2014 Fiesta Non-ST Race Car In Mexico With Numerous ST Upgrades

[DaytonaJonah]

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick introduction...I'm an American now living in Mexico and planning to build a Fiesta race car to compete locally in club racing together with my wife. The class won't allow ST turbos so we're limited to 1.6lt/16v non-turbo motors with a maximum of 120hp on the "official" authorized dynamometer in order to participate.

So, we're looking for ideas and tips in how to incorporate the best of ST upgrades on the S model to stay within the rules and put the fastest, most well-prepped Fiesta on the track.

Looking forward to reading and learning as well as contributing where I can(I have in the past competed in the NW for a total of 15 years as well as raced at the Rolex24 at Daytona).

All the best - DJ

 

[D1JL]

Dave

 

[DaytonaJonah]

​

Dave

Gracias Dave!

 

[CarGuy]

Welcome to the party!

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

 

[SteveS]

The standard 1.6 L Fiesta engine was rated at 120 HP, so there's probably nothing to do as far as modifying that.

The remaining differences (other than cosmetic) would be with the suspension and wheels. And what you can do there will depend on what the local racing rules allow.

 

[Dpro]

Welcome!

 

[RubenZZZ]

Welcome!

What about a Mazda 2/Demio? Same chassis I believe.


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[DaytonaJonah]

The standard 1.6 L Fiesta engine was rated at 120 HP, so there's probably nothing to do as far as modifying that.

The remaining differences (other than cosmetic) would be with the suspension and wheels. And what you can do there will depend on what the local racing rules allow.

The 120 HP is the factory listed power rated...at the flywheel. So I'm probably looking at around 100-105 HP at the wheels without any mod's. Will likely solve the difference with a new race header and Flowmaster race muffler. Will see where it pulls at that, and then consider a cold-air intake to then see if I can get right up to 120hp.
Any ideas on improving torque without necessarily increasing HP? Lightweight fly wheel?
I gotta say it's weird to prepare a car with a HP limit

 

[DaytonaJonah]

Welcome!

What about a Mazda 2/Demio? Same chassis I believe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Down here, a same year Mazda 2(2014) starts around $2500-$5000 more than I can source a good condition basic Fiesta S model.

 

[flbchbm]

lowering kit for the non-ST
lighter wheels and tires = less rotational mass to move
are you allowed to remove interior parts?

 

[M-Sport fan]

First off, WELCOME!

Next, just how many limits are put on the suspension mods (i.e.; no coil overs, purely factory mounting points, limited camber, etc.)?

Can you change out the factory engine/transaxle mounts at all?

Do they allow you to FULLY 'tie-in' the cage to the unibody, especially forward into the shock towers, and add bracing between those towers as part of the cage?

Wheel/tire size limitations, and tread wear rating limits?

 

[scooter123]

IMO your first upgrade should be the radiator, because when the engine gets hot the timing gets pulled to control knock and you can lose a lot of power. I believe that the Mountune 3 pass radiator will also fit in the standard Fiesta and I can testify to how well in holds the engine temps right at the 195 degree ideal. In fact I gained 3.5 mpg in City driving when I installed my Mountune radiator. After you do the radiator then you can do the intake but I rather doubt you'll see any gains, Ford has done an excellent job of sizing the intake for this engine. Back in the old days the biggest gains in engine power came from swapping out the cam and then selecting the intake and carb based on the camshaft installed. On these engines a cam swap is not at all simple and it's doubtful you'll find much out there for cams to hotrod the standard Fiesta engine. I'll also point out that Ford tunes the catalytic convertor on their engines to maximize efficiency and if you remove the Cat odds are good you'll lose 10-20 hp.

So, what is left. First is Weight, put your car on a diet and remove the passenger and rear seats. You'll probably have to put a cage in it and no needless seats will make that easier. Just make you the cage you purchase is the lightest one you can find and yes it will probably cost more. You may also want to look into one of those lithium ion 12V battery replacements. As I understand it they do cost about 700 bucks but it will probably shave off 15 lbs or so. Naturally you'll want the lightest wheels you can find, the suspension will work a lot better by getting rid of that unsprung mass. You can also look at lowering it a bit but you do need to preserve the suspension travel, because bottoming out the suspension is hard on the tires and everything above the contact patch.

 

[M-Sport fan]

IMO your first upgrade should be the radiator, because when the engine gets hot the timing gets pulled to control knock and you can lose a lot of power. I believe that the Mountune 3 pass radiator will also fit in the standard Fiesta and I can testify to how well in holds the engine temps right at the 195 degree ideal. In fact I gained 3.5 mpg in City driving when I installed my Mountune radiator. After you do the radiator then you can do the intake but I rather doubt you'll see any gains, Ford has done an excellent job of sizing the intake for this engine. Back in the old days the biggest gains in engine power came from swapping out the cam and then selecting the intake and carb based on the camshaft installed. On these engines a cam swap is not at all simple and it's doubtful you'll find much out there for cams to hotrod the standard Fiesta engine. I'll also point out that Ford tunes the catalytic convertor on their engines to maximize efficiency and if you remove the Cat odds are good you'll lose 10-20 hp.

So, what is left. First is Weight, put your car on a diet and remove the passenger and rear seats. You'll probably have to put a cage in it and no needless seats will make that easier. Just make you the cage you purchase is the lightest one you can find and yes it will probably cost more. You may also want to look into one of those lithium ion 12V battery replacements. As I understand it they do cost about 700 bucks but it will probably shave off 15 lbs or so. Naturally you'll want the lightest wheels you can find, the suspension will work a lot better by getting rid of that unsprung mass. You can also look at lowering it a bit but you do need to preserve the suspension travel, because bottoming out the suspension is hard on the tires and everything above the contact patch.

AGREED on the radiator, especially south of the border, and all of the other weight shaving mods suggested above IF they are allowed by the rules of the sanctioning body.

Jonah might not be able do the cams even if they themselves are allowed, due to that 120 to the wheels limit rule.
Depending on how radical the cams, and even IF they are available for the NA engine (I'm guessing through Kent Cams or the like??), they could put him over that HP limit.

 

[DaytonaJonah]

First off, WELCOME!

Next, just how many limits are put on the suspension mods (i.e.; no coil overs, purely factory mounting points, limited camber, etc.)?

Can you change out the factory engine/transaxle mounts at all?

Do they allow you to FULLY 'tie-in' the cage to the unibody, especially forward into the shock towers, and add bracing between those towers as part of the cage?

Wheel/tire size limitations, and tread wear rating limits?

Thanks for the kind welcome M-Sport,
I put down this morning most of the important rule set requirements and limitations we have. Any ideas and options are greatly welcomed and appreciated.
_____

Class Rules – Incomplete Reader’s Digest Version:

• Fiberglass & carbon fiber can be used as PART of the bodywork. I.E. if a full carbon fiber door panel is used, a weight penalty is assessed. (Example: Carbon fiber heat extraction panels on hood are allowed w/o penalty)
• At least a 6-point roll cage is allowed, bolted-in or welded. (I was shown examples that allowed bar extensions to the front suspension points) Bolted strut-bars are allowed front & rear.
• Maximum 2-way adjustable shocks are allowed. Springs are free. Original suspension points are required. (I’m planning to install full race lowering springs from either Eibach or H&R with full SuperPro bush kit/control arm lowering kit/sway-bars & link kit etc.)
• https://superpro.com.au/find/superp...fiesta-2009-2018-mk-7-ws-wt-wz-/cid-999500635
  If someone knows of a better performing option coming out of the states, I’d like to know. My son lives is SoCal and I can always take a couple of days to head north to the border and have him meet me with parts shipped to him.
  Also: Considering Bilstein B16 Coilovers. Can’t make myself shell out 5 grand for Moton Clubsports.

NOTE: I’m limited to 195/55 or50/15 street tires with a minimum treadwear rating(UTQG) of 360!

• Tires I’m looking at: Pirelli Cinturato P1, Kumho PS31, Westlake SA57 (wild card choice)
• Wheel Options: Pro-Race 1.2(England), Ultralight F1(The Netherlands), Team Dynamics Pro Race LT(England), Panasport custom built(U.S.), Japan Racing JR11(either Japan or England)
• Full interior removal allowed.
• Dash removal is allowed with replacement. Gauges, data dash etc. allowed.
• Minimum weight with driver: 1918lbs. (that’ll be difficult to achieve)
• Racing steering wheel allowed. (I’m looking at NRG Innovations-cheaper than OMP/Sparco/Momo etc.)
• Oil cooler allowed.
• Some mod’s allowed to the head, i.e. porting and face cut, can lighten rods & pistons to the lightest stock one-balanced. Etc. (I won’t be doing any of this because I believe I can achieve the max. 120HP with exhaust and intake mods which will save some $$.)
• Original wet sump required but can be expanded and baffled. No dry sumps.
• Gel battery allowed. Location can be changed.
• Original gearbox housing must be used. No 6th gear allowed. Original manufacturer gears are required. (I’m looking at a 4.3:1 final drive)
• Clutch is free. I will likely keep the stock clutch and install a light-weight aluminum flywheel.
• Original differential is required. (Sadly, no Quaife allowed)
• Original brakes are required, updating is allowed, pads are free…however, a rear disc brake conversion is allowed. Cooling ducts are allowed and encouraged. (Looking here for some help on the best options)
• Brake bias control valve allowed.
• Tire shaving is allowed. However, to date, I have yet to find anyone who can do this for me.
• Maximum fuel octane: 93
• Maximum track width: 180cm
• Windshield must be glass. All other window panels can be Lexan.
• Minimum 5-point safety harness required.

The engine mounts can be changed out...but cannot be lowered.
So, that is just a quick incomplete summary of our rule set here for our 1.6lt. class.

Any ideas and options to consider would be greatly appreciated in advance. Thanks guys!

DJ

 

[DaytonaJonah]

IMO your first upgrade should be the radiator, because when the engine gets hot the timing gets pulled to control knock and you can lose a lot of power. I believe that the Mountune 3 pass radiator will also fit in the standard Fiesta and I can testify to how well in holds the engine temps right at the 195 degree ideal. In fact I gained 3.5 mpg in City driving when I installed my Mountune radiator. After you do the radiator then you can do the intake but I rather doubt you'll see any gains, Ford has done an excellent job of sizing the intake for this engine. Back in the old days the biggest gains in engine power came from swapping out the cam and then selecting the intake and carb based on the camshaft installed. On these engines a cam swap is not at all simple and it's doubtful you'll find much out there for cams to hotrod the standard Fiesta engine. I'll also point out that Ford tunes the catalytic convertor on their engines to maximize efficiency and if you remove the Cat odds are good you'll lose 10-20 hp.

So, what is left. First is Weight, put your car on a diet and remove the passenger and rear seats. You'll probably have to put a cage in it and no needless seats will make that easier. Just make you the cage you purchase is the lightest one you can find and yes it will probably cost more. You may also want to look into one of those lithium ion 12V battery replacements. As I understand it they do cost about 700 bucks but it will probably shave off 15 lbs or so. Naturally you'll want the lightest wheels you can find, the suspension will work a lot better by getting rid of that unsprung mass. You can also look at lowering it a bit but you do need to preserve the suspension travel, because bottoming out the suspension is hard on the tires and everything above the contact patch.

Thanks Scooter for your insights.
The plan is to gut the interior and even remove any interior support brackets that were spot welded in. A 6-point roll cage is planned with the lightest steel and dimensions allowed. The head can be cut and a max 11.5:1 compression ratio is allowed. Connecting rods, camshafts, and pistons can all be balanced, no lighter than the lightest one. Crankshaft can be balanced. We'll see where we are before having to do any of the above.
DJ

 

[DaytonaJonah]

AGREED on the radiator, especially south of the border, and all of the other weight shaving mods suggested above IF they are allowed by the rules of the sanctioning body.

Jonah might not be able do the cams even if they themselves are allowed, due to that 120 to the wheels limit rule.
Depending on how radical the cams, and even IF they are available for the NA engine (I'm guessing through Kent Cams or the like??), they could put him over that HP limit.

Cams are free. So if I somehow can't get to the 120hp limit, I have that route to explore for more hp. Finding a good race tuner shop here however...is the needle in a haystack! Likely I'll have to rely on the advice of a shop elsewhere, such as either at home in the U.S. or overseas in England where they have a lot of experience with these engines.

 

[DaytonaJonah]

IMO your first upgrade should be the radiator, because when the engine gets hot the timing gets pulled to control knock and you can lose a lot of power. I believe that the Mountune 3 pass radiator will also fit in the standard Fiesta and I can testify to how well in holds the engine temps right at the 195 degree ideal. In fact I gained 3.5 mpg in City driving when I installed my Mountune radiator. After you do the radiator then you can do the intake but I rather doubt you'll see any gains, Ford has done an excellent job of sizing the intake for this engine. Back in the old days the biggest gains in engine power came from swapping out the cam and then selecting the intake and carb based on the camshaft installed. On these engines a cam swap is not at all simple and it's doubtful you'll find much out there for cams to hotrod the standard Fiesta engine. I'll also point out that Ford tunes the catalytic convertor on their engines to maximize efficiency and if you remove the Cat odds are good you'll lose 10-20 hp.

So, what is left. First is Weight, put your car on a diet and remove the passenger and rear seats. You'll probably have to put a cage in it and no needless seats will make that easier. Just make you the cage you purchase is the lightest one you can find and yes it will probably cost more. You may also want to look into one of those lithium ion 12V battery replacements. As I understand it they do cost about 700 bucks but it will probably shave off 15 lbs or so. Naturally you'll want the lightest wheels you can find, the suspension will work a lot better by getting rid of that unsprung mass. You can also look at lowering it a bit but you do need to preserve the suspension travel, because bottoming out the suspension is hard on the tires and everything above the contact patch.

I currently have my eye on this coolant/oil cooler "combo" for the ST that I believe will also fit in the standard Mk.7.5 Fiesta:
https://whooshmotorsports.com/colle...-alloy-radiator-and-oil-cooler-fiesta-st-2014

Also, I'm wanting to swap out the front nose of the standard Fiesta for a ST nose which I believe will give me a bit better aero and better options of placement of brake cooling ducts. And I'll be swapping the standard rear spoiler for the longer ST spoiler.

Splitters, diffusers are allowed. I would like to find a good option in the states for those...real race enhancing options.

A rear wing is allowed, but most of the cars in class run without them. I think it is because of cost and they don't find any overall speed benefit. I have on my wish list a trunk mounted MGC wing. If tuned to 6-8 degrees, together with a proper splitter, I think there should be some benefit.
DJ

 

[M-Sport fan]

Kind of weird that they only allow 360 tread wear rocks, but then allow you to shave them.

I'm guessing that seats are open/free?

 

[DaytonaJonah]

Kind of weird that they only allow 360 tread wear rocks, but then allow you to shave them.

I'm guessing that seats are open/free?

Before I had translated the rules from Spanish to English, I had Hoosier R7's dancing in my head along with a couple of trips north to pick them up from my son. Well, after translation...I scratched my head too! Must've been someone in the planning meeting who was insistent on keeping the costs down, so it likely was put in thusly. We digress...but, I'll find what are the hot "rocks" anyway.

And here's another mind bender...brakes have to be original, but pads are open. I can "upgrade" the brakes, so I imagine I can upgrade to ST brake rotors however, keep the ST calipers but run any pad I want. The rules allow me to convert the rear drums to rotors. I suppose I could source ST hubs and knuckles(or find a 'conversion' kit), and run camber shims.
Any ideas?

Seats are open. To keep costs reasonable, RaceQuip makes a good, safe seat. 6-point harness from Sabelt, G-Force, etc. Schroth belts would be a bit pricy for our build here.