ALL IN ONE
This show-quality Mk1 fiesta packs a punch like no other , thanks to an ST170 engine mounted in the back that's putting over 500 bhp to the rear wheels
Achieving huge performance yet keeping a professional finish is a hard trick to pull off if you’re building a project. Usually, one will suffer long before the other is accomplished. But this ultra-tidy Mk1 Fiesta happens to manage both and with no halfhearted measures either. The show car look of the perfectly-fitted arches and immaculate paint is backed up with a colossal 526 bhp, thanks a neat ST170 turbo engine mounted in the rear. As the whole car weighs in at a featherweight 820 kg, that equates to a monstrous 642 bhp per tonne, which is a figure that puts virtually every supercar ever made to shame. What’s more, this Fiesta is fully road legal, ready to hit drag strips and showgrounds in equal measure.
To get to this level, the build took two long years and at a great financial cost, extensive hands-on labour and a large amount of headache tablets, reckons the owner, Ben Gibbs. But that was the price to pay in order for everything to fit nicely, work correctly and look as good as it does.
It’s certainly one of the most insane projects, let alone Fiestas we’ve come across in some time and the tale began over three years ago when he saw the rear-wheel drive Fiesta, complete with a spaceframe rear end, for sale.
“I had to have it,” Ben says. “It was fitted with a Kawasaki 1200cc bike engine back then and the plan was to drive it, use it and abuse it on the road and track. I travelled up north from London to view it and it looked great, so was happy to part with the money for it.”
However, that plan soon changed when Ben realised that although the car looked fine on the outside, it wasn’t quite ready for the hard use he expected of it underneath. Sure enough, after giving it some stick he found it slowly started falling apart.
“Various welds snapped and it had problems with the bike chain set-up,” confirms Ben. “Then the engine blew up and when I fitted the new one, I test-drove it around the block and just wasn’t happy with it.”
So Ben had a chat with his good mate, Tim and revealed that although he loved the car, he wanted it to be both faster and more reliable, which is when Ben admits, “that’s when the madness started”.
New edition
The pair decided to strip the car to a bare shell and from then, every nut and bolt was replaced in time, as the bike engine was removed to make way for the newly-selected powerplant that Ben had been reading up on.
“Everyone seemed to be using ST170 turbos, so there was a lot of info available,” he explains. “But it seemed that most people got rid of the VVT, as it was easier and cheaper, but I wanted to keep it for the drivability and the extra 30-40 bhp it could give in the lowdown rev range.”
After months of research and headaches, Ben made his mind up and decided he not only wanted a full ST170 turbo build with VVT, but he also wanted a genuine 500 bhp to go with it.
“I thought if you’re going to do it, you may as well do it properly! Once my heart was set, I had to carry it out until the end.”
However, the huge increase in power would require a complete redesign of the previous spaceframe rear end that was already struggling, so Ben had the original cage thoroughly strengthened and adapted to fit the Zetec by Absolute Customs in High Wycombe.
“It was a complete change as the rear end just wasn’t strong enough for a 500 bhp engine. It is now, thanks to Absolute Customs, who built the frame,” says Ben. “The engine and gearbox is also very easy to remove, as it’s been designed so that you can take out one or the other, or both at the same time.”
Coupled to a notoriously-strong MTX gearbox, the new heavyweight drivetrain was in place, so it was then down the huge task of packaging a big turbo conversion to match the big engine but with both performance and finish in mind.
“Some of that was trial-and-error really,” reveals Ben, such as the intercooler set-up that lies across the back panel for air flow. “I did go for a chargecooler first, but then changed my mind for this set-up and it works perfectly.”
To get the everything in the right place and working with each other efficiently, Zak at Zewspeed was entrusted to fabricate the custom exhaust manifold, complete side-exit exhaust system, and neat inlet manifold set-up. “The Zewspeed plenum is a one-off piece of art
and my single favourite part of the car,” reckons Ben.
The meticulous finish became part of the package as Ben soldiered on, initially painting the underside of the arches before cleaning and replacing everything that he could. He’s since changed every nut and bolt on the car, although those arches and wheels were always going to be retained.
“I’ve tried putting my own stamp on the car inside and out, so I’ve changed the decals, windows and air vents to give it a meaner look,” he explains. “I’m no mechanic, I don’t have a massive workshop, I’ve done everything apart from weld the cage.”
With the car completely revamped, the legendary Chris Todd was entrusted to map it, which resulted in the impressive power figures it puts out, and allowed Ben to crack the 500 bhp mark he was after. Chris even gave Ben four switchable boost settings, which meant a range of power from 320 bhp to 526 bhp. Performance now matched the high-quality look and finish of the car, which has to make it one of the nicest Fiestas ever built.
Simply the best
“I just did my best with the build and it turned out insane,” Ben humbly admits. “I’ve stripped cars just for bits for the project, I’ve driven around the country buying bits and I’ve spent a lot of money building it, but I’m happy with the finished product. I would like to think it’s one of the best Mk1 Fiestas built — it’s got to be up there.”
With that in mind, you might well be thinking what is next for the car, but after all the time and attention he’s put into the project, Ben now wants to move on and is selling the hugelycapable car in order to fund a Mk2 Escort build. We can only hope that his next project comes out on the same level as his current one does.
“IT JUST SPINS UP IN THE FIRST THREE GEARS EVEN ON THE 320 BHP SETTING”