FILTHY FOCUS
Jamie’s been far too busy driving up and down the country to worry about keeping the RS clean, but finally gives it an overdue wash…
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 ■ H&R anti-roll bars
■ TAROX brakes ■ Mishimoto intercooler, intake kit, and oil cooler kits ■ Quaife ATB
I’m going to be a little controversial here, but I hate cleaning cars. I know many of you reading this love nothing more than spending a few hours at the weekend giving your pride and joy the care and attention it deserves. And, in many ways, I wish I shared that passion with you. But, for me, cleaning the car is more like a chore than a hobby. With two crazy small kids and an even crazier dog to look after, as well as all the other day-to-day tasks around the house, the last thing I have time for at the weekend is to lock myself away in the garage with a bottle of detailer and get busy with the microfibres.
That’s not to say I don’t care for the RS. I really do. I just don’t relish the job of having to clean it. Which is why it’s been looking filthy recently! Since the end of the summer show season (in which I do clean the car regularly for all the shows and events it attends) I must confess that it’s probably only seen a bucket of clean water once or twice over the entire winter. I do recall a
pro detailer once telling me “the best way to keep your car free from swirl marks is to never wash it,” but I suspect even they would think I was taking the mickey with the current state of it!
However, since having the GTechniq Halo ceramic coating applied during the summer I knew the precious wrap would be protected underneath, even if it was covered in a thick film of road grime. But my guilty conscience got the better of me recently, and I cracked out the cleaning gear. A good snow foam lifted away the biggest chucks of dirt before a thorough wash with some quality shampoo and a wash mitt brought it all back up to a gleaming finish. And thanks to the wrap, and the Halo protection, that’s all it really needed – no need for polishes or waxes. A quick squirt with some glass cleaner on the windows and it was good to go. Perhaps I should do this more often, it really isn’t that hard to keep on top off.
Other points worth mentioning this month are, as the eagle-eyed among you would have already noticed, I’ve made the decision to remove the splitters. While I love the aggressive look they offer, the practicality of the car was compromised somewhat, and when I smashed the front splitter yet again I decided enough was enough and removed the lot. I actually like the cleaner look too, not to mention being able to clear speed humps and get in/out of car parks being an absolute revelation!
Also, after racking up all those miles over the autumn and winter months, I can now report back on the Goodyear Supersport tyres I had fitted at the end of summer – they’re brilliant. In my opinion they’re a fantastic alternative to the OE-fit Michelins, offering superb grip in all conditions – maybe even slightly better in those changing greasy/damp conditions too. Plus, with the Goodyears having a rim-protector on the sidewall I have (slightly!) less fear about any potholes causing damage to my precious Velgens! I really do rate them, and am looking forward to seeing what they can do on track this year too.
I also have a few plans for the RS in 2020, but, as ever, I can spend money in my head much faster than I can actually earn it. I’d love to go fully-forged with a big turbo and aim for over 500bhp, but we’ll have to see how the piggy bank stacks up later in the year…
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
I thought this time of year was supposed to be quiet season for us photographers, but it’s been pretty hectic for me and the Mustang recently. First up, I was invited to attend a driving day at Millbrook organised by fellow Mustang owner, Emily Newman. Emily has recently set up a car rental company specialising in classic and modern Mustangs, and this taster day was designed to give an idea of what prospective customers can experience on a fun packed day of action.
The whole thing starts with an instruction session, showing you how to get the most out of your driving holiday with an expert instructor. Once you've learnt how to drive the Mustang on a stretch of country roads and alpine passes that have been beautifully created at Millbrook, you then set off with a loaded itinerary, hotels
all booked up, and map in hand (or GPS if you don't want to go old school). You choose the length of your holiday from one of the many itineraries to experience as much, or as little, of the beautiful British countryside, in a Ford Mustang.
Mustang Experience UK, as the company is aptly called, will also host ‘bring your own car’ days at Millbrook too, starting at the end of March and running quarterly throughout the year. This does exactly as it says, and allows Mustang owners to use their own cars to enjoy the same driver tuition, and explore the same fantastic holiday driving routes too. Check them out at www.mustangexperienceuk. com. Sadly, there were no photos of my car at the event, as I was too busy taking photos of everyone else!
I did remember to take a few snaps when I visited the ever-impressive GT101 in Colchester a few weeks later though. The Mustang had got dangerously close
to its 20,000 mile mark, and the car kept announcing that it would like an oil change very soon every time I got in it. Rather than leave it too late I contacted GT101 and got the car booked in. The second service is a straight forward procedure; oil and filter change, new pollen filter and checks on levels, brakes and tyres. With the recent addition of the Yokohama Advan sports rubber and Steeda brakes, I knew the car was in tip-top condition, though.
Prior to my visit I contacted Dave at GT101 and enquired about the Ford Performance US lower grill, a subtle addition and after the Christmas expense a cheap option that would give the Mustang a more aggressive pose, plus give better air flow to the radiator as well.
A lot of people will take their cars to a main dealer while they are less than three years old, but the trouble is they are dealing with a huge volume of cars at the end of the day and aren’t always as
appreciative as the specialist firms around the UK. GT101, especially, are dealing with high end performance cars all day long and take pride in their attention to details. Plus, what main dealer do you know that has a trio of Ford GTs in the reception area?
After just a couple of hours, including fitting the lower grille, the car was ready and I had time to take a few shots of the car with its new front end fitted.
One thing that has always had loads of compliments is the Magnetic Grey paintwork, and I like to keep it looking its best. As I suspect many of you have, I've tried various different cleaning products over the years. After speaking to Nick at Yum Cars last year at Santa Pod, I realised that they were serious about the range of products that they had released, so I ordered a few bits for the GT. The detailing spray is easily the best product of its type out there in my opinion. Since that initial purchase I’ve used most of their range, with the interior spray and snow foam deserving special mentions as well. So, once the car was back on home turf it was due a light detail ready for the first Mustang owners Kent meet of the year…