picture of FG-HEADLINE: corrosion issue eating away at owner

[GTP-03]

OK Im a casual sort of guy, Ford bashing doesnt usually worry me, as ive owned many Fords and keep buying them because they are pretty relaible and cheap to fix, sure there not perfect cars, but there are cars that have just as many problems that dont get much of a bad wrap, because of there popularity.
Where am I going with this, well im glad you all asked. In the Adelaide Advertiser today there is a section called ask Smithy, basically he publishes emails from people who have had problems with there cars, and tries to offer them a solution.
The problem is that he seems to be ignoring all the people that write in with there problems of one particulary brand (no prizes for guessing which brand) and he publishes the most scathing letters about late model Fords which are still under warranty on a weekly basis! Fair enough these owners have problems with there cars but in my experience usually things get sorted out so why bother brand bashing Ford all the time, hes single handidly costing Ford sales unfairly, as these letters could be ficticious and probarbly would be sorted eventually if they were entirley honest emails which are being published.
The latest title "Corrosion eating away at owner" and a big colour picture of an FG is surely unfair towards Ford. If hes going to do that to Ford its only fair he publishes a pic of other brands when they have problems, not just use his silly segment as a boxing ring to punish Ford!

[sprint347dave]

i didnt think Adelaide was big enough to have its own paper

[Saraco]

Originally Posted by sprint347dave

i didnt think Adelaide was big enough to have its own paper

Your'e a clown aren't you? You ever been there?

[Kryton]

The Herald Sun's Car Guide has a similar (if not the same) column weekly and the guy is a douche.
Same deal, gets a bug up his arze and harps on about it for months.

I dont even bother reading the crap he prints any more, he has lost all credibility and should be promoted straight to ACA as a reporter - that s about the quality of his tripe.

[Cashie]

I would write in and state that you think he is being biased towards Fords....?

[Silver Ghia]

Noticed that in this weeks Cars"guide". Funny also there is never ever a real problem with a VE Commodore.

I'm tending to ignore that section in the paper each Friday, very pro-Holden. The accuracy of some of the problems they have with Fords appear questionable as well.

Just noticed there is a new comparison in the Cars"Guide" between the XT Falcon and the VE2 Omega.

Link: http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/new...comparo_review

I just cannot work out how the Omega gets a score of 76 vs 70 for the XT, after getting the impression that the Falcon beats Omega on quite a number of items including importantly better fuel consumption and transmission, the only real drawback being the single vs dual climate on the Omega. And $40,290 for the XT? Who would pay that?

You gotta be joking, Cars"guide".

[Dr Smith]

Well he was a former Holden employee although he claims to own a Falcon (XW/XY?) GT....

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Well he was a former Holden employee although he claims to own a Falcon (XW/XY?) GT....

That's real credible isn't it,if i had a dollar for every time i heard someone say they had an older GT

[GK]

1. Simthy is absolutely biased. I read the same section each week and get sooooooooo tired of his pro holden bias.

Examples:
2. Crummy fuel economy is never mentioned.
3. Crummy engine performance Omega Vs XT is never mentioned.
4. Commodore electrical gremlins not mentioned.
5. Commodore brake issues never mentioned.
6. Commodores still chew out rear tyres - my cousin (Holden red blooded - traded his new Omega after 25,000 kays. Tyres stuffed, told by Holden service manager that it's normal. Smithy doesn't mention such things, but is more than happy to dump on Ford at every opportunity.

FACT:
All cars have issues. It's just that selective reporting like his, only further leads those without any real understanding of such things, to believe that Holdens rock the world, and Ford drivers are deluded, when of course the opposite is true! LOL!

Am I biased, absolutely, but at least my bias is known and not hidden, with the pretence of being even-handed.

GK

[GTP-03]

Why would you buy an XT for above 40k, when there advetising the 50th anniversary Falcon with all the extras for around 35k driveaway, and yes the guy is biased, and yes the Holden did win out over the Ford, but bear in mind it was 1 persons opinion, its the new model which gets the new screen, and a few little bits and peices, which is hardly worth all the rave reviews they seem to get at every model upgrade, but the torque figure was 290nm for the Holden and 391nm for the Ford, the Falcon creams it by miles, but you guessed it no or little mention of that in the article

[fordv8!]

he is always bagging ford you cant tell me people dont email about holden problems geez i know guys who own them and have had a lot of problems!!! About a month ago he was bagging the ZF saying it wasnt much chop pfffttt!!!!!

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by fordv8!

he is always bagging ford you cant tell me people dont email about holden problems geez i know guys who own them and have had a lot of problems!!! About a month ago he was bagging the ZF saying it wasnt much chop pfffttt!!!!!

HAHA. DOESNT HOLDEN USE THE SAME GEAR BOX NOW...BUT FORD PULLS IT APART AND MAKES IT EVEN BETTER WITH DOUBLE SYNCROS OR SOMETHING....

[nitro50th]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

HAHA. DOESNT HOLDEN USE THE SAME GEAR BOX NOW...BUT FORD PULLS IT APART AND MAKES IT EVEN BETTER WITH DOUBLE SYNCROS OR SOMETHING....

This is for the 6 speed manual.

I think from memory someone has already written in a while ago (in the Melb Sun-Herald) to complain about a holden bias in the Cars Guide.

Steven.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by fordv8!

he is always bagging ford you cant tell me people dont email about holden problems geez i know guys who own them and have had a lot of problems!!! About a month ago he was bagging the ZF saying it wasnt much chop pfffttt!!!!!

Perhaps the Holden contingent are to illiterate to write in??

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

HAHA. DOESNT HOLDEN USE THE SAME GEAR BOX NOW...BUT FORD PULLS IT APART AND MAKES IT EVEN BETTER WITH DOUBLE SYNCROS OR SOMETHING....

Ah no, VE runs a GM 6 speed box, Ford runs the ZF as seen in the expensive Euro's. Hence the ZF always wins in the comparo's.

Originally Posted by b0son

commodores are made in Adelaide, so why are you surprised? i suspect there's a pro-Ford bias in Melbourne...

You'll find this in any major news limited publication.

......

It was funny as recently they started bagging on Toyota's until the 50th anniversary was released where it went straight back to the Falcon/Terri. You see the odd Commodore come on but the problem is so weak that it'll make it on the page.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Ah no, VE runs a GM 6 speed box, Ford runs the ZF as seen in the expensive Euro's. Hence the ZF always wins in the comparo's.

He may have had it confused with the manual which I believe isn't far off the mark. The 6 speed manual boxes in the Fords feel much smoother and slicker than that of the Holden which feels clunky and occasionally difficult to select 1st. My understanding is because of the double vs single synchros (though, I could be well off the mark...)

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Rodp

He may have had it confused with the manual which I believe isn't far off the mark. The 6 speed manual boxes in the Fords feel much smoother and slicker than that of the Holden which feels clunky and occasionally difficult to select 1st. My understanding is because of the double vs single synchros (though, I could be well off the mark...)

Could have, but thought it was only the new 6 speed Miami powered manuals that were getting the ZF double clutch system?

[GTP-03]

The first day my manager got his VE he had to call the Fleet department because it wouldnt start and they had to tow it back to the dealer, not long after he had to get the alternator replaced because the battery kept going flat, he also had to take it in to get new brake lines because there was a risk of it catching fire! All of this happend within the first 2 years, Im not saying Fords dont have there problems but dont mislead the public in a one sided brand bashing display that goes out to thousands of readers each week, they deserve better journalism than that and so do the workers that depend on feeding there families from the sales of the product they make!

[hillbilly5.0]

Originally Posted by GTP-03

OK Im a casual sort of guy, Ford bashing doesnt usually worry me, as ive owned many Fords and keep buying them because they are pretty relaible and cheap to fix, sure there not perfect cars, but there are cars that have just as many problems that dont get much of a bad wrap, because of there popularity.
Where am I going with this, well im glad you all asked. In the Adelaide Advertiser today there is a section called ask Smithy, basically he publishes emails from people who have had problems with there cars, and tries to offer them a solution.
The problem is that he seems to be ignoring all the people that write in with there problems of one particulary brand (no prizes for guessing which brand) and he publishes the most scathing letters about late model Fords which are still under warranty on a weekly basis! Fair enough these owners have problems with there cars but in my experience usually things get sorted out so why bother brand bashing Ford all the time, hes single handidly costing Ford sales unfairly, as these letters could be ficticious and probarbly would be sorted eventually if they were entirley honest emails which are being published.
The latest title "Corrosion eating away at owner" and a big colour picture of an FG is surely unfair towards Ford. If hes going to do that to Ford its only fair he publishes a pic of other brands when they have problems, not just use his silly segment as a boxing ring to punish Ford!

I thought it was just me

[EB#]

Originally Posted by GTP-03

OK Im a casual sort of guy, Ford bashing doesnt usually worry me.......

Hey GTP, why not write in with two bogus emails (from separate accounts)....
One horror story for both a Ford and a Holden, and see if they get published.
You might get lucky with a bite, and then you could expose the newspaper columnist for
either bias or not checking his facts, or both.

[wrongwaynorris]

Originally Posted by EB92

Hey GTP, why not write in with two bogus emails (from separate accounts)....
One horror story for both a Ford and a Holden, and see if they get published.
You might get lucky with a bite, and then you could expose the newspaper columnist for
either bias or not checking his facts, or both.

Facts , Vermin like this clown would never let facts get in the way of him peddling his agenda .

[b0son]

commodores are made in Adelaide, so why are you surprised? i suspect there's a pro-Ford bias in Melbourne...

[g220ba]

Originally Posted by b0son

commodores are made in Adelaide, so why are you surprised? i suspect there's a pro-Ford bias in Melbourne...

You'd definetely be wrong about then.

[galaxy xr8]

Don't stress about it, it's only a 2nd rate jurno with limitted knowledge, look at it this way, we all know both brand's have their inherant problem's, if people are narrow minded to read into his dribble and go and buy on his advice, they will soon see that the "other" brand has just as much concern if not more, and hopefully will learn from their mistake.

[g220ba]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Don't stress about it, it's only a 2nd rate jurno with limitted knowledge, look at it this way, we all know both brand's have their inherant problem's, if people are narrow minded to read into his dribble and go and buy on his advice, they will soon see that the "other" brand has just as much concern if not more, and hopefully will learn from their mistake.

Well said mate. People will learn no car is perfect regardless of what badge resides on the front.

[GTP-03]

thanks for the show of confidence hillybilly5.0, you seem like a great guy and an inspiration to us all

[hillbilly5.0]

Originally Posted by GTP-03

thanks for the show of confidence hillybilly5.0, you seem like a great guy and an inspiration to us all

my bad sorry mate i thought he was saying fewl not meaning fool as in wiping my brow you know few

[hillbilly5.0]

Originally Posted by hillbilly5.0

my bad sorry mate i thought he was saying fewl not meaning fool as in wiping my brow you know few

i have noticed it a lot to

[Pedro]

That "Smithy" rat brain is also syndicated to a Qld paper and I agree, his bias is aggravating, even extending to an article he wrote about 2nd hand cars where he singled out old Ford Lasers as being a POS.

[stevz]

Originally Posted by Pedro

That "Smithy" rat brain is also syndicated to a Qld paper and I agree, his bias is aggravating, even extending to an article he wrote about 2nd hand cars where he singled out old Ford Lasers as being a POS.

I'd say he was spot on.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by stevz

I'd say he was spot on.

I agree he's spot on but that's not the point.

He could have selected a lot of makes from that era, but once again he chose a Ford to bag.