Project Mike
From slightly battered Fiesta to something unmistakably mine.
When I bought Mike, my 2011 Squeeze Green Ford Fiesta, I wasn't planning some enormous project.
I just wanted a decent little car.
That went well. 😂
Since then there have been repairs, maintenance jobs, modifications, road trips, questionable ideas, things that worked brilliantly and a few moments where I've stood looking at the car wondering what on earth I've started.
The Fiesta Files is where all of that lives.
This isn't a professional build guide and I'm certainly not going to pretend I'm a mechanic. It's simply the real story of owning, fixing and gradually transforming an ordinary Mk7 Fiesta into something that's unmistakably mine.
Some jobs are done on the driveway.
Some need a little help.
Some ideas probably should have stayed as ideas.
And every now and then... something actually goes exactly to plan. 😂
From repairing the damage Mike arrived with to changing the grille, experimenting with styling and dealing with the mechanical surprises that come with owning an older car, it's all part of the story.
Welcome to project Mike.
🔧 The Mike Project
When Mike Wazowski arrived, my 2011 Ford Fiesta Zetec definitely had potential.
That's the polite way of putting it. 😂
The paint had scratches and dents, the rear bumper had lost large chunks of paint exposing the grey plastic underneath, one of the bumper brackets was broken, there was a slow puncture and Bluetooth apparently hadn't been invited to the party.
But underneath all of that was a perfectly good little Fiesta in a colour you don't see every day.
And I liked it.
So rather than trying to transform everything at once, the first mission was simple:
Make Mike look loved again.
The rear bumper came off, damaged areas were repaired and painted, a new bracket was fitted and I started working my way around the car sorting out the little things that bothered me.
Of course, once you fix one thing, you start noticing another.
And that's roughly where the modifying began. 😂
Chrome started disappearing. Darker details appeared. The lights got some attention. Different ideas were tried, some stayed and others quietly disappeared again.
Gradually, Mike stopped looking like a Fiesta I'd bought from somebody else and started looking like my Fiesta.
Then came the mechanical bits...
Because apparently making a car look better doesn't prevent it from breaking. 😂
Mike has had his fair share of mechanical adventures too.
There's been a starter motor, a clutch, brakes and various smaller problems along the way — some straightforward and others requiring a little creative thinking to keep Mike on the road.
And that's become just as important to the story as the modifications.
DVOC isn't about pretending an older car is perfect.
It's about showing what actually happens when you own one.
From ordinary Fiesta to Mike
There's never been a master build plan.
I'm not trying to create the most expensive Fiesta in the country and I'm certainly not interested in bolting something onto the car just because the internet says I should.
The idea is much simpler:
Take an ordinary Mk7 Fiesta Zetec and make it mine.
Every repair, modification, experiment and slightly questionable idea adds another chapter.
Mike already looks very different from the slightly battered green Fiesta that first arrived on my doorstep — and there's still plenty I want to do.
White wheels are calling.
The roof might not stay green forever.
And I've got a feeling there will be plenty more ideas along the way. 😂
Mike isn't a finished project.
He's an ongoing one.
And that's exactly what makes it fun.
🟢 Buying Mike — Where It All Began
It was August 2024, and like most questionable decisions in life, it started with Facebook Marketplace.
There I was, casually scrolling through cars I probably didn't need, when suddenly I spotted him.
A 2011 Ford Fiesta Zetec.
But this wasn't just any Fiesta.
This one was Squeeze Green.
I showed my partner.
She was... let's say... less than enthusiastic. 😂
In fact, I think “What the hell is that colour?” was probably closer to her first impression.
But I liked it.
Actually, I really liked it.
Most Fiestas you see are black, silver, white or grey — basically every colour known to man, as long as it's sensible.
This one wasn't sensible.
It was bright green.
And I think that's what drew me towards it.
It wasn't trying to be a Fiesta ST. It wasn't pretending to be something it wasn't.
It was simply a slightly odd-looking green Fiesta that seemed to be saying:
“Go on then. You know you want me.”
So naturally, I started doing what every responsible adult does before buying a second-hand car from Facebook Marketplace.
I did some research.
I checked the MOT history, looked at the mileage, had a nose around its past and generally tried to convince myself that buying the bright green Fiesta I'd never actually seen was a perfectly sensible idea.
Everything seemed reasonable.
So I made an offer.
It was accepted.
The deal was done.
There was just one tiny detail...
I'd never actually seen the car. 😂
Fortunately, the seller agreed to deliver it.
So just 24 hours later, I was standing outside waiting for the arrival of what would eventually become Mike.
And then...
Mike arrived.
I walked around him and started noticing all the little things that would need attention.
He wasn't perfect.
Far from it.
There were scratches, dents, damaged paint, a broken bumper bracket and plenty of evidence that this little Fiesta had already lived a life before arriving on my doorstep.
But there was something about him.
I loved the colour.
I loved the fact he was different.
And most importantly...
I could already see the potential.
So I made the decision.
Yep. This'll do.
And just like that, in August 2024, I became the owner of a Squeeze Green 2011 Ford Fiesta Zetec.
At the time, I thought I'd bought a car.
I had absolutely no idea that this slightly battered green Fiesta would lead to repairs, modifications, road trips, car shows, questionable ideas and countless hours staring at car parts online thinking:
“Would that fit a Mk7 Fiesta?” 😂
And eventually...
DVOC.
So really, this wasn't just the day I bought Mike.
It was the day the trouble started. 😂
🔧 Project 1 — Making Mike Presentable
When Mike first arrived, it didn't take long to discover that buying him was only going to be the beginning. 😂
Nothing looked particularly disastrous, but there were plenty of little jobs waiting for me.
The rear bumper had taken a knock and was missing a sizeable amount of paint, leaving the grey plastic underneath proudly on display. One of the mounting brackets was broken, the front grille needed attention and there were scratches and dents scattered around the car.
Poor Mike had clearly lived a little.
There was also a slow puncture.
And Bluetooth?
Absolutely not. 😂
But first things first.
🟢 Mission One: Save the bumper
The rear bumper bothered me the most, so that's where I started.
I tracked down Mike's correct Squeeze Green paint code, removed the bumper and decided I'd have a go at sorting it myself.
How difficult could it be?
Famous last words. 😂
The right-hand side had a large area of missing paint, so the main aim wasn't to create a concours-quality repair — I simply wanted to get rid of that massive patch of grey plastic and make Mike look cared for again.
I ordered a replacement mounting bracket directly from Ford, bought myself a hand rivet tool and got to work.
Was the finished paintwork perfect?
Nope.
Was I suddenly considering a career in professional bodywork?
Also nope. 😂
But compared with what I'd started with, the improvement was huge.
The bumper still doesn't sit completely flush with the bodywork, so there's likely something underneath that needs further investigation at some point.
For now, though, Mike's backside looked considerably better.
I'll take that as a win.
🛞 Next up: that slow puncture
With the bumper looking more respectable, it was time to sort the slow puncture.
I booked Mike into my local Halfords for a new tyre and, while he was there, decided to take advantage of their free brake check.
What could possibly go wrong?
I remember thinking:
“The brakes should be fine.”
About an hour later...
📞 Ring ring.
Apparently, the brakes were not fine. 😂
I was told that pretty much everything brake-related needed replacing.
The price?
Around £850.
Ouch.
At the time, I agreed to the work and paid the bill.
Looking back, I probably should have asked a few more questions before immediately saying yes. Some of the components may have had more life left in them, and it's definitely something I'd approach differently now.
But there was a positive.
Mike came away with his braking system thoroughly refreshed, and I knew exactly where I stood with it.
💷 So much for a cheap little Fiesta...
I'd barely started owning Mike and we'd already had bodywork repairs, a bumper bracket, a tyre and a rather expensive introduction to brake maintenance.
And I hadn't even started modifying him yet. 😂
Still, these were the jobs that started bringing Mike back into shape.
I was learning about the car.
I was starting to do things myself.
And perhaps most dangerously...
I was starting to enjoy it.
Little did I know, Project 1 was only the beginning.
🎵 Project 2 — Mike Gets an Infotainment Upgrade... Sort Of
Mike came from 2011.
And apparently, so did his approach to music. 😂
No Bluetooth. No CarPlay. No fancy touchscreen.
Just a CD player and a 3.5mm AUX socket.
So for a while, I did what any sensible person would do...
I dug out all my old CDs.
Before long, every useful compartment in the car seemed to contain a CD case, and changing albums while travelling started to feel like I'd accidentally gone back twenty years.
There had to be a better way.
📱 Enter the old Android tablet
I looked at proper CarPlay systems, standalone screens and Bluetooth adapters for the cigarette lighter socket.
Then I realised I already owned something that might do the job.
An old Android tablet.
Rather than spending money replacing the stereo, I decided to see what I could make with something that was otherwise sitting around doing very little.
I tethered the tablet to my phone's hotspot and started experimenting with car-friendly launcher apps.
After trying a few, I discovered CWG.
That changed everything.
Suddenly the tablet didn't feel like an old tablet stuck in a Fiesta. It had a proper car-style home screen, different themes and quick access to everything I actually wanted while driving.
🚗 Mike had entered the 21st century
Well... mostly. 😂
The tablet connects to Mike's stereo through the original 3.5mm AUX socket, giving me access to my music, playlists, navigation and a dash-cam app all from one screen.
It isn't a perfect CarPlay replacement.
Phone calls aren't properly integrated, for example, so there are still limitations compared with a modern factory system.
But for what I wanted?
It works brilliantly.
And because it's a tablet, it has another little party trick.
When we're parked up waiting for the boy at football, we can even use it to catch up on whatever TV series we're currently binge-watching.
Obviously, the TV stays firmly in the “parked” category. 😂
💡 Sometimes the cheap solution is the fun solution
I could have bought a completely new head unit.
Maybe one day I still will.
But taking an old piece of technology I already owned and finding a way to make it useful again somehow feels much more in keeping with Mike.
It cost very little.
It solved the problem.
And several years after Mike left the factory...
he finally discovered playlists. 😂
🖤 Project 3 — Operation De-Chrome
Chrome is lovely when it's clean and polished.
But I had a different problem.
I wanted people to know which Squeeze Green Fiesta was Mike. 😂
There seem to be more of them appearing around my area since I bought him, and I wanted mine to be instantly recognisable.
Particularly for my granddaughter, who needs to be able to spot Mike from approximately half a mile away. 😂
The ultimate Mike Wazowski look might still need the right set of eyes and horns, but while I waited for those to magically appear, I started experimenting with something much simpler.
Black trim, tinted lights and a little bit of yellow.
🖤 Starting at the back
The rear lights became my first proper attempt at wrapping.
I'd found some satin black tint and thought:
“How difficult can this be?”
You'll notice this is becoming a recurring phrase in The Fiesta Files. 😂
There was just one slight problem.
I didn't own a heat gun.
What I did have was a ridiculously hot day.
Close enough.
Somehow, it actually worked.
I managed to apply the tint without removing the light fittings, work the bubbles out and — most importantly — avoid completely ruining anything.
The satin finish turned out to be exactly what I wanted.
Beginner's luck? Quite possibly.
But I'll take it.
💛 Then things got yellow...
Next came the front lights.
I'd spent what felt like several years researching yellow headlights, reading about UK lighting rules and having far too many conversations with AI about what I could and couldn't legally do.
Eventually, I decided to experiment with the look.
Before touching the actual car, I used AI to create a few mock-ups so I could see how yellow would work against Squeeze Green.
And unfortunately...
I liked it. 😂
That meant I actually had to attempt it.
The shape of the Fiesta headlights made them considerably more difficult than the rear lights, but for someone who'd barely wrapped anything before, I was pretty pleased with the result.
The combination of Squeeze Green, yellow and black was starting to give Mike his own identity.
A quick sensible bit: Lighting regulations can change and modifications can affect things such as light output, colour and MOT requirements. Anything shown here is simply part of my own project — always check the current UK rules before modifying road-going lights.
😎 A little shade...
Next came a honeycomb-style sun strip.
Official reason?
A little extra shade during bright morning drives.
Actual reason?
It looked cool. 😂
And by this point, another idea had started taking over.
âš« Operation De-Chrome
Once I'd started adding black details, the original chrome suddenly seemed to be everywhere.
So I started removing it from the look of the car.
The window trim went darker, more black details appeared around the car and I eventually worked my way towards the front grille.
That's when I discovered something.
The grille was damaged.
And for once...
It wasn't me! 😂
I started searching for a replacement pre-facelift grille and quickly discovered that genuine replacements weren't particularly cheap.
Eventually, I found an aftermarket honeycomb conversion at a much more tempting price.
I ordered it.
Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
At one point I was fairly convinced there was a small Fiesta grille wandering around Essex trying to find my house. 😂
🟢 Eventually... it arrived!
And this is where the front of Mike really started changing.
Fitting the new honeycomb grille meant taking the front bumper off again, but while everything was apart I decided not to simply fit it straight from the box.
The upper grille trim was sprayed Squeeze Green to match the car, the lower grille stayed black and the spotlight surrounds were blacked out too.
The aftermarket parts didn't fit quite as perfectly as the original Ford pieces — because apparently that would have been far too easy — but after a bit of persuasion, Mike had his new face.
And I absolutely love it.
👀 Starting to look like Mike
Add everything together — the darker trim, satin rear lights, yellow details, black badge, wind deflectors and the new honeycomb grille — and the slightly battered Fiesta that originally arrived on my doorstep is becoming much easier to recognise.
None of these changes have cost thousands.
Most aren't particularly complicated.
Some haven't gone perfectly.
But that's not really the point.
Every little change makes Mike feel a little less like “a Squeeze Green Fiesta” and a little more like Mike.
There's still plenty more I want to do.
White wheels are still calling my name.
There are more exterior details I'd like to finish.
And I'm fairly certain I'll come up with another completely unnecessary idea before I've finished writing this page. 😂
But that's the fun of it.
Mike isn't supposed to look like everybody else's Fiesta.
He's supposed to look like Mike. 💚
💠So... Is This the Finished Mike?
Maybe. 😂
This is roughly where I'd love to take him next.
White alloys, a white roof, a few finishing touches around the roof, some subtle lower styling and just enough yellow detailing to tie everything together.
Will Mike eventually look exactly like this?
Probably not.
Projects have a habit of changing as you go — especially when I spot something else and immediately think “Oooh... what about that?” 😂
But that's the direction.
Mike has already come a long way from the slightly battered Squeeze Green Fiesta that arrived on my doorstep in August 2024, and I'm in no rush to declare him finished.
There are still ideas to try, things to improve and undoubtedly a few unexpected repairs waiting around the corner.
For now, this image is probably the closest thing I have to a finished vision.
But Mike isn't finished yet.
And neither is Project Mike. 💚
