Kermit’s Modifications Theme
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have extreme Kas, and you have original Kas (called “PureKas”), and you have
those Kas that are in-between, and you have those that look modified. Kermit is now in the latter camp, almost
certainly because of the Morettes
and PowerFlow exhaust.
We
picked a Ka for a number of reasons, which I’ve detailed here.
Suffice to say, most of these are the rather more boring aspects of
owning and running a Ka – inexpensive to insure, service, repair, shod, and fuel. Low
depreciation. Interior space and
equipment also came into the argument, as well as the quality of the drive.
To
be fair to the Ka, it still stands head and shoulders above the
competition in terms of driver appeal and enjoyment – 
despite
the elderly Endura-E engine! The latest incarnation, the 2003 model, improves in this respect, but it’s evolution
rather than evolution. In some
respects, Ford have taken a little backwards step with the revised Ka powered
by the Duratec 8v engine.
Charlie
and I had originally decided not to improve upon Kermit’s handling, since we
were happy with the way he drives.
However, after a couple of years, we decided to change things. His new handling package constitutes smaller 5½J 13” rims with an
offset of 30, wearing 185/60 tyres (he’s currently using XR2i wheels), the Ford Racing Suspension, a Strut Brace and the Sportka front anti-roll bar. This should provide him with the combination
of a reasonable ride, respectable winter
behaviour, and more than adequate grip, traction
and braking.
But as
for his appearance. Well, with Kermit
as a PureKa Kub, we did like the looks, although we conceded that there were
one or two areas that would benefit from a little improvement here and
there. However, both Charlie and I
decided to attend various Ka Klub Meets
to check out the other Kas, and to decide from there what we wanted, what
worked and what didn’t.
We
like the Ka shape – the elegant simplicity of some features, and the very neat
light clusters, for example. We’ve
amended both the front and rear lights, though, but merely accented and picked
up where Ford left off. To a non-Ka
owner, when you look at Kermit, you will probably notice the XR2i wheels, the Morettes
and the PowerFlow exhaust but you
might miss the more subtle changes.
So what are we aiming for?
We are
wanting to retain the Ka’s inherent “cuteness” but also give him a slight edge –
give him a slight impression of being mean.
The front light brows, indicator
mesh and nose grill surround gave him a subtle
“bad boy” look about him, whilst the smoked rear
lights and rear spoiler finish off the
stern. In the end, we replaced the light brows for the Morette triple headlamp conversion,
changing his look forever...
We
even lowered the Ka using the Ford
Racing Suspension and fitted a Strut
Brace.
A
concept (Photoshopped) image of the front of the Ka is shown here, with
him lowered and with fog lamps,
but without the new grill –
compared to the original picture! The
modified picture is possibly a bit too extreme in the lowering, and the Orciari fog lamps are not happening, but you get the
idea.
As
for the engine, “once an Endura-E, always an
Endura-E” springs to mind. The donk
has a certain charm – it’s great low down torque is especially handy, and it’s
also reasonably fuel efficient, too. So
we’ve set about making some subtle improvements. Not to the headline power and torque, we’re not especially
interested in this respect, but in mid-range improvements. So, we’ve had the ECU recoded with the Superchips Bluefin device, which essentially builds on the standard
engine’s abilities. A custom induction system may
well complement the recoded ECU, too. I
discuss the differences between various engine and power deliveries here.
This
shot (taken during the Italian Job
Road Trip) shows how Kermit has turned out by April 2005 – quite different
to the concept above!