My winter fiesta is another matter. It is a 1978 Gia that I bought used in Seattle. I rebuilt the drive train with the goal of more power, yet good winter starting & running using lead-free regular gas. The body is now hopeless -- and won't be safe to drive much longer. But the engine is too good to just scrap. It has 53,000 miles on the following mods:

* new pistons, 8.8 compression ratio, 0.020 over sized; (crank & pistons balanced)

* higher-lift, longer-duration cam;

* XR-2 intake and exhaust manifolds;

* higher pressure oil pump;

To maintain good winter starting in Minnesota I kept the original small valve head -- although with hardened steel inserts for the exhaust valves to extend life and prevent head cracking between cylinders #2 & 3. I also kept the original carb, but re-jetted it as required to match the new cam and higher compression pistons etc.

I put new syncro's and bearings in the transmission while I was at it.

This drive train is available to anyone who is interested and willing to drive or haul it away.

Durkee

I bought it used in 1987 from its original owner. He was living in Portland, OR but had purchased the car while living in Los Angles. That probably explains why the car had dealer installed air conditioning. I left the car in my folk's driveway (Vancouver, WA) for a month or so until my wife and I could fly out and drive it back to MN.

The car was basically in good shape, but once safely back in Minnesota we still started a major reconditioning. First was a full drive train rebuild (which was also a father/son auto training project):

new pistions, 0.020" oversized, 8.8 to 1 compresssion;
XR2 big valve head (from Europe);
4 to 1 exhaust manifold;
XR2 intake manifold;
higher flow rate Webber carburator;
upper engine torque brace;
new motor mounts;
50 psi oil pump;

transmission rebuild - new bearnings & syncro's
new clutch disk;

higher performance rear sway bar;
new boots on the drive shafts;

13 X 6 steel wheels to allow wider range of performance tires.

All these improvements made the car a lot more fun to drive -- particularly at higher rpm's. Yet it still has good road manners and runs well on 87 octane lead-free gas.

The next summer we also had a larger radiator custom built since the car tended to run hot with the air conditioning on during the heat and humidity of an August day in Minnesota.

After these engine mods we had the car re-painted -- matching the bright yellow of the factory finish.

I have used the car to commute to work every summer since 1987. (Starting as soon as the last of the winter's road salt is washed away, and staying out until the first threat of snow.) It now has 186,000 on the odometer and should keep going strong for several more years. My winter car has also been a Fiesta until this coming winter. My now retired winter Fiesta also had a strongly rebuilt engine which is being transplanted into another body in Milwaukee, WI. Your web page must get a lot of hits, because I did receive a lot of enquires about this car/engine. It's nice to think that some part of poor rusty "Robbin" is still out on the road somewhere.

Regards,