Innehållsförteckning för January 2020 från Fast Ford

INTRO WELCOME TO THE JANUARY ISSUE! - Jamie King - Editor I can't believe this is the January issue already - 2019 has just flown by! It may only be early December (late November if you're a subscriber!) but the next time you get your 4-weekly Ford fix, Santa would have been and gone, and all eyes will firmly be on 2020. So, it's the perfect time to reflect on what a cracking year 2019 has been for the Blue Oval fan, and what better way to do that than with some Fast Ford Awards. That's right, we've got our very own little gongs up for grabs, but we're not deciding the winners - you are! We had a difficult enough time trying to narrow down all of the fantastic…

WHAT'S NEW NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... MODIFIED AIRTEC FIESTA AT THE ’RING The latest Airtec Motorsport development car attracted some attention recently when owner Alan Shepherd took the brand-new Fiesta ST Performance Edition to a Nürburgring track day. But despite having just a handful of miles on the car, and collecting it from the dealer just 48 hours beforehand, the rare special edition was fitted with a series of modifications in only 24 hours. These included an Airtec intercooler, Alcon big-brake kit, Cobra exhaust system, AutoSpecialists splitter and spoiler, Revo software and a series of Airtec development pieces to test, such as a big boost pipe kit, quick-shift and induction kit. The car was then driven straight to the ’Ring for testing and…

PRODUCT FOCUS RAMAIR INTAKE KIT FOR FIESTA MK8 1.0-LITRE ECOBOOST Air filtration specialist, Ramair, has released a new heat shield intake kit for the Fiesta Mk8 1.0-litre EcoBoost. Ramair says this comprehensive setup has been developed to maximise airflow and increase the induction sound of the lively little 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. In testing, Ramair claims the kit delivered a significant 58% increase in airflow compared with the stock airbox. This comprehensive package includes an alloy temperature sensor pipe with a constant 60mm diameter throughout, a three-ply 60mm silicone hose, a CNCmachined air temperature sensor boss, a Ramair high-flow foam filter, and a laser-cut, precision folded heat shield. Supplied in an OEM-style black finish (with silicone hose available in blue, red or black), plus comprehensive instructions and fitting kit, the…

SAPPHIRE COSWORTH GONE IN TEN SECONDS… This stunning Sapphire Cosworth is unlike any other, thanks to a homebuilt 760bhp YB engine and a sequential gearbox that help it cover the quarter mile in just 10.3 seconds... Words SIMON HOLMES Photos MATT WOODS Over the years, it’s fair to say we’ve seen plenty of well modified Cosworths pass through these pages. Both heavily fettled track cars with race specifications, or full road cars hiding huge power have become fairly regular, which is no bad thing. But of all the massively modified YB powered Fords we’ve featured, we don’t think we’ve ever come across something quite like Jon Gamble’s Sierra Sapphire 4x4. For a start, it’s putting out a serious 764bhp, thanks to hefty sized, twin-scroll BorgWarner turbo producing 2.5bar of boost.…

MK2 FOCUS RS TRACK HABIT James Allen has an all-consuming addiction, measured not in tenths of an ounce but in tenths of a second… Words BEN BIRCH Photos MATT WOODS Hands up who’s done a track day, been hooked, and now counts down the days to their next outing? It’s a common story, especially in the world of fast Fords as with a bit of careful tweaking, our humble cars can push much more expensive machinery around the circuit. James Allen’s Mk2 Focus RS has gone well beyond “a bit of careful tweaking” however. What you see before you is the result of a man and his friends’ OCD obsession around every minute detail, in the pursuit of quicker lap times and a growing trophy cabinet. We’ll let James begin…

WHERE SILVERSTONE, WHEN OCTOBER 2019 TRAX 2019 Despite a dodgy weather forecast, the sun shone through for the 2019 show season finale at Silverstone… Words JAMIE Photos CHRIS FROSIN While we do love a good Ford-only show, we also have to admit there’s something refreshing about multi-marque shows and events like TRAX Silverstone, sponsored by Euro Car Parts. It presents a chance to check out other manufacturers, see what mods other owners are making, and what’s going on in all the other scenes. And scoping out the enemy and what they’re up to allows us Ford fans to keep on top of our own game, and ensure the Blue Oval is right at the forefront of the performance tuning scene. It’s good to see the same ideas being shared across…

FAST FLEET Check out what’s been going on with our projects this month… MOTORBASE FOCUS BTCC CARS With the 2019 season over, the team are taking a well-earned break, and have been out testing with some young drivers too. PAUL RS500 RACE CAR Paul's been busy at the NEC Classic Motor Show recently, but the RS500's conversion to race car is very nearly complete now. DAN FOCUS ST250 A shiny new intercooler from Direnza has arrived, and will form part of the planned Stage 2 upgrade. More details soon... 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 Jamie's been back to mountune HQ in Essex this month, but not for any performance…

PAUL SWIFT MK2 ESCORT RALLY CAR BACK IN ACTION Paul heads to the Scottish borders with the Escort for the Jim Clark Rally, but it didn’t all go to plan… Photo DAVID HATRICK QUICK SPEC • 2.5-litre Millington engine (circa 300-350bhp) • Tractive Six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shift • Full Group 4 specs • Bilstein suspension • Watts linkage • Plated rear diff • Fly-off hydraulic handbrake • Full cage • Intercom system • Tarmac arches • 15in alloys A couple of months ago I introduced myself and my Mk2 Escort rally car to the mag, shortly after making an appearance at Ford Fair at Silverstone in the summer. The car was well liked by the crowds, and the drifts and donuts we demonstrated seemed to go down well…

#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!…

FIESTA ST LUCKY NUMBER SIX A lifelong Ford fan, Simon Tudor always had a soft spot for the Mk6 ST and he now owns one of the best examples you’ll find... Words and photos DAVY LEWIS When Ford launched the Mk6 Fiesta ST back in 2004 it caused a bit of a sensation. After a succession of luke-warm hot hatches, Blue Oval fans were hungry for a proper, old-school fast Ford – and the new ST certainly had the credentials. Powered by a 2.0-litre Duratec lump, the new small Ford offered lively performance, backed up with a well-sorted chassis and good looks. Some may have bemoaned the fact that it didn’t have a turbo, but for most, it offered a lot of potential. Over the years we’ve seen a huge…

NEWS IN BRIEF BARDAHL SPONSOR MOTORBASE BTCC In a newly announced partnership, the Motorbase Performance BTCC cars will be carrying the Bardahl Lubricants logo. US-based Bardahl has produced high-quality lubricants, oils, and additives since 1939, and this is part of an extended partnership with long-standing associate Autosport Bearings and Components (ABC). Look out for their logo on the car next season! FORD FAIR DATE ANNOUNCED You’ve probably bought yourself a 2020 calendar by now, so be sure to crack out the lipstick-red Sharpie and block out Sunday 9th August: that’s the date of Ford Fair 2020, and you need to be there! COMING SOON! We’re currently working on a special Collector’s Edition 100-page bookazine dedicated to the Ford Mustang. Covering the iconic model’s 55-year history, legendary status, and recent arrival…

WHAT'S NEW DRIVEN M520 FOCUS RS Jamie gets to try out mountune’s lairy new power upgrade for the Mk3 Focus RS; the 513bhp m520 MRX version… Words JAMIE Photos ALEX HOYLE I’ve driven this very car numerous times over the last three years or so, from when it was sporting the m380 kit in October 2016, through the m400 upgrades (and a change to a matt black wrap) in 2018, and here I am again, about to jump in M666 FRS once more. Only this time I’m more excited than ever… Why? Because the guys at mountune have unleashed a bit of an animal with their latest upgrade, the new big-turbo m520 MRX… Before I even set foot in the car, I’m bombarded with enthusiastic reports from all of the…

ESCORT COSWORTH SHADOW PLAY Jamie Kent’s silver dream machine appears at first glance to be a flawless Cosworth converted to WRC body specs. But there’s a whole lot of smoke-and-mirrors going on here… Words DAN BEVIS Photos PADDY MCGRATH There are things that we see in this world, and things that we don’t see. Sometimes things are deliberately hidden, sometimes we simply don’t notice what’s sitting right in front of us. We order a Friday night takeaway and don’t give a second thought to the moped rider’s horrible journey through the rain to deliver it; we leave our newspapers on train seats without wondering who’ll pick them up; we buy cheap milk in the supermarket without thinking about how the farmers are making any money. There’s always a story. Always…

WHERE GOODWOOD MOTOR CIRCUIT WHEN AUGUST 2019 STANGFEST 2019 Goodwood was made even more glorious recently when the famous racetrack was taken over by an enthusiastic bunch of Mustang owners for StangFest 2019. Naturally our man Jason was there in his too… Words JASON DODD & JAMIE Photos JASON DODD Nestled at the foot of the Sussex Downs, ‘glorious’ Goodwood is the only classic circuit in the world to remain entirely in its original form after being lovingly restored. Home of the world famous Goodwood Revival and Members’ Meeting, the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit combines all the nostalgia of the golden era of motorsport with sleek 21st-century technology. The perfect venue to host a gathering of Ford’s finest Mustangs from the last 50 years or so then? That’s exactly what…

INSIDE M-SPORT We go behind the scenes at M-Sport’s factory and take a ride in one of the WRC cars built there for an experience to remember! Words DAN TRENT Photos FORD/STUART PRICE For anyone with an interest in fast Fords the factory floor at M-Sport’s Cumbrian headquarters is enough to have you going a little weak at the knees. Accessed through the grand entrance of Dovenby Hall, you walk through the plush hallway of a posh stately home, past wood-panelled dining rooms lined with rallying silverware and then through a door into a very different environment. Here, in a huge, immaculately clean, modern open plan workshop is where rallying dreams come true. M-Sport is best known for its close links to Ford and status as factory WRC team in…

JAMIE FOCUS RS FIRST CLASS SERVICE The RS is back at mountune, not for upgrades this time but for its third annual service… 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 • Maxton splitters • H&R anti-roll bars • TAROX brakes • Mishimoto intercooler, intake kit, and oil cooler kits • Quaife ATB I’ve been back to mountune HQ again a couple of times this month. The first was to test drive their fantastic m520 MRX demo car (see page 22), and while I was there I noticed that the workshops were full of Mk3 RSs – many of which were in for performance upgrades (including a couple for…

SERIES ONE RS TURBO ONE LOVE RS Turbos have been a lifelong passion for Adam Bowler. So, when he discovered that this one was riddled with rot and bodges, he couldn’t bring himself to scrap it; instead, he built it into something rather incredible… Words DAN BEVIS Photos AS DESIGN On the ‘next month’ page of the previous issue of Fast Ford, we stuck in a little picture of this Series 1 RS Turbo along with a caption claiming that it was ‘one of the best RS Turbos we’ve ever seen’. And while we’re no strangers to hysterical hyperbole (it’s 2019, that’s basically what social media is made of), we’re a very long way from exaggerating here. There are just so many reasons why this RST is a true-blue winner…

FASTER FORDS FORDS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN… The Ford Fiesta was, and still is, a fantastic car. The Cosworthdeveloped BDA engine was a world-beater. So, what would happen if the two were to meet? We nearly found out… Words GRAHAM ROBSON By 1978/1979, Ford’s ‘works’ motorsport team at Boreham had been campaigning Escorts for more than a decade, and that remarkable car was still a winner. Along the way it had progressed from using 160bhp Lotus engines to 250-270bhp Cosworth BDAs, but now it seemed that the end was near. Not only had the splendid BDA reached its normally-aspirated limits, but the rear-drive Escort line was soon to be killed off. Boreham, then, would need a successor, and it was in a rather frantic atmosphere that the search for a…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT JAMES STEWART MK7 FIESTA ST Well, we know what we’ll be doing when the zombie apocalypse comes… hiding behind James as he powers through the smoking ruins in his hard-as-nails Fiesta. Bigger is better with this caged, wide-body ST, resplendent as is it in a full-fat WRC rear spoiler, enough LED lamps to illuminate the world when the sun collapses, and a wideboy kit to house those broadly-spaced OZ rims. There’s a serious bite to back up the bark too, with a Pumaspeed X-47+ hybrid turbo, Airtec intercooler, Scorpion pipe and 340bhp to play with. Good job he’s got a a Quaife LSD and Tarox 6-pots to keep it all in check. QUICK SPEC Pumaspeed hybrid turbo, Quaife LSD, Tarox 6-pots, R5 rally bodykit…

WHAT'S NEW NEW STUFF The latest gear on the Blue Oval scene BLACK DIAMOND SINGLE MASS FLYWHEEL CONVERSION From £458.67 As anyone who’s ever had to replace a dual-mass flywheel will know, it can be heinously expensive. Thankfully, the aftermarket has cottoned onto this and developed single-mass flywheel (SMF) conversions which offer different levels of performance application; Black Diamond are at the forefront here, with over 700 SMF applications in Stage 1 (fast-road), Stage 2 (fast-road/competition) or Stage 3 (full race) levels. They also offer a range of service kits so that in the future, when it’s time to replace the clutch, that can be done by itself rather than replacing the whole flywheel assembly too. Prices start at £524.69 for the Mk2 Focus 1.6 TDCi, and £623.46 for the…

fastford AWARDS 2019 It’s time for the highly coveted Fast Ford awards! The short lists are done, and now it’s over to you to vote for the winners… As the end of the year approaches, now is the perfect time to reflect on the stand-out cars and moments of 2019. Welcome, to the coveted Fast Ford Awards. We’ve put together our own little awards ceremony, with no fewer than eight different categories covering all the best bits the fast Ford scene had to offer this year. The categories include: Best Old School for fast Fords built before the year 2000; Best Modern for post-2000 Blue Ovals; Best Track Car for those machines that have more than a little motorsport influence; Best Wildcard for the awesome fast Fords out there that…

JASON MUSTANG V8 NEW WHEELS Jason improves the Mustang’s looks and performance with a new set of Velgen wheels… QUICK SPEC 5.0-litre Mustang GT • Steeda axle-back exhaust • Steeda induction kit • RTR diffuser • Steeda H-pipe• MAP remap • Steeda IRS bushes • Carbon fibre deck lid • Steeda lowering springs• Steeda engine brace and K-brace • Velgen VF5 alloys• Steeda discs and Hawk pads One thing I have realised about the Mustang is that everyone I know has made the appearance of their car look completely individual. Whether it’s bonnet scoops, stripes, spoilers, or carbon fibre door mirror covers; they all have a character of their own. I’ve kept mine quiet subtle, carbon fibre decklid and an RTR rear valance diffuser make the rear of the car…

DRIVER SPEC ADAM BOWLER AGE 49 JOB Owner of Series One Recovery, Vehicle Transport Specialists FIRST FORD Mk2 Escort BEST MODIFICATION RS1600i boot spoiler – takes people a while to notice! FAVOURITE FORD SHOW OR EVENT? RS Combe TRACK DAY OR SHOW & SHINE? I enjoy both LESSONS LEARNT FROM THIS PROJECT? None, I’m still buying projects! WHAT’S NEXT A new MIG welder, it’s worn out… THANKS “Thanks to Adrian Jones for the help welding it back together and paint/ bodywork, the Welsh Ford Owners Club crew for the support – best club/bunch of petrolheads this side of the border, my dad (RIP) for giving me a spanner at an early age and giving me the car-crazy bug, my long-suffering girlfriend of 32 years for putting up with my car…

MOTORSPORT MEMORIES RE-FOCUSING – THE MK2 FOCUS WRC… The first WRC Focus made the rallying world take notice of Ford again, the second Focus WRC made them fear the Blue Oval once more… Words JAMIE ARKLE Photos FORD/M-SPORT ARCHIVES Calling the original, first generation Focus WRC a failure is akin to stepping onto the thin ice of a barely frozen pond, then start bouncing about. Ford’s first stab at a purebred World Rally Car took 16 wins and allowed both Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz to challenge for championship honours on several different occasions, while helping to bolster the fledgling careers of drivers like Markko Martin and Petter Solberg. A Citroen BX4TC or Nissan GTI-R, it was most certainly was not. But for all its promise, the Focus never achieved…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT GARY NEEDHAM MK6 FIESTA ST Gary’s spec list is one of the longest we’ve seen, and he’s certainly been working hard at amping up every element of his Mk6. The engine’s now running a solid 278bhp and 250lb.ft, thanks to a custom hybrid TD04 turbo, Apollo CAIS, 60mm throttle body, Newman cams, 440cc injectors, Airtec intercooler, custom Milltek exhaust, a custom Jamsport remap, and lots more besides. The Fiesta’s also running a Quaife LSD, DGR coilovers, Whiteline ARBs, Alfa Romeo GTV Brembo brakes, Focus ST rear brakes, as well as a heavily reworked interior and exterior and some pretty massive audio. A complete package, representing a hell of a lot of work. QUICK SPEC Custom hybrid TD04 turbo, Quaife LSD, Newman cams, Alfa Romeo Brembos…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT SHERRYL WARD MK2 FOCUS ST You can’t knock the aggression of a set of Bola B1s, can you? The way Sherryl’s ST sits on its BC Racing coilovers is supremely aggressive, and there’s a lot more going on with this car under the skin. It’s packing a serious 300bhp+ thanks to a DreamScience Stage 2 setup, full 3in exhaust system with 4in tails, AutoSpecialists plenum and Radtec intercooler. The chassis is running the full wishbone and camber arm kit from Hardrace along with complementing anti-roll bars, so it’s more than ready for a regular workout. “I’ve owned the car a few years now, and it’s my baby,” she says. With a full respray and lots more power planned, we imagine she’ll be keeping it for many years…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT SONNY MK3 FOCUS ST ESTATE With the various merits the Focus estate offers, who needs an SUV? Particularly when Ford gave it the ST treatment and turned it into a bit of a weapon. In Sonny’s case, he saw this as merely a starting point, as his Mk3.5 ST wagon is packing a few tasty upgrades to match its in-your-face graphics. The custom staggered 19in wheels are running some pretty aggressive offsets (and the rears are 9.5in wide!), there’s a carbon fibre RS rear spoiler and arch kit from SS-Tuning, and carbon details everywhere you look. Next step: 310bhp, he reckons, which should hustle the garden waste to the tip pretty rapidly. QUICK SPEC SS-Tuning arches and carbon RS spoiler, custom 19in wheels, carbon exterior and interior…