1988 Ford Laser GL review from Australia and New Zealand

I bought the Laser in March, and since then I have repaired or replaced:

X 1 New radiator cap.

X 1 New oil filter.

X 1 New cam belt.

X 2 Second hand hatch struts.

X 1 Windscreen wiper blade (two coming soon)

I have also replaced the sparkplugs as the last owners made them almost unrecognisable!

- I fixed the left hand side mirror as it had been knocked outward by previous owners.

- I removed some minor white paint specks and a "Green peace" sticker with meths and a small blade.

The following is still to be repaired:

- The automatic choke has not worked since I bought it.

- The rear wiper does not move and is stuck in the up position.

- The previous owners also did some damage to the metal bumper thingy under the front plastic bumper, it needs straightening.

- There are a few scratches here and there, so I'll get some touch up paint when I've got time.

As I said above, I bought the car in March for NZ$1200, I listed all the repairs I have made to it which make up about $165, I think that is great value as there has been many repairs.

If there is anything that amazes me about this car, it's that after over 20 years of being mistreated this car still has its original number plate surrounds from John Sharpland Ford in Tokoroa!

There is one thing in particular that I LOVE about this car, and that is the comfortable seats! Front and back, they are fantastic!

There is excellent space for cargo, the rear seats fold down seamlessly and the front passenger seat moves soooo far forward, which means this compact town car turns into a huge cargo hauler!

The original cassette stereo works great for its age and works just as I require it to (I'm not into a lot of music). However the backlight on this original radio is very selective, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, and sometimes when you think it's working you go over a bump in the road and it's gone off or vice versa!

The heater is FANTASTIC in this car, the cabin is stinking hot after just 2-3 minutes after start up when heat is selected to full, which is great here in NZ!

I'm a bit angry about the fact that it does not have a tachometer or a chime when the lights are left on (you had to buy a Ghia to get those luxuries!)

The power of the car is great when you're cruising around on your own, however when you get 5 people and the dog in the car, there ain't much room and the car slows down a lot LOL.

As I said about the dog above, because my Laser does not have a parcel tray (I would love one) the dog gets to have his own area in the back! (note he's a beagle dog so rear view is not a problem with him in there!)

I think this is a great car for me for the time being. My next car will hopefully be a 2001 Ford Laser! Then a 2008 Saab 9-5 or 9-3!

Trouble is my 1888 Laser 1.3 hatch goes too well, I don't want to be rid of it!