Only last week I was sitting down to write about our time in Ford’s GT Mustang and the conclusion from that review was, in standard form, it’s a very compelling car.
It might have 53 years of heritage, nostalgia and tradition in its mirrors, but it can stand tall in 2017 on its own wheels as engaging and rewarding. We said it was a “feel good” car.
Our greatest praise was reserved for compliance that didn’t sacrifice handling, steering especially in comfort mode, outstanding brakes and an engine and exhaust package that to us felt stronger than the numbers might indicate.
If so inclined, watch this motor video to hear some reinforcement especially David Morely’s comment about the engine and John Bowes comments about dampening.
Unable to test on a track, we took a stab at what the cars weakness might be when pushed harder than our brief allowed.
This sets the stage for our review of the Tickford enhancement packs for the GT Mustang and a first impression review on the Ranger enhancement packages.
Firstly though I would like to talk a little bit about Tickford.
Tickford- 2016
Unlike the joint-venture partnership resulting in Tickford Vehicle Engineering Pty Ltd (TVE) being established in 1991 as the high-performance car division of Ford in Australia, the name is the same but there is no association with Ford in any capacity. In the space of 10 hours and being a witness to three different consumer focused entities, I lost count of the times I heard this explained.
It is vitally important to them you understand this.
The Tickford of today is what’s called a “post registration” enhancement company with no connection to Ford at all.
During a lunch break, after seeing this effort, I asked of Tickford if it was a mistake to use the Tickford name given the length of explaining and effort that was being put into the distinction between “then” and “now”.
“No not at all came a non-hesitant reply”
They (Tickford) went on to explain that while the specifics of the company structure are very different, the brand synergies are not.
“Tickford is a brand we own, Prodrive Racing Australia is a brand we use under licence from David Richards”
“This is who we are, this is our identity”
“Driven by passion” motivated Tickford in the 90s. An intricate part thereof was making a connection with the consumer at a core level which ultimately allowed better focus and product relativity.
I saw this myself multiple times where a drive on a nice bit of road promoted “shop talk” as Tickford put it. Always thinking of ways to improve. Always listening for suggestions that might deliver better outcomes. There is an evolution more than revolution taking place at Glenbarry Road.
I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to use that street address in an article again. There is something spiritual about that location for Ford enthusiasts of the last two decades.
Listing in order of focus and attention, consumers were number one. It might surprise you just how far down the list they placed themselves.
As someone who grew up with Tickford, the time afforded to me, the way questions were answered, nothing was off the table. Open, honest and with integrity, that synergy, that heartbeat, it is there as it once was.
“To start again with a fresh brand only to say the same things, the Tickford brand allows us to leverage that past while our actions demonstrate the consistency people have come to expect from the name”
The Tickford brand is exclusive to Ford product. Dilution, to appear on another brand other than the blue oval, is not an option.
Always on the lookout for product opportunities, business not sentimentality comes first.
Our core readership asked about Falcon opportunities and I must admit I wasn’t sold on the business case as it stands. When it is effectively a bring your own car baseline, how many Falcons are already in the market from which to draw?
Well I wasn’t till it this question was answered in a way that paints perfect clarity and I understand now why it is the way it is.
As a post registration company, direct relevance is important. “Eyes Forward” and not looking back is a requirement that not only makes business sense, from a statement sense it also gives clarity.
Compliance is important to everyone these days so working to the standards applicable for post registration companies, which is different to original equipment companies, Tickford pay to test such things as airbag deployment, stability control system integrity as well as noise and emissions compliance.
The facility:
More can be found about the facility at the link including an overview map of showing the breakdown of testing provided: http://www.aarconline.com/“AARC Australia's unique vehicle proving ground.
The Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC) offers an extensive range of automotive engineering services to all vehicle and component manufacturers.
AARC occupies a 1000 hectare site near Anglesea, 125km south-west of Melbourne and is the largest privately owned and independently operated automotive testing facility in Australia.
Test facilities encompass virtually all driving conditions found in Australia, accommodating vehicles from passenger cars and four wheel drives to heavy trucks and mining equipment. There are many test roads and a variety of surfaces, including a 4.2km hot mixed surface road designed for testing component and vehicle durability. Other roads and sites include a series of gravel and dirt surfaces designed specifically to test road and in-cabin noise, suspension, braking and traction control systems, dust entry, cooling systems, chassis durability for trucks, and many other aspects of vehicle performance. There are also areas designed and approved for testing and development relating to Australian Design Rules (ADR).
AARC also offers extensive testing for four wheel drive components and vehicles. There are many kilometres of roads and tracks with varied terrain, gradients and surfaces. Test areas include vehicle fording, mud bath, rocky terrain, and approach and departure angles”
All independently tested to give consumer piece of mind.
This comes from a place of being conservative to the approach of modification which in turns comes from original manufacturing awareness from within the Tickford group of which there are just 15 people in total.
The sort of standards we are talking about here is ADR 35/01 where modifications are tested by Bosch Australia to be with in the allowable tolerance of electronic stability systems.
An extra 5 decibels are allowed over original manufacturing for noise under a static test. The 360 package, designed to work with both coupe and fast back body styles only just complies.
We are also talking VSB 14 National Code of Practice where considerations of staying within 20% of manufacturers stated powered and torque are observed.
The seat stitching has changed. That means it needs to be tested where airbags are involved. The Tickford seats are extremely close of Ford’s own standard for deployment.
Adjustable ride height coils are provided but the body remains 20mm above measured off the lowest underslung component of the car as seen in the pictures here.
They even looked at the GT350 steering wheel and doing a re-trim but as that wheel isn’t ADR complaint in this country, it’s a no go. It is entirely about realising that all the pieces fit together and can have an impact on each other or if you like, a holistic business approach towards totality.
“What happens down the track if you need to replace a Tickford specific part?
The consumer protection for a term of 7 years applies.
On the quality side, there is an increasing evolution to move into areas that have been reserved for original manufacturing supply. An example being that the Ford optioned sports bar on Ranger and the one offered by Tickford are from the same company. Where possible there is a desire to utilise Australian suppliers.
3M another renowned company who many would know adorned more than just a few FPVs vinyl installations over the years are part of that supply chain.
Australian specification non-slip coating on the steps of the Ranger.
Just about to wash Symmons plains off the Ranger
I could go on but I think you get the idea.
Did I mention there is a race team standing in the back ground?
For me personally, if you are talking cars and passion, racing is in the mix and adds personal satisfaction complimenting the ownership experience.
It’s not there yet but I can see a future where the Tickford ownership experience extends past the metal owned towards being part of that greater family.
Ranger
Never have I been able to cheat as much with a review as I have been able to here.
As people drove the cars I was able to pick them off one by one for their impressions. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. As they stepped out, there I was to get those first impressions and in some cases I followed up the next day.
Having never been in a Ranger prior to this let alone driven one, the first thing you quickly discover is why they are so popular.
This was a Wildtrak enhanced car but the packages are also available on XLS and XLT spec donor cars. Just ignoring the Tickford enhancements for a moment, the Ranger is a impressive place to spend some time. It reminded me of my time in Ford’s Mondeo a year ago but just higher off the ground.
It was very car like in its compliance and of its body control restraint for a car of this height. It was referred to as a “sports truck” and I think that’s about as perfect as a description as it could be given.
The engine response, especially in moving from an 80kph to 110kph zone was impressive, as was its overtaking ability.
So it was with great interest I questioned people who drove this car, people who did have experience with the standard car in either ownership or dealership capacity.
These people were forthcoming with their opinions with the suspension receiving the highest praise and then the engine response being a world apart from what they owned.
Hearing what others were to say and just how much of an improvement this (Tickford enhancement) car is over the standard offering makes me conclude I wouldn’t be happy with the standard version, the ability to get to highways speeds with acceptable feel and overtaking ability being a possible frustration in standard form for me.
The same goes for the suspension. It’s ride quality I rated as very good for a ute with no load in the back. It’s resistance to roll was impressive by compliance standards but potentially on a higher demanding drive, my own preference would be slightly less pitch again.
Having said that keep in mind my own cars are low riding performance sedans. I am probably not the best reviewer of a Ranger we could have picked from the forum if I am honest.
In fact in my 100km trip I only came across one instance of unrefined behaviour where the auto transmission thumped into a lower gear. I tried to make it repeat it but couldn’t so I have put it in the “just one of those things” baskets for now. The transmission tune isn’t touched by Tickford.
The other thing I did note and it became rather obvious, was the attention this car received. It was universally liked by nearly all who saw it and on the road, I got lots of thumbs ups.
Personally, I have no issue with any of it. I get the look, in fact, I don’t get that sort of attention in my own cars.
My verdict here would be to say that this Tickford version is my minimum standard of performance I would consider as a consumer. Features and quality appeared to be good from a donor perspective but judging from the response of owners and feedback given to me I would need this tune bumping power by 15% and torque by 20%.
I have probably upset the entire Ranger population of Australia, but I must conclude in standard form, the engine needs “more” to likely be acceptable to my tastes, especially so after driving this enhanced version. I wouldn’t want to go “back” now after this experience.
In every other regard, it’s very much a car like experience that Tickford has correctly applied the term “enhanced”. Identify the areas for attentions and executed without creating conflict or separation. Even the towing and load capacity remains unaffected.
I can’t dispute the Sport Truck appeal in attention and appearance. From the rims to the vinyl, to the side exhaust tips, to the interior leather trim and everything in between, there is something there for everyone in a personalisation approach to the Ranger product.
www/tickford.com.au
The Mustang GT 360.
In very recent news we learn Australia is now the biggest market by volume for Mustang outside America. Mustang is second only to Ranger in the current local Ford portfolio.
When you google “the worlds most modified car”, Ford’s Mustang will feature in most compositions.
I have a confession to make.
In 1998 I purchased a new AU XR8. Not long later I started to modify it. It cornered much flatter with little sacrifice in road comfort at the time. The stance however made that car.
Since that time, the roads I drive on have deteriorated and road maintenance isn’t what it used to be. The car no longer handles the increasing mid corner bumps like it should and that means the satisfaction level has given way to frustration on anything that’s not dead flat and smooth.
There have been times on bad roads where the concentration for bump and hole avoidance has been taxing. I am over that. I don’t want to go back to that sort of car for the sake of a look.
The other thing I am over is an exhaust that intrudes on what I call “my time” where I just want to think or listen to quality music. Unlike Ranger where I had no experience with said product, this time a lowered performance car is pretty much what I have lived in for 19 years.
Tasmania isn’t a nice place to be in a car with no compliance and I think we need to cover a few home truths when it comes to lowering.
It’s all about the stance. In some cases, you might be looking to control roll or reduce some rebound settling issues but in the main it’s about getting a look. I did it, I have not altered it because I want to maintain the “look” but I acknowledged now that I must drive my own car differently as road conditions have evolved.
I was heartened by the fact that Tickford said originally the package being considered was deemed too harsh but truthfully remained sceptical. This to me indicated that ride compliance was on the “internal radar” so at least that’s a starting point to look for in the cars behaviour. In further displays of honesty it was mentioned that the delay with the suspension package was, in their own words, a “failing.”
I remember at Bathurst October 2016 Tickford employees commenting about this aspect and how they were sold on the stance but what was under there wasn’t to their liking and needed to change.
As I understand it, what is under the car now is a specifically developed for Mustang package by a yet to be announced supplier where Tickford have tuned it to their tastes.
As the “third consideration” package, I probably wouldn’t have said the effort here was any sort of failing but rather a desire to get the package to the point of putting the brand name behind it.
The road we are now heading to holds a specific challenge for my own cars.
The XR6 standard set up is too soft and the modified Xr8 is too hard.
When you lower a car, you are really compromising its ability to cope with compression through spring reduction which is why you normally end up with a stiffer set up. If in any part of the travel the car bottoms in the suspension system it results in shock of an opposing force.
It’s really important that when you lower a car the spring rate is matched to the damper ability in use and that it won’t allow the bump stop to be impacted.
If you also watched all our standard Mustang videos you might have noticed one where the rear of the car stepped out on what was a reasonable bump. Andrew and I start to discuss it and it’s on point because it followed on from a conversation the previous day. I personally felt this is where the standard car might fall over and just felt a car like a Sprint for example would handle that better and get back to “0” a fraction quicker in settling. I would also point out John Bowes comments on the standard car and his point on damper control. Ever so slightly I could see myself wanting a tune of the front control towards being tighter as well.
It was a wet track at Winton for JB but I am guessing what he is saying is very similar to me and my preference for control when the suspension is being asked to do more. The ask is being upped and that is when a softer set up can work against you. Equally, you can go too stiff. When you do that the suspension isn’t working, it’s delayed in its responses putting a lot more impact back into the tyre sidewall. Over corrugations it will attempt to skip over them giving you a skating feeling where it doesn’t take much lateral shift to move the car around. If I say the standard Mustang spring/damper set up is or should be considered soft, that’s not implying that it’s without control. It is balanced but it’s been done in a way that is targeting a particular type of driver engagement.
In the end, you need to work out the compromises to make it fit in a liveable window for the range of questions that will be track specific. Away from a track the ask is nearly unlimited and uncontrolled due to the range of environmental issues and inconsistencies every day cars face.
I realise I can’t speak for you all but myself I am more towards moving to the next rung of the ladder and getting more control in the package. I don’t like the feeling the rear is waiting to catch me out and that’s what the standard car made me feel like if it were to be driven harder.
If you have driven a Sprint and a Mustang I think you will see easily the difference. In Falcon language the Tickford is more towards the Rspec set up in the front and just off it in the rear which is what I would want. The rear of Rspec is where I have an issue. If like me you feel the same way, chances are you will feel the same way about Tickford’s work here.
I feel they identified a deficiency in the standard cars set up and from what I could tell it felt better in this regard.
You have the stance, now comes the noise
I loved that the standard GT was restrained. It isn’t a bad sound track off the shelf but I feel I am in the minority here as understated and Mustang don’t gel too well. The majority of owners I know just say it’s too quiet so let’s go there.
Like the standard car, I want this as a daily and that means it has to respect my thinking time and be relatively silent at highway speeds.
I am pleased to report it’s a feature that’s translated through into the Tickford Mustang sound track.
Personally, I love bass. This system compliments standard in that respect but gives it a meaner more muscle car sound. Tickford have taken advantage of the extra 5dp afforded to post registration static tests and have in my opinion used it to good effect. At idle and in- gear mobility, inside there is reverberation that serves to pump the chest out and have the hairs on the neck to stand taught. It is arguably even better from the outside.
Combine the note with the new purposefully looking carbon wrapped quad tips housed in a new rear valance, both visual and aural senses are pleased.
This cat back system including the new bumper insert comes at a $3390 ask. You also retain the original equipment so you can store it, sell it, do with it what you like and that goes for all options where parts are fully exchanged.
Everywhere and I mean everywhere, this car created so much attention that I can’t honestly say if it’s the exhaust sound or its stance that worked the crowds the most.
The engine tune was loved by all as well. I am no exception.
Lifting power from 306 to 360kws and torque from 530 to 585 nm via hi- flow cold air intake, throttle body spacer, 3 inch cat back exhaust and tune resulted in these sorts of comments.
“Driving cars like that make my job make sense”
“That’s how they should come from the factory. (Obviously that is not possible but we get the sentiment)”
“You never feel like you have to rev this thing to get acceptable response”
Add to this is a fuel reading coming up from Hobart to Devonport of 8.8 l/100kms with cruise set to the speed limit, it has a toe in both consumer considerations of power and economy.
I said in the original review I would need to be convinced about a supercharger application, the added weight and what control measures were taken to control that foremost in my mind.
I can report that I wasn’t the only one saying that after they drove the 360 kw package.
In my 30 minute drive, there is no question the performance is spread across the rev range. It’s more liberated everywhere where in standard trim its mid to late in the revs where it works best. Here its more progressive from lower in the range and that’s never a bad thing because with the appearance as in stance and a sound track akin to Thor gargling nails, it’s the totality of these complimentary sensations you experience that stays with you longest.
That’s why everyone who got out of that car beamed. There wasn’t one thing over another that consistently stood out where as with Ranger, with dealer reps it was suspension and with owners it was engine. Mustang it was everything. Not all agreed though.
One comment said the suspension was too firm for his tastes and pointed to the wheel package and not being a fan of 20 inch rims in general, while another said he felt it was better than the RS ride quality that he drove the week before. That guy went on to say he was converted. He was going RS but now his sights were on Mustang. I must admit I am in the same boat now myself.
I did feel the noise level in this car was slightly up over standard and that’s possibly due to the change in rubber from P zeros. Dunlop’s have always made more road noise in my experience but then some people say the Pirelli’s are loud too. It’s not my experience having now owned the P zero on the Sprint for a few kms and over 2000kms in said shod Mustang back in March.
I personally like the rim design with the Tickford centre cap emblem. Offered in black here but with a silver option coming, I think that gives a better match for some exterior paint colours. Measuring 9.5 at the front and 11 inches at the rear shod with Dunlop Sport Max RT tyres, the same brand and compound that took out Motors 2016 tyre test in 19 inch /235 form.
On test the pressures run were identical to those of the standard car which means the tyre pressure monitor system remains intact bringing this package to $4490.
As is the case with the Ranger, there is no speedo calibration issue with the option of wheels and tyres offered.
Silver Rim option
On more than one occasion conservative was mentioned and I think that’s good thing when it comes to the potential for issues. You can push too far so while there is warranty that runs concurrently with that offered by Ford covering the aspects of Tickfords work, it’s also important to understand the likelihood by being conservative is less. Sure there is such a thing as bad luck and for peace of mind the process in place is seamless focusing on the consumer and their needs first. There has been a lot of work put in to this part of the business that backs these packages.
Mustang and muscle have more in common than just their starting letter and I think what Tickford have achieved here is to unquestionably bring that factor back to the Mustang brand.
It’s about stance and noise. The court of public opinion over the day I was involved with Tickford adjudicated with clarity. Black on red works straight up here. Unlike the AFL equivalent colour scheme, there is no question about the validity of performance enhancing substances in play.
The Tickford of old, David Flint himself, would never appease the fans if form came at the expense of function. “Can we please have bonnet vents David? No, they aren’t functional.”
A car brand that carries the modification tag with honour, this car is short of body kit enhancements that border on the taste side of OPSM. You won’t see that offered by Tickford and that’s a good thing.
Maybe a small discreet boot lip spoiler might see the light of day.
It’s understated but at the same time smacks you straight between the eyes with aggression that comes from that stance. If you don’t think that looks good you need to cut yourself as your blood won’t be blue. The relationship between rim and body is perfect and that leaves you to take in the rest of the lines that are unadulterated by assault. The quad tips make a statement visually as much as the noise coming from them does aurally.
We generally don’t do performance testing here so this was no exception. It’s going to be faster if that matters to you but for me it’s about body control over any other aspect and to find the trade-offs are acceptable to me was a surprise. I wasn’t expecting that to be honest.
I want that look, that sound and an association I grew up with because above all else what I like most is that it brings some Australian to the American icon. Functional, considerate and above all driven by passion. That’s not just a slogan, a throwaway line, but true understanding of what Tickford has always represented to Ford enthusiasts. I saw that in the time I spent with Tickford, saw that in the reaction of people they interacted with that day and most of all saw it in the products I sampled of which the 360 Mustang package was a highlight. It was certainly my highlight and if you like me were sitting on the fence with Mustang thinking it is just not quite what you were looking for, these performance options that can be installed at your discretion (stages) goes a very long way to removing doubt.
This is a package that can sell cars for Ford because I know it had that impact on me.
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Originally Posted by Carroll Shelby
CL Champs 2019 for the 6th time 
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