Ford Problems

Good to hear you're happy with the system and the people who did the work. Fitting LPG to you car can be an adventure if you get the wrong system or have the wrong people do it, you experience is further proof that you should do your homework before you jump in.

When it comes to buying old cars I tend to go with the car that is in the best condition and usually the one with the lower odo reading regardless of age. In your case that's the older car, but because it has done a lot less kays it is likely to give you a better run in the long term. Of course the dual-fuel ED will be cheaper to run, but it will take you a year or so to cover the extra $1000 you have to pay for it. The ED was little changed from the EB it replaced; it had better side impact protection and used environmentally friendly gas in the air-conditioning system.

It's an old car and I'm guessing the gas system is also old and hasn't been serviced in a long while, so take it to a mechanic and have them service it. Your problem could be a wax build-up in the system, or a number of other things. Whatever, it needs attention.

For starters the dealer has failed to complete the repair he'd agreed to do so you shouldn't have paid any money at all until the job was done to your satisfaction. I would also have left the car there and refused to take delivery of it. The dealer has given you a loan car, so he hasn't left you completely in the lurch. Have him tow the car back to his dealership and have him give you an estimate of the time and cost of the repair and tell him that you will not take the car back until it is fixed.

Your mechanic is correct, but so are you. The mechanic's suggestion of a Corolla is a safe bet, one that won't come back to bite him in the long run, but the other cars you mention are also worth considering. All are solid, generally reliable cars, although I would be cautious about recommending the Astra to you. Stick to the well-known Japanese brands and she won't go too far wrong.

It could be leaking from the heater core, which could be corroded or cracked, it could be from a water connection, but also check that it’s not from the windscreen seal, which can also happen.

I would tend to agree with the panel beater, that you’re likely to be throwing away money by attempting to repair the rust you can see. There is a good chance there is more rust under the surface that you can’t see, so any repairs you might do are not likely to get all of it, unless you do as he says and fit a new quarter panel. If it was a classic car I would say, go for it, but an ED XR-6 isn’t in that league yet.

The diff bushes are a problem with the Territory, but at six years old and 90,000 km you might be hard pressed to ask Ford to cover the cost of replacing them. But to have to take a car back to a dealer 15 times in 90,000 km is way too much and, yes, I think Ford should be more forthcoming with compensation for problem cars. While the Territory was a great concept its execution wasn’t and it does have a number of problems that regularly crop up.

Ford recommended 91 RON fuel for the XR8 so E10 would be fine with its higher octane rating.

It's most unusual to wear out the rear brakes before the fronts as it's the fronts that do most of the work, but having to replace pads and discs at low kays is not so unusual with European cars.