Tickford Bathurst '77 Mustang tribute

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https://www.carsales.com.au/editoria...review-109929/








Tickford Bathurst '77 Special Ford Mustang 2017 Review
Tickford pays tribute to Moffat with limited-edition supercharged Mustang

Allan Moffat is an icon of Australian motor racing so it’s only right the anniversary of his legendary 1977 Bathurst victory should be celebrated. Even better when it’s done with a limited-edition which not only looks the part, but has the performance to match the livery

The joke about Allan Moffat among motor racing journalists used to be how he had a twin brother called ‘Arthur’. At race circuits Allan was a ferocious, focused and intimidating character (even before he got behind the wheel). But, in the right place, at the right time, away from racing, ‘Arthur’, this humorous, considerate, thoughtful and engaging bloke materialised.

Tickford’s Bathurst ’77 Special, or Moffat Mustang as we will call it from this point on, is a bit like that.

Created by the independent Ford tuner to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the incredible 1977 Bathurst 1-2 by Moffat’s Ford Dealer Team XC Falcon coupes (Moffat/Jackie Ickx first and Colin Bond/Alan Hamilton second), it has an incredible ferocity when poked, yet can also be quite relaxed in the right circumstances. Mind you, like ‘Arthur’, those circumstances don’t appear all that often.

What’s it all about?
You may not have noticed but Ford Australia isn’t interested in motor racing these days. The company pulled out of Supercars a couple of years ago, ending its relationship with Prodrive Racing Australia (PRA), or Ford Performance Racing (FPR), as it was previously known.

It also closed road vehicle tuner Ford Performance Vehicles, which for a long time was FPR’s sister company. So the owners of PRA set up their own tuning business, Tickford, using the same badge Ford employed pre-FPR back around the turn of the millennium to tune up Falcons and Fairlanes which went head-to-head with Holden Special Vehicles.

With Ford leaving the stage vacant, reborn Tickford took it upon itself to mark the anniversary of the greatest blue oval race result in Australian racing history, when Moffat led Bond over the line at Mount Panorama, their dominance of the race allowing a staged finish for the cameras.

With no Falcons around to use as a basis for its performance upgrades, Tickford turned to the Mustang GT, a fair enough substitute given Moffat is also famous for his exploits in the American pony car.

The outcome is a great example of how motorsport and hot road-cars intertwine.

At the core of the package is a Ford Performance Roush stage 2 supercharger kit – which Ford has ruled out selling itself because of Australian Design Rule drive-by noise regulations. But let’s be clear; the kit is ADR compliant. It boosts power of the 5.0-litre V8 from 306kW to 542kW and torque from 530Nm to 820Nm. Yowza!

Other new stuff includes a Tickford exhaust; a retuned and 25mm lowered suspension with German H&R coil-overs and dampers; extra rigidity via K-frame, strut tower and rear bracing; Wilwood brakes comprising six-pot calipers clamping on 381mm slotted rotors up-front and 355mm rotors and four-piston calipers at the rear; 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres on delicious 10-spoke alloy wheels and various interior upgrades including a new leather trim and Tickford badging.

Oh, did we mention the exterior? Yep. It’s got the ’77 MFDT XC look right down to the #1 on the doors and bonnet. If you think the numbers are a bit too much, you can delete them.

How much will it cost?
The total cost of the conversion of a donor vehicle to Moffat Mustang spec is $64,500. That’s right, you can’t just rock into Ford dealer or a Tickford centre and buy one. You have to own and register the vehicle already. This is because Tickford is an aftermarket converter and not a car manufacturer.

Just 77 examples of the pack are on offer.

Because the kit is ADR compliant, the standard Ford three-year/100,000km warranty still applies. Tickford matches that for components it adds like trim materials and has a separate cover for powertrain.

Why should/shouldn’t I buy it?
If Ford, Ford motorsport, Moffat and Bathurst – especially 1977 - are pivotal in your life then this is the car for you. If you are a Holden guy then forget it.

If you are a petrol-head who loves immense power and response then, again, this car is for you. It has lock you-in-the-seat rictus-grin thrust. During our time with it, the Moffat Mustang clocked 4.7 and 4.8sec zero to 100km/h times effortlessly. Tickford reckons 4.2s are achievable as well as 400m runs in the 12s – which seems credible given our experience with this car.

But if you want to hear the engine at work at anything much above idling or on the smoothest roads, then substitute another exhaust for the Tickford offering. There’s simply too much tyre roar and wind noise for it to be heard.

Which makes for an interesting driving experience, relying less on the engine audio than normal for gearchange points. Not that we changed gear often. On a winding road, such is the speed and torque range it’s often set-and-forget in third gear. By the way, our test car was an automatic with paddle shifters, but 85 per cent of buyers are taking the package combined with a manual transmission.

For a purist experience, we’d go manual too. But if you’re thinking on terms of a city daily driver then the auto make sense.

And this is where ‘Arthur’ becomes relevant, because trundling down the freeway, or cruising round town, isn’t as intimidating as you might expect - except for being the centre of attention because of that race-car paint job. In ‘Arthur’ mode the Moffat Mustang does its best to co-operate and be civil.

Having said that, a plush modern-day ride as delivered by some sports cars with adaptive damper systems doesn’t feature here. If, however, you appreciate a traditional lowered ride height and stiffness then this one’s for you.

In fact, the ride impact is not as annoying as the impact traversing bumps has on throttle control out of corners. There’s not enough pedal resistance so it’s almost impossible to stop your foot bouncing up and down like you’ve got a nervous tic, which inadvertently produces a staccato acceleration effect.

Tickford is aware of the issue and actually tunes it out of its own 360kW power packs for naturally-aspirated Mustangs. But it was loath to fiddle with the throttle tune of the Ford Performance system. It should have.

Another tuning detail; our test car had an overly responsive brake pedal. It may be an isolated issue, but the Wilwoods are super-powerful and it would be nice to have a little more progression in pedal feel.

Smoother roads really emphasise just how good the Moffat Mustang can be. The Michelins provide huge grip, so it turns in and accelerates out of corners incredibly well. It’s just that on the road you’re tapping about 20 per cent of the car’s capability. On the track it will be a real weapon.

When is it available in Australia?
The kit is on-sale now.

Because it is based on the GT 5.0-litre V8 Mustang, you get the gear which comes standard with the production version.

Key equipment highlights include seven airbags, a reversing camera, dual zone climate control, the Sync3 infotainment system including satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and puddle lamps which project the Mustang image.

By the way, you can get your Moffat Mustang as a convertible too, but you miss out on the Tickford decklid spoiler.

Who will it appeal to?
Rusted on Ford, Mustang, Moffat and Bathurst fans.

Where does it fit?
The Tickford Bathurst ’77 Special has plenty of rivals from other Mustang tuners with access to Roush supercharger kits like Melbourne tuning legend Rob Herrod.

But, with HSV soon out of the V8 Commodore business, trying to think up any other 500kW rival for this thing which doesn’t cost at least double the money is a challenge.

This car is a hard-core outlier, but if you are into that sort of thing it’s a tempting one.

So, what do we think?
We think yee-hah! The Moffat Mustang is a completely heart-over-head buy. A return on investment is questionable. Your rewards come in other ways. Like sheer thrust, rareness and its celebration of an important piece of Australian motorsport history.

Tickford Bathurst ’77 Special Ford Mustang pricing and specifications:
Price: $64,500 plus the cost of the donor Mustang
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8
Outputs: 542kW/820Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual/optional six-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.7L/100km on-test (auto)
CO2: 318g/km on-test (auto)
Safety Rating: Two-star (ANCAP) – standard Mustang GT Coupe