RTR Stage 1 Mustang Touches Down at 2018 L.A. Auto Show

Pro drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s latest RTR package now available on four-banger 2019 EcoBoost Mustangs.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. has an impressive resume in the world of motorsports, dominating the world of competitive drifting in his Ford Mustang race cars. His success in high performance Ford products led to his Ready-To-Rock (RTR) brand offering a line of aesthetic and performance upgrades for the Mustang and starting next year, you will be able to buy the pony car shown here at your local Ford dealership.

In working with Ford Performance Gittin’s company developed the RTR Stage 1 package for the 2019 Ford Mustang and beginning “in early 2019,” this is a package that you will be able to order from your local Ford dealership. With this package coming to market very soon, the Motor Company is using the 2018 Los Angeles International Auto Show to showcase the modified Mustang designed by the drift champ.

RTR Stage 1 Details

The RTR Stage 1 package for the 2019 Ford Mustang in EcoBoost or GT form and as either a fastback or a convertible.

On the outside, the RTR Stage 1 package adds a unique upper with LED accent lighting, a unique lower grille, hood extractor vents, a new rear spoiler, a unique taillight panel, graphics and badges. Interior upgrades include RTR floor mats, a new shift knob and a dash plaque signed by Vaughn Gittin Jr.

The heart of the RTR Stage 1 Mustang package is a set of RTR Tactical Performance lower springs that improve handling and provide a more aggressive stance while a set of RTR 19-inch wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 G2 tires further the look and improve tracton.

Optional upgrades for the package include the Performance Pack spoiler with an adjustable Gurney Flap which is included on the vehicle on display in L.A., along with 20-inch wheels, a Ford Performance spring kit that is designed for use with the MagneRide dampers and a custom axle-back exhaust system.

Pricing

The RTR Stage 1 kit for the 2019 Ford Mustang starts at $7,500 for all configurations of the car. The Ford Performance lowering springs add $105, the axle-back exhaust adds $959 and the 20-inch wheels add either $250 or $450 depending on the wheel style chosen.

Finally, on the RTR website, adding the Gurney Flap deducts $150 from the price, which seems odd so that might be a mistake on their website, but if it really costs less, that addition is a no-brainer for owners of Performance Pack-equipped cars.

So, if you want the complete RTR Stage 1 package with all of the options for your 2019 Ford Mustang EcoBoost or GT, it will cost you around $9,000 over the cost of the standard car. If that sounds like something that you are interested in, you will be able to order your car sometime in 2019, but if you live in the Los Angeles area and you would like to check out an RTR car in person, one is on display for the 2018 L.A. Auto Show.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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