FTO AUSTRALIA

hi all. i'm looking at getting an FTO GPX soon. couple of things i wanna ask.

wheels
what is a good size? 17s?
what are the offsets and stud pattern figures?

springs
any good ones?
what's cheap?

shocks
recommendations?

i like the momo steering wheel that comes with FTO and wondering which ones it comes with them.

how reliable is an FTO? coz i've heard that the engines break easily...
are there any good places in QLD i can get performance & cosmetic bits for?

thanks!!

You have heard that FTO's engines break easily? I asked a few workshops around down here before i bought my FTO and they all said that the non-mivec (GR's) engines were quite good, but they have seen a few mivec ones (GPX) for some mechanical issues. Even the bloke i bought the car from (private low volume importer) said the GR's were quite good mechanically (of course he would - he was selling me one). I asked why he didnt bring GPX's in and he said he has had too many problems with them - does this sound right for most people?

How many have actually had a mechanical prob with their car?

I have had my GR for 3 months now - its done 79k and havent had any probs with it.

I own a GS so I can't talk for GPX's, but I have heard from a number of sources inlcuding an owner that the MIVEC engines can crack under pressure and are very expensive to fix. Its apparently quite a common problem. Just buy a GR and get a pod filter and uni chip and you shoudn't notice the differance.

Touch wood, I have a 1997 GPX (59,000kms) and no engine problems. I've had it for over a year. I guess it depends how old the engine is as well. But seeing so many 94/95 GPXs around, I don't see they are not good engines.

As for wheels, it's going to come down to personal preference. Majority of people of 17s and a number have 18s. I like to keep the upsprung weight of my car down so I got 17s. Stud pattern is 5 and offset is +38.

As for springs, in terms of good price/performance, I would go for RSR. But there are plethora of choices out there. Depends how much you want to spend, Japanese or Aussie manufactured. Something like Kings springs will be pretty cheap.

As for shocks, you wouldn't have to change it unless you're lowering your car (>40mm), and again like the springs, choices are aplenty. Standard shocks and abit of lowering is fine, but your shocks will wear out quicker than normal.

I have owned 2 96 GPX models, and have not really had any major problems at all.... possibly 94/95 models could be different.

common problems are (both GR and GPX)

- central locking problems
- engine idling problems (stepper motor)

neither of which i had with my 96 GPX's

other minor probs like:

- weak battery
- weak brake performance
- worn out ARB bushes

they can be easily fixed

one problem that only GPX has it noisy tappets, GRs have self adjusting ones... but the beautiful sound of MIVEC kicking in is all worth it IMHO.

but all in all GPX does not have a huge performance gain on the GR - just dont get ripped off coz in terms of market value GRs will always get resold for much less than a GPX

I have replaced the battery in mine - from that narrow POS jap spec battery (which i think is the standard in new imprezza's shipped over here) to a dinkum battery so not to be flat when i go to start up (i am a weekend driver only - old battery went flat over 5 days without alarm installed). I also replaced a steering rack boot ($12) I need to adjust my bushes too - not sure whether or not i need newies yet - they are just a little loose i think.

Very imortant point GPX vs GR in price. From what i found when i was looking average prices were 16k-19k for GR and 18k-25k for a GPX. Some smart asses try to sell off a GR as a GPX by putting a few nicely placed stickers on the car - be careful of that.

These cars RUle!

Daz

i only wanna keep the car for about a year or two. want a gpx for sure! what is the stud pattern pcd? 5 x ?

and which ones come with the really nice steering wheel? like jiba1's?

anyone know the 0-100 of an auto and manual gpx? or even gr? just wondering how much of a difference it is.

btw, here's a pic of my current ride!



i'd love to meet up with ppl in QLD to see what the rides are like!!

T H A N K Y O U E V E R Y O N E!!!

Times are roughly: 0-100kmph GR 8.45secs, GPX 7.6secs
400m GR:16.15secs, GPX:15.49secs

They were just taken from a website i found - but i am guessing they are approximately correct.

Well while I touch the proverbial piece of wood when I say this that I've not really had an problems with my 96 tip GPX. I've had it for two years now. Started on 42000Kms and its now at 75000Kms. I've not yet replaced anything major like timing belts etc...yet?

Also the MOMO airbag wheel "appears" to be standard or optional on GRs and GPXs from 1996 onwards. It is definitely standard on 97 onwards facelift models for the GR and GPX but not the four cylinder models...

gpx mivec engines are extremely strong so strong infact that they even tollerate extremely lean mixtures without any dramas. I own a turbo gpx which at one stage had an air fuel ratio of 22.5:1 way way toooo lean but the engine survived intact. The bloke that dynoed the car reckoned if it had been a holden or a ford it basically would have melted ! Ive got 95000 kays on the clock and have never had any engine trouble. By the way my battery used to go flat over a period of a week not being driven. The reason is the door actuators draw power when locked to keep them locked. If youve got a garage leave the doors unlocked and the battery wont go flat

Also, a common problem with auto FTOs is that the gearbox can pack it in quite early. It happened to me 1.5 years after I bought it. Apparently, this is said of many Mitsubishi gearboxes.

well, i'm only planning to keep the car for about 2 years max. anyone in QLD got the wonderful looking dashkit from the FTO shop?

shaohaok wrote:i only wanna keep the car for about a year or two. want a gpx for sure! what is the stud pattern pcd? 5 x ?

The PCD on the FTO is 114.3mm

what would be an average driveaway price of a 97 onwards FTO GPX in a good condition in QLD? and any good QLD dealers?

How many places have you tried? And how long have you been looking?

These days they could be upward of $23 I went to change my insurance cover and heard the market value of my car is $20k-$24k and mine is only a 95 GR which i bought for 16k.

i have only been to autoforce and they didn't have that many. seems that with the new regulations not that many FTOs have been coming in.

where is a good place in the south to get one and like serviced and stuff?

In all honesty I think you would be extremely lucky to find a 97 or later GPX in Queensland. The vast majority of FTOs here are either 94 or 95 models with the 96 and later being substantially rarer. Don't get me wrong as they will eventually turn up. In the two years I've had mine I have seen only one 97 facelift FTO for sale in Qld and it was not a GPX. I was intending to upgrade mine but there just weren't any available locally. You would be best to do the following (IMHO):

(a) Settle for an earlier model
(b) Source a late model directly from Japan - although most late models go for high prices to the Brits plus there are currently no FTO compliance plate holders yet, to the best of my knowledge.
(c) Widen your search to cover interstate

Hopefully I haven't put you off at all but this is all based on my experience...

I also can't recommend any Brisbane/Gold Coast dealers personally as all that I have been to have been pretty "dodgy".

I have also heard both good and bad comments about: AutoForce, Tuff Toys and Auto J Mart.

the only reason y i m after 97 onwards is coz i like the momo wheel and the seats. unless i m wrong, are the seats all the same? coz i quite like the shape of them and deffo getting some leathers

also if it's not the momo wheel, there is no airbag? which means i can get an aftermarket steering wheel without much hassle?

where is tuff toys and auto j mart? where do u guys gets ya parts from in QLD and servicing?

man, i got so many questions to ask!! sorry

could we perhaps meet up next weekend?

shaohaok wrote:the only reason y i m after 97 onwards is coz i like the momo wheel and the seats. unless i m wrong, are the seats all the same? coz i quite like the shape of them and deffo getting some leathers

also if it's not the momo wheel, there is no airbag? which means i can get an aftermarket steering wheel without much hassle?

That Momo airbag wheel is an option on 96 models and standard on 97 and above. There is another airbag steering wheel before 96 but that wasn't a Momo-brand, just standard Mitsubishi.

The FTOs without airbags you should able to change the steering wheel just like you would any other car. Many people have done it so it shouldn't be a hassle.

The seats are all the same except for fabric/fabric patterns. For example, the GPvR come in blue or red seats, depending on the colour of the car.

Leathers are definately a good idea!

as far as i know momo steering was standard from 96, in the last 3 years across all dealers and fto meetings i have been to, every 96 model ive seen had it, and i was once told by a dealer that if it does not have the momo steering, ie. the standard mitsubishi one then its pre 96 for sure

all models have same seats

94/95/96 have same fabric pattern
97+ have different pattern
GpvRs have coloured seats, colour depends on the car colour