New from AZ! I just bought an abused Fiesta ST

[AbusedFiST]

Hi there! I'm Rahul and I just brought home my second car, a very poorly maintained 2015 Fiesta ST. My first car was a 2002 Focus wagon which was also in terrible condition when I bought it. I spent the last 9 months restoring it to as close to factory finish (minus the sound system and shift knob) as I could and sold it just this weekend to buy the Fiesta, formally named "A EGG."

I found the car on marketplace for much cheaper than every other one in a 100 mile radius. Only 4 blurry photos and a two sentence description, but hey it was cheap so I went to test drive it. I spent 20 minutes looking over the car, taking it round the block, and writing a list of anything concerning that I noticed. Here's that list of every red flag I spotted in just those 20 minutes...

• Vin info shows it's had 10 owners!
• Broken front bumper
• Dented intercooler
• Exterior really dirty, looked like it had been sitting outside unmoved for a while (surface rust on brake discs)
• Interior full of dog hair and smells musty despite the 4 air fresheners hanging on the rearview
• Low on coolant, the reservoir was pretty much empty by the time I drove it home. Temps didn't go up but fans stay on constantly
• Almost stalls when idling for a few minutes
• Clutch occasionally sticking halfway up after release. It sounds like a trans drop is in my near future for the slave cylinder
• Steering wheel vibrates at idle (if anyone has experienced this please explain it to me lol)
• Steering screeches at full right lock
• MBRP exhaust and no symposer delete. It actually hurts my ears above 3k rpm
• Two wheels bent and covered in balancing weights
• 1 Kumho tire, 3 Fullway tires
• Blend door actuator clicking
• Faded and cracked decal across the windshield

Despite finding all this so fast, I fell in love with it! It feels like a scrappy dog constanly pulling at its leash. I knew I wanted it immediately, and I knew I wanted to give it some much needed love. This weekend I'm gonna do coolant flush, oil change, clean inside and out, cabin air filter, and remove the decal from the windshield.

I'm excited to have a new project, and at the idea of being a member of a still active forum.
Happy to have all your help, advice and friendship along this journey!
P.S The images are from the marketplace listing. I'll take pictures along the way as I fix her up!

 

[Jabbit]

Oof that's rough. Hope you got a good deal. Wheel vibrating at idle got be rmm or more likely passenger motor mount bolt. Check those over. Congrats!

 

[M-Sport fan]

I really like these cars in silver.

How many miles are on the odometer (IF that is even accurate)?

I would also change out the transaxle fluid (refill with 2 full quarts/liters of a good 75W-80 MTL), and flush out the brake and clutch fluid system (which you will be doing anyway for the slave cylinder swap).

Even in the (mostly) bone dry Grand Canyon State, brake fluid can, and will take on moisture, especially if it has not been flushed out since that car rolled off of the showroom floor.

 

[AbusedFiST]

Oof that's rough. Hope you got a good deal. Wheel vibrating at idle got be rmm or more likely passenger motor mount bolt. Check those over. Congrats!

I did get a pretty good deal! Thats good to hear because I was planning on replacing the rmm anyway haha. I'll check the passenger one too while I'm at it. Thanks!

 

[AbusedFiST]

I really like these cars in silver.

How many miles are on the odometer (IF that is even accurate)?

I would also change out the transaxle fluid (refill with 2 full quarts/liters of a good 75W-80 MTL), and flush out the brake and clutch fluid system (which you will be doing anyway for the slave cylinder swap).

Even in the (mostly) bone dry Grand Canyon State, brake fluid can, and will take on moisture, especially if it has not been flushed out since that car rolled off of the showroom floor.

It does look pretty good in the silver after a quick hose down

Yeah I'm planning on flushing and bleeding the clutch and brake fluid first to see if it helps with the sticking clutch. If it doesn't then I'll do a new clutch and trans fluid while I'm in there for the slave cylinder.

 

[Sprinkle_Star]

As soon as I read that list, The Twelve Days of Christmas song immediately began playing in my head.

 

[D1JL]

Dave

 

[PBST]

I love beaters

I hope you got it for a song,
and it lives a long happy life spanking "better" cars on a daily basis

 

[unclefester]

Hate to be the bearer of worse news, but that steering wheel is going to be a b1tch to put back on the right side

 

[unclefester]

OOI did you buy that from the Panamint Springs 'resort' just outside Death Valley those pics look eerily similar to what was parked up there.

 

[AbusedFiST]

OOI did you buy that from the Panamint Springs 'resort' just outside Death Valley those pics look eerily similar to what was parked up there.

No I got it from a guy in Glendale