Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Fast Ford

NE WS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... Capture a new Raptor N ow UK fans can enjoy the same kind of performance levels as those on Raptor versions of USDM pickups like the F-150. When UK buyers first heard the Raptor tag was coming to the UK-market Ranger, our minds were immediately filled with visions of twin-turbo EcoBoost mini monster trucks. Despite packing some impressive tech, the diesel-only Ranger Raptor always felt like it was missing that key ingredient to make it a proper Raptor – abig, powerful, petrol engine. We’re pleased to say Ford has addressed the issue with the all-new Ranger Raptor, which now comes with a 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 that produces 292PS (288bhp) and 491Nm (362lb.ft) to give it the power the…

Although it’s nice to develop a project over time, there’s no doubt that slowly adapting a car could be considered the long way round for creating your ideal Ford. Instead, starting from fresh with a clean slate allows a more direct approach to achieving the finished article. Mitch Nightingale, the owner of this Mk2 ST certainly felt that way when building his dream Focus, which has the look and feel of a clean-cut track-day warrior. This isn’t Mitch’s first Focus – he’s had one before, and the alluring five-pot sound made him want another – but this is definitely his best yet, as he explains: “I owned a modified ST3 before this, which was fast but this build has gone above and beyond that one. It started as just a…

Just about every car fan has dreamt of owning or building a particular fast Ford. Whether it’s a modified masterpiece or a restored rarity, we’ve all wanted that perfect Blue Oval. For some of us, the idea stays in our heads for years, and for many, it never comes to life at all. But after years of waiting and wanting, Glen Sexton has managed his long-term goal of building his dream Ford – and it happens to be one of the cleanest, neatest and nicest examples we’ve come across. Although it wasn’t exactly what you would call a quick and easy process, this build has been in the making for many years. Glen explains, “For about as far as I can remember, I always wanted a rear-wheeldrive Series One Escort…

Ford’s association with rallying is legendary; the Escort was virtually unbeatable in the late Sixties and Seventies, the Cosworths of the Eighties and Nineties were some of the most iconic cars Ford ever built, the Focuses of the Nineties and Noughties were always at the sharp end of the field and deserved more silverware than they eventually got, the recent Fiestas brought WRC championship success, and even the very latest Puma Rally1 hybrid machines show that Ford still takes rallying very seriously indeed. TYPICAL COSTS Motorsport UK Go Rallying starter pack: £99.00 BARS licence: £195.00 Car: ready-built from £4000-up Personal safety equipment: from £1000 Entry fees: between £200 and £500 Motorsport UK membership: £149 Of course, it’s not just top-flight championships where Blue Ovals do well, and you’ll always find…

WHY YOU WANT ONE… ■ With an RS badge, the FRP would be worth double. Just 483 were built, and around 275 survive, making the FRP rarer than an RS500 and much more scarce than a Mk1 Focus RS. Values are guaranteed to rise. ■ The FRP was the perfect development of the standard Puma’s stonking chassis and revhungry powerplant. There’s damn good reason it’s known as a brilliant drive. ■ Gorgeous looks reflect the FRP’s inimitable heritage: penned by Boreham’s motorsport team, and put together by the crew that built the RS200, RS500 and Tickford Capri. WHY YOU DON’T… ■ Despite the bulky rally-derived bodywork, trick suspension and big brakes, the FRP can’t be described as fast – just 152bhp resulted in a top speed of only 126mph. ■…

Historically, the end-of-season Fordmeet at Squires Café just east of Leeds has often been quieter than the season opener that usually takes place in April. Not this year. As cars began to flow through the gates from early-doors, by mid-morning the show field was pretty much packed. Fortunately, the weather had been kind leading up to the event, and we had the ideal combination of dry grass and a decent forecast for the day. The dry weather also ensured the cars on display were of the highest calibre. And there was enough variety to please everyone. Clubs from far and wide arrived in large numbers. ST- and RS-badged cars formed the majority, but it was great to see a huge selection of other models on show too. It was equally…

E verrati’s all-electric interpretation of the iconic Ford GT40 has taken another step closer to full production after passing the vigorous R100.01 electrical safety testing. The testing involves a thorough assessment of the electrical safety of the high-voltage components installed, and includes protection against electric shock, protection against direct and indirect contact, isolation resistance testing and overall vehicle safety. The new GT40 recently passed the stringent R100.01 testing at MIRA’s worldleading facilities. The modern reincarnation of Ford’s famous Le Mans winner features a state-of-the-art EV powertrain with a 62.5kWh lithium-ion battery capable of up to 800bhp and 800Nm of torque, and 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds. Whether you’re a fan of modern EVs or not, you can’t deny that those are impressive stats.…

“The Cossie gets more attention. But the Focus is nicer to drive,” confesses Mark Sargeant, owner of the two fantastic fast Fords in front of our lens today. But then he continues, “If someone had a gun to my head and told me to choose between them, I’m not sure which one I’d pick.” Thankfully, nobody has got a gun to Mark’s head, and he doesn’t need to choose between his beloved Blue Ovals. Instead, the old-school show-spec Sapphire complements the brutish fast-road Focus rather nicely. But if he was forced to choose, it really wouldn’t be an easy decision. “I’ve owned the Cossie for nearly 20 years. I bought it when I was 25 and it was even used as my wedding car,” remembers Mark. You see, Mark’s been…

QUICK SPEC ■ Mondeo 2.5T ■ 19in Rotiform alloys ■ R888R tyres ■ Scorpion exhaust ■ custom wrap ■ PB coilovers ■ Airtec intercooler ■ EBC 4-pot front callipers ■ Ramair filter and crossover ■ Corbeau bucket seats ■ Luke harnesses ■ Helix organic clutch upgrade ■ BD Performance block mod Regular readers will remember that in the last update the Mondeo Rep to Race Car was at BD Performance having a Helix Autosport clutch and flywheel upgrade. You can read the full update in the last issue, but the car is still at BD’s workshops: now it’s having a block mod, thorough health check, and a full wheel alignment setup (after the subframe was dropped to remove the gearbox when fitting the clutch) so that it’s all ready for…

NAME JOEY BINKS CAR SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH RACE SERIES CTCRC (BLUE OVAL SALOON SERIES) HISTORY OF THE CAR “It all started about five years ago, from a rolling shell over at an MOT bay in Essex. After looking at the shell, I bought it there and then. “It was then delivered to the workshop of a good friend of mine for bodywork. Luckily for me, I have a few good mates that helped me with building the car to where it is now. “The car was built as a track car to start with, but the plan all along was to race it when it was complete, and I was happy with it. “So, after lots of track days, testing, changing parts and setups, it was finally time to get…

The late Eighties and early Nineties were a golden era for hot hatches. Riding on the crest of a wave was the Escort RS Turbo. The pin-up poster car for a generation, the darling of the cruise, and one of the most modified fast Fords of its era, the RS Turbo has now outgrown its loutish image as the scourge of the seafront and has become a bona fide classic, attracting the attention of enthusiasts and wealthy investors. Like so many fast Fords from the Eighties and Nineties, many RS Turbos are being returned to factory specification and stuck in the corner of barns, waiting to be ‘found’ before cashing in. But does that mean the days of modifying the RS Turbo are over? Not a chance. The game may…

Wheel alignment has a massive effect on your car’s handling. A correctly aligned car will always feel stable, track straight and true and will give confidence when accelerating, braking, and cornering. A badly aligned car will want to pull you all over the road, feel nervous through the bends, and be a real handful to drive even under normal driving conditions. The term ‘wheel alignment’ includes three main settings: camber, caster, and toe. All of these will influence your car’s handling, and all three need to be working in harmony with each other. CAMBER Camber is the tilt of the wheels when viewed directly from the front. Zero camber is when the wheel is completely vertical; negative camber is when the top of the wheel is leaning in towards the…

F ORD’4 9 CONCEPT If Ford ever puts this car into production and you see one slowly creeping along your street, our advice is to run. Fast! Because it’s no doubt going to be some drug-dealing, debt-collecting protection agency that will make the Sopranos look more like the Osmonds. Yes, ladies and gents, it’s fair to say that if the ’49 Concept did ever become a production model it would be the company car of every Mafia boss in the world. As the original ’49 shocked the world with its radical new ‘slab side’ design and integrated body and bumpers, this concept released 50 years later did the same. At a time when all concepts were geared toward hybrid technology and being lighter, smarter and greener than ever before, the…

N ostalgia is strong in the modified car scene these days. The past few years have seen lots of retro builds popping up across different marques – even tastedeprived motors like Skeete-kitted Renault 5s and wide-arch Dimma Peugeots. To those of us who remember the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was a period of great fun and a real hotbed for ideas and creativity, with some pretty wild outcomes. And although Gary Cox’s Escort Cosworth isn’t as immediately in-your-face as the aforementioned cars, it’s just as evocative. You see, Escort Cosworth owners did things a little more, err… tastefully than the early Noughties’ hot-hatch boys. They let the WRC DNA, proper horsepower and perfect factory styling do the talking. All you needed was a bit more boost, a set…

G AZ GAZ CHARGED RANGE £POA Gaz Shocks is pleased to announce a new range of fully adjustable coilover suspension kits. The new Gaz Charged range is based on the company’s GHA and Gold ranges but upgraded with the benefits of nitrogen gas and helper springs above the main suspension springs. Gaz says these upgrades will give an improved and smoother ride over conventional dampers and that the nitrogen also minimises aeration of the hydraulic fluid. All other features of the GHA and Gold ranges remain, including on-car damper adjustment and 60mm of ride-height adjustability too. Prices across the range will be an additional £180 on top of the GHA or Gold kit price. If purchased individually, the cost will be an additional £45 per damper. For further details, visit…

More attendees, exhibitors and media than ever participated in the latest iteration of the world’s largest automotive aftermarket event at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Perhaps the biggest change for 2022 was the absence of Ford Performance, Shelby, Roush and Saleen as exhibitors, all of whom took a gap year. That’s not to say that the overall Blue Oval presence was lessened. There were plenty of Mustangs, Broncos, F150s and even modded Mach-Es throughout the five exhibition halls. SEMA Show plans are always driven by the needs of its member companies and enduser enthusiasts. In an exclusive interview, SEMA Show supremo Tom Gattuso explained that every manufacturer has cycles of marketing and budgeting, and some years are simply not a good fit – especially if there are model range transitions…

p42 JASON FIESTA ST MK8 Jason’s already fitted new wheels, tyres, and lowering springs, and now he’s added a Mountune m235 remap to the Mk8 ST. DAN FOCUS ST250 The Focus is in daily service, but Dan’s been out buying yet more Blue Ovals... Again. DALE RANGER KING CAB The Ranger chassis is back from the blasters and has been given the thumbs up. Now the custom fabrication can begin. p44 FAST FORD REP TO RACE CAR MONDEO The Mondeo is at BD Performance for a block mod, four-wheel alignment, and a health check, getting ready for mapping next month. ADE SAPPHIRE COSWORTH With the Saph finally back on the road, Ade has been out enjoying it as often as he can, despite the cold and wet weather. DAN SIERRA…

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 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 order for us to print your Ford please ensure all images…

There are barn finds, and there are barn finds. Imagine pulling open the doors of a rural barn outside a hamlet near the Finnish-Russian border. Cobwebs brushed away, and with the soft Nordic light spilling in like a Neolithic tomb on a solstice dawn, you see the rust-mottled shell of an Escort half-buried beneath straw and farmer’s tools. Somehow, it’s survived the murky depths of many Finnish winters, long months when the sun hardly rises above the horizon and temperatures linger so far below zero that if you touched the bodywork, your finger would stick to it. It has survived here for nearly 30 years, but even rusty two-door shells fetch good money these days, so if it was simply any old Escort, it would still be a fantastic find.…

Fitting a bigger turbo is almost guaranteed to give your car a bhp boost, or certainly the potential to make more power. But it’s not often a simple case of bolting on a new blower and forgetting about everything else; to optimise the performance potential of that new turbocharger a few other upgrades are usually needed along the way. While the turbo upgrade steals the limelight, little thought is given to the supporting mods. But the truth is, they are equally important. Without them, your shiny new turbo won’t work as well as it should. To help point us in the right direction, we spoke to TurboZentrum. The company’s roots may be in turbocharger upgrades, but with the UK’s biggest online shop for products and accessories in the performance sector,…