Vanilla Fitment - '95 FTO

[bjk]

Been a little while! Same old story with this lump, fix one thing, another breaks. Did end up getting a separate temp gauge installed and the fan wiring corrected. So far so good, but it's winter here now, so it won't get a real workout till it's 46C outside again. While driving the car like it was meant to be driven, I also lost consistent brake pedal pressure which turned out to be a stripped thread on the CV joint causing pad knock-back, so whole shaft came out for a quick recondition and then we were back on the road.

And then it seems like either the coil packs have started to fail (or maaaybe plugs), which either way will get remedied with a COP kit that a mate can fab me up. And now the alternator looks like it's kicked the bucket as well. C'est la vie! Old Jap cars will definitely be the death of my wallet.

Another snap from those few months ago that I adore from a local photographer Castle Car Media, check him out on FB and insta! https://www.facebook.com/castlecarmedia/



Other news is in the works

[bjk]

Just like OK Go on Treadmills, here it goes again.

I sold my first FTO back in 2016, having already bought its replacement (another one, even the same year and spec) and sending me on yet another journey of borderline reckless spending and mild mental trauma.



If I could go back, I probably would have kept it, and perhaps that would have been the smarter choice among my many less-than-intelligent decisions. But I did not, and, lured by the temptation of a manual transmission and modifications, I picked up the white GPX. At the time it seemed like a good value proposition; basically everything I had planned to do, it had done. And there is where the idealism ended, and the learning began. (Having just had a quick look back, I see that most of it is documented here lol).

Meanwhile, my old silver car had passed through who knows how many hands, suffered some tacky mods and learner drivers, but arrived in (relatively) one piece to a mate of mine who bought it when he crashed his own FTO into the back of someone when waving to a friend on the roadside. He essentially transplanted all the good stuff from his car into it, and planned to daily it for a while before he was legally allowed to drive a turbo'd car. The front bar was definitely worse for wear, and there was the usual roof rust and 20 years of minor dings in the paint, so since he works at a body shop he started sanding it down with the intention of painting it white (because cheaper than a metallic, and the boot he had was already white), and moving it on.

I was almost tempted to buy it back before he'd touched the paint, but after some pros & cons listing, conversing, and a bit of soul searching, it was decided that I would buy the car from him freshly resprayed in similar colour (Mazda Liquid Silver) with the body kit that I'd had in the garage from when I bought the white FTO. It seemed (maybe still seems) a rather inane proposition, especially considering the already dumb amount of dosh I'd chucked at the one I already had. But when I visualised the end goal, which for me was eventually installing said body kit, I had never intended in that case to keep the white car white. So it was a choice: spend $5k+ respraying the white car, with a chassis that I was not entirely happy with the condition of... or spend the same, get fresh paint and running car, and at the very least make enough back from selling the white one to cover the cost of swapping both drivelines between them. Maybe I'm crazy? Mum would say so.

So here it goes again:





I'll be frank, there was a smidgen of buyer's remorse once I inspected it more closely. But I tempered it with some perspective; it was, largely, just not quite perfect panel alignment, and the front bar was destined to come off again anyway. Nothing that couldn't be addressed, even if I had to take it to a more experienced professional to spend some time getting it spot on.

The next dilemma: those skirts. Agh.



I couldn't decide if I liked them enough to keep them on there forever. On the one hand, they're the same style as the front, and bring the sides of the car down more in line with it. On the other, unfortunately my mate painted them before doing a test fit, and a test fit and some trimming they often do require (In fact, the couple guys who've used these have also trimmed the fins off entirely). It doesn't show up particularly in photos, but the sides of the fins come away from the body, and there's a good half cm gap underneath where the door runs. If they fit excellently right off the bat, maybe I would hesitate more, throw the Volks on and see if that changes my mind; as it is, I keep looking at old pics of the car and finding I prefer it with the stock skirts. Having the front bar be lower seems to flow better than the rear bar looking jacked up in comparison (also helps that others who've used these skirts have either had the matching rear apron or a different bar that is also lower). Fortunately, said mate is generous enough to paint the stock skirts the same colour, and then eventually I will get them swapped over and hope these come off alright.

I had entertained ideas about driving the silver one around for at least one 3 month registration period, but I'm thinking I might just park it up and plan to swap the turbo motor and everything else across as soon as is practical, maybe even before the end of the year.

As for the white one, I've been troubleshooting and ironing out issues as they arise.



New alternator is in and I haven't seen any more check engine lights so that's nice. It was still wavering at full throttle though, so took it across to a workshop with a dyno to see if they could replicate the problem and see what was going on. Got this hilarious printout where you can see the ECU cutting fuel, and then the car rocking on the rollers.



First suspect was boost leak, as the ECU was reading quite a few more pounds of boost than the engine was actually getting, hence stupidly rich AFRs and the colossal black spot of soot the exhaust left on the ground after the runs. Either that or possibly a failing MAF sensor. However after posting up the results on a local VR4 group, one of the tuners interstate who is fairly familiar with these motors called it as turbulent air from the pod filter throwing the readings out.

Talking to the friend of mine who basically did the conversion, he mentioned he had an airbox (slightly cut up) that might fit and I could have it for the cost of postage, but I ended up finding one at a local wrecker anyway. It was veeeery tight, but I dropped down to the guy that fabbed up all my piping, had a temporary solution made up, test drove the tits off it, and that seemed to conclude it was basically the solution.

Ain't the prettiest thing (and god the BOV is so quiet now it's actually kinda sad, but K&N rampod is like $200+ so that's a nah for the moment), but it fits, bonnet closes, and it runs smoother now than it ever has, so that's a win in my books.



Still isn't completely happy putting all the power down, which may now just be old coilpacks anyway. It'll jump back on the dyno again, and maybe this time I'll get a better indication of what it's actually capable of! Our FTO Australia annual bonfire is also coming up again after being postponed a few months, so trying to have the car ready to drive halfway across the country again.

Congrats if you made it this far.

Also, poll:
- flappy skirts? or
- non-flappy skirts?

[Miroteknik]

Funny about the airbox. Ahhhh the "cold air intake" era

So you've got 2 FTO's now?! I like the side skirts on the gray one, but I don't know what to compare them to, so that may not be helpful. The gray one looks great!

[DawsonLiri]

For me is side skirts hell yes, I'm not a fan of "half body kit" I think without them the side are look be very empty. I also think you're gonna need a small lip for the rear bumper.
Curious to see with the Volk on.

[bjk]

Funny about the airbox. Ahhhh the "cold air intake" era

So you've got 2 FTO's now?! I like the side skirts on the gray one, but I don't know what to compare them to, so that may not be helpful. The gray one looks great!

The hassles of fitting heaps of extra piping in an engine bay that wasn't designed for it! D: But at least it's done.

Yeah 2 for the moment, but not forever haha. (although I was miiiiighty tempted by a 'Car of the Year' edition that was made to commemorate the FTO's win in Japan for 94-95, all bright yellow with factory LSD, and only <150,000kms on the clock, buuut I really didn't need it and I think it sold already).

I kinda like them and kinda don't, really on the fence about it. Here's a couple old pics from when I had it before, only real difference is the wheels, spoiler and skirts.





I think I just appreciate the smoother, more streamlined look, instead of matching the front bar, even though it hangs lower...
Bunch of other pics here https://www.deviantart.com/modnar-re...ubishi-fto-gpx

For me is side skirts hell yes, I'm not a fan of "half body kit" I think without them the side are look be very empty. I also think you're gonna need a small lip for the rear bumper.
Curious to see with the Volk on.

Maybe slap the Volks on this weekend to see what I think.

Unfortunately aren't many sort of "lip" options. I do technically have the same brand rear apron I accepted as part payment, still at mates though, and kinda like the skirts I don't know if I like it enough because it looks a bit tacked on.

Like this:

[Miroteknik]

[DawsonLiri]

Maybe slap the Volks on this weekend to see what I think.

Unfortunately aren't many sort of "lip" options. I do technically have the same brand rear apron I accepted as part payment, still at mates though, and kinda like the skirts I don't know if I like it enough because it looks a bit tacked on.

Like this:

Uhm, does not convince me too much, it's too much "full" if you know what I mean...

[bjk]

I think this is a good reaction but I don't know the source adequately enough to tell hahah

Uhm, does not convince me too much, it's too much "full" if you know what I mean...

Yeah me neither, from some angles it looks okay, but I like the sort of two layer design of the factory rear bar. Hence why I think the skirts will go, but I'll make sure to get some decent pics with them on.

[bjk]

Regrettably for my decision making process, the TE37s make me like the skirts more... nonetheless, 99% made up my mind that they will eventually come off just because of the fit. My OCD has some tolerance, and they're juuust over the line.

Not very scenic, but have some photos.

















And also a few examples of the skirts...

[Fruttolo]

Those skirts look ok but fit too awfully to keep them on, eradicate them quick please LOL
If they did fit right they would look very good with the "fins" removed and the te37s. Think it needs some kind of skirt tho, or the wing is gonna look out of place and unbalanced

[Miroteknik]

I think this is a good reaction but I don't know the source adequately enough to tell hahah

more than anything I was trying to say the car looked a bit like a DB9 at quick glance...

[bjk]

Those skirts look ok but fit too awfully to keep them on, eradicate them quick please LOL
If they did fit right they would look very good with the "fins" removed and the te37s. Think it needs some kind of skirt tho, or the wing is gonna look out of place and unbalanced

About sums up my thoughts lol. The stock skirts add just enough lowness that I think it won't look too bad. Have been considering whether a kind of underskirt "diffuser" step could work, but don't want it to look tacky or not really OEM-ish.

more than anything I was trying to say the car looked a bit like a DB9 at quick glance...

If you google "aston martin FTO" you will see that... attempts have been made along those lines. I don't really rate them very highly, but the similarities are there, more in the prefacelift versions.

[bjk]

Had our FTO Bonfire meet again, lovely 3300km (2050mile) round trip to the east coast of Oz and back. Car dropped a bit of oil, but the wheel making the odd noises didn't fall off so I call that a win.





Couple boosted buddies. Red car belongs to Rob who basically installed my engine and will be doing the swaps into the silver car too.

[Miroteknik]

Love the front bumper on the red one, and your gray one.

[bjk]

Love the front bumper on the red one, and your gray one.

Yeah I really dig it. It's subtle enough that it could almost be OEM (probably because 80% of it is moulded off it), but brings a different feel to the front end.

Disadvantage is that it's not low-friendly at all. But when I up the boost and run flex in future (probably), I'm gonna require fatter tyres which'll probably need the clearance anyway, so I'm not too concerned about that.