Innehållsförteckning för October 2024 från Fast Ford

DRAG ESCORT When it comes to drag racing, few places in the world can hold a candle to the speed Mecca that is Santa Pod. Nestled in the otherwise sleepy village of Podington, Northamptonshire, the iconic quarter-mile strip is known the world over as one of the fastest stretches of tarmac on the planet. Drag racing fans travel from all over the globe to witness the extraordinary feats of petrol– and nitro–fuelled fun as daredevils strap themselves into and onto some of the most extreme vehicles on the planet and hurtle towards the horizon at often world record-breaking speeds. It takes a special kind of petrolhead to push the boundaries of the standing quarter-mile, one that's not only willing to risk their lives for an adrenaline hit that lasts less…

FordFest 2024 SHOW GUIDE In recent years, it seems most Ford fans have seen the Focus ST170 as little other than a perfect engine donor for their old RWD project. After all, they're cheap enough to get hold of and that 170bhp (in standard form) 2.0 motor holds bags of tuning potential. The downside to all this has resulted in the seemingly unloved pre-RS flagship model of the Mk1 Focus becoming quite a rare sight on our roads. Luckily, there are still people around such as Dave Taylor who are prepared to breathe new life into a now seldom-seen ST170, rather than just utilise its more desirable components. Dave's connection with working on cars stems right back to his early years, watching his dad and uncle carrying out repairs the old-fashioned…

COME AND FIND THIS CAR ON THE FAST FORD STAND “It was my dad who first got me into cars, Fords in particular,” beams 25-year-old Jake Patrick, when we meet in the hazy summer sunshine to photograph his gorgeous green Fiesta ST. “He had a Fiesta when he was younger, too. It was a SuperSport and he would always show me pictures and tell me stories about the things he did with it.” Numerous trips with his old man to Ford shows over the years further cemented the impressionable young petrolhead's love of the Blue Oval brand, and he longed for the day he could get one of his own to follow in his father's footsteps. “Dad's always had a thing for the classics and some of that has definitely…

FAST FLEET GRANT BUTLER FORD COLLECTION Can you believe that it's been a full year of me gracing the pages of this fine magazine? Amazed and always excited to share my shenanigans with everyone. It's been a busy month for me, the excitement for Ford Fair made July drag on but I had plenty to do in that time. My recently built and featured Focus RS on air-ride had its BBS wheels taken off and has been fitted with standard wheels and its standard registration plate… and sold! Although it was an amazing car I just didn't gel with it as much as I do with Blaze and Shadow – so it went the journey. Not just the Focus though, I sold on the Orion too! I simply hadn't driven it…

The Ford engine back catalogue is filled with countless awesome motors capable of producing some serious power with not a whole lot of effort. The Cosworth engines are, without a doubt, the most highly regarded, in particular the legendary YB (which might as well stand for ‘Yeah Boost!’), and Ford's own recent turbo offerings are capable of delivering some serious power themselves. So, if you're hunting for horsepower for your Ford, you don't have to go far from home. Tell that to Farooq Siddique, then… Y'see, when Farooq wanted a serious powerplant for his Mk1 Focus project, he set his sights on the other side of the world, and now, nestling beneath the bonnet of this build, you will find none other than a Toyota 2JZ. Legendary though it may…

MFE DISHES OUT THE SILVERWARE Midlands Ford Enthusiasts is a family-friendly club based in Nottinghamshire, holding monthly meets as well as attending multiple shows throughout the season. We invite any and all Fords – new, modified, classic, standard, concours, anything with a Blue Oval, we want to see it! When you attend our meets or shows you will always find a family atmosphere, everyone is always up for a chat and to give advice. We regularly give out awards for ‘Car of the meet’ and ‘Show ‘n’ Shine’; our venue is The Little John Pub, Ravenshead, which offers great food, lovely atmosphere and ample space for at least 100 cars. We have a very varied group of cars ranging from brand-new off the showroom floor, to highly modified motors and…

EVENT REPORT FORD FAIR 2024 WHERE SILVERSTONE WHEN 11TH AUGUST You may well have spotted that this issue of the mag has a keen Ford Fest theme, but before we get into that we have to talk about Ford Fair. Yes, the two shows have pretty similar names (trust us, it's led to some quite confusing meetings), but they each have a very different focus. If you were there at Ford Fair at Silverstone in early August, you'll have felt the extraordinary passion swelling from a frankly unbelievable quantity of Fords of all shapes and sizes and ages and approaches. And yes, you'll more than likely have got a bit sunburnt. Worth it though, right? Because the day was frickin’ awesome; it's the first year in recent memory that we…

FordFest 2024 SHOW GUIDE STREET ELITE Witness the elite do battle in the ultimate Show & Shine contest. Sponsored by CarGods, the Street Elite competition will see stunning fast Fords of all shapes and sizes battle it out to be crowned winner. Expert judges from CarGods, Fast Ford magazine, and Classic Ford magazine will closely scrutinise each and every car on display and choose their top-3 winners. Each will receive a prize donated by CarGods. Make sure you head over to the Street Elite area, here is where you will find the very best presented Blue Ovals anywhere in the UK! CLUB CAR DISPLAYS We're talking hundreds of club cars, as far as the eye can see. If you're part of a Ford club, this is your moment to shine… and…

ON DISPLAY CAR Mk2 Focus RS OWNER Mike Purcell QUICK SPEC Multiple concours winner Situated right in the heart of the show, this diverse stand is sure to impress with its wide variety of feature cars. Some of them have appeared in the magazine in the past, some will feature in the future, and a number of them are in this very issue! The display covers all corners of the fast Ford scene; old and new, with everything from track monsters and big-power builds to show-stopping concours cars and nimble B-road blasters. The Fast Ford stand is always a real highlight of the show, buzzing with activity, and it's your chance to meet the team behind the mag. You'll also find a great selection of magazines, t-shirts, collectible bookazines and…

We all love a sleeper, especially one that's a little different. At first glance, Glyn Bowen's 1992 Sierra Sapphire in discreet gloss black provides only a few subtle clues that it may be hiding something interesting underneath, but few would suspect this car runs a small-block 5.0 Chevrolet V8 with an array of cleverly matched mods. While so many within the Ford scene seem hooked on the idea of a Zetec or Duratec transplant and maybe even the addition of a turbo in their ‘80s Ford, Glyn prefers to keep things old-school by sticking with the trusty motto that there ain't no replacement for displacement! Glyn's connection with the Blue Oval stems way back to 1985, before the booted Sapphire version of the Sierra had even been launched. Back then,…

With back-to-back fixtures at Spa, the Academy team stayed on in Belgium for the week following their British GT ‘away date’ to prepare for the third round of their European GT4 Series campaign. Fifty-seven of Europe's finest sports car teams and drivers gathered for two sprint races, one held on Friday evening and another on Saturday. Erik Evans and Marco Signoretti came away with European GT4 points from top ten finishes in both races. Two weeks later, the team were back home preparing for the two-race Snetterton round of the British GT4 Championship. The most visible change at the Norfolk circuit was a complete refresh of livery from the previous ‘shades of grey camo’ to the fresh and vibrant red, white and blue corporate colours of team sponsor Liqui Moly.…

FOCUS SALOON You find this Focus saloon in a state of flux. The ultimate plan is to build it into an all-out track car with a hardcore turbo blacktop – but for now, just for kicks, Jack Novis has decided to have a bit of fun with it and turn it into a sedan the like of which has never been seen on the UK show scene. And it's fair to say that what started out as a lightly tweaked daily has evolved rapidly into a thoroughly serious project. The whole thing is fuelled by an admirable ‘Why not?’ ethos, and some of the very best custom cars across the generations have been created simply to do what other people aren't doing, to try out something genuinely new, to shake…

Martin Goddard is the main man at Isle of Wight-based MJG Grits, who have gained a glowing reputation as a sandblasting and powder-coating specialist. The 37-year-old's eye for detail and exacting standards were honed by his aerospace background, an important transferrable skillset for this sphere. Martin's automotive journey started at the tender age of 17 with an insurance-friendly Mk3 Fiesta 1.1 Popular Plus, which retained its diminutive powerplant but was developed into a convincing XR2i replica with Martin breaking no fewer than eleven donor cars, which were then cheap and plentiful. As the premiums became slightly less punitive, a real XR2i appeared on the Goddard drive. By this stage, the then-19-year-old was honing his skills at a job at his local Nationwide Autocentre. The right-of-passage hot hatch developed into a…

FordFest 2024 SHOW GUIDE “It's Jano's fault!” laughs James Gilchrist, referring to his OddKidd Creations-inspired lust for a Bantam, Ford's pintsize South Africa-only pickup. “I had a Transit truck, but saw one of Jano's and really wanted a Bantam. It took twenty-odd years but we got there eventually!” James and Jano have been good friends for over two decades so it's no huge surprise that the man behind OddKidd Creations’ influence should rub off, or that he would be tasked with building it into the perfectly turned out, road-racing show-goer it's become. “My fascination with the Ford Escort Bantam began over two decades ago when I first laid eyes on Jano's white Mk2, freshly imported from South Africa,” says James. “From that moment, I was grabbed by its combination of car…

Ford Fest is for Blue Ovals of all ages, and there's a dedicated area celebrating all things old-school. Here you'll find a host of classic clubs and an array of retro legends on display, so there's sure to be something for everyone. Plus, Classic Ford magazine will be offering all sorts of goodies, from t-shirts to subscriptions. If you love your classics, this is the place to be! ON DISPLAY CAR Mk1 Fiesta OWNER Kevin Sammut QUICK SPEC Rear-wheel-drive conversion, Cosworth YB ON DISPLAY CAR Mk2 Cortina OWNER Richard Green QUICK SPEC 2.0-litre Zetec, throttle bodies, coilovers ON DISPLAY CAR Sierra 4x4 Ghia Estate OWNER Paul and Reg Harwood QUICK SPEC Fully restored ON DISPLAY CAR Anglia 105E OWNER Ciran Carton QUICK SPEC Team Broadspeed livery, trailer arches, drysumped Crossflow…

FordFest There's more to the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship than close racing, recognisable car shapes and star drivers. Add in massive television coverage on ITV4 and there is a clear commercial platform for sponsors. Look at the Alliance Racing Ford Focus fleet in the BTCC and you will see the name Cataclean writ large on the side. Cataclean, based in Liverpool, is the world's leading fuel additive, aimed at helping to reduce emissions and improve fuel consumption. It has backed race winner Dan Rowbottom for close on a decade from when Rowbo was kick-starting his career in Renault Clios. When he made the step up to the BTCC, Cataclean came with him. “We are more than just Dan's sponsor,” explains Sales Director William Jones. “When we came into…