Full fat Fiesta
Simon and Chris Brace have developed lots of modified Blue Ovals over the years. The latest is this knockout, wide-bodied Mk7 Fiesta ST...
“We estimate around 100 hours to install the kit”
We all know that Ford proudly offers a wide variety of award-winning vehicles with class-leading driving dynamics, but prospective buyers often want the opportunity to evaluate the particular car that they have set their hearts on in advance of emptying their wallets. Thankfully, Blue Oval dealerships realise the importance in affording punters time to try out the motor that they are considering, and most will go out of their way to accommodate a thorough road test in a familiar driving environment at a time convenient to the customer.
Some dealers, however, require demonstration vehicles for much more than clearing their forecourts of brand-new cars. Take Somerset’s Tarnock Garage for example. They might be one of the smaller Ford retailers but it hasn’t stopped the family-run enterprise from developing a separate performance arm to their successful business.
family affair
Spearheaded by brothers Simon and Chris Brace, Tarnock’s TGST division has become a Mountune PRO dealer ( meaning that they are one of few outlets able to sell Mountune Racing products), and is in the midst of a huge number of exciting projects to demonstrate their ability to equip fantastic Fords with a wide variety of hardhitting performance- enhancing and styling solutions.
Vehicles that the brothers are currently working on include a Mk1 Transit van that has seen its body extended by four inches and subsequently attached to a Mk7 Tranny chassis. It’s an incredible achievement that gives a vintage load-lugger all the benefits of
modern running gear, power steering and a lively drivetrain. It serves as evidence of the expertise offered by TGST and will double up as a reliable workhorse for the service department.
But that’s not all – the fleet also includes outright racers in the form of twin Escort Cossies ( one of which is a ground-up rebuild using a brand new shell) and a rather special Panther Black Mk7 Fiesta ST you see here.
The Fiesta has its roots in the Brace brothers’ enduring enthusiasm for modifying Blue Ovals; a Mk3 RS Turbo, a Puma track car and a Mk1 Escort rally machine have all been pulled apart and rebuilt by Simon and Chris over the years. Some of their creations have even appeared on the pages of Fast Ford!
“A lightweight Focus ST wearing a huge amount of carbon fibre was a particular favourite,” says Simon. “Some of our customers’ cars have also been included in the magazine – notably another Focus ST that was wearing a WRC bodykit along with Ford Abu Dhabi rally team livery.”
wide appeal
The most recent TGST star to catch our attention was a Mk7 Fiesta Zetec S that wore a custom wide-arch bodykit. Put together by expert fabrication outfit, Old School Engineering, the car’s updated exterior was a masterful display of design and development inspired by the firm’s ambition to produce a rally influenced styling package for road-going three- door Mk7s.
“We have exclusive worldwide sales rights for the kit and can supply it as a fully-fitted optional extra on new cars, or as a self-build kit for interested parties who already own a
Mk7 ZS,” explains Simon. This ‘Fat Fiesta’ conversion is no run- ofthe-mill body kit. From the very start, the prime objective was to produce a selection of highquality panels that could be seamlessly applied to give the impression of an OEM cost option.
The results speak for themselves, and the bumpers, enlarged wings, side skirts, and extended rear arches have the ability to transform an already good looking car into something even more attractive.
March 2013 saw the release of the facelift Mk7 Fiesta, and it was the Brace boys that were leading the charge with trick aftermarket upgrades for the car. “We had the second of the new STs to be found in the country, but had started work on the next generation of the bodykit in the months leading up to the model’s release,” recalls Simon. In fact, pre-production work had started as far back as December 2012 when he had managed to get hold of a facelift front bumper in order to evaluate the changes that Ford fans were expecting to see on the new car’s front- end.
“It was clear that there were major differences between the earlier edition and newer ST noses, but we were confident that we could adapt our kit accordingly,” he says.
back to the old school
A colossal amount of time has been spent working in partnership with Old School Engineering to develop the revised designs, much of it due to the large centre grille and air intake that Ford has introduced to the aforementioned raised-height bumper. These items produce essential airflow to the turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost lump and its accompanying intercooler, so it made sense to incorporate them into the new TGST offering.
“We deconstructed the stock bumper and rebuilt it in such a way that the original decoration can still be used,” confirms Simon. This extends to the factory fog lamps and badges, all of which slot straight into the updated item.
Much to the relief of all concerned, the newer shape Fiesta shares much of the same panel design and mounting points as its predecessor. This enables the continued use