Hey guys. Thought i'd introduce you to the new daily!
For the last 3 years i've been driving around in an 83 Fiesta 1100L
Looked the part (i think at least) but definately fit the term "Low n Slow"
Was getting fed up of having no overtaking/burnout/showoff power and knew i needed something with a little bit of grunt.
It was also important i seek something running fuel injection as i was getting pretty tired of cold/damp starts on the old carb.
Wanted to keep it MK2 fiesta as i love driving them, they are still relatively cheap, and parts are easy to get hold of. So the search began.
Now i already have another XR2 (well 2 others at the moment) and really like a base model unarched car, so i didnt really want an XR2.
But i spotted this on ebay, only 30 mins from my house, BUT.... an XR2 and about £1000 over my ideal budget.
Nonetheless i stuck it in watched items and kept my eye on it whilst looking for others.
The thing that kept me going back to the listing was the fact that not only was this running a fuel injected 2.0 zetec, but 6 months earlier it had been fitted with an OMEX 600 ECU.
Knowing what these things cost, plus the scope for easy fitting of ITBs in the future, i thought fuck it! It had been listed a while so i thought i might have a chance of knocking a few quid off, so off i went for a look.
Anyway, long story short,i loved it! It was far from perfect, but knowing it was gonna be used for daily duties i didn't want it too clean.
I put in what i knew was a cheeky offer, got instantly denied, but we met in the middle and VOILA, she was mine.
So its a genuine XR2, running a 2.0 blacktop Zetec on custom made plenum inlet and omex 600 management (for now)
Its also had a pretty trick gearbox conversion and is now running an MTX75 gearbox (hydraulic clutch and cable shift) with custom shafts (which are actually the Ford Focus shafts from the gearbox, with turned down XR2 shafts fit inside them)
Modified D2 Coilovers with 300lb springs, and standard shocks with 50mm springs on the rear.
Mondeo ST200 Brake servo (pedal feel is really good with the standard XR2 Calipers)
And a lairly as fuck 3" (pretty much) straight through exhaust.
Interior wise its been sort of half stripped out, XR3i seats, black door cards, Gauges where the stereo should be
And as the gearbox had electrical speedo output, he fit a VDO Vision 140mph gauge (that isnt actually wired in yet, doh!)
And although its sat on 185/60 tyres (all my others are on 175/50), i think the stance is pretty good
My initial plans with the car are as follows ..... Change the exhaust for a 2" magnex system i have tucked in the garage. I like a loud exhaust like any petrolhead, but this one is properly stupid.
I don't wanna go fucking the neighbours off warming it up for work at 6am.
Swap the current suspension setup from my current fiesta (gaz gha coilovers front, and adjustable rear dampers with custom 225lb rear springs) before selling that one on.
There is nothing wrong with the d2 ones, i just have my gaz shocks set exactly how i like them, and want this to drive as well as my last one.
I have sourced a Fiesta festical centre console, which looks like this ...
This is so i can house the 3 x 52mm gauges down low, and refit a stereo up top. All the speaker wiring etc needs to go back in the car too, which is annoying but worth it.
Also i would like to refit the rear wiper set up (including wires) and the rear screen element (including wiring too)
Remove the black door cards and refit XR2 type, refit all bits of XR2 trim (including roof lining) and basically make it feel like an XR2 should do inside again.
Currently the batter is in the boot (which is fine), but the wiring it inside the car without plastic conduit running through the inside of the car. Going to move wires back under the car away from hard.
Subsequently, when he converted to injection, rather than by an injection tank, he has run an external swirl pot, high power pump, lift pump and regulator all in the spare wheel well.
Not only does this make a hell of a noise and stink like fuck, it's also preventing me from carrying a spare, which i dont like the idea of.
Luckily, i have an injection tank tucked away too, so gonna fit that, relocate the high power pump below the tank, then ditch everything from the spare wheel well .... goodbye noise, goodbye smell, hello spare wheel! hehe
Then comes the hard decision .... keep the car sat how it is now? Run it on 175/50s (can't decide if these will look lost in XR2 arches, they work well on unarched cars but not sure about on this) or make the step up to 15" wheels.
I thought with 15s i can fill the arch nicely but still run a low profile tyre?
My initial instinct is to go with 175/50s. I found a pic of this
and although it needs to come down a touch at the back, i do think it looks good. I'll be retaining the graphite Pepper pots as i like them against the black. But might run them with spacers (10mm rear, 5mm front)
Just to fill the arches abit better, but without running a low offset wheel (like capri pot) which would scrub like fuck and make it undriveable.
The good thing being with my suspension set up, its just a case of winding the fronts up, and swapping springs back at the rear and i can be running 185/60s again, so certainly gonna give it a go.
Long term plans are simple .... remove plenum setup, fit OMEX bodies, 285 cams and a touch of porting, and hopefully be looking about 190bhp - 200bhp (its currently 150)
The throttle response and noise of Throttle bodies, and knowing it should still turn on the key every morning and behave itself are too much to turn down.
In fact, i've been selling a load of stuff recently just to start going towards these, can't wait!
I would also like to source a heated front screen, just as my wife has one on our Mondeo ST and i've always liked the idea. Along with the injection, and the hydraulic clutch, this would make everything i like in a modern car, tucked up in a cool retro shell.
and lastly, and the last thing i wanna do (at the moment) to the car cosmetically, is fit smoked headlights and indicators like this
I think with the black paint and the graphite wheels this could work pretty well. Thought it i can pull it off i'd be driving around kinda looking like a scene drug dealer!
Anyway, thats enough waffle for now. Will try and update as things happen. Those of you that know me know i usually take a while though! haha. Hopefully not with this one as its new so we are still in the honeymoon period!
Cheers for reading if you got this far
Jonni
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