Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Fast Ford

NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... The world loves a Mustang. Since 2014 the S550 has become the world’s best-selling sports car, and in its 58-years of continuous production Ford has sold more than 10 million of the things. And now there’s a new one; the seventh generation is here, due to go on sale next year for deliveries to arrive in 2024, and arguably it’s the best Mustang yet. It comes at a time when most other car manufacturers are turning their backs on internal combustion engines to focus solely on electric vehicles. Not Ford. And although it was mooted that the next Mustang would be hybrid-powered, and possibly all-wheel drive, we’re pleased to learn that Ford has stuck to the original Mustang recipe:…

It’s sad to think that some cars are destined for a simple life of transporting a weekly shop, or being driven at walking pace while a new driver learns for the first time. The truth is that any car has the potential for more, and when it came to this 2001 Fiesta 1.3 Flight, Andy Franks saved it from a life of boredom by stepping in to give it a new reason to live. Now spending its days mainly on race circuits, Andy has been developing it from a standard road car to a capable track weapon, complete with cutting-edge EcoBoost power from a Fiesta ST180. The story starts back in 2016 with Andy buying the car from an old lady who used it for shopping. With just 55,000 miles…

JASON FIESTA ST MK8 Jason’s busy getting together a shopping list of the various upgrades he wants to add. Oh, and the ST is already booked in for its first track day! JAMIE FOCUS RS MK3 The RS hasn’t done much lately; Jamie’s been taking the Mondeo to events. So the RS is being enjoyed locally at weekends. DAN FOCUS ST250 The Focus tailpipes have been repaired and the ST is in daily service again. But Dan’s been buying other Blue Ovals... again. p50 DALE RANGER KING CAB Dale starts thinking about ideas for an interior retrim, while Phil at The Install Company strips the cab ready for media blasting. p46 FAST FORD REP TO RACE CAR MONDEO In preparation of imminent engine tuning, the Rep To Race Car build…

In the last update I showed you my visit to Car Audio Security to pick up the Airlift Performance kit, which the Ranger will need to pull off that show-stopping stance we’re after. Well, that’s all still with Phil at the Install Company, who’s busy stripping the truck down to a bare chassis and getting everything ready for media-blasting. Hopefully, I’ll have an update on that next time for you. You may also remember my flying visit to see the guys at Cobra seats. We’ll be fitting a pair of classic buckets as part of the build, but I’ve always said they won’t be any old offthe-shelf seats, as ours would be treated to a custom retrim. Well, things gathered pace in that department a bit unexpectedly recently. While browsing…

NAME ROSS LAIRD CAR MK7 FIESTA ST RACE SERIES FWD DRAG RACING HISTORY OF THE CAR “The car was purchased as a bare shell around the time when I first started Laird Performance. As we didn’t have a massive budget at the time and we were growing the business, the car was built over several years. Plans kept chopping and changing as time progressed, and with our road car posting some amazing times on the quarter mile, we knew we had to build something special. “From the outset we knew that we wanted to try for the world’s fastest ST180 title, which up until recently was held by American drag racer Chris Goode. But it’s now held by the car seen before you. “Beating the record was no easy task,…

T he recent increase in fuel prices has left most people feeling that driving a car is expensive. While you can shop around every time you fill up, use your car less and drive more sedately, there are other ways to save even more money. We are talking about the hidden costs of running a car, such as servicing and using the right oils, flushes, cleaners and additives. In the long term, it should help reduce the risk of problems that could in turn cost even more money. But is it worth spending so much on good-quality oils and extra on cleaners and additives that may or may not be proven to work? We asked the experts at LIQUI MOLY for the answers. It’s important to use the correct grade…

The definition of evolution is the natural change of characteristics. And although that’s usually associated with living creatures, it often extends to cars too. Jack Strathdee owns this outrageous trackfocused Mk1 RS, and it’s hard to believe it started out as an immaculate, low-mileage example in standard form when he first bought it. But plenty has changed. He says, “It’s been a good ten years in the making. And it’s never finished, as I’m always trying to squeeze reliable power out of it.” Since Jack has been evolving the build for so long, it will be no surprise to learn that this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him in Fast Ford – we last featured this car in November 2014. Back then, the RS was pushing out well over…

QUICK SPEC ■ Mondeo 2.5T ■ Titanium X ■ 19in Rotiform BUC-M alloys ■ Toyo R888R tyres ■ Scorpion Red Power turbo-back exhaust including sports cat ■ custom wrap by 3M ■ PB coilovers ■ Airtec intercooler ■ EBC front callipers with two-piece discs and Bluestuff pads ■ Ramair filter and crossover The Rep to Race Car project Mondeo is starting to look the part, which means we now need to turn our attention to tuning its formidable five-cylinder engine. The 2.5-litre turbo is very similar to that found in the Mk2 Focus ST – and, further tweaked, in the RS too – and is the main reason we chose the Mk4 Mondeo as a base for this project. But rather than a hotheaded tearaway like the Focus ST (famously…

ROUND 22 Building on the success at previous rounds at Knockhill and Snetterton – where Ash Sutton claimed the team’s first victories of the season – the Motorbase crew were quietly confident as the BTCC headed back to Thruxton for the second time this year. Having gone well here earlier in the season and having made significant improvements to the Focus ST’s race pace since then, there were reasons to be optimistic on this second visit. It wasn’t long before that optimism was realised and started the ball rolling on what would become the team’s best weekend of the season so far. When Dan Cammish put his NAPA Racing UK Focus ST on pole position for the weekend opener, the whole paddock knew the Ford boys meant business – apoint…

The Brands Hatch GP circuit combines the technical challenges of the Indy circuit with a ballsy blast through the woodland, which makes for one of the most exhilarating laps you’ll ever do. The GP loop is fast, narrow, and unforgiving and makes this a real driver’s circuit. Noise restrictions (the track backs onto houses around Sheene’s) restrict the use of this circuit to a handful of days a year, which makes it a rare treat for drivers. 1 -PADDOCK HILL BEND The lap starts in the best possible way, with Paddock Hill Bend. It’s one of the best corners in the world and incredibly rewarding when you get it right. You should be positioned on the left-hand side of the circuit before you brake here; there’s a crest just after…

T he modern Ford Mustang, the S550, has been with us for seven years, and it’s proving to be a bit of a tuning sensation with more and more quality upgrades appearing on the aftermarket. Various attempts have been made to Europeanise the ’Stang over the years, but the S550 is the first model to really do it properly – it follows the traditional Mustang format of being a big, brawny coupé with a rumbling V8, but the S550 also comes in right-hand drive for the UK market, so there’s no need to compromise. Plus, like all good Mustangs, it’s supported by an army of tuning specialists – and not just in America, but now in the UK too. The 2.3-litre EcoBoost model offers the Mustang experience at a lower…

Sometimes it’s best to concentrate on the simple things that make owning a fast Ford enjoyable. It can be easy to forget, but it’s not always about building something with loads of horsepower, a huge roll cage or a WRC bodykit. The reason we like Fords is because they’re simple to modify, great to drive, and the brand attracts like-minded people – which is why there’s such a huge community of friendly enthusiasts. If there was ever proof needed, Matt Rawlinson and Dave Guy are it. The friends met through a mutual love of fast Fords, and have remained good friends ever since. Matt says, “We met about four years ago at a local car and coffee meet. He seemed like the kind of guy who would only talk about…

The Mk4 Escort estate is one of those little-lamented footnotes of Ford history that ultimately went the same way as early base-spec Mondeos and Mk3 Fiestas: cars that were once ubiquitous, that you’d see on every street corner, but their everyday presence meant few people thought they were special or worth saving, and thus they all evaporated into the scrapyard in the sky. But the Mk4 estate was a splendid entity; taking all the charm of the hatchback and infusing proper practicality (the rear bench folds basically flat, so you can sleep in there after parties out in the countryside), they were always cars with stories to tell. Danny Lateu is a man who keenly appreciates this, as his long-roof vision in blue demonstrates. And what’s particularly interesting about this…

Ever wanted to see your car appear in all its glory in the printed pages of a Ford tuning magazine? Well, if so, all you need to do is ask! Simply email us, or post a picture of your car on our Facebook or Instagram pages and add the hashtag ‘#printmyford’, and each month we’ll choose our favourites and print them in this aptly named feature. Alternatively, drop us an email with a couple of pics, a full spec list of any mods and upgrades, and a few details about your time with the car to fastford.ed@kelsey.co.uk with the subject heading ‘print my ford’ and we’ll pick our favourites for a slightly more detailed review each month too. In order for us to print your Ford please ensure all images…

TVR Tuscan and British GT title winner Michael Caine is always on the lookout for a good deal. The motor trader – “I’m just a second-hand car dealer from Newmarket,” he quips – is a man with a nose for a bargain. But even he couldn’t have dreamt that, when he set his heart on buying a Ford Sierra RS500, he would unearth a piece of motorsport history. It was a pipe dream he’d held since he was a teenager, and when he was in a position to make it happen, he got way more than he bargained for. The 52-year-old always had a hankering for the Blue Oval’s sporting products, and it started when his working life began. Michael explains: “My first job was as a trainee car salesman…

WHY YOU WANT ONE… ■ Few Fords can match the cool factor of a Mk2 XR2. Even a three-door Cossie or Mk1 Mexico gets no more admiring gazes than the hot 1980s’ Fiesta. ■ Funky retro styling, seat-of-your-pants steering and roller-skate handling make for massive fun factor. ■ For sheer investment potential, very little else – even in the Ford world – can match an XR2 Mk2, as XR values begin to catch up with those of Rallye Sport models. WHY YOU DON’T… ■ XR2s might feel fast, but that’s only due to the feedback from unassisted steering and rattle-tastic plastic cabin. You need to hammer the stodgy gears and rev that asthmatic CVH to keep up with a modern oil-burning crossover. ■ Although a Mk2 Fiesta is a perfectly…

FORD EX CONCEPT I nthis series we’ve shown you some pretty wacky motors from Ford’s archives, but this Ford EX concept has to be the most outlandish and extreme yet. Designed and built to be shown at the 2001 Detroit Motor Show, the EX was Ford’s attempt at an in-your-face, no compromise, out-and-out off-roader. Powered by a 4.0-litre supercharged V6 and weighing next to nothing thanks to its chrome-moly steel spaceframe with removable composite body panels, it was not exactly shy in the performance department. In fact, the motor produced an impressive 375bhp and more-than-ample 410ft.lb, which would have made things interesting. The whole car was built to be as rugged, tough and as good off-road as possible. It even had a rear-mounted radiator and transfer box to give a…