Table of contents for January 2021 in Fast Car

STYLING: 90-spec front bumper - modified with lower section of Sapphire RS Cosworth bumper grafted in to accept modified RS500 lower splitter, air intakes modified and enlarged, Alfa Romeo front number plate plinth, tinted headlights, custom headlamp air intake scoop, smoked front indicators with USA-spec running lights, smoked repeaters and taillights, carbon bonnet pin holders and Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4 bonnet vents, VW Polo wiper arms grafted into Escort arms (to allow fitment of OEM floppy wipers), cut-down OEM wing mirrors, Audi 80 door handles, de-locked doors, carbon roof skin, carbon A pillars, carbon scuttle panel, BMW E36 convertible third brake light, RS1700T bootlid and blade - with BMW E30 M3 Evo spoiler lip in carbon, BMW E46 Sport rear diffuser modified and grafted in to rear bumper, VW Polo…

STYLING: Rosso Red paint, Border front bumper, Tom’s sideskirts, smoothed Autopista rear bumper, TRD rear spoiler (blade wrapped in carbon vinyl), RPM custom front splitter, RPM custom sideskirt splitters, black aluminium mesh grilles, kouki rear lights, smoked front lights, smoked side repeaters, Hella High-tone horns, LED sidelights and number plate lights, aerial delete TUNING: 3S-GTE 2.0-litre, CT26 hybrid turbo – built by Turbo Dynamics, multi-layer steel head gasket, uprated intercooler with upgraded cooling fan (switched from inside car), upgraded aluminium radiator with twin fan setup, TVIS delete plate, D1 Spec adjustable fuel pressure regulator, RPM custom exhaust manifold heatshield, full stainless exhaust system, Walbro 255 fuel pump, lightweight crank pulley, lightweight Fidanza flywheel, Stage 1 Exedy racing clutch kit, Turbosmart compact BOV (recirc/ atmospheric), Turbosmart dual-port manual boost controller (high/low…

Name: Tom Clarke Job Role: Marketer who oversees the UK marketing office, advert placement and key account marketing fulfilment It might look like we haven’t made much progress with the Amazon this month but I can promise you I haven’t been caught up watching Dickinson’s Real Deal or Loose Women. Instead I’ve been doing all those fiddly but essential mods that will finally get this build across the line. Since the engine has been installed, the brake and clutch lines have now all been fitted and tested, and I’ve had a carbon fibre coil pack mount made and installed too, as well an intake plenum and polished throttle body, both sourced from a 1.8T 20v. Of course, as with any custom build there’s been a few challenges along the way…

So, after 15 plus years, more issues than I can count (magazine issues that is, not personal!), 20k plus posts on the Fast Car website and more social media posts than I’ve had meal deals, the time has come for me to say goodbye to Fast Car. Yep, that’s right I am out the exit door with Jules and Midge, leaving behind what has undoubtedly been the most crazy, fun and fantastic time of my life. From hitting the road with photographers past and present to shoot feature cars, cruises and shows, to travelling the globe on crazy road trips such as the Gumball 3000, the Scum Run... damn, I even bagged a trip to China for a week with the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team. Sure, times have changed…

OK, yes, I know I actually left to go and do a proper job last month, in fact, these words are the only thing I’ve had to write for the whole issue - I didn’t even have to blow my trumpet in my features! But, to be fair, I’d only be at home talking bollocks about myself anyway, so I might as well drop the mic at the same time as Jules and Glenda, by showing you some of the project cars that I can actually find pictures of. I started FC in early 2004, bringing along my Fiesta Zetec-S for a feature, a car that I still own, although it’s actually in bits. After that I built this candy red MX-5, which I also still own… er, and yes,…

SLIM JULES EDITOR “My biggest Fast Car muck up? Missing a shoot and my flight home after a night out in Dundee, that or pissing myself!” MIDGE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR “Erm, I put a spoof magazine called Arse Car together once. It nearly got the editor and the publisher sacked.” INITIAL G ART EDITOR “Throwing a sickie saying I couldn’t go into work, went to see the missus only to end up in my car on the M4 next to Jules in his. Busted!” GLENDA WEBSITE EDITOR “The time I spent three hours looking for my hotel in Bangor, Northern Ireland, only to discover I’d booked it in Bangor, Wales.”…

Name: David Platt Age: 49 Instagram: @stuart6565 (That’s my twin brother!) Occupation: Logistics Favourite modification on your car: It’s hard to choose one! I’ll say the bootlid Track day or show-and-shine? We have cars for both Favourite show: Players Classic, Players North Weald, Westside, London Cartel, Essen, Gatebil, European Ford Event, trips to the Nürburgring, Rollhard, and Rollhard Belgium Favourite car: BMW E30 M3 Lessons learned from this project: None at all! Any future plans? I have a wheel swap planned, but will keep the THs… there are other cars to restore; we have another Mk4 Escort as a track car, two BMW E28s, an E30 and an E24 so we’re always tinkering…

NRG INNOVATIONS, £VARIOUS It’s always good to see the launch of a new products website, especially when they have one of the coolest ranges on the planet. NRG Innovations sell everything from racing gloves to buckets seats, but what really sets them apart is their collabs with the likes of Mad Mike and Forest Wang – the simple fact that these top-tier drifters want to be associated with NRG is testament in itself. Both Forest Wang and Mad Mike have a signature steering wheel range, while Mad Mike has also put his name to (quite literally) a selection of cool shifters. Other highlights on their website are the range of buckets seats in a number of special order and off-the-shelf colours, while the Gen 4 quick release boss looks next-level…

Name: Dale Masterman Job Role: Full-time Swirl Slayer & Events Coordinating Marketing Executive, Meguiar’s UK Last month I announced that the Jag was just weeks away from completion and four weeks on, we’re pretty much done. We’ve even booked the Fast Car photo shoot, and all going well, you’ll see the full reveal in next month’s issue – along with a world first modification that I’ve kept secret to add to the exclusivity of the build. But before we get too far ahead, let’s rewind a few weeks… Since the beginning of November, the guys at Swallows Racing have been working day and night to get the Jag back together. This entailed refitting the mirrors, sunroof, trims, rubbers, glass and much more. But they also gave me some lockdown homework,…

Progress this month has been largely focused on getting the TT to make cool noises. Swapping the headunit is something I’d been wanting to do for a while, because the original one had forgotten how to play CDs (which is a conceptually thorny position for a CD player) – plus the markings had rubbed off the buttons, and I’m not bright enough to figure out what they all do without clues. Initially I was looking at aftermarket stereos, because there’s so much good stuff on the market and you don’t have to spend much to get something that’s better than a factory-fit item. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of getting a decent OEM one; after all, they’re a slightly awkward size -…

STYLING: Full repaint in VW Pure Grey with gloss black roof, flush bonnet, side repeaters deleted, Autobra bonnet bra, Team Heko wind deflectors, Tauro Designs 3D plate, tinted headlights and indicators, grille and wing mirrors TUNING: 1.8T, RamAir intake, SAI delete, Forge diverter valve, Samco Sport TIP, boost and auxiliary hoses, custom EMP 3-inch turbo-back exhaust, Phantom Tuning ECU map, colour-coded engine cover, custom trimmed slam, black caps CHASSIS: 8.5x18-inch Rota D154 (ET15) - painted gloss black, 215/40 Toyo Proxes Sport tyres, black tuner bolts, EBC USR discs with YellowStuff pads, Air Lift Performance 3P air-ride kit INTERIOR: Cobra Misano recliners in custom teal vinyl, rear seats, doorcards, parcel shelf and armrest retrimmed to match, Kode steering wheel, Mishimoto shift knob, plastics painted black with colour-coded doorcards AUDIO: Kenwood headunit,…

The finish and presentation of this RS Turbo is utterly flawless throughout, with incredible attention to detail. You’ve no doubt seen it at various shows over the years. But don’t go thinking it’s a show pony or garage queen – David built this to drive and enjoy, and that’s exactly what he does. “The car gets driven to all the shows,” he assures us. “We take it over to the European Ford Event in Holland, and it gets a trip to the Nürburgring every year. I love the attention it gets, and never get tired of doing little bits on it. And what really makes it special is the people I’ve met through the scene.” See, cars are for driving – get out there and enjoy them, it’s good for…

One of the most important parts of any build is hiding the bills from your other half, everyone knows that. But Jamie’s pal stitched him up like a kipper… “My best friend had prepared a Best Man speech for my wedding,” he says, “about the truths in how much money was spent on the car, and the secret packages that arrived at his house for me to avoid questions being asked. Many pounds spent that my wife was blissfully unaware of, until our wedding day!” Honestly, with friends like these……

STYLING DMAX bonnet, Ganador wing mirrors with Aerowolf visors, BN Sports Type 1 aero, BN Sports 50mm front arches, Origin 50mm rear arches, 1700mm Big Country Labs spoiler with uprights and hardware, Aerowolf spoiler endplates and canards, Frolikalley hatch wing INTERIOR KEY’S Racing 330mm suede steering wheel, AEM wideband, GReddy turbo gauge, Apexi Power FC hand commander, VIP table, Bosozoku train handle, Hannya Omamori charm, Garage Moon Power mats TUNING Streetported series 5 13B-T (stock 550cc primary fuel injectors, Bosch 1600cc secondary fuel injectors on modified fuel rail), FSE fuel pressure regulator with braided AN6 fuel lines, Koyo radiator and electric fan, custom front mount intercooler, HKS Super SQV BOV, HKS Twin Power, Warlbro 255 fuel pump and 1.5L swirl pot with DeatschWerks 350iL external fuel pump, HKS cast manifold,…

If you’re a normal person and have skipped ahead of the bit where we Editor’s waffle on about the contents of the issue and have jumped straight into the juicy, shiny and oily bits, then let me introduce myself. My name is Dan Sherwood and I’ll be steering the good ship Fast Car from the next issue onwards, as Jules is moving up in the world and becoming a publishing big cheese (or something to that effect). You’ll still see him around though, but it’ll mainly be in video form as he continues cultivating his ‘influencer’ status presenting Fast Car TV. Anyway, enough about him and me, let’s get stuck into the motors! As a dedicated petrolhead, I love all things four-wheeled and fast, but due to being editor of…

That’s right readers, this is officially my last issue as Editor of this fine publication. However, I’m still going to be involved in Fast Car behind the scenes and in front of the YouTube cameras, but for now this will be my last Projects entry. I’m not sure how many I’ve had in the past but it’s fair to say it’s been rather a lot over the past 18-years and 6-months. It all started back in 2002 when I introduced myself and a green Calibra 4x4 Turbo to the FC fleet, famous for its green button that basically upped the boost, the Vauxhall eventually made way for a manual 3.0-litre Mk4 Supra, this Supra then made way for an auto twin turbo version that by the end of my build…

For over 20 years, the Dodge Viper was consistently one of the most iconic US sports cars. It was unashamedly brash; a huge capacity naturally aspirated V10 powered the rear wheels via a six speed manual transmission and a curious absence of traction or stability controls in the early days. Its driving characteristics were renowned for being unforgiving, but as the car evolved throughout its life it went from being, er, agricultural (to be polite) to becoming one of the most impressive sports cars on the planet by the time the 2016 Viper ACR arrived. It might be officially discontinued now, but I would’t bet against seeing a new Viper again at some stage in the future.…

QUOTES OF THE DECADE That’s right, we’ve dug out some of our favourite quotes of all time… Glenda: “Ken Block has done a video with Neymar.” Jules: “What the lost fish?” Glenda: “No the footballer you penis.” Initial G: “I coughed up brown phlegm this morning?” Glenda: “Did you eat some chocolate.” Initial G: “No, not in the morning!” Jules: “Did you rim someone?” Glenda: “That would be a bit worrying as he lives on his own.” Initial G: “Yeah, I’m not that flexible!” Jules: “So, are you saying if you could lick your own bum you would?” Initial G: “No, I did not say that.” Midge: “My mum was born in the same year as Madonna.” G: “How does she compare?” Midge: “I would rather shag Madonna.” Glenda: “Just…