[Senna4Ever]

Greetings all,

I'm the owner of a 2011 Ford Figo 1.2 Petrol ZXi. Although the car has been in my family for just over 7 years, I have only been able to drive and experience it properly in the last 8 months, having graduated and moved back home for my job.

The car serves as my daily driver and like every enthusiasts' car, it has received a lot of care and attention. The older generation Figo, as you may know, received good praise for its driving dynamics. Unfortunately though, the Indian market never got the 1.6L Duratec petrol motor from the Fiesta, which in my opinion would have been an absolute delight. We had to make do with a 1.2L mill, capable of only around 70 BHP. Ford did offer the same Figo with a 1.6 Petrol engine, but that was only for the Middle East and Mexican markets (where it was badged the Fiesta Ikon Hatch). Interestingly, an example of a Middle-Eastern LHD Figo with a 1.6L motor and an Auto box found its way to my university as a test vehicle offered by Ford.

The thing is guys, the 1.2 engine just isn't cutting it for me. It seriously lacks punch, and the engine doesn't feel rev-happy at all. Keeping in mind that the same car was at one point assembled and sold with a 1.6L engine, I've decided to atleast do a feasibility assessment of an engine swap. This would also be a great learning experience for me should the project take off. I've first decided to figure out what exactly would need to be changed. From what I know, the gearbox is the same IB5 unit that came in the Fiesta, and the engine mountings SHOULD be able to accommodate the 1.6 unit without modification. ECU can either be carried over or swapped entirely. The first case would mean tuning it for the 1.6 map, while the second case would probably require reprogramming of the immobilizer and the key.

What I need help in figuring out, are the auxillaries - the fuelling circuit, the cooling system, the exhaust and the drivetrain i.e. CV joints, Driveshafts, etc. All your inputs would be appreciated. The points I've mentioned above are from my own limited knowledge of the two models and engine swapping, so you can correct me if I've mentioned something wrong. Looking forward to making this a reality

Thanks

[GTO]

With time & money, anything is possible . However, if you really like the 1.6, I'll suggest the most sensible option:

1. Sell your Figo.
2. Buy a used Fiesta 1.6. If you manage to get a 1.6S, that'll be the icing on the cake.

Depending on your luck & negotiating skills, you'll spend negligible to reasonable money on the lateral upgrade (link). But I can tell you one thing = Factory fit is factory fit. A Fiesta 1.6 will be far more reliable & fun-to-drive than any after-market conversion.

Related Thread

[akshay380]

Originally Posted by GTO

Related Thread

Hi, regarding getting a used Fiesta 1.6, somehow it does not handle like it's on rails. May be 1.6S does with its firmer suspension and 15" wheels. Figo also has low CG thus giving more of that go kart feeling.

OP, I'm interested in seeing how your investigation progresses. I was in similar situation before(check above quoted thread) but later bought a used Fiesta 1.6. Engine is a gem but Still, it doesn't match handling of Figo. I am still open to swap engines between my Fiesta and Figo

[Manoj2268]

Will second what GTO says. What you are suggesting, is currently too much of a hassle in India.

Finding a mint condition engine(considering how few these cars sold), the parts and the engineering to ensure a perfect fit are some of the challenges that you WILL face while undertaking this project.

Plus the added hassle of insurance and endorsement.

Had it been in the UK/USA, it would have been so simple.

Go the pre owned way. Get the fiesta or the S and drive it to your heart's content.

Edit: I see that you are based out of noida. Do not go to sotiganj if you do not have contacts, you will invariably get burnt.

*Waits forever to swap VW 1.8 in a polo or Scross 1.6 in a Swift*

[condor]

Current Value of the Figo + Cost of upgrades >>> Another car.

Then add the time, effort, and frustration when things dont go right. And think - what else you can do with all these.

GTO's has suggested the practical way. Get another car that is fast enough. There will be some Palio 1.6's around. There will be others too.

[Senna4Ever]

Originally Posted by GTO

With time & money, anything is possible . However, if you really like the 1.6, I'll suggest the most sensible option:

1. Sell your Figo.
2. Buy a used Fiesta 1.6. If you manage to get a 1.6S, that'll be the icing on the cake.

Depending on your luck & negotiating skills, you'll spend negligible to reasonable money on the lateral upgrade (link). But I can tell you one thing = Factory fit is factory fit. A Fiesta 1.6 will be far more reliable & fun-to-drive than any after-market conversion.

Related Thread

Yes GTO, this is a valid point and I am willing to explore it further. However, at this point I'm only researching - whether that actually materializes depends on the investment required, in terms of time, parts, and $$. Moreover, this research would be a good learning experience too as I would understand how different engines are packaged in the same car and how one goes about swapping an engine. I could take any other car as an example too, but it feels nicer to know in deep about my own car.

So at this point I'm trying to reach out to someone from Ford R&D, someone who perhaps was involved with the Old-gen Figo's development. Any leads with that would help a lot!

Thanks

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by Senna4Ever

Greetings all,
The thing is guys, the 1.2 engine just isn't cutting it for me. It seriously lacks punch, and the engine doesn't feel rev-happy at all.

If the only reason to swap the engine is because the 1.2 is not good enough, then i strongly suggest to simply sell the car and get pre-owned Fiesta.

Unless, you actually like to do the swap for the sake of the mechanical knowledge/emotional attachment with the car, its just not worth it. Another point is your background (whether mechanical or or not) and the contacts you have to get the engine + parts. I have seen people who have started with simpler mods and could not follow up over time because it takes a lot of time, effort, patience and a good mechanic to keep it going.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Senna4Ever

Greetings all,

I'm the owner of a 2011 Ford Figo 1.2 Petrol ZXi.

The thing is guys, the 1.2 engine just isn't cutting it for me. It seriously lacks punch, and the engine doesn't feel rev-happy at all. Keeping in mind that the same car was at one point assembled and sold with a 1.6L engine, I've decided to atleast do a feasibility assessment of an engine swap.

Do you just want to swap 1.2 to 1.6 or are you open to other engines as well? A reliable source tells me that there are Abarth 1.4 engines for sale. You can probably get one at a lower cost than rebuilding an existing engine. But you will have to do extensive work on mounting it in your car as it was definitely not made to be fitted into a Ford.

A friend of mine got an mjd engine swapped on his Linea for a cost much lesser than the quote given for rebuilding his older engine. Now his car drives like new.

Money wise, it doesn't make sense as you can get faster, better handling cars for same price out in the used market. But such decisions are rarely taken by the head. I hope you managed to work things out for an engine swap and if nothing else, learn more about the car in the process..

All the best.

[Senna4Ever]

Folks!

Thanks for all your responses.

Like I've said before, at this time, I'm only doing my own research into it and studying it's feasibility. I will think about actually doing it if and only if I feel that it's worth the effort. I have obviously thought of replacing it with a pre-owned car as well.

I'm more interested in learning about HOW it can be done. Only when I have that knowledge, will I even consider actually executing it, since it still has to serve as my daily driver and the last thing I want is to have a non-functional piece of metal.

Again, this is only a feasibility study from a technical perspective. Cheers.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Senna4Ever

The thing is guys, the 1.2 engine just isn't cutting it for me. It seriously lacks punch, and the engine doesn't feel rev-happy at all. Keeping in mind that the same car was at one point assembled and sold with a 1.6L engine, I've decided to atleast do a feasibility assessment of an engine swap.

The Figo with the 1.6 engine would be awesome, this would become one proper hot hatch. I get to drive the Fiesta 1.6 & Figo 1.2 quite regularly, the Figo feels quite similar to the Fiesta to drive except for the weak engine. The gearbox though is shared between both of them, Fiesta 1.6 seem to have a slightly taller gearing. Best of luck for the swap.

Having said that, the more practical option would be to sell your Figo & look for a used Fiesta 1.6. The Fiesta has a low resale value, you might find a well maintained one for around 2-2.5 lakhs & your Figo should easily fetch you 1.5-2 lakhs. The Fiesta has a more upmarket interior than the Figo (beige inserts, better looking instrument cluster etc).

What I need help in figuring out, are the auxillaries - the fuelling circuit, the cooling system, the exhaust and the drivetrain i.e. CV joints, Driveshafts, etc. All your inputs would be appreciated.

If you can contact someone who is working at Ford (specially on the Figo) then you can easily find out the parts that would need swapping. If you are not able to receive help from anyone working at Ford, I would suggest that you visit any Ford Genuine Parts store & look for the part number/price for both the cars. If the part number & price match, then you can be sure of that specific part being shared between them. Yesterday I visited one FGP store, they have this software (like MGP store) where you can find the part number along with diagrams.

You can start by checking these links, some mechanical part (& its price) can be found here for both the Figo & Fiesta.

http://www.fordservicepricepromise.com/?extcmp=cos_calculate

http://www.india.ford.com/surprisingly-affordable/

[IshaanIan]

There is a member on this forum who did a 1.5 conversion on his Brio Mr. frankmehta I think. Perhaps you could start your research by dropping him a message? 1.5 Brio and a 1.6 Figo on this forum would mean that t-bhp pumps out better hot hatches than VW, Fiat or Maruti

[Joxster]

Originally Posted by Senna4Ever

Like I've said before, at this time, I'm only doing my own research into it and studying it's feasibility. I will think about actually doing it if and only if I feel that it's worth the effort. I have obviously thought of replacing it with a pre-owned car as well.

I'm more interested in learning about HOW it can be done. Only when I have that knowledge, will I even consider actually executing it, since it still has to serve as my daily driver and the last thing I want is to have a non-functional piece of metal.

Again, this is only a feasibility study from a technical perspective. Cheers.

The most detailed Ford modification thread I have seen on this forum is by member: PratikPatel. I would recommend that you get in contact with him, as he might be able to give you a lot of answers on the questions you raised.

Here's the link to the thread I am talking about for reference: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...6-duratec.html

Good luck with what you're trying to achieve

[devilwearsprada]

Originally Posted by akshay380

Hi, regarding getting a used Fiesta 1.6, somehow it does not handle like it's on rails. May be 1.6S does with its firmer suspension and 15" wheels. Figo also has low CG thus giving more of that go kart feeling.

OP, I'm interested in seeing how your investigation progresses. I was in similar situation before(check above quoted thread) but later bought a used Fiesta 1.6. Engine is a gem but Still, it doesn't match handling of Figo. I am still open to swap engines between my Fiesta and Figo

Get a fiesta 1.6, put in a set of coilovers. And upgrade to 16's. You will have a much better handling car than anything else in the market in 'that budget and category'. I can guarantee that to you because I run the same setup myself

[akshay380]

Originally Posted by devilwearsprada

Get a fiesta 1.6, put in a set of coilovers. And upgrade to 16's. You will have a much better handling car than anything else in the market in 'that budget and category'. I can guarantee that to you because I run the same setup myself

Expect a PM as soon as I have access to PC!

[nim_peter]

Not sure about the RTO hassles even if you manage it and issues when you try selling it. If you need more power, turbocharging makes better sense I guess. Check if the ecoboost turbo can be fitted into one, if not, I'm sure there are so many turbo options to choose from aftermarket.