Athena Autocross - Build - Ongoing

[AthenaAutocross]

Not going to go over anything too crazy here at the start. I've had the FiST since 2021 and was practically stock when I got it. Current parts list is below in no particular order.

Engine, Turbo & Cooling:

• Engine, Turbo & Cooling:
• Turbo Technics S280 w/ Turbosmart 14 PSI WG
• Whoosh Crossover and intake
• Shaman Equipment Intercooler (Silicone Intakes)
• TurboXS BOV
• NGK Ruthenium HX 0.028 Gap
• Mountune Triple Core w/ 180F Thermostat
• Dizzy MAP Adapter w/ AEM 3.5 BAR sensor
• Bosch TMAP 4 BAR sensor
• Turbo Technics hot side & Whoosh S bend
• AWR 88A RMM, PMM, TMM

Exhaust:

• Cobb 3" Downpipe/cat
• Injen 3" Exhaust (Racing tip option)

Transmission:

• Mfactory Differential
• Whoosh Stage 3 Clutch (Spongebob)

Wheels and tires:

• Team Dynamics Pro 1.2 15x8
• RE71RS 205/50R15

Fueling: (Most of this is new)

• PHUL LSFP
• Nostrum HPFP
• Nostrum 60% Injectors
• Nostrum FRS

Brakes:

• Stock Rotors with Ford S pads
• RBF 600 Fluid

Suspension:

• Stock (Original) suspension with 80k miles
• Whiteline Rear Sway bar
• MOOG Camber Bolts - Max

Right now I'm tuned with Westley Kimble who is handling revisions on an older tune base updated for the new Nostrum parts.
The car does see events with the SCCA and I'll be getting out to do some hillclimb and track days once the car is back up with the new fueling. I've done quite a few events and the car pushes strong getting me wins or podiums in STH, XA and XB as I've moved around.

I am on my second engine, first engine failed on the Nostrum HPFP destroying my intake cam, Nostrum did warranty that part which was wonderful and have been pleasant to work with through everything. New engine is from a 2016 Escape.



I do most of the work on my car myself. I've have multiple shops in the past work on the car and have caused problems in different spots with breaking things or just not completing them correctly, so outside of very intensive things like engine swaps or working on the transmission like the Diff I'll install them myself. HPFP, Injectors, Exhaust, Cat, S280, Intercooler and creating the bracket for that have been my own work. I've had to get under the car at events to fix things I've broken or lost to keep going before, only down side is I'm a parking lot warrior and don't have a garage.

I've recently moved, but my bench looks like a disaster every now and again as I work on the car.




I'll also work on nonsensical projects just for fun, Getting this gauge setup was neat but unfortunately does not provide enough detail for boost readings or other sensors so I've since removed it. But I have kept the suede like cloth on the covers.



And from time to time I've worked on designing my own parts. The most recent one has been designing a 3 in intake that is placed in the center of the cowls high pressure zone right above the HPFP which in theory should be one of the best locations as it's not restrictive like the 2J and still shortens the intake piping. Still testing this.




I also do videos for autocross that I'll update here.


https://www.youtube.com/@AthenaAutocross/videos

Most recent event was a few months ago where I finished 3rd in XB class and 17th out of 93 overall. (With a major boost leak unfortunately) - I also finished 3rd in my first season out of 150+ drivers who competed.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbjaQWSBzFk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQbBwqN5zX8




That should just about cover everything right now and I'll be update installs, events and questions once in a while.

 

[JAMADOR]

Man, I miss auto-x. Used to do the [non-SCCA] A&MSCC runs when I was in college. Pretty sure they converted the old Riverside airfield into a sub-campus.
Guessing you're not around Houston, last I'd checked there wasn't much around here anymore. Since the Baytown dragstrip closed those auto-x events went away & the HPD academy doesn't seem to host anymore either.

 

[foodtruck]

Any rub marks on the inside of those arches?

 

[Grsemky]

Any rub marks on the inside of those arches?

View attachment 68225

This reminds me I need to roll my fenders

 

[AthenaAutocross]

Man, I miss auto-x. Used to do the [non-SCCA] A&MSCC runs when I was in college. Pretty sure they converted the old Riverside airfield into a sub-campus.
Guessing you're not around Houston, last I'd checked there wasn't much around here anymore. Since the Baytown dragstrip closed those auto-x events went away & the HPD academy doesn't seem to host anymore either.

I'm actually no longer in Texas, I'm out of Washington now. I was racing in the DFW area with most events at LoneStar horse track. I'll be doing the SCCA group here and in the area and making my way out to Pacific Motorsports and Pacific Raceways Next year.

 

[AthenaAutocross]

Any rub marks on the inside of those arches?

View attachment 68225

None actually. No marks inside, no rub and no sidewall marks. These tires have had 8 events and about 12k miles on them from daily use and are over a year and a half old now.

Tomorrow is the last day I'll be on these, I just took these pictures. On the fence still between another set of RT660s or going with RE71RS for the start of the year. Downside of the 71s is they could raise the ride height a half inch. I'll be switching to my seasonal tires/wheels which are Nitto Neo gens, cheap and work well enough in the weather I'm expecting here.

 

[JAMADOR]

I'm actually no longer in Texas, I'm out of Washington now. I was racing in the DFW area with most events at LoneStar horse track. I'll be doing the SCCA group here and in the area and making my way out to Pacific Motorsports and Pacific Raceways Next year.

Gotcha, saw the TX plates & assumed.

 

[Dusterbd13]

Can you give more details on the cowl intake? Im starting to think about developing one for my 2014 grm challenge car. I have my own ideas, but id love to see someone else's.

 

[AthenaAutocross]

Can you give more details on the cowl intake? Im starting to think about developing one for my 2014 grm challenge car. I have my own ideas, but id love to see someone else's.

The idea is like this, Under the inlet side of the cowling(the piece that is closed) you cut a section out for a intake to fit, in this case the 3" pipe, 5x9 filter I built. Then you run the sensors and extend the hoses needed. Instead of stuffing it in the corner like the 2J which doesn't get air, this sits in the highest pressure zone already open with the filter facing towards it.

This should allow the bay to stay pressurized so it doesn't mess with the radiator or FMIC. I'm still fiddling with the idea because I want to come up with something for rainy season. Which might just be slightly raising the box the filter sits in and then covering this section in green with a magnet cover to reduce any chance of water getting in.

 

[rc328]

I like the idea ,

 

[Dusterbd13]

Same. How do you propose to plumb it and keep the maf inline?

 

[Grsemky]

Same. How do you propose to plumb it and keep the maf inline?

You can buy aluminum tube with MAF bungs already welded in and just need to extend the harness... You could probably source everything on Amazon lol

 

[AthenaAutocross]

Same. How do you propose to plumb it and keep the maf inline?

Exactly how Grsemky says, you can get parts off Amazon, but most of what I've been looking at getting will be Ebay.

 

[Grsemky]

Exactly how Grsemky says, you can get parts off Amazon, but most of what I've been looking at getting will be Ebay.

THIS is probably the cheapest I've seen... For the air box I assume you're doing something like this with the filter pointing up to suck through the cowl

 

[AthenaAutocross]

THIS is probably the cheapest I've seen... For the air box I assume you're doing something like this with the filter pointing up to suck through the cowl
View attachment 68301

I actually built my own.




This connects to a mounting plate which would slide into the lower cowl with some mounting hardware. This is still just me testing out the idea, I'd get this made of aluminum since it would still likely flex under enough heat like this.
Top half faces up straight into the cowl venting.

 

[Grsemky]

I actually built my own.
View attachment 68303

View attachment 68304 View attachment 68306

This connects to a mounting plate which would slide into the lower cowl with some mounting hardware. This is still just me testing out the idea, I'd get this made of aluminum since it would still likely flex under enough heat like this.
Top half faces up straight into the cowl venting.

I was trying to find an upside down mailbox style picture but just used that arc for reference! That looks great and exactly what I would've done

 

[4St4r]

I’m glad I’m not the first person to shove a stuffed animal in the A pillar window

 

[Downsy]

The idea is like this, Under the inlet side of the cowling(the piece that is closed) you cut a section out for a intake to fit, in this case the 3" pipe, 5x9 filter I built. Then you run the sensors and extend the hoses needed. Instead of stuffing it in the corner like the 2J which doesn't get air, this sits in the highest pressure zone already open with the filter facing towards it.

This should allow the bay to stay pressurized so it doesn't mess with the radiator or FMIC. I'm still fiddling with the idea because I want to come up with something for rainy season. Which might just be slightly raising the box the filter sits in and then covering this section in green with a magnet cover to reduce any chance of water getting in.
View attachment 68299

I know I'm replying to an older post but I've done something similar to this on multiple Jeep XJs for both cooler intake air and moving the intake higher without going to a snorkel. I've never had any water issues. On that specific vehicle the HVAC intake area is deeper than the hole I cut into the firewall. You can take a waterhose wide open and try to flood the hvac area in there and it won't draw water into the airbox, it drains faster than it can fill. I'm not sure what the inside of this area looks like on the Fiesta but I would imagine it would be similar when it comes to water intrusion. On the XJ I was also able to keep the stock airbox and didn't have to come up with any kind of other filter setup.

On the ST I went with the ST200 airbox and routed the hose to the hole in the bumper where the driver's fog light used to be. I've had no issues with junk or water intrusion there either, that system uses the factory intake spot and the hose intake. The hose that comes with the kit is water permeable so you don't have to worry about it sucking water out of puddles like a straw.

 

[AthenaAutocross]

Been a good while since I've posted anything in my thread. So some details all at once.

1. Replaced the rear motor mount with another from AWR, the bolt had bent so badly I actually had to get a shop to get it out, Used Whoosh hardware and has been holding fine.

2. Setup my Boost Gauge and Ethanol content gauge and rewrapped the covers. I'll be wiring these up tomorrow.


3. Had my passenger motor mount (AWR) battery bracket fail during an event. Battery was sliding forward and downwards in hard lefts hitting the shift linkage and popping the car out of 2nd to neutral. AWR covered it under warranty and sent out a new revision. I just finished installed this today and it looks pretty solid.



3a. Comparison of old and new revisions of the AWR 88A driver side mount. Installed this today and was straight forward. New version places the bolts on the far right. Also found my bushing was thrashed.


4. Placed my short shifter back in too, no picture of this but it felt so much better with it in vs out at 25%.

5. Installed MOOG camber bolts and set them to max. Car felt way better in the corners, but can only do so much with my worn out suspension. (Part Number K90473)


6. PCV hose failed and has been causing me nightmare after nightmare with fixing it. Was blowing oil all over my engine bay replaced it with a straight hose and was blowing oil in the bay and out the exhaust. Then built a DIY catch can and while it worked my mount was not strong enough for autocross and failed after two events. So I put a straight hose with a UPR 100 psi check valve in it's place, would burn through oil like crazy and needed gone. Ordered a Damond catch can and it will be here around Wednesday before the next event.




7. Changed the valve cover and vacuum pump gaskets chasing the oil leak. Finally found it on the back where one of my bolts fell out of the Manifold to Turbo, the extra oil from the PCV finally being closed off from the leak I had had oil slipping through and burning on the back side of the engine. This was a pain to find, ordered new hardware which just came in and going to close up the pipe tomorrow.

8. New tires were installed, which are RE71RS 205/50R15. While super responsive, just not enough grip to keep my power down.




And last some shots from the last few autocross events and cars I'm up against.

I'll be updating things a lot more moving forward. I had just been posting in the daily thread way too much.