JoeG

Guys, I haven't posted here in a long while, but this whole fiasco that's unravelled today has compelled me to vent...and the pic below makes me feel sick!! Like many of you, for me this is the final straw in terms of following the Supercar farce.... one thing is clear, brand loyalty disappeared a long time ago and these guys are just professional drivers for whomever is prepared to pay them the biggest amount! As far as the whole Ford funding issue, my understanding is something like this (and I stand corrected); Ford gave DJR, FPR and Triple 8 three years worth of sponsorship funding money each - Triple 8 used theirs up in the first 12 months - But then to their credit they did win a Championship. Later they screamed that Ford pulled funding, but were told that they were given all the same and the other 2 teams are fine....so basically we aren't giving you anymore money. Still, Ford are mugs letting Wincup go. Lowndsey has seen better days and he comes from the darkside anyway, so can understand and accept him going back. Anyway, that's it for me, I don't think I'll watch it anymore....20 Holdens v 10 Fords next year - what a joke! I hope Vodaphone have a hard time next year as all the testing, R&D etc.. has gone into the Falcon (which has proved to be a better package anyway) not the crappadore....so they virtually will have to start from scratch. Look at Skaiffe's team...all the money in the world, plus time to test etc.. and they still aren't winning races consistently!

Guys, download the latest version of John Mellor's GoAuto The Mag (its a free pdf magazine) - Its dedicated to the new Falcon. Mellors GoAuto Site

Talking about expensive Ford parts, I had an interesting experience myself - little off-topic but interesting nonetheless. I have a 1991 EB XR8 that was running like a bucket of crap so I decided to change all the electrical bits including Dizzy cap, Rotor, Coil Pack and clean out the throttle body assembly. So I pulled it apart last weekend. In so doing, I buggered one of the gaskets on the throttle body and had to wait til Monday to get some replacements from Motor Traders (genuine parts distributers here in SA). Anyway, they charged me around $50 for 3 gaskets, but the unbelievable part was when I asked them to price me the other bits - Dizzy Cap - $241 Rotor - $124 Coil - $343 Needless to say, I told the bloke behind the counter that he must be dreaming and check again because I had aftermarket Echlin parts already ordered at the following prices: Dizzy Cap - $12.50 Rotor - $4.75 Coil - $49.95 (even cheaper than the six cyclinder one which was $60.95!!) After a few chosen superlatives about what the parts man and his supplier can do with their genuine parts I left the shop in disbelief!! Moral of the story is - seek out ALL other alternatives before going genuine. BTW, the car is running like a gem now with all the new, albeit aftermarket, bits and pieces!!!

I like the following famous quotes - they are very apt methinks. "Do not go after any man with nothing left to lose, for he will come back at you with the strength of 10 men." - Agesilaus II (King of Sparta) 401 BC. "Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in disaster. ... When you try to climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do it's a hollow victory. In order to sustain the victory you have to prove yourself again and again in some other way, and again and again and again, driven forever to fill a false image, haunted by the fear that the image is not true and someone will find out. That's never the way." - Zen.

Try here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB-evTsJjYE

Like most of you on here, I too was appalled at what I saw yesterday at Phillip Island. Maybe someone can explain to me how, when *beep* Kelly punted Lowndes into his brother's car, the commentators (Compton et al) all agreed it was bad driving on pRicks part to be that close when Lowndes was making an obvious overtaking manoeuvre on Todd - who was giving room for Lowndes as well. They intimated that *beep* saw an opportunity and took it as far as pushing Lownde's car into his brother. Then about 5-10 minutes later, those same commentators were saying that Lowndes was blocking!!! WTF?? And that he may be in trouble for doing it because of the fiasco with Tander and Skaiffe doing it in the previous races? I don't know about you guys, but can someone please explain to me how putting a passing move on a guy who was yielding and racing cleanly, constitutes blocking?? Personally, I have had it with the Channel 10 wishy-washy commentary this year - they have been p1ss weak imo, afraid to ask the hard questions and call things as they are. I for one am happy that the coverage is moving to another station, I just hope that the standard improves. We can all see the issues as they have unfolded this year with the racing and the biased officialdom, but its almost as if the commentators have been gagged.

Guys, My handbrake failed the other day - pulled it all the way up when the car was in the driveway and the car started to roll backwards..not good. Anyway, rang dealer and took it in the following day. Guy tried to tell me that its probably an adjustment, and if so is not covered under warranty. Having read about the handbrake issues on this and other forums and about the TSB that Ford have released (finally) for it, I gave the guy a few choice words about what I knew and that I would not be paying for the fix. He said they would examine and let me know what they do. Sure enough at 10:00am I get a phone call from the Service Advisor saying that it was nothing but an adjustment and it will be $55.00, thankyou. For me it wasn't the money, but the principle of the thing that is the issue. Well, I told him that wasn't acceptable and that I would not be paying for this given the car is still under factory warranty, and that I have only done 17,000 k's since brand new from THEIR dealership - and if they want me to buy another car from them they better get their act together. To cut a long story short, they ended up putting the TSB through it and kept the car overnight because they needed to order a new spring for the handbrake and Ford accepted the whole thing under warranty - as they should!! Bottom line, thanks to the forum for all the info about the handbrake issue. Definitely the old adage of "fore-warned is fore-armed" rings true. When they know that you know what you are talking about, they can't bullsh*t you as easy.

Couldn't agree more!! That win rates up there with the Ford 1, 2 in the 70s!! Brilliant!!!

Just been reading an article about the new mondeo and the links to the next generation of our Falcon. Article here: GoAutoMag. Need to do a "save taget as" on the picture.

Bloody hell!! Very sad day. They say that bad things happen in threes....

Ditto for me as well.

Yeah, I thought that the VW Golf was built in South Africa as well?? Also, I am told that the Toyota Corolla Hatch is made in South Africa, whilst the Sedan is made in Japan apparently?

I heard these are a good tyre as well....will look at them myself when the time comes...J. -> Federal ss595

Not good mate...I have the same wheels on my car and I will be giving them a thorough check as well!! Good luck with getting them replaced...that's the least Ford can do IMO.