DFB's Garage

[DFB]

Cluster Themes!

I'm going to get this out of the way right now, I like REAL gauges! I've made this analogy a few times, but it sums up my feelings on the demise of traditional gauge clusters. Ask a watch nerd what's their favorite watch, they are not going to name one of the countless "smart" watches on the market are they. A smart watch might technically provide a superior user experience, not to mention the ability to do more than keep time. But thing is, I don't buy a watch to make phone calls or pay for my coffee. And nor is a watch nerd, they want the tactility and old school charm and craftsmanship that comes with a classically designed time piece.





And so, the same applies to car gauge clusters. There is a beauty to a classic set of dials that move with the engine and speed of the car. Yes, you don't have the customizability, but I love seeing the needles dancing in front of me as I drive, it's just part of the experience of driving a car.

Some car companied have gone all in on this trend, some have played a balanced approach. Porsche for instance kept the traditional tachometer with a screen cast around it, which they have only recently changed to a full screen. The previous generation Mustang offered both traditional and digital gauge clusters depending on trim level. For me, what Ford did right was designing the screen to fit within a traditional hooded cluster, so it looked more natural.





For S650, Ford went all in, the oh so emotive hooded binnacle was canned for a flat, square screen. Actually, there are two versions of this. Lower spec models get two separate screens, one for the navigation/climate control/audio/mode selection, and one for the instrument cluster. High spec models, including all Australian Mustang's, have one large continuous screen. In reality, its actually two screens disguised by a single lens. I remember reading some prefer the two separate screens as it looked more natural and less dominating visually.





At first, I thought this setup was horrible. Ford threw out the traditional twin-hooded dashboard for what looked like something lifted from an Explorer. But here's the thing, if Ford didn't move with the times, they would have been crucified by the press, social influencers and customers. So, while the screens were not my preference, they are integral to the modern Mustang experience.

There is a lot to unpack in regard to the near endless customization offered by the new Mustang. For this post, I'm going to focus on the digital gauge cluster and the seven different themes to choose from.

Ford offer a couple of ways to select which cluster theme you want displayed in front of you. Firstly, if selected, you can have the cluster theme match the drive mode selected via the steering wheel mode buttons, which in theory is most logical. However, if for some reason you don't like Sport gauges with Sport drive mode, you can independently change the cluster, say Sport drive mode with Race Track cluster. This is undoubtably cool, but also somewhat distracting when on the move.



To independently choose a cluster design, press the pony button in front of the gear shifter to bring up the My Mustang page. From here, you can change a variety of settings including Track Apps (Line Lock and Drift Mode), display auxiliary gauges, customize the ambient and display lighting via the My Colour Tab, change the exhaust mode, select a gauge cluster theme, or create and store a custom mode with 6 different presets.









Once you select the Cluster Theme tab, you can then scroll through and select one of the 6 designs on offer. The theme will be displayed on in front of the driver as well as the main touchscreen to show your selection.





So, lets run through the themes on offer.

Calm - This is a very basic mode designed for the least distraction. I can't see myself ever using this mode.



Normal - I think this is the most visually cohesive, if a little un-Mustang like. It's clean, clear and modern. I also like how it simulates two traditional round gauges when compared to the next two.



Sport - This design I find a little hard to read. It certainly looks cool but lacks legibility at a glance.



Race Track - This theme removes a lot of the fluff to preset a very clear tachometer and a basic digital speed readout. Probably not my favorite, but I like how it bounces tachometer bar between gear shifts.



And now for the fun ones!

Fox Body '87 - '93 - When the S650 was unveiled, Ford got Mustang fans raving about the cluster theme that matched the green backlit gauges of the Fox Body Mustang's from the late 80's and early 90's. Actually, that green backlighting was not unique to Mustang, all US Ford's were the same. At first, I didn't see the appeal, why make your brand-new car look 30+ years old? However, this theme is simple, clean and is extremely easy to read. Although, no Fox Body could reach those engine or ground speeds.



Classic '67 - '68 - This design was only introduced a few months ago and is pure indulgence. It's not as legible as it could be due to the odd speed gradients, but it's undoubtably cool and a nice touch by Ford. My salesman chose this theme for delivery day, quite fitting with a classic Mustang parked right next to it in the delivery bay.



SVT Cobra '99 - '01 - Also recently introduced, this design will be recognizable for those familiar with the Mustang Cobra's Tickford converted to RHD back in the early 2000's for Ford Australia. Like the Fox Body theme, this setup is clean and very easy to read.



I will say, all three of these heritage cluster themes lack a digital speedometer, which is understandable considering the originals never had one either. However, with the 30 kph numbered increments, it can make typical Australian speed limits hard to sight. So, I would say be careful with this, especially for those in the same nanny state I live in.

So, which is my favorite? I really like the look of heritage cluster themes, especially the '67 - '68. However, I can see myself using the SVT Cobra design most, it's so clean and clear. Of the modern versions, I like the basic Normal setup. Boring, but again, it's cleaner and easy to read than the other options.

 

[DFB]

Just discovered these images using SVE SP2 wheels, the aftermarket version of the HP Performance wheels I kept from my S550.







Hmmm, I like how they allow for a better view of the big Brembo's. I'm thinking when I remove the wheels to coat them, I'll coat the calipers and then put on the HP wheels. This will mean I won't have the car sitting on jacks, which I find nervy, but I'll also see what they look like on the S650. If I like them, I'll have to decon and coat those as well.

 

[Klasse Act]

Just discovered these images using SVE SP2 wheels, the aftermarket version of the HP Performance wheels I kept from my S550.







Hmmm, I like how they allow for a better view of the big Brembo's. I'm thinking when I remove the wheels to coat them, I'll coat the calipers and then put on the HP wheels. This will mean I won't have the car sitting on jacks, which I find nervy, but I'll also see what they look like on the S650. If I like them, I'll have to decon and coat those as well.

Wait, those are your Ford Racing wheels on a S650, they look different to me

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[Klasse Act]

This is my Pic, hands down! Modern retro, perfect blend but then again I love the green numbers on the 911 Classic as well (911 finds it's way into the conversation)

The white faced gauges were a big deal in the early 2000's, had em on my 2000 Ford Contour SVT, even had white faced HVAC overlay added to match

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[JDGolden]

This is my Pic, hands down! Modern retro, perfect blend but then again I love the green numbers on the 911 Classic as well (911 finds it's way into the conversation)

The white faced gauges were a big deal in the early 2000's, had em on my 2000 Ford Contour SVT, even had white faced HVAC overlay added to match

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

I still love the glow of the 03/04 cobras. Should’ve bought a family members sonic blue 03 when he sold it. D’oh!

The SVT contours were cool as hell! I love when one pops up on BaT.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DFB]

Old vs New!

I remember back when the S650 was unveiled in 2022, there was a lot of conjecture as to how “new” the new Mustang was. This only intensified once the press began to closely scrutinize the new model. The main cause of contention being that this new model was more of heavy refresh and not the new generation Ford would have you believe. And, I guess, that is a valid question. The thing is, Ford have an evolutionary approach to the Mustang. What I’m about to describe will sound familiar to Australian readers and a certain other Ford model.



Ever since the second-generation model went into production, the Mustang has always teetered on the brink of viability for Ford. I don’t mean this in a derogatory manner, it’s just the reality of a volume-centric company making consumer goods. Mustang is not a volume proposition for Ford, but it does have a tonne of market recognition and is seen as a brand builder. That’s not to say Ford lose money on every Mustang, rather the profit per car is significantly lower than a F-150 for example. This then limits Ford’s ability to reinvest come model update time.

You will see this budget constraint in the choice of materials and overall build quality, but also the core engineering of the car itself. And so, when it comes to creating a new model, Ford have to be smart with how and where they spend the money. This is why you don’t see wholesale platform or engine changes at every new model, and each generation lasts often double that of a more mainstream Ford. The exact same thing happened with Australian Ford’s, just on even lower budget.

So, where does the S650 sit in the grand scheme of things? First, we need to consider its predecessor and its legacy in the long line of previous Mustang’s. Many will cite that the S550 was the first Mustang to have IRS, which is not actually the case. The SVT Cobra from 1999 had the same double wishbone IRS found in the AU Falcon, Jaguar S-Type and XF, and Lincoln LS. Still, the S550 was the first to have IRS across the range, which was matched to a redesigned strut front suspension. These two changes fit into the evolutionary model; new suspension adapted to a carry-over platform. In addition to that, the exterior body was all new, as was the interior. In other words, it was the newest Mustang in a very long time.

Early on, there were rumors Ford were going to adapt the new rear-wheel-drive platform that debuted with the current generation Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. I remember there being a lot of push back on that among fans, that the Mustang was going to be lumped with an SUV platform. That’s not how it would have been implemented, Ford would have taken sub-systems from the new platform and built them into the Mustang. Expensive items like the fire wall and engine “box”, electrical architectures and suspension designs would have given Ford economy of scale compared to the orphan Mustang platform. This would have been a more expensive endeavor upfront but would have made sense in the longer term. But……..Ford being Ford chose the cheaper option………….a top hat refresh of the existing platform.

And so, we now arrive at what the S650 became. Keep in mind the chassis hardware had seen significant updates for S550, so it's not like past Mustang’s. Think of this like BF MK II to FG Falcon generational change, a top hat refresh over proven mechanicals. The S550 in comparison was like an AU to BA Falcon type of update. And in some ways, this is not a bad thing.

For S650, most of what sits beneath the skin is carry over. This includes front and rear suspension modules, the floor pan, fire wall and engine bay panels. For the stuff you can see, the roof and both windshields carry over. While the door skins have been changed, the door and glass itself are carried over, including the side mirrors. Ford would dispute that sighting different part numbers, but all they did was change the outer skin and exterior door handle.





The same reskin applies to the boot lid, the actual boot opening is the same and the underside of the boot lid follows the same shape as S550. Actually, it's quite impressive how they changed the look here without a completely new body panel. The rear quarter panels show the most difference, but again, its an outer skin and they follow the carry-over roof and glass hard points.





Obviously, the most visual change has been made via new front quarter panels, headlights, hood and bumper, while the rear had a reprofiled lower truck panel, lights and bumper.





The interior is also a little of something old, a little of something new. The dashboard is completely new, as is the excellent flat bottom steering wheel. The door trims are made with new materials, but are carry over, right down to the same window switches, door handle and grab handle.









The center console is modified for the new electric handbrake/drift brake and a different shifter surround, but otherwise carry over. Seats have new coverings, but also carry over. Missing from the new generation, the secret owner’s manual compartment in the glove box, and the spring loaded compartment below the steering wheel (handy for sun glasses, coins, pens ect). Actually, there is no physical owner’s manual now, its located within the menu system. The pedals, door sill trim panels and gear shifters for manual and automatic transmissions are S550 items too. The most visual change will naturally be those screens and the effort put into the graphics and massive amount of customization options. S650 also moved from Sync 3 to Sync 4 infotainment system.





Mechanically, it’s all about subtle refinement. Both 2.3 EcoBoost and 5.0 Coyote V8 engines remain, but with refinements. The EcoBoost gained a twin-scroll turbo and a small power increase, but it’s only available with the 10R80 automatic. The Coyote enters its 4th generation for S650, it gaining a new dual throttle body and intake system for additional power. Ford also went back to a steel oil pan, probably to suppress the typewriter tick. Exhaust systems carry over, but with different tuning for the Active systems standard on all AUS cars. Both the MT82-D4 6-speed manual and 10R80 10-speed auto carry over, the Darkhorse being the exception, it gets the Tremec TR-3160 6-speed over the MT-82-D4. In the engine bay, some items have moved, the coolant tank for instance, and there is now a remote positive battery post.





While the basic suspension remains, the Performance Pack models come with some significant changes to accommodate the Drift Brake system and inclusion of Brembo calipers. All Performance Pack models take the majority of the rear suspension components used on the S550 GT350 and GT500, you also get a separate caliper for the handbrake. Ford also redesigned the electric power steering for faster and more direct response, Performance Pack models also get the revised steering rack from the S550 Mach 1. Finally, Australian cars now get the strut tower brace.









Please don’t read all the above as me roasting the S650. As I’ve said in the past, the above is me being my analytical self. The thing is, would we have a new Mustang if it weren’t for some items carrying over? Maybe, maybe not. I for one am grateful Ford still sees value in offering the Mustang in its current gas-burning state. A world without a V8 Mustang would be a sadder place, so if the latest generation seems rather familiar, who cares. Ask Camaro fans about this…………….oh wait, GM took the easy path and discontinued their muscle car, and Dodge have done the same by deleting the Hemi V8 for the forthcoming new Challenger and Charger.

Long Live The V8 Muscle Car!

 

[DFB]

This is my Pic, hands down! Modern retro, perfect blend but then again I love the green numbers on the 911 Classic as well (911 finds it's way into the conversation)

The white faced gauges were a big deal in the early 2000's, had em on my 2000 Ford Contour SVT, even had white faced HVAC overlay added to match

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

I knew you would like the Fox Body theme with the green backlighting.

And yes, I very much remember the white dial face craze from the late 90's and early 2000's. The T3 TS50 had the white dial faces, which was my "poster car" as a teenager. Ten years later, I got to live out my boyhood fantasy after buying a very low mile example with all of the desirable options; Brembo Brakes, the Vivid Blue interior, premium sound and finished in the hero colour, Blueprint Blue. The hand built stroker engines sounded amazing, the styling was very out there but looked intimidating on the road. With Koni dampers and the sort of steering feel a modern car could only dream of, it was the best Falcon I have ever driven. Actually, the tagline for the car was Own The Road!















Actually, I had this very poster on my wall, taken by Motor Magazine back in the day. That same car also appeared in the magazine on full opposite lock.





In the end, I sold the car to fund the purchase of the last model Falcon, my XR8.

 

[DFB]

I still love the glow of the 03/04 cobras. Should’ve bought a family members sonic blue 03 when he sold it. D’oh!

The SVT contours were cool as hell! I love when one pops up on BaT.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I mentioned this earlier, but Ford Australia and Tickford (think of them like BMW M or AMG) were converting Mustang Cobra's to right-hand-drive from 2001 to 2003. At the time, the engine was highly praised but the high-performance Falcon's actually drove better and had superior stability at speed. One journalist complained about how the Cobra started to wander across the road at higher speeds, along with severe hood flutter. In the end, the price killed them, buy the time they were imported and converted to RHD, they were a $85,000 to $90,000 proposition.

 

[DFB]

Wait, those are your Ford Racing wheels on a S650, they look different to me

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Mine are genuine Ford/Ford Performance in matte black, the ones fitted to the blue S650 are aftermarket SVE items with a more aggressive offset in a graphite finish. I'm also told the blue car had been lowered.

 

[Klasse Act]

Incredible interior

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[oneheadlite]

From Big Dave

Did someone say white gauge faces, how about half and half.


Also, when I was trading in my Impulse Blue SV6 for the Cross 8, they had a VZ SS in Impulse Blue with the blue leather seats and blue gauges, like below. I was tempted, for a couple of minutes, but I wanted something I wouldn't worry about driving off road, and the insurance would have been expensive for the SS living in Sydney.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Deyon, I have been away for over a week but I wanted to say congratulations on the new Mustang, it looks fantastic! I logged in today in anticipation of your write-ups, and was not disappointed. Can't wait to see what you have in store for it. I will say the 650 is growing on me, but the 550 is probably my favorite of the modern bodies. Have fun with the new ride!

 

[DFB]

Polishing!

I have been planning this for more than two years now, how will I be polishing and protecting this new car. And after countless hours of procrastination, I finally arrive at this moment where I immerse myself in getting this car to look the best I can possibly achieve.

In the past, today would have been a very intensive endeavor. Typically, I will wash and decontaminate the car, including iron removal and clay. Drying and taping up would follow, then polishing. This would evidently lead to an element of rush and corners cut. Yes, you read right. Not this time, I wanted to do this at a relaxed pace.

The decontamination took place last week, including iron removal, high pH soap, low pH soap then claying.





After its last wash on Saturday, the car had sat unused while I carried on with my normal schedule of gardening work. So, to start today, all that was needed was a quick rinse-less wash to remove any dust that had settled. Product of choice being the surfactant-based McKee’s N-914, followed by Carpro Eraser to dry the car. I then removed the number plates.



You will notice I have covered up the wheels. After umming and ahhing about buying a set of those for about two years, but I finally pulled the pin. Many detailing companies have a version of these, but to me the Gyeon ones appeared to be better quality compared to the fabric Gtechniq and Maxshine. These simply slip over and hook over the tyre, the base cut straight to line up with the floor. The concept here is to keep polishing dust or splatter off freshly cleaned/detailed wheels. Overall, they proved their worth.





Then it was time for that time consuming and tedious task of taping up all the trim, badges and headlights. For this car, I took longer than I ever have doing this job.





You will see I also placed towels at the base of the windscreen to collect the polishing dust.





In terms of paint condition, it's a mixed bag. It's funny, when you get this up close and personal with a car, you start to notice things. Overall, there were very few scratches, only a couple on the driver's side A-pillar that were easily removed. The gloss black hood vent is atrocious, it being hazed out quite badly, but that's part of the deal with gloss trim. I could also see some mild isolated water spots on the hood and a dust nib on the roof. The main concern for me though is the alarmingly thin paint on the edge of the doors. All of these can be dealt with or ignored, you have to reach a point where you understand that this is a mass-produced car.

In terms of pad and polish, I started with a proven combo of Sonax Perfect Finish on an ShineMate blue intermediate foam pad. After a test spot, I felt I needed just a little more, so switched to the firmer yellow ShineMate cutting pad. I then did the front quarter panels and decided to try a second set of passes with Carpro Relfect and the orange ShineMate polishing pad. Winner! So yeah, I'm effectively two stepping this car.







Now, you might question why I'm two stepping with finishing compounds? Well, Perfect Finish can do some decent cutting, especially teamed with a cutting pad like I did, but then "finish" down acceptably. In my case, adding the super fine Reflect on a softer polishing pad was purely for refinement and extra gloss. I mean, I could have swapped the Perfect Finish for something more aggressive like CutMax of DA Coarse, but why remove more paint when it wasn't needed. I will probably have this car for a while, I want to leave something in the bag for later down the track.

Adding that extra step, I was glad I decided to keep my old ShineMate EB351's, no pad swapping between steps! This also gave me a chance to use both my new Rupes and ShineMate side by side. For the Perfect Finish, I used the Rupes HLR 15 5-inch and the ShineMate 3-inch. I was initially apprehensive about how the new Rupes would perform with the ShineMate pads, there has been suggestion that the HLR doesn't like non-Rupes pads. However, the two worked well together, probably due to the Rupes and ShineMate pads being similar thickness, which helps with regard to the wafer thing backing plate of the HLR.

Switching to the ShineMate 5-inch for the Reflect, you certainly notice how much smoother than Rupes is, but the difference is not the gap you would think. I find the ShineMate's run slower in every position but seems to have a slight edge in torque. The Rupes spins faster and has more speed headroom, but pad stall seems a little more prevalent. And yes, you do need to be mindful of the battery placement on the Rupes, but it's not the issue many would have you believe.



And this is where I started to zone into the job at hand and the photo's stopped. In my ears today, the always entertaining Smoking Tire Podcast. Compared to my usual approach, I started on the vertical panels for this car instead of the usual hood, roof and boot. I worked several panels before calling time for today. The car was then covered up and I'll resume proceedings in the morning.





I still have plenty left to do, including the glass. I'm still un-decided on what to do with the wheels, but the factory items need to be coated before they get too much brake dust exposure. I think I'll get the polishing done, coat the paint, glass and trim, then pull the wheels off and replace them with the HP items off my S550. I can then coat the S650 wheels at my leisure while I make my decision which set will stay on the car.

 

[oneheadlite]

From Big Dave

Nice work Deyon, I believe I can see the extra gloss in the shot after using Reflect, and the last shot, passenger side rear quarter, is nuts.

 

[DFB]

Deyon, I have been away for over a week but I wanted to say congratulations on the new Mustang, it looks fantastic! I logged in today in anticipation of your write-ups, and was not disappointed. Can't wait to see what you have in store for it. I will say the 650 is growing on me, but the 550 is probably my favorite of the modern bodies. Have fun with the new ride!

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. It's hard to believe it's been only a week since the big day.

And I agree, S550 was a high point for modern Mustang's and one of the reasons I found it hard to let go of mine. Some designs take a while to grow on you, as is the case with the S650, but some you instantly fall in love with...............................S550 was that for me. I think the strong crease lines down the side create a more muscular, tauter look. The S650 in comparison is very flat. Overall, Kemal Curić nailed the exterior of the S550, the 2018 update by Chris Stevens wasn't necessarily an improvement.

Just found a bunch of S550 sketches from the below linked article -

Interview with Mustang designer Kemal Curić - Car Body Design

An exclusive interview with Kemal Curić, designer of the latest Ford Mustang generation, who gives some insights on the development of the iconic muscle car.

www.carbodydesign.com

 

[DFB]

From Big Dave

Nice work Deyon, I believe I can see the extra gloss in the shot after using Reflect, and the last shot, passenger side rear quarter, is nuts.

Thanks Dave!

 

[DFB]

Well, I have had the S650 for a week now, it took the same time for my old S550 to sell.



I have to say, this is the saddest I have felt about letting go of that car, I couldn't have loved that car more if I tried. If only the new owner knew what that car did for me, and ultimately, I hope they cherish it like I did.

 

[oneheadlite]

From Big Dave

I remember when I traded my SV6 in, I got $12k for it. One of the guys I worked with decided to watch it on the dealer's website, he took great joy in telling me they had $19,999 on it. I wasn't worried, I was happy with the deal I got. It was on the site for 2 months, the last price we saw it at was $13,999. Someone got a good deal.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Curious about the two different bottles of Clay lube. Do they mate up with specific/different claying products or different types of areas or . . .? Just never seen that level of "detail" (OK, minor pun intended) for claying.

 

[DFB]

Curious about the two different bottles of Clay lube. Do they mate up with specific/different claying products or different types of areas or . . .? Just never seen that level of "detail" (OK, minor pun intended) for claying.

It took me a bit to understand what you were referring to, but got there eventually.

Purify is an iron remover that NV say can be used as a clay lubricant. From what I can tell, they were one of the first to make this suggestion that an iron remover can function as a clay lubricant. From what they say, Purify has some lubricants added to help things out. In the past, I have used it like this, but only on a very well-maintained car................my own. If think you are asking for trouble doing these two steps together if dealing with heavy contamination. I also hate messing with iron removers, getting up close and person with clay doesn't appeal.





So why use Purify? I've found it to be one of the better out there, and I've found it the least offensive odor wise. I remember seeing it being used to full effect by Sandro..................

The Gyeon Clay Lube is more in line with a detail spray, as in lots of lubrication and low residue. I suspect its just a more concentrated version of their Quick Detailer. I just wish they were more specific with the dilution ratios, they just say "up to 10:1". Actually, my bottle is the old version, Gyeon have since launched a new "Redefined" version.