A(nother) Funeral For A Ford - The Fiesta what are your experiences

[Andrew]

Can we all take a moment to remember the Ford Fiesta which has now ceased production 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66130803

Ford have decided to scrap the Fiesta (one of the UKs best selling cars) to concentrate on  building more electric cars.... The killed off the Mondeo a few years ago which was quite sad, I don’t think anyone will care/notice that they have also killed off the S-Max or Galaxy but Ford are going to make the Focus extinct in 2025 too.

So what are your Fiesta experiences?

Did you learn to drive in one?

Did you have your first crash in one?

Did you have your first sh... in one?

I learned to drive in a Mk3 (1.8?) diesel that was near on impossible to stall, passed my test on the first attempt with a clean sheet too. Such a long time ago now.

[Kopfjaeger]

My wife has a 2009 Fiesta Titanium, 1.4  petrol, manual. It's coming up to 45k miles. Bought from new, it's been brilliant as a run around. I wanted to get a 1.6, but wife wouldn't have it. It's great in town  but definitely not a motorway cruiser. Apart from at least 6 sets of tyres, it's been great. Lots of short trips and potholes, kerbing, etc. in London has done for the tyres.

Given the way its driven, I'm surprised the clutch has lasted this long. It's beginning to slip and will need replacing before Christmas (£780 incl. VAT).

It doesn't have any modern gizmos, parking sensors, etc. but I'm tempted to retrofit an aftermarket  Android auto head unit, so wife doesn't have to rely on her phone or kids for directions😂.

I'd happily buy another one, but not sure about 2nd hand. I suspect most get thrashed or abused.

Learnt to drive in a Peugot 205.

1st accident was in 1st owned Car, Volvo 360 GLE. I destroyed it in style at Oakwood tube station (spun it on the forecourt...a bollard stopped the doughnuts, going in between the NSF wheel and bulkhead, terminating the transmission and engine. No injuries, just my pride and licence..7points) 🙄...on my way to a kick boxing class🤣🤣🤣.

Let's just say the backseat was comfortable in the 360 GLE (velour upholstery🤣🤣), but upgrading to larger cars was beneficial.....I wouldn't recommend a mini metro, unless you're super flexible and not tall😉 (which I was/am🤔)

Oh, for the days before speed cameras were everywhere!

[skyjawa]

My mate at college had a 1.1 mk2 which was really nice compared to my crappy mk1 Renault 5, but never owned one or driven one myself! Closest I got would have been owning a mk2 Focus ST.  Mum has a B-Max I’ve driven, which is essentially a Fiesta, just with weird doors! 😂

Edited July 9, 2023 by skyjawa

[Steve84N]

@Andrewthis makes me very sad.

I had my first lessons in a Mk5 1.25 through the AA, although they switched to the Mk1 Focus by the time I took my test. That original Focus was the best and had exceptional handling, it was ground breaking at the time compared to the Astra etc. 

I then had a Mk4 1.25 Zetec for 4.5 years in Melina Blue (purple). It was technically my second car as I had an Astra for 3 months first, the only car I've ever sold for a profit. 

Had my first crash at 19 coming off a roundabout too fast in the Fiesta, understeered into the kerb. Mum paid to fix it. Had it all through uni and spent my Domino's delivery job earnings modifying it. Spax suspension, 240mm solid discs converted to 260mm vented and then 282mm vented. Rear drums converted to discs. Lower front strut brace. 

That car handled superbly and even thrashing it everywhere it returned 30mpg. Experienced oversteer mid bend (not lift off) that required steering correction when I had Eagle F1 up front and Toyo T1-R on the rear. The wet grip was far superior on the Goodyears. 

Got my first speeding fine going across the Severn Bridge to Bristol. An undercover Omega was following in my C pillar blindspot. Clocked at 95mph average but only 3 points and £60 fine back then. 

It got written off when I went into the back of a Shogun with a towbar on the slip road coming off the Severn Bridge. They braked harder and earlier than expected, I was distracted talking to a friend, no ABS and those crumby Toyos were then on the front, so I locked up and slid. 

So many good memories that new drivers today won't get. I lusted after the Mk5 Zetec S 1.6 in Imperial Blue. I'd buy one now if they weren't so prone to rusting out. 

RIP Fiesta, great car. 

[duncan-uk]

Mum had a yellow Mk1 957cc Ghia in signal yellow with beige velour when we were kids, seats much more pleasant that the 1.3 mk escort with black vinyl seats she had before, on a hot day choice was burnt legs on scaulding vinyl or sit on a scratchy wool blanket - neither particulary great options in short trousers...

Around the time i went to college mum had a mk3 1.1 pop plus - i can confirm on a private road it would do 93mph and no more, remember the shame of braking late and carrying my speed to take the inside line on a dual carriage way roundabout and the car on the inside lane  on exit just walked away, fast it was not...

Helping to buy a Mk1 with a mate for very little money as his cheap runabout at college- gearshift was pot luck, was a bit rusty, his dads language when we brought it back surprising but was better than the mk1 polo we also viewed - he had some romantic trysts in the car we were told.

Not sure i've driven one newer, few mates had mk2's in period and a work collegue a mk1 xr2 - quite fancy a go in a ST as supposedly a hoot.

[duncan-uk]

I suppose what i would add is that despite my family generally having fords, as above and dad had many cortinas and a sierra, mum the fiestas and escorts, grandand a capri and escorts, i've never actually owned one. First car was a 1.3 astra and then a load of novas, astra and cavalier.

[Matt]

Had a couple.  I'm a Ford fan through and through.

First was a Mk3 1.6S in black which I thought was the fastest thing in the world.  Second was a blue Mk2 XR2.  A few weeks back, had a white Mk8 as a hire car.

The are a rite of passage for young drivers, such great cars and a shame they are no more.

[Kopfjaeger]

Slightly off topic  but worth mentioning....

My mum had a bright red 1600E ford cortina around 70/71, bought to replace a vauxhall viva.... she used to drive it from Buntingford into London everyday and I was often in the Car when I wasn't at school.

Shortly after having the car, my Dad took it to a garage to have it checked out, because it seemed too fast, the acceleration was fierce, apparently (My Mum was beating most cars, including jags off at traffic lights). The garage advised that the engine had been heavily modified and it was basically a race set-up in normal car.

The sad part to this tale is that the car was written off in an accident about a year after we had it with the Hertfordshire police. A police van with blue lights on came out of a side road near Ware at speed and broadsided the Cortina on the A10. That car, if it had survived, would have been worth 6 figures today😞.

No wonder I like fast cars.

[duncan-uk]

You can't dwell on what past cars are worth now (noting the accident and as such beyond your control) you move cars on for a reason at the time.

If i still had my Nova SR/ GTE, Astra GTE, e36 M3, e28 M535 etc etc i'd be sat on £100k but then i remind myself they were rusty/ not prime examples/ high miles etc etc.

Just be glad you had them in your life!

[Kopfjaeger]

@duncan-uk agreed. As I was about 6 at the time of the incident, I only have vague recollecton of the car and it was the best and fastest my parent's ever owned. I didn't find out about the engine in the car until I was learning to drive as a teenager.

It's a reminiscence about a Ford, especially given it was Red and fast.... 

I'm hoping to hang on to my F07 long enough for my Son to appreciate it (only when I'm too old to drive it). Although as his first driving experience was a Ferrari at 16, he might find it a bit tame!🤣🤣