Mitsubishi 3000 GTO's
Discussion
I've never liked the look of these, but my Dad has suddenly developed a fetish for them. Aren't the twin turbo ones supposed to be devastatingly quick? They seem like an awful lot of bank per buck. Seems a good one can be nabbed for around the £6k mark.
Has anyone here got one?
What alternatives are there? I was thinking Skyline GTR or Supra TT but they will both be double the price for a good one. He's had some hellishly quick cars in the past, so I think the main attraction is the power. However I'm not a fan of the looks and seeing as he'll be nicking the keys to my NSX when I finally find one good enough
I'd like to offer him a smorgasboard of alternatives, as it's likely I'll end up parking my bum in it's buckets every now and then... 
Has anyone here got one?
What alternatives are there? I was thinking Skyline GTR or Supra TT but they will both be double the price for a good one. He's had some hellishly quick cars in the past, so I think the main attraction is the power. However I'm not a fan of the looks and seeing as he'll be nicking the keys to my NSX when I finally find one good enough
I'd like to offer him a smorgasboard of alternatives, as it's likely I'll end up parking my bum in it's buckets every now and then... Im no expert but my understanding is that they're fast but somewhat compromised by weight. Apparently they're very complex machines, a bit of a tech showcase back in the day which means they can be expensive when they break (i could be wrong).
An alternative option could be the Nissan 300ZX, just as fast and cheaper.
An alternative option could be the Nissan 300ZX, just as fast and cheaper.
MikeyMike said:
Im no expert but my understanding is that they're fast but somewhat compromised by weight. Apparently they're very complex machines, a bit of a tech showcase back in the day which means they can be expensive when they break (i could be wrong).
An alternative option could be the Nissan 300ZX, just as fast and cheaper.
Now that is an idea An alternative option could be the Nissan 300ZX, just as fast and cheaper.
You can get a convertible one too can't you? That would be right up his street. Not that he has any hair to blow in the wind
I've had my current GTO TT for well over two years now, had another TT before and an N/A before that.
Best place for advice is here: www.gtouk.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php - head for the buyers section of the forum and check out the buyers guide
0-60 is around 5.5 secs, everyone and everywhere will quote anything between 5.2 & 5.8.
Vmax is around 160mph.
280bhp as standard, for both 3000GT (UK car) & GTO (JDM import). Mine recorded 288bhp @ 5714rpm & 312 lb.ft of torque with no modifications.
As a driving experience they are very much a GT car - not a track car. Official weight is around 1725kg for a standard twin turbo, the MR being slightly lighter. It will do the B-road thrash, once you've got the confidence to do so - the steering doesn't provide much feel, but once you become used to how the car feels on the road, you can really push on in the corners - it won't easily over-steer or understeer.
They're not as complex as people think - very logically put together and built with the usual Mitsubishi build quality. The problem now comes from owners who don't maintain them to the correct standards, and then whinge when their GTO/3000GT goes wrong. Provided the car has been properly maintained, there's no reason why they should break down - a standard GTO/3000GT has very few weak points. Just buy the best you can - a cheap GTO usually needs at least as much again spending to get it anywhere near a reliable and properly sorted state.
If you want to know more about servicing, you won't go far wrong speaking to these guys: www.sumiyaka.co.uk - they're the only people I trust to look after my GTO.
Let me know if you need any more info.
Best place for advice is here: www.gtouk.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php - head for the buyers section of the forum and check out the buyers guide
0-60 is around 5.5 secs, everyone and everywhere will quote anything between 5.2 & 5.8.
Vmax is around 160mph.
280bhp as standard, for both 3000GT (UK car) & GTO (JDM import). Mine recorded 288bhp @ 5714rpm & 312 lb.ft of torque with no modifications.
As a driving experience they are very much a GT car - not a track car. Official weight is around 1725kg for a standard twin turbo, the MR being slightly lighter. It will do the B-road thrash, once you've got the confidence to do so - the steering doesn't provide much feel, but once you become used to how the car feels on the road, you can really push on in the corners - it won't easily over-steer or understeer.
They're not as complex as people think - very logically put together and built with the usual Mitsubishi build quality. The problem now comes from owners who don't maintain them to the correct standards, and then whinge when their GTO/3000GT goes wrong. Provided the car has been properly maintained, there's no reason why they should break down - a standard GTO/3000GT has very few weak points. Just buy the best you can - a cheap GTO usually needs at least as much again spending to get it anywhere near a reliable and properly sorted state.
If you want to know more about servicing, you won't go far wrong speaking to these guys: www.sumiyaka.co.uk - they're the only people I trust to look after my GTO.
Let me know if you need any more info.
I've had mine for 4 years now. It is possible to get my son and his wife in the back seats but only for short journeys.
I have to agree about the under bonnet view. If you drop something it has little chance of reaching ground level.
A lot of owners do most of their own servicing, and there's a wealth of advice on the club's website, but others (me included) rely on one of a small number of recommended garages around the UK.
Mine is 15 years old and failed its MoT last week for the first time. Front pads and a steering rack gaiter aren't going to break the bank.
Road holding is amazing. Acceleration is startling in the twin turbo version, especially if you up the boost a bit.
Like most older cars, there are good and bad ones around. £6k will buy you a very good one from one of the club members. They provide, as has been said, amazing bangs for bucks.
I have to agree about the under bonnet view. If you drop something it has little chance of reaching ground level.
A lot of owners do most of their own servicing, and there's a wealth of advice on the club's website, but others (me included) rely on one of a small number of recommended garages around the UK.
Mine is 15 years old and failed its MoT last week for the first time. Front pads and a steering rack gaiter aren't going to break the bank.
Road holding is amazing. Acceleration is startling in the twin turbo version, especially if you up the boost a bit.
Like most older cars, there are good and bad ones around. £6k will buy you a very good one from one of the club members. They provide, as has been said, amazing bangs for bucks.
Another GTO Twin turbo driver here and really love it, it just looks the bomb, the acceleration is brilliant (no turbo lag whatsoever as there are 2) and they're not very common.
The only bad thing is can think off is the mpg, i get on avarage around 240 - 260 miles out of the 70 liter tank, which comes to an average of around 15 MPG.
FWIW - another satisfied owner here.
Mine is a very early MK1 TT (1990) & in the 9 months I've had it, very little bother.
For comparison, I have driven / owned quite a few of the other jap metal (used to buy & sell 2 or 3 a month) & the GTO will wipe the floor with most as far as power goes (Skyline GTR, RX-7 & Supra TT all maybe slightly quicker).
Comfort - *almost* on par with a supra
Handling - better than most although the impreza's are very nimble on tight roads.
Driving / Feel: Not one of the best IMHO - the supra always seems like a sporty Lexus (suppose it is), but the GTO does feel a bit cumbersome around town. Clutch is fairly heavy, steering not too light etc. BUT, wind it up a bit & it seems to find it's niche ;-)
Reliability: The bottom end of the engine seems a favourite failure point, but as mentioned, I believe this is down to the lack of maintenance & idiotic abuse. Gearboxes seem to be the next niggle but with an idiot at the controls, 300 bhp & massive grip, something's gonna give isn't it !!
mine is really only a weekend toy & not a daily driver, so I don't have to spend much on it & fuel consumption doesn't bother me. I did a 297 mile round trip a coupe, of weeks ago, 3 of us and soem kit in the boot, all with the aircon running flat out & mostly motorway at *lively* but not silly speeds & got a 23mpg return - quite impressed with that !
Is your old man *too* old for a big sports cruiser ....... hope not, i'm nearer 50 than 40 but still love it (although 'er indoors refers to it as my "pimpmobile"0.
The GTOUK forum & the boys at Sumiyaka are both A1.
Another useful link is the american site www.3si.org, lots of handy info there that will be locked to non paying members on GTOUK
Mine is a very early MK1 TT (1990) & in the 9 months I've had it, very little bother.
For comparison, I have driven / owned quite a few of the other jap metal (used to buy & sell 2 or 3 a month) & the GTO will wipe the floor with most as far as power goes (Skyline GTR, RX-7 & Supra TT all maybe slightly quicker).
Comfort - *almost* on par with a supra
Handling - better than most although the impreza's are very nimble on tight roads.
Driving / Feel: Not one of the best IMHO - the supra always seems like a sporty Lexus (suppose it is), but the GTO does feel a bit cumbersome around town. Clutch is fairly heavy, steering not too light etc. BUT, wind it up a bit & it seems to find it's niche ;-)
Reliability: The bottom end of the engine seems a favourite failure point, but as mentioned, I believe this is down to the lack of maintenance & idiotic abuse. Gearboxes seem to be the next niggle but with an idiot at the controls, 300 bhp & massive grip, something's gonna give isn't it !!
mine is really only a weekend toy & not a daily driver, so I don't have to spend much on it & fuel consumption doesn't bother me. I did a 297 mile round trip a coupe, of weeks ago, 3 of us and soem kit in the boot, all with the aircon running flat out & mostly motorway at *lively* but not silly speeds & got a 23mpg return - quite impressed with that !
Is your old man *too* old for a big sports cruiser ....... hope not, i'm nearer 50 than 40 but still love it (although 'er indoors refers to it as my "pimpmobile"0.
The GTOUK forum & the boys at Sumiyaka are both A1.
Another useful link is the american site www.3si.org, lots of handy info there that will be locked to non paying members on GTOUK
Edited by unclegrouch on Friday 29th August 18:38
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