Discussion
Didn't bother with a thread for my M135i as never really planned to do anything with it, it is a blue 2016 5 door, I stuck a tuning box on it and washed it.
Have had it three years and it goes very well but thought its a great car, does everything pretty well its just never really struck me as the drivers car I was expecting. Was planning and saving to replace it with an M4 but my eldest decided he was selling his ST and wanted something else. I lent him the cash so he didn't have to sell the ST before he could buy his Golf so I now own a Fiesta ST.
The idea was he goes back to Scotland where he lives and I have a Fiesta ST to flog, at that point I get my cash back and it goes back in the M4 fund.
I woke up one morning and though, why not keep them both ? Which is a ludicrous situation as I do very few miles now I work from home and being afflicted with liking 2 wheels without an engine, I do more miles on a bicycle than I ever do in a car, so two cars is an extravagance. In fact it would be three cars with my wifes and we are about to buy one for my youngest to use, plus the eldest regularly comes home so it would be five.
So, I have made the decision to move the BMW on, no point keeping it costing money in tax, insurance and depreciation, plus the M4 can wait as have always pinched the keys for the Fiesta to go for a blast, it just feels a whole lot more alive than the BMW, partly down to being a manual. The auto box in the BMW is superb, but for the driving I do, its wasted. My thinking is if I regret it, there is no shortage of them and I wanted an M4 anyway.
But, couldn't pass up having this wee beastie for a while. Its a 2015 Race Red ST2 in pretty decent condition on 33k miles, standard except for a Mountune exhaust and Mountune Springs. Its got brand new Michelins on the front, just had an oil change but needs a brake fluid change and possibly rear disks and pads.
However, its not quick enough as standard, not dog slow, its adequate most of the time but it feels held back and runs out of puff at the top end, like it has way more to give and the capability in the rest of it to handle it.
Not going to change how it looks, they are a bit lairy and embarrassing enough when you are 50 like me anyway but I don't care, had barges in my twenties and this is the reverse, I don't care really as long as its fun.
Its booked in with Collins Performance in Congleton on the 19th of May which is 12 miles from where I live so that's who gets the job, other tuners seem to muster bigger figures but Collins have a superb reputation for providing excellent packages that work well on the road and not just peak numbers.
Key thing is to just give it a bit more and remove that feeling of being held back. I reckon as standard I can probably make similar progress than in the M135i just as it inspires so much confidence, Remember following a Mountune badged one in my 350Z and was struggling to keep up down country roads.
To start with, Its having the CP2E package, which is about £1100 and consists of an intake, remap and intercooler, the E bit stands for "Enhanced" which adds a new turbo wastegate actuator which gives better boost control and produces and holds power better. They reckon 240 ish bhp which should be perky enough in a car weighing less than 1100 kilos. I am going to option the bigger intercooler, the packages includes their stage 1 Airtek intercooler, to futureproof it I will get them to add the bigger stage 3 one to future proof things in case I decide to take it further.
There are options for up to about 360 bhp on these on standard engine internals, but I want to try it with 240 bhp first, it may well be enough for me and its easy to ruin a car with too much power and create something less satisfying. But, will possibly go for a bigger turbo set up if I get bored and god knows what other goodies will arrive in the post.
I fancy doing a track day or two, would be more confident in this as its worth less and has more feedback.
Will post some more pictures when I get them but its an entirely unremarkable looking Fiesta ST and I intend to keep it like that, but will add my thoughts on the upgrades and the general ownership, might be a long and happy one, or I may scuttle off and buy an M4 after a couple of months.
J4CKO: I think we're twins! 
I'm 50.
I drive a 2014 Fiesta ST2. Mine has 66k KM on the clock from new.
I, too, spend a lot more time on 2 wheeled machines, and am about to spank a load more cash on a new road bike today, so I'll update the associated thread.
I love my ST. I've pondered changing it a number of times, but I really don't know what I'd get.... A newer ST, I expect!
Enjoy the car!
I'm 50.
I drive a 2014 Fiesta ST2. Mine has 66k KM on the clock from new.
I, too, spend a lot more time on 2 wheeled machines, and am about to spank a load more cash on a new road bike today, so I'll update the associated thread.
I love my ST. I've pondered changing it a number of times, but I really don't know what I'd get.... A newer ST, I expect!
Enjoy the car!
Cheers All !
Its quite liberating realising something like this is actually so enjoyable, can see how an MX5 is and have pondered that but there wasn't one sat outside that I now "owned".
I feel the need to mess with it as after much more powerful cars, it just needs a little bit more to spice it up, not after big numbers or Dragy times as there are much more effective ways to do that if thats your thing, such as the M135i but just want a fun car, one that after a blast you want to pat when you get out
Just got a new road bike myself, a Trek Domane SL5, was out on it last night, not the lightest but oh so comfy and I like the isospeed "suspension", initially wasnt that enamored with disk brakes but did a full stop from 35 mph last night and oh my god its like dropping an anchor. And the internal storage is rather nice as well. Not the pointiest, fastest, raciest bike but suits me.
Its quite liberating realising something like this is actually so enjoyable, can see how an MX5 is and have pondered that but there wasn't one sat outside that I now "owned".
I feel the need to mess with it as after much more powerful cars, it just needs a little bit more to spice it up, not after big numbers or Dragy times as there are much more effective ways to do that if thats your thing, such as the M135i but just want a fun car, one that after a blast you want to pat when you get out
Just got a new road bike myself, a Trek Domane SL5, was out on it last night, not the lightest but oh so comfy and I like the isospeed "suspension", initially wasnt that enamored with disk brakes but did a full stop from 35 mph last night and oh my god its like dropping an anchor. And the internal storage is rather nice as well. Not the pointiest, fastest, raciest bike but suits me.
And another one in to the PH family of Fiesta ST owners 
You are correct that a stage 2 around 240 BHP will be best for the road as i have had my one from new and used it as my day to day road car and with the stage two it was amazing .
The big turbo stage 3 or 4 IMHO are a little to much for the road and you cant used all of the performance so a stage 2 is the sweet spot i think .
Even in stock trim they are a great track car .
You are correct that a stage 2 around 240 BHP will be best for the road as i have had my one from new and used it as my day to day road car and with the stage two it was amazing .
The big turbo stage 3 or 4 IMHO are a little to much for the road and you cant used all of the performance so a stage 2 is the sweet spot i think .
Even in stock trim they are a great track car .
Hasn't Sparkplug Steve on YouTube just had his Stage 3 ST go bang on a track day? He has no compression on Cylinder 1 so it sounds fairly terminal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ZL0ZRRHa4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ZL0ZRRHa4
Modifying these is a real bug! I'm not pushing my Mk8 any further power-wise for a while (again, 240-250ish bhp feels like about the right amount of shove) but I'm getting a Milltek GPF back and Eibach Redlines fitted a week on Tuesday.
I went with Revo for my software because I live about 5 miles from a very good Revo dealer garage but I haven't heard anyone say a bad word about Collins
I went with Revo for my software because I live about 5 miles from a very good Revo dealer garage but I haven't heard anyone say a bad word about Collins
mooseracer said:
Checking in to the PH 50 year old ST owners club. Although I've just sold it actually! As I think I said, replaced with a 140.
CP Stage 2 power wise + supporting suspension (shocks, springs and bushes). It was nigh on perfect for the road.
Not actually driven it since I got it, its blocked in and getting lavishly dumped on by the local Pigeons, am just giving a it a good clean first, will have a move around tomorrow and one less car.
mooseracer said:
Checking in to the PH 50 year old ST owners club. Although I've just sold it actually! As I think I said, replaced with a 140.
CP Stage 2 power wise + supporting suspension (shocks, springs and bushes). It was nigh on perfect for the road.
This was the Mountains Clubsport suspension - it doesn't need lowering at all (a lot of the 'slammed' ones you see must be actually worse to drive!) but the springs do result in a slight drop.
Imo it does benefit a lot from better dampers as the standard ones are fine to a point but then get more than a a bit ragged.
Bushes I think were a great cheap upgrade allowing the suspension to work better, but do result in more NVH.
Imo it does benefit a lot from better dampers as the standard ones are fine to a point but then get more than a a bit ragged.
Bushes I think were a great cheap upgrade allowing the suspension to work better, but do result in more NVH.
Had mine for 4 years and loved every second of it. Eventually gave in and sold it to fund a move to bigger house.
At 2-3k miles a year you'll need to keep an eye on the rear disks and calipers. The car very rarely applies much braking to the rears so with little use the disks corrode and the calipers stick. It became a spring ritual for me to strip, clean and grease the sliders on the rear calipers on mine.
Fiesta ST owners club suggests a swap from the OEM ford calipers to the bigger brakes and disks found on the original Focus ST. Doesn't change the brake balance but they are an almost direct fit and a different caliper design.
At 2-3k miles a year you'll need to keep an eye on the rear disks and calipers. The car very rarely applies much braking to the rears so with little use the disks corrode and the calipers stick. It became a spring ritual for me to strip, clean and grease the sliders on the rear calipers on mine.
Fiesta ST owners club suggests a swap from the OEM ford calipers to the bigger brakes and disks found on the original Focus ST. Doesn't change the brake balance but they are an almost direct fit and a different caliper design.
cerb4.5lee said:
I really like it in that colour Mark. 
I think you will have a lot of fun it for sure(I fell for my Cooper S because it was loads of fun).
Look forward to hearing how you get on with it, enjoy it.
Cheers, already know I like it, been rattling on about it for ages I think you will have a lot of fun it for sure(I fell for my Cooper S because it was loads of fun).
Look forward to hearing how you get on with it, enjoy it.
Just couldn't bring myself to sell it, need to scratch the itch. Fancier stuff can wait.
They are kind of enough if you know what I mean, they are fairly well built and dont feel like a flimsy budget hot hatch of old, the fact the engine puts up with so much is impressive and they dont rust like Fords of old is good.
Very much a hot hatch in the old school style though, fairly light, front wheel drive, manual and great fun.
Its looking very smart after an afternoon of cleaning, despite the Wood Pigeon squadron that seem to be bombing it on an hourly basis, those bloody things must excrete their body weight in a 24 hour period. Will finish it off tomorrow morning then thats done, Race Red is a really bright red and the paint finish is leagues ahead of the M135i. Will finish the machine polish and then apply a coat of Colonite. Will give the seat centres a wet vac, not filthy but could be cleaner.
Need to change the brake fluid, went to the car spares shop but wasn't sure whether what they had was suitable, any suggestions on what to get ?
Couldn’t agree more, sold mine a year ago for a Giulia Veloce. The Giulia has an incredible chassis and is much faster, but on a back road I’d much rather be in the ST, so much fun and ridiculously confidence inspiring as you say.
I also had the original CP2 map on mine and it was perfect.
Don’t miss that suspension on my commute, but the mountune progressive springs were supposed to improve on that.
I’d have another!
I also had the original CP2 map on mine and it was perfect.
Don’t miss that suspension on my commute, but the mountune progressive springs were supposed to improve on that.
I’d have another!
Bomberharris said:
....49 this year now looking for a nice ST any assistance greatly appreciated
This 48 year-old has had one for two years now and is loving it. Can't assist much, except to say try out all the HVAC direction settings to make sure you don't get the clicking that means you've got a blend door fault.J4CKO said:
Need to change the brake fluid, went to the car spares shop but wasn't sure whether what they had was suitable, any suggestions on what to get ?
When I upgraded the performance on my 200SX I did upgrade the brake pads but I left the brake fluid as the same as the factory stuff(DOT 4 Iirc). However I do have a few friends who enjoy track days, and they've always used the better quality brake fluid stuff(DOT 5.1 Iirc) to cope with the higher temperatures. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff