I am looking at buying an FTO, need advice

[madman]

Hey forum im a newbie here, ive had my fair share of cars in the past, evos, gtrs, vtecs, drift pigs, and luxury super cars......I can pull apart a car completely and rebuild it better, faster, and stronger (my knowledge about cars is more than a average mechanic and panel beater knows)...Now you are probably thinking why the heck an FTO, if i have had all these cars in the past??

The answer is very simple, i ran into debt due to a car accident that put me in hospital and the insurance accused me of fraud so the "courts" took everything i had to my name....the only thing i was left with was some cash, clothes and my tools....So im starting to get back up on my feet and want to have fun again but on a much cheaper scale....and have always eyed out the FTO since i had seen them, and fwd cars can be more fun than rwd if you know how to left foot brake down the mountains.... going to my old type of cars will cost a lot of money for basic mods, (big fast cars from factory cost a lot more to modify and maintain)......

So when it comes to inspecting a car i know what to look out for, leaks, cracks, etc..... i would usually explain to the owner or dealership that i would be with the car for 4-5hours and that if it check out i would buy it, i am a very FUSSY C&NT when it comes to cars...


I have been looking at fto's but have not found one to my liking for price range, mainly due to improper maintenance...

Now when and if i come across one that ticks my liking, i would like to know:

1. what are the KNOWN and COMMON problems with the FTO's?
2. After 200,000kms how is the engine and car holding up? (eg what is known to start failing at those kms if there are any)
3. How is aftermarket support in parts for these??

and does the GPX Manual come with LSD?


If you could please help me that would be great


Thank You

[Daniel2019]

1. what are the KNOWN and COMMON problems with the FTO's? Roof rust caused by the glue under roof liner holding moisture is the most prominent issue (all pre-facelifts)
2. After 200,000kms how is the engine and car holding up? (eg what is known to start failing at those kms if there are any) As with any car, depends how well it is taken care of..
3. How is aftermarket support in parts for these?? sh*t.

and does the GPX Manual come with LSD? Optional extra, most do not.

[Dras]

What is your budget and where are you located?

I a selling my car if you are interested. viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28647

[dstocks]

Firstly, welcome to the club!

As to your questions:

1. what are the KNOWN and COMMON problems with the FTO's?

Roof Rust, Noisy tappets, leaking rocker cover/main seals. Apart from these, typical wear and tear items. Stepper motorand ignition failure sensor occasionally fail.

2. After 200,000kms how is the engine and car holding up? (eg what is known to start failing at those kms if there are any)

Nothing specific really. If taken care of, will last well over 300 (have had some members close to 400K). If caned/not maintained, less. My orange one has around 240K on it and drives great.

3. How is aftermarket support in parts for these??

Not too many aftermarket replacement parts, but as far as consumables go, there are generally options. Some parts are shared with HG galant and others with CE Lancer. Alsocan get new genuine ex Japan if desperate.

As far as engine mods etc to get more power, stock FTO with engine in good condition should put out around 100KW atw. If you mod intake, exhaust and add a piggyback ecu you shouldnothave trouble reaching over 130KW atw (mine has 133KW). Port and polish, throttle body would probably net you 140KW atw +. If you want more than that, you are looking at an engine conversion (EVO or VR4 are most common).

As far as handling mods go, as long as suspension is in good condition car is pretty damb good around a corner to begin with. Version R front and rear strut braces make a significant difference as does the LSD. Camber adjustable strut tops are also worth the effort. And for best balance between handling and ride comfort, ditch the stock 16" rims for 17's. Some members swear by coilovers, but IMO a set of lowering springs (2.5cm lower) together with a set of KYB Excel G shocks provide a great result. If you were going to do a lot of track work, the coilovers would probably be worth the effort.

In general, nowhere near the support as for say a honda or evo, but you can live with it.

and does the GPX Manual come with LSD?

VersionR has one standard as does yellow car of the year GPX. On others,was a factory option.

Think that should cover your questions

[destinationtoby]

ive had my fair share of cars in the past, evos,, and luxury super cars...

Pics???????????????????

[SchumieFan]

If I was you (or me)

I would be looking at the manual car of the year for sale in the fs section... it comes with lsd and reasonably low k's.
Bloke wants about 2 grand too much though

[rock_it]

You can grab an awesome LSD from the states. Same as Bennoz put in his car. Awesome piece of kit.

And welcome by the way. Just check through the For Sale forum. Few of us selling quite different cars.. So plenty to choose from.

There were some examples on Gumtree as well, but I don't think they were club cars, so a bit of unknown history.

[Bennoz]

If you wanted one: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=15644&p=281488&hil ... ac#p281488

[rock_it]

If you wanted one: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=15644&p=281488&hil ... ac#p281488

Pretty bloody good price... I like the sound of it..