A small FORD instead of BIG ?

[Marcel Bluret]

Hi friends, I'm an older man (54) who is NOT very familiar with any

post-1975 vehicles due to my (sadly departed) "classic-collection" being my

constant hobby until illness struck forcing our extreme severe-lifestyle

'downgrade' in 1999.


Since then, I've collected the humble but weirdly INCREDIBLE yet utterly

worthless FRENCH Renault 12 ("povertyperson's/secret/frogmobile/rally")

car BUT they have NO Air-Conditioning.



MY wife has serious 'health-issues' (broken-thermostat!),which requires her

to be in FREEZING air-con when QLD-summer-temps go to 34+ & I acquired

an immaculate very cheap (1owner@89,000klm) 1993 ED FALCON about

5yrs back which,of course, split it's passenger-side-plastic-rad-tank &

"BLEW" it's head gasket & possibly WORSE!


This happened over an XMAS/NEW YEAR period when my local rural

mechanic was havin' a long lazabout so I tried to replace the headgasket

myself & I am NO mechanic !

When I removed the ED head & was quoted $950 to have the head 'refaced'

(by the local 'monopoly'), & unable to find a cheap good complete ED 4 litre

transplant-motor I simply gave up in disgust !



Luckily a farmer mate's wife had the same thing occur to their 1995 EF

FAIRMONT when parked & no damaged occurred but they gotta new car &

when offered $50 by local wreckers for their immaculate Silver

(240,000klm) EF, they very kindly GAVE it to me !


I put a new radiator innit, re-registered it & have had 2+ years of driving

from this "GIFT-FAIRMONT" with pretty cold air-con for my wife's needs &

she rarely leaves the house anyway & these trips are always 4+hr drives to

a city, so we have been very lucky...... so far.



However, the time has come for about $3000 to be spent-(including rego)

on this EF to keep it alive & 'chilled' for another few years & I actually do

not like driving it & find I'm very cramped also.


IF I'm gonna own a large 5-seater Automatic (FORD) vehicle - its gotta be

at least a 5litre V8 & I just cannot find a good enough one I can afford !




So... how about a small FORD 5spd-manual FESTIVA type hatch ?



I only wanna 2-door/seater "ICEBOX on WHEELS" which (apart from a

weekly 30klm 'air-con-work-out'), will sit in the garage as we prefer using

the Renault 12 for temperatures below 32 degrees anyhow- Sorry Aussies!



My parents have an air-con'd '94 FESTIVA automatic which they prefer to

their "fancy" 12mth old HOLDEN ASTRA-(I would too!) & as I've located

many "apparently good" FESTIVAs on <carsales.com> for $2500 or less

with my required: manual-trans/windows/AIR-CON, they seem to be pretty

good value, many with RWC &/or rego. [ 2good 2B true? ]


All these have COLD air-con-(claimed) & I don't care if it 'slows down' the

little hatch as long as my wife is cool & comfy & to "RETRO-CHILL" any

1970's RENAULT 12 (1.3/1.4 litre) is gonna cost up to $5000 & I am quite

MAD but not that stupid!



I have NEVER bought anything via the 'NET' but if I can see/drive the car,

I'm OK & know what I'm doing.......... mostly.



Do you recommend these 1990-8 models =(WA/B,etc) for our needs ?


We are very NOT wealthy & I like manual boxes & I admit to HATING 'east/

west-engine/trans-combos' & fuel-injected/computerised-electronica-

automobiles but as nearly EVERY vehicle since 1990 seems to have them, I

gotta "Go with the Flow" to have COLD air for the wife.


[Besides I'm a pathetic 'bush-mechanic' anyway & have a good local country garage-mate who can fix Vintage trucks/Combine-Harvesters or 2010 "AUDI-style-techno-wizard-mobiles" AND even gives me $=credit ! ]



ALL info & advice about owning & buying a FORD FESTIVA type hatch,

(most@200,000klms) is very gratefully appreciated coz I don't really wanna

spend $2500 & work alone on my EF 4litre 'warphead' Fairmont just to

keep it reliable,(?) @275,000klms for the next few years!



Many thanks, Marcel.