Buy a Fiesta ST, or be responsible with my $?

[JasonWilson48]

I have been kicking around the idea of getting a Fiesta St for the last 6 months now. I got to test drive a heavily modified one with a hybrid turbo setup, and it was sweet. I don't know if I want a heavily modified one from a point of maintaining and servicing the car. It would be a new platform to me, and I've never owned a turbo car before. I can find relatively clean ones with around 100,000-150,000 miles for $4k-$6k all day long. My research over the past few months tells me it would be fine to go high milage as long as the major maintenance items were done like timing belt, clutch, slave cylinder, etc.

I don't need a 3rd car right now, but the fiesta ST is now on my bucket list for cars to own one day. So here are the options I'm thinking of focusing on for the spring:

1) Buy a fiesta. Have something fun to drive while I finish the E30 chassis swap.

2) I have 2 non-running motorcycles (83 Honda CX650 and 87 Honda VFR750 Interceptor). The interceptor just needs a battery and carbs cleaned, since I did a complete refresh of the whole thing 3 years ago (i.e. suspension, all hoses/brakes/electronics/new gas tank/etc.). It has just been sitting as I kind of lost interest in riding around that time. The CX650 needs everything. I could sell the CX650 for like $400-500, then get the Interceptor running again to have as a fun toy while finishing the E30. This only works because it is about to get warm here in Philly again. The winters really kill the fun in owning motorcycles for me.

3) Don't do any of that. Keep focused on chassis swap. And just keep daydreaming of a driving something fun while I cruise my Element. Eventually get a fiesta down the road only after I move away from the E30 platform, or just have enough disposable income and space to have a 3rd car.

Leaning towards option 2 as it could scratch the itch, and would be cheap. Also, would get these bikes running and out of my dad's garage lol.

End of ranting about my 1st world dilemmas/problems.

[2mAn]

(1) Buy the car
(2) Sell the bikes
(3) Finish the e30
.
.
…
profit

[McGyver]

Do you need the Element?

Get both bikes running for as cheap as possible, sell them. Buy FiST, sell element. Finish e30 before your new project car breaks. Buy a motorcycle for when both project cars are broken. Buy a "responsible" project car that "doesn't need anything" because everything is currently broken. That broke too, now borrow the significant other's car.

[Panici]

Easy to go down the project rabbit hole.

I bought an '86 E28 and didn't touch it, as I wanted to get my E30 on the road first.
By the time I was ready to work on it, I had a Ducati project going.
Ended up selling it at a loss because I just didn't make time for it.

So my recommendation is don't bite off more then you can chew.
If the Element is a reliable daily, don't modify it and just keep up with maintenance.
AKA get the bikes running (and sold if that's your goal), finish the E30, and then look at something else like a FiST.


I've thinned out the fleet some, but still going to sell my Miata and thinking of selling my M3.


My driveway looking like a parking lot circa 2022:



And the garage shot from 2023:

[MrBurgundy]

a car cannot be more fun than a motorcycle

[2mAn]

being alive cannot be more fun than being dead

[MrBurgundy]

U right tho

[McGyver]

Easy to go down the project rabbit hole.
And the garage shot from 2023:

These pics will be great to justify new projects to the wife. I don't even have a problem yet!

[MrBurgundy]

damn the longer I look at it, the more cars/bikes i see

[JasonWilson48]

Panici Weirdly enough, here was my two motorcycle setup back in 2020 before I bought the CX650. My VF750 and '04 R6.



2mAn Also, I did sell my R6 because I realized I was going to kill myself with a bike that fast. That might also be why I have let my 2 current bikes sit. Too many close calls, and also me being young and dumb.

[varg]

Don't fiesta STs have transmission issues in addition to the head gasket failures? Or is that just the focus ST? Either way, I don't see the appeal. But then again, my daily driver is a 32 year old BMW wagon with a big turbo and a twin disc clutch, not exactly sensible.

[JasonWilson48]

Don't fiesta STs have transmission issues in addition to the head gasket failures? Or is that just the focus ST? Either way, I don't see the appeal. But then again, my daily driver is a 32 year old BMW wagon with a big turbo and a twin disc clutch, not exactly sensible.

Head gaskets were on the Focus RS models. The auto transmissions in the base Fiestas were trash.

The Fiesta ST drivetrain has been reliable the past decade per my research (I could be very wrong). I also didn't believe the hype at first, until I got to drive one. The one I drove was heavily modified though... so it could just be that car in particular that makes me want one. I was spinning wheels in 3rd gear at 50 mph... That shit was fun as hell.

[MrBurgundy]

I've only heard good things about the Fiesta

[roguetoaster]

a car cannot be more fun than a motorcycle

Truth.

My E46 almost never gets me close enough to death to be truly enjoyable.

But the funny thing about motorcycles seems to be that hooliganism decreases with horsepower. I ride my 51hp Guzzi like a maniac, and treat my K1200GT with the respect due to a machine that tags 150mph like it's no big deal. I may fear it slightly, and I have never felt that about a car. Yet, as far as motorcycles go, it's not even fast.

[Panici]

But the funny thing about motorcycles seems to be that hooliganism decreases with horsepower.

I think that's the case that comes with age and experience.
It didn't take me long to end up in the hospital on my R6 when I was 19 years old.

I actually picked up a little CBR 125R recently to scoot around town. Still in the process of getting it on the road.
Promises to be pretty fun with 6 gears to shift and only 13hp.