Staff Cars
MSD live map Closed loop L8 & grey injectors CR Turbos T34 Gizzmo electronic boost controller Gaz Gold Coilovers Gripper plated LSD Airtec Coolers Ade gets his new alloys sorted and treats the Cossie to some methanol injection.
Our projects this month...
A blast across Europe is imminently on the cards, but a stupidly busy month shooting all over the UK meant that I didn’t get much time to work on many of my intended Cossie plans. But fear not, it hasn’t been neglected!
First up is stage one of getting my awesome Irmler Split rims fitted. They’re the first ever set made in Ford fitment, but will need some tweaking due to a small mistake in measuring things up. In the meantime I’ve sourced a set of tyres which will allow a test fit soon. The Cossie has always been intended as a bit of a jack of all trades, so I’ve avoided super sticky semi slicks and instead opted for a good quality all-rounder in the shape of Falken’s ZE914. Although they are one of my typical ‘go to’ brands I haven’t used this particular variant before, but I’ve been advised it should fit the bill perfectly while still being very favourably priced. A 205/40x17 on an 8.25J should give a nice subtle modern OE style stretch while still being able to take a full dose of abuse without fear of any issues – handy!
The next upgrade is quite an unusual one to see on a Cossie – water methanol injection! Yes, the mod more commonly seen on Focus RSs in recent years is going on the Cossie. I recently sourced this kit at a great price with top service from long time turbo experts, BTN Performance, who’ve been sending out plenty for modern Fords but would like to see more getting used on the likes of Cossies! On the Focus, the ECU is clever enough to adapt to the extra efficiency and instantly create more power, but on a traditional ECU things are much simpler, and upgrades with big-power increasing potential need to be mapped in to create the maximum results.
The other option is to utilise it as a safety device. So it’ll most likely be used as an extra efficient source of cooling. It’s effectively like having an enormous intercooler fitted into the induction system. The AEM kit is pretty comprehensive, and allows a dual stage progressive flow to maximise efficiency with various quantities of liquid introduced at different stages of boost. This method means that the
car will be very unlikely to ever drop power in prolonged use due to heat soak issues, and it also means that I won’t ever find myself at the other end of the country with an empty AEM tank desperately trying to hunt down a meth’ supplier! Cossies can get crazy hot when ragged at high revs, so this addition seems like a no brainer to me!
There’s no time for either of these to be fitted this month, though, as with a Euro-roadtrip prep being the priority, the car is currently at MJ Racing getting a paddle clutch fitted in preparation for Belgium. And if all goes to plan, there will be a cheeky detour to the Nürburgring!