Innehållsförteckning för February 2022 från Fast Ford

INTRO WELCOME ISSUE 442 - FEBRUARY 2022 Merry Christmas Ford fans! I hope Santa brings you all the lovely things you deserve. And you’re already off to a great start, with a copy of the UK’s number one Ford tuning magazine already in your hands. Whether you’re reading this as soon as it comes out on Christmas Eve, if you’ve saved it for some ‘me time’ away from the rest of the family during the holidays, or even if you’re on the nice list (certainly the publisher’s, even if not Santa’s!) and as a regular subscriber had your copy delivered before Christmas, there’s plenty of fast Ford goodness inside to keep you going through until the New Year. Kicking things off is Sam Morgan’s Puma from the cover. It’s not…

WHAT’S NEW FORD STUFF The latest gear on the Blue Oval scene BC RACING MK7/8 FIESTA ST RM COILOVERS £1049 BC Racing is offering its RM series of coilovers for the Mk7 and Mk8 Fiesta ST – product code E-29-RM-MA. The RM coilovers have many benefits, with key features including an inverted monotube design, pillow-ball upper mounts, camber-adjustable top mounts, and 30-way damper adjustment. For more details, speak to BC Racing. www.bc-racing.co.uk MOUNTUNE MK8 FIESTA ST SPORT SPRINGS £189 Much has been written about the Mk8 Fiesta ST’s force-vectoring rear springs, and now you can enjoy that same playful handling but with a more visually-appealing ride-height thanks to Mountune’s new sport spring kit. The kit delivers a noticeable drop in ride-height (−20mm front, and −20mm rear) for improved aesthetics, while…

MK3 FOCUS ST THE GENERATION GAME Robert Philpott is tackling retirement head-on, ignoring expectations and building his own vision of the perfect street-racer Words DAN BEVIS Photos JASON DODD Retirement is a time to be sensible, isn’t it? While the cliché of little old ladies plodding about the place in Honda Jazzes and Nissan Micras (and occasionally bouncing off trees or driving into rivers) endures, that’s not a totally fair assessment of the retired generation in general. Nevertheless, it’s often the case that once the pipe-and-slippers level of life has been achieved, it’s time to slow things down a bit. But that’s the fun thing about clichés: they’re amusing to rail against. Check out the vividly revamped Focus ST we have here – its owner is cheerfully retired and yet…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT STEVEN WALKER ESCORT RS TURBO Steven’s Escort is exactly the kind of ownership experience we love hearing about at Fast Ford. Bought in 1993 and put to work just like any car should be, it’s been well used but not abused. It even had a stint of towing a caravan in the Nineties. Now, after racking up 149,000 miles, the tow-bar is gone and the use is much more based around shows and doing ‘speedometer calibrations’ against his son’s cars – but it’s still living a full life. Today, most RS Turbos are generally either living the bubble-encased standard life, or are wildly modified animals. Steven’s, on the other hand, is somewhere in between; arguably in a place much more fun and usable than the typical extreme…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT NEIL INGLIS MONDEO At an event there’s always someone who’ll be drawing a lot of attention. Sometimes it can be a big-power car showing off its spec, or it can be someone who’s literally making a lot of noise. Neil’s Mondeo was definitely the latter. Easily the most outrageous Mk5 Mondeo we’ve seen, there was no ignoring this one. Neil bought the car new in 2016 and has continually evolved it to the point where it’s now an aired-out show car dedicated to his uncle Robert. Never mind the bass, there’s no avoiding the stance of such an unlikely car decked on 20in OZ rims with colour-changing LEDs. This might seem wild enough as it is, but it pales into insignificance compared to his plans for the…

#PRINTMYFORD IN THE SPOTLIGHT LAURA ANDERS MK3 FOCUS ST We were sent details of Laura’s Focus by her fiancé Dan, as he correctly thought Laura’s sorted ST would be of interest to us. It sure is. The Mk3 ST has to be one of the most underrated fast Fords of the moment, but people are slowly catching on and the Mk3 tuning scene is steadily getting bigger and bigger. Laura’s example shows just why; Revo Stage 2-plus software alongside an ITG filter, Spoox Motorsport pipework, Dreamscience sports cat and custom exhaust mean it has plenty of oomph. And, like most modern fast Fords, Laura wanted to ensure the styling of her ST stood out from the crowds too so has added window louvres, a roof and bonnet wrap with custom star…

FORDS IN MOTORSPORT DTM SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH THE STORY OF ARMIN HAHNE’S DTM SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH Armin Hahne’s Wolf Racing Sierra RS500 suffered one of the biggest accidents the DTM has ever seen at Nürburgring in 1989; here’s the full story on that car and its replacement Words and photos ROBB PRITCHARD On the outskirts of Pilsen in the Czech Republic, the city famous for its type of beer, is Jiri Jirovec’s incredible collection of rally cars. We’ve already seen the four McRae Ford Focuses and Malcolm Wilson’s 1993 Swedish Rally Escort Cosworth, and now this month we take a closer look at a fast Ford that got slightly less muddy in its motor racing career – the Wolf Racing Sierra Cosworth RS500, winner of three DTM races in 1989. Some cars…

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TOP 5 FORGOTTEN FORDS As Volume Two of Secret Fords is launched, we asked author Steve Saxty for his top five cars from the new book. THE BLUE OVALS YOU’VE (PROBABLY) NEVER HEARD OF… Former Ford product designer Steve Saxty has continued his journey through Ford’s archives to tell the story of how the cars we know and love were designed. He dug up hundreds of unseen cars in Secret Fords Volume One and now Volume Two has just been launched, which covers design from the late Nineties to the Mk1 Focus RS at the turn of the century. We asked Steve to take us through the highlights that feature on the cover of the new book and the two-book Collector’s Editions. Here they are… GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY Fast…

SAPPHIRE COSWORTH CRUISE CONTROL This subtle Sapphire has its roots in these a front cruises that dominated the modified car scene at the turn of the millennium. Billy Bell’s keeping it old-school… Words DAN BEVIS Photos DAN SHERWOOD The sound of seagulls became all the more insistent as you turned off the A-road; the smell of fish and chips wafting on the breeze as the sea came into view. Turning the corner, the unmistakable tang of tyre smoke began to weave its way through the salt-and-vinegar. And as you reached the seafront, it was all happening – the hold-backs, the donuts, the blues-and-twos and the candy floss… The glory days of cruising in the late-1990s and early-2000s were the formative arena for so many Ford fans, the everyman majesty of…

WHAT’S NEW fastford CAR OF THE YEAR 2021 WINNERS We have a winner! The poll has closed and the votes have been counted, and we are pleased to announce the winner of the Fast Ford Car of the Year 2021 is Kevin Johns with his truly unique Escort Cosworth. Bucking the tried-and-tested trends of Cossie modding, Kevin set about doing things his own way with his gorgeous carbon-clad EsCos rocking some refreshingly different wheel choices. Taking runner-up spot was Andy Murray and his Mk3 Focus RS, with Ali McMillan’s awesome Sierra RS500 Cosworth rounding out the top three – proving there is no divide between old and new for fast Ford fans, we just love a well-sorted Blue Oval and welcome them in all shapes and sizes. Huge congratulations to Kevin,…

PRODUCT FOCUS DAVANTI PROTOURA SPORT Davanti says its most advanced car tyre has been born out of decades of engineering expertise, thousands of miles of testing and the most cutting-edge tread design and compound formulation. The Protoura Sport, the company says, is built for the love of driving. Designed for the premium vehicle market, Protoura Sport’s performance places it firmly in the UHP marketplace. Built with an enriched rubber compound to offer exceptional grip at high speeds, Davanti says Protoura Sport has a number of key design features which ensure control, stability and braking performance is delivered where it is needed instantly. Protoura Sport is the most advanced tyre Davanti has ever produced, and having subjected it to intensive development at their European Development Centre and then validating those findings…

PUMA TURBO KING OF THE (URBAN) JUNGLE Sam’s Puma mauls its prey with sabre-sharp handling and turbocharged pace Words BEN BIRCH Photos JASON DODD Sam Morgan is a guy who likes to be different. Every single modification he has made to his Puma over the past 16 years has been a very personal choice with no bending to scene norms, and the end result is a genuine one-off. How many wide arched, turbocharged Pumas have you ever seen? In fact, how many people would even choose a Puma to base their project on? Sam admits, “I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but this car represents huge sentimental value to me.” Sam’s love for fast Fords came from his mother, who ferried him around as a boy in her…

EVENT REPORT FORD LIVE 2021 IN THE SPOTLIGHT GRAHAM WAIT SAPPHIRE COSWORTH A few years ago we featured Gary Wait’s race-prepared Sapphire Cosworth, and heard stories of where the obsession all started with his father. Today we got straight to the source himself, Graham Wait, to get his side of the story. Graham’s love of motorsport dates way back to when he was 15 and starting out in stock cars. Things rapidly evolved from ovals, with Capris being a big part of his motorsport life. The story of this Saph goes all the way back to the Nineties, when Graham’s then-boss Peter Anderson bought the car for Graham to race. An unusual form of sponsorship, it worked well until Peter sadly passed away. The car was then passed on to Graham…

EVENT REPORT FORD LIVE 2021 MJ RACING You’ll never be disappointed by the selection that the MJ Racing crew bring to a show – headed up by boss-man Ali McMillan’s RS500 ex-cover car, and featuring a wide selection over the years from customers and friends. Walking along we saw John Paterson’s immaculate Warrior-powered RS2000, Chris Cranston’s 500bhp Q-plate animal of an EsCos, Fast Ford snapper Ade Brannan’s retro Mk1 three-door Sierra, and the MJ Racing Camo Escort Cossie track car, to name a few.…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT PETER WHATMORE MK2 FOCUS ST Back in the Spring of 2020 when we were all plunged into our first national lockdown, we all thought nothing good could come of it. But we’re looking at something good that was born out of that very lockdown. Peter explains, “I was bored and playing Forza a lot during the first lockdown, and during that time I created this on the game. My family told me that when lockdown was over I should do that to my own car, so I did.” The graphics package was made a reality by Mark One Graphics, but it’s not all about the visuals and nothing else; under the bonnet the five-pot turbo motor has been built by Matt Lewis Motorsport with spec to chase…

#PRINTMYFORD IN THE SPOTLIGHT KATIE MCQUILLAN ESCORT XR3i As far as first cars go, a Mk4 Escort XR3i has always been a cool choice – even when they could be picked up for a just a couple of hundred quid after being the scourge of the seafront cruise for many years. But today, they are bona fide classics with a proper retro-cool appeal. So for Katie, who is just 18 years old, this is a properly cool first ride. And it’s not your average ‘3i either, it’s been fitted with a full RS Accessories body kit from new and also boasts the super-rare rear blinds. Katie says, “I am the fourth owner and this car still has all its original parts apart from a new exhaust, Borbet wheels and modern…

FAST FORD PROJECTS ADE SAPPHIRE COSWORTH GUTTED After yet another failure, it’s time for a proper rebuild on Ade’s YB There’s nothing more frustrating than a huge mechanical failure right after a rebuild. Thinking everything is good to go for tens of thousands of miles and you end up getting just 30. Yes, that’s my recent Cossie story, but let’s not dwell on the cock-ups of the past and instead look at how we can avoid that in the future. My tactic of going down the road of best-value-for-money builds has definitely become too frugal to the point of becoming a false economy. The internals of my engine have just seen too much abuse and too many rebuilds, so a proper refresh was required. No, I’m not talking about sourcing…

FF TECH WINTER WASHING Here’s the quick and easy way to keep your fast Ford clean and protected during the mucky months Words JULES TRUSS Photos MATT CLIFFORD & JAMIE We’ve heard all sorts of theories over the years about the dos and don’ts of washing your car during the winter months, so to separate fact from fiction we headed to Gtechniq for expert advice on how to keep your car clean and protected in the cold season. All you’ll need is clean water, five products, a couple of buckets, a wash mitt, drying towel and less than 60 minutes of your time… STEP 1 WHEELS, TYRES AND SNOW FOAM Snow foam is one of the most important stages of washing your fast Ford whatever the weather, but it’s extra important…

MARTINI MUSTANG VIRTUAL REALITY Liam’s turned his racing-simulation dream into 800bhp supercharged Martini-themed Mustang reality Words MIKE RYSIECKI Photos JASON DODD Racing liveries have been a strong influence on Liam’s life for a long time. As a teenager, he had a white Cobra with blue stripes pinned on his bedroom wall. Little did he know then that those American national racing colours would return to feature in his real-world car life 20 years later. With no particular family marque loyalties at work in the background, and after dabbling with a couple of Renaults, Liam’s car-life turned increasingly to performance-oriented Fords. But even then, Liam liked to take his own path and not follow the crowds, starting with a purple Probe, followed by a V6 Cougar. Also increasing over time were…

WHAT’S NEW NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords… £100K SIERRA COSWORTH Prices for sought-after fast Fords have been steadily rising for the last 10 years or so, and it doesn’t look they’re getting any more affordable any time soon. The Silverstone Auctions sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show is always a good benchmark to get a feel for the market, and at this year’s event several tidy fast Fords went under the hammer. The headline-grabber was a mint 10,000-mile Sierra RS Cosworth, that sold for a whopping £103,500. With buyer’s premium added, that’s just over £119,000! But before we all get carried away and start assuming that all three-doors are now worth over £100k – and by association every other Ford model must be…

NEW MUSTANGS While the media attention seems to focus on electric vehicles at the moment, the fact that Ford announced a pair of special-edition petrol-powered Mustangs slipped under the radar of the mainstream press. The two new cars include a thoroughbred V8 racer in the 2022 Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition – which now features the iconic over-the-top white stripes made famous by historic Shelby models – and a comfortable EcoBoost convertible cruiser in the shape of the all-new Coastal Limited Edition. The Coastal package adds tarnished dark-painted 19in alloys with a machined-face, unique vinyl side stripes that trace down vehicle and come over the hood, signature Mustang rear fender side scoop, black grille, pedestal rear spoiler, Coastal lighted sill plate and instrument panel badge. Shame neither will be available in…

EVENT REPORT SEMA SHOW 2021 SEMA SHOW 2021 After a virtual version in 2020, the live SEMA show returned to Las Vegas in 2021. We’ve been picking out the best Blue Oval bits from this year’s event Words MIKE RYSIECKI Photos SEMA AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHERE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, USA WHEN NOVEMBER 2021 More than 100,000 attendees, exhibitors and media welcomed the return of the live SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show for 2021. If you’ve never been, it’s almost impossible to get your head around how massive the whole show is. With the newly opened West Hall, the convention centre that hosts SEMA boasts a whopping 4.6 million sq.ft of exhibition space, with an additional 2.2 million sq.ft outdoors too. That’s the equivalent to over 640 full-sized…

EVENT REPORT FORD LIVE 2021 FORD LIVE 2021 We catch up with the action from Scotland’s biggest Blue Oval bash, Ford Live at Knockhill Words and photos ADE BRANNAN WHERE KNOCKHILL, SCOTLAND WHEN SEPTEMBER 2021 The biggest Ford show north of the border made a welcome return after forced hiatus during 2020. At first it seemed like there was a little downturn in numbers (like many post-Covid events), but it quickly stuttered back to life, and by late morning the whole venue looked packed and surging ahead on full throttle – just like any of the previous years’ shows we’ve attended. On entering the main paddock, an eclectic mix of beautiful fast Fords immediately caught the eye. The concours perfectionists were spending all morning preparing for judging, without a sooted…

TOM BLACKWOOD’S COLLECTION For many years, Tom Blackwood has not failed to disappoint with his huge selection of motorsport cars on show and track. This year, his historic and current fast Fords filled the top of Paddock 2. Some of the highlights were a bright yellow Fiesta R5 rally car, which was tearing up the track all day. This baby WRC car runs a 300bhp 2.0-litre turbo and is regularly used in competition. Also on track was a genuine V8 concept Focus from SEMA. This 4.6 Mustang-powered little hatch always draws a crowd. Tom’s selection also included an array of superb old-school metal, with the likes of a Mk2 Escort running a fuel-injected BDG, a stunning British Airways-liveried YB Mk2, and an original Circuit of Ireland Mk1 Twin Cam.…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT SIMON NUNNS ESCORT MK3 ESTATE Of course we appreciate a well-kept or restored standard car, but a full-on project of customisation with no area left untouched really does grab our attention. Simon’s Mk3 Escort estate is certainly that. Originally a Quartz Gold 1.3GL, the little Mk3 has been transformed in a tasteful ‘back in the day’ theme of modifying as a tribute to his brother Daniel. The style is clearly S1 RS Turbo-based, with the kit and larger versions of the seven-spoke wheels, but the finished look in Nardo Grey and black trim gives a completely different purposeful style. A perfect little addition is the original Ford dealer-option tailgate spoiler, which was sourced through the invaluable German parts store Motomobil, and finishes off the back end a…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT BRAD TRIPPITT MK6 FIESTA ST Brad has owned his beloved Mk6 ST since 2014, which was originally put to work as daily driver but has slowly evolved into more of a track-focussed spec too, while still being used every day. Despite the regular use, both on and off the track, the finish is flawless – “it’s not the cleanest ST out there, but it’s respectfully clean,” admits Brad. Far more than a car, this ST has become a big part of Brad’s life having helped him through some rough patches in life. Having something to focus positive energy on is always a winner, and Bradley’s been chucking loads of positive vibes at his ST as you can see from the formidable spec list: 199bhp, Newman cams, 60mm…

DAN ST170 BARGAIN BUY Dan can’t resist a cheap fast Ford, which is why he has a barn full of them. To celebrate the ST170’s 20th birthday, Dan plans to get this unloved three-door ready for some cheap thrills on road and track Happy birthday, ST170. To celebrate 20 years since the launch of the first fast Focus, we’ve added our own example to the Fast Ford fleet. A very early version – manufactured in February 2002 – this three-door ST170 was specced for the model launch, with Magnum Grey paintwork, rear spoiler, ESP and Comfort Pack, which includes heated windscreen, xenon headlamps with washers, and climate control instead of the usual air conditioning. But although it’s new-ish to these pages, it’s been in my garage for a few years.…

FAST FORD PROJECTS JAMIE FOCUS RS GETTING’ DIRTY The RS has been out and about in all weathers attending film- and photoshoots, and now it’s time for a bath and bed for winter The Focus has had a busy few weeks lately, which is unusual for this time of year. Like many fast Fords, my RS is usually wrapped up for the winter by now; typically, TRAX is the last outing of the year, and after a quick clean and cover-up, it’s generally locked away until spring. But this year I’ve found myself using it more and more. It’s been an odd cycle; I haven’t covered it up because it’s been too dirty and haven’t got round to washing it, but then because it’s not been covered up I’ve found myself…

FF TECH ALL ABOUT FUEL SYSTEMS We take a closer look at one of the key areas of any internal combustion engine: the fuel delivery system Words STEVE NEOPHYTOU & JAMIE Photos FAST FORD ARCHIVE The basics of a fuel system are simple enough to understand, but when it comes to upgrading that system (which is something you will need to do if you start increasing the engine’s power levels), things can start to get surprisingly complex. Various fuel delivery systems are available, but the type we’re interested in for this feature is the most common system – electronic fuel injection. The principle is very simple: you have a fuel tank where the fuel is stored, a pump that takes fuel from the tank to supply the engine, and the injectors,…

FF TECH IN-TANK OR INLINE FUEL PUMPS We’re sure you might have guessed, but an in-tank pump is submerged in the fuel tank, and an inline fuel pump is placed within the fuel feed line shortly after the fuel tank outlet. Most newer cars have in-tank pumps, and while these are effective, cars with uprated in-tank pumps tend to be more susceptible to fuel surge when cornering hard than inline pumps. To solve this problem, it’s usually wise to also install a fuel swirl pot feeding an external, inline pump. A fuel cell with inbuilt baffles to prevent fuel surge should help prevent the surge problem, but on standard fuel tanks at least, the baffles fitted may simply not be enough for hard track use.…

FF TECH PORT AND DIRECT INJECTION Before high-performance high-pressure DI pumps were readily available, tuners used to supplement the DI injectors with another set of traditional port-injectors. In effect, this is like having two fuel systems running simultaneously: one direct-injection, and one port-injection. It adds to the cost and complexity but is a great way of supplying the extra fuel needed if no aftermarket upgrades exist. Modern high-performance upgrades offer a neater installation, but the option of adding another bank of traditional injectors (usually in the inlet manifold) is always a handy alternative.…