What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[DFB5.0]

I had one exactly like this in the early 70s also. Wish I still had it.

Spotted the same colour combo while out for a drive this morning, so beautiful.

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[kilobravo]

But, at least you can see some of my words in action with this time lapse.

And, we finally get to see The Man and this time he's getting an academy award! <grinning>

A HUGE CONGRATS on the new ride's arrival D and I loved the time lapse. <smile>

 

[DFB5.0]

And, we finally get to see The Man and this time he's getting an academy award! <grinning>

A HUGE CONGRATS on the new ride's arrival D and I loved the time lapse. <smile>

Geez, I don't look very happy do I...........................

 

[DFB5.0]

One of the things I had anticipated about my leave, the ability to just step out into the garage and tinker away without a time limit. With two next two days on back on the tools, I decided to just take the opportunity to just hang.

And in case you thought the poor old Falcon's were being ignored, no way! The XR8 was taken out yesterday for no other reason but to just drive it. Having just driven the Mustang, it gave me a chance to compare.

Naturally, the Mustang is the better car. The last Falcon came off the line in 2016, which was based on a model that launched in 2008, which was based on a model that launched in 2002, then 1998, then 1988.......................you get the point. And while the S650 Mustang underpinnings are well proven by this stage, its superiority over the Falcon's is the result of a bigger budget and two generational changes.

However...............................there is a refreshing simplicity to driving a Falcon. While all the tech and customization of the Mustang is impressive, and fun to play with, it's also extremely distracting. And then there's the various drive modes, which can then be further customized to create your own favorite mode. Well, it gets to the point where you end up second guess if you chose the right mode, which then becomes another distraction.

In the Falcon's, you press the unlock button on the key, no keyless entry here, then put the key into the ignition to start the engine, no push button or remote start either. You then put it into gear and release the actual handbrake. Then you drive it. That's it. No modes, no endless screen menu's.

And engine wise, despite sharing parentage, they are very different animals (see what I did there). The S650 Mustang seems more endowed with torque compared to my early S550, but it's got nothing on the idle to redline torque characteristic of the Falcon's supercharged Miami V8. It's this complete contrast that I love so much about owning both.

Please Note - none of the above is me complaining or sh.tting on one or the other. I've always been analytical, this case is no different. I'm extremely fortunate to have both, which is not lost on me, I love them all for different reasons.

With that said, today was the XR6's turn for attention. Soap of choice here being the delightful Opti-Coat M-Wash, drying aid ADS Amplify, interior wiped down with the transcendent ADS Pilot. With the extra time on my hands, I went over all of the interior glass in addition to the exterior (I hate doing interior glass). The engine bay was wiped down with ECH20, switching back to Amplify for the wheels. Tyres dressed with an old favorite, NV Onyx.

Back to spec, I then put the XR6 back into its position and covered up for the time being.

 

[DFB5.0]

Engine Bay!

The engine bay on delivery was in ok condition, but needed some attention to bring it up to spec. At the first wash, I simply wiped it down using Carpro ECH20, but I could see a couple of areas that would need a little more work.

The first thing you notice when opening a S650 hood is the prop rod is GONE! Finally, Ford are now installing gas struts on the production line. At $60,000 for my S550, that was a bit rude, so a prop rod on a $100k Ford would have been downright nasty.

In this case, there was no need for brushes and all-purpose cleaner, or even a dressing. So, a simple rinse down removed what I think was salt residue and any dust that had accumulated prior to shipment and delivery. And before you freak out, yes, I used the pressure washer.

After the rinse and while still wet, this would be where you would apply a water-based dressing such as Carpro Perl, KCx Motorplast or my favorite, Meguiar's Hyper Dressing. However, I decided to just blow dry and wipe over with more ECH20, which I find works really well on black plastics.

The end result, a fresh engine bay.

For comparison, this was my S550 engine bay in standard and modified form. I wish Ford kept the coil covers, and I also note they have included a remote positive terminal post for battery charging. To make way for the dual intake system, the coolant bottle has moved from in front of the radiator to beside the strut tower. Otherwise, the engine bay panels are carried over from S550.

Modifications to the engine? I do want to add the Ford Performance catch can when it becomes available. This and other parts I would have bought well in advance, but the usual Mustang aftermarket suppliers have been extremely slow in releasing parts for S650. I guess they have been waiting for cars to hit the ground, but they have been missing out on customers like me who would have got in early.

Also on the list, I want to get the Roush intake kit, which is basically two high-flow air filters with clear airbox lids. They say that it reduces intake restriction by 30 percent, in turn "increases throttle response, and enhances the sound of your engine—giving you an aggressive growl when you push the pedal". How true that is I don't know, I just like the look and if it boosts induction note, then I'll be happy.

MY24+ ROUSH Air Intake System | Ford S650 Mustang GT (MY24+) | Tickford Performance Australia

Seeing as I had all the gear out, and the car being wet anyway, I decided to wash the car again. Why? Because why not!

Carpro Reset was used on the wheels, also used on for the rest of the wash and teamed with the Microfiber Madness Deli-Pad. ADS Amplify was again the drying aid, Invisible glass on the windows, ADS Adapt on the wheels and OG Tire Dressing for the rubber.

Next up for the Mustang, next week will be about polishing and coating the exterior.

 

[kilobravo]

Geez, I don't look very happy do I.

I tried like hell to find a frame where you were facing the camera and smiling but I never saw one. But I figure, any time you have a foam cannon in your hand, I KNOW you're happy so that's the one I picked. <smile>

Can't wait for the polishing next week!

 

[skinnyb]

Little weekend project. I have put Carpro Hydro on every wash so far since getting it, but I want to do a proper coating before the winter time hits. So away we go... I've had this bottle of coating for months, time to try it out. More to come, stay tuned. Gonna make a weekend of it while the car is up in the air. Brake fluid flush plus clean and coat the calipers too...

 

[skinnyb]

Well, I just powered thru and got the coating done, all buttoned up and back together. Will do brake fluid another day . My energy just plain ran out... That said, the wheels turned out amazing, Gyeon Q2 Rim lays down really nice, a bit grabby at times but it was pretty humid here today. Cleaned and coated the calipers too. And all YouTube university said about half to 2/3 of the bottle for a full set of wheels and calipers. I say that is about right... All in all a successful day.. And no the HP Birdcage wheels are not fun to do , I believe they are worse than PP wheels if that is possible. Now I didn't even attempt to polish due to them being a matte finish...

 

[GT 550]

And so, here is my YouTube on camera debut.........................



Yeah, I know, that's cheating. But, at least you can see some of my words in action with this time lapse . I did the driver's side wheels before turning the camera on so that there wasn't a delay before the action started. I'm multi-media-tasking here, hence the pauses in action to take stills.

Time lapse

You're not kidding anyone .

Holy sheet...you could call your mowing business 'Grass...Gone in 6 seconds'.

Congratulations on the new steed mate it's a very lucky car

 

[MAGS1]

Well, I just powered thru and got the coating done, all buttoned up and back together. Will do brake fluid another day . My energy just plain ran out... That said, the wheels turned out amazing, Gyeon Q2 Rim lays down really nice, a bit grabby at times but it was pretty humid here today. Cleaned and coated the calipers too. And all YouTube university said about half to 2/3 of the bottle for a full set of wheels and calipers. I say that is about right... All in all a successful day.. And no the HP Birdcage wheels are not fun to do , I believe they are worse than PP wheels if that is possible. Now I didn't even attempt to polish due to them being a matte finish...

Hopefully the coating holds up well for you. I ran Q2 Rim for a summer and it was dead after 6 months. C5 Wheel Armor held up well though it was starting to break down towards the end of the season last year. I used Ethos Max for this season and my wheels still bead and shed water like the coating is still new. Very happy with how it turned out. I may polish them out and re-coat them this winter again but if I don’t, it appears there’s still plenty of protection there.

 

[skinnyb]

Hopefully the coating holds up well for you. I ran Q2 Rim for a summer and it was dead after 6 months. C5 Wheel Armor held up well though it was starting to break down towards the end of the season last year. I used Ethos Max for this season and my wheels still bead and shed water like the coating is still new. Very happy with how it turned out. I may polish them out and re-coat them this winter again but if I don’t, it appears there’s still plenty of protection there.

Yeah I bought this probably 7 or 8 months ago and wanted to use it. It was a mixed bag review wise. Pretty much a toss up between C5 and Q2 Rim. Next time I definitely will be buying Armour Detail Supply wheel and their quartz for the paint. I am completely sold on their products. Based on our own forum expert . Mine is not a daily driver so I hope to get at least a year. I also apply Hydro every wash which helps extend any coating.

 

[MAGS1]

Yeah I bought this probably 7 or 8 months ago and wanted to use it. It was a mixed bag review wise. Pretty much a toss up between C5 and Q2 Rim. Next time I definitely will be buying Armour Detail Supply wheel and their quartz for the paint. I am completely sold on their products. Based on our own forum expert . Mine is not a daily driver so I hope to get at least a year. I also apply Hydro every wash which helps extend any coating.

Yeah I thought I wanted to redo my coating on my car with DIY Detail, but I might give ADS a shot. I tested out Amplify on my spoiler yesterday and I’m impressed. Going to do the rest of the car tomorrow

 

[skinnyb]

Yeah I thought I wanted to redo my coating on my car with DIY Detail, but I might give ADS a shot. I tested out Amplify on my spoiler yesterday and I’m impressed. Going to do the rest of the car tomorrow

That's great. Literally everything I have of theirs I have been impressed. Bought gallons of most of it. Gonna do a Hero Rinseless wash tomorrow as my paint is just a little dusty. Wheels are on point now though . Gonna use a bit more of the Q2 Rim on my exhaust tips cause it's supposed to be good for high heat.

 

[DFB5.0]

Cluster Themes!

I'm going to get this out of the way right now, I like REAL gauges! I've made this analogy a few times, but it sums up my feelings on the demise of traditional gauge clusters. Ask a watch nerd what's their favorite watch, they are not going to name one of the countless "smart" watches on the market are they. A smart watch might technically provide a superior user experience, not to mention the ability to do more than keep time. But thing is, I don't buy a watch to make phone calls or pay for my coffee. And nor is a watch nerd, they want the tactility and old school charm and craftsmanship that comes with a classically designed time piece.

And so, the same applies to car gauge clusters. There is a beauty to a classic set of dials that move with the engine and speed of the car. Yes, you don't have the customizability, but I love seeing the needles dancing in front of me as I drive, it's just part of the experience of driving a car.

Some car companied have gone all in on this trend, some have played a balanced approach. Porsche for instance kept the traditional tachometer with a screen cast around it, which they have only recently changed to a full screen. The previous generation Mustang offered both traditional and digital gauge clusters depending on trim level. For me, what Ford did right was designing the screen to fit within a traditional hooded cluster, so it looked more natural.







For S650, Ford went all in, the oh so emotive hooded binnacle was canned for a flat, square screen. Actually, there are two versions of this. Lower spec models get two separate screens, one for the navigation/climate control/audio/mode selection, and one for the instrument cluster. High spec models, including all Australian Mustang's, have one large continuous screen. In reality, its actually two screens disguised by a single lens. I remember reading some prefer the two separate screens as it looked more natural and less dominating visually.





At first, I thought this setup was horrible. Ford threw out the traditional twin-hooded dashboard for what looked like something lifted from an Explorer. But here's the thing, if Ford didn't move with the times, they would have been crucified by the press, social influencers and customers. So, while the screens were not my preference, they are integral to the modern Mustang experience.

There is a lot to unpack in regard to the near endless customization offered by the new Mustang. For this post, I'm going to focus on the digital gauge cluster and the seven different themes to choose from.

Ford offer a couple of ways to select which cluster theme you want displayed in front of you. Firstly, if selected, you can have the cluster theme match the drive mode selected via the steering wheel mode buttons, which in theory is most logical. However, if for some reason you don't like Sport gauges with Sport drive mode, you can independently change the cluster, say Sport drive mode with Race Track cluster. This is undoubtably cool, but also somewhat distracting when on the move.

To independently choose a cluster design, press the pony button in front of the gear shifter to bring up the My Mustang page. From here, you can change a variety of settings including Track Apps (Line Lock and Drift Mode), display auxiliary gauges, customize the ambient and display lighting via the My Colour Tab, change the exhaust mode, select a gauge cluster theme, or create and store a custom mode with 6 different presets.

Once you select the Cluster Theme tab, you can then scroll through and select one of the 6 designs on offer. The theme will be displayed on in front of the driver as well as the main touchscreen to show your selection.

So, lets run through the themes on offer.

Calm - This is a very basic mode designed for the least distraction. I can't see myself ever using this mode.

Normal - I think this is the most visually cohesive, if a little un-Mustang like. It's clean, clear and modern. I also like how it simulates two traditional round gauges when compared to the next two.

Sport - This design I find a little hard to read. It certainly looks cool but lacks legibility at a glance.

Race Track - This theme removes a lot of the fluff to preset a very clear tachometer and a basic digital speed readout. Probably not my favorite, but I like how it bounces tachometer bar between gear shifts.

And now for the fun ones!

Fox Body '87 - '93 - When the S650 was unveiled, Ford got Mustang fans raving about the cluster theme that matched the green backlit gauges of the Fox Body Mustang's from the late 80's and early 90's. Actually, that green backlighting was not unique to Mustang, all US Ford's were the same. At first, I didn't see the appeal, why make your brand-new car look 30+ years old? However, this theme is simple, clean and is extremely easy to read. Although, no Fox Body could reach those engine or ground speeds.

Classic '67 - '68 - This design was only introduced a few months ago and is pure indulgence. It's not as legible as it could be due to the odd speed gradients, but it's undoubtably cool and a nice touch by Ford. My salesman chose this theme for delivery day, quite fitting with a classic Mustang parked right next to it in the delivery bay.

SVT Cobra '99 - '01 - Also recently introduced, this design will be recognizable for those familiar with the Mustang Cobra's Tickford converted to RHD back in the early 2000's for Ford Australia. Like the Fox Body theme, this setup is clean and very easy to read.

I will say, all three of these heritage cluster themes lack a digital speedometer, which is understandable considering the originals never had one either. However, with the 30 kph numbered increments, it can make typical Australian speed limits hard to sight. So, I would say be careful with this, especially for those in the same nanny state I live in.

So, which is my favorite? I really like the look of heritage cluster themes, especially the '67 - '68. However, I can see myself using the SVT Cobra design most, it's so clean and clear. Of the modern versions, I like the basic Normal setup. Boring, but again, it's cleaner and easy to read than the other options.

 

[DFB5.0]

Hopefully the coating holds up well for you. I ran Q2 Rim for a summer and it was dead after 6 months. C5 Wheel Armor held up well though it was starting to break down towards the end of the season last year. I used Ethos Max for this season and my wheels still bead and shed water like the coating is still new. Very happy with how it turned out. I may polish them out and re-coat them this winter again but if I don’t, it appears there’s still plenty of protection there.

Yeah I bought this probably 7 or 8 months ago and wanted to use it. It was a mixed bag review wise. Pretty much a toss up between C5 and Q2 Rim. Next time I definitely will be buying Armour Detail Supply wheel and their quartz for the paint. I am completely sold on their products. Based on our own forum expert . Mine is not a daily driver so I hope to get at least a year. I also apply Hydro every wash which helps extend any coating.

Yeah I thought I wanted to redo my coating on my car with DIY Detail, but I might give ADS a shot. I tested out Amplify on my spoiler yesterday and I’m impressed. Going to do the rest of the car tomorrow

There are plenty of great paint coatings on the market, of which I would gravitate towards Gyeon Mohs EVO, Gtechniq CSL/EXO and the ADS Quartz duo.

However, when it comes to wheel coatings, the ADS Wheel Coating is a clear leader for durability, hydrophobics and slickness. It costs more, but then it will last longer.

Armour Wheel Coating – Armour Detail Supply
ARMOUR Detail Supply Wheel Coating - Detailing Shed

Not being a daily and with the application of Hydr02 on a regular basis, you should get two years out of Q2 RIM. The main thing you miss out on with Q2 RIM would be slickness, but the Hydr02 would address that.

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