1987 Mitsubishi Sigma GL 2.6L Astron II, fuel guzzling NA

Summary:

Gutsy little car, with a gutsy little engine!

Faults:

Rust, of course, the car is 18!!!

The ball joints went, and the shockers, too, but after 5 years of horrible dirt roads, you have to expect that!

The head lights, tail lights and indicators all needed replacing, as they were either broken from a run in with a fence post, or just old and illegally bad.

Front left panel, and front stone catcher and front panel all need replacing, as did the bonnet as the original no longer sat properly due to the run in with the sheep, kangaroo and flying tyre off another car.

AUD$600 of mechanic bills for the mechanical overhaul before registration, (which was most likely a rip off)

A new gear box, oh and the engines newly replaced.

Drivers seat is loose and squeaks.

New stereo and speakers, car seat covers, new boot mat.

Boot leaks, window seals are dying, windscreen seals are shot although some sealant will fix that.

General Comments:

The Sigma is a good older car, good for learning to drive in.

She accelerates much quicker than you'd expect, and can beat any older lighter front wheel drive off the mark, and most of the distance.

She tops out at about 140-150kms/hr and does this comfortably at 3000rpm.

She has guts, and much determination, the new ball joints allow for good handling, despite the lack of power steering.

And despite her weight, and her age, does the occasional drift around roundabouts quite happily.

Shes great on premium fuel, as she doesn't guzzle the fuel as rapidly, and also runs better.

The old Astron II is a tough old engine and won't be killed easily.

I love this car, and the day that I have to get rid of it will be sad, because of all the character it has. And of all the times its weight has saved me from crashing into the actual roundabout!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd November, 2005

25th Nov 2005, 10:18

I hate to burst your bubble, but the Sigma is not a heavy car, though this is a common misconception with older cars. You're welcome to look it up yourself. My Sigma handbook lists the kerb weight at approx 1150kg. To get a modern car weighing this much you have to buy a very small car. Most new Sigma sized medium cars would weigh 1400kg plus. Older cars aren't built like new cars which are designed to crumble, so when you crash your older car it seems to come off much better than the modern ones, so often older cars are referred to as being 'tank like' which infers that they are very heavy, which they aren't. The way older cars corner (poorly) also gives the perception of a heavy car. The light weight and large engines (in the 2.6s) does give them good performance in a straight line for older cars. In fact my Sigma has a dual-throat carby and full exhaust system and now goes very fast for a Sigma and also gets very good fuel economy - about 10L/100k around town, much better on a trip. It still doesn't corner though.

1987 Mitsubishi Sigma GL Wagon 2.6 Astron IIwagon is comfortable, reasio

Summary:

A brilliant, practical, gutsy wagon

Faults:

Virtually nothing! All I have had to do to it is replace the top cover gasket to fix a minor oil leak, for the princely sum of NZ$12.

General Comments:

Australian assembled and sold new in 1987, my two owner 2.6 Sigma GN wagon has turned out to be the buy of the year.

Last of the rear wheel drive Sigmas, the 2.6 is an eminently usable practical wagon.

It has plenty of cargo room and is a stable, powerful tow car, with the virtues of rear wheel drive handling and a gutsy, yet simple, carburetted, chain driven overhead cam engine.

The interior has stood up to 250 000 kilometres of use virtually unscathed, with no wear to either the carpets or the seats. The only signs of wear are in the pedal rubbers and the steering wheel.

Parts for the car are readily available and cheap, and the robust, conventional mechanics hold no expensive surprises.

The car handles well on the open road, and cruises smoothly at 100kmh with the engine turning over at 2600rpm in 5th. It has tackled several long distance trips in New Zealand's South island with no problems.

The only downsides to my car are its fuel consumption which is higher than I would ideally like and suspension which would benefit from new shocks, however these are minor irritants.

I would definitely recommend this car to anyone needing cheap, reliable and practical transport.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th August, 2003

22nd Oct 2005, 04:21

Now at 310 000km and still going strong! Only things needed have been tyres, shocks and brake pads/shoes.

1987 Mitsubishi Sigma GSR 2.0 litre turbo

Summary:

A performance bargain

Faults:

When I purchased the car, the head had a leak.

Water pump was blown.

All the belts needed to be done.

Body needed minor panel work.

General Comments:

This car performance still has it, to match later model cars.

Handling was poor, but with the aid of a set of king springs this was sorted.

Excellent seats, which a far better than any other car I have driven.

Best of all, cost of the car was $175, with a near new set of grid 2 tyres on it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st April, 2003

1987 Mitsubishi Sigma GN 2.6 ULP

Summary:

A very reliable and dependable transport for a variety of conditions

Faults:

Three new radiator cores over the life of the car.

All rubber leads/hoses in engine bay replaced at 150,000km.

New driver's seat installed. Weak brackets at the floor pan.

Gaskets and seals replaced at 150,000km.

Paint quality at manufacture revealed to be very thin. Detailing of paint surface at 250,000km, rapidly accelerated deterioration of paint on bonnet and roof.

General Comments:

An exceptionally reliable car, if maintenance is pro-active rather than reactive.

A fairly thirsty car with gearing not quite suited to long-haul travelling. Two point six litre engine at the limits of acceptable displacement for a single block four cylinder engine.

With the addition of fuel injection, a taller fifth gear and better suspension set up this would be a near perfect family car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd February, 2001

14th May 2001, 23:19

15/5/01

I own a 84 GK Sigma sedan, they are a great car and are very reliable and handle very well, haven't had any real problems.

It is moderately economical with its 2.6 liter Astron motor and 3 speed auto, but it needs an extra gear or a manual gearbox as it tends to rev high at high speeds.

Very comfy interior as it is the 'SE' model and has all the creature comforts.

Great brakes too as it has standard 4 wheel discs and the motor performs excellently.