Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Fast Ford

INTRO WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER ISSUE! - Jamie King - Editor There's been a lot of rose-tinted nostalgia floating around the Fast Ford office in recent weeks – we do love a retro icon from the 80s and 90s... but equally their modern counterparts are properly impressive machines too. So where does that leave us? Do we have to choose one or the other? Or can we enjoy and admire both simultaneously? Well, I think you can do both. I know I do. So we've put together this bumper 132-page issue that both reflects on the history and pedigree of fast Fords from days gone by, while simultaneously embracing the fantastic Blue Ovals of today too. There's loads of old-school content in this issue, and not just our regular 'Old…

WHAT'S NEW NEW STUFF The latest gear on the Blue Oval scene PAINTMODZ MK2 FOCUS WASHER BOTTLE CAP From £11.95 Little things can make a big difference, and we love these new washer bottle bungs from Paintmodz for the Mk2 Focus. This nifty item replaces the blue filler cap and comes complete with badge decal; it’s available in lots of different finishes, including 3-stage pearl paint or tasteful carbon fibre effect plastic. www.paintmodz.co.uk GAZ GHA COILOVERS FOR KA £752.24 The Ford Ka is becoming a popular model for tuning, especially now that a) they’re cheap as chips and b) they have their own race series. And if you’re jumping on the hot Ka bandwagon, GAZ have you covered with these new GHA coilovers. The fully adjustable kit comprises springs, front…

KEEP OLD FORDS RUNNING KEEPING FORD ICONS ON THE ROAD… With hard-to-find parts and an increasing lack of professional knowledge about older Fords, is it getting less and less realistic to keep them in regular use on today’s roads? Not at all – not if you know who to talk to… Regularly driving an older Ford, whether it be a daily-driver or a weekend treat, is increasingly fraught with potential compromises as the years march onward. On paper, it sounds like a simple and logical idea; after all, these were once mainstream and everyday vehicles, used for commuting and shopping and holidays and so forth by countless thousands – so what’s changed? In essence, the game’s moved on. As these cars have largely dropped off the radar, so the parts…

EVENT REPORT FORD LIVE 2019 WHERE KNOCKHILL, SCOTLAND WHEN MAY 2019 FORD LIVE AT KNOCKHILL Earlier in the summer, we headed north of the border to catch all the action at Knockhill’s annual Ford bash… Words and photos ADE BRANNAN Ford Live has quite rightly earned its place as a veteran of the Ford show scene now. Over many years it has continued to grow and evolve, yet always delivers when it comes to gathering the Blue Oval locals and drawing in many from further afield too. Back at the start of the busy summer schedule, we were in attendance at Ford Live 2019, with our cameras busy snapping all the action, and with an eagle eye out for the next wave of magazine feature cars – shows like this…

JASON MUSTANG V8 TRACK ATTACK Jason joins a group of fellow Mustang owners for a track day at Silverstone… QUICK SPEC 5.0-litre Mustang GT • Magnetic Grey • Ceramic leather • Steeda axle-back exhaust • Steeda induction kit • RTR diffuser • Steeda H-pipe• MAP remap • Steeda IRS bushes • Carbon fibre deck lid After the success of Stangfest 2.0 that took place at the historic circuit of Goodwood (full feature coming soon) where forty Mustangs had the track to themselves for the day, Ben Snape mentioned to organiser, Reuben Grech, of an open pit lane event using Silverstone’s National Circuit. A brief message on the Mustangs Unleashed Facebook page saw a deluge of owners saying yes to the day, so it was no surprise to see no fewer…

FASTER FORDS FORDS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN… The Escort Cosworth is a world-famous Ford icon, but did you know Ford intended to build a RWD version using the 24v Cosworth V6 too…? Words GRAHAM ROBSON How many of you have driven an Escort RS Cosworth road car? Yes? Good. Congratulations – and I join you in being in love with the model. My own experience, incidentally, covered two years in standard machines, in which I was never let down. Not once. And even survived an attempt to have the car stolen when it was parked, overnight, in a hotel near Birmingham. I always thought the performance was stunning, the four-wheel-drive was reassuring, and the styling was great. The only drawback, in my opinion, was that I had recently changed over…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT DAN SZWEC MK7 FIESTA ST Dan’s been a busy boy. Having owned his ST180 for just six months, he’s essentially transformed it from stock-spec hot hatch to brutal road-racer. Among the recent improvements include a Revo Stage 1 tune, Remus exhaust system with Cobra sport cat, ST200 intake, Airtec crossover and turbo elbow. Elsewhere on the car we find 30mm lowering springs, MSW 25 wheels, splitters, and a rear quarter wrap. He’s not done yet either – pretty soon he’ll be levelling up to Revo Stage 2 and an Airtec Stage 3 intercooler. Nice work! QUICK SPEC Revo Stage 1, Remus exhaust, custom wrap…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT STEPHEN MACDONALD MK5 FIESTA How hardcore is this?! Stephen’s naughty Mk5 is packing a fully forged Racing Puma engine, and has competed in Time Attack – that aero you see is home-made and complemented by a bonkers BYC wing, and the rest of the spec sheet is pretty forthright too: we’re talking Quaife LSD, full rollcage, custom side-exit exhaust, GAZ Gold coilovers, ST150 brakes, Racing Puma transmission, custom dash, the works. A very serious Fiesta indeed, we love this thing. QUICK SPEC Fully forged Racing Puma engine, Racing Puma gearbox, custom aero, full rollcage, Quaife LSD…

FOCUS ST SWEET DREAMS When life threw Nathan Mercer some devastating curveballs, he knew just what he had to do: channel his energies into building the fast Ford he’d always dreamed of… Words DAN BEVIS Photos ADE BRANNAN If there’s one piece of advice we’d all do well to remember, it’s that you only live once, life is short, and you’ve got to roll the dice sometimes. Our fleeting time on this earth is all too brief for what-ifs, and when fate throws tragedy into your path, you’ve got to scoop it up with both arms and channel that negative energy into something positive. “I started looking for a project car after the family suffered a hard year,” recalls Nathan Mercer. “I lost my mum in December 2014, and really…

WHAT'S NEW NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... IS YOUR FAST FORD SHOW-WORTHY? The Performance & Tuning Car Show 2020 is searching for the UK’s top tuned car – and the winner will have the opportunity to showcase their customised vehicle at the on the ‘Revving Red Carpet’ at the four-day event. We reckon the mighty Ford needs to be represented in this line-up, so if you’ve got a cool Blue Oval and fancy being on display at the show, then put your car forward for consideration! The customisation competition will allow car enthusiasts to submit details about their top tuned car to a panel of tuning experts, who will select their coveted top 20 of 2020. It will then be up to the public…

WHAT'S NEW DRIVEN REVO STAGE 1 MK8 FIESTA ST Revo have a formidable reputation when it comes to tuning fast Fiestas, so we couldn’t wait to try their new Stage 1 upgrade for the latest Mk8 ST for ourselves… Words JAMIE Photos JASON DODD The Mk7 Fiesta ST was a fantastic car. No doubt it will forever be remembered as one of Ford’s finest, and when tuners like Revo got their hands on the Mk7 ST its tuning potential was immediately obvious. Fast forward just a few short years and we frequently see STs with well over 300bhp. This insatiable appetite for tuning (which isn’t over yet by the way, as new developments and upgrades are still finding their way to market), especially with companies like Revo behind the wheel…

MARKET TRENDS HOW MUCH IS YOUR FAST FORD REALLY WORTH? It’s no secret the values of certain fast Fords have rocketed in recent years, but how has this happened? Why? And what does the future hold for fast Ford values? We spoke to five different experts, from different backgrounds, to get a complete overview of the recent market trends and an insight to what the future could hold… Words DAN WILLIAMSON Newspaper headlines cry out to the public: a humble Ford Escort has sold for the price of a suburban semi-detached. Our nation has gone crazy for old boy-racer machines. Auction records are continually smashed. Telephone-number prices make the man in the street believe his dad’s 1.1 Popular would be worth a million dollars. Armchair experts sit back and repeat…

EVENT REPORT WINGS DAY WHERE HEDNESFORD HILLS RACEWAY, STAFFORDSHIRE WHEN AUGUST 2019 MK2 WING DAY WRC-style rear wings have become a popular upgrade for Mk2 Focus owners in recent years, and now they host they own exclusive meet purely for big-wing monsters. We popped along to see what all the fuss was about… Words & Photos JON CASS Shows that also contain some nearby track action are always worth a visit, so when ex-FF feature star, Adam Haynes, invited us to the third annual ‘Mk2 Wing Day’ at Hednesford Hills Raceway in Staffordshire, we were keen to take a closer look. And we’re glad we did as this turned out to be way more than your average get-together! Wing Day is the yearly national get together for the ‘MK2 Wings’…

MOTORBASE FOCUS BTCC END ON A HIGH It’s been a busy end to the season for the Motorbase team, but it ended on a high with a double Indy win at Brands Hatch After a valuable points haul at Knockhill, we knew the Focus RS had the pace to be competitive but we were in for yet another rollercoaster ride with ever-changing weather conditions as the championship came to a close. At Silverstone, Tom Chilton claimed a P9 finish in race 1 of the weekend and had his eyes set on a top-5 finish for race 2. Sadly, those hopes were short lived when he innocently collected a piece of dislodged advertising hoarding, forcing him into the pits to remove it with an overheating engine. That put him on the…

MOTORSPORT MEMORIES UNFULFILLED POTENTIAL Ford fans the world-over regard the RS200 as a bit of a Blue Oval legend, but just how good could it have been if only fate hadn’t conspired against it.. Words JAMIE ARKLE Photos FORD PHOTOGRAPHIC The Ford RS200 is perhaps the ultimate rallying ‘what might have been.’ It bristled with technology, sported dozens of forward-looking innovations, and of course came from a company with some of the deepest of coffers. Yet it didn’t, and, thanks to events outside its control, the RS200’s best ever WRC result would be on its debut, a 3rd… Come the early ‘80s, and it was clear that Boreham would have to take drastic action if it was to recapture the position of dominance it had held for most of the…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT DANNY BRANLEY MK2 FIESTA XR2 XR a - Danny … , almost. Acquiring the car as a typical nineties build (silver-blue respray, bad boy bonnet, the works), he’s torn it all back to first principles for a full resto, respraying the shell in its original red and building it up pristine. Of course he couldn’t resist a few tweaks along the way, so the finished product is sitting 40mm lower over 15in Momo Arrows; it’s polybushed throughout, and the CVH is running a four-branch and a K&N. Period-perfect vibe, we love it. QUICK SPEC Full resto, Momo Arrows, four-branch manifold, 40mm springs…

NEXT MONTH IN fast ford THE UK’S NUMBER ONE FORD TUNING MAGAZINE STUNNING SERIES ONE Adam Bowler’s beauty is one of the best RS Turbos we’ve ever seen! TIME ATTACKER Fearsome Focus RS is a real track weapon! 10-SECOND SAPH The Cossie that sets the standard on the quarter-mile ON SALE 29TH NOVEMBER Grab yours from the Kelsey Shop: shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/list/ publication/FTF PLUS 200BHP MK6 ST SCREAMER 24V V6 ENGINED ESCOS STANGFEST MEET TRAX REPORT AND MORE… *Planned editorial content at time of printing. Actual editorial content of the next issue may be subject to change Find your nearest stockist: www.seymour.co.uk/storefinder…

NEWS IN BRIEF FIESTAS COME OUT SWINGING IN WALES The Wales Rally GB is always a thrilling spectacle, and emotions were running high for M-Sport fans. Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin had the speed to challenge for another home-soil victory, although an early puncture cost them dearly; however, they set seven fastest stage times, and were just 48.6 seconds adrift of the win by the end. WHEELER DEALERS START TRADING FORDS A new Wheeler Dealers spin-off series, entitled Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car, will see Marc Priestly and Mike Brewer trading up and up from base models to hero cars. We’re particularly looking forward to the episode where they start with a Focus ST170 and trade up to a Mk2 Escort… Catch it on the Discovery Channel – Monday nights from…

SAPPHIRE COSWORTH PERIOD DRAMA There’s been no end of drama in the lifetime of Glenn Shute’s Saph Cossie. But today it exists as a pristine and period-perfect ’90s survivor… Words DAN BEVIS Photos DARREN MALLINSON There are a lot of sepia-tinted memories swirling around the Fast Ford office lately. Between us, we can’t even count the number of years we’ve collectively been in the scene, and of course we love how the movement’s evolved and how modders and tuners are pushing the envelope with showroom-fresh Fords – but there will always be a nostalgic part of us that’s yearning for the sort of builds we saw when we were fresh-faced and new to it all. The stuff that’s retro and old-school now, but in our minds-eye is exactly where it’s…

SIERRA COSWORTH BEING FRANK The owner of this Cosworth powered three-door is Frank Frostick and he’s a die-hard lover of the Blue Oval, which is why he saved this Sierra from the scrap yard and brought it back to life as a mighty track car... Words SIMON HOLMES Photos ADE BRANNAN Few people I’ve ever met over the years in this scene really love the Ford brand as much as Frank Frostick. It’s fair to say that he’s passionate about the Blue Oval, and to say Frank lives and breathes it would be an understatement. In proof of that, in the past he has not only saved a good few older Fords from the clutches of the scrap yard, quite literally in some cases, but he’s always been happy to…

FOCUS RS PEAK PERFORMANCE With stunning mountain roads on his doorstep, Craig Gosby wanted something fun to drive and this 530bhp, Syvecs-managed Focus RS ticks all the boxes Words and photos DAVY LEWIS I’m sat minding my business in a picturesque layby in south Wales. To my right is an epic view over the valley, with the odd errant sheep wandering onto the mountain roads. Suddenly the peace is shattered as a motocross bike flies across the road in front of me, before riding up what appears a near vertical incline. It’s quickly followed by another dozen or so mud-caked lunatics. The sheep don’t look impressed. The mountain roads around Maesteg are a petrol heads’ paradise. If you had to design somewhere to really test both car and driver –…

FORD ICONS FAST FORD LEGENDS The Blue Oval stable has produced some very special cars over the years, but some have proved to be that bit more special than others. Here we have our list of models that have gone on to become fast Ford legends… Words JAMIE & DAN BEVIS Over the years there have been plenty of truly fantastic fast Fords, that’s never been in doubt. Aside from the odd one or two, nearly all Blue Ovals to wear the RS, ST, or XR badge have been more-than-decent cars, plus a few more that came with one-off monikers like Supersport and Mexico too. But there are a handful of fast Fords that ascend well beyond just being ‘good cars’, there are some that have elevated to full-on legendary…

FIESTA V6 RWD JAG-ER BOMB! Like too many shots on a Friday night, this Jag-powered Fiesta will make your head spin Words BEN BIRCH Photos ADE BRANNAN Being in the magazine game, we’ve seen a lot of wild and unique Ford builds over the years. Engine swaps have always been popular, as has converting from FWD to RWD, or RWD to 4WD. But this is the first time we’ve seen a humble Mk2 Fiesta, lighting up the rear wheels with a Jaguar engine roaring away under the bonnet… and it’s owned by a 19-year old who built it at home! “To be honest this project got well out of hand”, laughs Josh Wheeler, “the initial plan was to throw a car together for drifting… well, that was back in 2017…

FAST FLEET Check out what’s been going on with our projects this month… MOTORBASE FOCUS BTCC CARS The 2019 BTCC comes to end at Brands Hatch, and the Motorbase crew reflect on what has been a rollercoaster season. PAUL RS500 RACE CAR Paul turns his attention to finishing off the final few bits on the inside, as the transformation to race car is nearly complete. DAN FOCUS ST250 A shiny new intercooler from Direnza has arrived, and will form part of the planned Stage 2 upgrade. More next issue... ADE SAPPHIRE COSWORTH Ade's been busy driving all over the country (and Europe) snapping cars, but the Cossie will get his attention soon. JAMIE FOCUS RS No update from Jamie this issue, but the RS has been all over the country…

PAUL SIERRA COSWORTH RS500 RACE CAR INTERIOR DESIGN With the RS500 up and running, Paul turns his attention to finishing off the cabin… Last month we reached a bit of a milestone; the new race engine was fired up for the very first time in its new home. No matter how many engines you fit, there’s always a sense of excitement (and a few nerves) when you first flick the switch to turn over a fresh install. Thankfully the meticulous preparation paid off, and immediately the YB sprang into life. Then it continued to run perfectly, never skipping a single beat while I anxiously watched and kept an eye out for any leaks as everything came up to temperature. All was as it should be, so I let out a…

#PRINTMYFORD 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 month too!…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT SEAN O’CONNELL MK2 FOCUS ST500 Sean’s Focus has an entertaining little secret. You see, while most Ford models that have a number in them refer to the bhp output (like the Fiesta ST200, or the Focus ST225), the ST500 didn’t have 500bhp – no, this was a limited run of 500 special editions, coming fully loaded with unique paint, red Recaros , Xenon lights, and a bunch of other bits. However, Sean’s been chasing that number in serious style, and his ST500 is currently packing a meaty 420bhp. This ex-press car is number 2 of 500, and its motor is now wearing RS internals, turbo, airbox, MAF/MAP, crossover, and all the other RS bits. And as if that wasn’t enough, he’s used a full Volvo V50 setup…