My new (old) 2003 Mitsubishi Galant VI Estate
Discussion
Many years ago when my dog was a consideration in car buying, I got the idea of a Mitsubishi Legnum VR-4 into my head, my childhood Gran Turismo favourite. The servicing requirements were obscene and ultimately I went with a sensible alternative, an E39 Touring instead. Fast forward a decade or so and I wanted to scrap my dying Volvo S40 and get a modern classic to drive occasionally. While the dream of a VR-4 is even more distant to reality I picked up a compromise that is just awesome IMHO and I wanted to share her with you all
It's a 2003 52 plate Mitsubishi Galant Touring with the venerable old 2.4 GDI motor and the surprisingly awesome INVECS-II automatic gearbox. 96k on the clock and in time warp condition. It came with a bible thick history file with everything from purchase, servicing, parts, MOTs, Tax discs (lol) and every repair or part fitted all documented almost obsessively. The previous owner has done every single thing I would have done myself and was clearly knowledgeable on the car. Oil catch can fitted which is a massive benefit on the GDI motors, K&N panel. LED bulbs inside and out, wonderful pioneer head unit for Apple and android with upgraded door speakers and though removed by previous owner the subwoofer wiring is all there neat and tidy for a replacement. Clearly well looked after and loved, not subjected to E10 fuel! Only 5 of the same spec and year left on the road with Galant's being extremely rare altogether now so it feels proper special. It gets a lot of looks and compliments from friends and also strangers who always say "Gran Turismo". I will be replacing the clear side repeaters for dark ones though
Being the last year of sale Mitsubishi threw everything at them no matter the trim, so it has the full body kit, rims and the VR-4 style interior fabrics and trim. Most importantly is the wonderful MOMO steering wheel. It's in what I consider to be the best colour, Trigger mauve pearlescent. I was taken with it the moment I saw it. It has survived the rusting which has claimed most of them by being protected several times in it's life. No silly modifications, not even the obligatory wind deflectors
Very attractive car with such a menacing and aggressive front profile, quite a big old barge as well. Fitted with a decent COBRA alarm either aftermarket or as a dealer upgrade. I have just one key but there is a dash hole to touch a fob to for the immobiliser which has presumably been disabled otherwise I wouldn't be able to drive. Sadly no remote fobs either so I guess I need to contact COBRA with regards to replacement fobs and replacement immobiliser touch fobs. drivers door open sensor does not work either which I need to get on to fixing.
I drove 7 hours to Kilearn, Scotland which was beautiful to look at and drive around to pick this baby up and I was not disappointed. Only fault was a slight misfire on Cylinder 3 at cold idle which I since traced to poor greasing/insulation of the plug wire. The drive back reminded me how a "real" car feels, so much more raw and steering and chassis not being overly damped away from my senses. Amazing driving position being a true RHD car (and indicators on right
), so easy to position yourself in. Comfy sofa like seats with some mild bolstering for spirited driving. Despite being on winter tires the road noise and grip levels were surprisingly good. Has Nivomat self levelling rear shocks for load carrying. The small momo wheel and indicator/wipers all perfect fingertip operation. I'm a true fan of decent auto boxes and the INVECS-II does not disappoint. Instead of a kickdown switch the accelerator pedal is pressure and speed sensitive. It really does learn and adapt very quickly, it can even get really aggressive if it thinks you need it. Very good at providing engine braking while slowing or coming to a stop, while cornering hard or going downhill. The manual mode shifts bloody quick for a box of that vintage. Sad it's 4 speeds and not 5 as only having 3 gears to play with does blunt a little fun but it's easily forgivable.
The engine is a peach, it's always been flushed etc or run flush oil for a while before service. I don't normally advocate this myself but Mitsubishi were doing it on it's first service. I imagine all to be cautious about carbon build-up from the GDI fuelling setup so i see no need to change things going forward. No valvetrain noise or tappet noise. Alternator belt slightly noisy on cold starts and that's it! Not the most powerful thing in the world naturally, detuned to 145ps or so with the auto it loves to concentrate on delivering low down and mid range grunt. You just feel like you are cruising effortless all the time, rarely do I hear the engine become vocal or want to rev high. The GDI eco light on the dash literally goes perfect with this laid back driving indicating the lean burn mode is on. I thought a 2.4 4 cylinder would be a little rough due to it's size but didn't realise until after buying the car and reading up on what a balance shaft belt was from the service history that it is equipped with a system to reduce secondary order vibration. I wondered how the hell they had gotten it so smooth. It's not straight 6 smooth of course but most certainly the smoothest 4 pot I've experienced. It does come with the engine having a fair bit of mass and feeling a little heavy but that plays perfectly well into the automatic laid back cruiser feel it's best at. I have asked it for full throttle a few times. It's not fast but certainly adequate especially only being 1400kgs despite it's large dimensions. The engine is a bit vocal (not quite in a nice way, custom exhaust may fix) and certainly noticeably lacking in MIVEC as the revs climb and power drops off. I'm jealous of JDM markets where MIVEC and a 5 speed auto were available. Overall though for a wagon and driven like it should it's amazing. I have all the tools to flash it's ECU so may unlock it to 156ps, the torque delivery is at the same RPM
My insurance dropped by £50 a month which was a pleasant surprise and very unexpected. Road tax increased by...….quite a bit
but worth it. Fuel consumption is shall we say noticeable especially in comparison with the 65+ MPG my Volvo did on the trip up. Yet again worth it as I don't do many miles. 24 urban with lots of traffic. 34MPG at a steady 70. Was surprised it's ULEZ compliant being EURO 3. Maintenance looks like it will be at least well accessible as the engine bay designed for a twin turbo V6 has massive room to work in with just a 4 pot living in there. The engine itself has been used for donkeys years before my car and in newer cars. Still being made new for Chinese cars. Found in Kia's and Hyundai's as well. Parts can be a problem probably not so much the motor but other things Galant specific could be low in supply. Replacement and upgrade of brakes and pads all round is my priority before next MOT as is another 3 year major service and renewal of timing and balance belts and another ATF fluid and filter change. Nice to see the tranny having a cooler and a screw on filter 
. I will see what needs doing to quiet the serpentine belt. I do want to try and find an official body kit rear spoiler but nothing too over the top. I want to keep it stock and not crashed through Halford's window, the VR-4 double fog lamps would be a nice upgrade too. Going to inspect and clean the air filter, ignition system, plugs and injectors over the next few days. Fuel trims are decent which is nice to see.
I hope you all like it and I haven't bored you. It's not a VR-4 or anything particularly exciting, it's no supercar. It is a bit forgotten, a bit of a left field choice and I wanted to share it with you all. Would love to hear feedback on what you all think, what you might do to it or suggestions for keeping it in tip top shape
It's a 2003 52 plate Mitsubishi Galant Touring with the venerable old 2.4 GDI motor and the surprisingly awesome INVECS-II automatic gearbox. 96k on the clock and in time warp condition. It came with a bible thick history file with everything from purchase, servicing, parts, MOTs, Tax discs (lol) and every repair or part fitted all documented almost obsessively. The previous owner has done every single thing I would have done myself and was clearly knowledgeable on the car. Oil catch can fitted which is a massive benefit on the GDI motors, K&N panel. LED bulbs inside and out, wonderful pioneer head unit for Apple and android with upgraded door speakers and though removed by previous owner the subwoofer wiring is all there neat and tidy for a replacement. Clearly well looked after and loved, not subjected to E10 fuel! Only 5 of the same spec and year left on the road with Galant's being extremely rare altogether now so it feels proper special. It gets a lot of looks and compliments from friends and also strangers who always say "Gran Turismo". I will be replacing the clear side repeaters for dark ones though
Being the last year of sale Mitsubishi threw everything at them no matter the trim, so it has the full body kit, rims and the VR-4 style interior fabrics and trim. Most importantly is the wonderful MOMO steering wheel. It's in what I consider to be the best colour, Trigger mauve pearlescent. I was taken with it the moment I saw it. It has survived the rusting which has claimed most of them by being protected several times in it's life. No silly modifications, not even the obligatory wind deflectors
Very attractive car with such a menacing and aggressive front profile, quite a big old barge as well. Fitted with a decent COBRA alarm either aftermarket or as a dealer upgrade. I have just one key but there is a dash hole to touch a fob to for the immobiliser which has presumably been disabled otherwise I wouldn't be able to drive. Sadly no remote fobs either so I guess I need to contact COBRA with regards to replacement fobs and replacement immobiliser touch fobs. drivers door open sensor does not work either which I need to get on to fixing.I drove 7 hours to Kilearn, Scotland which was beautiful to look at and drive around to pick this baby up and I was not disappointed. Only fault was a slight misfire on Cylinder 3 at cold idle which I since traced to poor greasing/insulation of the plug wire. The drive back reminded me how a "real" car feels, so much more raw and steering and chassis not being overly damped away from my senses. Amazing driving position being a true RHD car (and indicators on right
), so easy to position yourself in. Comfy sofa like seats with some mild bolstering for spirited driving. Despite being on winter tires the road noise and grip levels were surprisingly good. Has Nivomat self levelling rear shocks for load carrying. The small momo wheel and indicator/wipers all perfect fingertip operation. I'm a true fan of decent auto boxes and the INVECS-II does not disappoint. Instead of a kickdown switch the accelerator pedal is pressure and speed sensitive. It really does learn and adapt very quickly, it can even get really aggressive if it thinks you need it. Very good at providing engine braking while slowing or coming to a stop, while cornering hard or going downhill. The manual mode shifts bloody quick for a box of that vintage. Sad it's 4 speeds and not 5 as only having 3 gears to play with does blunt a little fun but it's easily forgivable.The engine is a peach, it's always been flushed etc or run flush oil for a while before service. I don't normally advocate this myself but Mitsubishi were doing it on it's first service. I imagine all to be cautious about carbon build-up from the GDI fuelling setup so i see no need to change things going forward. No valvetrain noise or tappet noise. Alternator belt slightly noisy on cold starts and that's it! Not the most powerful thing in the world naturally, detuned to 145ps or so with the auto it loves to concentrate on delivering low down and mid range grunt. You just feel like you are cruising effortless all the time, rarely do I hear the engine become vocal or want to rev high. The GDI eco light on the dash literally goes perfect with this laid back driving indicating the lean burn mode is on. I thought a 2.4 4 cylinder would be a little rough due to it's size but didn't realise until after buying the car and reading up on what a balance shaft belt was from the service history that it is equipped with a system to reduce secondary order vibration. I wondered how the hell they had gotten it so smooth. It's not straight 6 smooth of course but most certainly the smoothest 4 pot I've experienced. It does come with the engine having a fair bit of mass and feeling a little heavy but that plays perfectly well into the automatic laid back cruiser feel it's best at. I have asked it for full throttle a few times. It's not fast but certainly adequate especially only being 1400kgs despite it's large dimensions. The engine is a bit vocal (not quite in a nice way, custom exhaust may fix) and certainly noticeably lacking in MIVEC as the revs climb and power drops off. I'm jealous of JDM markets where MIVEC and a 5 speed auto were available. Overall though for a wagon and driven like it should it's amazing. I have all the tools to flash it's ECU so may unlock it to 156ps, the torque delivery is at the same RPM
My insurance dropped by £50 a month which was a pleasant surprise and very unexpected. Road tax increased by...….quite a bit
but worth it. Fuel consumption is shall we say noticeable especially in comparison with the 65+ MPG my Volvo did on the trip up. Yet again worth it as I don't do many miles. 24 urban with lots of traffic. 34MPG at a steady 70. Was surprised it's ULEZ compliant being EURO 3. Maintenance looks like it will be at least well accessible as the engine bay designed for a twin turbo V6 has massive room to work in with just a 4 pot living in there. The engine itself has been used for donkeys years before my car and in newer cars. Still being made new for Chinese cars. Found in Kia's and Hyundai's as well. Parts can be a problem probably not so much the motor but other things Galant specific could be low in supply. Replacement and upgrade of brakes and pads all round is my priority before next MOT as is another 3 year major service and renewal of timing and balance belts and another ATF fluid and filter change. Nice to see the tranny having a cooler and a screw on filter . I will see what needs doing to quiet the serpentine belt. I do want to try and find an official body kit rear spoiler but nothing too over the top. I want to keep it stock and not crashed through Halford's window, the VR-4 double fog lamps would be a nice upgrade too. Going to inspect and clean the air filter, ignition system, plugs and injectors over the next few days. Fuel trims are decent which is nice to see.I hope you all like it and I haven't bored you. It's not a VR-4 or anything particularly exciting, it's no supercar. It is a bit forgotten, a bit of a left field choice and I wanted to share it with you all. Would love to hear feedback on what you all think, what you might do to it or suggestions for keeping it in tip top shape
Yeah absolutely adore these, was always eyeing them up but bought alternative 90s estates (V40 T4 CD and B5 A4 2.8 avant). Whats the power output of the 2.4 GDi? In the classic s/v40 the 1.8 GDI was an absolute turd of an engine. Perhaps issues with early iterations and maybe. Anyway best of luck with it, will be keenly watching! Great purchase. 
Scoobydrew95 said:
Yeah absolutely adore these, was always eyeing them up but bought alternative 90s estates (V40 T4 CD and B5 A4 2.8 avant). Whats the power output of the 2.4 GDi? In the classic s/v40 the 1.8 GDI was an absolute turd of an engine. Perhaps issues with early iterations and maybe. Anyway best of luck with it, will be keenly watching! Great purchase.
Thanks gents. The 2.4GDI 4G64 puts out 145ps with the auto box and 156ps with the manual. Probably a powerband suited for each. It's not as slow as I thought it would be.Edit: I will do a 0-60 run on camera when I have the opportunity. Should be around 11 seconds
Edited by hedges88 on Thursday 10th August 13:19
Trustmeimadoctor said:
Same as you always wanted a vr4. But the gallant estate with all the kit was the sensible option that i still didn't get. Imhob they are one of the best looking waggons ever
Whilst I will admit that it was a rough auto, I took a VR4 estate in part exchange back in 2009 and was bitterly disappointed after it being my childhood all-conquering Gran Turismo hero. It felt lazy and heavy from memory.Edited by Trustmeimadoctor on Thursday 10th August 12:15
I still secretly hope that a well loved (tuned?) manual is a proper thing. They look fantastic to my eye.
Dr G said:
Whilst I will admit that it was a rough auto, I took a VR4 estate in part exchange back in 2009 and was bitterly disappointed after it being my childhood all-conquering Gran Turismo hero. It felt lazy and heavy from memory.
I still secretly hope that a well loved (tuned?) manual is a proper thing. They look fantastic to my eye.
That whole thing about never meet your heroes I still secretly hope that a well loved (tuned?) manual is a proper thing. They look fantastic to my eye.
#If you wanted light or nimble then I'd say the lancer would be a better bet, the Galant is a fairly substantial car. Mine is a 4 pot without the weight of a twin turbo V6 and the all wheel drive system and even my one feels heavy so I can imagine what you mean. It's the same criticism that the GTO gets. I do like the old school PAS though it's run off it's own belt no electronic stuff just nice road feel. There is a plug and play TCU remap available, it's pricey but they do work well. I've heard a few horror stories of clutch packs warping due to being under increased pressure all the time though.
In Japan they do a VR-G which has the 2,0 engine and that would probably be a nice lighter weight choice as well
emix said:
That looks gorgeous, haven't seen one in ages. Enjoy!
That truly means a lot to me thanks so much. I didn't say in the original post but my grandfather passed away back in March which was very difficult. The car is a little something from the inheritance he kindly left us all so it's doubly precious and I know he would be happy to know I have it and he would probably have loved a ride in it too.We had 2 V6 estates in a row between 2003 and 2011, lovely things. Tried a diesel and from what you say about yours, I'm going to assume there was something wrong with it, as it was one of the most gutless things I can ever remember being in. Yours looks great, I would probs have another V6 if I could find a good one.
Heaveho said:
We had 2 V6 estates in a row between 2003 and 2011, lovely things. Tried a diesel and from what you say about yours, I'm going to assume there was something wrong with it, as it was one of the most gutless things I can ever remember being in. Yours looks great, I would probs have another V6 if I could find a good one.
If I had to tow stuff or usually had a heavy load then the V6 torque makes sense. As that does not apply to me i'm cool with the 4 pot. I have an original brochure here from the time and the V6 models with their leather interiors look wonderful, even sat nav was available! Instead of a MOMO wheel you get a Nardi wooden wheel instead. You have no GDI fears and worries with the V6 either. I must say it rides really well, multilink at the back thankfully. It's firm but fair, sort of like a BMW but erring more towards comfort than a 5 series. I was dreading having such large alloys (large to me anyway) but even with winter tyres it absorbs everything in stride. In the history there is mention of one alloy receiving 2x weld repairs so I guess potholes are still a risk. I'm glad they are black, goes well with purple I thinkThat looks in lovely condition. I had a VR4 around 2006 I think - it had a serious drink problem plus very short service intervals. Didn’t half go though. To get the same shark nose shape but with a more sensible drivetrain (invecs II rings a bell - could be the same gearbox?) is a very good option. I think I fitted one of those momo wheels to mine..
andy43 said:
That looks in lovely condition. I had a VR4 around 2006 I think - it had a serious drink problem plus very short service intervals. Didn’t half go though. To get the same shark nose shape but with a more sensible drivetrain (invecs II rings a bell - could be the same gearbox?) is a very good option. I think I fitted one of those momo wheels to mine..
When I was looking at a VR4 years ago before I got my E39 5 series I seem to remember some people saying that urban MPG could reach around 10MPG or even lower in urban traffic and no better than 25 even under the best conditions. I think engine oil was every 4500 miles or something crazy and less thank 10k for the AYC diff fluid to be changed which needed a special tool. I think they needed regular valve lash adjustment too. Still I envy you for experiencing it! Must have been a hell of a machine.It is indeed great to have the same shark faced mofo with a more sensible drivetrain and running costs
I think it might even have been here on PH where someone who had owned and experienced all 3 of the famous JDM wagons, Stagea, Legnum and Legacy, stating that the Mitsubishi was by far and away the better drivers car even if that meant suffering with a firmer ride.You get the 5 speed INVECS-II with the VR4. Mines a 4 speed but it's still a lovely gearbox. Proper intelligent and driver focused for the time, I remember it putting off some FTO buyers which left those bold enough to try it to enjoy that wonderful baby V6 with such a great transmission. If anything in manual mode I find it a bit aggressive and sudden
If I was to get a smaller runabout, the second generation new Colt Ralliart with the evo frontend would be high on my list!
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