Dave R‘s Fiesta ST is no stranger to the shop here at ModAuto, now a full fledged Stage III monster, Dave’s Fiesta ST, making as much power as it is, needed a solid mechanical way to see how much Boost the car was making and when. So it was time for a proper Boost Gauge – and the Mod Experts were perfectly at home making it happen. But Dave’s done so much since we saw the car last, we though we’d walk through some of the mods before we get to the gauge.
Up front, you can see the Cobb Front Mount Intercooler for Fiesta ST that’s been there for some time now, looking as good as ever, complete with Cobb Chargepipes.
From below, the Cobb Rear Motor Mount looks to be holding up great and makes it a lot easier to get the car’s 250+lb/ft of torque to the wheels. The car is good for 200wtq in stock form, so with a Stage III tune, it’s good for a lot more – 250lb/ft is a VERY CONSERVATIVE estimate.
With the car in the air, you can see the Vogtland Coilovers for Fiesta ST that give the car its stance, along with the Injen Cat-Back Exhaust for Fiesta ST we’ve previously featured.
We’ve told you before about Walnut Blasting for Direct Injection Turbocharged Engines for BMWs and why that’s important, but the same factors that dirty up BMW N54 twin turbo sixes also dirties up the EcoBoost family of engines – why? Because they’re direct injected, and turbocharged. With turbocharging, BY DEFAULT, even a brand new, perfectly healthy engine will have SOME oil vapor blow by when making boost. This means oil vapor is flowing around the intake tract and potentially accumulating on the walls of the intake runners, and more importantly, the intake valves. This sticky oil coating on the walls then traps dirt and other crap and starts clogging up your motor’s airways, not unlike how human blood vessels get clogged with cholesterol and such. The trick is that older motors had Port Fuel Injection, meaning the fuel injectors were constantly spraying down the intake valves with gasoline (an excellent cleaner/solvent as well as a fuel) – keeping the intake valves clean.
With modern engines, we’ve gone to what’s called DIRECT INJECTION, meaning the fuel injectors are now physically located inside the combustion chamber, and because they’re not spraying down the intake valves keeping them clean, the intake valves trap the most oil, carbon and dirt – in as little as 20-30,000 miles, you might notice the car starting to feel sluggish – which is why installing an oil catch can, like the direct fit Oil Catch Can for Fiesta ST by Mishimoto is something you should do as soon as possible after getting your Fiesta ST. This is a mod you NEED to install as soon as possible to get the most benefit. After all, the catch can won’t help that much if you’re adding it AFTER your motor’s already had 30k miles to get dirty.
Dave’s fitted a Mishimoto Oil Catch Can to keep his motor clean, and the OCC has the added benefit of ensuring proper octane levels by straining out the oil vapor that would drop the octane level (and thereby decrease power).
Helping the engine breathe freely is the Cobb Air Intake System for Fiesta ST, which is a true ‘sealed airbox’ style cold air intake, and its plastic intake arm means that because it’s not made of metal, it can’t get heatsoaked like other intakes on the market made of metal.
One of the recent mods Dave’s installed to give his Fiesta ST a more aggressive look is the Mountune Front Splitter for Fiesta ST, which adds just the right amount of aggression to the front end.
To help keep an eye on the boost levels, Dave’s chosen to go with an AEM Boost Gauge.
Here’s another look at the gauge.
One of the perks of installing a Turbosmart Kompact Shortie BOV for Fiesta ST like Dave has done is that it includes a tap for boost and vacuum, which was perfect to get the pressure information to the gauge.
Here’s a look at the boost gauge tap and the hose routing. You can also see where and how the Mishimoto Oil Catch Can connects.
Here’s a before shot of the interior. Dave’s chosen to install his gauge in the driver’s side vent socket, the very idea we had for a possible solution on the Project Fiesta ST.
Here’s the electronics routed with the guts of the air vent removed.
Giving the Fiesta ST’s rear end a more aggressive look is a set of Boomba Wing Risers for Fiesta ST that gives the stock rear wing a “turned up”, sportier look, which is a great compliment to the Injen Exhaust for Fiesta ST and the stance created by the Vogtland Coilovers for Fiesta ST.
Here’s a closeup of the gauge (mid-install) as we tested the gauge functions.
And here’s the finished install. All that was left was to take the car back outside and snap a few photos of the car as it sits now.
Here’s the Mountune Front Splitter for Fiesta ST from a few different angles.
The stance with the Vogtland Coilovers and the ROTA GRID wheels for Fiesta ST, with the new accessories, really gives Dave’s car a “finished” look.
Here’s a better look at the wing risers from behind.
We have loved seeing this car evolve over time and the build really has come together, and with a little help from the Mod Experts and the team here at ModAuto, he’s put together a fast, tastefully modded little pocket rocket anyone would be proud to call their own.
That’s it for now, stay tuned for a short video of the boost gauge in action coming soon.
Interested in getting more power out of your Fiesta ST? Need something installed? Talk to the Mod Experts, shoot us an email at sales@modbargains.com, give us a call at 714-582-3330 to chat with our team of experts or stop by the ModAuto showroom in La Habra CA any day during business hours.
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
Story & Video Nick Gregson