The second-generation Ford Fiesta made its debut in August 1983 and became the first-ever Fiesta available with a diesel engine. The model retained the boxy overall shape of its predecessor but introduced a new interior and some new powertrain options. It remained a humble city car, though, with even the most powerful versions being very slow by today’s standards. This was probably one of the main reasons for the owner of this second-gen Fiesta to transform their car into a drag beast.
A new video by Barcroft Cars on YouTube introduces us to Phil from Newbury in England. When he told his friends he is going to build a proper drag racer based on the Fiesta, he was called a fool for even considering the idea. This was probably enough for Phil to begin working on the project by purchasing a car at the price of just about $340. Shortly after the beginning, once the real cutting started, he got a few raised eyebrows from some of the Fiesta purists in the area.
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Months of work culminated in the car you can see now. Not much has left of the original Fiesta and there’s now a highly modified 2.0-liter inline-four engine under the hood generating an impressive output of 820 horsepower (603 kilowatts). The total cost of the build is a little shocking at around $54,000 but bear in mind this is a car that can achieve a maximum speed of 159.7 miles per hour (257 kilometers per hour). The fastest Fiesta in the world? Maybe Ken Block won’t agree, but that’s absolutely possible.
The body of the drag monster is still the original Fiesta body and the same goes for the steering wheel. The suspension and virtually everything in the engine compartment are new or modified. But what’s the feeling behind the wheel? “My first emotion is a relief that I haven’t died on that run,” Phil says. And what’s this Fiesta’s best quarter-mile time? It is currently doing 9.1-second runs and is pretty close to being the quickest four-cylinder Ford drag car in the world. A few more months and modifications, Phil hopes, and it will beat the record.
Source: Barcroft Cars on YouTube
