1988 FORD FIESTA 1.1 L - 31K- DRIVEN & REVIEWED

[@stevenclarke5606]

I had one back in 1989 , White , with the same grey seats as this one , drove 80000 miles in it, and it never let me down

[@Robert-y8l9r]

I owned one, twice. Never let me down. Brilliant little car😊

[@melgrant7404]

I had one for 14 yrs.best fiesta design.

[@Philljag]

I’ve had Subarus Audis BMWs most hot hatches and my old mk2 fiesta is still my favourite car.

[@SilverSurfer5150]

Why the heck is that? I cannot see, apart from fuel economy, why anyone would want one.

[@MonkeyHunch1]

@@SilverSurfer5150 because the rest are soulless and you cannot fix em with 2 spanners

[@davidyoung9561]

​@@MonkeyHunch1and also the rest are likely to cause you a massive credit card payment.

[@johnthomas7038]

This car has the simplicity and and functionality that governments should be encouraging people to own these days and not the oversized, heavyweight SUV tanks. Just add the 5th gear though!

[@alifloydtv]

Great vid! My folks had an Escort estate the same age as this when I was wee, so those seats and the 4-speed gear knob are both very familiar.

[@simonc858]

Fabulous little car, my driving instructor had a diesel one, I went on to own 2 x Mk1s.

[@sebastianohalloran9093]

Nice video as usual. May they continue. That must be the first mk2 I’ve seen that had opening quarter lights - I’d only ever seen them in mk1 Ghias. We inherited a mk1 Popular (vinyl non reclining seats, no radio etc) when I was 12 in ´93. I did a few jobs on it too though it was my brother that got to use it. Later bought my first car at £70 walking home from school. An R11 with electric windows and central locking. Did the head gasket on it.

[@laytondrjones]

Well spotted re: the opening quarter light windows. I think I've seen them on the continental spec Mk2 as well as the Mk1 Ghias you mentioned.

[@davidyoung9561]

Did the R11 have the 1397cc engine.

[@ivanfernyhough3851]

I learnt to drive in a brand new e reg fiesta 1.6d L in galaxy blue.good review.a few minor mistakes.that was a radio not a radio cassette in that one,prity sure they had a digital radio cassette in the L models by then,my mums red one allso on a e plate deffinatley did.there is no low fuel or temperature overheat lights,just the gauges.that one was actually unroadworthy because there was no interior mirror.they used to call them sowing machine engines because of the characteristic tapping.great little cars tho and a good review.test drive took me way back to 1988.😊

[@chrishart8548]

Didn't get much for an L in the fiesta. Even on the MK3 the L got a small centre console around the gear leaver and a clock. I think that was it.

[@McGrory69]

Had over 40 cars since 86 and my second was a 1984 950 Pop Plus and its the only number plate I've ever remembered (B906 BGB). Also had an F reg black XR2. Mk2 Fiestas had very distinct exhaust note so you would always know one without seeing it.

[@chrishart8548]

They had a hell of a droning noise. It wasn't even the engine it was the body shell somehow

[@Vic-pz5oh]

When I was starting both my mates had a MK1 and 2.i had the MK2 polo.simple times

[@tomwilliams7391]

Watching in 2024, the interior has held up fairly well, it must have seemed really modern in 1988!

[@Bod8998]

I’m of the 73 born but that era was the first car I drove all through the Berwick manor day and early worldance smashing the E,s and acid

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

I owned a MK 2 Ford Fiesta way back in the day (Very early 1990s) It never let me down ... This is the best Ford Fiesta that Ford did. EDIT.... Well, it is close between the MK 2 and the MK 3 .. The MK 3 Ford Fiesta was a good reliable car also.

[@exe889]

A673 TES, 1.1L. We all owned it at some point, mum, two brothers, sister, then sold onto someone outwith the family. Eventually died at around 160k miles. Driving instructor had the XR2, Arbroath. Those who know, know. And I used to drive up those roads from Aberdour ......

[@Mighty_Metro]

I owned a MK2 Fiesta Festival fitted with the 1.6 Diesel. Rumoured to be the only festival fitted with that engine. Rough around the edges, definitely no rocket ship and smoked like a chimney but would run on fumes, handle surprisingly well, very comfortable and endlessly reliable. Sold it to a chap in Hull in 2014 and is still going strong

[@chrishart8548]

The fiesta always felt more solid with a diesel engine. The mk3 fiesta came with the 1.8 diesel from the start.

[@ptaylor5014]

Nice video of an old classic, i remember Ford gearboxes in this era were always very smooth and precise.

[@OldCarsNewVan]

at least the steering wheel is straight - unlike that Cortina 🤣Great review

[@andrewskinner5860]

Galaxy blue same colour as ma sapphire great video cheers

[@jaggass]

I once had the pleasure of driving a MK2 1.4 Ghia. I wish i'd bought it but we couldn't agree on a price.

[@LaurenceTalbot-i4y]

Funny thing i had one and first time i went a long distance was Scotland 😂😂😂 to see my family there in yoker and Clydebank 😂 all the way from wales no problems great ride took my aunt to get her messages ie meaning shopping and it was great 😊

[@RichardLawrence-kt8ef]

My parents had a ceramic blue 1.1 Popular Plus and I remember the reg number too A106 MKP. It was going to be given to me but it got written off in a nasty accident.

[@dj_efk]

There was a time in the late 90s up until the mid 2000s when my standard solution to needing a cheap car quickly was buying a mk2 Fiesta on eBay - They cost me between £70-150 and all of them were ultra reliable despite not all being in great condition! A basic service was all they needed.

[@chrishart8548]

I bought one In 1998 for £230 with almost a full mot By mid 2000's they were probably really rough

[@nicholaswilliams4532]

Had a 1.1 as a company car very good and bought a 1.4L also good

[@diegodelavega2026]

Cool Fiesta!

[@Joe-ug1vu]

I had that engine in a Ford Escort D reg 86

[@andrewd511]

I'm pretty sure my big sister had a fiesta flamingo back in the day lol. Sounds ridiculous I may be remembering wrong but I'm pretty sure. It had some pink graphics.

[@iandaniels8386]

dad had one f reg ok car but did not like frost snow rain cold or fog or any car washing did not start well but once you got it warmed up on tempture run ok ?

[@mikecorrigan763]

Love the 1980s font on the original rear number plate. I always think the post-2001 number plate font looks clunky and ugly.

[@ttbdrummer]

That’s got a ghia dash

[@davidrumming4734]

I learned to drive in one very similar, a MK2 with the poverty spec 950cc and Popular Plus trim…. I didn’t like it at all. Very loud Steering very heavy Clutch was unforgiving-more like an on/off switch….hill starts & traffic were not fun. Other points to note, being the lower spec and a fraction older, it had the more basic interior…the headrest design was the basic flat plastic with a hole in the middle. As pointed out the dashboard was not as nice. Also, I’m sure the gear lever was longer as well. The parking brake was very heavy indeed. I think the driving school ticked some options on popular plus spec, because it did have twin side mirrors, and a rear wiper despite being the lower spec.

[@chrishart8548]

The plus in popular plus includes a rear wiper and heated screen.... I had a 950 popular. no heated screen, no rear wiper, no head restraints. No passenger side mirror. No radio ( no space for a radio either ) 2 speed fan 2 speed wipers ( no intermittent ) no rear belts. No clock no cigar lighter. Don't think it even had a boot light.

[@Jam3sA]

Absolutely useless fact - earlier mk2s temperature gauge did not say "norm" in the centre.

[@iandaniels8386]

also did not run right to warmed up engine

[@MrRetro-]

Its revving more than it should in 4th because its got the wrong size tyres, the 1.1 should have 135 80 13, not 165 65 13 like the one you are driving, and with the tappets set 100% correct the engines should not be tappety,

[@dj_efk]

The difference in circumference is so small between the two sizes that it would make no practical difference. Agree on the tappets - I used to set mine fairly tight on the correct feeler gauge then to get around wear on the rockers, I’d start the engine with the rocker cover off, turn the idle right down until it was nearly stalling and then use a piece of rubber hose stuck in my ear to listen to each tappet in turn by pointing the other end of the hose at it, adjusting the noisy ones until they were only just quiet. It was surprisingly effective!

[@chrishart8548]

​@@dj_efkyou could get the running silently if you adjusted the tappets right. 155/70 13 was another size on the 1.1 ghia

[@MonkeyHunch1]

i love these old bog standard mk2 fiestas, theMK3 was a heavy old tank then the mk4 was good again with the 1.25 zetec