[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

@aravind.anand--congratulations and welcome to the 1.6 club. I'd have bought the 1.6 S for sure if it were around at the time I bought the 1.6 sxi. And by the way, the interior trim of the older sxi model is way better than the new one's.

Take good care of your baby and you will be one of the guys who owns a rare classic in a few years, just like the 1.6 ST Palio owners.

Thanks Vnabhi. I could see that leather trim and quality of the dash in the SXi is something that the Classic can never match. Maybe, my granson would someday get to show-off with the 1.6 S to his friends as a classic car and an ancient sports car with a gasoline engine, while all other would be whizzing in electric cars!

Originally Posted by niranjanrvce

Yes I remember ,glad to gave been of any help at all mate, gladder still that you took the plunge with the S! Lot of mod options out there - FFE+CAI+remap should take you to 20%+ gains easily. I am more than happy with this setup on mine now. Take it step by step and you will enjoy the car and the mods as you learn her intricacies better each day.

Only one heads up on exhaust mods though - be extra careful where the FFE pipe is welded on to the underbody. The underbody sheet metal on the Fiesta is not thick everywhere so welding to it at the wrong place will cause issues later.

Cheers and enjoy one of the most beautiful cars ever sold here!

Yes, FFE has been in my mind for quite sometime now. I shall meet you and test drive your Fiesta ( if you permit, of course ) and shall decide it. Right now I have apprehensions about the car being very loud at high revs, waking people during early morning starts or late night drives. So need to experience it once before I can take a call. And CAI and remap I still havent convinced myself, maybe you and your car can do the trick, but ultimately, everything depends on the cash I manage to save up though.

[revv_maniac]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Cars! They aren't just another means to get from A-B for Petrol-heads like us. Like all the other petrol-heads & BHP-ians, a Car means a lot to me too. When my parents took me along with them, to get my first ever birthday cake, I pointed out and chose what I wanted, ‘a Car shaped cake’ – they still recall this very well. My love for cars was born with me I suppose! Then I grew up playing with numerous car toys, many are still there at my house, treasured memories they now have become. Smitten by cars, quite naturally I took up Automobile Engineering, here again I am very thankful to my wonderful dad, who got me a seat in Automobile Engineering in a very reputed college, as he thought children would shine the most, if they were let to do what they best like to, and want to do. And so I spent the 4 years of college life reading about cars, dreaming, designing and test-driving Cars!

Hey Aravind , First of all I Envy you dude !! Congratulations, of course. Lovely car and BEA-utiful colour. I could relate to all those you said about the cars right from the childhood. Maybe all petrol heads are the same. Especially I remember me being a kid, sat on an imported toy car that runs on battery and tried to drive it around when i was 3 years old .

I did my college in Coimbatore as well and currently working in chennai. Always wanted to get Fiesta 1.6S in Blue. I was not earning much to get one when it was in production. I was hunting for more than a year to get a 1.6S in Blue in chennai. Did not find a decent one, found many in Black. Exclusively i wanted only the BLUE.

I read through your prologue alone thrice. great write up and it was nostalgic for me !

Have Fun Revvin' the nuts !

Aaranyan

[anachronix]

Congrats and drive safe dude

Have you replaced the tyres or still using the ones from the factory?

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Things I love:

[johy]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Call it fate or magic or destiny, but things have all changed in my life now!

Aravind, you could not have put it better! I know where you are coming from. And I like it!

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

my Dad asked me to get what my heart wants, as now is the time to enjoy life.

Big shout out for your dad. This would have been difficult without him.

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

A sight to behold! each time you look at the ORVM, you notice the blue wing, and then you are reminded of what you are driving. Makes you feel so special, and inadvertently you start smiling..!

Best picture on Team-bhp for a long long time.

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

No amounts of reading will help you understand the feel you get from it, you simply have to experience the Fiesta / Punto / Linea to understand what "Steering Feel" means.

So very true.

Congrats on your car. I myself had the privilege of driving this model a few years ago. I was looking for a 2nd car. This is a true rubber burner. I still remember putting pedal to metal. And how it whizzed past everything else. I just did not have the cash to put down then :-(.

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

>The way the car bonds and connects with you is very very special, I simply cannot think of selling this car now.

And I think you won't; this will a difficult car to replace when the time comes. Kudos to you my friend.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

did it have other enhancements like the Fiesta Sport too?

Yes. The interiors had the S10 theme all over. I don't think the Fiesta's internals were any different apart from the pedals. As for mechanicals, I know for sure the exhaust system is different. You could hear the difference too. I also believe it was running a different state of tune and with much stiffer springs. The modifications are similar to the levels carried out on the Ford "S".

I did not like the idea of Ford starting to offer the "S" in different color's. Heck I saw a gold shade too. The blue is a stand out color and another color that went well with the theme was White.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by revv_maniac

Hey Aravind , First of all I Envy you dude !! Congratulations, of course. Lovely car and BEA-utiful colour. I could relate to all those you said about the cars right from the childhood. Maybe all petrol heads are the same. Especially I remember me being a kid, sat on an imported toy car that runs on battery and tried to drive it around when i was 3 years old .
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.
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I read through your prologue alone thrice. great write up and it was nostalgic for me !

Have Fun Revvin' the nuts !

Aaranyan

Hi Aranyan, thanks for your wishes and for liking my write-up. And a big thanks to T-BHP for helping so many petrol-heads meet, greet and zip along

Originally Posted by anachronix

Congrats and drive safe dude

Have you replaced the tyres or still using the ones from the factory?

Hi Anachronix, I had to replace them, as the GoodYear Eagle NCT5 had become like plastic from standing at one place for almost 4 years.

I now have Yokohama S-drives in the OEM spec size.

Originally Posted by johy

Aravind, you could not have put it better! I know where you are coming from. And I like it!

Big shout out for your dad. This would have been difficult without him.

Best picture on Team-bhp for a long long time.

Hi Johy, yes I owe whatever I have and whatever I am today to my dad, gifted to have him as my dad

And thanks, I am a novice photographer trying to learn photography for well over a year now. Your appreciation really motivates me!

Originally Posted by johy

Congrats on your car. I myself had the privilege of driving this model a few years ago. I was looking for a 2nd car. This is a true rubber burner. I still remember putting pedal to metal. And how it whizzed past everything else. I just did not have the cash to put down then :-(

And I think you won't; this will a difficult car to replace when the time comes. Kudos to you my friend.

Yes, it indeed would be very difficult to sell the 1.6 S, and finding a fitting replacement would be next to impossible, with all manufacturers moving away from hydraulic pump steerings these days! Why did you sell your car? If you don't mind me asking...

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Yes. The interiors had the S10 theme all over. I don't think the Fiesta's internals were any different apart from the pedals. As for mechanicals, I know for sure the exhaust system is different. You could hear the difference too. I also believe it was running a different state of tune and with much stiffer springs. The modifications are similar to the levels carried out on the Ford "S".

I did not like the idea of Ford starting to offer the "S" in different color's. Heck I saw a gold shade too. The blue is a stand out color and another color that went well with the theme was White.

Oh that is news to me, I thought the S10 was a cosmetic limited edition until this moment! The 1.6S also gets soft touch dashboard with silver plastic highlights in the interiors ( SXi ohad faux wood ) and the seats with double stitching were unique to the 1.6 S too.

But I thought the 1.6 S was offered in - Aquarius Blue, Black, White, Sea Grey and Morello only. I never have seen a S in gold shade, maybe a regular Fiesta owner had fitted a 'S' body kit?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

The 1.6S also gets soft touch dashboard with silver plastic highlights in the interiors ( SXi ohad faux wood ) and the seats with double stitching were unique to the 1.6 S too.

But I thought the 1.6 S was offered in - Aquarius Blue, Black, White, Sea Grey and Morello only. I never have seen a S in gold shade, maybe a regular Fiesta owner had fitted a 'S' body kit?

There is no faux wood on the older sxi. I hate faux wood.

Apart from what you've listed, there is one important feature missing on the S : adjustable neck rests at the rear. I guess even the folding rear arm rest is missing in the S. Despite that, I find the interiors of the S better than my Sxi's---perhaps boredom has set in.

Apart from the interiors, Ford has really given us a true 'sport' model with a remapped ECU, stiffer suspension and bigger rims with fatter tyres. This is quite unlike other manufacturers who merely label a car as a 'sports' model but only provide different interiors. Those are fake Sports models, IMO.

As regards the Palio S10--it was a league of its own. Compared to the GTX model, it had better looks and also shorter gearing, if I am not mistaken.

[ramzsys]

The Fiesta S is a logical upgrade from the Ikon.

Puzzled why you chose the Accent over the Ikon for your dad though!

[srinath34]

Hi Aravind,

Congrats on the 1.6S. This must be the find on TeamBHP in the recent past where one gets a collector's edition years after its production has stopped. Really this is destiny's child (you wanting to buy this car, getting into Ford to finally grab her).

That Aquarius Blue is drool-worthy (still drooling). Fantastic shots. Seeing some quality pics after a long time. Please post some interior shots too.

I am in the same dilemma as you currently. Thinking whether to go for the Ford Classic and getting a S kit (unfortunately not available at dealer level but can be replicated by body shops) or go for a Punto 90HP.

Well, keep revvin' and keep this thread alive as most 1.6S ownership threads have dried out.

Cheers

Srinath

[ampere]

Nice perspective snaps ! Though I never experienced the 1.6S Fiesta, but I drove almost a lakh with same engine on a Fusion. Its is a beauty to say the least and always leaves you with a wanting for more feeling. Ford should not have a de-tuned the newer version. I hope the 1L ecoboost takes it to the next level.

But nothing takes away the charm and the sheer brilliance of the 1.6S. Wish you many a miles and esp the highway where you would smiling for end to end!

PS : It truly is a last samurai before the advent of the lower displacement new breed of turbo-charged petrols.

[johy]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Why did you sell your car? If you don't mind me asking...

Hi,

I think you got me wrong, or my words projected a misleading picture. When I was looking for my 2nd car, one of the cars I test drove was the Fiesta 1.6S. My friend was the manager in the Ford showroom then and he gave me an extended test drive, which I enjoyed a lot. But it was only a test drive, albeit a very long one :-).

I later got a used Baleno.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

There is no faux wood on the older sxi. I hate faux wood.

Apart from what you've listed, there is one important feature missing on the S : adjustable neck rests at the rear. I guess even the folding rear arm rest is missing in the S. Despite that, I find the interiors of the S better than my Sxi's---perhaps boredom has set in.
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Yes, the rear seats are not a patch on the luxurious one's on the SXi, but probably, that's Ford's ways of telling its a driver's car and not for rear benchers

Originally Posted by ramzsys

The Fiesta S is a logical upgrade from the Ikon.

Puzzled why you chose the Accent over the Ikon for your dad though!

Accent was bought in 2002, when I was 9 years away from legal age for applying for a driver's licence! Dad found the styling and the quality of the Accent much better than the Ikon. Even 3 years after he sold it, he loves the Accent more than the Honda City he currently drives.

PS: My grandmother still has an 8 year old Ikon, which has been driven by very many drivers in the past, and I simply hate driving that car! Engine at 38k kms is very unresponsive and noisy and interior plastics are far from modern cars.

Originally Posted by srinath34

Hi Aravind,

Congrats on the 1.6S. This must be the find on TeamBHP in the recent past where one gets a collector's edition years after its production has stopped. Really this is destiny's child (you wanting to buy this car, getting into Ford to finally grab her).

That Aquarius Blue is drool-worthy (still drooling). Fantastic shots. Seeing some quality pics after a long time. Please post some interior shots too.

I am in the same dilemma as you currently. Thinking whether to go for the Ford Classic and getting a S kit (unfortunately not available at dealer level but can be replicated by body shops) or go for a Punto 90HP.

Well, keep revvin' and keep this thread alive as most 1.6S ownership threads have dried out.

Cheers

Srinath

Thanks a lot Srinath. I hope you find what suits you the best, because a brilliant car, is a fantastic stress buster after a hectic day at work. Btw, which model in the Classic line up are you looking at?

Originally Posted by ampere

But nothing takes away the charm and the sheer brilliance of the 1.6S. Wish you many a miles and esp the highway where you would smiling for end to end!

PS : It truly is a last samurai before the advent of the lower displacement new breed of turbo-charged petrols.

Hi Ampere, you couldn't have put it better! There still is a fantastic charm in driving normally aspirated, high revving petrol cars!

The old adage - There really is no replacement for displacement still holds good

Originally Posted by johy

Hi,

I think you got me wrong, or my words projected a misleading picture. When I was looking for my 2nd car, one of the cars I test drove was the Fiesta 1.6S. My friend was the manager in the Ford showroom then and he gave me an extended test drive, which I enjoyed a lot. But it was only a test drive, albeit a very long one :-).

I later got a used Baleno.

Oh, I got you right this time Johy And the Baleno definitely rates high in my personal list of cars. Keep revving and smiling through the miles !

[johy]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Oh, I got you right this time Johy And the Baleno definitely rates high in my personal list of cars. Keep revving and smiling through the miles !

But then I sold the Baleno and bought the T-Jet. Review is here

Cheers!

[srinath34]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Thanks a lot Srinath. I hope you find what suits you the best, because a brilliant car, is a fantastic stress buster after a hectic day at work. Btw, which model in the Classic line up are you looking at?

I am looking at the top of the line Titanium in the Duratec 1.6 guise in Paparika Red shade because that really set me raving after a long test drive. Though my current usage pattern accounts for a petrol, I wouldn't mind changing it to sort of diesel standards if I think of the Punto 90HP. I am used to HPS setup now after driving Hyundai Getz for close to 5 years.

Hoping to arrive at a decision soon.

[Arch-Angel]

Aravind.Anand, i must say the writeup was very good! I loved the emotions involved when you drive the car you love, its just that we experience such simple pleasures in life that makes us go a long way in it too. I congratulate both you and bluebolt on acquiring each other .