What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[DFB5.0]

It's a shame the Bronco isn't available in RHD.
I guess some bean counter has deemed RHD development is not worth it.

What I can't understand is how nearly every other car company on earth can factor in the cost LHD and RHD during the design and engineering phases, and then put them into production. But for whatever reason, Ford and the other American car companies don't seem to be able (or want) to do it. And you can't say because it "costs too much" because as I said, even the smaller volume companies like Mazda and Suzuki can do both formats. Pure laziness, which I guess says it all.

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[DFB5.0]

Got the XR8 off the charger and out onto the road this morning..................

You know how it is, a quiet empty road and a rush of blood.....................

First, a test of the rudimentary launch control function. While the I6T engines had what Ford called "Launch Assist" from the start of the FG series, it was only available on vehicles with a manual transmission and was basically a 3500 rev-limiter, so it had no control over wheel spin.

The FGX XR8 on the other hand used a "Launch Control" setup that was available on manual and automatic transmissions. I earlier said rudimentary because, unlike modern selectable launch control systems, the XR8 uses the DSC to control wheelspin. For the manual, the system limits engine speed to 3250rpm and then controls wheel slip using the traction control. On autos, the driver simply mashes the throttle rapidly, the system then limits torque in first gear and, again, uses traction control to reduce wheel spin.

However, because the DSC and TC systems are on by default each time the car is started, that means the launch control is always active unless the DSC turned off. Turn it off and, well, you are on your own.................

(Image used for demo purposes, not of this morning)

I've never done this on tarmac with the XR8 before, so I thought why not today! DSC turned off, a boot full of throttle and the rears lit up with ease, smoke billowing from the arches and two thick black lines displayed in my rear vision mirror. Couldn't help but be stunned at how easy the car did it. Of course, the factory original Dunlop Sport Maxx's from 2014 would have played a part there. But just think of it this way, for a car that cost me $60,000 (AUD) back in 2014, what brand new 500hp RWD car could you buy on the market today that would be capable of such antics, done with such ease? At that price, yeah, none!

After my stress relief drive of the XR8, it was time to clean the Ranger. The windshield, and no doubt the paint as well, was covered in tiny droplets of sap. Not that I park directly under trees, but with the high winds lately, it must have been carrying sap off a close by Corymbia Maculata.

I didn't really want to do a full wash, so I started by pressure rinsing the car, which removed the sap and a layer of dust. I then moved into the garage and did a rinse-less using DIY Detail Rinse-less Wash, teamed with DIY Ceramic Gloss as the drying aid.

I can safely say that the DIY rinse-less has the highest cleaning ability of my collection of these products. It easily dissolved that yellow insect poop that is often extremely difficult to remove, even with a pressure washer. With a 256:1 pre-soak, the DIY quickly broke it down................impressive.

Once dried, I went over the tray and door jambs with ECH20, glass with KCx Speed Glass Cleaner, interior wiped down with ADS Pilot, the tyres given a light application of DIY Tire Dressing.

Job done...............just in time for it to rain tomorrow.

 

[DFB5.0]

A Friday public holiday for a football game played on a Saturday..........................never mind...................

Today, I took the opportunity to step back in times.......................



Sorry, I couldn't resist!

I have always said that the Mustang is a blank canvas for enthusiasts to make their own. But the greater beauty of the Mustang is the massive aftermarket sector that caters to those who want to customize their Mustang and create something unique. For me, I love the simplicity of the GT in its standard form, letting the lines and form factor speak for themselves. That said, I have tinkered with a few things to create that OEM+ look. For the most part, I stayed OEM by using Ford Performance parts, in other cases I used OEM-looking parts.

Some of those parts will remain, mainly because I have no use for them on the new car. The oil separator won't fit the S650, likewise the coolant tank cover and AEM filter. The dead pedal is a one-time application. The Borla exhaust will stay, even though I still have the original.............which I have no idea what to do with, scrap metal?

However, there are two things that I wanted to remove from the car prior to trade, the wheels and blue coil covers.

The coil covers are from Ford Performance and are simply to fit and remove. These won't fit later S550 or S650 engines because of the DI hardware Ford uses, so I will likely put them on the XR8. I know blue clashes against red, but I actually liked it.

I kept the grey originals, so back to stock they go.................

The Ford Performance HP wheels cost me a fortune to import, only for them to appear via the aftermarket vendors a few months later. These are based on the wheel design Ford offered with the US-only PP2 package. Available in four widths, I went with the same spec Ford used on the R-Spec, 9.5-inch fronts with 255/40/R19 tyres, and 10.0-inch rears with 275/40/R19. The Michelin PS4S tyres I insisted on transformed the car.

The key benefit with these wheels was how much easier they were to clean! I later also added black lugs to better blend into the wheel, a very simple change that transformed the look of the car.

Before -

After -

I'm not sure what I will do with the HP wheels, I'm toying with putting them on the S650 but I'm sort of over black wheels. I may end up selling them separately. In any case, they cost me too much to just trade them in at the dealer. I kept the PP1 wheels, so back on they went.

Retrieved from storage -

The PP1 wheels were wiped of dust with ONR, it was then out with the tools and the jack. The fronts were extremely difficult to remove from the hub, taking way longer than anticipated.

Shout out to these Koken lug sockets, very nicely made and they look cool as well. The plastic outer sheath is also removable with replacements available if needed in the future. I'll point out that I didn't use the impact to break these lugs, I was only using it to zip them off quickly after using a breaker bar.

KOKEN Wheel Nut Sockets Set : Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement

The black lugs I will use on the S650, the old jacket-style chrome units go back on the car, torqued to the 150 ft-lbs / 203 Nm. I've said this a few times, but if you are looking for a good torque wrench, these Wera units are the bomb!

Wera Torque Wrench with Reversible Ratchet, 60-300 nm Size, 1/2-inch Drive : Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement

The final step, some Armour Detail Supply Tire+ to freshen up the OE fit Pirelli's................

Despite sitting undriven, I gave HP wheels a quick clean and scrubbed the tyres with Carpro ReTyre. It was then into storage until I decide what to do with them.

I have to say, it felt somewhat sad to put the old PP1 wheels and chrome lugs back on, almost like it isn't my car anymore. The HP wheels gave the car a boost in aggression and separated it from the rest of the Mustang GT's on the road.

I have had more than two years to say goodby to this car. When I first placed the deposit for a S650 back in September 2022, I wasn't ready to part ways with the car. But two years later, I think I have reached a point where I am content letting it go. I had a list of things to do before saying goodby to this car, which is now nearly completed. Just one task remains..............................

 

[WD Pro]

Just one task remains..............................

Line lock and a 7k clutch drop ... ?

WD

 

[50ALM]

.... Just one task remains..............................

WHAT!!!

You're going to keep us hanging like this?

 

[DFB5.0]

WHAT!!!

You're going to keep us hanging like this?

Yep..................................

 

[kilobravo]

I can only imagine the contrast between the excitement for the new girl and the sadness of saying goodbye, D but we've all been there a time or two and I'm reasonably sure that the new entry will keep your excitement up for a long time. <smile>

but I'm sort of over black wheels.

Amen.

As for the final task, other than turning her over to the dealer, I haven't a clue what it might be although WD's suggestion was a damn good one. <grinning>

 

[DemonGT]

I love what Mazda do, clearly other Aussies do as well because they have been in the top 3 for overall sales each year for more than a decade now. At one point, they were second only to Toyota, and also had the top seller for a few years in the 3 hatch and sedan. Mazda sales have dipped in recent years, Ford are regularly steeling 2nd spot for monthly sales, all of it due to Ranger and Everest being in good supply.

The Ford and Mazda separation has hurt Mazda here in terms of light commercials, the previous generation BT-50 was twinned with the Ford-Australia designed and engineered T6 Ranger that went on sale in 2011. Up until the separation, the BT-50 held its own. When the separation was made, Ford got the lions share of production capacity in the Thai factory. Sales of the BT-50 dropped, which reduced Mazda's ability keep the model fresh, which led to more sales decline as Ford went from strength to strength. Mazda then switched to Isuzu for the BT-50, which is basically a set of previous-gen Mazda 3 headlights grafted onto an Isuzu D-Max. Sales have not rebounded.

Having said that, the passenger and SUV lineup is stellar. For me, what wins me over is the level of interior fit and finish, unmatched by any other mainstream brand. I also really love how they went to a RWD platform with inline 6's, an engine layout close to my heart.

Ford on the other hand is basically a two-man show, Ranger and the Ranger-based Everest SUV. They just dropped the Escape and Puma, which joins the Endura (Edge). The Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo (Fusion) are long gone, the Falcon and Territory even longer gone. They didn't have access to the RWD Explorer, Maverick, Bronco and Bronco Sport..................ALL would have done well here. What's left is the aforementioned Ranger and Everest, the Transit and Transit Custom, the RHD-converted F-150, the Mustang is a token gesture.

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The exhaust tips were a last-minute thing, I ended up using some Autosol on a rag, but the P21 would have done the same job, it's such a great product. Actually, I'm still on my original tub that I bough many years ago, I can't imagine P21S make any money from it.

https://fordauthority.com/2024/09/jim-farley-suggests-right-hand-drive-ford-bronco-is-happening/

 

[MrMike]

https://fordauthority.com/2024/09/jim-farley-suggests-right-hand-drive-ford-bronco-is-happening/

This wouldn't surprise me since the Ranger is also in RHD and Jim Farley basically only cares about enthusiast vehicles like the Mustang and Bronco.

 

[Evolvd]

@DFB5.0 The House of Rags will be the international distributors for Clean by Pan the Organizer and should have a .AU address. They’ll carry many other brands so hopefully you can get access to a broader range of products without having to spend a small fortune to do so.

 

[DFB5.0]

I posted this earlier, but I was curious how Pan would go about the continuation of his channel now that he has a financial stake in the industry. As in, how would he continue making product review videos when he now has a very firm bias.

Well, his 2024 Awards video went live in the last day, I guess we now know.............................................



Naturally, he is going to positive about his own products, but the inclusion in this years awards just comes off as a giant marketing advertisement timed to align with his brand launch. And I suppose that is his job now, no longer reviewing other brands products, but advertising his own. He is of course right to do so, but to do it so soon, it's very hard to see any integrity in his actions.

I'm not the only one to feel this way, the 1000+ comments under the video above are tearing him to shreds. For a long time now, many have questioned his integrity, especially after trying to cover up a 5 figure paid promotion of Turtle Wax range. Well, this stunt is cementing that sentiment.

This was always going to happen. And the reason why he waited until he had the 1 million subscribers.

I suspect I know who will be partnered to distribute these products, but I really don't want to be involved.

 

[DFB5.0]

Did a little shopping today..........................

While some of those I already had in the cabinet, some are additions that will be used for review purposes -


It would be at least 22 years since I used the blue ArmorAll Car Wash. Now, ArmorAll offer a range of soaps these days, but the classic blue Car Wash is the common and is always stocked in supermarkets and automotive stores. For under $9.00 for a 1000ml bottle, I thought it was worth a trip down memory lane.

Removing the cap for a quick whiff, I was instantly transported back to my teenage years. On weekend summer evenings, I would be out in my thongs, bucket and sponge in hand washing my parents cars in the driveway. I had no idea what I was doing, or that it would lead to an extremely expensive and all-consuming hobby in adulthood.

From the product description -

Your car’s delicate finish is too important to trust to household products like dish soaps, which may contain harsh surfactants that can strip your vehicle’s wax protection.

And yes, I was using dish soap prior to using this product.

Also interesting to see that for foam cannons, ArmorAll recommend using 200ml of soap to 800ml of water in the cannister. So, it will be interesting to see what sort of foam it produces. For context, I can get shaving cream foam from 80ml of Carpro Reset or 100ml of NV Snow.

But that scent! It's not a scent I can describe, or one that I would say is transcendent like Reset or GSF either. But the blue ArmorAll Car Wash so vividly recognizable to me, a scent that transports me back to my teenage years washing cars.

We have seen an explosion of choice when it comes to detailing products over the last 20+ years, not to mention the advancements made in chemistry technology. But here we are in 2024, and this ArmorAll Car Wash is remarkably unchanged from the stuff I was using all those years ago. The scent, the bottle design, the price, even the label is basically the same!

 

[kilobravo]

I was instantly transported back to my teenage years.

I don't know about you D but when a memorable flashback like that happens to me, I try to hang on to the feeling as long as I can.

 

[MrMike]

I had been using Meg's Gold Class basically until I got the CarPro soaps. I had some "affairs" trying a couple others but never liked them much. I think at some point we all used Dawn to wash a car lol. I remember seeing that Armor All on the shelf but I always bought Meg's products when I was a teenager.

I think the weirdest or most unique solution I used was the Mr Clean AutoDry Car Wash System:
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Clean-AutoDry-System-Starter/dp/B0006M56CE

I really liked the small, easy to use water filter system. The soap in the kit was uh, not great.

 

[DFB5.0]

I don't know about you D but when a memorable flashback like that happens to me, I try to hang on to the feeling as long as I can.

Absolutely.

I'm hugely driven/influenced by scent, not just in detailing either.

Every time I smell the aroma of an orange tree is flower, it takes me back to my childhood growing up in my grandmothers back garden. That tree produced thousands of oranges every year. Same happens with Jacaranda trees, they have a distinct scent that again reminds me of Nan's garden. The scent of Star Jasmine flowering in December heralds the arrival of summer and Christmas. The smell of Zucchini slice cooking reminds me of my Nan's old-fashioned cooking skills that took place in her kitchen. The smell of a lawn mower cutting grass reminds me of my childhood playing with mowers.

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