GPX - 2.0 litre, V6, 24v, DOHC, Mivec
GR/GX - 2.0 litre, V6, 24v, DOHC - NonMivec
GP VersionR - Made 1997 onwards. Same as the GPX but with coloured seats, LSD, unique spoiler and lightened for better handling etc. As a result this model has manual climate control features.
GS - 1.8 litre, 4cyclinder
Still looks good though
All FTOs came equipped with either a 5sp. manual gearbox or tiptronic gearbox.
The mivec models are claimed to deliver anywhere between 10-20hp more than the non-mivec GR/GX.
Most of the FTOs you will find are pre, 1997 models also known as pre-facelift. Mitsubishi did some minor adjustments to the FTO from 1997, most noticeable being the front bumper and for tiptronic models a more sturdy 5sp. gearbox as compared to the previous 4sp. There is also supposed to be a difference in manual gearbox ratios between facelift and pre-facelift models.
Engine/Performance
1)Turn on car and make sure no check engine or warning lights stay on. Check overall look of engine, is it clean, does it look like no one has touched it in months? Chances are someone who pays attention to their engine bay truly cares for their car. Check oil level and colour, should be lighter than black and drip freely off of the dipstick.
2)Check idle. The idle on FTOs are controlled by a small motor located just below the throttle body. These commonly go bad and while not very expensive or hard to replace can be annoying, car can cut out, idle irratically etc. Typically an idle of about 600-900rpm is ok. Make sure it idles smoothly and doesnt miss. Would also be a good time to listen for the tappets. If you hear a loud tapping noise the tappets may need replacing, which on a GR/GX (tappets non-adjustable), can mean a lot of money, headache.
3)Check air filter quality. Is it covered in dirt or clean? A dirty filter can point to a poorly maintained engine.
4)Check all other fluid levels, power steering, radiator, etc. Examine quality of pipes to make sure they are in good condition and not leaking.
5)Make sure that when warm the engine revs freely and smoothly to redline with no knoking or pinging and in the case of mivec that you can hear it engage.
6)If possible have a compression test done on at least the front 3 cyclinders which are easy to get to to make sure there are no significant variations.
7)Check below car for oil leaks or stains especially if you are viewing it in the spot it usally stays in.
8)Have someone rev the car and make sure it is not spitting blue or black smoke or any significant smoke at all.
9)Remove timing belt cover and examine timing belt. If the vehicle is close to or over 100,000km ask if the belt has been changed. If so it should appear relatively new. If in doubt and you purchase the car it would be wise to have this professionaly changed anyway.
Transmission
For Tiptronic transmissions, take the car for a test drive and allow it to run through all of the gears in automatic. Make sure all changes are smooth and not jerky. Engage the car in tiptronic and change up manually at high rpm. There should not be any significant delay in gear change or harsh changing. Even in tiptronic mode, after coming to a dead stop the car should automatically revert to 1st gear.
Although 5sp transmissions are typically stronger than the 4sp, all of the above information still applies.
If you cannot test drive the car, start it, engage tiptronic mode and with your foot on the brake, gear from 1st to 2nd. If it changes smoothly and quickly its a good indication the transmission is ok. However if there is a delay and then a harsh jerk, it may have problems. In most cases these symptoms are due to poor fluid and filter changes and sometimes a simple fluid change will fix the problem but it may indicate a more serious failure somewhere.
In all cases, test the fluid level. Fluid should be clearish red and drip freely.
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For manual transmissions all are 5spd. While car is off run through gears with clutch pressed in to make sure the stick is free and returns to the neutral position. Turn engine on and engage/disengage clutch and listen for any noises. Test drive the car and run through the gears, gearing up and down. If possible when warm gear up at high rpm and feel for any raking or scratching of gears. This problem seems to be more common in a cold gearbox. Some additives may improve this but it may be a serious case of bad synchros. In a higher gear or when going up a hill, try to feel if clutch is slipping, this will usually be obvious on a bad clutch since the car will rev freely but fail to move forward in relation to the revs.
Exterior Body
This is relatively straightforward since the principles are same with every car. Look for any rust in creases, on the roof, in the bonnet. Move the carpet by the spare tire to make sure no watter is leaking in and collecting. If there is a sunroof, open it to make sure it is not leaking water or rusty. Even a small bubble or rust car mean some serious problems in the future. Look for any unusual / unsymmetrical seams or welds under the bonnet and boot since this may indicate serious accident repair bodywork. If the car colour has been changed, find out why. If there is an aftermarket bodykit make sure there are no cracks or serious chips in the body work.
Check below the car for rust or any damage to the exhaust system.
Check headlight/tailamps for condensation or delaminating. Make sure all lights come on including brakes, indicators and reverse. Look for overall panel alignment. While it is not uncommon for the plastic front and back bumpers to warp slightly, they should not be significantly misaligned. Make sure wheels are in good condition and tyres are wearing evenly.
Interior
Again, fairly obvious. Make sure all lights on the dash come on. Make sure cigarette lighter works. Make sure A/C gets cold/hot and climate control resonds to your commands. With sunroof make sure it opens/closes properly. Make sure voltmeter reads accurately and current does not bob or fluctuate significantly when indicator is pressed or lights are turned on/off since this may indicate a poor alternator, another common FTO problem.
The centre console around the gearknob / ashtray commonly breaks and snaps so carefully check this. Look at condition of seats and upholstery. Compare condition of the car to claimed mileage and year. Check the seatbelt labels to see the year of manufacture. Chances are if the car has very low mileage it has been tampered with and is not accurate especially if the interior looks well used. On the other hand higher mileage does not necessarily mean the car is in bad condition.
Listen for rattles on the test drive. Window rattles are common but are not serious. Check central locking as some door motors tend to be weak.
Wind up down both windows and test wipers. Make sure all seatbelts are working properly.
Brakes/Suspension
The V6 models all come with all round disc brakes. The GPX, GPvR come standard with 2pot calipers in the front while the GR/GX come with single pot calipers and smaller discs in the front. Rear brakes are the same on all models. On test drive make sure the brake bites when pressed on. A spongy pedal feel may indicate air in the lines. Look at pads to make sure they are not right down. Brake hard and feel for any feedback in the pedal. A pedal that bobs under braking may indicate a warped disc. If the car has ABS or Traction Control which came as a factory option test to make sure that they engage and check dashboard to make sure the ABS/TC light does not stay on which would indicate a fault. Standard discs are not very good and are prone to warping and are therefore usually replaced by drilled or slotted aftermarket ones.
As far as suspension listen for any noises and knocks. Most common problems are old droplinks or bushings on the suspension arm or anti-roll bar whcih may need replacing. These are not very expensive. A more serious or loud noise or knocking may indicate old shocks that need replacing or a more serious problem. If you hear anything serious have the suspension looked at by a professional, preferably on a ramp since suspension noise can be hard to trace.
Performance
Generally Mitsubishi got it spot on with getting the most from the 2.0 litre engine which is in part why they won car of the year two years in a row in Japan when it came out. They are highly tuned so as far as tweaking there is not much you can do to get it faster. Here are some basic add ons that you can look out for when searching for a car so you can save yourself some money and time...
1)Air Filter/Intake . This is about the first and cheapest value for money mod you can get. Make sure it is clean and is stable (not bouncing around the engine bay) A cold air intake which funnels air to the filter or a setup which allows the filter to sit farther away from the heat of the engine is best. This will also have replaced the restrictive standard pipe.
2)Exhaust. This can be anything from just a muffler to a complete replacement. Usually the more common setups are cat-back, which replaces the piping from the catalytic converter all the way to the muffler. However even more restrictive is the downpipe which falls between the 2 extractors and cat. You would do well to find an FTO which has had its downpipe replaced for a more freeflowing one.
3) Fueling. Usually an adjustable, boost sensitive fuel pressure regulator.
This allows more fuel into the combustion chamber. Generally the car ECU will compensate for small air/fuel variations so this is not a very useful mod on its own but good to have for more serious upgrades. Upgraded injectors and fuel pumps are also available for very serious tuners or those who go the turbocharge route.
4) Ignition. Usually replaced with larger gauge wire and higher quality spark plugs. Allows a cleaner better spark.
5) Piggyback ECU/Chip. Depending on make/model these allow you to control the fueling and ignition timing of the car. There is a lot of debate as to weather these do much on the FTO without other serious mods, but cant hurt to have one.
6) Gauges. Misc gauges will allow you to keep better track of whats happening to your car.
7) Handling. Most people will have installed larger rims and tyres and then added some lowering springs. These can improve the look of the car as well as its handling. Also adjustable shocks can allow you to control the stiffness of the car as well as help eliminate body roll. The same is true of strut braces which go across between the front and or back suspension top mounts. Polyurethane bushings also give a better steering response.
A limited slip differential (standard on the GPvR) is rare but will also dramatically improve traction around corners and better launching from a stand still.
General Comments
Buying a new car (especially a FTO
) Can be exciting, and you may be tempted to grab the first thing with a bodykit that comes along. But do yourself a favour and be clear headed when making an investment since the wrong thing can cost you a lot more money not to mention tears in the long run.
Try to feel out the seller. If its a personal sale why is he/she selling? Do they talk as thought they are proud of their car, or like they are truly familiar with it? Do they have any documentation to prove its been serviced regularly? Did they even bother to have it cleaned before you got there? Are they honest about answering your questions or are they just quick to tell you their car is the coolest, fastest sounding FTO in the world and how lucky you would be if you bought it? Do some research so you sound like you know what you are talking about and cant be fooled. If you have any doubts, put off the sale, come on the forum and ask a question, we wont put you wrong.
If anything feels fishy best to walk away there will always be another one.
I've had an FTO GX for almost 4 years. Started with tiptronic did a manual transplant and is now turbocharged so i am very familiar with the car having done most of the work myself. However I still make mistakes so dont listen to me alone.
Anyone please feel free to ad or let me know if i said anything wrong
