What About Modifying Your Ford
If you think the modifying your standard car is something new then think again, it has been going on for generations. The USA were modifying Fords in the 1920’s to run moonshine and illegal sprit and do it quick enough to keep away form the police. Some say this was led to stock car racing and then Nascar. And of course do not forget the "Hot Rod" scene.
In Australia, Fords were adapted to handle some of the rough country and vast space, pick ups and large tourers got upgraded engines, rolls bars lights and the rest. The need for speed was just as great there.
In the UK, the rallying scene inspired many modifications from the 1960s, with the success of the MK1 and then the Ford Escort. Rolls bars rally seats, rostyle wheels and is you were lucky an RS engine. Ford were to release performance models, to include RS engines based in this success.
Where back in the USA, muscle was the word with huge V8 gas guzzling power machines. Australia was a bit of a half way house, with a bit of both scenes happening. As they drive on the left hand side of the road like the UK, many British made Fords ended up there.
In the 1980’s there came a fresh batch of performance Ford that were included within the label of “Hot Hatchbacks”. The badges would include the XR series and some RS. So the XR2, XR3 and XR4 models were in fact upgraded performance versions of the Fiesta, Focus and Sierra standard hatchbacks. For those who could afford it, these were “ready made” fast driving machines, but for those who couldn’t there were many “mods” available to make your standard hatchback look like an original.
So What About The New Wave Of Ford Owners Wanting To Modify?
If it is an older Ford, that is to be upgraded, then a starting place for accessories is the local and national scrap yards. National searches can be made on online sources such as carsparefinder.com to get the exact piece. Many failed projects or crashed vehicles find themselves in such yards and of course, these parts tend t be removed, shelved and cleaned ready for the next wave of Ford owners wanting to modify.
There are of course private sellers, disposing of their stuff on online auction sites such as Ebay and portals such as Gumtree.
Using New Aftermarket Accessories
There never has been so much choice, for buying new components and the sheer volume of Ford’s on the road, means pretty much anything and everything is available somewhere. China has capitalized on this market and even invented accessories that we would never think of. Although when it comes to engine parts, there are many who prefer local specialists, combined with the tuning. Quality and reliability being the key indicator, when coming to driving and performance.
Selling Your Modified Ford
It can work both ways when selling and trying to regain the investment put into the “Mod” project. Sometimes if the vehicle represents and exact replica of a famous car or model, some will pay well for it. But it is more likely that most will lose badly on the re-sale of a modified vehicle, especially if it has been built on a personal basis and represents the owners vision of a perfect drive. It is unlikely that the new owner will have the same personal involvement and so will not offer sufficient to cover costs. But this has to be seen the true cost of modifying and personalizing your Ford, it is often more for love than money.
End Of Life Modified Ford
Even vehicles that have had serious money spent on it over the years, will come to the end of their useful life. Scrap yards are keen to get hold of projects like this, because the accessories can be re-used by the next batch of enthusiasts. The exception to this rule, is where cheap Chinese parts have been used. Sometime, these parts have a limited life, especially when it comes to presentation, such as faded chrome etc. When disposing of cars like this, it is important to list everything that may still be of value to the buyer. Don’t just say this is a Modified Ford with upgraded engine and upgraded suspension etc. List the specific parts used and give an idea of the value these were when new, so the scrap yard can visualize the return they will get. This may dramatically increase the value offered for your vehicle in this situation.
Reliability And Lower Costs
The same reason that many buy a Ford for general driving, is why many choose them also to create their own adaptation. Engines are generally reliable, there are many performance blocks you can buy and the sheer volume of low cost accessories to buy, means that enthusiasts will be upgrading Ford for many more generations to come.