Ford Fiesta GTL/Production Class Wheel/Tire Sizes

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swiftin

New member
I am considering moving my 80 Fiesta up from ITC to HP, FP or GTL. The car is only used for time trials and hillclimbs. I currently run Toyo R888 185/60 x 13 tires on 6 x 13 wheels with a +32 offset. This combination works fine with the stock body. I do have a set of fender flares that I would install if I modify the car for another class. The choices for an autocross tire are limited, basically 185/60 x 13, 205/60 x 13 or 215/50 x 13. I believe the 205/60 tire is way too large in circumference for a lowered car. Does anyone know the best wheel and tire combination for a GT or Production-class Fiesta? 6 x 13 or 7 x 13 wheel? It seems like a 7 x 13 wheel with a 0 offset would fit within the flares but is that wheel too wide? Thanks
Kurt
 
Definitely go HP with it, where it's max wheel size allowed is 13x7". Pretty much any of the available 13" race tires can be put onto a 6" wheel, but they're a bit pinched onto that narrow width, so geometry of putting them onto a 7" wide wheel is certainly better. On all of my ITC/ITB/HP Honda's I've had, they've only been allowed a 13x6" wheel, and I've never had any issue with it, but yes a 7" width would definitely be more desirable.

As for offset, if you're comfortably fitting a +32 offset right now, then it's really up to you if you want to go the "body flares + bigger offset" route. As the radial slicks become more prominent in Prod, the wider fenders aren't seeming to be as necessary, since the tires don't need as much room under the fender to work as the old bias-ply tires do/did. On a lower horsepower can like an HP car, I actually wonder if it would be more beneficial to keep the narrower stock fenders on the car, and keep that frontal area and drag numbers lower than what you'll get with the wide fenders. If you do decide to go with the fender flares, then yes, something like a +0 or +10 offset would probably work, depending on just how flared they are. For your classification in HP, your mas wheel track is 56.0 front & 55.5 rear (measured middle of tire to middle of tire), so you just have to stay under that.
 
You might drop this guy a request.

He raced a Fiesta; still has the car but hasn't raced for a few years. When he bought the car it is was a Prod car and then he moved up to GT. He may be able to give you some advise.

Mention Jim B. from Chicago as the car he has used to be mine when I raced it in ITC.

[email protected]
 
As Jim mentioned...his old ITC was converted to prod...
Back in 1998 by a kid at the time...me. I sold the car to Bill and then he decided to run it in GT4. As Kevin says... If I was you I certainly would run it in HP as it is difficult to be competitive against the miatas and acuras etc. I ran in FP at the runoffs in 1999 and actually the car was moved to GP by the comp board the following year as the Datsun 510 and Rabbit were already moved there. In 1999 in FP the car was 1790 lbs..in GP it was 2090....where the added weight made us break off the rear axle hub ...2 out of 3 nationals in 2000. There are lots of cool things you can actually do and Bill retained a fair amount of what we did to the chassis, but he made it even better. The rear spindle can be modified and a bracket made to use front calipers and rotors on the rear. As it was difficult to fit coilovers in the rear, we instead added 5" spring bucket at the top of where the stock spring sits..then welded the wedge bolt nut..ran aluminum wedge bolt and birdcage..and welded a spring seat atop the rear axle to hold the 5" spring. Can scale the rear of car in a matter of seconds with a half inch drive. We used the BAT rally flares to cover the tires, but we still used 13x6 revolutions w/ 8" goodyear slicks, and then we blended in the rear flares with fiberglass matting. We utilized a formula ford oil pump and dry sump set up, titan roller rockers, and alternator cog. The oil pan on formula ford is different length..so we cut and re welded the stock one, this was done along with the engine and sidedraft webers by MWE marcovicci wenz engineering on Long Island.
You should definitely get the BAT billet front hubs if you already don't have them, with the added grip of the slicks...you will snap the stock ones..and it is always something you have to keep an eye on. The 4.06 final drive and Quaiffe are also must have for the Fiesta. If you can find the close ratio 3rd and 4th gearset that also helps. You can run pretty high spring rates in the rear along with an adjustable rear sway...do not run a bar on the front.

Anyway, its been a long time since i ran that Fiesta...and I still miss it...great little cars. If you need any help..feel free to shoot me a PM...as i still remember some if the little issues and how we resolved some of them.
 
That pic was actually Lime Rock...this is Mid O runoffs circa 1999...we were running 10th most of race...thats back when Huffaker..Chima...and Flescher dominated...we were the fastest tintop...and non spridget.
 

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