Ford is currently one of the most popular car companies in the British Isles, having dominated official top-selling car lists for decades. In fact, Ford has dominated the top spot for the last thirty-nine years, with no exceptions.

The Ford Fiesta is currently Ford’s crowning triumph, having been the top-selling car in the UK for the last four years – pushing another Ford offering from the 2008 top place, the Ford Focus. Conversely, the Ford Focus stood strong at the top place for ten years previously.

While Ford cars have clearly proved their popularity, many Ford owners choose to fine-tune some of the best aspects of their car by making certain modifications – whether that be a matter of aesthetics, or concerning performance.

While every car on the road is designed to certain power and design specifications, many motorists chose to fine tune their vehicles to get the bit more out of them. However, if you’ve not had a car tuned before, it’s important to get a full understanding of what it entails before making your decisions.

What is car tuning?

On the whole, modifications and tuning to a car can be put into two distinct categories:

• Performance alterations – this concerns the engine and performance-related aspects of the car such as exhaust, filters and engine tuning. It also applies to any modifications to improve the handling of the car, such as suspension tuning.
• Aesthetic alterations – any modification which is intended to increase the visual appeal of the car, such as the addition of spoilers, body kits or wheel rims.

Should I tune my Ford?

It’s always a good idea to have your car serviced before considering tuning. This will ascertain whether your vehicle is already running to a good standard, and prevent any problems later on. It’s not a good idea to waste money on tuning when your car engine has already had its day.

Engine Tuning

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that horsepower is a priority. To get the best out of tuning, assessing the engine on a whole is the better option, and will result in a better car. Take into account what you use your car for; a higher horsepower car is not much use when it’s only used for the daily commute.

It’s important to note that by increasing the power of an engine, additional strain is put onto the engine itself. Engine tuning can often require a full dismantling and modification of components, often by lightening and balancing the weight of the parts.

Aesthetic modifications

While they are often seen as extravagant additions to cars, there are benefits to fitting a spoiler to a car. Aside from the look, it modifies the aerodynamic properties of a vehicle, allowing it to provide additional down-force on the rear axle at higher speeds. This provides added traction and can enable drivers to brake and turn easier. As a result, they are employed on race cars.

Despite the fact that they may be aesthetically pleasing, the kind of speeds at which a spoiler becomes useful are not legal on the road – so think very hard before getting on fitted to your Ford, especially if you have a smaller make such as a Fiesta.

Many drivers choose to go for body modifications and decals – these do not necessarily affect the performance of your Ford, regardless of the model you go for.

What are the most popular car modifications?

Most Ford owners choose to look at the engine first and foremost. Certain changes to various parts can increase torque or horsepower – but it’s important to remember that any unnecessary changes could leave you out of pocket.

Other popular performance mods include air intake systems, which allow the engine to intake addition oxygen for fuel combustion without running the usual risk of anything else getting into the engine.

Does it cost more to insure a modified car?

Check with your insurer for exact costs that may apply to modifications. It’s worth noting that most insurance companies see the latter sorts of modifications as making your car more attractive to thieves.

It may be tempting to keep modifications to your Ford quiet, but regardless of the nature or size of them it’s better for you to declare them. Insurance companies can void your insurance should an undeclared modification be discovered. In fact, even manufacturer-fitted parts need to be declared for this very reason.

Modifications and your current insurance

At all times, any car modifications you make should be declared to your car insurance company. It’s a good idea to check with your car insurance provider what tuning you are planning before going ahead with it to ensure you understand the potential costs.

As far as changes in your premium goes, quotes can differ hugely from insurer to insurer, and depending on the modifications you want to make.

What happens if there’s a claim?

Unless you take out insurance with a company which specialises in modified cars, you’re likely to get an unpleasant surprise in the case of a claim.

In an accident, or if a modified part simply stops working, a non-specialised car insurance company will not necessarily cover you for the cost of the broken part. Instead, the part which was issued originally as standard with the car will be replaced.

Does my location affect the difference?

Car insurance is affected by the immediate locality, but in any case regional insurers often have their own basic prices when it comes to modified cars.

In Ireland, for example, Irish insurers 123.ie require modifications to be declared before a policy begins, and when any modifications are made throughout the policy duration

Equally, in Wales, Quinn Direct suggests that modifications such as cosmetic alterations may not actually affect the price of a premium. It is in fact the performance alterations that can increase or decrease the price of insurance – and providing incorrect information regarding this will render the policy invalid. They also suggest all modifications are completed in a professional garage and a valid MOT for the car in question.

English customers who go to Direct Line are strongly discouraged from customising their cars. In fact, they suggest that aesthetic modifications can reduce your car’s value. They strongly advise calling the insurers before considering alterations to discuss any changes to the cost of a premium.

Finally, Insure Scotland request that you declare any modifications to a car before applying for insurance. . Wherever you happen to be in the British Isles, it’s paramount to check up on the insurance changes before tuning your Ford.

Making the right changes to your trusty Ford can really add something to your vehicle. Whether you’ve got a humble Fiesta or a mighty C-Max, getting the most out of your Ford with some great mods can make you the envy of your peers.

KW automotive Ford Mk2 Focus RS Coilovers

Ford’s Mk2 Focus RS is the ultimate hot hatch – huge performance, aggressive styling and a price that doesn’t break the bank.

Producing over 300bhp and 300lb-ft from a 5-cylinder turbocharged engine, it’s also one of the fastest Fords ever produced with a top speed approaching 160mph.

However, with all that power going through the front wheels the handling is seriously compromised in standard trim, and that’s without any additional engine tuning.

Well, worry no more. KW automotive has just announced the Clubsport coilover system for the Mk2 Ford Focus RS and RS500 models.

Developed specifically for those customers who demand a better handling car for track day driving, KW’s Clubsport has been designed in such a way that allows the car to be used in an everyday manor too – perfect for driving to and from a track.

Featuring adjustable rebound and compression damping, the Clubsport can be setup according to the vehicle load, tire characteristics and weather conditions with ease.

In addition to this, KW offers the Clubsport with adjustable aluminium top mounts allowing the suspension geometry to be fine-tuned even further.

Price £2016

For more info see KW automotive

SEE MORE KW Suspension

Want to get your hands on some revolutionary Millers Nanodrive oil which saw gains of over 20bhp in recent tests? Well lucky for you we’re giving some away!

You have the chance to win one of five 5-litre packs, and all you have to do is enter our Millers Oil Competition by hitting the below button and answer the simple question.

 To enter the competition simply click here

]]> http://www.fastfordmag.co.uk/2012/08/06/millers-competition/feed/ 0 http://www.fastfordmag.co.uk/2012/06/18/27070/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=27070 http://www.fastfordmag.co.uk/2012/06/18/27070/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:25:51 +0000 dwhite http://www.fastfordmag.co.uk/?p=27070

Fancy getting your mitts on one of this year’s hottest new products for free? Well you are in the right place, as we are giving away some Shield for Wheels – the very latest high-tech wheelcare wonder from Armor All.

Just spray it on clean, dry wheels, and walk away. Once dry, it creates an invisible shield against brake dust and everyday grime, making wheel-cleaning a doddle next time round. Simple.

And it can last for up to four weeks between applications! Damn it must be good, as they even offer a money-back guarantee. Beat that!

We’ve got 12 bottles of Armor All Shield for Wheels to give away. All you have to do to enter is our Armor All competition and answer a simple question (make sure you watch the below video for the answer).

For the full Armor All car care range

This is a superb result considering that the Acropolis is notorious as a car wrecker, and was only the second round of Louise’s WRC career.

British Female Rally Champion Cookie and her team knew that getting the showroom class Fiesta ST to the finish line was going to be tough, but to come away from the event 29th overall from 54 starters will be heartening.

Louise’s strategy for the Acropolis Rally was to see as many stages as possible, gain on her limited mileage and experience and to absorb the most that was possible from the event – and finishing would be a bonus.

“This season is about learning for me, learning the events, learning to write good pace notes for these stages and gradually improving in small steps to where I want to be,” says Louise.

“It was really difficult to get the right balance,” she adds. “I just wanted to go flat out, but I knew if I sacrificed seeing the stages for extra speed and fun on one stage, I would miss out on vital experience the Acropolis Rally had to give. If the car is on the trailer, I would learn nothing.”

The rally was made even tougher on the 170km Day 2, when Louise’s co-driver, Stefan, had food poisoning in the morning and was vomiting most of the way to the first stage.

“I had to stop a few times on the way while he did his bit to make the car lighter!” laughs Louise. “He did well to carry on.”

Day 3 on Saturday was full of the roughest stages of the rally, and Louise was lying in an amazing 5th place in the Production World Rally Championship despite being against superior machinery – Louise’s tactics were paying off.

Despite retiring during the day due to sensor plug failure, Louise just had to finish the final day to be classified. She dropped to 8th place after the previous day’s retirement but an overnight retirement of fellow PWRC competitor, Ligato in his Subaru Impreza, meant Louise would start the day in 7th. Louise focused on getting the car to the finish to claim maximum points.

The retirement of Mitsubishi Evo X driver Fuchs on the final day meant Louise gained an extra 2 points for her PWRC position, reinforcing her strategy to go safe and bring the car home.

“To be 6th in the Production World Rally Championship in a rally like this was something I never imagined, I was convinced that the Fiesta would not sustain the impacts the rally had to offer,” she said. “It would be great to return next year with a stronger car.”

Louise now looks on to the long haul to Rally New Zealand in less than a month where she will take the wheel of a rented Fiesta ST to gain experience of the cambered New Zealand roads.

Louise needs to raise £10k to compete at the next round in New Zealand – if you want to sponsor her or find out more, visit:

Website: www.cutecookie.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LouiseCookBritishRallyDriver
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RallyWithCookie
YouTube: www.toughcookie.tv

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With the £100 tankful upon us, the latest petrol and diesel fuel additives from long-time engine care experts STP, are a timely tonic to Britain’s besieged motorists, with the onus on generating better fuel consumption from performance cars.

The faster-acting formulations of STP’s new and improved petrol and diesel fuel additives, on sale now from the nation’s forecourts and accessory shops, are more capable than ever of improving fuel consumption, boosting engine efficiency and helping to reduce engine emissions.

When added to a tankful of petrol or diesel, the highly-concentrated STP formulations dissolve carbon deposits from the combustion and fuel delivery system. These build-up in engines of all ages during everyday driving conditions and are the culprits of fuel wastage, loss of power, and a steady reduction in engine efficiency.

Handily-packed in new 200ml bottles, with a long and narrow spout for easy pouring into a tankful of fuel, STP’s newly-formulated range includes a brace of new restorative additives, Petrol Injector Cleaner and Diesel Injector Cleaner (£5.49), and two preventative formulations designed to maintain engine efficiency – Petrol Treatment and Diesel Treatment (£3.99).

For best results, STP advises one application of Petrol Treatment or Diesel Treatment every 1000 miles or 1250 miles, respectively. In the case of Petrol Injector Cleaner and Diesel Injector Cleaner – formulated for engines that have not been regularly treated – the recommended application is lengthened to every 3000 miles.

All STP additives are backed with exhaustive research that proves their benefits of usage, and are suitable for all classic and modern engines, including those with catalytic converters.

STP’s latest fuel additives and engine care products are widely available from forecourts, major stores including Halfords, and motoring accessory shops nationwide.

Shelby was integral to all things performance Ford in the US for almost 60 years, producing stunning performance vehicles from concepts to production models.

The designer, racing driver and entrepreneur was most well known for making the AC Motors-based Shelby Cobra and the Ford Mustang-based performance cars also known as Cobras. The AC Shelby Cobra made its first ever appearance 50 years ago this year.

Shelby most recently worked with Ford on the 2013 Shelby GT500 Mustang, and while working with SVT engineers at Sebring and the Arizona Proving Grounds, at times he drove for more than eight hours – at the ripe old age of 88. He was having so much fun, he didn’t want to stop.

He once said his energy and passion for performance products were always strongest when he was working with Ford.

Carroll Shelby’s last collaboration, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, produces 662bhp and 631lb/ft of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 engine in the world – a fitting tribute to a man who, just like us, didn’t think production Fords were fast enough!

Key moments in the history of Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company

•     1952: Shelby enters first race at the wheel of a Ford-powered hot rod
•     1962: Shelby tests his first Ford-powered AC 260 Roadster – the car that would become the Shelby Cobra. Shelby-American begins operations in Venice, Calif. Cobra production begins
•     1964: Ford asks Shelby to develop a high-performance Mustang derivative. First Shelby prototypes are built
•     1965: Shelby GT350 is introduced. Ford hires Shelby-American to oversee GT40 program. Hertz begins buying GT350H versions for its “rent-a-racer” program
•     1966: Ford GT40 Mark II wins Le Mans. First 1967 Shelby GT500s delivered
•     1967: Ford and Shelby-American win Le Mans, again. 1968 Shelby Mustang convertibles debut
•     1968: 1969 model year production begins
•     1969: Shelby Mustang production ends
•     1970: Ford and Shelby end their long-term racing agreement
•     2001: Carroll Shelby is invited by Ford to consult on GT40 Concept
•     2002: Ford green-lights production of Ford GT
•     2003: Ford invites Shelby to collaborate on a concept car that pays homage to original Shelby Cobra
•     2004: Ford Shelby Cobra Concept steals the show at NAIAS. Ford asks Shelby to consult on a follow-up concept. Shelby announces it will build limited-edition Shelby Ford Expedition. Ford unveils Shelby GR-1 Concept
•     2006: Shelby GTH debuts at New York Auto Show
•     2007: GT500 name debuts
•     2008: First 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR rolls off the line on Carroll Shelby’s 85th birthday. Partnering with Ford Racing, Shelby fields factory race team for the first time since 1969
•     2011: Debut of 662bhp, 631lb/ft 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, the most powerful production V8 engine in the world
•     2012: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 sells at Barrett-Jackson for $350,000

Sorry for the teasing headline, but hopefully if enough people here in the UK decide they’d like a twin-turbo Transit then Ford will be forced to sell it over here!

The 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 has been available in the American F-150 pick-up for some time, where it uses two Garrett GT15 turbos which can spin at up to 170,000rpm and provide 12psi of boost to hit 370PS (365bhp) and 420lb/ft of torque. Yeehaa!

In the meantime, Ford has unveiled the Transit Tourneo Concept at Geneva, but as with all recent show cars bearing the name ‘Concept’, this will basically be the next production Transit.

The Transit will undoubtedly continue to be the byword for ‘van’ by adopting the same ‘Kinetic Design’ as the new Focus and Fiesta, in particular those cars’ trapezoidal-shaped grille and bold wheel arches, to take what Ford insists is a “fresh approach to space, style and functionality”.

All we want to know is if there will be a Supervan 4 version… Or if not, at least a SportVan? Powered by a V6 perhaps? You know, a twin-turbocharged 365bhp one? HINT HINT!!

By that time, it will be five whole years since the last Fiesta ST disappeared from Ford showrooms, and fast Ford fans will be delighted to hear that the all-new model will have 30bhp more than the much-loved Mk6.

The 180PS turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost will see the Team RS-developed Fiesta ST hit 62mph in under 7secs, and have top speed of more than 136mph while delivering a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the previous Fiesta ST.

The Mk7 Fiesta ST sits 15mm lower than the standard Fiesta and features Ford’s enhanced Torque Vectoring Control system and three Electronic Stability Control modes, developed at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The exterior is almost exactly the same as the ‘concept’ ST unveiled at Frankfurt last year, with a bold new grille and aerodynamic addenda, and inside Recaro sports seats will appear as standard in a Fiesta ST for the first time.

With the car being available in the US for the first time, there is sure to be a vast number of performance tuning items available for the ST’s engine by launch time, so we can’t wait to see what the tuning companies have planned for the little car.

Mountune’s David Moore said: “Building on the success of the 2011 event, Mountune is delighted to once again confirm headline sponsorship of Ford Fair 2012 – undoubtedly the biggest & best Ford show in Europe! With such a large crowd in attendance year-on-year it’s the perfect platform to showcase new vehicles and products but also gives us the opportunity to engage with our customers directly.”

With experience spanning over 25 years, Mountune Racing has established an enviable reputation for the design and engineering of race, rally and fast road car engines. They can offer a simple performance upgrade to a full competition development programme. With a winning team of designers, engineers and craftsmen who have the skills, knowledge and commitment to put you at the front of the field.

Exclusively available through selected Ford Dealers, Mountune Performance upgrades have been developed as the ultimate accessory for your Ford model. Mountune specialists will be on hand at Ford Fair, to answer any questions you may have about how to upgrade your car.