3rdTurbo

Gents - Thanks for sharing your views. Although we're all car enthusiasts, I'm glad that there are many other forum members who have an opinion and a view on world affairs. I expected to be flamed harder than that! Thanks guys - great debate. I'll be following the comments in the days to come with interest.

You're not alone. I agree 100%. Flamesuit on. Here goes.... US Society is built on individual's freedoms and innovation. Economically speaking, the US is dominant in all sectors including Agriculture, Finance, Manufacturing/IT and Education. In turn, they have contributed to a higher standard of living in other nations, especially Australia. Look at how many US multinationals invest in other countries and employ local people. The rationale to go to war with Iraq was based heavily on Iraq's failure to co-operate with UN resolutions. Saddam was a threat to neighbouring states in the region and in a post Sep 11 enviroment, the world could ill afford the risk of a nuclear threat in the middle east. The threat being that he was he was capable of posessing and using WMD and had not co-operated with the UN from 1998 to 2002 (a bit like Rene Rivkin a larger scale) and was actually in negotiations with Nth Korea to source WMD. Let's not forget that Saddam was not afraid to use biological weapons against Iran in the 80's. The Germans and French played a huge role in building Iraq's chemical capabilities. It has been reported widely, that Saddam did not protect and uphold the basic human freedom values for the Iraqi citizens which we all of enjoy in Western nations. On a moral level, to free the Iraqi people from an oppressive regime has got to be a good thing and justified in it's own right. Again the US subsequent to WWII, provided massive grants to European nations - mostly Germany and also to Japan to help rebuild their industries. Look how powerful both of these nations are today economically. The US also established the United Nations (and League of Nations) as means to improve foreign relations across the globe. The UN was never intended to be a ultimate "court of law" on international issues. We are all entitled to make up our own minds, with a little knowledge, awareness of key facts and an open mind - things can appear very different from what is reported in the mass media. Just remember that the Ford Motor Co is American and whilst the BA Falcon is designed and produced in Australia, it is still a wholly owed subsiidary of the US business. Accordingly, the US must approve the key decisions and input into local Ford Aust product. I would be extremely nervous if either China, France, Russia or Germany were the dominant power in world affairs. The JJ issue, taken in a light hearted manner, is bl**dy hilarious! It's just entertainment and a stunt. Great pub talk. On a final note I'm 29 yo and am not from an Anglo Saxon background (if that makes a difference). I going back into my hole now........

Which dealer? I've had this problem for 2 months now. Dealer on the Nth Beaches in Sydney has had 2 attempts to rectify with no such luck! I knew I could not have been the only one.

Sounds awesome! I missed this one but went to their Sydney concert in '98 (Refuel Tour - I think). One of the best performances I've seen. Jeez to finish on Hit the Lights - I'd be hypo for a month afterwards! How much were the tickets? Any more shows? Off to Never Never Land! ......................

The benefit of going to Ford every now and then is the factory recalls/running changes (updates) and factory advised adjustments made. They also have a greater selection of parts on hand (in theory) - if time is precious. Problem is that most of them lack the personalised service that the enthusiast market demands. e.g. steering rack adj and reflashing the ECU are 2 updates that I can remember.

Go the 'bahn! I hired a Merc 230SLK Kompressor in 2001 and drove from Berlin to Bremen via Hannover and back (1000km round trip)! Very good drive (only 147kw) but on the top speed runs I got to a max of 260km/h indicated. The Speed limiter did not kick in - it just ran out of puff. They are supposed to be limited to 250km/h so I suspect that the speedo was at least 10-15km/h optimistic. This car was built for the autobahn. Very stiff chassis and exceptionally stable at high speed. It had ESP and traction control which I could not turn off. I'm sure that my T would be much much quicker but I'm not sure it would be as stable while cruising at 220km/h than the Merc was. Needed a lot of road, and light traffic. The Germans get out the way. I was trying to keep up with a Jag XKR at one stage, at over 220km/h. It was great fun and felt entirely safe when cruising between 140km/h to 180km/h. I hired the car from "SIXT" via the net, from memory it was about A$200 a day. Planning a trip to Europe with SWMBO later in the year. Does anyone know where you can hire a Boxster or similiar in Germany for less than A$300 per day?

Which dealer advised you of this? Do you have details of the brake place for the Brembos?

Yes, installed myself. Several have asked about the cost & install, so here it is.... Required 1x XR8 under headlight duct, described by Ford as "Tube Air Clnr Intake", Part Number BAT9C676A, Cost $55 incl GST. This component has a flange on it so that it gives a good seal & connection to the XR8 air cleaner cannister (barrel shaped thing). I cut this flange off with a Stanley knife! I obtained the following item from the plumbing section of a large hardware store: Plumb-quik rubber joiner 100mm long x 100mm dia (part no 1056-44), cost $18.92. It comes complete with quality hose clamps at each end (I didn't use them). The hose clamps sit in recesses in the rubber. One of these recesses is used to seal a hole cut into the side of the standard XR6T airbox, the hole dimensions determined by the diameter of the recess (approx 94mm diameter). Now, the XR8 under headlight duct has the end cut off it, pushed into one end of the rubber joiner. As the duct is oval in shape, it causes the rubber joiner to become oval in shape. It is a very tight fit, and there is no need for any other means of fixing the two together. This assembly is then positioned (forced!) under the headlight. To do this the whole airbox needs to be removed (easy job, held in place by 3 bolts). Now a hole is cut in the side wall of the airbox to suit the 94mmm diameter rubber joiner recess. I cut an oval shaped hole to better suit the shape of the joiner with the XR8 duct fully inserted into it. Tidy up the hole with a file. The airbox is then repositioned, the airbox front retaining bolt fitted, and the rubber joiner plumbed into the hole, so that the recess sits in the airbox plastic wall. Fit the remaining two airbox retaining bolts, the air filter, & lid. You're then done! Total cost $73.92. And it looks completely factory. All in black rubber. Thanks 56Mainline - I FINALLY installed the XR8 under headlight duct as per your post! Noticeable improvement in throttle response. Feels like a few more KW's on board too. Surprised that the intake sound did not increase much, and is now a tad more throaty! Mod is very discreet and looks factory! My T is otherwise stock and auto. Cost me a total of $65 ($50 XR8 duct and $15 100mm rubber joiner) and 2 hours of time! :festive:

What has your dealer committed to? Has the check engine light triggerred any fault codes? Don't this take the wrong way - but the Rex is a small medium car on steriods not a dedicated sports car! Even if the T and Rex were dedictaed sports cars - what diff would it make? Why did you choose not buy a Rex after you sold the VY 2? Strange how you sold a VY 2 after 9 months - I thought they were only released 2 or 3 months ago.

Follow up with the Sales Manager and then the Dealer Principal by telephone (at least find out their names). Tell them about your purchasing experience and agree the steps forward to delivery. Send a fax to the dealer (to the attention of the dealer principal)with a "cc" to Ford Motor Co stating all the events to date (phone calls etc) including a solution to the matter. Ultimately, depends on what solution you require. - Do you want a loan car until you receive delivery? - Do you want compensation or extra accessories for you incopnvenience? - Or do you just want confirmation that you will in fact receive delivery on 16th Jan 04? Make the dealer accountable, particularly as they have shirked from keeping you properly informed of the order to date. Don't feel that you alone on this, most of us have been screwed around by dealers (not just Ford) - it's just important to esculate your concerns. The one who screams loudest is often the first to be served! The extra pain will be worth it the XR6/8 are fine cars and once you are handed over the keys - all will be forgotten!

Geezer - Your thread has merit and I was interested in following it's progress. I don't think that your the intention was the auto/manual debate - therefore no explanation required. However, the other guys are just suggesting that you do a search on some older threads. You should be able to piece together some opinions/experiences of the contributors.

So if you have to wait for the turbo timer to turn off the engine before you can lock the car - why would you bother with the turbo timer? Understand the benefit of a boost gauge though.

Kitty: Good point - I understand your intention is to take be careful with names in respect of deformation etc . One thing I disagree with is "It's not his word against theirs". From the Saleen1's post he ordered the Blaupunkt setup in good faith and was supplied goods which was not endorsed by Blau. The onus should be on the dealer to explain why the original transaction was varied. On a moral level, this is mean considering he's forking a lot of $$$$. Imagine buying a new "T" with a turbo compressor which was not supplied by Ford (or Garrett which is Ford's offical supplier). I would not be impressed and would cancel the order. This could be misleading and deceptive conduct and an issue under Trade Practices. Lawyers - please comment. In terms of naming them - be indirect. I was thinking along the lines of...."I have heard of a Blau retailer at _______ and contactable on ________. " Alternatively to be even more indirect (think catch phrase): Does their name rhyme with anything? Is it similar to a colour? "Go to page ## of the yellow pages LZ" - 2nd column, in bold, first 2 digits of phone number...... Another angle is GST compliance. Did the store issue a receipt or GST invoice? Remember that the Fed Govt (ATO) is entitled to $4.55 as GST from the $50. Demand a receipt and including a description of what the $50 is for and ask for their abn #. This will be useful in any further legal actions. If you have no luck, call the ATO and advise that the store has not complied with their GST obligations. They may not take action, but when the next guy complains.....something may be done.

Guys - It's the NRMA and the other auto asscoiations who promote these awards. They no longer really cater for motoring enthusiasts. NRMA constantly lobbies for more road regulations and always puts a misleading spin on the road safety debate. It would not place much emphasis on this. I love reading Wheels, Motor etc. But the Open Road is lucky to be opened. When I do make the effort to pull the plastic off, it makes me drowsy. Bit like watching the Car Show - the reviews and the anlysis are so so simple!!! The 03 WRX looks like a Hyundai Accent with a bonnet scoop - hmmm very sporty indeed....

Saleen1: Your post made my blood boil! Those cheats blaming the customer when it's out of your hands. Outright deception! What more could you have done? I.e. call day before install and confirming equipment to be used. Name them and I'm sure that many of us would be happy to make general enquiries into their methods of doing business. But try and get your $50 back before you grill them. At worst, get something that they sell to the value of $50. You should not feel embarassed to pursue this.

I'm in NSW. Never been to either facility - but maybe Calder is faster due to the lower ambient temp????

Sounds expensive. Fox the dealer and lock in the "fleet" price. Trumpy is right - it's only oil, filter and a 1-2 hours labour (max)! It should not be over $200 ---> more like $180. Make sure they don't use fuel injector cleaners, oil conditioners etc. No car manufacturers and engine oil suppliers that I am aware of endorse these products.

Sorry to hear that geea - put it down to bad luck!

I've done 21,000km and my rears (17" Sp3000) are on their last legs. The wet weather grip is still very impressive - probably more of a reflection of the new BA rear end setup. Fronts probably have another 5,000 to 8,000km left. I'm relunctant to change the front tyres as I have not had any brake shudder since 9,000km (based on the "Brake Shudder" posts - I.e. having the correct front wheel nut torque). I'm gonna run all the tyres into the ground.

I guess he was right after all.... Sorry mods....I know I promised I wouldn't but it was too good an opportunity to pass up! No worries ALXR6T! Now back to the thread....

Not sure, it would be good to know though. I tend to use the figures as a guide only particularly when making comparisons between manufacturers. The "seat of the pants test" can assist in back to back comparisons. I know that there were claims with the EB GT and EF GT that their reported engine KW figures were overstated. I just want to emphasise that it is torque delivery across the whole rev range (I.e. drivability) is what makes cars enjoyable. The GEN III has top end power (as does the T and the BOSS engines) but is short on torque in the lower to mid rev range. You only need top end for KW bragging rights, fast 0-100m and 400m times. These measurements give no indication of the mid range performance in the real world. Where do I begin about Expensive Daewoo telling porkies? Okay, the weight of the VY Late model camira was found by the press to be understated (excluding the Monaro). Groover - I reckon the mods let you off lightly. Read the topic of the thread again.

Congrats! You and the Phantom were meant to be! Hang in there now and raise your expectations as high as you can. I'm sure once you obtain delivery you'll be grinning for many many days!

Fair enough. You got me! With lines like those, I might have to rent it out and have a bit of chuckle! I remember watching the movie when it first came out, and I thought that it was abosolute crap! Clearly I missed the point.

Your comments don't seem logical to me. How do you "double clutch" the SSS auto? Talk me through the "Motec system exhaust".

What he said.