Why didn't Ford put a front under tray on these?

[Capri to ST]

Front under trays do provide some protection, but they also easily get caught and torn off on things like concrete parking curbs. This is especially true on a low car like ours.
I'm aware of it because it happened on my girlfriend's Honda Fit, also a small low car, and it ended up being more trouble than it was worth.

 

[Intuit]

The automatic transmission wasn't really an automatic. It was an attempt at having a computer shift a dry-clutch transmission and there were simply too many variables to make the computer shift it consistently and reliably. When an "automatic" transmission shifts like a poorly shifted manual transmission, (or even a well-shifted one) people assume it's going to fail, when that simply isn't the case.

 

[D1JL]

I can attest to the gains from the Pierce 6 point brace. Tested it on worn out tires and it gave grip again. Not sure if I could give that up Even tightened up rattles and shimmies. Maybe someday there will be one that works with that brace.

I too ran into this problem, this is why I added the tabs to my 6-PT brace.
However, I never finished the project.

 

[anticon]

Here is the ADF one. I don't think they make them anymore though. But I haven't contacted them. https://www.adfcustoms.com/shop/fist/14skidplate

 

[M-Sport fan]

I can attest to the gains from the Pierce 6 point brace. Tested it on worn out tires and it gave grip again. Not sure if I could give that up Even tightened up rattles and shimmies. Maybe someday there will be one that works with that brace.

Fair enough, but I could not use them, and still use this car the way I do, so it's a moot point for me anyway.

 

[LilPartyBox]

You guys are tripping. The getrag is a sister-copy of the automatic tranny that has failed to a class-action suit level against ford. Designed with the cheapest components ford could locate. Oh - and Ford owns Getrag. They can employ the cheapest crap they can find. Yes, eastern europe's bearing maufacturer's still thrive in ex Yugo 'facilities'. Look at how many of us have had problems - 'oh it's the clutch' - bullshit, ford! It's the bearings, including the clutch slave cylinder/throw out combo.

Magna International owns Getrag, NOT FORD. Carry on...

Media Release - Magna Announces Closing of GETRAG Acquisition

 

[Magnetic]

Fair enough, but I could not use them, and still use this car the way I do, so it's a moot point for me anyway.

I will say that the brace has made the car unable to go over speed bumps like I normally would. I have to go slow now and that's on stock ride height. This pretty much makes lowering the car out of the question. Although I didnt want to lower it because the underside of lowered cars always gets thrashed it would've been nice to have the option since I'm going coilovers sometime soon. (If K-Sport would get their $hit together with their manufacturing been waiting over 2 months for delivery)

 

[Magnetic]

I've got 75k miles on my car and 40k on Hybrid and my transmission hasn't done anything funny. Not sure how people are getting all these failures we hear about. I honestly think its bad driving (gear slamming) habits LoL

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yeah, flat foot shifting, even with the momentary torque/throttle cut tune factors is NOT doing these gearboxes any favors at all, when at the very high power output levels which many on here sport.

Exacerbated many times over if one has that kind of power, and is launching on, and FF shifting down a quarter mile track on softer than gumball drag slicks/radials.

 

[Magnetic]

Yeah, flat foot shifting, even with the momentary torque/throttle cut tune factors is NOT doing these gearboxes any favors at all, when at the very high power output levels which many on here sport.

Exacerbated many times over if one has that kind of power, and is launching on, and FF shifting down a quarter mile track on softer than gumball drag slicks/radials.

I used to drive my cars like a teenager as a teenager and my dad would always tell me not to do it and that it was damaging things and I was like whatever. I thought, what does he know? I'd tell him it's a sports car it's meant to be driven hard. He would say okay but when it breaks don't complain. After thousands of dollars in repairs and worn out drivetrains/engines I realized he was always right. I would see him shift his gears so smoothly and only step on the gas once the car was settled. He never had failures and his cars lasted FOREVER. He always had about 6-8 cars. Classic muscle cars, Typhoon, multiple M powered Bimmers, Saleen trucks and lightnings, mustangs and even work trucks (he's a builder) none of which he sold due to failures. He always took car of those cars and always had them properly maintained. No slamming of doors, gently pushing buttons and always waxing. I'm now just like him in that regard and is probably why I haven't had any issues and others that treat their cars well too.

***Here's a funny. I once told him how is it that race cars can run at max for hours at a time so a sports car should be able to do some hard driving. his reply "you do know that race car engines are rebuilt after every race" I was like Ohhhh LoL

 

[METZGER]

Transmission is super beefy, it's a Getrag. Most failures are user error or someone doubling the torque - you have to pay to play. Blend doors have weak internals. It's common on other makes and models, it's not just a Ford thing. Motor mounts are perfectly fine for a stock car.

I have had to replace all suspension bushings and a lot of coolant hoses.. replaced that rubbish plastic coolant tank with a metal one. So far only done the rear lower engine mount. The one below the coolant tank making a lot of noise now tho. Ordered a set of coil overs as the replacement front shocks from ford are trash and not the same as the original. They are fkd in under 12 months. A lot of bad rubber parts on these cars IMO.

Sent from my Redmi 8 using Tapatalk

 

[Sam4]

Magna International owns Getrag, NOT FORD. Carry on...

Media Release - Magna Announces Closing of GETRAG Acquisition

Since 2016 - read the release. Think any fiesta tranny's were already built? Please understand - I love this car!!! It's a collection of crap parts, that's all, like me. My 1980 MkI tranny shit the bed at 100k, replaced with a close ratio (tuner supplier - BAT Ltd!) and another 100k until it's timely retirement.

 

[Woods247]

Just a heads up.. You can run chassis splitters and belly pans with braces. You’ll just have to build or modify them yourselves. 😉 I REALLY miss my Piece 6 point. I’m actually in the process of designing braces that link the front to the back (like everyone else’s) but they’ll have riv nuts for mounting the splitter, pan and diffuser. I suppose you could build something similar for rally use but I’m not sure those guys want the chassis to be as stiff as road cars need to be.

 

[M-Sport fan]

I suppose you could build something similar for rally use but I’m not sure those guys want the chassis to be as stiff as road cars need to be.

The FULL 'to spec' cages they are required to run are so totally tied into, and triangulated with the unibody, that they do not need any lower bracing.
The seam and stich welding they do to the whole unibody structure does not hurt either.

IF they did need, or desire, any lower bracing, they would yes, build around the custom built skid plates, and custom kevlar under body armor they all use.

 

[Woods247]

Yeah I’m sure they have it figured out. There’s a big difference in turn-in feel with and without the Pierce 6 point, even with a roll bar and traction bar. That’s what I was referring too. Bracing the subframe to the unibody makes massive difference in the way this car handles on pavement.

 

[Magnetic]

Just a heads up.. You can run chassis splitters and belly pans with braces. You’ll just have to build or modify them yourselves. 😉 I REALLY miss my Piece 6 point. I’m actually in the process of designing braces that link the front to the back (like everyone else’s) but they’ll have riv nuts for mounting the splitter, pan and diffuser. I suppose you could build something similar for rally use but I’m not sure those guys want the chassis to be as stiff as road cars need to be.

Put me on the list as a customer if you want to make a few bucks. I'll for sure take a set off your hands!

 

[Magnetic]

The FULL 'to spec' cages they are required to run are so totally tied into, and triangulated with the unibody, that they do not need any lower bracing.
The seam and stich welding they do to the whole unibody structure does not hurt either.

IF they did need, or desire, any lower bracing, they would yes, build around the custom built skid plates, and custom kevlar under body armor they all use.

Do you know what those cages run for the FiST? (installed)

 

[Magnetic]

Yeah I’m sure they have it figured out. There’s a big difference in turn-in feel with and without the Pierce 6 point, even with a roll bar and traction bar. That’s what I was referring too. Bracing the subframe to the unibody makes massive difference in the way this car handles on pavement.

I noticed the same exact thing. The turn in and grip on turns and a straight line, and the shakes and shimmies and the torque steel all taken care of with the pierce 6pt brace.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Do you know what those cages run for the FiST? (installed)

A LOT, because they install them only after the whole unibody is fully gutted, doors/hood hatch removed, and they take a L-O-N-G time to install them, and do the above referenced seam/stitch welding at the same time.
EVERYTHING is triangulated and gusseted.

These are NOT AutoPower/etc. kits, the tubes are not pre-cut, but sized along each step of the way and then custom fitted.

It would be almost impossible to use much of the factory interior with these cages, save for the factory dash, and in the case of the R2, R5 and open class cars not even that.
(They even use custom carbon fiber door cards with recesses/grooves in them to fit/accommodate the huge door bars of their cages.)

These cages are totally and completely impractical if the car is going to be used on the street, for daily use, at all, and probably unsafe with the factory Recaros or base seats (or ANY recliner seat for that matter).

 

[Magnetic]

A LOT, because they install them only after the whole unibody is fully gutted, doors/hood hatch removed, and they take a L-O-N-G time to install them, and do the above referenced seam/stitch welding at the same time.
EVERYTHING is triangulated and gusseted.

These are NOT AutoPower/etc. kits, the tubes are not pre-cut, but sized along each step of the way and then custom fitted.

It would be almost impossible to use much of the factory interior with these cages, save for the factory dash, and in the case of the R2, R5 and open class cars not even that.
(They even use custom carbon fiber door cards with recesses/grooves in them to fit/accommodate the huge door bars of their cages.)

These cages are totally and completely impractical if the car is going to be used on the street, for daily use, at all, and probably unsafe with the factory Recaros or base seats (or ANY recliner seat for that matter).

Thats bad a$$! Yeah I still want my car to have its interior. Thanks for the insight!