I ruined a good friend's Fiesta ST

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
05/28/2017 at 14:49 • Filed to: Fiesta ST, mazda miata, Drifting

I feel terrible.

Or at least, I should. Because he loved that car. I taught him how to drive stick on a Ranger a year ago, and he promptly sold his 2014 civic and after testing all the hot hatches ended up with the fiST. It was love at first sight.

His first “fun car”, he slowly added little personalizing touches. Those dumb Transformers license plate bolt covers? Check. Seatbelt covers? Those stayed in for a week, tops. Then it was engine mounts, which made a huge difference. Followed by full synthetic oil changes. Most recently—as in less than a month ago—he installed a new exhaust, no longer content with sounding like a Prius coasting downhill in neutral.

And then I ruined it.

Saturday morning I offered to take him to the forest service roads littering Skykomish, Washington to allow him to let loose a bit. This is where I go to get some hard driving in—and for me at least—it’s a hundred times better than any track.

Despite being a decent bit lower than my Miata, he managed to get the fast(ish) Ford over and around obstacles with little difficulty and—dare I say it—a surprising amount of grace. I was in front, partially because I knew the way, and partially because my top was down and I didn’t feel like eating literal dust.

We made it to the top of a particularly spectacular peak, and after getting out to take in the scenery, I told him that we were going to try that particular run again, but this time faster. Much faster. As is good and proper, we went up slowly and carefully the first time to assess what kind of shape the trail was in and see how many Jeeps/Subarus/lifted trucks could be potential fatalities around a tight sweeper with little visibility.

There was no one. We were the only two people on this particular section, so it was time to turn things up to 11.

I led us back down to the base of the mountain, picking up the pace, but not getting too crazy yet. I didn’t want to leave him behind. Bare as they may be, my summer tires were still doing a fantastic job of shooting rocks back a good twenty feet, and so my friend was forced to tread a careful line, staying close enough to not get lost, but far back enough to keep his windshield relatively intact.

We made it back down. I could tell my friend was pumped. He was craving a bit more speed, a bit more adrenaline. This is where I did one of the stupidest things of my life. I offered to teach him how to drift my car. A car he’s wholly unfamiliar with, on narrow dirt roads with dropoffs a hundred feet down or more. Of course, he said yes.

Thinking about the best location to do this safely, I decided we’d start with something a bit easier than drifting. Donuts! Simple enough. We drove to a moderately safe clearing about halfway up the mountain and I told him to hop in the passenger cubby—there was only a driver seat today—and watch everything I did. Listen to everything I say. Ingrain my movements into your mind. I told him that from a complete stop, we wanted to do a few things in a very particular order.

Wheel at full lock.

Clutch fully depressed.

Foot on the throttle, keeping revs at 5k.

Drop the clutch, keeping the wheel at full lock, and revs high.

Modulate the back end sweep with throttle. Give it more gas to kick the back end around further, thus tightening your curve. Less gas will straighten you out slightly, which increases the size of your circle. Minor steering adjustments can be made to guide the front end, or major adjustments to switch from counterclockwise rotation to clockwise rotation mid spin. And lastly, feathering the clutch will allow you to break traction again assuming you slow down too much and the rear tires start to bite.

It’s a lot to take in for someone who’s never experienced it, but as most of you know, it’d pretty simple. All those words up there become instinct, and pretty soon getting sideways is as easy as... Well. Not getting sideways.

After a few examples, I let him jump in the drivers seat, laying myself down in the passenger cubby. His sticking point was throttle application. At first he would let off the gas when coming off the clutch, but once you have pointed that out he picked the rest u pretty quickly.

I had him drive in circles and initiate spins with a quick clutch kick, get the backend loose with some left foot braking and again, practice donuts until we were both coated in dust. The joy I saw from those twenty minutes was as close to the a religious experience as I think I’ll ever witness.

He was hooked, completely. He looked over at the forgotten Fiesta parked on the side of the cliff, his smile darkening for a fraction of a second. Then it was back to the hooning. I had him get back in the passenger side, and I showed him some real drifting. Chaining uphill sweepers back to back. So much rotation that if we had been gunning for a finish line, the rear wheels would have crossed first.

It was a magical day. Fast forward to hours later, I’m getting Craigslist listings sent my way every minute. From a Porsche 944 to a G37 I’ve been going over the pros and cons of each platform with a man who is incurably addicted to Rwd.

I ruined my Friend’s Fiesta ST, at least for him. But you’ll get no apologies.

DISCUSSION (25)

itschrome > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 14:57

Its the natural progression. All you did is pushed him to the inevitable a little quicker.

AestheticsInMotion > itschrome
05/28/2017 at 14:58

I have another friend with a 500hp sti that breaks every time he looks as it. I think it may be time to induct him into the rwd club as well...

itschrome > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 15:03

You’re an animal! I love it! Just dont ever deal drugs, youd ruin communities with your ways..

AestheticsInMotion > itschrome
05/28/2017 at 15:09

“Hey man... I got a niiiice turbo! I know you want that boost, I’m selling cheap. Oh, what’s that? An alternator, you say?! Never, this here is a legitimate bort-wagnor super spool! I wouldn’t con you, I’ve got a heart of gold!”

E92M3 > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 15:09

For a minute I was certain he jumped back in his car to drift, discovered understeer, and went off the cliff or into an embankment...

AestheticsInMotion > E92M3
05/28/2017 at 15:10

I should not be laughing so hard right now

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 15:28

With the way you introduced that it made it seem like you crashed his car.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 15:37

AWD is fun, really fun on dirt. But I do still crave RWD. Next spring I’ll have to fight between buying my first love, an Old Civic hatch, or buying some thing RWD,with decent ground clearance, probably an SN95

Tareim - V8 powered > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 16:10

I was expecting that the FiST got wrecked, instead got #PlotTwist

AestheticsInMotion > Tareim - V8 powered
05/28/2017 at 16:22

I’m like M. Night Shyamalan with the plot twists. My front lip cracked in a few places, but that was the the worst of it!

AestheticsInMotion > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
05/28/2017 at 16:23

At this point I think he might have liked that for the insurance money...

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 16:31

Because he discovered that breaking the back end loose is maybe one of the most fun things ever, even if it’s wasteful and not fast.

AestheticsInMotion > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
05/28/2017 at 16:39

I think so!

Pffft. Shaving fractions of a second is overrated. Team Fun over lap times any day

AestheticsInMotion > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/28/2017 at 16:50

It’s strange. When I got new wider 200 tw times on the Miata, there was an insane amount of grip. And then my 08 Outback with the cheapest all seasons I could find has a ton of grip as well, but more from the awd than the tires. Ends up being surprisingly close on certain roads, but it FEELS vastly different...

Civic hatch. There’s just something perfect about that blend of fun, basic but well thought out interior, and practicality.

My bird IS the word > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 17:37

I’m kinda over the whole “hot hatchback” thing myself. Too many compromises

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 17:38

Yup, I had a 91 Hatchbakc for 2 and and half years, it was such a fun/useful car. Now that I’m a bit more grown up, I’d love to have another one and built it into the car I always wanted mine to be.

Buuut also I’ve got dirt road driving under my sink now, and it’s okay ina FWD car, even more fun with AWD, but I really want to experience it with RWD.

notsomethingstructural > AestheticsInMotion
05/28/2017 at 18:50

Good oppo

DrDDay > AestheticsInMotion
05/29/2017 at 14:34

FWD cars on dirt roads are a pretty good time too.

Time for an e-brake lesson.

AestheticsInMotion > DrDDay
05/29/2017 at 14:50

Between my weak e-brake, grippy tires and low power, handbrake is the most difficult way to get sideways at the moment. Just robs too much power...

Would love to try fed in the dirt! But preferably in an open field first so I’d know how it reacts. I’ve been primarily driving rwd and awd, with very occasional 90's civic hatch thrown in

DrDDay > AestheticsInMotion
05/29/2017 at 16:01

I’m saying use the e-brake in his FiST to get the rear to come around. The nice thing about FWD drifting is that unless the rear comes around too much, you just use the throttle to power out of it.

CaptDale - is secretly British > AestheticsInMotion
05/30/2017 at 18:52

Good man! I had a little fun on the dirt this weekend too, but to be honest this road was a little harsh and my car a little too low to go fast and have fun.

AestheticsInMotion > CaptDale - is secretly British
05/30/2017 at 23:19

Right on! Everyone needs to hoon in the dirt.

I’m right there with ya. My usual spot was a bit more intense than normal after all the rain/big trucks driving through this winter. Cracked my front lip in a few places, semi- ripped my rear lip off and lots of scrapes! Luckily a lift kit is on the way...

CaptDale - is secretly British > AestheticsInMotion
05/31/2017 at 11:27

Lift you say?! hhnnnggg

I need to get the adjustable coilovers for mine to get it a little taller, but not lifted by any means.

AestheticsInMotion > CaptDale - is secretly British
06/01/2017 at 01:02

Even the highest setting on my (yet to be installed) coilovers are lower than stock... Sigh.

Luckily I found this. Can be installed/removed in 40 minutes to swap back and forth between track/rally modes. 3 inches of lift, compatible with whatever other suspension mods I do, for 200 shipped. Can’t complain with that.

CaptDale - is secretly British > AestheticsInMotion
06/01/2017 at 11:27

Oh that sounds great! I don’t want higher than stock for any reason, but the coilovers will be much higher quality suspension than the crap the PO installed on my car. Hell he might have just cut the springs in the rear for all I can tell.