http://www.enfostuff.com

There's no doubt about it, thefour-cylinder motorcar is backin fashion in these' United

States, And if it doesn't yet look thatway where you live, get ready fornews like, , .

LOS ANGELES-For the first time inhistory, new-car buyers in SouthernCalifornia have sent a foreign automanufacturer to first place in the

local sales war. More Toyota vehicleswere sold here last month than any

other make, leading the imports to arecord 40-percen( share of all localsales. Nationwide, imported vehiclesaccounted for almost 20 percent ofnew-car sales in the same 3D-day

period.No need to remind you how many

pistons usually come with that newToyota (or Datsun or Honda, amongother companies reporting recordU.S. sales). Such four-banger buyingactivity has not been seen in theStates since Henry Ford's originalsales blitz of 50 years ago. Fortu­nately for those of us residing in thesmog- and fuel-conscious 'Seventies,Ford Motor Company has never quitestopped refining that four-cylinderengine family efther.

Even while this country was stillenjoying 29-cent high test and$2995 supercars, buck-a-gallon pe­trol was coming to other parts of thefree world. Not surprisingly, thoseever-thrifty little four-banger Fordsbecame fashionable with the masses;only the very rich dared even consid­er a V8.

It's still that way today, only moreso. In fact, Ford's so-called "1600"motor, as seen in the Anglia andCortina GT long before the Pinto, isconsidered the small-block Chevy ofEuropean hot rodding. And it's thatsame basic engine, with 20 years offlogging to its credit, that ultimately

PART 1

was selected to power the hottest­selling new Ford since 1964 %: theFord Fiesta. As you've probably gath­ered by now, this car was born into aready-made family of high-perfor­mance pieces abroad. And if youknow where to look on this side ofthe pond, you won't have to cross anocean to find them.

HOT ROD went shopping lastspring, even before the Fiesta wasformally cleared for U.S. distribution.Chuck Foulg.er, of Villa Ford,plugged us directly into one of hisOrange, California, neighbors by thename of Automotive Development.AD makes a living at making andselling things for SCCA Formula Fordrace cars, which just happen toshare that very same basic engine.The association seemed a natural forproducing one really freaky Fiesta,and so it proved to be.

With the continued support of VillaFord, AD owners Paul White andJules Williams threw years of racingexperience and tons of enthusiasminto the project. What they helpedcreate was exactly what we wanted:a Camel GT-styled street car, withboth performance and handlingworthy of the racy styling.

The initial design came from artistPaul Pfanner, himself a Formula Forddriver. Gordon Saunders and LuisCarbajal of GSAID, a Wilmington styl­ing firm, then turned the illustrationinto street-legal reality, as illustratedon these pages. The colors camefrom Swede Wahlgren of Orange,who proclaimed our Freaky Fiesta'sbody pieces "the best-fitting fiber­glass I've ever had anything to dowith," We're inclined to agree.

Along with the AutoPower rollbar,modified Hoesman Wing, Chastainwindow louvers and Vitaloni mirrors

FORD'SECONOCARBECOMESHOT ROD'SEXOTICAR

the bolt-on body pieces are nowavailable from AD and their dealers.(For details, write Automotive Devel­opment, 501 Wes.t Maple, Unit V,Orange, California 92668, or phone714/633-6672.) In addition to theabovementioned pieces, hundreds ofother motor and suspension partsare also available, as we'll see nextmonth. Part 2, which examines vari­ous mild-to-wild performance andhandling tricks, demonstrates exactlyhow far these American road racerswill go to prove a point long accept­ed as fact overseas: For fast, cheapfun, it's flat tough to beat those four­banger Fords! HR

Automotive Development already offers abunch of bolt-on pieces for Ford's newFiesta, including this Auto Power roll bar.Strong, attractive unit installs in stockinterior, features removable crossbar.

HOT ROD FEBRUARY 1978 37

Once applied, sealed and dried, the clothlayers added about 3/16-inch to thesurface, reinforcing the entire piece. Ateach stage of development, GSAID stylistGordon Saunders put his thoughts intowriting. These instructions were Gordon'slast prior to final shaping, which GSAIDaccomplishes with their own mixture ofpolyester filler material. Finished partbecame the plug for AD's Freaky Fiestafender mold.

I.I

The rear fenders were rough-formed withstrips of fiberglass first, and bondedtogether by GSAID (304 East AnaheimStreet, Wilmington, California 90744).Sharp edges were smoothed out byadding sheets of fibercloth, asdemonstrated here by GSAID finishingexpert Luis Carbajal.

....Ford rims (12x4) and Michelin rubber(145SRx12) gave way to 13x5Y2 Westernmags, B50x13 Super Charger skins.Ordinary tin snips cleared a path inminutes, which is all that's required upfront. In back, inner and outer fendersmust be cut, then rejoined. A body shopcan do the job in a few hours, or you (c:a~n:"'_~iIiiJ••••llw;;'~::;afollow the instructions in AD's kit. _

iJIobGl::0}>iJI:<:o~m~ An Automotive Development spring kit dropped the body two inches at either end (asF we'll illustrate in next month's suspension section). Rubber endpieces were unboltedr from the stock bumpers-which happen to be interchangeable-and trimmed to fit thef) Freaky Fiesta's new fiberglass. Side lights were removed for the short trip to GSAID'sm styling studio.

38 HOT ROD FEBRUARY 1978

Here's the Freaky Fiesta just prior to paint preparation. The four fenders, door sectionsand air dam are all actual production pieces, extracted from GSAID's fresh molds.Rubber spoiler lip (not shown) attaches to the lower edge of the air dam, is included inAutomotive Development's package.

The front fenders were carved from blocksof polyurethene foam, a talent GordonSaunders has been utilizing since the'Forties. Once SCUlpted, sanded and filled,the finished piece became a "plug" forAD's front-fender mold. Second photoshows foam plug and initial fiberglassmold. Mounted fender was extracted fromthat mold, then further refined, asindicated by Saunders' "notes," for asecond, production mold. The air dam wasdesigned to blend into the fenders, yetallow compatibility with the stock Fiestabumper, as shown.

Like the front fenders, GSAID's air damgradually took shape in foam, from whicha mold was formed. Squared-offheadlights and "script" grille were slatedto appear, a la the European Fiesta, butthe headlight buckets are still unavailableStateside. Door pieces were saved for last,then hand-formed to match the finishedfenders by stylist Saunders.

A perfectionist in every sense, GordonSaunders prefers shaping with foamwhenever possible. Besides eliminating the"clay" stage entirely, foam shapes easilyand minimizes the stress and warpage thatplague "slab" construction.

HOT ROD FEBRUARY 1978 39

The fiberglass pieces were paintedindividually, then mounted to thebody.. AD's Freaky Fiesta body kitincludes predrilled mounting flanges(inset) and rubber gaskets for everypiece, plus complete installationinstructions. Swede's CustomPainting advises that a complete paintjob really isn't necessary; oncematched to the'body color, thefenders (and/or doors) can becustom-painted to achieve alow-dollar custom paint treatment.Rear window louvers, also availablethrough AD, are by Chastain, Inc.

NEXTMONTH:Mild to wild, the folks atAutomotive Developmenttell Lis how it's done in .next month's installment.

_-==".... ====~~====b:::== This particular motorfeatures twin Webers,AD's own Fiesta exhaustsystem and lots more, yet

_ ......liol cold-starts easily,' gets.., -4 great mileage and hauls. hay, needless to say!

Power a!1d handlingsecrets coming right up inPart 2: Freaky Fiesta.

AUTOMOTIVE DEVELOPMENT DEALERS:

Next to making the payments,the worst thing about drivinga brand-new, just-introduced

Sterling Racing Service551 Taylor WayBelmont, Calif 94002(415) 592-7082Stimola Race Preparation57 Birch HIli Rd.Locust Valley, L.I., N.Y. 11560(516) 671-9715Autoworld701 N. Keyser Ave.Scranton, Pa. 18508(717) 344-7258The Book801 13th Ave. S.Minneapolis, Mlnn 55404(612) 336-8000

Butch Harris Racing2806 GreenrldgeHouston, Tex. 77027(512) 783-9655Pierre's Motor Racing11 802 S. E. Stark S1.Portland, Ore. 97216(503) 255-4110Ron Minor Racing6145 N. 7th Ave.Phoenix, AriZ. 85014(602) 277-7233CAMCO Racing3840 Dupont Ave.KenSington, Md. 20795

automobile can be the inevitableabsence of bolt-on performancepieces. Such has been the plight ofVolkswagen's water-cooled Dasher­Rabbit-Scirocco series, the home­built Chevy Chevette and a host ofother economy-oriented newcomers.The automotive aftermarket needstime to catch up, and the processsometimes takes years. Indeed, evenafter that 48-easy-payments plan hasfinally become history, the new carowner can find himself stuck, still,with little or no selection of provenpower pieces.

A rare exception to the rule is thespanking-new Ford Fiesta. The right

equipment and technology alreadyexist, and surprising amounts of bothhave come directly from Ford.

Fiesta's big difference is no differ­ence; that is, a four-cylinder power­plant that's been turning up in vari­ous small Fords since the 'Fifties. Be­cause millions of Anglias, Cortinasand early Pintos all share the samebasic four-banger, and because well­financed FoMoCo factory teams arecommon on the international motor­sports scene, race-proven factoryhardware is available throughout theworld.

"This engine family is as broadoverseas as the small-block Chevy is

AD replacement road springs (above, shown withstockers), brand-new Koni struts and shocks (seetext) produce handling worthy of theIMSA-inspired styling, Ford "script" grille arrivedin time for deadlines; squared-off headlightbuckets did not. The Freaky Fiesta is on display atVilla Ford in Orange, California,

Mild (Stage II) cam and AD exhaustsystem keep our Freaky Fiesta surprisinglystreetable. Intake manifold is a Ford ofEurope item; carbs are 40-DCOE Webers.All of it fits beneath the stock hood.

36 HOT ROD MARCH 1978

FIESTA HANDLING& HORSEPOWER:OLD TRICKS FOR

THE NEWESTFORD (NO WAITING REQUIRED)

in America," states a guy who shouldknow. And with that, AutomotiveDevelopment's engine-builder, JulesWilliams, begins pulling big-bore pis­tons and dry-sump oiling systemsfrom his shelves, all the while flippingthrough aftermarket catalogs andFoMoCo racing manuals. Virtually allof it applies to the 1600cc "cross­flow four," so named for its cylinder­head design that comes with everyAmerican Fiesta. Turned sidewaysthis time and connected to a front­drive transaxle, yes, but this engineis hardly new. And as one might ex­pect of the "small-block Chevy ofEurope," this motor is a favorite with

~. 1I. ..'

hot rodders. Not all of them live inEurope either.

Since the late 'Sixties, two primarystateside sources for Ford of Europeparts have been Automotive Develop­ment and Villa Ford, unrelated firmsthat happen to be headquartered inOrange, California. While an author­ized Ford parts outlet in its ownright, AD is quick to credit its friendlyneighborhood new-car dealer for"importation" assistance. Becausenot all of the nation's 5200 Forddealers share Villa General ManagerChuck Foulger's fondness for fastand freaky Fords, AD does a briskmail-order business in the factory-

built, factory-flogged European itemssought by American enthusiasts. Cor­tina owners get extra credit for creat­ing the demand which in turn creat­ed a U.S. dealer network. Thesehard-to-establish connections are anunspecified, if very important, part ofevery Fiesta's standard package.

About that standard package:Right from the factory, the box-stock,smog-legal, 49-state U.S. version pro­duces about 60 actual, flywheelhorsepower; enough to put a stockFiesta in the low-18-second range atthe drag strip, which is pretty re­spectable for the size and cost. Howmuch quicker the package ultimately

HOT ROD MARCH 1978 37

Our Freaky Fiesta pumpsout about 140 horsesbehind the Stage II cam,bigger-yet valves(42mm/36mm), dualsprings and aluminumretainers. (A complete,bolt-on cylinder head isalso available.) Bigmechanical fuel pumpfeeds the 40-DCOEWebers. Big-bore ADpistons pumpcompression ratio to11:1, displacement to1840cc (liners required),are cut for compatibilitywith both Stage II and IIIAD camshafts. Theultimate 1600 systemincludes huge (No.45-DCOE) Weber carbsand dry-sump oiling.Both are recommendedfor racing only, and bothare very expensive.

AD's hot-street packages usually include the mild Stage II cam (280· duration, 360-inchlift), larger intake and exhaust valves (39mm/34mm), improved single springs and 9:1pistons (standard bore or + .030-inch). Aluminum manifold (front) accepts 5300-C Holleycarbo Mechanical distributor replaces solid-state stocker, also provides neededclearance for wild 125-hp (dual-Weber) intake system.

becomes is, thanks to Cortina & Co.,limited only by the owner's wants,needs and cubic dollars. Hard-coreAmerican musclecar fans are remind­ed that, on a pure power-to-weightratio, the V8 Camaro or Mustang orCuda will need about 300 honesthorses to match strides with an 1800­pound pavement-pounder like ourFreaky Fiesta. And that's to say noth­ing of this new car's road-holdingpotential.

The bare-bones automobile han­dles like it performs-respectablywell, but no match in the corners fora well-sprung American ponycar,much less a Porsche. Fatter tiresand/or wheels will help, but bewareof skin-tight sheetmetal. As welearned last month (Part 1, February'78 HOT ROD), even slight deviationsfrom stock sizes may necessitatesome body and fender modifications.

Among the bolt-on suspensionstuff already available in the States isan Automotive Development coilspring kit (see photos) which stiffensup the package and gets it about 1Y2to 2 inches closer to the ground. Ko­ni has just released a replacementMacPherson strut assembly for thefront (Koni No. 82P1987) and shocksfor the rear (No. 82J1988), all adjust­able in nature. Beefy front and rearsway bars are due this month fromAutomotive Development.

Ford's Fiesta S option includes ananti-sway bar for the rear, and thefactory markets a nice line of Fiestasuspension pieces overseas. State­side availability details remain indefi­nite. Dealer interest will definitely bea prerequisite, at least for a while,and yours can contact Mr. Foulger(Villa Ford, 2550 North Tustin,Orange, California 92668) for all thelatest in factory info.

The European engine items are al­ready here, if one knows where toshop. Stateside AD dealers (listedelsewhere),' are a good beginningsource for Fiesta owners, as mosthave spent time flogging combina­tions of FoMoCo and aftermarketitems for the 1600-series engine.

Light, first-level motor mods aresomewhat restricted by Fiesta emis­sions equipment. An AD exhaustheader can be added without neces­sarily sacrificing the smog stuff.Available with or without smog provi­sions, the header even works withthe catalytic converter, if the ownerso desires. AD also offers a complete

(continued on page 109)

38 HOT ROD MARCH 1978

FORD FIESTA(continued from page 38)

exhaust system, header throughchrome-tipped tailpipe, that features2%-inch tUbing both fore and aft of abig Lincoln muffler. Valve-spring re­placement is anElther first-level ADpriority, even for box-stock Fiestas.Some 'Sixties FoMoCo productionpieces, like the downdraft Webercarb from late Cortina GTs, can alsobe contributed without disturbing thesmog equipment and/or internal ar­rangement.

They may not run any cleaner, but

Freaky Fiesta

Part 1:

Hot Rod Magazine

Feburary, 1978

Part 2:

Hot Rod Magazine

March, 1978

For More

Information

on English

and European

Fords Visit:

www.EnFoStuff.com

C~

AD's Stage II motors sure look a lotcleaner. These so-called "hot street"combinations can be assembled toproduce anyWhere between 90 and125 horsepower, depending on thecustomer's desires. All include a5300-C Holley two-barrel, aluminumintake manifold and recurved points­type distributor, plus larger valves(see photo section), Stage II cam­shaft and standard-bore 9:1 pistons(precut for compatibility with the big­ger bumpstick). AD's max-street set­up requires an AD-prepared Holley,balancing job and 10:1 compression,and returns about 125 hp..For rough­ly $700 in parts, the Fiesta ownercan thus double his horsepowerwithout sacrificing driveability. Infact, the new combination should stillnet 20 to 25 miles per gallon at nor­mal cruising speeds.

Something a bit more sophisticatedperhaps? Stage III is the full-race,150-horse package that AD has beenknown to provide its really serioussmall-car customers. And just as longas their hoods are closed, YOU'dnever suspect anything but a 60­horse stocker beneath. That wouldbe your first mistake.

As this pint-sized supercar sails outof sight, remember that HOT RODMagazine warned you all about StageIII Fiestas. Huge, sided raft Webersonly hint at the rest, including a big­bore kit that boosts displacement to1840cc and compression to a hot­rodly 11:1 ratio. AD's competitionvalve springs, aluminum retainers, tu­bular push rods and a big Ford camall get into this particular act, and$1200' will pay the parts bill. AD's re­ally, really serious small-car custom­ers often tack on another $650 fordry-sump -oiling, but most of theseare driving Formula Ford race cars­another popular application forFoMoCo's 1600 engine.

Turbocharging? Stand back forStage IV, Automotive Development'sstill-secret Fiesta development pro­gram. After driving the mild-man­nered, normally aspirated FreakyFiesta to off-the-speedo numbers innothing flat, we can only marvel atthe turbo possibilities. AD has alsodropped some hints about twin-calip­er discs and other such exotica foreven freakier Fiestas to come.

Meanwhile, Fiesta's future wouldappear to be assured in the domesticmarketplace. And thanks to theAnglia and Cortina, supercar powerand sporty-car handling are readyand waiting for the hot-selling new­comer. Details and pricing on Fiestacomponents, including the fiberglassbody package (February '78 HOTROD), are available for $1 directlyfrom Automotive Development, 501West Maple, Unit V, Orange, Califor­nia 92668; phone (714) 633-6672. HA

HOT ROD MARCH 1978109