From loud and vibrant to stylish and subtle, read on for a detailed look into some of the mods recently completed on our Mk7.5 Fiesta ST180 Demo Car.
For a number of years our Mk7.5 Fiesta ST180 demo car (please follow @L333MND on Instagram) had a ‘Tangerine Scream’ accent theme including wheels, mirror caps and fog surrounds. Following a mishap that led to a wheel being chipped whilst in storage over the winter, a plan was hatched to change the aesthetic of the vehicle ahead of the Summer 2024 show season.
The tangerine scream would be swapped out for Ford Magnetic Grey which would provide a much subtler and cleaner look and would also closely mimic a theme that is still on Lee’s former Mk6 Mountune MR200 Fiesta (and at least one other doppelganger that both had Ford Magnum Grey accents).
The first parts to be changed (and arguably the biggest difference) were the Compomotive alloy wheels. The centre caps were also refreshed and some custom ‘ST’ logo gels have also since been added.
With the factory fog surrounds and lower grille already painted black, the initial revamp of the front end of the car included a Proform Lower Bumper Chin Extension, Proform Fog Light Trims, a TRC splitter and some Ford ‘mist’ washer jets painted in magnetic grey.
The factory radiator grille was also painted the same colour having had the filled in hexagons cut out ahead of a potential intercooler upgrade down the line. Paintmodz 4D Number Plates now feature as standard and custom Instagram Show Plates are applied when the car goes to meets and shows.
Our much requested painted Proform Headlight Eyebrows have also been installed and are now available to purchase! The final touches included a laser cut ST badge for the front grille and a custom painted Ford badge with vinyl logo under the lacquer – the latter being a very subtle addition but one that (in our opinion) looks much better than the more commonly used gel badge.
The side of the vehicle features a custom set of our Front Quarter Window Inserts. These parts are made from thinner material than similar products on the market and are shaped to fit the ‘step’ between the wing and door culminating in a better and more secure fitment.
TRC side skirt extensions that had been on our previous ST180 demo car were also added (painted Magnetic Grey). Minor repairs that had been carried out on the fibreglass sadly didn't last and so custom CNC machined end ABS plastic plates were then added to protect the end of the parts from further damage.
The standard door handles/lock bezel were also painted magnetic grey to continue the theme. The Panther Black door lock barrel blanking plate was re-applied. These small parts are one of the simplest and cost effective aesthetic modifications that we offer.
Finally, the wing mirrors saw some big changes with the caps themselves changing from Tangerine Scream to Magnetic Grey and the housings themselves being painted gloss black. This is one of Lee's favourite modifications as these parts previously suffered with discolouring from weather and polishing etc which was always a bugbear! Smoked sequential indicator units (from CEUK) were also added to tie in with the theme.
The gloss black (painted) Short Aerial Mast with Genuine Ford Aerial Base was swapped out for a custom painted one in Magnetic Grey in keeping with the theme.
Initially the rear of the car was just going to have a change of colour on the tailgate badges, however the annoyance of a small crack in one of the factory lights led to the purchase of some new LED units from a company on eBay. These parts seem popular across the Fiesta scene and the tinted effect really suit the black vehicle.
Around the same time (whilst Lee and Chris were reminiscing about their days of ST150 ownership) a conversation arose regarding painted diffuser fins. These were popular amongst ST150 owners back in the day and so a set was ordered from TRC. A decision was taken to paint the lower diffuser on the ST180 in Magnetic Grey, continuing the ‘line’ around the bottom of the car and the fins were painted in gloss black.
Once again this is quite a subtle modification, but it really sets off the appearance of the tailgate once you spot it. The upper part of the diffuser along with the hexagonal 'mesh' also had a refresh in gloss black.
Further additions to the tailgate included a custom coloured ST tailgate badge and retro Fiesta acrylic badge (the latter coming soon to Paintmodz.co.uk). The factory fitted rear wiper was also changed from black to Magnetic Grey as was the Upper Middle Brake Light Cover.
Finally, ahead of Ford Fair 2024, the car underwent a full detailing process involving a deep clean, machine polish and Angel Wax ceramic coating. The car is now 10 years old and is in daily use but still comes up well if you put in the hard work!
