My car won't change down into first. I have a 1995 EF Fairmont which is stripped out and run on a dirt speedway track. The rules requir that the engine and auto transmission are bog standard. The car seems to have lost power since its first outing a year ago. I normally run in manual second gear. I only get up to around 80km/hr so I recently tried putting it into manual in first gear, during a caution when we were running slowly - around 40 km/hr. Revs did not change noticeably and it felt like it was no different. The auto never kicks down during a race. I'm running at around 60km/hr on the corners and apply throttle smoothly on exit or else the rear steps out on the dirt. I've run 12 races since, each of about 4km (10 laps of a 400m dirt oval track). Only servicing to date is new engine oil and filter, new trans fluid and filter, replace ABS . Thermostat is out due to a cooling problem - since solved. Currently runs on 'L' of "NORMAL". Car is in a different town. It starts, idles and runs well but seems down on power. Revs are always in the range 3,000 to 3,750 when racing evil speeds vary from about 60 to 80 km/hr.

Once I get to it I have 2 days to find and fix problems and to rebuild FR suspension (I got loose and hit a wall on the last outing). I have just bought a 1998 donor car for parts. I can't test run before the next round of three races, but have two days prior and around half a hour between races to make adjustments. So I'd like to make my adjustments count! I'm currently planning to replace throttle cable (get a new one made up if possible as Ford don't sell them anymore), reinstall thermostat, check for manifold leaks, replace spark plugs (suspect old ones are carboned up as they get awfully hard to turn after a couple of turns and I haven't been game to take the right out for fear of stripping the threads in the head). I also plan to replace the auto trans inhibitor switch from the donor car and check the auto loom connectors and reinstall the power/econ button which got removed in the strip out, after setting to Power.

What do you think? Suggestions welcome.