Ok, so we lied. In the last phase of the Project SC650 build with the UPR Catch Can, we promised to be financially responsible — a lie we often tell ourselves, but rarely admit aloud. However, when the delivery driver arrived with our 2024 Mustang, he managed to damage the front lip and underside on the ramp. But when life hands you lemons, find someone with vodka and throw a party! In this case, the good folks at RTR and Form Lighting had just the right upgrades to fix the front end of our S650 and keep the party going even further. 

The simplest exterior changes can make a dramatic difference. For our front end, we went with the RTR upper and lower grilles, LED air inlets, and lip, creating a bold, transformative look.

A Front-End Facelift

Aside from our delivery disaster, our real issue is that we’re seeing more and more S650s on the road, and honestly, we wanted ours to stand out. To make it happen, we reached out to our friends at RTR for some suggestions. They recommended we check out the RTR upper grille with the iconic LED air intakes, along with the lower grille, RTR chin splitter, and undertray extension. As soon as the box arrived, we got a little too excited and dove right into the project.

We started by removing the factory bumper, which also required removing the radiator shroud. Once the bumper was off, we placed it with the backside facing up on padded sawhorses, giving us plenty of room to work. We began with the lower grille, unscrewing the small bolts and disconnecting the wiring on the top side. After some careful maneuvering to avoid damaging the factory bumper’s tabs, we were able to remove the old grille and install the new RTR lower grille. This new grille retains the factory brake cooling duct location, preserving the functionality and performance of our Mustang’s braking system. For those without the brake cooling ducts, this mod offers a great opportunity to easily upgrade and add those components later.

Before finishing the lower grille install, we realized that some of the fasteners also secured the damaged lip to the bumper. Naturally, we moved on to installing the much more aggressive RTR lip, which also allowed us to install the RTR undertray extension. We removed the remaining plastic fasteners to take off the OEM lip, then transferred the nut C-clips from the original unit and installed them onto the RTR lip. The final touch was the undertray extension, which smooths airflow between the RTR Chin Splitter and OEM Belly Pan, further enhancing lift reduction — a feature that will definitely come in handy when we’re crossing the finish line at speed.

Once we finished the lower half reassembly, we bounced to the upper grille with the awesome LED air intakes. The disassembly was similar to the lower grille in having to remove some wires and unbolt the factory grille, with it removed from its home it was time to install the RTR unit in its place, we were a little too excited and had already popped the LED air intakes in the grille. Again, a few soft presses and all the tabs dropped into place! We finished off the facelift with the RTR grille.

While some aftermarket products can be tricky to install, the RTR products fit perfectly. This is likely due to RTR’s use of OEM CAD data in designing their products, ensuring a seamless fit and installation, or the injection-molded ASA plastic used — either way we couldn’t be happier!

Changing Up The Lights

Since this round of upgrades highlighted our car’s aesthetics with some functionality thrown in, what better way to clean up the rear than to install some new clear reverse light and smoked side reflectors? After all, have you ever been in the pits and couldn’t see anything behind you? Mustang owners already have a bad pedestrian-versus-car rap sheet, so we might as well fix that. Plus, the Form Lighting adds an additional red running light and optional strobing fourth brake light.

We started by removing the factory rear diffuser, which is held in place by several 7mm bolts, a bunch of plastic pins, and a surprise 10mm bolt thrown in by Ford for good measure. With the diffuser out of the way, we pulled back the lower half of the rear bumper to access the reverse light. The reverse light, secured by a few bolts, easily slipped out once removed, allowing us to disconnect the electrical connection.

Installation was straightforward, with the only added step being the routing of the electrical wiring through the bottom of the trunk lid to connect to the brake lights. However, we discovered a small hiccup —  removing the ECU (more on that in future stories) disabled the keyless entry for the trunk. This meant we had to get creative and use the escape latch to access it. Once inside, we removed the trunk carpet and lock cover, then navigated the wires to the corresponding brake light, installed our jumper harness, and we were good to go.

The final task was replacing the factory reflectors, which don’t light up, with Form Lighting LED rear reflectors. These add a full strip of LEDs while the smoked lens provides a sleek, cohesive look that matches the rest of our Mustang’s design. Once again, the plug-and-play connectors made installation a breeze, and the fitment was flawless.

The plug-and-play jumper harness from Form Lighting made the connector part extremely easy.

Form Lighting’s reverse light and side markers truly impressed us with their OEM-grade construction. Built to endure the elements, they feature UV-coated, automotive-grade LED emitters and integrated breather vents for long-lasting performance. Best of all, the plug-and-play connectors make installation effortless — because, let’s be honest, no one enjoys complicated wiring.

That’s A Wrap

With our Mustang already turning heads, we decided to step it up with a wrap. Since the car was slated to appear at a SEMA booth, we wanted it to not only perform like a showstopper but look the part too. To ensure perfection, we entrusted Dan at DH Graphics with the job, and the results exceeded our expectations. While we’re confident in our mechanical skills, leaving the wrap to the pros was the right call — it turned out absolutely stunning.

We’re excited to fine-tune every detail, unleash some serious power on the dyno, and then hit the track.