I bought the car new in 2018. Being a detailer and a dent repair guy, I came across quite a few of them and liked the shape, it tickled my fancy. So I decided to spoil myself with a brand new car.
They’re a great feel-good car – good value and good bang for your buck. The 5.0lt V8 drivetrain with six-speed auto is fantastic and they’re just fun to drive.
I’ve enjoyed it and have become busier with work and family commitments. So I don’t really get to enjoy it as much as I’d like. But when I do get to take it out, I have lots of fun in it.
I did a fair bit of work on it when I bought the car. The paint from the factory wasn’t that great.
Doing what I do (Sebastian is a dent repair and paint correction specialist) I did multistage corrections and enhancements and really got the paintwork looking nice. Then it was finished off with a ceramic coating, so the car looks quite different, almost like it’s got a custom paint job.
I always like to customise things and make them my own, so I started investigating body kits without going too crazy. I like the subtlety of the Roush kit, which includes the bonnet scoop and side vents in the rear, plus the rear spoiler. I matched that lot up to a USA GT boot lid.
I felt Herrod Performance were the go-to people when it came to Ford engine developments and the Stage 2 kit didn’t void the warranty. It includes a GT350 cold-air intake, 87mm throttle body and of course, the appropriate tune. We also matched that up to a MagnaFlow exhaust system.
All up it gives the car a deeper note and makes it noticeably more lively. For example, the Stage 2 kit promises an additional 50Nm at 1500rpm, which makes a big difference to the throttle response.
The brake package is substantial, but I decided to get in there and do a multi-translucent paint job on the Brembo calipers, with a ceramic coating, just to enhance them and bring them up a little bit.
I noticed with the cars that came with the standard paint on the calipers tended to fade a fair bit, so this was a way of preventing that, while making the car a little different.
Of course the Ferrada FR4 wheels help to show them off as well. They’re 20-inch rims, 9-inch on the front and 10.5 on the rear.
There are a lot of other subtle changes to the car. Hundreds of hours of labour have gone in to it, plus a lot of research. When I do anything, I want to make sure it’s going to work. I don’t just jump in. I’d rather think it through, plan it and then execute it.
The upper and lower front grilles are different to stock. I initially changed them over from Australian units to a USA pattern. Then I changed that up by cutting off the back of the grille, got some wire mesh cut to shape and powder coated it. That was fitted to the back of the grille to give it that wire translucent sort of look.
The effect is subtle, but very different to factory. Along the way I changed the front pony badge for a GT item, as part of a theme that extends into the car, including the front seat headrests.
There’s an extensive revision of the lighting inside and on the exterior. I’ve always been into electronics and gadgets, so I converted anything that wasn’t already LED into that format. I’ve also gone in for the tri-bar style lighting front and rear with angel eyes on the front, plus a sequential effect with indicators and brake lights.
Unfortunately I’m getting too busy to drive the car and I don’t want to see it just sitting in a shed, so I’ve decided to let it go – it’s time for someone else to enjoy it. Maybe one day I’ll get time to go, come back and develop a nice replacement for it…
Sebastian runs Amazing Dents N Detail in Airport West, Victoria. He has the car on the market for $85,000. Tel 0417 140 522.