Ford has been copping a bit of a flogging in the performance stakes lately. Holden has taken the go-fast mantle and Ford seems conceded second place - for the moment, at least. But it seems some of that's about to change. Herrod Motorsport, located in Thomastown (Victoria), now offers a package that'll please current Ford ute, sedan and wagon buyers alike. It's an upgrade that can be performed directly through Vic Ford dealerships or through Herrod Motorsport themselves. The company offers a full warranty on all their work and says they will also cover any factory warranty issues.
Seen here is HM's own silver AU XR8 workshop ute that's been the focus of their research and development. This car is in the ultimate guise (with around A$20,000 of mods) and it comes to you with different wheels and tyres, suspension, brakes and a fair hike in power output. In addition, it also has custom leather trim complete with Herrod Motorsport embossing and white-faced dials.
Jeff from HM tells us all of their in-house parts can be sold separately and sent Australia-wide, but at this stage the focus is in Victoria where they can both supply and kit their products. Herrod Motorsport exclusively import from Italy this gorgeous set of rims, which measure a substantial 18x8 and 18x9.5 - however, other sizes and styles are available.
You can have your own choice of tyres too, with the ute sporting 235/40s and 275/35s Yokohama M7Rs for maximum grip. The factory suspension can be given the treatment with adjustable Koni dampers and custom lowered springs to cut the desired amount from the ride height. Sitting 75mm lower, the ute also receives some rear geometry tweaks. These suspension mods will set you back around A$850.
The braking department gets a big up-spec with 330mm slotted front rotors and Herrod 2 spot calipers, while the rears are slotted standard discs. A set of Bendix Ultimate pads can be supplied to further increase stopping power and reduce fade. This upgrade costs around A$3200.
Then - of course - there is the engine. We all want more power, more power and more power.
Herrod Motorsport answers the call for sixes and eights with a package comprising an exhaust, cam and a Unichip interceptor. The 5.0 litre ute comes hung with a stainless steel 2½ inch cat-back single system with custom HM resonator and rear muffler, while the engine is equipped with a custom cam that gives around 560 thou lift. At the time of photography it was still awaiting fitment of the Unichip, but this should certainly allow for optimised ignition and fuel control to suit the other mods - while at the same time, Jeff says, still complying with emission requirements.
The three outlined V8 mods will give a total of around 240kW - up from the 185kW Ford base figure. The 4.0 litre six with the same mods will also pick up a similar percentage in power, or as Jeff says, around 20kW at the wheels. All up, the cost for the exhaust, cam and Unichip package comes in at around A$5000 for the V8 and A$4000 for the six.
But for those that want to go further, a 347ci stroker will soon be an option. Herrod Motorsport can also do stuff like alloy heads, blowers and other specialty gear. The key, as Jeff says, is they can build it to suit - and they can even add sizzle to other Fords, such as the humble Ford Laser. Give 'em a call if you own a Ford.
Contact:
Herrod Motorsport
+61 3 9464 5100
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