushes to tighten things up nicely. The front brakes are also from an XR2, with a rear disc conversion using Mk3 Fiesta discs and Sierra calipers.

7.5x13 four-spokes were always earmarked for the build

Finding trim and interior bits has long been a challenge in the Fiesta world, primarily as the cars were considered next to worthless for so long — finding cars with complete, clean interiors is very tricky indeed! Fortunately while Paddy and Jo were busying themselves fitting the Zetec and rebuilding the shell, Tom was scouring classifieds and forums for the constituent parts of the Super Sport interior. It took a long time, but we’re glad Tom didn’t give up — the Super Sport’s interior is awesomely ’80s, a real slice of retro cool.

The Fiesta fired into life last summer, and though the build took a long time, it looks all the better for it. The paint and metalwork is flawless, the stance is perfect and the 1800 Zetec delivers just the right amount of grunt while still being perfectly suitable for the daily commute. It might not be a car that rewrites the book on how to build a 16-valve powered Fiesta, but that’s hardly the point — Tom’s ended up with his ideal Mk1 Fiesta, and you can’t deny it looks achingly cool to boot.

MK1 Ford Fiesta Supersport, rare Climate Pack model