1985 Ford Telstar GL review from Australia and New Zealand

Very little has gone wrong with the car over the last 18 years I have owned it, and many of those things that have gone wrong are normal wear and tear items. Those items that have needed to be replaced are:

Electronic ignition.

Rear muffler.

Rear brake linings.

Water pump.

Clutch (original wasn't worn out, but wasn't disengaging properly - I actually suspect it is a linkage problem.

Rear windscreen heater switch.

The only real problem it has is that it appears to be prone to rust, although it has never been garaged, so to some extent this is to be expected.

Rust areas are rear wheel arches, bottom of rear windscreen, side skirt panels (especially under rear doors) and bonnet.

This car has been a real pleasure to own and drive.

It is economical, roomy, reliable, travels really well over distances, happily tows a loaded trailer and very reliable.

Being a locally produced car, parts are still readily available, even genuine parts from the dealer, and reasonably priced.

There seems to be a benefit in the fact that it is basically a Japanese design, but modified to suit Australian conditions and locally built.