FTO AUSTRALIA

Hi everyone, im pretty new on this site, and it rocks. im just in the process of buying a black 96 4spd tip with 65,000 on the clock and I have a few questions for you all....

1. how hard would it be to convert a 96 4 spd tip to a 97 5 spd tip?
2. does anybody know who could do it in nsw?
3. would it be worth the costs involved?
4. what kind of fuel economy should i expect to get?
5. i heard from a friend that you shouldnt use premium fuel all the time as it can help stuff your engine, does anybody have anything to back this up or dissmiss it?

Thanks to anybody who can help..

Not sure the cost of converting a 4 speed tip to 5 speed tip is going to be justified. Finding a 5 speed tip transmission from an FTO is going to be a hurdle in itself. Once you get the car, you'll find other ways of spending your money on the car!

If you're hung up on the 5 speed tip, then I would suggest you look abit harder for a 97+ model.

As for fuel economy, I'm getting between 460-500 with under 10 litres left in the tank. Not too bad, but your driving style is going to determine that.
I use Shell Optimax.

i would really prefer a manual but they are so few and far between, and cost a bucket load, the 4 spd tip will keep me ammused for a while anyway. yeah there is lots of money to be spent very soon!
460-500 with under 10 litres left id pretty damn good!
thanks for a quick reply

Don't know if you are interested....
but I'm trying to get rid of my 1995 Silver GR tiptronic (4 speed)

I'm trying to sell it quickly as I have just bought a Honda s2000 and need the cash.

see details in the for sale forums

M@

sorry i just bought one

Hi,

Just on fuel.

I use Shell's optimax as well.
And that thing about using premium all the time will stuff up your engine i don't agree with at all.

The premium fuel are much better for the engine as well, and it self has a cleaning agent that cleans your car's engine.
The normal fuel will only dirty your engine.

People mostly don't use premium all the time because they are so much more expensive. That's all I think.

I agree the premium fuels are better for your engine.

Also somebody else on this forum (sorry I can't remember wwho it was) did a comparison on the running costs/fuel economy of the different fuels.

Standard ULP was costing him about 17cents per litre, whereas the Premium ( I think he was using BP ultimate) cost him 15 cents per litre to run. (Don't quote me on those, you may need to find his message post to confirm that).

Figures were based on kilometres per tank of petrol.

M@

I dont know where you heard about using premium fuel all the time can damage your engine... Where i am the best fuel i can get is Premium.. then theirs normal unleaded below that, but i dont use that... Dont have the luxury avalibility of Optimax..etc... here

Does anyone else have the same problem?

There are also some fuel additives you can usually purchase from petrol stations (eg wynn's, nulon etc), that will raise the octane rating of petrol.
These also usually contain some engine cleaners etc that are commonly found in fuels like optimax.
The may be a bit expensive to use all the time, but maybe you want to add one of these occasionally just to help clean some of the deposits from your engine.

M@

I'm the one who did the price efficiency comparison between ULP and Mobil Synergy 8000 / Shell Optimax

The figures were actually the cost in cents per km travelled rather than per L, so they took the price difference of the various fuels into account.

Based on the fuel prices at Shell today (81.9c/L on ULP and 90.2c/L on Optimax), the fuel price efficiency for my car is:
ULP - 16.4cents/km
Optimax - 13.2cents/km

I knew maths would come in useful one day

I use Optimax all the time and it runs like a dream... I average around 550kms max per tankful (and that's with the odd squirt here n' there) and thanks to Coles, I also get 4c per litre off so i usually save just over $2 per visit at the petrol outlet...

I am still yet to to try BP Ultimate but because the state of tune on my car is relatively mild, I found no need for them (unless i run high boost or something). Besides, I don't think BP offers any dosicount fuel neither...!!

cant remember where i heard/read it but from the sounds of it im wrong, oh well thanks for clearing that up, so for i havent used a tank of fuel yet as im still sorting out insurance and my girl is sitting in the garage, but as soon as thats finialised ill be down to the BP or Shell for some quality fuel.

HI Bluntman, although the best fuel for an FTO is optimaz or high 98 octane or such this is because the engines where designed for this. Not running that fuel will make the car run in a detuned state, or at least not run as well as it could with the 100 octane fuels that the cars where designed for in Japan.

However, for the regular Australian cars, like my TX3 running premium in them all the time can destroy the seals and rings, and..... etc. in the engine. Blatantly the engines where not designed for such a heavy octane fuel. An occasional tank of premium will actually clean the engine out a bit.

ahhh thats what it must have been thanks rallymad for clearing that up