xr6

Are you sure you put it your foot all the way down? That was one of the things I loved about the car when we took it for a test drive, the kickdown at 90-100kays on the fwy. Now the car is modded, and the tranny rebuilt, whoa hold on Nelly! ← Yeah, most of the time its OK but every now and then the auto gives me 3rd for a second or two and then decides that 2nd gear was what I really wanted.

The standard auto is SLOW to respond. I've had a couple of moments overtaking where I've had the car in auto, planted boot, and waited while the auto wakes up and has a good think about whether I really wanted 2nd gear. Wish I had a BF...

This would explain why F6s are faster than VE HSVs in the car mag tests. Wheels and Motor both recently tested a F6 (same car?) that ran low 5s for 0-100 and smoked the HSV (so much for 0-100 in under 5s). Does this make the Phoon the fastest Aussie production car of all time?

I have a late model BA XR6 and really haven't had too many probs. The hand brake needs adjusting at every service but I'm not sure if the dealer is doing it properly 'cos it goes out of adjustment in a few thousand kms. The BA Mk II had mainly cosmetic changes, apart from the 6 speed manual option. So I wouldn't go out of my way to get a Mk II. However, I believe there have ongoing changes to the turbo motor that don't coincide with model changes, so a late BA T should be better than an early one. Also, try to get one with a few months warranty left so that you can get any issues sorted before the warranty runs out.

Just remember that there are a number of HDMI versions. I understand that up to about a year ago, TVs with HDMI inputs did not include HDCP (HD copy protection). So they won't play back HD content from a Xbox 360 or PS3. Can anyone tell me what resolution Xbox 360 games are - is it HD? I'd wait if I were you. TVs keep getting cheaper and maybe the dust will settle on the whole HD content thing in the next year or so.

I think everyone agrees that synthetics are better oils. I can buy Castrol Edge 5W-30 for my NA XR6 for about $10 per litre. A decent 10W-30 costs about $7 per litre. $21 per oil change pays for itself in better fuel consumption and not having to top up the oil.

In NZ we have real crap petrol. My XR6 will ping on 91 on a long uphill run, so 91 is not an option. Gull 91 is OK as its imported, but not a lot of Gull stations outside of Auckland. Anyway, it runs so much better on Ultimate that I use it all the time. Mileage improves by about 5% which offsets some of the extra cost.

Thanks. Another question - does fitting aftermarket pads void the warranty if I have a brake problem in future?

Same in NZ - they're currently showing a "best of" with the promise of the new episodes later. Just download them...

I have a 04 XR6 (run out deal) with standard brakes. It's spent most of its life cruising at 100 km/hr, but every now and then gets a real workout on some of the great back roads in this part of the world. Having read this forum, I fully expected to have lots of drama with the brakes. I've had the rotors ground once in 65,000 kms to fix mild brake shudder, otherwise the brakes have been great. The front wheels stay pretty clean, and the brakes never seem to fade. They're not great when they're cold, but after a couple of stops bite well. Did Ford upgrade the brakes after the early BA brake problems? I'll probably need some new pads soon, and at this stage would probably fit the Ford pads again. Or is there a better pad out there? (that won't cover my wheels in dust)

The season got stuffed up because of Hamster's crash. It takes a lot of work to get the material for one series, and it all went on hold after his crash in September. Check out finalgear.com for info and torrents.

I've used mine twice to change flat tyres. I think I'll just call the AA next time...

Did the foglight come right out of the bumper? They clip in from the back and if the clips don't hold will fall back inside the bumper and sit on the dust shield. One of mine came loose after I (gently) hit a kerb when parking. Clipped it back in, and it's been fine ever since. Biggest pain in the arse with these lights is changing the bulbs. I use mine as daytime running lights and have replaced 2 bulbs in 60,000 kms. At least the bulbs are cheap...

What a surprise - every new Late model camira since the 70s has won Wheels' COTY.

Yeah, it's really hard case driving around London. You're bumper to bumper in a line of cars doing 50+ in a 40 mph limit, suddenly everyone is on the brakes. Then past the speed camera, and back on the gas. It's OK for the locals 'cos they know where the cameras are, but a bit rough on the tourists.