Just over a week ago, Garage Awesome launched our first feature car, so how on earth do you follow-up the very cool, but very random Volvo 340?
How about this then? Matt Slinn’s Factory Fresh Mk6 Ford Fiesta! Instantly you can see that this has ‘Garage Awesome’ written all over it; clean, crisp lines, classy well finished mods, a stunning set of wheels, flawless paint and envious stance!
Matt has owned his fiesta for 3 Years, replacing a 1.2 Renault Clio which was also modified by himself.
The Upgrade from the Clio to the much tastier Fiesta ST150 was of course a big buzz for Matt, but, as the novelty of having a quicker car wore off, Matt decided it was time to break back into the world of style!
First up he sorted the rims. Now, I doubt anyone reading this who is into modifying has ever bought a set of rims and then that be that. Matt is no exception. So far the Fiesta has worn the Standard ST rims, before seeing an upgrade to a set of White with polished lip 17″ BK299s as his first choice of mod on his fresh new ride. As the Fiesta evolved, Matt took the wheel choice to the next level and bolted on a set of staggered fitment Borbet A’s, winning him lots of scene points and allowing his car to follow the well trodden ‘Euro Style’ route.
When the words ‘Euro Style’ pops into conversation, initially and immediately most people will get an image of a low Mk3 Golf or Lupo or maybe a MK4 Golf on air ride. This, however, is not the case anymore, with the style being carried forward onto BMW’s, Saxo’s, Peugeot 106’s and the Ford Fiesta all to great effect and although the Ford purists feel the ST belongs on a B Road blast rather than a glass smooth show arena, you can’t deny that the Fiesta really does suit the style Matt has crafted it into!
In addition to the Borbets and continuing along the Euro theme, Matt had his bodyshop smooth the foglights and excess venting out of the front bumper, giving the front its crisp appearance as well as some great rear view mirror presence. Subtle, but very classy indeed!
With the AP coilovers wound right down and a few shows under his belt, Matt took the plunge and went for a National magazine feature. Fast Car stepped up and did a full 5 page feature on the car. A magazine shoot is a great place to aim, but for Matt, once it was done he realised that the car had to change to stay fresh. So begun the task of turning it into what we see today!
It wasn’t all plain sailing though, he originally purchased a set of Corvette Turbine wheels to really mix it up, but after numerous attempts and hair pulling from Matt and his mates, it just wasn’t to be. Adapting the baby Ford’s hubs to take the ‘vette rims proved too much of a headache! Matt could have given up, but, drawing inspiration from a foreign Fiesta, he jumped on the phone to Rimstyle and ordered a set of the rims you see on the car today; a stunning set of MAM MT1’s.
With some Nankang rubber perfectly stretched onto the 8″ wide MAM’s and a slight tweak with the coilovers, Matt had made a real change to the car everyone had previously seen in the feature, and has attracted lots more attention at the shows this year and, in my mind, will continue to do so for the rest of the season!
Ask any show car owner and they will tell you the same; it’s the little touches that make it; a point proven by Matt as we take a look round the fiesta. The clever stickers, the self-designed and made engine covers, red Ford badges and the personal plate.
Inside is where we find the last lot of cash Matt has pumped into the gorgeous Fiesta. A trip to the ever popular Luke Massy, owner of Plush Automotive and a handful of national feature and showcars himself, allowed Matt to begin work on the inside.
To the untrained eye, just looking at the pics, you wont quite work out what’s been done. And that’s the brilliance of Luke’s work. With the door-cards totally redesigned and covered in Alcantara as well as the A pillars, which themselves have tweeters built into custom pods, and a small but high quality boot build, the interior really does complete this flawless car.
With the Sun setting on this lovely car, and all the pics wrapped up for Garage Awesome’s second feature, we turn to Matt to find out where he goes from here. It was changed after the mag, but will his appearance on the hallowed pages of Garage Awesome be a spur on to change the car again? It appears so, with the talk of hydraulics, a colour change and another trip to Luke at Plush all on the cards, 2011 could see this car back on here!
Pic Credits – Rich Cooper
GARAGE. AWESOME. 