American blood, British heart, Japanese muscle – the Ford Probe is completely alien to most traditional Ford fans. But as Dean Flowers’ modified Ford Probe proves, we need to have a bit of a rethink…

Feature taken from Fast Ford magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Ade Brannan

Well, here it is: a Ford Probe in Fast Ford magazine. Did you ever think you’d see the day? Possibly not, but in fact this moment has been a long time coming. The Probe may have had an unfortunate reputation in period – particularly at the hands of the loathsome Steve Coogan character Gareth Cheeseman – and the initial plan to market it as the fourth-generation Mustang in the States was met with widespread anger by marque aficionados: with front-wheel-drive, Japanese engineering and the absence of a V8, there’s really nothing Mustang about it.

But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since the 1990s, and it’s high time the Probe underwent a re-evaluation. Indeed, the more you consider the nature of it, the cooler it seems – and when modified to the fastidious standards of Dean Flowers’ example, you can see why it’s rightfully earned a place in these pages. This modified Ford Probe is, in short, sublime.

“I have no idea why these cars failed to attract sales and were so unpopular,” Dean muses. “The name probably didn’t help! And I guess they were very expensive new – not too far off Escort Cosworth money, I believe. They’re pretty rare now, with fewer than 400 24-valves on the road.”

It’s certainly an unusual model, with these second-gen Ford Probes being around 60% Mazda and 40% Ford – Mazda took care of the engine, transmission and chassis (it’s essentially an MX-6 underneath), while Ford did the interior and body. The perfect fusion for the Ford fan who’s watched a lot of Fast & Furious movies, perhaps? It’s definitely an interesting addition to Dean’s motoring history; he’s had over a hundred cars over the years, all modified, and among the near-endless list he reels off we count 14 BMWs, 7 Mercs, a bunch of VWs and Audis, and – most relevant to our interests – oodles of Fords, including various XR2s, XR2is and XR3is. Most significantly, Dean clearly has a penchant for V6-engined Fords; he’s had a Capri 2.8i, Mondeo Ghia V6, even a Granada Dorchester stretch limo with a 2.9… along with quite a few Probes.

So how did he come to be so interested in this relatively obscure model? Sure, its fans are pretty vocal about its merits, but it’s not your classic go-to fast Ford, is it? “When I was about 15 or 16 my father bought a black 24v Probe,” Dean explains. “The car was probably only three or four years old at the time. And when I was 19 I bought the car off him and did a few mods to it, lowering it and fitting 18s… but I blew the engine up at Ford Fair about a year later on the Silverstone track! So I changed the engine to a Japanese-spec KL-ZE from an import MX-6 – the UK engine being the KL-DE. That dyno’d at 196bhp at the wheels on more than one occasion, and was a very fun car with good usable power on the road.”

You can see why the enthusiasm is so ingrained then, and why Dean’s keen to espouse the merits of this hidden gem. Having been a member of the UK’s first Probe club, the FPOC, from a young age, he kept the black Probe until he was 21 before moving onto the world of trouble that is the Mazda RX-7. Many cars and moons passed, until eight years later Dean spotted his old Probe for sale; it had been off the road for a while but he bought it back as a fixer-upper, acquiring a bunch of parts including the wheels and USDM rear bumper you see here. But that car is not this car… no, the one you’re looking at here was at the time owned by a club member by the name of Brian O’Keefe, a mechanical engineer who’d heavily modified the car with all manner of custom parts, although by late-2017 he’d started to lose interest in the project; it changed hands a couple of times, and then Dean found himself buying it for a decent price. It just seemed too good an opportunity to pass up – his original Probe still needed lots of work whereas this one was already complete, as well as being more powerful, having lower mileage, and wearing much nicer paint.

“I was in Thailand working at the time, so I arranged to collect it from Southend on my way home to Wales without even viewing it. I flew into Heathrow, caught the train to Southend, and drove the car home with my suitcase in the back.

“The Probe had many modifications, but was a little too stuck in the ’90s for my taste,” he continues. “It had blue lights, a vented carbon bonnet, 18in TSW Monzas, lots of red and blue detailing under the bonnet, stickers, blue floor mats, but I could see past this when I bought it and knew there was a clean, low mileage car underneath. I managed to sell almost everything I removed from the car for good money, so I actually got almost half my initial purchase price for it back!”

The car came with two full-to-bursting lever arch files of history, containing every single receipt right down to little things like wiper blades, as well as engineering diagrams for every custom modification carried out by the fastidious former owner. “People in the owners’ club thought I was mental for changing a very well-known car in the community,” Dean laughs. “However, I think a lot of them forgave me once they saw the finished item. To me it always felt like I was driving somebody else’s car until I changed it up.” Among the changes carried out in Dean’s tenure are the full black leather interior swap including dash, headlining and carpets, staggered Eta Beta wheels, Mustang splitter, stock replacement bonnet and front end repaint, flushed front bumper, USDM rear bumper, smoothed tail, USDM taillights (the number plate lives where the removable red rectangle in the middle is), removal of all the ’90s-style blue stuff, and a full detail and paint correction. “Some of these aftermarket parts I stole off my original car,” he explains, “and I also bought a black donor car for the interior and bonnet.”

All of this complements the unique engine, in situ when Dean purchased the car. The UK-spec KL-DE has been treated to the cams, pistons and port-matched inlet manifold from the JDM-spec Mazda KL-ZE, along with ported and polished heads, custom fuelling, bespoke exhaust, one-off throttle body and MSD ignition, which raises the power from its stock 165bhp to an impressive (and dyno-proven) 226bhp. More than enough to give it the go to match the show provided by those impeccably-finished Knight Rider-meets-GTO curves.

“Earlier this year I decided I needed to downsize the amount of vehicles I had, and business was doing well so thought it was time for my dream car; I always wanted a black-on-black 1964 Lincoln Continental, so at least three cars needed to go,” he says. And we can’t begrudge him that – after all, Lincoln is the luxury arm of the Ford Motor Company in the US, so perhaps Probe-to-Continental is a natural evolution? “This Probe was lined up as one of the ones to go, and I was very surprised that of the three cars I advertised, this was the first one to sell. It went for full asking price too, very quickly – the price was £3,500 which is a lot of car for the money, but also a lot more than any Probe has sold for in many years. Maybe this is a sign of the times, and people are ready to accept this Japanese-based Ford with American styling?”

We’d agree that this is almost certainly the case. These weird little global-mashup Fords have been left to languish in the shadows for too long; they may have been overlooked or even sneered at in the nineties, but the hardcore owners remained faithful and now, as numbers dwindle, people are recognising the Probe for the little sweetheart it really is. “I’ve taken the car to mostly non-Ford shows like Gravity and the Players Classic, and the response has been great – with some people finding it hard to admit to themselves that they actually think it’s cool!” laughs Dean. And that pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it? We’ve been sidelining these cars for too long. As this sleek 24v proves, Probes can be made to look stunning, with reliable performance to match. It’s not a Mustang, it’s not a Capri revival, it just is what it is – a Probe. And we like Probes. There, we said it.

Tech Spec: Modified Ford Probe

Engine:

KL-DE 2.5-litre 24v V6, ported and polished heads, Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator, custom-made twin fuel rails, 68mm throttle body (custom-machined from 60mm), port-matched KL-ZE inlet manifold (from JDM import Mazda MX-6), KL-ZE cams and pistons (from JDM import Mazda MX-6), oil breather and polished catch can, Hotshot cold air intake with custom tubing, Hotshot ceramic-coated 6-branch manifold, high-flow catalytic converter, custom stainless steel exhaust system, lightened flywheel, Magnecor KV85 leads, MSD ignition system with external coil conversion, battery relocated to boot, MSD window switches (used to control switching points of VRIS), anodised rocker covers, custom oil cap, water caps, radiator shroud and stainless cover plates, Samco hoses

Power:

226bhp

Transmission:

5-speed manual, Stage 2 clutch

Suspension:

Tokico 5-way shocks with 40mm Aktiv springs, Addco 20mm rear anti-roll bar

Brakes:

Raffi big brake kit, Goodridge braided lines

Wheels & Tyres:

8×18” (front) and 9×18” (rear) Eta Beta Avior – with bronze lips and black centres, refinished by Dan Taylor at Wheel Unique

Exterior:

Smoothed USDM rear bumper, USDM rear lights, wing mirrors and headlight covers, OEM rear spoiler, smoked side repeaters, Mustang front splitter, rubstrips removed, rolled rear arches, rear wiper arm and washer jet removed and smoothed

Interior:

Full black leather interior swap (including dash, headlining and carpets), custom-made short-throw gearstick, Momo steering wheel with stock cruise control modified to fit

This UK-built modified R33 Skyline is rich in Portuguese flavour along with a cornucopia of global influences. But don’t go thinking it’s a pure show car; it’s an absolute whirlwind on the track…

Feature taken from Banzai magazine. Words: Joe Partridge. Photos: Adam Rous

There are many benefits to living in Portugal. The climate is relentlessly spectacular, the scenery is dramatic, the people are friendly, the beaches are incredible… however, there’s one key element that makes dwelling there unworkable for people like us: you’re not allowed to modify your cars.

We know, it’s a choker, but incredibly that is the case, and this was presumably a large factor in the decision for Valter da Silva to relocate to the UK. He’s the owner of the modified R33 Skyline you see here and, as you will no doubt have spotted, he’s modified it quite a lot. Indeed, you mightn’t have even realised that it’s a Skyline at all at first glance. Those of you sufficiently well-versed in obscure bodykit design will recognise the nose profile of Rocket Bunny’s retro-fabulous Boss kit, although this is something more likely to be found on an S14-generation Silvia – or, in rare cases, an FD3S RX-7. An R33 Skyline, though? Nope, it was a new one on us too, hence why we were quite excited to get it on front of the lens and bring it to you.

There’s no end of custom chicanery at play here; clearly growing up in a culture where modding is a no-no means that Valter’s had a fair bit of catching up to do. As we can see, he’s channelling the spirit of the 1960s with his muscle car-inspired front-end styling, but the tail end indicates more of a 1990s bodykit approach – the sort of thing you used to see on seafront cruises in the Britpop era, brought screaming into the modern age by the expert hands of Carlos at Custom Car Repairs. Sounds like we’d better dig into Valter’s back story and see just how all of this came about…

“I was always into cars, since I was 18 and tearing about in my mum’s Opel Corsa 1.5 TD,” he explains. “I blew two turbos on that car, that’s how hard I drove it. It was great fun! Then I bought a brand new SEAT Ibiza, and won a lot of street races in that car. I miss those days. Several cars later, and now in a different country, I bought this Skyline GTS-T back in 2006, imported straight from Japan. It came with almost zero mods on it, and still had the bloody factory speed limiter.”

Needless to say the limiter came off straight away and the mods commenced with gusto so that Valter could give the R33 a hard time on track days. However, as the pressures of fatherhood and building his own business combined, there was less and less time for the big Nissan coupé, and it ended up being laid up in a friend’s company car park for seven years.

Modified R33 Skyline – the build

Fast-forward to 2017, and the friend in question rang Valter to let him know that the business was being sold so he’d have to put his Skyline somewhere else. Having been somewhat disconnected from the car scene for the better part of a decade, his first response was to put the car up for sale; in fact, he got as far as getting a buyer all lined up, so he went down to the car park to see how it was looking. Incredibly, having sat unused for seven years, it started up straight away and ran perfectly. Well, this was enough to flick the petrolhead switch in Valter’s brain. There was no way he could get rid of the car – it was time to bring it back, and make it the Skyline he’d always dreamed it could be… the buyer was gently let down, and he started to make some serious plans.

“Despite appearances, this was never built as a show car – it was built for the track,” Valter assures us. And it’s not just the strong factory spec and endless levels of tuneability that drew him to the R33 in the first place; there’s a deep yearning here fed by the model’s emotional and cultural significance. “It’s the car that all the kids from my generation wanted as we were growing up,” he reasons. “We all dreamed of a GT-R, although for me it had to be a GTS-T… I like the fact that’s it’s rear-wheel drive, I prefer the power delivery, and I love that it’s lighter than a GT-R!” Having already upgraded the brakes, and carried out all manner of chassis work to make the car more capable on the track (including the HICAS lockout and the full Driftworks adjustability package), Valter was sure of his focus: while he enjoys and appreciates drifting, that’s not what this build is all about. Fast laps, that’s the key, and he wants everything as planted and controlled as possible.

“The project was divided up into five expert teams,” he continues. “Valken Racing were in charge of concept design and project management, Jap Performance in Crawley were the mechanic team, Redline Tuning did electronics and mapping, Custom Car Repairs handled bodywork, and B-Trim did the interior. The makeover took fourteen months from start to finish, with all of these expert teams working together, and the results were 100% worth the wait! It’s just the result I’d wished for – a very fast and capable track day car that we all like to look at between hot laps.”

The RB25 has been built for usable power rather than showboating, with a solid 350bhp attributable to a shiny new turbo, uprated fuelling courtesy of a Racing Line 340lph fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator and Subaru 440cc injectors, and a Link ECU corralling all of the digits. A full suite of Mishimoto goodies take care of the belt and braces (intercooler, oil cooler, catch can), and there’s a boisterous decat exhaust system finishing in those ’90s-style centre-exit tails.

It’s that back end which most people see on track, owing to the incredible attention to detail Valter’s put into the chassis spec; it features Tein Mono Sport coilovers with EDFC, uprated anti-roll bars, Driftworks adjustable arm kit (which comprises a HICAS eliminator, adjustable rear camber, traction control arms, tension rods, and upper camber arms), and adjustable wishbones and arms. The brakes are also pretty devastating; Brembos all round, the fronts coming from a 350Z, with the rears being Subaru items. And that in-your-face rear end does more than show track cars a clean pair of heels: it’s part of a cohesive exterior treatment that would have looked right at home on a pull-out poster in Fast Car or Redline back in the day, and yet it’s a thoroughly 21st-century approach. The Rocket Bunny kit is bang on-trend with its aggressive arches, and the Mopar-style nose is a gloriously retro shocker to the uninitiated… and again, even those who know what this kit is won’t be expecting it to be hiding a Skyline inside. The custom paint that sets it all off could have been specifically designed for Portuguese-style climates, popping effervescently in the sunshine, and we just love how downright rude it all looks. It’s a properly angry and unapologetic car, with a thoroughly distinctive look; such is the quality of the finish that you have to keep reminding yourself that this was built as a track car first and foremost. The fact that it looks incredible is merely a fringe benefit.

Of course, track cars tend to have uncompromising stripped-out interiors, but Valter was keen for this R33 to offer a complete usability package. So while it features a full custom rollcage and a pair of Sparco buckets with 4-point harnesses, it’s also been fabulously trimmed. It’s no ordinary retrim either – the company in question, B-Trim, made it their mission to create a sumptuous interior that was 100% vegan. This project has been all about balance – a hell of a looker with a thoroughly pleasant interior, 350bhp, RWD, and an all-in weight of 1,450kg. “It’s tons of fun,” Valter grins. “I’ve recently lapped Brands Hatch in 56.96, which isn’t bad! Yes, I take extremely good care of it and I polish it between track days, but I use it hard all the time. After fourteen months of designing, cutting, amending, welding, and painting, the car design as a whole came out really well and people seem to love it. The reactions from young to old are always tremendously positive; when we take the car for late evening trips to central London there are always loads of boys and girls asking to take pictures of the car, that’s always quite cute and it’s good fun too!”

Show or track?

It’s a car that fulfils a tricky brief – well-appointed, handy on the track, with a show-winning finish – and it’s definitely rekindled a deep passion for modifying after seven years in the wilderness. Valter’s currently working with Valken Racing on a 1973 Porsche 911 that he imported from the States, which will be a hell of a track monster with 450bhp pushing 980kg down the road. He’s also modding a 996 Turbo for a Spa-Francorchamps project, and of course he’s wringing the Skyline’s neck every chance he gets. People may pigeonhole this build as a pure show car when they see it out and about, but make no mistake – they won’t see which way it went on the track. All of this neatly proves the point that if you criminalise something popular, you just drive it underground.

Portugal’s laws against modified cars didn’t put Valter off the idea; no, they pushed him further in the other direction. And their loss is very much the UK’s gain – after all, how cool is it when something that looks like this takes all the trust-fund Boxsters to school around Snetterton? We’re sorry Estoril, you definitely don’t get to play with this one…

Tech Spec: Modified R33 Skyline

Engine:

RB25 2.5-litre straight-six, HKS turbo, Mishimoto intercooler, Mishimoto oil cooler, Mishimoto catch can, Racing Line 340lph fuel pump, Subaru 440cc injectors, Racing Line fuel pressure regulator, Link ECU, custom decat exhaust system with twin HKS rear boxes, R34 GT-T gearbox, Xtreme 200mm twin ceramic clutch, Cusco 1.5 way LSD
Power: 350bhp

Chassis:

Custom 18-inch wheels finished by First Aid Wheels, 235/40 (f) and 265/35 (r) tyres, Tein Mono Sport coilovers with EDFC, Tein strut brace, uprated anti-roll bars, Driftworks adjustable arm kit (adjustable rear camber; HICAS eliminator; traction control arms; tension rods; upper camber arms), adjustable wishbones and arms, 350Z Brembo front brakes, Subaru Brembo rear brakes, DBA T3 discs, Hawk pads

Interior:

All-vegan Alcantara retrim by B-Trim, full custom rollcage, Sparco R333 seats and 4-point harnesses, Nismo short-shift, Ferrari 355 Momo steering wheel, Zoom Engineering rear view mirror, Pioneer double-DIN with CarPlay, Race Technology Dash2 Pro

Exterior:

Rocket Bunny Boss kit, custom paint, all bespoke bodywork by Carlos at Custom Car Repairs