All show and all go – this sweet ST
packs 300bhp of supercharged shove.
Stanced, funky-coloured rims, stretched
tyres and club stickers can mean only one thing: all show and no go, right? A
sucker for the modding scene, with rubber bursting through the inner arches if
speeds of more than 41mph are achieved. Correct?
Hot
Fiestas have been in European showrooms for a couple of decades, but the 2014
ST is the first such car for North America, as Ford makes more and more of its
products global.
Wrong. Very, very wrong. You see, although
the Fiesta ST on these pages wears all the hallmarks of a motorised fashion
victim, it’s actually a barking, screaming, supercharged warrior with a power-to-weight
ratio most modern machines can only dream about. It just so happens to look
mighty smart too.
ST owner Andy Woodruff is keen on keeping
his car useable, head-turning, and packing a real punch. “I’m always trying to
find a balance between power and style,” he says. “I like to drive on the track
but I’m not chasing 500bhp, and I’m never going to race it,” he says.
Dedicated Tuner
“I’m into the modified side of things. I
could probably buy something just as quick with the money I’ve spent, but it
wouldn’t look anything like this.”
Andy’s fascination with tuned Fords began
by seeing a mate’s white ST wearing green Escort Cosworth wheels, which was
well-known on the Fiesta scene. After browsing club forums and discovering the
potential in pocket-sized Fords, Andy was soon waving goodbye to his tired old
Corsa.
He found this ST for sale in Swindon almost
two years ago. Crucially, it was completely standard and finished in Andy’s
chosen shade of Frozen White, which he reckons is rarer than other colours and
commands a small premium.
With
a claimed 301bhp, this ace looking Fiesta is very rapid too
He remembers, “This is the first car I’ve
modified, and I wanted something to make my own – although I wasn’t planning on
going this far.”
Andy’s first step was having the stock ST
alloys painted black, followed by respraying the bumpers, adding a front
splitter and finned rear diffuser from Triple R Composites, along with detail
touches recommended by friends and forum members. The windows were tinted,
plastics were sprayed gloss black, and the cabin gained an upgraded Sony head unit
(of the type optional when new).
A trip to Mountune found Andy bagging an
MP165 package with full exhaust system, manifold, sports cat and remap. “In
terms of noise I really liked it,” he says. “It was a bit nippier, but I was
still hungry for more power.”
Unlike most of us impetuous petrol heads,
Andy then took time to lay the foundations for future engine upgrades; there’s
no point hitting silly speeds if you hit a tree instead of the next bend.
300mm
ST170 Conversion + Mondeo Mk3 Calipers
A set of Mk3 Mondeo calipers and ST170
300mm discs were fitted to the Fiesta’s front end, which Andy tackled at home
by drilling out its 10mm caliper mountings to 12.5mm holes. “The brakes are a
lot more responsive and feel much nicer. I knew I would be making a big jump in
power, so I prepared for it.”
