modifying guide - Fast Ford

modifying guide / fiesta zetec s /
How to modify: Words: Jamie King
fiesta
Photos: Gerard Hughes
Zetec s
With loads of aftermarket styling
and fettling kit, here’s how to get
even more from the pocket
rocket Zetec S.
often ignored
because it
doesn’t pack massive bhp figures,
these little cars have one big
advantage over other fast Fords,
and that is weight, or to be more
precise the lack of it. The Fiesta ZS
only weighs as much as a bag of
sugar, and like most modern Fords,
has an excellent chassis making it a
bundle of fun when it comes to the
twisty bits.
Its acclaimed chassis is capable
of coping with much more power
EnginE
As standard the 1.6-litre, 16-valve
Zetec S only pushes out 104 bhp,
which isn’t exactly going to set the
world alight, but it will still rev harder
and faster than CVH motors.
So, what are the tuning options
available? You really only have two
ways to go: tune the existing 1600
the naturally-aspirated route; or drop
in another engine.
There is some confusion as to
whether you can just bolt a turbo
onto the Zetec S. It can be done
but the problem is they don’t take
that kindly to turbos. The standard
compression ratio of the ZS motor
is 11:1, so high boost is out of the
than the 104 bhp on offer from
the 1.6, 16-valve Zetec in standard
form. And, that Zetec motor is more
tunable than people think — 200plus
bhp anyone?
To top that, there are numerous
styling products on offer to suit the
Fiesta’s bodyshell, so going for that
‘one-off’ look isn’t a problem. Bolt on
a set of proper stoppers and sort the
suspension and you’ll have a serious
little road-racer on your hands.
You still here? Get your spanners
out and start modding — here’s how.
question, unless you have an engine
specifically built to take a turbo.
Van Aaken used to do the conversion
on a DIY basis but recently discontinued
it. So, you’ll either have to chat to
specialists such as Interpro (01454
412777) or Performance Turbo Systems
(01582 731733) and have a custom
turbocharged engine built from scratch,
but be warned, it won’t be cheap. Other
than that, it’s N/A all the way.
If you do choose to tune the
naturally-aspirated way, which we
suspect you will, the first thing you’ll
need to do is get the engine breathing
better. An induction kit costing £85
from Pumabuild and a Milltek Race
Standard power simply will not do, so get modding!
exhaust system at £239 from
Pumaspeed will take care of this, and
give around a further 10 bhp.
Next up, a tubular four-branch
manifold and an ECU tweak are
required, which should see power
figures increase by 15-20 bhp over
standard. Pumaspeed is now
supplying a brand new four-branch
Evo manifold, which vastly improves
upon the older-style ones, yet still
costs the same at £239.
There are a number of ways to
tweak the ECU, but the most common
is to install an uprated chip. Collins
Performance can sort this for you
at just £176. If you want to go the
whole hog you can get a bespoke ECU
from BPJ Services for £700, which will
take an otherwise standard car up to
123 bhp. Expect to see slightly more if
you have already made the exhaust
and induction mods.
Now you’re getting into the realms
of serious modifications and the hole
in your pocket will deepen. To reach
134 bhp, BPJ Services can supply you
with some 43 mm throttle bodies,
which will allow the engine to rev
700 rpm harder and will run with the
standard injectors. These will make
your Zetec S more than a match for
any standard RST, but will set you
back £1490.
The next thing on the agenda is to
bolt in a set of cams. Pumabuild uses a
mild set of Piper cams in its Stage 3
engines, which still allows the car to
idle at 850 rpm, but tweaking with
the map in the ECU raises the rev
limiter from 6500 rpm to 7250 rpm.
BPJ Services offers two stages of
camshaft, the first will see you with
150 bhp when coupled with the
throttle bodies, and the second offers
165 bhp with throttle bodies, but
headwork is required due to the
increased lift of the cam.
There are a number of companies
who will be able to sort your head
out for you, including Cylinder Head
Developments or Specialised
Engines. BPJ Services can take care of
it too, and will port the head for £550
giving around the 175 bhp mark. The
firm will also supply a big-valve head
allowing you to get 185 bhp out of
your 1.6 for £975.
Pumabuild offers a similar
engine without the throttle bodies,
producing somewhere in the region
of 140 bhp for £2300, but if you want
mental power it also offers 200-plus
bhp engines. This includes overboring
the block, making it a little shy
of 1700cc, bolting in a set of steel
rods with ROSS Racing pistons, a bigvalve
head, bigger cams, custom inlet
manifold, Jenvey 45 mm throttle
bodies and an OMEX management
system. Prices will vary depending on
the stage of tune you want.
EnginE swaps settings over the standard 1700cc
As the Zetec S shares the same
platform as the Puma, there are a
number of engine swaps available.
The easiest and cheapest is to
drop in a 1700cc engine from a
standard Puma. This will give you
123 bhp to start with, and offers
better gains if you wish to start
modifying the engine.
An even better option would be
to bolt in a Racing Puma engine.
These kick out 150 bhp in stock
form, as they already feature a
tuned exhaust system, special
induction system, different cams
and cam timing, and revised ECU
Puma engine. Also if you coupled this
engine with one of Pumaspeed’s Evo
four-branch manifolds you could
expect to see around 160 bhp.
If you wanted to be really different
though, you can always drop in a 2litre
Duratec engine from the Fiesta
ST. Although no one has currently
completed this conversion,
Pumaspeed reckons it can be done.
For £5000 it will bolt in the ST engine
and mate that with some Jenvey
throttle bodies and a Fiesta ST-derived
bespoke gearbox, which will give your
Zetec S 200-plus bhp.
Engine transplants like the Racing Puma lump,
work like a dream and go like stink in a Fiesta ZS
0128 summer 2006 Fast Ford Fast Ford summer 2006 0129

suspEnsion
Handling on the Zetec S is pretty
good in stock form, but as is the
way with modified motors you can
always improve on what you’ve got.
Firstly, a set of Powerflex poly
bushes will help stiffen things up,
and the good thing is they won’t
wear out like the standard rubber
items. Pumabuild offers a complete
kit for £110.
If you’re just after a lower stance
for your ZS then you can get away
with just fitting a set of lowering
springs. This is the cheapest way to
lower the car as they are basically
shorter versions of the current
springs, but don’t really improve the
handling as they work with the
standard dampers.
To do the job properly you’ll be
looking at a full suspension kit from
/ modifying guide / fiesta zetec s /
Although not a bad looking car, a little smoothing and detailing will go a long way
0130 summer 2006 Fast Ford
the likes of Koni and SPAX. These offer
you a 40 mm drop in ride height
thanks to the lowered and uprated
springs, but are coupled with a set of
adjustable dampers which stiffen the
ride and help reduce the dreaded
body roll.
After that you’re looking at fitting a
set of coil-overs. These will allow you
to set the car up exactly as you want it
— a must if you’re planning to take
your ZS around a track. Pumabuild
sells a set of AVO coil-overs for £550,
which will allow you to adjust the ride
height and the damper rate, but bear
in mind that the ride is a lot harder.
Stiffen things up further by adding
an upper and lower strut brace and
the handling will be spot on. Lower
strut braces are about £35 and an
upper one will cost around £55-65.
Fit coil-overs for better
handling and adjustment

0132
BrakEs
Brakes are often the last thing to
be uprated, but they should really be
the first. The standard brakes are
fine if you aren’t packing any more
punch than the standard 104 bhp. If
you are, you should really think
about upgrading your anchors
before it’s too late.
The cheapest option would be
to simply put in some uprated pads,
but a better plan would be to bolt
on a set of Red Dot discs as well as
the pads. Red Dot 258 mm discs and
pads cost £200.
The next step up is a set of
Mondeo discs and callipers, which
are available with either 260 mm
(standard), 280 mm, or 300 mm
discs. Pumaspeed offers a set of
these for £300. The beauty of these
is that with slight machining the
/ modifying guide / fiesta zetec s /
callipers will fit under the stock
15 inch rim, keeping the car
looking standard.
If you’re after more bite from your
brakes, you can bolt on a set of
Focus ST170 discs and callipers, but
for serious stopping force you’re
looking at products on offer from the
big names in the business, such as
Brembo, Wilwood, Hi-Spec and AP
Racing. A set of Brembo four-pot
callipers and 330 mm discs will cost
£1150, but will give your ZS some
serious stopping power.
As for the rears, a rear disc
conversion using either the Focus
RS or ST170 set-up is an option.
Pumaspeed will fit 220 mm Focus
ST170 rears to ABS-equipped
models for £500 or £400 if you don’t
have ABS.
It doesn’t matter what
power you have it’s always
worth upgrading the brakes
How sweet does this car sit?
intErior
The standard seats on the Zetec S
are alright if you just want to pop
down the shops, but they won’t
exactly hold you in place when
you’re giving it some welly,
especially if you have fettled
with the engine.
For ultimate support and a real
racy look bolt in a set of OMP
Comfort Duo Sports seats available
from Demon Tweeks for £240 each.
transmission
The IB5 gearbox fitted to the Zetec S is
a fairly strong box, and will cope with
most modifications up to 160 bhp in
standard form. That said, it won’t last
that long if you thrash it everywhere.
And if you do, the clutch will give up
the ghost a lot sooner. 220 mm heavyduty
clutches are available for around
£100 and will be able to cope with
anything up to 220 bhp.
Other options include fitting a Puma
gearbox, which is basically the same
’box but will cope with around 200 bhp
before failing. The benefits of this are
that you can hit 60 mph in second gear,
and first, second and third gears have
a closer ratio, all of which will bring
down your 0-60 times. The fifth gear is
longer than the Fiesta one, so you will
also have a higher top speed.
You can always drop in a Racing
Puma gearbox, and if you manage to
find one of the 80 from the 500 built
that has a limited-slip diff you’re onto a
winner. If not, Quaife LSDs are available
for £555. Quaife also offers gearboxes
if you want to go all the way, these are
quite expensive though at £1400.
Then, to keep you in those nice new
race seats a set of Sparco four-point
harnesses will set you back £50. To
enhance the racer-look, and your
safety, you can fit an OMP road roll
cage for around £270.
To finish off the interior there are
a number of dial kits, gearlever
gaitors, pedals, gearknobs, steering
wheels and interior LEDs available
from ESP Design.
Junk the standard
seats for a race-
style experience
For anything stronger than this you
need to be talking to the specialists.
Competition Transmission Services
has uprated gearboxes on the shelf, or
will be able to make one up for you
depending on the spec you require.
These ’boxes will be more than
capable of handling all the abuse
you can throw at them.
To speed up gearchanges, a B&M
quickshifter is a good idea and yours
for around £180-£200.
summer 2006 Fast Ford Fast Ford summer 2006 0133

ExtErior
When it comes to the exterior
there’s loads of choice for the Zetec
S. You can leave it looking standard
with only the subtle ZS kit for a
street-sleeper approach, or fit any
one of a number of bodykits
available from companies such as
Essex Racing or Auto Tint Design.
The Fiesta’s shape lends itself
to radical paintjobs too, whilst
clear lights and Lambo-style doors
complete that one-off look. To
keep up standards in the engine
bay, Auto Specialists can also
supply you with all the necessary
underbonnet bling.
Pick up some aftermarket kit to keep the exterior looking good
whEEls & tyrEs
As usual there are various styles of
wheels to choose from for the Zetec
S. It all depends on the look you’re
going for, although 17s are about as
big as you can go without having to
modify the wheelarches.
Just be aware that if the car has
been lowered and you have people
in the back, the mounting points for
the rear bumper may rub. It’s possible
to fit 18s, but these mounts do
need relocating.
If you’re fitting a wild and wacky
bodykit you could chop the arches
about to squeeze a set of 19s under,
but to be honest anything bigger
than 17s or 18s will just look silly on
a car this small.
17s set the tone well
Fast Ford summer 2006
0135

minE all minE...
This feisty little Fiesta belongs to 21year-old
Rich Witcombe. “As soon as
the Zetec S came out I wanted one,
but couldn’t afford it at the time.
Then I saw this one advertised locally
when I had a bit more money, so I
bought it,” he tells us.
That was two and a half years ago,
and Rich has been busy in that time
modifying his pride and joy to the
spec it’s at today. Just three months
after buying the car he decided to
bolt on a set 17 inch alloys, and wire
up a decent sound system.
CLUBS
Zetec S Owners’ Club
www.zsoc.com
www.zetecs.com
TYPICAL PRICES
Evo four-branch manifold £239
Milltek race exhaust £239
Collins Performance chip £176
Red Dot discs and pads £200
Powerflex bushes £110
AVO coil-overs £550
RS500-spec intercooler £360
0136 summer 2006 Fast Ford
/ modifying guide / fiesta zetec s /
However, Rich has had more
than his fair share of bad luck with
his ZS, as he explains: “I came out
of work one day to find that my
mate had smacked into the driver’s
door and rear quarter. Then a
couple of days later the bloke
across the road from where I live
drove into the front wing.”
With the car in the bodyshop Rich
started thinking about bodykits.
When it came back he wasn’t happy
with the paintwork, so a call to ESP
Design was made and rather than
SPECIALISTS
Auto Specialists
01375 850062
www.autospecialists.co.uk
Auto Tint Design
0113 2891500
www.autotintdesign.co.uk
BPJ Services
01432 351006
Collins Performance
01260 279604
www.powerchips.com
paint the car in the
standard Imperial
Blue he decided to
go for something a
bit different. The
Alpha Blue with
Gold Pearl now on
the car is certainly no
factory paintjob.
Then when the oil
pump packed up Rich
was left with empty
pockets again after
shelling out for a brand
new engine, which to
date has only covered
11,000 miles.
After sorting the
looks of the car and
fitting a quality boot
install, Rich now
plans to turn his
attention to that
engine. Being a bit
older, and insurance
issues a little less dramatic, Rich
has already equipped his ZS with a
Competition Transmission Services
01582 840008
www.gearboxman.co.uk
Cylinder Head Developments
01527 870472
Demon Tweeks
0845 3306254
www.demon-tweeks.co.uk
ESP Design
0870 7518000
www.espdesign.co.uk
Essex Racing, 0870 850 8016
www.essexracing.com
50 bhp shot of nitrous, and
he doesn’t plan to stop there. Keep
up the good work mate.
Interpro
01454 412777
Performance Turbo Systems
01582 731733
Pumabuild
0121 3562638
www.pumabuild.co.uk
Pumaspeed
01924 871421
www.pumaspeed.co.uk
Specialised Engines
01375 378606
www.specialisedengines.co.uk
Rich’s ZS is very tidy and
well modded without going
over the top. Good work