B14 or Fortune autos?

[Ptuning_Nate]

Just wondering what your guys thoughts are on the B14s or Fortune auto coilovers, Im torn between the two, most use my car for street use (does see some spirited driving on the street) also will see the occasional auto x.

 

[blue2turbo]

Having owned Fortune Coilovers and having my MR2 be the car used to develop them for the SW20 platform, I can say... I love their products. Being able to drive to drop them off in the event of rebuild is a plus as well, but I had them developed for my R53 Mini Cooper S and my 93' MR2. However, if you're looking to get them for a Fiesta, would you buy the Mazda 2 500 series and select different rates and have them valved for those rates? I don't think they produce them for the FiST anymore.

That being said, B14's are also great and have raving reviews on here. I have a set that were on my car for a little bit, they are the Fiesta/Mazda2 version, but they rode and handled great, I just swapped to shocks/springs to raise the car a bit because even at their highest setting (that I felt comfortable setting in the front) they were still a little low for my girlfriend to drive with my Mountune Splitter.

Having damper adjustment and ride height independent from preload as well as camber plates for the front would give a nod to the Fortunes, but the price tag on the B14's is also very attractive. I'll be selling my B14's for pretty cheap soon, but they've been repainted and not the original color.

Can't go wrong with either to be honest, but I would love some Fortune's for my car.

 

[Ptuning_Nate]

If i got the fortune autos I would buy the mazda 2 version, but i will agree with your statement on the price tag of thew b14, how have they been holding up for you thus far?

 

[blue2turbo]

If i got the fortune autos I would buy the mazda 2 version, but i will agree with your statement on the price tag of thew b14, how have they been holding up for you thus far?

Well I bought mine from a fellow who had put about 40k on them. They were pretty oxidized up front so I didn't feel like repolishing so I just gave them a quick clean, prime, and black coat of paint (even managed to retain the stickers lol) and anti seized all the threads. They functioned great for the 2k ish miles I ran them, they rode great, absorbed the bumps and grooves nicely and they handled great. I never got a chance to go out and really push them, but I've been an avid bilstein fan since my VW time due to the quality. If I didn't share the car on occasion and could lower them a bit more to change the pre load up front a little bit, I think they would ride even better rather than be at the top of their range.

If you decide to go Mazda 2 route, what you may want to consider (not sure if they still do this) is opting for your choice of spring rates (free of charge), add the radial bearings (so no spring bind noise) and discuss with them the potential to install them and valve them to the new rates. They did this for me with the Mini Cooper because the R53 coilovers hadn't sold much so they never really had a chance to install on a car and get the valving/rates correct. I used to work with Terry, but I'm not sure if he's still there. If you were to get a solid rate and they adjusted the valving, I'm not sure why they couldn't just market them as Fiesta ST coilovers at that point as well, seems like a simple enough process and I'm pretty sure they would give Meister R and KW's a run for their money.

 

[blue2turbo]

Also, if you want some B14s that need a good coat of paint or to be repolished, I’ll be selling mine for around $250-$300 lol