As the name suggests I LOVE a good deal and looked for value in mods whenever I could. I purchased my Oxford White FiST in May of 2014. I Pitted 8 dealers off each other and got a $26,500 sticker price down to $22K even. To date I have logged 35K miles on the car and done moderate modification. I tried to be as honest in my reviews as I could. Not everything was worth the time or money, but most mods have been great. Before I get into it a quick shout out to this forum, it's pretty much the only one I am on. Tried all the Fiesta ST forums in the beginning, this place rocks!
COBB RMM – I didn’t notice I needed one of these until a buddy drove the car. He is a GTI guy and really worked the FiST. The engine hitting the firewall was loud and unnerving. This is easy to install and works great. Expect 500-100 miles of break in. After almost 30K there are hardly any vibration coming through the shifter. Install Difficulty: 2/10
Accessport – Everyone with a FiST needs one of these. The gauges alone are worth the price. Ran COBB OTS stage 1 until I went with a Tune+ Tune from Adam. More on this later. Install Difficulty: 1/10
High flow "green" air filter – I think I got this in a package with the AP3. I don’t know how much it does but hey, why not! Install Difficulty: 1/10
Boomba BOV adapter – This thing is the best cheap mod. Just buy one. It helps you understand when boost is released and in my opinion makes you a better driver. It is also loud. It sounds just like the air brakes on a semi or a Metro bus kneeling. Not as refined as the Turbosmart, but about $200 cheaper. That Boomba shipping cost though! Install Difficulty: 4/10
Tow Hitch – I have a lot of hobbies. With a tow hitch on the FiST I can hook up my bike rack, pull my 14’ Lido sail boat around, or hit the track/desert with my small dirtbike trailer. Kind of a bitch to install solo, but doable. I bet I could pull a pretty heavy trailer with the torque this thing has! Install Difficulty: 6/10 (solo)
COBB Exhaust Hangers – Had to get these as my exhaust kept bumping my trailer hitch when turning hard or driving on rough road. Fixed the issue. Use WD-40 when getting the OEM hangers off, it will save you a lot of time! Install Difficulty: 3/10 (getting the old ones off!!)
NoPiston Dead Pedal – This thing is slick. Taped some red vinyl to the back for a nice red ST logo showing through. Looks great and really finishes off the bottom cockpit. Install Difficulty: 1/10
Around 10,000 miles, my transmission started feeling a bit rough. I made the following modifications in an attempt to smooth out shifting. Nothing worked.
Boomba Cable Bracket Bushings – Didn’t make a difference anywhere. Install Difficulty: 4/10
Boomba Transmission Adapter Plate – This is a pretty cool mod. Does its job, shortens the shift throw by a good amount. Much cheaper than short throw shifter. Install Difficulty: 4/10
Mutol 300 Gear Oil – This stuff is expensive. I don’t think it did anything for me either... Shifts felt exactly the same. Others will tell you it really smooths things out… either placebo effect kicked in or they live somewhere with a more extreme temperature range than me (SoCal). Install Difficulty: 3/10
One of my main complaints with the FiST is the surging and electric boost release. I made the following modifications to remedy this issue. Let me tell you, it was a journey.
Mishimoto J-Line Intercooler – I purchased the kit from ModBargains, CMBuildz bracket. This intercooler takes some DIY skill to install. It is waayyy bigger than the stock piece and quite a bit heavier. I had to dremel out some of my bumper to get it to fit nicely. Once on, you can run more aggressive tunes. I mentioned this IC is heavy. It’s about 4-5x heavier than stock, I am guessing 20lbs compared to 4lbs for the stock piece. I was a bit nervous about this at first but I found that adding 15 lbs to the VERY FRONT of the car changed the way it handled and accelerated for the better. As the FiST is front wheel drive, adding weight forward of the front tires has helped quite a bit with traction. I simply do not lose grip as much. The car feels more planted and a bit more refined too. My only concern with this IC is that it is not direct mount and I know the front bumper is stretched a few mm past what I would have liked. But to save ~$300 I was game. Had funds permitted and I did it all over again, I probably would have gone with a direct mount IC. But I am happy! Install Difficulty: 6/10
Tune + Turbosmart Wastegate Actuator - I was told in the master thread this product would stop my surging issues. With the aftermarket WGA and the heavier custom spring Adam put in it the car can hold higher boost at higher RPM’s than stock. Installing this thing was a bitch, plain and simple. You have to disconnect the heatshield and finagle around under it getting the stock one out and putting the new one in. Actually installing the WGA is easy, but that heatshield was almost the death of me. I had to leave for my sanity’s sake and come back the next day to finish. NOTE: The testing for this product was done on Adam’s 2015 Fiesta ST. Apparently the stock wastegate tables changed from 2014-15. Because of this, I would not suggest this mod for anyone with a 2014. Once installed and Tune + tune was loaded I took it out for a spin. The factory BPV was releasing at very low boost. It would hold boost up high all day but for normal accelerations the WGA would open at low boost and STAY OPEN until I either backed off or gave it more throttle. Since I had a Boomba BOV the car became embarrassingly loud to drive. The only way to get around it was to either lead foot everywhere OR short shift and try not to accelerate with boost. It was pretty miserable. To Adam at Tune+ credit, he worked with me to try different solutions and we finally got it figured out with a mechanical BOV from Turbosmart. Would I do it all over again? Probably not. The install was a huge bitch and the WGA made the one problem it was supposed to fix much worse. That being said I rue the day I have to take this thing off and battle that heat shield again, it’s staying put for now! **Please note that this is only an issue on 2014 FiSTs** Install Difficulty: 8/10
Turbosmart Shortie Kompact BOV – Because we couldn’t control the wastegate at low boost on my 2014, Adam suggested we try a mechanical BOV. Install was easy. Same as the Boomba piece, just a couple extra steps installing a vacuum line in between the MAP sensor and intake. Because this is a 2 stage BOV, the first half of the valve-cycle vents air back into the intake (same as the stock BPV does). As the valve opens more the rest of the air is released to atmosphere. It’s a different sound than the Boomba piece, but not terribly different coming off heavy throttle. After a year and a half with the LOUD Boomba piece it is a nice change. All I know is that this thing FINALLY cured the partial throttle boost release issue I have dealt with since getting the car. Boost comes on noticibly quicker than stock and holds until you are off the throttle. I love it, and I would suggest you get one. The total boost control helps you feel more connected to the car, and it makes a rad purring sound. Install Difficulty: 4/10
Tune+ Tune – I never had plans to get a custom tune. The car stock was a lot of fun. I figured because COBB stage 1 was not much difference from stock except for removing the annoying torque truncation, a custom tune would be just as unnoticeable. Boy was I wrong! I bought a tune in order to cure surging issues. If the tune did only that I would have been happy. Little did I know the potential this car has tune. It is a freakin rocket ship now. It took 5 or 6 logs to get things dialed in. The car pulls HARD from the moment boost comes on until redline. There is no more need to downshift in 6th to pass, just jump on the throttle and you’ll get pushed back into your seat as the world passes by. Adam’s tune is incredible. Adam was great to work with. He answered my questions and was good about getting me revised tunes every morning after I sent a log. I called him and we chatted about the BPV issues I was having. He knows his stuff and his EcoBoost engines. I can finally say that thanks to him and Tune+, the car has exceeded my expectations.
I was planning on cooling off on mods for a while buy a buddy of mine just bought a 3D printer and made me a pedal spacer (waiting on those coupling bolts, tried 8 stores, finally found some on eBay).
I am also ordering pierce bracing in the next week or two. I will of course report back! Thanks for reading.
If you have any questions let me know I'm happy to oblige. As you can imagine the car looks just how I want it, AKA more or less stock. I'll post a pic of me pulling my sailboat when I get a chance, it looks pretty hilarious.
-WWD (Peter)
COBB RMM – I didn’t notice I needed one of these until a buddy drove the car. He is a GTI guy and really worked the FiST. The engine hitting the firewall was loud and unnerving. This is easy to install and works great. Expect 500-100 miles of break in. After almost 30K there are hardly any vibration coming through the shifter. Install Difficulty: 2/10
Accessport – Everyone with a FiST needs one of these. The gauges alone are worth the price. Ran COBB OTS stage 1 until I went with a Tune+ Tune from Adam. More on this later. Install Difficulty: 1/10
High flow "green" air filter – I think I got this in a package with the AP3. I don’t know how much it does but hey, why not! Install Difficulty: 1/10
Boomba BOV adapter – This thing is the best cheap mod. Just buy one. It helps you understand when boost is released and in my opinion makes you a better driver. It is also loud. It sounds just like the air brakes on a semi or a Metro bus kneeling. Not as refined as the Turbosmart, but about $200 cheaper. That Boomba shipping cost though! Install Difficulty: 4/10
Tow Hitch – I have a lot of hobbies. With a tow hitch on the FiST I can hook up my bike rack, pull my 14’ Lido sail boat around, or hit the track/desert with my small dirtbike trailer. Kind of a bitch to install solo, but doable. I bet I could pull a pretty heavy trailer with the torque this thing has! Install Difficulty: 6/10 (solo)
COBB Exhaust Hangers – Had to get these as my exhaust kept bumping my trailer hitch when turning hard or driving on rough road. Fixed the issue. Use WD-40 when getting the OEM hangers off, it will save you a lot of time! Install Difficulty: 3/10 (getting the old ones off!!)
NoPiston Dead Pedal – This thing is slick. Taped some red vinyl to the back for a nice red ST logo showing through. Looks great and really finishes off the bottom cockpit. Install Difficulty: 1/10
Around 10,000 miles, my transmission started feeling a bit rough. I made the following modifications in an attempt to smooth out shifting. Nothing worked.
Boomba Cable Bracket Bushings – Didn’t make a difference anywhere. Install Difficulty: 4/10
Boomba Transmission Adapter Plate – This is a pretty cool mod. Does its job, shortens the shift throw by a good amount. Much cheaper than short throw shifter. Install Difficulty: 4/10
Mutol 300 Gear Oil – This stuff is expensive. I don’t think it did anything for me either... Shifts felt exactly the same. Others will tell you it really smooths things out… either placebo effect kicked in or they live somewhere with a more extreme temperature range than me (SoCal). Install Difficulty: 3/10
One of my main complaints with the FiST is the surging and electric boost release. I made the following modifications to remedy this issue. Let me tell you, it was a journey.
Mishimoto J-Line Intercooler – I purchased the kit from ModBargains, CMBuildz bracket. This intercooler takes some DIY skill to install. It is waayyy bigger than the stock piece and quite a bit heavier. I had to dremel out some of my bumper to get it to fit nicely. Once on, you can run more aggressive tunes. I mentioned this IC is heavy. It’s about 4-5x heavier than stock, I am guessing 20lbs compared to 4lbs for the stock piece. I was a bit nervous about this at first but I found that adding 15 lbs to the VERY FRONT of the car changed the way it handled and accelerated for the better. As the FiST is front wheel drive, adding weight forward of the front tires has helped quite a bit with traction. I simply do not lose grip as much. The car feels more planted and a bit more refined too. My only concern with this IC is that it is not direct mount and I know the front bumper is stretched a few mm past what I would have liked. But to save ~$300 I was game. Had funds permitted and I did it all over again, I probably would have gone with a direct mount IC. But I am happy! Install Difficulty: 6/10
Tune + Turbosmart Wastegate Actuator - I was told in the master thread this product would stop my surging issues. With the aftermarket WGA and the heavier custom spring Adam put in it the car can hold higher boost at higher RPM’s than stock. Installing this thing was a bitch, plain and simple. You have to disconnect the heatshield and finagle around under it getting the stock one out and putting the new one in. Actually installing the WGA is easy, but that heatshield was almost the death of me. I had to leave for my sanity’s sake and come back the next day to finish. NOTE: The testing for this product was done on Adam’s 2015 Fiesta ST. Apparently the stock wastegate tables changed from 2014-15. Because of this, I would not suggest this mod for anyone with a 2014. Once installed and Tune + tune was loaded I took it out for a spin. The factory BPV was releasing at very low boost. It would hold boost up high all day but for normal accelerations the WGA would open at low boost and STAY OPEN until I either backed off or gave it more throttle. Since I had a Boomba BOV the car became embarrassingly loud to drive. The only way to get around it was to either lead foot everywhere OR short shift and try not to accelerate with boost. It was pretty miserable. To Adam at Tune+ credit, he worked with me to try different solutions and we finally got it figured out with a mechanical BOV from Turbosmart. Would I do it all over again? Probably not. The install was a huge bitch and the WGA made the one problem it was supposed to fix much worse. That being said I rue the day I have to take this thing off and battle that heat shield again, it’s staying put for now! **Please note that this is only an issue on 2014 FiSTs** Install Difficulty: 8/10
Turbosmart Shortie Kompact BOV – Because we couldn’t control the wastegate at low boost on my 2014, Adam suggested we try a mechanical BOV. Install was easy. Same as the Boomba piece, just a couple extra steps installing a vacuum line in between the MAP sensor and intake. Because this is a 2 stage BOV, the first half of the valve-cycle vents air back into the intake (same as the stock BPV does). As the valve opens more the rest of the air is released to atmosphere. It’s a different sound than the Boomba piece, but not terribly different coming off heavy throttle. After a year and a half with the LOUD Boomba piece it is a nice change. All I know is that this thing FINALLY cured the partial throttle boost release issue I have dealt with since getting the car. Boost comes on noticibly quicker than stock and holds until you are off the throttle. I love it, and I would suggest you get one. The total boost control helps you feel more connected to the car, and it makes a rad purring sound. Install Difficulty: 4/10
Tune+ Tune – I never had plans to get a custom tune. The car stock was a lot of fun. I figured because COBB stage 1 was not much difference from stock except for removing the annoying torque truncation, a custom tune would be just as unnoticeable. Boy was I wrong! I bought a tune in order to cure surging issues. If the tune did only that I would have been happy. Little did I know the potential this car has tune. It is a freakin rocket ship now. It took 5 or 6 logs to get things dialed in. The car pulls HARD from the moment boost comes on until redline. There is no more need to downshift in 6th to pass, just jump on the throttle and you’ll get pushed back into your seat as the world passes by. Adam’s tune is incredible. Adam was great to work with. He answered my questions and was good about getting me revised tunes every morning after I sent a log. I called him and we chatted about the BPV issues I was having. He knows his stuff and his EcoBoost engines. I can finally say that thanks to him and Tune+, the car has exceeded my expectations.
I was planning on cooling off on mods for a while buy a buddy of mine just bought a 3D printer and made me a pedal spacer (waiting on those coupling bolts, tried 8 stores, finally found some on eBay).
I am also ordering pierce bracing in the next week or two. I will of course report back! Thanks for reading.
If you have any questions let me know I'm happy to oblige. As you can imagine the car looks just how I want it, AKA more or less stock. I'll post a pic of me pulling my sailboat when I get a chance, it looks pretty hilarious.
-WWD (Peter)
