[mayankk]

The car is back.
Picked it up a few days back, with 2 litres of Oil, water instead of coolant and AC drained.
This is precautionary, just to see if something has not been set properly. Its been a tankful since then, and nothing has leaked, so today Im popping in for full top-ups, and this time she will be running on synthetic only.
Or otherwise, if someone can tell me if its worth it, or maybe semi synth is as good.


Alright. So post the overhaul.
Number one, cost.
The pistons, conrods, sleeves, and the whole job cost me 37k. A similar quote from ford......was not explored. I am sure it'd be round about a lac or so.

Driving impressions:
The feel is silken!!
I will not make any tall claims that the car is super peppy, or i have chopped off 2 seconds from the earlier 2.5 second 0-100.
No sir. She was always peppy, but occassionally you could hear the engine, especially if the windows were down. Now it feels just malai-makkhan, man!!

The backfires are gone, and I have been warned to keep her under 2k, which I am doing............judiciously.
I'm trying, seriously, I am.
Raj also threw in a full interior shampoo, and I am quite happy with the job. Spic and span!

I am still awaiting the bendy LED lights which I will need for the headlights, which is when all 4 bixenons will be installed.
The painting and FFE has, for now been pushed to february, till I find a good painter who confirms he can do a metal flake job.

[mayankk]

I write with the heaviest of hearts.
No, not being forced to give up the car.

I had the biggest accident in the history of the fiesta yesterday.

I was trying to exit on sarojini nagar road, and this scorpio being driven by an elderly gent turned in to me. What was worse was he was turning the steering anticlockwise when he hit my front right wing, and turned it anticlockwise to lock when backing up. Double whammy.
Totally took my wing out, and tore the guard strip on the door.

I parked my car and he still had not moved. When he rolled down his window when I knocked, I swear to god I was almost knocked out by the fume of cheap booze, from him AND from the car.

I immediately pulled his keys out, and walked to my car, where he followed me, saying, "I will get your car fixed. Come with me to the mechanic. I called up Raj and told him the damage, he said on the higher side, itll cost you about 5500 bucks.
And this guy was on the phone now, slurring away, "puttar tu aaja. Main pareshaani mein hoon"
(Son, you come. I am in a bit of a bother)

YOU??
Bloody drunk animal, roaming the road with what is, for all intents a purposes, a 2 ton battering ram in your pathetic condition?
Pathetic excuse of a human being. And all the time he's going on, "Look at my age. I am a 'zimmedar'(responsible) person."
Responsible? I am worried why the hell he was allowed to reproduce.

I told him, "Uncleji, tell me one thing that you done in our 10 minutes together based on which I should respect you? I am calling the cops, and one way or the other, you are going to suffer for this."

So the cops get there, and I have seen this guy waddle off to his his own personal hell, I hope, and he's left the keys with me!!
Imagine, the cops are here, I am there, and there's a behemoth parked, with the owner absconding.

Long story long, the scorpio was driven to the police station by the cop, and the son and his friends came in the evening. He called and said, let it go no, he was just going to buy meat!!
What the hell??????


So anyway, the cost to fix is about 3500, and these guys have paid the cops 5k. The balance will be retained by the cops apparently. I dont know, I have to go to the PS to get the money.


There is no two ways about it, and I hope I offend some people enough to not do this.
If you drive after drinking, you're an ABSOLUTE moron, and I wish your parents had spent 1 day in Chernobyl before they decided to have you.

[vnabhi]

Very sorry to learn about this. Such morons pervade our society and take things for granted.

Are you sure Rs 3500 is enough? It looks like there's a scratch on the driver's door too.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Very sorry to learn about this. Such morons pervade our society and take things for granted.

Are you sure Rs 3500 is enough? It looks like there's a scratch on the driver's door too.

Well, Thats what the mechanic has quoted, so its a fair estimate.
I will be dropping her off today, and hopefully have a chance to test the painter too. I was looking for someone to do a full body respray, so hope he's good and economical.

[cyberwhizs]

Hey Mayankk.

That was an engrossing read for me, condolences on the smash up.

Looking for some advice.
As you may be aware i have a 2006 1.4 EXi-Petrol, havent done much -only 51K odd kms. Off late I have been having niggling issues - a fuel pump failure, leak in the AC coil an then in condensor - solved with Aluminium welding(as was spare not available), leak from slave cylinder, fuel leak from the injector due to clogging, power window winder failure, autocop-siren failure etc. I have been getting the car service at ford and outside at regular intervals but i get feeling that things are just falling apart. Also, got rear ended a while back by a cab leaving a bunch of scratches and a few minor dents.

Just getting a feeling that things have started becoming a little unreliable, I'd not want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere.

All in all, am thinking should i let go and to pick up the new classic - the recent price cuts make it an interesting proposition though i may not get good resale for my current vehicle it being 1st a ford and 2nd a 1.4Petrol.

Appreciate your inputs

ps: did you change your timing belt - service manual says 5 years or 100K Km. And the ride on 1.4P is very stiff at slow speeds - every imperfection makes its presence felt.

[mayankk]

Still going strong, still makes me smile!!

Cyber, sorry bud, I wasn't able to respond.
If you can get a diagnosis done at ford and have someone good outside who can carry out reliable repairs, give it one more shot, I feel. Otherwise, it's more or less impossible to go wrong with the classic right now.
And yes, timing belt has been changed in mine.



Further developments, I'm planning to get the FFE fitted finally, alliterally, albeit...
I checked with automech who seem be the most bounced name around. I'm open to any other guys too, money is not a serious concern, but still a slightly humorous one..... I mean, it can't be ignored.

However, I'm reading stuff that the fiesta is problematic with ffe, and it's pretty hard to get one that you can live with without facing any issues.
Any truth in this, if anyone is aware?

[mayankk]

Bumping this just one time.
I actually wanted the ffe, if I go ahead, by the 29th this month. If anybody can help?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by mayankk

However, I'm reading stuff that the fiesta is problematic with ffe, and it's pretty hard to get one that you can live with without facing any issues.
Any truth in this, if anyone is aware?

I will not be able to give you a FFE feedback from a Fiesta perspective, but from a Figo 1.2 perspective.
The reason being that the 1.2 is a bored down version of the 1.4 which in turn is a scaled down version of the 1.6(i think).

The FFE is just a bolt on and drive on scenario. On a Ford it does not need a fuel pump regulator change either. Also, I got my FFE custom made at Red Rooster Performance which suited the 1.2 engine just right. Absolutely no issues since fitting it and it has been 20k kms now. I would suggest going for a Cold Air Intake as well in order to compliment the FFE.

Just see that you get it done at a reliable place and of course get a FFE that will last and suits you driving style.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by tharian

I will not be able to give you a FFE feedback from a Fiesta perspective, but from a Figo 1.2 perspective.
The reason being that the 1.2 is a bored down version of the 1.4 which in turn is a scaled down version of the 1.6(i think).

The FFE is just a bolt on and drive on scenario. On a Ford it does not need a fuel pump regulator change either. Also, I got my FFE custom made at Red Rooster Performance which suited the 1.2 engine just right. Absolutely no issues since fitting it and it has been 20k kms now. I would suggest going for a Cold Air Intake as well in order to compliment the FFE.

Just see that you get it done at a reliable place and of course get a FFE that will last and suits you driving style.

Thanks for that.I spoke to redrooster and they have quoted 24000 + 1500 shipping.
So that means getting it installed , how?

My main worry is that the car should not go all wonky and raise its arms up in the air at random moments.
I dont know if its my car, or the fords in general, but she likes to be treated well, treating you well inn return, but if something's amis, she's the first to show her displeasure.
Thankfully, she has never stranded me anywhere, but has indicated it more than enough.

[mayankk]

Hopefully the car is going for a paint-job next month.
I am in the twilight zone, the dead sea, with regard to income, in between two jobs. All of a sudden, the old and the new shall flush me out, but for now, its boiled potato and khayali pulao time.....just kidding!!!

All extraneous expenses have been shelved, and that unfortunately included the car.
However, it did give me quite a few days of sitting at home, and so, one day, when the weather gods were kind, i ripped out the headlamps, again.
This is the final time, that I will be doing this............to this set, at least.

I was running hid's in reflectors for some time, but it was, as EVERYBODY said, horrible!!
All in all, I had 2 pairs of projectors, bixenons, with HID's available.
I also tried my hand at making bulbs to fit in these projectors(they are no H1,2,3 147), and unfortunately received 30 or 40 W halogen capsules, which were useless.
So i had to pull out the HIDs again.
I also ordered the bendy covered LED things from Ali, which are being used by installers nowadays.

However, to install them, I had to drill small holes in the shrouds, and to fit the second set of projectors in H1 slots, I had to break the reflectors.
Install is finished, but new headlamps are required for any more fun.

As it is, i am planning on a professionally done set of headlights soon, as installers have come a long way in the last 2 years.
So here are the pictures:

The parking light



The projectors with the underpowered mithunda movie scientist creation bulbs



The hazard flashers:



Indicator with parking light:



HIDs in projectors:

[Deeps]

No updates on the FFE?

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Deeps

No updates on the FFE?

Im still not very sure about the FFE.
This is more or less my daily drive, and although I have total freedom now to go crazy, I also need it to not leave me stranded.
For now, a paint and suspension overhaul is all that I am looking at.
But the FFE keeps me up at nights, bro.

[mayankk]

I have been quoted 17k for a full body repaint from a local guy, ref raj mechanic.
Howver, this guy doesnt have a booth, and noida is dustier than hell.
Does anybody know of a good paintshop in south/central/east delhi, or noida too, and how much, tentatively the charges would be?
The car is off for the repaint tomorrow otherwise.

[mayankk]

Complete debadging - Check
Darker shade - Check
More flakes - Check!!

More pics later!

[mayankk]

So, with the engine overhaul, she got a new lease of life. Unfortunately, one of my colleagues mentioned that she is looking old, get a new car.
Having availed Raj's painter guys services for the Tucson sometime back, the task of full paint went to him. I actually wanted to change the color to British racing green, but the added hassle of endorsing it was too much. I went with a little bit more flakes, in a little darker shade of the platinum(?) it was. Also asked him to remove the rear logo, full up the oval, and paint over.
Now she needs a good polishing to make her glitter, which apparently should be done a couple of weeks after.... I didn't know this.
The wheels also got evidence of a painful life removed.
All dents from close encounters of the THUD kind are gone, and it just feels such a nicer car to come upto and unlock.
The side strips were rendered useless, and I ran her till today without any. But I did have the chrome ones from online in the house, and decided to do it myself. Also noticed that the scratched chrome license plate light holder thingummy was now letting the spotlessness down.
Again, had CF vinyl lying around, and wrapped it.
Everything is very subtle, but very distinctive once you're aware of it.
The headlamps, after the last experiment, are finished. Noone that I've gotten in touch with can offer me a professional projector solution, since the models been through a facelift. I've asked Raj to grab a pair of new lamps, standard issue. I'll just stick with higher wattage bulbs, and also plonk in hid projectors in the fogs. May be go in for aux lamps as well?