Ford Telstar

graham7773 · 07-08-2012, 11:14 AM

Maybe not the right forum but I just had a decent experience with my little Ford Telstar (aka Mazda 626). My grandson asked me to tow a Nissan Pulsar, 1.1 tonnes + from Batemans Bay to Sydney, 600Ks round trip. I was a bit hesitant seeing my telstar is a 2 liter 5 speed manual but agreed. Towed the 1 tonne trailer there, put the Nissan on and towed the lot (3.4 tonnes all up) back to Sydney. Up Bulli pass! My car did not miss a beat and temp needle stayed in the same place it does with no load, plus 110Ks on the freeway. I could not believe it. Freaky little car.

Werd. · 07-08-2012, 11:41 AM

Ford / Mazda sure did a good thing with the 323/626 series.
The 929 is a very nice car for its time too, friend has a 1992 model and feels like an AU Falcon which is how ahead of it's time it was.

Vesper Martini · 07-08-2012, 12:41 PM

I used to have a 92 TX5 auto, It pulled very well at low revs heaps of torque.
they lost that when the moved to the V6

madmelon · 07-08-2012, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

... It pulled very well at low revs heaps of torque.
they lost that when the moved to the V6

I'd disagree with that- my sister had a 96 323 with the 2.0 V6 + manual and that had no issues pulling from 500rpm in 5th gear. That's 200rpm below idle and it was the smoothest car I've ever been in, including mates dad's new 1M.

Hally · 07-08-2012, 01:21 PM

So you towed more than your car was ever designed for (or allowed to) up a potentially dangerous piece of road, and then sat at the designated speed limit?

That's great.

a-total-tool · 07-08-2012, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham7773

Maybe not the right forum but I just had a decent experience with my little Ford Telstar (aka Mazda 626). My grandson asked me to tow a Nissan Pulsar, 1.1 tonnes + from Batemans Bay to Sydney, 600Ks round trip. I was a bit hesitant seeing my telstar is a 2 liter 5 speed manual but agreed. Towed the 1 tonne trailer there, put the Nissan on and towed the lot (3.4 tonnes all up) back to Sydney. Up Bulli pass! My car did not miss a beat and temp needle stayed in the same place it does with no load, plus 110Ks on the freeway. I could not believe it. Freaky little car.

and the legal maximum towing weight of said telstar is???

graham7773 · 07-08-2012, 01:50 PM

2 comments re legal towing weight limit. I don't know. I will try to find out asap and not do it again if it was illegal. The police were like fleas on a dog going there but only saw a few on the way back. No interest from any of them. As far as speed limit, my car drove very well with nothing amiss at speed limit. Just drove it like a truck, giving myself plenty of braking distance etc. By the way, until 2 weeks ago, I had a HR truck licence. Can't get a truck drivers job at my age so dropped back to car licence.

graham7773 · 07-08-2012, 01:58 PM

Hally, you seem to know a bit about it, tell me what the weights and speed limits are for my car and its towing limits. Might save me going to RTA. By the way, most of the road back from Batemans Bay is good to very good with a lot of divided dual lane freeway.

Werd. · 07-08-2012, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hally

So you towed more than your car was ever designed for (or allowed to) up a potentially dangerous piece of road, and then sat at the designated speed limit?

That's great.

The towing limits are there to protect idiots from doing stupid things, it's a blanket rule.

As Graham says, treat it like a truck.
As long as there isn't too much or too little ball weight I struggle to see why one would have issues. Insurance might not like it though.

cobramania · 07-08-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham7773

Hally, you seem to know a bit about it, tell me what the weights and speed limits are for my car and its towing limits. Might save me going to RTA. By the way, most of the road back from Batemans Bay is good to very good with a lot of divided dual lane freeway.

This may answer your questions http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registrati...ngtrailers.pdf

I thought their was a max. speed limit of 80kph for loads over 750kg, but that booklet says otherwise?

**DJR-351** · 07-08-2012, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham7773

Hally, you seem to know a bit about it, tell me what the weights and speed limits are for my car and its towing limits. Might save me going to RTA. By the way, most of the road back from Batemans Bay is good to very good with a lot of divided dual lane freeway.

What year/model is it ??

The 94' V6 is 500kg Max for unbraked trailers and 1000kg Max for trailers with brakes....

a-total-tool · 08-08-2012, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cobramania

This may answer your questions http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registrati...ngtrailers.pdf

I thought their was a max. speed limit of 80kph for loads over 750kg, but that booklet says otherwise?

According to that booklet.....

The towbar should be clearly and permanently marked with its:
Maximum rated capacity.
Make and model of the vehicle it is intended for or the
manufacturer’s part number.
Manufacturer’s name or trade mark.

so if you are asking us... your car does not comply with the rules and regs. I own one car with a trailer (which is a Pajero) and there is a sticker in the door jamb with the details of the aftermarket towbar.

Falcons with the factory towbar (or at least the e-series and the AU's) have it stamped on the towbar.

**Luke Plaizier** · 08-08-2012, 09:05 AM

Man. My Falcon is only rated for 1600kg with the current towbar, and only 2200kg with the heavy duty towbar.

So yes, I agree, the Telstar was very well engineered - we had an AT Telstar and it was robust, although it handled like a pig.

But the decision to tow a load heavier then the car itself - that's a different story. Thankfully you're safe, but if I were you, I'd think twice about doing it again.

Lukeyson

GlenW · 08-08-2012, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham7773

Maybe not the right forum but I just had a decent experience with my little Ford Telstar (aka Mazda 626). My grandson asked me to tow a Nissan Pulsar, 1.1 tonnes + from Batemans Bay to Sydney, 600Ks round trip. I was a bit hesitant seeing my telstar is a 2 liter 5 speed manual but agreed. Towed the 1 tonne trailer there, put the Nissan on and towed the lot (3.4 tonnes all up) back to Sydney. Up Bulli pass! My car did not miss a beat and temp needle stayed in the same place it does with no load, plus 110Ks on the freeway. I could not believe it. Freaky little car.

Good effort. I used to have a '90 TX5 manual and as uninspiring as it was, it could pull a trailer load of stones for the garden ok. didnt accelerate or stop very fast, but as stated I gave myself plenty of room.
I cant see a trailer weighing 1000kg though, maybe 500kg? So a 1600kg load doesnt sound as bad as 3400kg figure above(although its including the Telstar).

**DJR-351** · 08-08-2012, 10:21 AM

Wrong thread...

Mr Hardware · 08-08-2012, 04:53 PM

I see this as no different to saying I did a burnout or 200kmh or donuts or street racing or whatever on public roads.

Werd. · 08-08-2012, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

I see this as no different to saying I did a burnout or 200kmh or donuts or street racing or whatever on public roads.

I see this post no different to this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

I am a troll.

Hally · 08-08-2012, 07:41 PM

Graham,

My issue is that whilst you drove it like a truck, at the end of the day the combined trailer, car on the trailer and your Telstar - in my mind- is dangerous, especially at 110kph. I know the area well, heaps of big hills (braking) and cross winds and traffic.

I doubt the towbar was rated for anywhere near the trailered weight. Maybe I was a bit harsh with my initial comment but I have seen incorrect loads do big damage to innocent people, thats all.

Cheers,

Hally

GREGL · 08-08-2012, 09:17 PM

Thank God no one cut you off , pulled out in front of you or hit the picks in your lane cause you and your little truck would have been a passenger to all that weight behind you, regardless of the road conditions. A jacknife would have been the end result and you would have absolutelely no control once that happened.

graham7773 · 08-08-2012, 11:55 PM

Well, it seems my bad. I did not do it to show off or for thrills. I did it because I was trying to help my grandson. If it makes any difference, the Telstar is fitted with new rear gas struts, new heavy duty Dobson rear coil springs plus a new rear thicker Whiteline anti roll/sway bar. Tyres are all new as are the front and rear brake pads with newly machined front rotors. I have since found that my car has a legal gross braked towing mass of 920 kg. I won't be doing that again. I would have been safer flat towing him home even though nothing went wrong with my car. I learned something new today. Thanks for all the comments.

Mr Hardware · 09-08-2012, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werd.

I see this post no different to this:

Wow, bottom of the tree.

Auslandau · 09-08-2012, 11:38 AM

Well I can see the point of the thread ..... Telstar's are good and perform well. Yes, went over weight and is a dangerous thing to do and has admitted it was overloaded and should have worked out the weights before doing so .....

But as some members can discuss it civilly ....

Quote:

Man. My Falcon is only rated for 1600kg with the current towbar, and only 2200kg with the heavy duty towbar.

So yes, I agree, the Telstar was very well engineered - we had an AT Telstar and it was robust, although it handled like a pig.

But the decision to tow a load heavier then the car itself - that's a different story. Thankfully you're safe, but if I were you, I'd think twice about doing it again.

Lukeyson

While others just love sticking the boots in such a rude and condescending way. Just love having the purists sometime being so perfect ........