Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Hi Jon Thanks for sharing the pictures. I thought it was another Fiesta at first glance
Any idea if the Quaife gear lever tower can be replicated? Did he machine it, or is it cast?

The carbon box isn't really a carbon box Its a black box from CPC, with a 1.5mm (iirc) carbon sheet on top, held in position by the switches.
I just copied the idea from another race car on here.
Ledon racing provided the sheet cut to size. You can find them quite easily on Ebay.


Sold my Zetec unequal length driveshafts today for £250 which will pay for the lightweight flywheel I intend to fit.

[jonboy]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Hi Jon Thanks for sharing the pictures. I thought it was another Fiesta at first glance
Any idea if the Quaife gear lever tower can be replicated? Did he machine it, or is it cast?

The carbon box isn't really a carbon box Its a black box from CPC, with a 1.5mm (iirc) carbon sheet on top, held in position by the switches.
I just copied the idea from another race car on here.
Ledon racing provided the sheet cut to size. You can find them quite easily on Ebay.


Sold my Zetec unequal length driveshafts today for £250 which will pay for the lightweight flywheel I intend to fit.

Cheers for the info Graham, no Fords here sadly although I am sure he would be happy building someone a Fiesta lol

He made the tower himself, there are some pics of how he did it on the thread I posted.

Nice idea on the switch unit though, I need something for the Peugeot and thats exactly what I had in mind.

[dangerousdave]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

With the wishbone idea take a look at the vag stuff. The lateish polo (the one with 4 headlights, early 00's years) or the seat ibiza fr tdi from around a 2002 both have a similar style arm but the rear bushes on the ibiza fr's from the dealers are solid rubber and around £15 each (the polo are 2 thick webs which break but the ibiza ones will fit) as the focus ones tend to go a limp over time or unbond from the casing, unless they make a polybush kit for them?

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Will do Dave. Thanks for the info.

Armed with the photographs from that stunning Nova thread, I went over to Altiss this morning to ask if Nigel could make me a copy of the 5" tall Gear lever stand, in aluminium.
Nigel says it should take a week or so.

He only had Ralph Schumachers 97/98 Jordan F1 tub in the workshop, which he's fitting a Judd V10 to, so clearly, he has a fair amount of work on his plate at the moment. Its a Nigel Mansell motorsport car, and is used in the old F1 car championships. Looking at the tub, all carbon fibre, I'd be happy to have it hung on the wall. What a piece of art!

The Stant filler cap with lever, has arrived and looks splendid on the car. And the lower rear gearbox mount arrived from Ebay so I'll set to tonight fabricating some brackets so I can use it on the Fiesta.

Oh and I posted the Quaife gear cable back today for exchange for a shorter (lighter) one. It weighed nearly 2Kg

I love my trips to Altiss.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

The standard lower rear gearbox mount from Ford


Removed the damper section, and welded an additional arm to the outside of the bracket.


The modified arm bolted to the gearbox. I'll be sure to threadlock the bolts.
I need to make and then weld a couple of brackets to the floor next to attach the steady bar to.
Floor will then be painted black with more Dinitrol 4921


The look I'd like to achieve, same body kit, but lower ride height than mine, and much fatter tyres.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Welding this to the engine bay floor this evening. This will then allow me to connect the gearbox steady bar to the floor. Made this from a piece of 1.25" box section steel.

[cossie matt]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Welding this to the engine bay floor this evening. This will then allow me to connect the gearbox steady bar to the floor. Made this from a piece of 1.25" box section steel.

Good luck Graham, try to make sure its not just in the middle of a flat section of floor or it'll just flex and crack. Curves and double skin/box sections are best as they offer natural strength.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Made the drop link/steadybar from some steel tube that I welded two M10 nuts to the ends, and ground the welds down, then painted with black gloss spray.


View from above of the gbox mount. Its so sturdy now I can run without the old top steady bar that ran between the top of the box and the bulkhead.


View underneath. The steady bar uses two M10 rod ends and the spacers are made from aluminium tube cut to length with a pipe cutter.


Then with it all removed, I've masked off the Coolit shield, and sprayed the bracket with primer. I'll spray it black today, then use Dinitrol to finish off the rust proofing on the floor.


The floor where I've welded the bracket to, is double skinned, and around 2.5mm thick, as its actually a box section that runs across the width of the car. Strength is going to be more than adequate just there.


I have to say that welding whilst lying on my side under the car has to be the least desirable job on any car I've worked on. When the bits of weld make their way in to the mask, its pretty frightening. I'll have to invest in some better protection, before there isn't a 'next time'.

[exboyracer]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

I have to say that welding whilst lying on my side under the car has to be the least desirable job on any car I've worked on. When the bits of weld make their way in to the mask, its pretty frightening. I'll have to invest in some better protection, before there isn't a 'next time'.

Amen to that, I pretty much refuse to weld upside down now. Got some nasty burns in the past
From what I've read it's best to turn the wire speed down from where you'd usually have it whilst working upside down.

[Graham]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

yeah its horrible welding upsidedown, low wire speed or short pulses are deffo the way to go if you have to

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Sprayed the floor with primer then gloss black, just need to re-apply the Dinitrol 4921 wax to protect it. Dinitrol is quite hard wearing, and comes off with solvent cleaner when you need it to. The underside is wearing well considering its 28 years old this year. I'd really like to remove all of the Dinitrol and get it sprayed professionally underneath, but this'll do for the time being.

[Tristan]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Graham , with the kind of power you run , do you have any issues with driveshafts , or CV joints?

[Graham]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

grahams put it all in teh thread but its 200bhp, and he's had special driveshafts made

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

not yet, as its only done a dyno session and a couple of low speed outings.

M-Sport say that the Sporting Trophy rally cars are constantly chewing through tri-lobe (spider) joints, but with the XR2 using modern parts, that should never be a problem. I can carry spares if needs be.
The driveshafts are custom made by commercial propshaft services, and accept the ST trilobes inboard, and the old Mk1 outer CV joints (22 spline instead of the later 23 spline items from the Mk2 fiesta).
Outer 22 spline Mk1 CV's are ten a penny on ebay, so again, hopefully no problems to look forward to replacing parts.

And I seriously doubt I'll ever have the power to break the drive-shafts. They're made from some good quality steel

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Quaife are expecting the new shortened gear selector cable in tomorrow, so I should get it back by the end of the week.

Just buying a new flywheel and clutch. Not much scope for FWD Duratecs from the look of things, most flywheels are RWD fitment only. Here I am pioneering again