written by jayparry on 01/04/2004
Good Points
Good looking, cheap parts, very easy to work on.
Bad Points
RUST!, small wheelbase not very stable at high speed, heavy steering, smokey engines if not looked after well, leaking sunroof.
General Comments
I used to own an F Reg Ford Fiesta XR2 MkII in black that my friend and I turboed. It was standard looking apart from RS Turbo whels and the b great exhaust coming out of the back. We put an Escort RS turbo engine in it and I then got the engine tuned to 187 BHP by power engineering. This car was the ultimate pocket rocket and it left many a cosworth owner at the lights with their jaws on the floor.
The Mark II is by far (in my opinion) the best looking of all the Fiestas and considering how cheap they are now, they're a bargin for anyone looking for something with cheap insurance and some good power. Be careful of rust though, it's very difficult to find a clean one these days and if the engine has done more than 100,000 miles without service history, you may be looking at a new one or a rebuild. The carbs can sometimes play up too, especially the auto-choke.
If you do get one if you and you want to modify it, make sure you do the suspension (mine stuck to the road afterwards) and you really have to change the brakes, especially if you want to turbo it, as the standard ones are poo.