In this guide I will show you how to fit the optional RS Arch Spats that were
available as a special order accessory from ford on the early mk3 fiestas.
The arches were available to fit both the 3 and 5 door variants of the car.
Yet no pictures were shown in the brochure so i decided to buy and fit them.
£17 delivered from ford parts uk. for that price i was expecting something along the lines as the si spats.
but no!. these are about 2 inch long and serve no purpose, but as they are Retro, i still fitted them.
These were to compliment the upper and lower RS spoilers and the RS front and rear bibs.
Tools Needed:
Drill and Drill bits 5and 2.5mm
Screwdrivers
Parts Needed:
RS Arch spats
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Pointless
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RS Kit
But Still Retro
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Here is how they come in a packet, with a rs instuction page in german and 4 screws.
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held up to the front of the arch to see how they would fit.
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on the rear of the spat you will notice a dimple inside of a flat cut away,
you will need to drill the dimple with a 5mm drill bit,
do this on all 4 dimples
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Next you will notice that there will be moulding marks along the edges,
these need to be sanded flat to give a smooth feel.
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Before you paint the arches you need to attatch them to the car.
simply hold up to the arch, they will only fit in one place!
using the 2.5mm drill bit, drill through the metel through the 5mm hole in the spat.
A little tip here is to do the front one first, fully tighten it then do the rear one as it has less chance to move.
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Remove the spat and paint the newly drilled holes in the wing to slow down the rusting process.
now you need to paint the spats.
Rub them back with some fine wed and dry paper and clean them ready for painting.
i found it was easyer to get a bit of wood and trap the spat between 2 screws on it, so they wouldn't move.
Spay them witha flexable plastic primer then base coat then clearcoat and allow to dry fully for a few days.
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When fully dry, remove them from the wood and apply to the car, simply by putting the screws back into the holes in the spat then to the arch.
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As you can see they are pretty pointless but i wanted them fro the full retro kit.
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Hope it helps , Feel free to discuss it in the forums
Guide Written and © On 1st Mar 2008 by Andrew Whiteman (AW3K)
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