The sound is one of the best bits, only had the car from friday so not had a chance to take it on some fast roads but driving around town it sounds great :)

i bet your in love with it, and congrats on the car, i believe you swapped and i can bet it was a good decision, id be dying to open it up on a long country road, i think youve made a good choice.

Believe it or not my lil peashooter exhaust makes quite a nice poppy noise when warm however i want to hear it from inside a nice deep roar

hears a picture of it when it was up on the JIG

for those who are not sure what a JIG is a quick snap for you

This was a part of the restoration process, it simply pulls the bent chassis legs straight, quite a crude yet effective method of correcting the car.

The banging and creaking was horriffc :( however its better of for it now

Rubbing down and priming

Thought i would try and get back onto the topic of restoration. Any questions or queries will gladly be answered.

Although i am still very intrested on the topics of the current modifications and upgrades for the car today. Keep it coming guys!!

Thanks :D

Thought i would try and get back onto the topic of restoration. Any questions or queries will gladly be answered.

Although i am still very intrested on the topics of the current modifications and upgrades for the car today. Keep it coming guys!!

Thanks :D

Great work there! A few questions...

- Cat D's have a reputation for being hard to insure. Have you had any problems? Especially given your age and the mods you've done?

- Did you fit a brand new dash (£1000, ouch!) or could you have got a scrap one (from a rear end, obviously...)

- Do you know how fast the impact was? There doesn't look to be any damage behind the firewall.

- Was there any engine damage?

Mods are a matter of personal taste (or lack!) - my preference is for subtle. The only thing I've done is upgrade the speakers (for quality, not volume) but then my car came fully loaded to begin with.

PS my Fiesta had heavy restoration work done after I was rear-ended (straightened on jig, new boot floor, rear panel, tailgate, bumper, exhaust, etc)

Great work there! A few questions...

- Cat D's have a reputation for being hard to insure. Have you had any problems? Especially given your age and the mods you've done?

- Did you fit a brand new dash (£1000, ouch!) or could you have got a scrap one (from a rear end, obviously...)

- Do you know how fast the impact was? There doesn't look to be any damage behind the firewall.

- Was there any engine damage?

Mods are a matter of personal taste (or lack!) - my preference is for subtle. The only thing I've done is upgrade the speakers (for quality, not volume) but then my car came fully loaded to begin with.

PS my Fiesta had heavy restoration work done after I was rear-ended (straightened on jig, new boot floor, rear panel, tailgate, bumper, exhaust, etc)

Im sorry to hear your baby was hurt too!

The car was not too hard to insure, although £3000 may seem a very steep price, im a relieved by the fact other people are insuring runabout saxo's for the same price, and i was adamant the car would be insured under my name, as to build my no claims and avoid 'fronting' i.e. being the main driver but declaring an older person is the main driver (parent)(the insurance should hopefully more than half next year)

I have had no problems with insuring the car i believe other insurance compainies are worse than others, fortunatley my company is fair and understanding- the mods are all acounted for, there was no increase for the wheels.

Regarding costing and damage, The car was side swiped, i believe the previous owner was exiting a junction and stuck out a little too far. The crash was at fairly slow speed, it is arguable that the airbags needed to deploy. Believe it or not, the most expense was created by either the company that recovered the vehichle or the emergency services, Due to the crash the wings were damaged as the whole front had shifted, these needed replacing. However the small triangular window in front of the window was a big problem, as ford stupidly place a bolt holding on the wing behind this window, this window is bonded in and needed to be seen to by a specialist.

As the bonnet was wrenched open it put the windscreen through, this was a massive expense also.

As Far as structural damage, the car was fine; no damage to components/engine, no damage to the firewall/ Simply the chassis legs twisted meaning simply the car needed new components all around. e.g new dash (which unfortunatley wasnt a scrapper, none available at the time) new window, new airbag sensors, new wing, new bonnet, new windows, new radiator and washer bottle, new lights. Then after all the expense and hard work gone into the car the car woudlnt move, simply the fuel pump would initiate but the car would not turn over, so to my sadness the car had to be reset by ford, which was a hefty £160 for the trouble.

However from that point, i am happy to say the car is as good as new, and i restored it for a fraction of the price, the car had less than 1000 miles on the clock and i have also learnt some valuable skills automotive wise.

The car is portable fruit of my labour.

I would be intrested to hear your experiences and problems, and hopefully successes with the car.

can you honestly say for the money you've spent buying the car/parts/labour you couldn't have got a non crashed variant on the second hand market?!

£1k for a dashboard.... buy this point did you feel you'd spent so much that you had to finish it?

I'm seriously took back on how much you're spending on insurance, is it that high cos you're insuring a cat D? If so surely buying a non battered fiesta would have been more economical?

Coilovers aren't that expensive considering you're paying for more than just springs. Probably not a good idea if you live down or regularly use dirt roads.

can you honestly say for the money you've spent buying the car/parts/labour you couldn't have got a non crashed variant on the second hand market?!

£1k for a dashboard.... buy this point did you feel you'd spent so much that you had to finish it?

I'm seriously took back on how much you're spending on insurance, is it that high cos you're insuring a cat D? If so surely buying a non battered fiesta would have been more economical?

Coilovers aren't that expensive considering you're paying for more than just springs. Probably not a good idea if you live down or regularly use dirt roads.

I see your perspective on the situation and other people have also raised the same debate with me, and yes it very much was like that for the dashboard but for the rest of the car it was no more than 100 pound odd jobs, the lights, bonnet and other extras were not very much. so it did work out financially better, i must also add, most of the restoration work was put in by me, and the checking and spraying was done by an owner of a body shop(fortunatley a friend of the family who owed us a favour-overall meaning no labour costs).

However the restoration job as you mention was not as first expected as financially smart as had hoped perhaps if the car was an older model it would have been much more affordable and 'the thing to do'- i must also add, i have learned something in the process, i have also had a part to the making of the car, and that will always stay with it, everytime i look at it.

As far as insurance is concerned, a 2009 fiesta (had the car nearly a year now) with the 82bhp engine for a seventeen year old at the time, £3000 is bad, however; i am on my own isurance and as i already mentioned; people i know have insured thier 1.0 scrap mobile and insured it for more, so although steep it does still seem reasonable, (as far as the robbing insurance companies go)

Aside from this, i have put some deep thought into coilovers, however i seem to miss the point slightly, if you would enlighten me i would appreciate it. :D

I hear great things about coilovers and am sure they perform slightly better and are adjustable. However i dont understand paying twice sometimes three times as much for me to be able to adjust them, once i like a height i would keep it there as it looks the best, and as long as the body roll has gone thats all that matters sureley? i thought this could be achieved simply by springs?

Dont get me wrong im not having a go at coilovers i was all for getting them, until being talked out of them, i just need some justification for them or advantages that justify such a price

can you honestly say for the money you've spent buying the car/parts/labour you couldn't have got a non crashed variant on the second hand market?!

£1k for a dashboard.... buy this point did you feel you'd spent so much that you had to finish it?

I'm seriously took back on how much you're spending on insurance, is it that high cos you're insuring a cat D? If so surely buying a non battered fiesta would have been more economical?

Coilovers aren't that expensive considering you're paying for more than just springs. Probably not a good idea if you live down or regularly use dirt roads.

And by the way i love the work youve done to car, really has made it. Its got that 'something' about it.

Regarding the hids, i am in love with them, i believe its sets the car off and enhances performace vastly.

I am considering getting some for mine in the 6000k they look the best and still off a bright beam, and i can believe people have disagreed with your even though they are in the projector lenses and i know people would scorn me for even thinking about putting them into reflectos- massive glare, poor beam pattern, however i have spend alot of time and research into finding a pair and i am considering buying a set that is designed for reflectors which eliminates glare as no light is bounced downward (towards the reflectors) and creates a sharp pattern.

And yes i do understand that hid kits are illegal without projectors, washers, sometimes auto levelling suspension and/or auto levelling headlights.

however i believe it to be worse to have a light out than a hid bulb, the mercs/jags/range rovers need a taste of thier own medecine.

Aside from this, i have put some deep thought into coilovers, however i seem to miss the point slightly, if you would enlighten me i would appreciate it. :D

I hear great things about coilovers and am sure they perform slightly better and are adjustable. However i dont understand paying twice sometimes three times as much for me to be able to adjust them, once i like a height i would keep it there as it looks the best, and as long as the body roll has gone thats all that matters sureley? i thought this could be achieved simply by springs?

Dont get me wrong im not having a go at coilovers i was all for getting them, until being talked out of them, i just need some justification for them or advantages that justify such a price

with you on that one, think they're too expensive to justify especially for someone like me!

after ford spend ages tuning it in the first place,I'd worry about ruining the whole thing altogether and/or constantly fiddling with it to try and get it 'right' to my preference. I dont think I'd know enough and trust myself to leave it alone! :(

with you on that one, think they're too expensive to justify especially for someone like me!

after ford spend ages tuning it in the first place,I'd worry about ruining the whole thing altogether and/or constantly fiddling with it to try and get it 'right' to my preference. I dont think I'd know enough and trust myself to leave it alone! :(

Couldnt put it better!! ;)

until convinced otherwise.

Still i promote any questions or queries about anything regarding restoration.

i do enjoy your comments and opinions.

I would also still appreciate your comments and opinions on which direction i should take the upgrading/modifying of the car now, as your comments are most valuable.

(i still need some feedback on such areas; (would tints make it look drug dealer- black car, black wheels, black windows)

plus opinions on filters/exhausts and lowering)

Any experiences/tips/advice/thoughts are all appreciated whether it be regarding the car as the write off, or the current car today. Thankyou and keep it coming :D

Gotta at least go for the tints! I dont think i could have a car without them again.

who cares if you look like a drug dealer, police go for suppliers anyway so shouldnt pull you over. too often...! The day you have a drug-dealered-up black range rover then you should worry!

sod it,while you're at it, get the chrome on to go with the black!

i've heard them called 'murderer's' cars too :)

just avoid spinners as they're just plain awful.

Dunno how expensive it'd be but i think those bodykits for the US 5drs (i think there's a thread about the malaysian ones too) are pretty smart?

Aside from this, i have put some deep thought into coilovers, however i seem to miss the point slightly, if you would enlighten me i would appreciate it. :D

I hear great things about coilovers and am sure they perform slightly better and are adjustable. However i dont understand paying twice sometimes three times as much for me to be able to adjust them, once i like a height i would keep it there as it looks the best, and as long as the body roll has gone thats all that matters sureley? i thought this could be achieved simply by springs?

Dont get me wrong im not having a go at coilovers i was all for getting them, until being talked out of them, i just need some justification for them or advantages that justify such a price

The point about coilovers is that they are completely adjustable. Further down the line you can adjust them to sit how you want. Buy a set of lowering springs for the car and they sit how they sit, the only way to alter the look is to buy another type that offer a different ride height.

The reason why coilovers are more expensive is because you get a full set of shocks in the kit with the springs plus the neccessary adjustment pieces. Buy a set of springs and a set of shock absorbers and I doubt there's much difference in price.

Also, the spring rates will be matched to the shockers that come in the kit, not neccessarily the case when you put aftermarket springs onto stock shock absorbers.

at the end of the day, you pays your money you take your choice.

And by the way i love the work youve done to car, really has made it. Its got that 'something' about it.

Regarding the hids, i am in love with them, i believe its sets the car off and enhances performace vastly.

I am considering getting some for mine in the 6000k they look the best and still off a bright beam, and i can believe people have disagreed with your even though they are in the projector lenses and i know people would scorn me for even thinking about putting them into reflectos- massive glare, poor beam pattern, however i have spend alot of time and research into finding a pair and i am considering buying a set that is designed for reflectors which eliminates glare as no light is bounced downward (towards the reflectors) and creates a sharp pattern.

And yes i do understand that hid kits are illegal without projectors, washers, sometimes auto levelling suspension and/or auto levelling headlights.

however i believe it to be worse to have a light out than a hid bulb, the mercs/jags/range rovers need a taste of thier own medecine.

HIDs are great but as with any mod you'll always face bias dependent on the forum you're posting on. For example on here you'll get most people telling you that you're some sort of hardened criminal for using them as they're illegal ya da ya da....

but saying that, I have insured everything, including the HIDs right down to LED bulbs. Now in my opinion those people who change their rims for aftermarket items and don't declare it are the real law breakers in my eyes. There's loads of examples on here, but they'd never admit it and argue otherwise for obvious reasons.

If you want my opinion, and seeing as you're on a pretty decent level in terms of 'sensible'. I'd say go for it bit I'd seriously consider the projectors with HIDs instead, not for the glare reason but for the fact that projector lamps by design are created especially for xenon light. In that respect it would look like your car was meant to have posh lighting. Oh and stick around the 5k-6k mark, I went for 55w as they are slightly more powerful in terms of light output.

And thanks for the car love x

You've done a great job of restoring the car. What size are those rims? Are they Team Dynamics?

Hi guys I have a fiesta mk7 2010 and looking for driver(steering n knee), passenger airbags and front seat belts, also a dashboard. could the guy who restored his fiesta please tell me where I can buy them things from without having to go to the main dealer please?, also did you have to replace the airbag module or you kept the old one.? thanks in advance.

great restoration by the way.... :)

Very good job well done mate , great satisfaction i bet. What i don't understand is why it was written off in the 1st place , as you say it only had 1000miles from new. Is it an older model or 2015 shape

Lol forget that i just seen its dated back to March 2011 , sorry but still a good job well done fella