• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Stealthy Frankenfiesta

Messages
101
Likes
14
Location
Alexandria
Depends on the kit/setup. I just installed the DHM GT290r kit (still tuning it) but it is way more drivable than stock. Obviously the torque steer is still there but the whole powerband is more usable. Just an example and not exact numbers but close.. I was comparing some logs from today and old stock turbo ones. Stock builds full boost 21 lbs somewhere in the 4k's and rapidly tapers down until redline. I think it was 11 lbs there. So ton of torque steer and wheel hop/traction issues there. New turbo spooled up to 22 lbs about 4K and held until 7200 rpm. Much more fun and easier to drive first impressions.
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #122
Well, I'm not destroying anyone, but I am having fun with the little car.

Also [MENTION=762]BostonDriver[/MENTION]: What constitutes a mountune stage 3 tune? Would that be s custom tune for an upgraded turbo?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Messages
221
Likes
42
Location
Boston
Mountunes stage 3 is what they now call the MR230 kit. Full exhaust, intake, intercooler and a custom tune.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #124
Mountunes stage 3 is what they now call the MR230 kit. Full exhaust, intake, intercooler and a custom tune.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ah. Huh. I've got that -- assuming that by custom tune you mean the tune they provide OTS with all the MR230 bits. I like it, but I think the 230 refers to their claimed crank HP or bhp. If that's the case, I reckon we're getting 200 whp tops. I think this tune is more about added, sustained TQ. It might be worth taking the car to a dyno to benchmark that.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #126
The silver wheels look great. Understated but tuff. Any side shots?
I posted this in another thread regarding 225/45-15 tires and 15x8 wheels:



Is that what you're looking for? If not one of these days I'll get around to snapping a straight on side shot.
 


Messages
469
Likes
143
Location
Chicago
Yea man exactly what i was looking for! Stealthy look achieved. Even though they're not as popular I really like the silver wheels especially on silver car.
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
13,996
Likes
6,697
Location
Princeton, N.J.
I posted this in another thread regarding 225/45-15 tires and 15x8 wheels:



Is that what you're looking for? If not one of these days I'll get around to snapping a straight on side shot.
Have you ever run 225/50s on those wheels, or have they always had the 45s on them??

If so, what were the differences in; turn-in response, sidewall 'rollover', bump/pothole impact handling (if ever driven on the street), etc.?
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #129
Have you ever run 225/50s on those wheels, or have they always had the 45s on them??

If so, what were the differences in; turn-in response, sidewall 'rollover', bump/pothole impact handling (if ever driven on the street), etc.?
Well, these 225/45-15s are my first set.

My other wheels:

* 205/50-15 NT01 track tires
* 205/50-15 RE-11A summer street and alternative track rubber
* 205/40-17 General G-MAX AS-03 all weathers for not summer, not track

The all weathers are on my stock wheels. I don't do any true "winter" driving in this car. I'll drive around in the wet some, but that's pretty much it. It's a low-mileage car that gets event less use when it gets truly cold (rare here, but still). I generally prefer a little more protection when possible. The stock tire size is a little short on the sidewall for me, but it works. No complaints about the 225/45s at all. Just a road trip to the Ridge so far. I don't like the factory air pressure, so I'll drop that a little.

I went back to The Ridge yesterday and have some notes about air pressure. For my purposes, less is better (up to a point) and it shows up in my lap times. I'll do a little report with some video in a bit. Stay tuned.
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
13,996
Likes
6,697
Location
Princeton, N.J.
215/40-17 General G-MAX AS-03 all weathers for not summer, not track

The all weather are my stock wheels. I don't do any true "winter" driving in this car. I'll drive around in the wet some, but that's pretty much. It's a low-mileage car that get event less use when it gets truly cold (rare here, but still). I generally prefer a little more protection when possible. The stock tire size is a little short on the sidewall for me, but it works.
I figured that much, given how you went with the 215 AS-03s, over the factory 205 size (they are one of the VERY few UHP all seasons in our OEM size).

This is also what I'm hoping for by going 225/50-15s over the 225/45-15s. ;)
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #131
I figured that much, given how you went with the 215 AS-03s, over the factory 205 size (they are one of the VERY few UHP all seasons in our OEM size).

This is also what I'm hoping for by going 225/50-15s over the 225/45-15s. ;)
Uh. My mistake. They are the stock size. Typo. Sorry. 205/40-17 General G-MAX AS-03s. Sorry about that.
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #132
Track Day Report: Back to the Ridge July 30

Summary

Date: 7/30/2016

Location: The Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

Group: Cantrell Motorsport, administered by The Ridge Racing School

Conditions: Morning: Cool, overcast with slight breeze. Afternoon: Partial to full sun and breezy.

High temps: Morning: Mid 60s. Afternoon: Mid 70s

Fast lap time: 2:10.668

Much cooler than expected, a little breezy in the afternoon. Car ran without a hitch. Very well-run event. Cantrell/Ridge Racing combination works great. One slight off; two wheels in the gravel tossed me to the other shoulder in turn 2. Right rear liner got detached and chewed up; got black flagged; jacked it up, got it off; back out next session. Made some improvements; work still to be done to optimize spots throughout, but entertaining.


Details

I think everybody expected this to be a very warm day, but the weather pattern shifted a little and sent in overcast skies over Shelton. It was a welcome surprise I think for everyone. The wind kicked up a little, which caused some personal heartburn (I explain that at the end of these notes), but it was a fantastic day at the track.
Cantrell days are, in my opinion, among the best from a driving perspective. I like that the other drivers are all very experienced (if not mostly expert) and Colin allows let by with a point anywhere on the track. Most HPDE club events only allow passing on the straights. I prefer unrestricted point by passing because I can let fast cars by under braking, mid-turn, etc. -- losing the least amount of time/momentum.

The A group had some very fast cars including a Radical, an Audi R8, too many turbo Carreras to count, a racing Viper, a new Vette. Very fast. The B group was also fast -- I was definitely the slowest car in the group, although once I got a little rhythm, I was holding my own and had a good amount of open track. It was fun to chase cars. It helped me build speed.

There?s nothing really new to report about the car. There were no real anomalies. I experienced no heating problems. The NT01s lost a little grip late in each afternoon session, but I was pushing the car a little more.

My one observation is that, for me, the car does better with lower tire pressures ? up to point (which I don?t think I have yet hit). My hot pressure target is now 37 lbs. I started the day shooting for about 38 lbs, with the ?cold? pressures set early at 31/30 (left front/right front) and 32/31 (left rear/right rear). However, I found the car to started slide a little mid-turn late is the a.m. sessions, which I did not like. When I came back to pits after my last a.m. session, I dropped the pressures all around to 37 psi. While it?s hard to say exactly why, I did drop about 5 seconds on average in the afternoon compared to the a.m. fastest lap times. I might continue to experiment a little with slightly lower pressures when I come back next month.

My fastest data-logged lap time this visit was 2:10.668. My fast laps in the afternoon were around 2:11 to 2:12. While not exactly fast, that?s at least 5 to 6 seconds faster than my best laps my first visit to The Ridge. I was pretty happy with that. I can tell that there are at least several low-hanging seconds out there, but this car is really only so fast (and I am only so skilled). I figure some time can be shaved by:

  • braking later going into turn 1 (see the track map)
  • consistently turning in later to turn 2 and holding speed
  • getting the turn-in timed correctly at 8a and then standing on it from 8b to braking in 11

I am a little frustrated with turn 6 and have learned about a ?double apex? approach to ?The Carousel.? I?m going to see if I can use that to get through there faster. It?s one place where just about every car just comes up from behind like I?m standing still, but I cannot seem to muster much more than 55-60 mph mid-turn. As I try to get more, the car just pushes on exit and I cannot come close to apex.

A specific lap time (let's say 2:05) is not really my goal in and of itself for me. It just represents a benchmark regarding my process of learning how to optimize my way around a course. What I do notice is that it is a very entertaining process at The Ridge. I never felt that at Pacific Raceways.

I have not been taking photos at track days, mostly because the cars are basically all the same (Porsches, BMWs, the odd Viper or Vette, odds and ends). I'm planning to attend the Club Lotus event in Portland Sept. 2. That track day always has lots of great cars. It front ends a vintage race weekend and an all-British meet. One run group at the Lotus event is dedicated to race cars, which vary from formula racers and prototype sports cars to vintage Cortinas. Having said that, here are a couple of pit pics from the Cantrell day.

Colin?s semi and a bunch of his customer cars:


My car cooling off after the first session:


That brings me to my mild heartburn. Notice the REI shelter there? That was the first time I?ve used it. It got windy enough in the afternoon to bend the telescoping polls. The structure folded over on itself. Damn! My chair did also get blown over by a gust, but seriously, the thing should have been able to take the bit of wind we saw. It could not have gusted to more than 20 mph.

About my car's number: When possible, I?ve settled on using the 42 as my identifier. There?s a, well, literary reason for that. Can you guess why I would pick that number? 56 is my other favorite number, but if I can get 42, I?ll take it. Hah.

I finally figured out how to properly export video from the CMS tool with the selected data included. Here?s video from the session with my best lap time at the end. It covers 3 laps. I think it?s interesting that I do better when I?m chasing cars, even if I have to let someone by. Best lap is the last lap in this set, but they are within a couple seconds.

[video=youtube;jols2ftkuiE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jols2ftkuiE [/video]

At the end of the same session (my overall best), I put two wheels off after a strange sequence involving a yellow Porsche going off track in the same spot where I put two wheels off a lap before I did it. The dust up may have caused my fender liner to detach (although it might have come loose before). It got a little chewed up, but was easy to get off once I got it up and the wheel off.

Here?s a video of that strange sequence (off occurs at the 2:57 mark):

[video=youtube;zgdH1G3ftXk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgdH1G3ftXk[/video]

The lesson that I took away: Once you?re in a cool-down frame of mind, it?s best just to go into the paddock and get some water, especially since that session was really nearly over anyway. I went off because I lost concentration. Live and learn.
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
13,996
Likes
6,697
Location
Princeton, N.J.
Thanks for the write-up, and it sounds like a GREAT time! [thumb]

These cars look SWEET in silver (despite it being such a common color in every type of car), and I wonder WHY Ford decided to drop it for '16? :(
 


Messages
424
Likes
131
Location
Ridgecrest
great write ups, as always, thanks for sharing. How long do you see yourself owning the car now that you are pretty much done? Always an interesting question.
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #135
Thanks for the write-up, and it sounds like a GREAT time! [thumb]

These cars look SWEET in silver (despite it being such a common color in every type of car), and I wonder WHY Ford decided to drop it for '16? :(
I like silver too. LOL. This is the fifth car I've owned in silver, and our Jeep GC Limited is almost silver. What I like about silver is that you can actually see the contours of the car in most lighting conditions. Other colors kind of mask the shape of a car. Just my 2 cents.

They killed silver for the FiST? Strange. I did not know that.


great write ups, as always, thanks for sharing. How long do you see yourself owning the car now that you are pretty much done? Always an interesting question.
Well, it might well be my last shifter and "last" track car. Hah. I've only had one other (very similar) track car, so that's not saying much. I'm an old fart. I figure if I'm doing this for another 4 or 5 years, it's a win. After that, as long as I can still drive a stick (ugh), I'll probably strip it back to a mostly stock setup, although I'd probably keep the mountune bits, and push it to be more of a daily driver. Some of that drift to a daily driver might happen sooner (the motor mounts are a bit much around town).
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
13,996
Likes
6,697
Location
Princeton, N.J.
They killed silver for the FiST? Strange. I did not know that.
Yes, and of course the Blue Oval, in all of their infinite wisdom, brought it back for '17. [dunno] [:(]

I am waiting so long for my '16 to come in, I should have just ordered a silver '17 at this point.
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #137


That brings me to my mild heartburn. Notice the REI shelter there? That was the first time I?ve used it. It got windy enough in the afternoon to bend the telescoping polls. The structure folded over on itself. Damn! My chair did also get blown over by a gust, but seriously, the thing should have been able to take the bit of wind we saw. It could not have gusted to more than 20 mph.
I have a little update to my REI shelter issue. REI took it back and gave me a full refund today. I purchased another one and know now not to use it in any kind of substantive wind, although I'm going to investigate a little to determine if placing in a different position relative to the wind would help. I had it secured so that wind swept it directly broadside. It might fair better if the spine (which is what bent) is aligned to the direction of the wind. In any event, something I'll watch out for more carefully in the future. One use and the thing caves. Hah.
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #138
I thought I was done with this thing, mostly, but now mountune announces plans for a hybrid turbo upgrade to the UK/EU FiST, with the U.S. folks acknowledging that there will be a North American "version" of the package. Sigh. I'll be keeping an eye out and rummaging through my drawers (among other places) for loose change (and bars of gold) to see if I can afford the thing.
 


Messages
89
Likes
20
Location
Vancouver
Good stuff, did you experience any brake fade?
What oil/coolant temps are you seeing (if you have an AP)
I wonder if our cars are just so aerodynamically limited that we can't hit a higher top speed on the front straight, highest I've gone is about 116-117 mph which I can do in my friend's stock S2000.
The Fiesta pulls out of the lower speed corners harder than the S2000 but above 100 mph seems to be running out of steam

Here's a 2:07 I did last year, I stupidly left the ESP in sport mode (you can see it kicking in) which ended up killing my brakes
Pretty sloppy driving on the Federal RSR and only -2 camber.

I have a racechrono log of a 2:05.xx but I can't seem to find a video of it

If my brakes get sorted I'll be aiming for 2:04-2:05 in September as well :)
 


OP
meFiSTo

meFiSTo

Senior Member
Messages
865
Likes
229
Location
Redmond
Thread Starter #140
Good stuff, did you experience any brake fade?
What oil/coolant temps are you seeing (if you have an AP)
I wonder if our cars are just so aerodynamically limited that we can't hit a higher top speed on the front straight, highest I've gone is about 116-117 mph which I can do in my friend's stock S2000.
The Fiesta pulls out of the lower speed corners harder than the S2000 but above 100 mph seems to be running out of steam

Here's a 2:07 I did last year, I stupidly left the ESP in sport mode (you can see it kicking in) which ended up killing my brakes
Pretty sloppy driving on the Federal RSR and only -2 camber.

I have a racechrono log of a 2:05.xx but I can't seem to find a video of it

If my brakes get sorted I'll be aiming for 2:04-2:05 in September as well :)

No fade whatsoever, but I am easy on brakes. I brake early and get off, so even when I'm "on" with regard to driving line, etc., I'm not particularly fast. I figure if I can correct some of the areas on the track I've identified as non-optimal, then I can maybe approach 2:05, but we'll see. I've only been a couple times and frankly can't see hitting the track often enough to really hone things. I can get better for sure, but I'm mostly out to have some fun. I'm basically your average driver in a slow car out (literally) for a Sunday drive.

I've been hitting 116 at the bottom of the main straight with some regularity. But I go off throttle early (generally between the end of the passing zone and beginning of the braking zone). I'm going to work on staying on until I pass the first braking zone cones, then try to hold more speed to the turn-in for T2 and do that later, then hold more speed through the T3, T4, T5 sequence in to that short chute to The Carousel. I figure I can shave time there and by being faster from T8b to T11.

Cantrell can't seem to get more the -1 deg camber with my setup. Could be due to my wanting to keep the ride height tall with the coilovers.

Anyway, hope to see you out there some time.
 




Top