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Car: Ford | Fiesta | CX (Mk3) | XR2i | Hatchback
Engine: BUB | 3189 | V6 | (15º V6) | N/A | Petrol

VAG R32 3.2 V6 4X4 (Quattro) Fiesta project

2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

2009 will see a departure from the generation 1 Haldex and 2.0T, and see VAG 3.2 VR6(R32) Power and a Haldex Gen2 drivetrain.

The plan is to use the floor pan from a Golf Mk5 R32 and mate this carefully and safely in to the Fiesta shell, making adjustments and reinforcements where necessary. I will be using as much of the Golf equipment as possible without compromising weight, bespoke lightweight equivalents will be used in place of OEM, where savings can be made.

© Mark Stewart, Thursday 1st January 2009

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

26/10/2009 | O/S A Pillar Reinforcement

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

Having finished the N/S floor join and A Pillar reinforcement I'm now repeating this work on the O/S. The image right shows what the standard A Pillar base looked like before I started work and far right what it looks like now I've finished. The 25mm swaged hole is both for strength and also for the door wiring loom to pass through.

I'm hopeful that I can complete the O/S in much less time (when I get some free time, that is!) as I can simply reverse all the card templates I made for the N/S.

23/10/2009 | N/S Sill and Lower Bulkhead Cross Member reinforcement

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

I've taken Friday and Monday off to get some more fabrication completed. I profiled a 40x15x1.5mm box section to fit along the edge of Fiesta sill, which will join the Golf floor pan to the Fiesta sills on its horizontal sides, and the Golf bulkhead lower cross member to the start of the Fiesta rear chassis rail at each end. This piece alone should add considerable torsional rigidity to the chassis.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

I'm particularly pleased with this addition as it showed I got the measurements perfect for adding the Golf floor pan; the Golf seat runners sit 40mm dead from the edge of the Fiesta sill on both sides. I also bent an infill piece to join the Golf floor pan cross member to the Fiesta sills.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009Fiesta Quattro - 2009

Completing the O/S is a gusset I bent to link the Golf bulkhead lower cross member to the Fiesta A Pillar reinforcement, which I added on 13/09/2009. This should help to distribute load/forces at the front end to the strongest area of the chassis, and contribute to stiffness around the scuttle area.

13/09/2009 | N/S Wheel arch infill panel

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

I have used Mk5 Fiesta wheel arch infill panels to bridge the gap between the Mk3 A Pillar and the Golf wheel arch. The curvature of the Golf wheel arch is reasonably close to that of the Fiesta in the area I need to fill, so these panels work well.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

The following photo shows the infill panel from inside the car, and also the 1.5mm plate I made to reinforce the bottom of the Fiesta A pillar (bottom left of photo), which was a thin (1mm) pressing and featured two very large apertures, which did nothing for strength.

12/09/2009 | N/S A Pillar to Golf cross member

The front end and floor pan is in! I actually got this lined up a month or so ago, but didn't update due to moving house. I've now got around to welding the Golf chassis in at the base of the A pillars.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

It took me a day of measuring to get the Golf chassis exactly where I wanted. It was a careful balance between floor level, Golf turret height in the Fiesta engine bay, and alignment of the front cross memeber and Fiesta A pillar base. I'm sure it could have been done in less time, however I wanted everything to be perfect.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

The Golf floor pan sits 13mm above the bottom of the sill lip, exactly where the Fiesta pan did.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009

Detail at base of A pillar. This is absolutely crucial for rigidity and safety. There are a further 3 seams behind this fillet, and each has been painstakingly joined to a reinforcement panel I added to the Fiesta sill/A pillar base. (Ignore the 'blobby' welding on the rusty metal - that is a temporary support post which will be removed).

Some final shots to show the overall position in the Fiesta engine bay. The Fiesta outer wings have to be notched to sit around the Golf turrets and the bottom of the Fiesta bonnet also required a little modification to sit flush.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

18/08/2009 | 1K0 R32 vs 8P0 S3 hubs

I have discovered that the 8P0 S3 uses forged Aluminium front hubs and lower arms. I am going to locate a set of these and perform some weight analysis, but I suspect a potential 3Kg static weight saving per side from the arms alone.

This is great news and these will complement the 2008> R32 rear hubs I have, which are also Forged Aluminium. All in, I hope for a static weight saving of at least 5Kg per front corner on standard brakes, which is considerable.

R32

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

S3

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

01/06/2009 | R32 Shell sectioned

The shell is finally prepared after hours of measuring and careful but unpleasant cutting! I've cut the floor pan in two as the Fiesta wheelbase is 150mm shorter than the Golf. The reduction will come just after the handbrake. I will use www.reco-prop.com for prop shaft shortening, as they always seem to get good write-ups.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

I have also prepared the Fiesta shell ready to accept the Golf floorpan sections. The Fiesta floor, bulkhead and inner eing sections have been removed ready. This job in itself took most of the afternoon to do neatly.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

I took chance to briefly lay out and inspect out the wiring loom which I received with the engine, and noticed it doesn't have a CD changer fitted, and the door wiring has one less set of speaker wires than the loom that was in the damaged R32 I bought. I will need to investigate loom differences more thoroughly at some point, as I wish to retain the 10 speaker system and fit an iPod interface in place of the CD changer.

Fiesta Quattro - 2009 Fiesta Quattro - 2009

25-05-2009 | R32 Engine package acquired

2008 with only 1500 miles; everything is like new. I picked up the engine © Mark Stewart

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