A different type of shed - '95 FTO

[mikel429]

Evening all!

Thought I'd share with you my latest pride and joy - a '95 Mitsubishi FTO

It's the top-spec GPX version - which includes all sorts of nice things like a CD changer, climate control........oh, and a 197hp MiVEC V6 (Sadly hooked up to a 4-speed auto.....still, it's fun to say "I can lose my licence without leaving 2nd" )





All for £675!

However, being a shed price, it yielded some shed problems......such as the previous owner forgetting to tell me that 3 out of the 4 brakes had seized A quick visit to camskills though, and 4 brand-spankin' new discs and 4 sets of pads were swiftly fitted.



Sorry about pics (or lack thereof) - uploader seems to be acting up. Which is annoying.

All comments/advice/corny jokes welcome! Cheers!

Edited by mikel429 on Monday 4th July 21:39

[Killer2005]

Cool little things, and I've heard are one of the better handling FWD cars.

I was contemplating these a while ago but I wanted the manual which appear to be quite rare.

[Efbe]

awesome cars.

An FTO was my first 'real' car. so much fun, and lovely handling too. Black is definitely the best colour for these. polish it up nicely and it will look like a 10k car

[dudleybloke]

you might want to consider some waxoil or similar as corrosion can be the main issue with these.

[Efbe]

and really do keep it stock.

aftermarket wheels look terrible on these. as do bodykits.

the only external mod you should consider is removing the spoiler. that can look quite good!

[soad]

Very nice, like these a lot. Doesn't sound bad either..engine note.

Can anyone explain why they're mostly autos then?!?

[mikel429]

It needs new alloys anyway - the set on it are horribly corroded around the edges and are generally trashed.

I was planning on keeping it stock anyway - set of wheels and maybe lowering slightly (no more than 20mm). I think the car looks and sounds fantastic as it is, plus the aftermarket kitted cars look absolutely ghastly. All in due course though, the student loan only stretches so far (plus being only 19 the insurance is utterly crippling )

[Efbe]

soad said:

Very nice, like these a lot. Doesn't sound bad either..engine note.

Can anyone explain why they're mostly autos then?!?

no idea, mine was too. manuals are very rare.

the auto is tiptronic, so more of a semi-auto, means you can still play around with the gears a little.

i guess when they came out if you wanted real performance you'd go for the GTO, the FTO is a very pretty car though :P

[AirThis]

These have looked good value recently, the only issues I had were:

1) are they imports?
2) is the handling good?
3) is the fuel economy worth the speed given it's only a 2 litre - must be a reason for most 2 litre cars to be 4 cylinder?

Looks good though OP! Bargain!

[Monsterlime]

1 - Yes, the majority are. A small number (maybe 500 or less) GPX's were officially imported into the UK by Mitsubishi, but they are RARE.

2 - It is pretty good for a FWD car, a lot of fun. They hold the road very well.

3 - This is more tricky. I get around the same MPG out of my GTO as I got out of my FTO. While it isn't shocking, when you can buy a car with a twin turbo 3l V6 and get pretty much the same MPG out of it, it is a bit disappointing.

Would I have another FTO? Yes, in an instant.

The only major caveat for them is that I found it uncomfortable to drive on long journeys, whereas the GTO is a joy to drive long distance. Oh, and parts can be somewhat pricey.

[hothot]

AirThis said:

These have looked good value recently, the only issues I had were:

1) are they imports?
2) is the handling good?
3) is the fuel economy worth the speed given it's only a 2 litre - must be a reason for most 2 litre cars to be 4 cylinder?

Looks good though OP! Bargain!

yup, looks so nice stuff.

[woodytype S]

This is a GPvR that I had a few years ago.Great car very good handling and performace,but used a lot of fuel if you drove properly.

[PumpkinSteve]

Are these pretty reliable, being Jap and all?

[mikel429]

AirThis said:

These have looked good value recently, the only issues I had were:

1) are they imports?
2) is the handling good?
3) is the fuel economy worth the speed given it's only a 2 litre - must be a reason for most 2 litre cars to be 4 cylinder?

Looks good though OP! Bargain!

Cheers!

To answer your questions:
1. Yes, like has been said above, only a small handful were imported in officially by Mistubishi around 2000. Any FTO you see that looks older is an import. Even if you didn't know the in's and out's of FTO history, you can tell by the fact that the speedo only goes up to 110mph (and hits a limiter at 124.....which it does in 3rd) and the odometer is in KM (my car's covered 115,000-ish miles, yet people see the 185,000 and they think "Woah!")

2. Bearing in mind I've only ever driven a handful of cars in my life, this is by far and away the best handling car I've driven. Very little in the way of body roll through the corners, little understeer (surprisingly) and turning the steering wheel in the direction you want to go actually does send it that way. Put it this way, I've also driven my friend's E36 318iS (which he is adamant is just as good as an M3....) and he keeps blathering on about "RWD plus BM's handling heritage, it's one of the best handling cars on the road"....the FTO could quietly blitz it in the twisties. I actually thought driving the 318 was horrible, all show and no go, plus I spent most of my time driving it praying that it would go in the direction I asked

3. Fuel economy is my major bugbear with it - I recently came home from uni and drove it from Brighton to Poole, then Poole to Omagh (google it - it's a bit of a trek ) and over 350 miles of m-way, I averaged a shocking 23mpg. Some say you can squeeze 30 out of these cars, I say "only driven off the side of a cliff."

Bit long-winded, but hopefully that should be your queries answered

Edited by mikel429 on Tuesday 5th July 09:30

[mikel429]

Small update:

Recently got it back from the mechanics after I dropped it in for a check-up and his prognosis wasn't too good. It (apparently) needs:

• new brake lines all round
• new rear chassis legs
• front brake caliper rebuilds
• new rear rollbar bushings

In his (questionably) expert opinion, it just isn't worth it to fix everything and it's a certainty to fail its next MOT.

However, I WILL not let my baby die - I have until November to put everything right. Watch this space

[Xenocide]

Chassis legs is the only worrying bit. You could do the rest yourself easy enough .

[Efbe]

mikel429 said:

Small update:

Recently got it back from the mechanics after I dropped it in for a check-up and his prognosis wasn't too good. It (apparently) needs:

• new brake lines all round
• new rear chassis legs
• front brake caliper rebuilds
• new rear rollbar bushings

In his (questionably) expert opinion, it just isn't worth it to fix everything and it's a certainty to fail its next MOT.

However, I WILL not let my baby die - I have until November to put everything right. Watch this space

take it somewhere else for a checkover, and don't tell them any of the above.

when I hear things like front brake caliper rebuilds, I start smelling bull.

You could alternatively just take it down to an independent MOT tester and see if it passes. will cost you £35 for a full very thorough checkover, tbh not a bad idea. just make sure that its an MOT station and they don't do work there. that way you won't get ripped off.

[mikel429]

The worst has happened. She has to go. I'm utterly devastated chaps. However, diabolical running costs have meant that it has outlasted my bank balance and is currently parked up, slowly becoming more dilapidated. Bit of a waste really.

I'm hoping that someone with a genuine interest comes and buys it and perks it up to it's former glory. But, seeing the price that I have it at, I suspect it's buyer will be someone who dedicates their life to leisurewear and lounging about.

I decided to have a final laugh with the description though....

"It is with a heavy heart that I'm putting my FTO up for sale. It's not so much a car as my best friend. I'm losing a limb.

• This is a true story, with some added lies*

I met it 6 months ago, being driven by some ned with no sense. My heart was broken, so when I saw it on eBay for a pittance, I seized my moment and saved it from a life of tracksuit bottoms and Scooter. Since then, we've had the time of our lives - the car's covered 4500 miles including Brighton to Belfast twice and a short trip to Cancun since I bought it in May and hasn't missed a beat. Well, the brakes seized. Again. But apart from that it's sound as a pound. Likes a drink though. Spent nearly 3 grand on petrol since May. Could've bought a nicer car for that.
I've spent approx. £800 on it since I bought it - new brake discs and pads all round (which, seeing as the calipers bound again after 5 weeks, was pointless), a £70 service by a man with a spanner which included an oil change and a magic tree, a new stereo (I'm keeping the head unit, btw. It's got my favourite Stone Roses CD stuck in it.) with JBL speakers costing £300.

Now for the car itself. It's a '95 FTO GPX with the 2.0 MiVec V6 which puts out 197hp and has a 4 speed tiptronic. But then you knew that. It's up there. It's looking a bit sorry for itself, must admit - has some front-end damage and the front left quarter panel is caved in. Definitely wasn't me though, swear. The front bumper's not immediately noticable (I like to think) and neither piece of damage seems to have affected the mechanicals. As for that awful wheel, I got a flat and don't have the money for a new tyre. Yes, my financials are literally that bad. I should point out that the car's still drivable - if you know how to engine-brake an automatic. As soon as the brakes are fixed, the car's good as new.....mechanically. Engine still pulls hard, makes a great noise thanks to the aftermarket exhaust, no unusual noises, leaks or smoke coming from anywhere. I can't speak for the Jeremy Kyle reject I bought it off, but I never thrashed it. I shall say I "drove it to its full potential" and even then very rarely, as I'm in Brighton and Brighton hates the driver, so you spend most of your time in traffic. I however seem to be forever going back and forth up the A27/M27 to Poole at a cruising speed of 0.85 leptons. That's probably where 2500 of the miles came from.
Inside, more of the same - someone drilled a toggle switch into the centre console but would appear to have forgotten to wire it up as it doesn't do anything. There's also a bit broken off the other side of the console (I still have the bit.) and the interior lights don't work (don't be alarmed, the gauges still light up. It's considerate like that.) The gauges have also been converted from kph to mph, but the mileage is still in km's. I initially thought it was a poor attempt at a con, but when the reading went up by 1 when I covered 0.62 miles, I felt bad for doubting the ned. Sports seats in the front, very comfy and lots of room for entertaining ladies (don't worry, I make them clean up afterwards). Back seats are pristine, but tiny. If you're taller than 5'10'', don't get into the back. You'll not get out again. My mate's still in there. I'll try and get him out by collection, but if I can't, I'll reword this ad and tell you that I'm throwing in a free 21 year old stoner from Goring-on-Thames.

I probably wouldn't recommend driving it away, I'd rather you towed it away. Don't be flattered, I'm thinking more of the car's feelings. I saved it from some pie-kee crashing it, I don't want you doing the same. Also, if you turn up wearing any item of clothing with the words "Lonsdale" or "McKenzie" on, I'll outright refuse to sell the car to you and will call the police as I'll assume you're there to burgle me. However, if you dress normally and pay taxes, I'll even throw in a cup of tea. Bring your own cup, sugar, milk and teabag, all we have is a kettle and a teaspoon.

Despite the overly-excessive wit and mirth of the description, this is a really nice car that just needs a little TLC. If you want a fast, comfortable, good-looking sports coupe, then you could do worse than this."

Edited by mikel429 on Saturday 5th November 14:11