The Silver Slag (as requested)
Discussion
As the name implies, the Silver Slag has been with a few of the guys on PH. Last night I had a request through for a write up, so here goes (largely copied from things I've posted elsewhere).
The demise of my MR2 turbo is old news now. I sold up after some serious simultaneous misfortunes. Long story short, the headgasket let go and it failed its MOT expensively, at exactly the time the insurance fell due. I could have fixed it, but there were too many ££££ signs floating around, so I let it go and decided to run round in a fiesta that I bought for my girlfriend to learn in.
Within a week I knew I'd messed up. I should never have let it go. So - I started the search for another fun car. I'd regularly be up at 3am on schoolnights, scouring the 'net for something I'd be happy with. I looked at a few, but ultimately I think I'm too picky. I should have just grabbed one and got on with it, but the bad experience with Mr Misfire (the affectionate name my car gained on MR2OC) put me off time and again. I wanted something I could have a bit of faith in, but without ruining the house-deposit fund.
I got bored of the hunt, just as my housemate decided to buy a 350Z. 350Z purchased, one Mitsubishi FTO surplus to requirements. I'm sure you can guess the rest... The silver slag has a new bedfellow.
For me, this FTO has been there in the background for the last 5 years.
Here
Here
Here
Here
I know the last 3 owners. I know the car well, as the last owner was my housemate. I've worked on it for him repeatedly. Dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree? Strange banging noise? Electrical issue? Who gets called? Me.
Seemed rude not to buy it after all that.
So.
Has it scratched the MR2 itch? Can I now hang up my rear-driven cravings and settle for a life being dragged around by the wheels up front?
No.
As I diplomatically put it on the FTO owners club:
MR2 Turbo - Speak softly, but carry a big stick.
FTO - Wail, scream and howl like a proper mentalist, carry an unloaded AK47.
It makes a hell of a noise, drives well and really looks the part, but under full throttle it couldn't challenge any real sports car. The (relative lack of) power doesn't really bother me, but the front wheel drive does. I live for oversteer, without the promise/threat of it every spirited drive feels like a commuter run in fast forward.
However. That doesn't mean it's useless. Let's forget about the MR2 and consider the FTO in isolation. The simple fact is, it's a tourer (that's the T, in FTO). If you ask it to play at being a sports car, it'll fail. It has other strengths.
I once wrote this in a write up on MR2OC.
There is a real feel-good factor to driving it. I live in London, and for the tight, twisty roads round here it's great. V6 rumble, punchy torque delivery and lag-free throttle response always put a smile on my face, where a turbo'd motor would be laggy and unresponsive. It looks good too. The eye catching shape easily passes the 'shop window' test, particularly with the Sparco alloys and sensible lowering.
Another highlight of ownership is 'hot' passenger rides. The car now has a near-standard stainless exhaust system on, unlike the howler of an Apexi my housemate bought it with. You can drive around with it bubbling away quietly, and nobody is any the wiser. When you put your foot down and the clever cams open up, releasing a race-car snarl via the induction kit, the shouts of surprise and amazement from petrol-headed friends in the passenger seat cannot fail to entertain you. One was so impressed he was straight onto ebay when he got home to price up his own.
Annoyingly it hasn't been all plain sailing. In fact, virtually none of it has been plain sailing.
In 3.5 years with the car my housemate had a snapped alternator belt, failed air-con, a gearbox overhaul and a missing bump stop to put up with. In other words, aside from MOT time it was largely well behaved for such an old car (especially as the gearbox was partially self-inflicted by some incautious downshifting).
My ownership, all four weeks of it, has been rather different. There have been a relentless barrage of niggles. The indicator fuses blow constantly, the alarm goes off at random, the speedo flicks between 50 and 80mph even when parked, the car won't idle, the central locking has failed, the climate control temperature rises and falls with the second hand of the clock, the passenger electric window only works on Tuesdays and the gearbox (freshly overhauled by a specialist remember) won't self-centre between shifts and NEVER wants to go into reverse.
I'm working my way through the list slowly, and though the problems have rather tainted the ownership experience so far it's always rewarding in the long run when you fix these things yourself.
I used to dread having to drive to work as it was embarrassing climbing out of the Fiesta - with the FTO I'm rather proud of it (yes I know it's a bit Fast and Furious - but I try to resist the temptation to say "smoke 'em" too much and whenever there's a "danger to manifold" warning I always back off before the floor falls out).
Overall - it's a good car. Or at least it will be soon. It's fun to drive and a pleasure to own. I'll never be obsessed with it like I was with the MR2, but it has satisfied the 'fun car' cravings with ease. Until I have a lot more cash sloshing round it'll do me.
Write up concluded. Questions to the usual address.
The demise of my MR2 turbo is old news now. I sold up after some serious simultaneous misfortunes. Long story short, the headgasket let go and it failed its MOT expensively, at exactly the time the insurance fell due. I could have fixed it, but there were too many ££££ signs floating around, so I let it go and decided to run round in a fiesta that I bought for my girlfriend to learn in.
Within a week I knew I'd messed up. I should never have let it go. So - I started the search for another fun car. I'd regularly be up at 3am on schoolnights, scouring the 'net for something I'd be happy with. I looked at a few, but ultimately I think I'm too picky. I should have just grabbed one and got on with it, but the bad experience with Mr Misfire (the affectionate name my car gained on MR2OC) put me off time and again. I wanted something I could have a bit of faith in, but without ruining the house-deposit fund.
I got bored of the hunt, just as my housemate decided to buy a 350Z. 350Z purchased, one Mitsubishi FTO surplus to requirements. I'm sure you can guess the rest... The silver slag has a new bedfellow.
For me, this FTO has been there in the background for the last 5 years.
Here
Here
Here
Here
I know the last 3 owners. I know the car well, as the last owner was my housemate. I've worked on it for him repeatedly. Dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree? Strange banging noise? Electrical issue? Who gets called? Me.
Seemed rude not to buy it after all that.
So.
Has it scratched the MR2 itch? Can I now hang up my rear-driven cravings and settle for a life being dragged around by the wheels up front?
No.
As I diplomatically put it on the FTO owners club:
MR2 Turbo - Speak softly, but carry a big stick.
FTO - Wail, scream and howl like a proper mentalist, carry an unloaded AK47.
It makes a hell of a noise, drives well and really looks the part, but under full throttle it couldn't challenge any real sports car. The (relative lack of) power doesn't really bother me, but the front wheel drive does. I live for oversteer, without the promise/threat of it every spirited drive feels like a commuter run in fast forward.
However. That doesn't mean it's useless. Let's forget about the MR2 and consider the FTO in isolation. The simple fact is, it's a tourer (that's the T, in FTO). If you ask it to play at being a sports car, it'll fail. It has other strengths.
I once wrote this in a write up on MR2OC.
'Al' said:
It’s been a glorious, sunny Saturday and for once neither the housemate nor I have hangovers. It’s a car day. This time it’s his turn to drive so we climb into his car and head out of town.
Let’s get one thing straight. The FTO is amazing. Windows down, the 3” straight-through Apexi exhaust, Apexi induction and the MIVEC V6 howling away as it reaches towards the 8,000rpm redline combine to form an utterly intoxicating soundtrack. It’s a strong engine and full of life. From no revs at all it pulls hard with a snarl that sends animals running and spins heads. On board it’s even better. The sound seems to unfold, volume growing and pitch rising endlessly as the revs build. Even from the passenger seat you can feel how alive the steering is, how sharp the brakes are and how much grip there is at the front end.
One day I’d love to own one.
I never imagined I'd own that actual car...Let’s get one thing straight. The FTO is amazing. Windows down, the 3” straight-through Apexi exhaust, Apexi induction and the MIVEC V6 howling away as it reaches towards the 8,000rpm redline combine to form an utterly intoxicating soundtrack. It’s a strong engine and full of life. From no revs at all it pulls hard with a snarl that sends animals running and spins heads. On board it’s even better. The sound seems to unfold, volume growing and pitch rising endlessly as the revs build. Even from the passenger seat you can feel how alive the steering is, how sharp the brakes are and how much grip there is at the front end.
One day I’d love to own one.
There is a real feel-good factor to driving it. I live in London, and for the tight, twisty roads round here it's great. V6 rumble, punchy torque delivery and lag-free throttle response always put a smile on my face, where a turbo'd motor would be laggy and unresponsive. It looks good too. The eye catching shape easily passes the 'shop window' test, particularly with the Sparco alloys and sensible lowering.
Another highlight of ownership is 'hot' passenger rides. The car now has a near-standard stainless exhaust system on, unlike the howler of an Apexi my housemate bought it with. You can drive around with it bubbling away quietly, and nobody is any the wiser. When you put your foot down and the clever cams open up, releasing a race-car snarl via the induction kit, the shouts of surprise and amazement from petrol-headed friends in the passenger seat cannot fail to entertain you. One was so impressed he was straight onto ebay when he got home to price up his own.
Annoyingly it hasn't been all plain sailing. In fact, virtually none of it has been plain sailing.
In 3.5 years with the car my housemate had a snapped alternator belt, failed air-con, a gearbox overhaul and a missing bump stop to put up with. In other words, aside from MOT time it was largely well behaved for such an old car (especially as the gearbox was partially self-inflicted by some incautious downshifting).
My ownership, all four weeks of it, has been rather different. There have been a relentless barrage of niggles. The indicator fuses blow constantly, the alarm goes off at random, the speedo flicks between 50 and 80mph even when parked, the car won't idle, the central locking has failed, the climate control temperature rises and falls with the second hand of the clock, the passenger electric window only works on Tuesdays and the gearbox (freshly overhauled by a specialist remember) won't self-centre between shifts and NEVER wants to go into reverse.
I'm working my way through the list slowly, and though the problems have rather tainted the ownership experience so far it's always rewarding in the long run when you fix these things yourself.
I used to dread having to drive to work as it was embarrassing climbing out of the Fiesta - with the FTO I'm rather proud of it (yes I know it's a bit Fast and Furious - but I try to resist the temptation to say "smoke 'em" too much and whenever there's a "danger to manifold" warning I always back off before the floor falls out).
Overall - it's a good car. Or at least it will be soon. It's fun to drive and a pleasure to own. I'll never be obsessed with it like I was with the MR2, but it has satisfied the 'fun car' cravings with ease. Until I have a lot more cash sloshing round it'll do me.
Write up concluded. Questions to the usual address.
streetshine said:
Great write up. Had me laughing quite a bit, plus i'm a sucker for a Mister Two in red! Just out of interest, how old were you when you got the MR2, and what was your insurance like?
Thanks. You should buy one, they're great little cars. Mine was a heap - a real disaster area. Even the FTO as it is now is far more relaxing to own than that car. But I still loved it, particularly when I got the engine sorted and dropped the Rev 3 rear lights on there.
I was 23 (just) when I bought it. I had full NCB for my age, pass plus and a clean licence. Insurance was £560 FC in a low risk area with Bell Direct. It stayed almost constant during the time I owned the car, with increases in my age offsetting modifications and a move to London.
M5Tom said:
Hurry up Al, get it fixed, and we'll go for that drive................
Tom! Hello! I'm glad to report the indicators are now functioning reliably. The water-in-the-loom theory turned out to be a red herring but I found an unsoldered joint in the front bulb which was putting a very high resistance in the circuit, and probably more importantly two cuts in the wiring near the column stalk, one of which was on a sharp metal edge and looked a bit burned. I think I caught it in the column adjust when I first set the driving position. All problems resolved and its given me no trouble since. Handy, as I was on my last spare fuse.The speedo should be an easy fix when I get some daylight. It first happened on my first drive and got a lot worse when I had the dash out to fix the indicator so it's almost certainly something similar. The guy who fitted the alarm/immobiliser seemed to think the best tool for the job was an axe..
I actually planned to phone and chase them about the test today but my plans went badly wrong. Will do it tomorrow. Looking forward to taking you out in the FTO.
Edited by _Al_ on Thursday 18th March 21:12
Edited by _Al_ on Thursday 18th March 21:14
Great write up!
My mum had a white FTO when I was 18 which I was insured on (company policy). It was only the 2.0L one and it felt so god awful slow for a supposed 197bhp. However there was nothing better than turning up to college in that and parking next to the sea of festa's, corsa's and metro's, I very much loved them days!!!
My mum had a white FTO when I was 18 which I was insured on (company policy). It was only the 2.0L one and it felt so god awful slow for a supposed 197bhp. However there was nothing better than turning up to college in that and parking next to the sea of festa's, corsa's and metro's, I very much loved them days!!!
Cool write up, great to see a little 'story' along with pictures, i wish more PHers would do threads like this as i bet alot of the machinery on this website has great stories behind it.
I wish my mates were as into cars and up for a Hoon as you are! It really helps your enjoyment of cars when there are people to enjoy, discuss and work on them with.
Always wanted a go in an MR2, this hasn't helped!
I wish my mates were as into cars and up for a Hoon as you are! It really helps your enjoyment of cars when there are people to enjoy, discuss and work on them with.
Always wanted a go in an MR2, this hasn't helped!
I've been quite surprised by the reaction to this post. Didn't really expect it to appeal to anyone that hadn't owned the car already (not that there are many PH'ers who haven't!)
I'm considering posting a few write ups I did while I owned the MR2. Keep an eye out if you're interested.
I'm considering posting a few write ups I did while I owned the MR2. Keep an eye out if you're interested.
_Al_ said:
I've been quite surprised by the reaction to this post. Didn't really expect it to appeal to anyone that hadn't owned the car already (not that there are many PH'ers who haven't!)
I'm considering posting a few write ups I did while I owned the MR2. Keep an eye out if you're interested.
speedo will be the limiter chip solder,I'm considering posting a few write ups I did while I owned the MR2. Keep an eye out if you're interested.
idle stabalisation valve will need cleaning to make it idle,
the gear selection will be the box of cable sat on top the gearbox under the battery tray.
indicators would be the crimped wires getting wet, after i re modded the sidelights to work as intended. Russ knew they blew fuses for a past time, just needs to be redone.
if you need any help, i unfortunatly know this car inside out
Edited by _Batty_ on Saturday 20th March 10:54
Edited by _Batty_ on Saturday 20th March 10:59
_Batty_ said:
_Al_ said:
I've been quite surprised by the reaction to this post. Didn't really expect it to appeal to anyone that hadn't owned the car already (not that there are many PH'ers who haven't!)
I'm considering posting a few write ups I did while I owned the MR2. Keep an eye out if you're interested.
speedo will be the limiter chip solder,I'm considering posting a few write ups I did while I owned the MR2. Keep an eye out if you're interested.
idle stabalisation valve will need cleaning to make it idle,
the gear selection will be the box of cable sat on top the gearbox under the battery tray.
if you need any help, i unfortunatly know this car inside out
Edited by _Batty_ on Saturday 20th March 10:54
The cables are fine - it's the return spring in the box that has failed.
They're only three quid but you have to get at them...I've cleaned and lubricated the stepper motor three times now - it just isn't responding. Think I need a new one - unless you have any hints?
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