1985 Ford Laser Ghia review from Australia and New Zealand

Rear disc pads needed renewing.

Rear handbrake cable on one side binding and needs replacing. They are expensive at $150 each to buy new.

Thermostat needed replacing, but this is a cheap and easy job for the owner.

Rear engine mount needs replacing, also fairly easy for an owner to repair.

We bought this car for our 18 year old daughter when she got her licence. We wanted a small economical car with good availability of spares, both new and second hand if required. The Laser fits this bill admirably.

Being a Ghia, it has everything, EFI motor, aircon, 4-wheel discs, velour interior, full instrumentation, and a lot of other luxury items.

Lasers are very simply designed cars, which is important when they get to this age because it means they are easy to repair. This means that an owner can do it himself and save money and frustration, or if you pay a mechanic to do it, the work generally costs less because of the simplicity of the car.

As for the car itself, this one is a beauty. Even though it's 18 years old, everything works, even the A/C, and the body has no sign of rust.