Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Fast Ford

CLUB PROFILE COSWORTH DRIVERS’ CLUB We catch up with Paul Thatcher to find out more about this rapidly growing Facebook group When was the Cosworth Drivers’ Club first founded, and why? It all started about three years ago. I’ve been into fast Fords for years, but I was starting to get a little tired of people with no actual experience of owning RS cars telling me what I should and shouldn’t do with my car. So, I decided to start a Facebook group for people who did actually own Cosworths (hence the name), and it’s grown from there. How many active members does the club currently have? It’s really taken off. We now have over 12,000 Facebook members. I can’t guarantee all of them actually do drive a Cosworth, but…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT DOM ORBRY MUSTANG RTR SPEC-2 If you’re thinking Dom’s car looks familiar, you’re right, it does. It was Mountune’s development car for the range of RTR performance and styling upgrades the well-known tuner offers, and it’s a car that has appeared in the mag previously when editor Jamie took it for a test drive around the leafy Essex countryside (read the review in Jan 2019 issue – shop.kelsey.co.uk/ issue/view/issue/FTF404). But in February this year Dom snapped it up. And we can see why; with a spec list literally bursting with all the goodies Mountune fitted to promote the brand, this Mustang wants for nothing. The chassis is fully sorted, which allowed Dom to really exploit that V8 grunt on the drag strip. “I had a great time…

BRITISH GT4 Academy Motorsport’s Mustang claims first British GT4 win Words MIKE RYSIECKI Photos LEIGH JONES & SRO The British GT Championship got off to a delayed start in August with a Covid-19-compressed reschedule of nine races across six events. The season started at Oulton Park and will end at Silverstone in November. Academy Motorsport’s original plans also had to be trimmed back to fielding one car, due to travel and quarantine restrictions. Running an unfamiliar car with a new driver pairing against a background of very limited track access for testing was always going to be a challenge. But it all came together at Brands Hatch on August Bank Holiday weekend. Academy young guns Matt Cowley and Jordan Albert had been able to demonstrate their qualifying experience and lap…

FAST FLEET Check out what’s been going on with our projects this month… JAMIE FOCUS RS Keen to get out and start using the RS in anger, Jamie’s been to North Weald to take part in Steeda’s Driving Day event. PAUL COWLAND MUSTANG V8 Suspension and alignment is sorted, so Paul’s now looking at ways to increase power and performance from the V8. DAN FOCUS ST250 Dan’s been to Direnza again, and the Fondeo has been the development mule for a shiny new sports exhaust system. HANNAH FOCUS COSWORTH This year was supposed to full of track days and shows for the FoCos, but Hannah’s now setting her sights on 2021. MOTORBASE FOCUS BTCC CARS Winner! The Mk4 Focus ST has already proven itself a race winner, and is right…

JAMIE FOCUS RS DRIVING DAY Jamie joins up with Mustang owners at Steeda’s Driving Day to have some fun in the RS QUICK SPEC Mountune m400R • Velgen Classic5 alloys • Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres • H&R lowering springs • 3M wrap by VWC in Leeds • Mountune axle-back and sports cat • H&R anti-roll bars • Tarox brakes • Mishimoto intercooler, intake kit, and oil cooler kits • Quaife ATB When I took the RS for its MOT at Tarnock Garage a few weeks back, I was shocked to learn just how little use the Focus has seen in 2020; just 1960 miles in a year. Yes, the lack of shows and events in 2020 is partly to blame, but what a waste! I really do need to use…

FF TECH BUYER’S GUIDE ESCORT XR3i CABRIOLET MK4 Celebrate the end of summer by bagging a cut-price XR3i Cabriolet – not just a bargain Ford for open-air thrills but the easiest way into an investable XR-badged Escort. Here’s how to go topless Words DAN WILLIAMSON IDENTITY Ringers are out there – so check the chassis number on the V5 matches the VIN plate (riveted to the slam panel) and number stamped into the driver’s-side inner sill (beneath a flap in the carpet). A Cabriolet’s VIN should read WFOLXXGKLL, followed by numbers that match the engine code (found on the cylinder block). Cabriolets also have the number handwritten in marker pen beneath the padding on the roll bar. Limited-edition convertibles command a premium, so your biggest concern will be ensuring it’s…

TECH SPEC MK2 ESCORT ENGINE 1993cc Cosworth YB turbo, Mahle low-compression pistons, eight Siemens injector setup, Motec M8 ECU and high-intensity spark discharge unit, HT-profile HT1 Kent cams, hybrid Garrett T4 turbo from TDI turbos featuring 360-degree thrust bearing and larger compressor and turbine wheels, 4 bar MAP sensor, K&N filter, dry sump system with tank in passenger footwell, bespoke Longlife exhaust system within transmission tunnel, Pro Alloy intercooler and radiator, Bailey Motorsport blow-off valve, Samco hoses, stainless header tank, turbo water rad (rear mounted) POWER 538bhp, 440lb.ft torque TRANSMISSION Getrag BMW E36 M3 Evo six-speed gearbox, custom adapter plate, AP Racing paddle clutch, custom propshaft, BMW Evo differential mounted with custom cradle, custom driveshafts SUSPENSION Bilstein coilovers, BMW IRS setup, Corsa B electronic power steering BRAKES AP Racing six-piston…

MK2 FOCUS RS THE RIGHT STUFF The Mk2 Focus RS is such a capable machine in its original form, you don’t need to turn it into a lairy big-power mentalist to extract the best from it. Daniel Thundow shows us how to transform a Mk2 from showroom superstar to B-road blaster… Words DAN BEVIS Photos JASON DODD We’ve brought you a lot of Mk2 Focus RS feature cars over the years. It’s obviously an immensely popular hot hatch among the Ford fraternity, and that’s not going to change any time soon. The RS sits on such a versatile platform, and we’ve seen everything from full-on show cars with air-ride and huge audio installs to focused and stripped-out track weapons – plus, of course, the huge-power examples, with bhp numbers approaching…

WHAT'S NEW NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... TAROX NOW AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM YOUR FORD PERFORMANCE DEALER Now you can order selected Tarox products direct from your local Ford dealer or online via shop. ford.co.uk. Available is a range of uprated discs and pads for the latest Fiesta and Focus models, as well as a special two-piece track disc for the Focus RS. These may be selected as Ford Performance optional extras on new vehicles, or retrofitted to existing cars – all with the peace of mind that comes from a Ford main dealer. Rigorous development ensures that the brakes deliver high levels of friction and optimum thermal management time after time, so they’re the perfect addition to any fast Ford. Contact your local Ford…

STANDARD DEVIATION Think this is a stock Focus RS with a Mountune boot badge? Think again. It may not look it, but this is one of the most comprehensively modified Mk3s we’ve seen so far… Words DAN BEVIS Photos INSYNC MEDIA Ostentatiousness is all very well. We’ve got a lot of time for people who paint their project cars bright purple, or engineer the exhausts to lick out 2ft flames, or fabricate one-off bodykits to morph the factory lines into something entirely new – blame the fact that we grew up modding in the Nineties and early-Noughties. But this sort of approach isn’t for everyone, and it takes all sorts to make a world. For some, particularly in recent years, the key has been to modify cars in such a…

CLUB MEET WHERE SANTA POD WHEN JULY 2020 MOCGB AT SANTA POD The summer season of 2020 may have been a topsy-turvy one for car shows, but it didn’t stop the Mustang Owners’ Club of Great Britain holding their annual event at Santa Pod Words JASON DODD & JAMIE Photos JASON DODD The summer of 2020 will always be remembered as the year that car shows forgot, but not all events had to be cancelled. The Mustang Owners’ Club of GB always arrange an annual get-together at Santa Pod, and the initial date for 2020 was pencilled in for mid June. Obviously, in the middle of a worldwide lockdown, that date was soon put on hold. As with many other events, most of us thought that was that, and started looking…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT SPENCER CHITTENDEN 1969 CONVERTIBLE This cool convertible wasn’t the only Mustang that Spencer had on show during the day. It wasn’t even the only 1969 model he had either, also displaying a fastback from the same year. But given the soaring temperatures and beating sun, we knew which one we’d rather take out for a spin. And with the roof down, Spencer could enjoy that throbbing 351ci V8 soundtrack in all its glory. Spencer admitted he didn’t take to the drag strip in the convertible. “I did run the fastback on the strip, but it was too hot today really,” he said. Instead, the best bit of the day for Spencer was enjoying the weather and watching all the other cars run up the drag strip. And,…

FORDS IN MOTORSPORT MID-SEASON UPDATE At the mid-point of the Covid-19-condensed 2020 motorsport season, it’s great to see the Blue Oval winning races and in the hunt for title honours The 2020 motorsport season has been an odd one, to say the least. After the usual winter preparations the year began like any other, with good vibes around the many Blue Ovals competing in all forms of racing, from top-flight national and world championships through to affordable clubman racing. But then it all came to a sudden halt in March, as the motorsport community joined the rest of the world in the ongoing battle against coronavirus. Thankfully, the delay was fairly short-lived and the organisers have done a fantastic job in getting things going again in a safe and…

FORDS IN MOTORSPORT MID-SEASON UPDATE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP The 2020 WRC started before lockdown, and after a six-month break the campaign has resumed with the magnificent M-Sport Fiestas flying the flag for Ford Words JAMIE Photos M-SPORT The 2020 WRC season started way back in January, before the world was put on hold by the coronavirus situation. Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm claimed fourth place at the season-opener in Monte Carlo. Recovering from a difficult start, the Finns bounced back, learning with every kilometre and gaining confidence to head into the final day of competition in a battle for fourth place with nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb. Putting the seven-time Monte winner under pressure, Lappi came out on top, securing the position as well as an additional point for the…

DAN FOCUS ST3 SOUNDING SWEET Dan takes a trip to Direnza for a free-flowing sports cat and new cat-back exhaust system for the Fondeo QUICK SPEC Focus ST-3 • Direnza MVT intercooler and hard pipes • Direnza sports cat • Direnza full exhaust system • Peron/AET Motorsport stage one remap • Steeda cold air inlet system (CAIS) • Turbosmart dump valve • Steeda short-shifter • H&R 25mm lowering springs • H&R 20mm wheel spacers • Powerflex Handling Pack • Focus RS Brembo callipers • EBC USR discs • EBC Bluestuff front/Yellowstuff rear pads • EBC braided brake lines • ST Mk4 19in alloys Stage 2 tuning of an ST250 seems to have no set path. Before running a better map, some tuners favour a decat or sports cat and upgraded…

COSSIE 4X4 MK3 ESCORT WORTH THE WAIT It may have taken nearly 12 years to complete, but Barry Stephenson’s 400bhp, YB-powered, 4x4 Mk3 Escort was well worth waiting for… Words and photos JON CASS We often come across the phrase ‘long-term project’, and Barry Stephenson’s awesome Cossie YB-powered, 4x4 Mk3 Escort ranks highly among them. It may have been 11 years in the making, but no one could argue it’s not been worth the wait. As a die-hard lifelong Ford fan and a mechanic by trade, tackling this complex project was right up Barry’s street. “I already had a concours Mk1 Focus RS and was rebuilding a Series Two RS Turbo for my wife as a surprise wedding present at the time,” Barry remembers. “This Mk3 came to me by…

FF TECH YB SURVIVAL GUIDE It’s a fantastic engine, but at 35 years old the YB needs looking after. Here’s ten things to be aware of and how to prevent them from causing lasting damage… COOLING FANS THE PROBLEM There’s a couple of areas to be aware of with Cosworth cooling fans: first, check the fans themselves haven’t seized up. If they have, order some replacements (might as well opt for an upgrade from Pro Alloy or Airtec) before you do anything else – an overheating Cossie is a Pandora’s Box of problems waiting to happen. But it might not just be the fans themselves that are at risk. The wiring for the cooling fans is based on general Sierra stuff, but with the beefy twin fans required to keep…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT PAUL REED SN95 MACH-1 Paul got his hands on this rather rare Mach-1 SN95 model about four years ago, after the previous owner had imported it from America back in 2006. “I think there’s less than ten in the UK,” said Paul. “This is build number 5373 of 9652, and one of only 892 made in Zinc Yellow.” When Paul got the car it had been personalised a little with things such as aftermarket stripes, petrol cap and gearknob. Thankfully the owner had kept the original parts, so these were easily reversible. “I like the factory look,” admitted Paul. With a factory 305bhp under that shaker hood, Paul was keen to put the Mach-1 through its paces on the strip. “I had some traction issues, so my…

MK2 FOCUS ST EVERYDAY HERO The Mk2 Focus ST is one of our favourite tuning platforms, being extremely receptive to mods – meaning massive everyday grunt. Clayton Healey shows us the perfect daily... Words DAN BEVIS Photos JASON DODD If you grew up in the 1980s and Nineties, you’ll be well-versed in how kids’ TV was keen to encourage us to get stuck in and be creative with our own hands. It wasn’t just about the sticky-back plastic and ‘here’s one I made earlier’ of Blue Peter, either; Art Attack showed us how we could make massive artistic scenescapes using a surprising array of household objects (and, more often than not, royally cock up mum’s living room rug in the process), How 2 inspired us to question…

BRITISH TOURING CARS The all new Mk4 Focus ST has already been winning races in the BTCC Words JAMIE Photos JAKOB EBREY It’s been a hectic year for the Motorbase Performance team. At the end of the 2019 season the difficult decision was made to shelve the Mk3 Focus RS from previous seasons and build an entirely new car based on the later Mk4 Focus ST. Team Manager Oly Collins said, “After a slightly disappointing 2019 season, we decided the only way to get back to competing with the likes of the new BMW and Toyota that were on the grid was to build a new car.” So, over the winter months the team worked hard, designing and building not one but three brand-new cars from scratch for the 2020…

#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.…

EBC BRAKES’ MK7 FIESTA ST SCRUBBING UP WELL With not a drop of car shampoo gracing its skin since we purchased it, we thought our Ultimate Fiesta Build was well overdue a good detailing from our good friends at Meguiar’s UK… QUICK SPEC EBC Brakes Racing Apollo Balanced Big Brake Kit (with EBC Yellowstuff pads, EBC Swept Grooved rear discs and EBC stainless brake lines) • Eibach Pro-Spacer Kit (20mm front) • Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres Since the installation of our Apollo Balanced Big Brake Kit a few months back, we’ve been putting a plan together to take our hot hatch to the next level in terms of performance, handling and looks. We’ve also been fighting over the keys to this hilariously fun little car when it comes to…

MK2 ESCORT RESPECT YOUR ELDERS The Mk3 Focus RS has a drift mode and fancy 4x4, but back in the day all you needed was a size ten, a massive turbo and some clever friends… Words and photos JIMBO WALLACE Bad ass! It’s the only way to describe it. Sitting on Des Morris’s sofa in Saarf London, watching videos of him literally destroying Golf Rs while hitting speeds that we really shouldn’t mention here, it’s soon apparent that this car is mental. “I can’t even tell the difference between high and low boost, to be honest. Either way it’s mad,” Des laughs. Whereas nowadays ABS sensors and ECU-controlled systems are required to allow enough slip angle to make sideways tomfoolery artificially possible in modern day ultra-hatches, back in the late…