20th Sep 2006, 10:34
Trivia note: "Corsair" was one of the models of the Edsel make which Ford introduced in 1958, the second highest level model (after the Citation) but it vanished the next year, when the Edsel was reduced to two model lines.
Corsair is also the only Edsel model name that was never re-used in the US market. All the other model names (Ranger, Pacer and Citation) showed up again years later on other models, some from other manufacturers, though Ranger is the only one still being used now.
29th Oct 2006, 21:12
I drive a ford corsair and I love the car. I am a mechanic and the only problems I have had are the distributor modules gave way due to water damage. I have had no cooling problems and I have taken the car for large trips doing hundreds of kilometres in one day and its driven like a dream. Overall this car has been great to me, but you need to give it a lot of care.
10th Apr 2008, 18:39
We own a 1990 Ford Corsair, and honestly it is a great car. OK, we had to put in a new overhead liner, re-machine the brakes, and now we will be replacing the seals in the brake master cylinder, but what a great ride! We also had a paint job on the bonnet, roof and boot. However, we have hit 200,000 km. now and she just keeps delivering. I am looking at putting in a Hyclone setup to help with the mileage, but we have decided to keep our Corsair as a second car when we retire, and drive the new car as a primary.
19th Apr 2008, 16:31
The car is basically a Nissan Pintara, sold in the USA as the Nissan Stanza. The 1989-1992 Stanza was known for head gasket issues and was generally not as reliable as the other Nissans available at the time. I see many of them for sale with blown motors but few in good running condition. Suppose I could make some money buying them, fixing them, and reselling them.
9th Nov 2011, 15:47
I have had my 1990 Corsair for almost two years, and it has been great, apart from a few problems, which have been sorted out.
Firstly, the master brake cylinder broke two weeks after I picked up the car, easy fix, however still a problem. The major problem with the car has been a distributor problem, which started happening around 190,000km. Get it looked at, and if you can, refurbished, because the car may just stop when idling or slowing down, as well as causing the car to run really rough.
Once these problems were fixed, it has been absolutely amazing. A great car to drive, even without power steering, and with a good set of tyres, which I highly recommend, it gives you a comfortable ride.
Treat this car right, and it will give you many kilometres of happy driving.
24th Apr 2014, 18:52
Service this car every 5000 km and it will last a very long time. I suppose this could be said of most vehicles, but the Corsair is a low maintenance vehicle that handles tight.
15th Sep 2015, 07:16
My daughter has a 2.0 ltr auto (with 8 spark plugs - go figure) and I have a Ghia 2.4 manual; both have done around the 250,000 km distance. The 2.0 ltr is a soft ride for around town, but OK. I do a 200 km country commute 6 days a week to work in the 2.4, which is a great ride. The handling is tight and sporting with lots of fun in the curves. The torque of the 2.4 motor is great, with the fuel consumption around 8/9l per 100 cruising at 100km/hr. This is the worst part of running the car. I also run a V6 Camry 2.5ltr and 2.0 four manual, which use about the same fuel driven the same way (I get the best fuel figures from a 4.0 ltr AU Falcon of 7/100km for the same trip - very comfortable, but not so much fun!).
Sagging hood lining and dripping black tar sealing from above the rear doors in summer are my pet hates.
Both cars just needed front LH wheel bearings replaced at 250,000km.
The 2.4ltr blew a power steering hose (old age) - I always try to replace with new parts if available, but in this case not. Surprise! ENZED remake really cheap and good quality!
Odometers (VDO) on both cars just stopped. Little plastic gear wheel inside strips a tooth - common with VDO of this vintage (Ford EA did it also).
Engine mounts and cooling can be a problem for town-only cars.
Gear shift rattle on 2.4ltr comes in at 100km/hr - a bit annoying. I mostly drive just under this, particularly going home at night with roos and stock on the road. Oh... headlights in the country are only just adequate!
All in all, quiet, comfortable enough, light steering, can be fun in the country, and good if looked after. Get a 2.4 if you need grunt, and hang on over 3000RPM!
14th Aug 2006, 05:34
Continuation of the first post IE, ford corsair (engine blown around 280,000km). I continue to drive the car 50,000km after engine change. Engine burns a bit of oil, but keeps on going. If you keep this engine cool by maintaining the cooling system, it will keep on. Blew the radiator bottom tank seal, $70 + gst to clean and reseal. Good idea for those having cooling system problems, also keep that thermostat functional as this makes a noticeable difference in fuel consumption. Brake master cylinder rear seal failed again, very common problem with Ford Corsair / Nissan Pintara, seems the only worthwhile fix is to re-kit and sleeve the master cylinder ($150 - $200). Slave master cylinder rear seal also had a major leak, $20 fix and no problem since. Taught 3 people how to drive in this car and it's not dead yet, has exceeded my expectations. Probably because I got the car for free. Anyone with Power steering leaks, I had a major leak, filled it with Lucas power steering stop leak and solved the problem. Hope this information is hopeful.