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Fiesta ST

  1. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 6: Prototype Testing Round 2

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 6: Prototype Testing Round 2

    We are narrowing down our selection of core designs through both extensive research and some pretty neat testing processes. After seeing some impressive heat transfer numbers on our first round of Ford Fiesta ST intercooler testing, we decided to focus on producing a better balance between pressure drop and reduction of intake temperatures.

    New prototypes were constructed, and we were ready to make some dyno runs.

    Testing Fiesta ST performance parts
    Testing Fiesta ST performance parts

    Testing Fiesta ST performance parts
    Testing Fiesta
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  2. Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 4: Testing Data

    Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 4: Testing Data

    The testing of our Fiesta ST rear strut brace involved three different driving conditions.

    Cornering: 30-40 mph, slalom

    Braking: 50-0 mph, stop with ABS engaged

    Acceleration: 0-60 mph, full-throttle run

    Each setup (with and without brace) was tested on the same day on an identical surface and with the same driver. The tests are repeatable and will provide an accurate comparison of rigidity in the rear body portion of our Fiesta.

    Results

    Check out the plot below to see our testing results.

    Fiesta ST performance results
    Fiesta ST performance results

    These data points confirm our theory that the addition of bracing in this area of the ST does indeed have an impact on flex. Although flex in these conditions

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  3. Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 7: Final Prototype Installation

    Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 7: Final Prototype Installation

    With our final prototype in hand, our team went to work bolting everything into place. We've made minor tweaks to the design, so we just want to be sure fitment is spot-on for our final iteration.

    Check out a few shots from the final install.

    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed
    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed

    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed
    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed

    Everything bolted on perfectly, and this setup looks quite nice in the engine bay of the Fiesta. We will be making one small adjustment

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  4. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 5: Second Prototype Fabrication

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 5: Second Prototype Fabrication

    Our quest for the perfect intercooler core continues! So far we've perfected the fitment and size of our intercooler core. Our final task is to adjust internal fin composition to create a perfect blend of pressure retention and temperature benefits.

    Prototype Ford Fiesta ST Intercooler Fabrication

    Timing is a bit of a concern for us at this time. This project has been lengthy, but it will be worth the effort and time when we know our best efforts have been captured in our final product.

    Our final version of this intercooler will likely feature a tube-and-fin core. The benefits of weight and airflow are too important to ignore, not to mention the temperature drops we are seeing with a strategically designed internal core.

    For our team, the creation of a bar-and-plate cooler is a much quicker process. We've found that pressure drop between the two core types is similar if fin style, density, or both are the same. So for this test, we are using two bar-and-plate

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  5. Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 3: Functional Prototype and Test Rig

    Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 3: Functional Prototype and Test Rig

    In our last update, we left you with some mock-up prototype pieces that we used to create and refine our Fiesta ST rear strut brace design. Since then, we've worked up a couple of functional prototypes to test our ideas for stiffening the rear of this hot hatch.

    Initial Prototypes

    We constructed two prototypes of this trunk brace. The first prototype is finished in a black powder coat, and we'll use this unit to evaluate for aesthetics and fitment. The unfinished ("raw") prototype is going to be used for testing purposes, meaning it will be modified.

    First, check out our powder-coated unit bolted into place.

    Mishimoto Fiesta ST performance parts
    Mishimoto Fiesta ST performance parts

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  6. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 4: Initial Prototype Testing

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 4: Initial Prototype Testing

    The most exciting part of product R&D is always the testing phase. This typically includes setting up some neat sensors, running the car on the dyno or on the street, and crunching our data. We are anxious to see how our first prototype coolers perform on the Fiesta. Let's jump right into the plans for this first round of testing.

    Testing Plans

    As mentioned in the previous segment, we will test four different coolers.

    • Stock intercooler
    • Mishimoto bar-and-plate prototype 1 (larger internal bar height)
    • Mishimoto bar-and-plate prototype 2 (smaller internal bar height)
    • Mishimoto tube-and-fin prototype

    For each cooler we will be collecting data for temperature, pressure, and power output. Each cooler will be tested repeatedly until we have three consistent runs producing data as accurate as possible.

    Below is a look at the three different core types that will be tested.

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  7. Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 6: Final Prototype

    Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 6: Final Prototype

    We are quite excited about the completion of our final prototype intake for the Ford Fiesta ST (FIST)! After months of development, testing, and design work, we are ready to present our final creation. First we will go through each component and cover important details regarding their features.

    Silicone Turbo Inlet Hose

    Starting at the turbocharger compressor inlet, we have our silicone inlet hose. This piece was constructed specifically for this kit and is extremely robust.

    Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST intake silicone inlet hose
    Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST intake silicone inlet hose

    Five layers of silicone comprise this hose, along with embedded fibers and steel wire for added rigidity. This hose must withstand the suction created

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  8. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 3: Completed Prototypes

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 3: Completed Prototypes

    We're back with another update! Our team has been busy constructing our functional Ford Fiesta ST (FIST) intercooler prototypes, putting a lot of work into the R&D design stages, and now we get to see if it pay off. Enough of the wait, lets jump right into some images of our five prototype coolers.

    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes
    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes

    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes
    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes

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  9. Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 5: Initial Testing Results

    Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 5: Initial Testing Results

    Interested in picking up our Fiesta ST aluminum radiator? Check out our the product page below.

    Mishimoto 2014+ Ford Fiesta ST Aluminum Radiator

    After quite an extensive developmental process, we're finally ready for some Ford Fiesta ST (FIST) radiator testing. This portion of our R&D process is crucial, as it will determine if our design is perfect or requires minor tweaks, or if the slate needs to be wiped clean for a fresh start. This particular radiator is unlike most that we develop. FIST owners are getting in trouble on the track, and no good solution to rising coolant temperatures has yet been found. We've attributed this to inefficiencies in both airflow and the inadequate stock FIST radiator. In order to fit a larger, more efficient radiator, we've had to modify the stock fan shroud. In doing so, we've created the space needed for the thicker radiator core,

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  10. Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 2: Prototype Completion

    Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 2: Prototype Completion

    We left off development with a neat look at our first prototype, when we determined the shape and path of our brace and printed out mounting brackets for each side of the piece. By using specific angles with our square material, we were able to avoid modification of the seat mounting bracket, retain rigidity, and provide a bar that is easily hidden by the rear tray.

    Our last image showed our fabricator tacking together the material. Below is what we ended up with.

    Prototype Fiesta ST rear strut brace installed
    Prototype Fiesta ST rear strut brace installed

    We then installed the floor panel mounting covers.

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