Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i Fast Ford

WHAT'S NEW DRIVEN F150 RAPTOR Can Ford’s super-sized, road-legal Baja racer make any sense here in the UK? Words DAN TRENT Photos FORD/DEAN WRIGHT Hitting a five-foot high mound of earth at 50mph seems a spectacularly stupid idea, even in something as over-endowed in the tyre and suspension department as an F-150 Raptor. But I’ve been building up to this, determined to bag the jump shot both I and Ford’s photographer know is there for the taking. At 30mph the Raptor’s Baja-spec Fox dampers dismiss the supposed take-off like it’s a speed bump. Nearer to 40mph the suspension is just about fully extending its stroke, smoothly compressing through its nine-stage bypass valves into rally-car style hydraulic bump stops like it was nothing. Brave pill time. I gun the new turbocharged…

ESCORT COSWORTH MANUAL LABOUR Fredrik Johansson was originally planning to keep this original, low-mileage RS Cosworth pretty stock. But then he got hold of the WRC manual and, well, he had to put some work in… Words DAN BEVIS / Photos PATRIK KARLSSON If there’s one behaviour that truly characterises mankind as a species, it’s our propensity to get carried away with things. It doesn’t really make a lot of sense when you look at the issue objectively, but we’re simply unable to leave things along. Remember that scene from the old episode of Father Ted when he goes to tap a dent out of his Rover with a hammer, tap-tap-tap, and he ends up completely destroying the car? That’s human beings in a nutshell. We just can’t help ourselves.…

FIESTA ST AMERICAN DREAM This award-winning, race-ready, wide-tracked 350bhp Mk7 Fiesta ST stunned punters at SEMA… Words DAN FURR / Photos VIKTOR BENYI You might not have ventured beyond Britain’s borders in order to attend a car show, but we’re sure the annual Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) bash in Las Vegas has registered on your radar. Recognised as one of the globe’s largest gatherings of car manufacturers and tuners, the show’s far-reaching reputation for being automotive nirvana is all the more impressive when you consider the fact that SEMA’s doors aren’t open to the public. Now in its fifty-fifth year, the event provides hacks like us an opportunity to see what new models car makers are about to release into main dealer showrooms, as well as the chance to…

CLUB MEET FORD ENTHUSIASTS CHARITY EVENTS – ACE CAFE MEET WHERE ACE CAFE, LONDON WHEN JANUARY 2018 We brave freezing temperatures to join a bunch of dedicated Ford fans at their fourth Ace Café charity meet Words & photos DAVY LEWIS The Ace Cafe has a long and illustrious history stretching back to the 1930s. From its original use as a transport cafe serving the busy North Circular road, to its subsequent growth into an iconic venue favoured by bikers and later car enthusiasts, it’s one of the UK’s best-known destinations for petrol heads. It’s also a place that’s become home to the Ford Enthusiasts Charity Events, a friendly and welcoming Facebook group that held its first meet here three years ago. Set up by Ford fanatics Matt Hopes and…

#PRINT MY FORD See your very own fast Ford in full printed glory! 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, Twitter, 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…

19/20 May THE DOORSLAMMERS RETURNS !– with a £75,000 PRIZE FUND! Not all Fast Ford readers will be familiar with the original ‘Doorslammers’ event from the 1980’s at Santa Pod Raceway. The event was extremely popular with die-hard door-bodied racers who loved to go drag racing – hence the name the ‘Doorslammers’ – with a 'winner-takes-all' prize fund of £1000. The doorslammers attracted both die-hard drag racers along with the illegal street racers – it was all about who had the fastest car! The original Doorslammers event became outdated as the gas-guzzling V8’s were seen less and less on the streets, and Santa Pod dropped the event at the turn of the century. The new wave of youth was into the Japanese modified scene and through films and brands like…

S1 RS TURBO RETRO PERFECTED Colin Stone has owned this Series One for 18 years and it’s now one of the finest examples you’ll find anywhere… Words & Photos DAVY LEWIS I’ll let you into a secret: back in 2000, I almost bought a Series One RS Turbo. I’d got the cash ready and had negotiated a deal, when after a sudden rush of blood to my head – I changed my mind. Fast-forward 15-odd years and the value of Series Ones rocketed. In 2015 an immaculate, low-mileage example fetched over £60k at auction, which is staggering. These things have become more than cars, they’re investments. But when you’ve owned one of these iconic Fords for 18 years and spent blood, sweat and tears creating the very best modified example…

FAST FLEET Check out what’s been going on with our projects this month… DAN FOCUS ST Full boost pressure has been restored thanks to a new Turbosmart recirc valve, so now Dan's got his eyes on a full Stage 2 upgrade from Peron and even more power. But first, new wheels? WENNY MK3 ESCORT Reassembly has started on the Cossie-powered 4x4 Mk3 Escort, and Wenny hopes to have it back on the track at some point this year. ADE SIERRA DRIFTER The plan was supposed to be to build a V8 drifter, but running repairs to the Cossie means the three-door is patiently waiting in Ade's new lock-up. JAMIE FOCUS RS Jamie's planning more power upgrades this year, and he starts paving the way this month by fitting a Mishimoto…

MOTORBASE FOCUS BTCC TESTING, TESTING… The Motorbase crew head to Spain for some pre-season testing… Photos JACOB EBREY While the UK ground to a halt because of all the snow recently, we headed out to Spain for some pre-season testing on the Focus RS BTCC cars. But don’t think we escaped the terrible weather – it snowed during one of our test days too. Yes, in Spain! Thankfully, however, it was only a short burst, we didn’t lose too much running time (in fact, we stayed out longer because flights back to the UK were delayed as a result of all the snow!), and we racked up some really decent testing time on track. Over 2,500Km in total! We needed to test the cars, since the RS conversion was more…

FF TECH ALL ABOUT THROTTLE BODIES They look enticing, they sound awesome, and they make our Fords even faster. But just how do throttle bodies actually work? Let’s find out… WHAT IS A THROTTLE BODY? Before we start delving into the complicated issues involved with throttle bodies – such as sizing, spacing, and positioning – we first need to know what one is and how it works. Most standard production cars come equipped with one single throttle body to control the amount of air entering the engine. Inside is a butterfly valve which opens and closes in correlation with the throttle position, and therefore allows more or less air to enter the engine. A single throttle body is adequate for most road cars because it offers very gentle throttle response…

WHAT'S NEW NEW STUFF Latest gear on the Blue Oval scene BURTON POWER FOCUS RS MAHLE PISTONS £730.28 Stronger forged pistons are an essential part of any tuned or race engine and now Burton are pleased to announce that they can supply Mahle Motorsport forged pistons for the Mk3 Focus RS’s 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine at just £730.28 per set. Delivery is free within the mainland UK. Order as part number FD147, or for further details contact Burton Power. 0208 554 2281 www.burtonpower.com MOUNTUNE MK8 FIESTA 1.0 HARD PIPE UPGRADE £99.00 Mountune's high-flow turbo outlet hard pipe for the Mk8 Fiesta 1.0-litre improves the pressure drop across the charge system, improving engine efficiency and giving scope for additional performance to be liberated. For full details or to place your order head…

SAPPHIRE COSWORTH TIME MACHINE This Sapphire RS Cosworth has been Paul Thatcher’s faithful sidekick for 24 years, and he’s still finding new ways to enjoy it… Words DAN BEVIS / Photos MATT RICHARDSON Time is a sneaky thing. It has a tendency to creep up on you. Because it’s such an all-pervading entity, it can be hard to quantify time in any real sense. People sometimes say about their jobs ‘The hours are good, but the actual minutes are pretty lousy’; there’s an elasticity to time – when you’re waiting for something to end, it drags on and on, but when you’re enjoying yourself it just flies by. What really bamboozles our fragile human brains is the idea of time in quantities. You know how you’re always seeing Facebook posts…

MK3 FOCUS ST KART-THROB A big-power Mk3 Focus ST with raunchy hips and aggression in spades, this rather beautiful creation owes its inception to the scrabbling chaos of kart racing… Words DAN BEVIS / Photos MATT RICHARDSON Karting is the kind of thing that gets under your skin. The no-frills simplicity of driver-versus-grip, the poise, the agility, the trust in the tyres because there’s no aero to rely on, it’s the kind of sport that keeps your knuckles white and your eyes wide. Senna, Hamilton, Schumacher, Vettel, Button – take your pick of World Champions, they all started in karting. Of course, fate has her whims and you never know which way the future is going to take you. In the case of Adam Skinner, a history of childhood karting…

AFFORDABLE FUN Can you buy a fun fast Ford for less than a grand? Yes, you can! We check out the best way to get you Blue Oval kicks on a budget… What does £1000 get you these days? It may sound like a lot of money, but when you think about it, a grand will actually get you very little. New kitchen? No chance! Holiday? Maybe for one, but if you want to take the wife and kids it’ll cost a lot more! £1000 won’t even get you the latest spec iPhone! OK, it’ll just about buy you the entry level 64GB version, but the range-topping 256GB iPhone X will set you back £1149! So, what about cars then? With the huge interest surrounding fast Fords these days, and…

FF TECH BUYER’S GUIDE ESCORT RS2000 MK5/6 It may be a forgotten fast Ford, but the RS2000 is the best-value Rallye Sport currently available. Here s how to get your hands on one... Words DAN WILLIAMSON / Photos MATT RICHARDSON “...the RS2000 is a terrific all-rounder and a sound investment...” The 1990s’ Escort RS2000 is currently the best-value Rallye Sport money can buy. It’s cheap, an impending classic and, despite what you might think, it’s actually pretty damn good. The Mk5 Escort RS2000 was launched in September 1991 with a fanfare announcing ‘The champ is back’, but it failed to win as many hearts as its RWD predecessor or the contemporary RS Cosworth. Like the original RS2000, Ford fitted the Mk5 with a normally-aspirated two-litre powerplant from a mainstream model…