Ford Scene Drive International October 1998

Sun Worshiper

Sun Worshiper

Original article text below

Fresh Air in the XR2 Convertible

Take a deep breath and put on your sunglasses! To mark the end of the fresh air season, an XR2 convertible makes its appearance! The desire for wind blowing through his hair while planning inspired Rafael Hummel, manager at the Köster dealership in Castrop, to turn a dusty '88 Fiesta body into a lively convertible.

Rafael had already had the idea ten years ago to bring the compact XR2 to the streets as an open-top version. He was inspired by the Bieber conversion kit available at the time, but he wasn't satisfied with this solution. He wanted to build a high-quality vehicle. Lack of time kept him from realizing his project back then. But now, he's made his idea a reality. "The Fiesta is more rigid after the conversion than an Escort Cabrio," says Rafael. This required extensive bodywork and meticulous planning. At his desk, Rafael immersed himself in the construction plans of the Fiesta, calculating and drawing a modified body. In doing so, he developed a complete redesign of the right and left sills, using three individual parts. Material up to two millimeters thick was used. A reinforcing connection was made between the two inner sills. The A-pillar received additional metal reinforcement and was further supported at the bottom with a truss structure. Trusses can also be found under the rear side panels. Rafael equipped the convertible’s rear tub with cross braces and connected it to the rear wheel wells. The roof has its own attachment to the inner panels of the sidewalls. Rafael borrowed the retractable roof mechanism from the Escort Cabriolet. However, the Escort is considerably wider, so the roof couldn’t be used directly. Clever modifications were also needed here. Rafael designed a modified roof frame and reworked the power windows in the front doors.

In the standard Fiesta, the window is lifted by a single arm in the frame. If this arm is removed during the convertible conversion, the glass becomes quite unstable. A scissor lift solved this problem. A saddler took care of the weatherproof black fabric roof that seals the convertible in the rain. Rafael says that the Fiesta gained 80 kilograms in weight due to the body modifications and the roof. However, it is not the weight that brings the compact speedster 30 millimeters closer to the ground, but rather the combination of shorter springs and Koni dampers.

Nestled in the wheel wells are 185/15/14 VR Yokohama tires mounted on 6x14 ET-25 RS wheels. The open-air Fiesta is powered by a 95 hp 1.6-liter engine with an uncontrolled catalytic converter, combined with an RS1600i transmission. Rafael is so convinced of his XR II Cabrio project that he has decided to produce the Fiesta in an exclusive small series. Through the Ford dealership Köster, fully finished vehicles should be available with completely overhauled technology in a like-new condition, starting at 28,600 DM. The price ultimately depends on the engine variants, ranging from 1100 cc with 50 hp to the 95 hp 1600 XR2 engine, as well as individual equipment preferences. Complete bare bodies, including the convertible frame, will be available for 12,900 DM. For detailed information, you can inquire at [Redacted contact number].

The Fiesta featured in this article is listed in our register of known vehicles, click on the image below for full details: