1995 Mitsubishi Magna TS, GLX Model review from Australia and New Zealand

Engine seals and gaskets replaced at 100,000km. ($360.00)

Air conditioning fan failure at 80,000km, but was due to faulty relay box. ($56.00)

Intermittent electrical fault, resulting in overloading lighting on right hand side (factory corrected) at 40,000km.

Power steering making loud squeal, due to loose and worn belt at 118,000km requiring replacement and retension ($95.00)

This car was purchased from a business at the residual price at the time for $14,000, from the then current value of $17,000. It was a metallic black wagon with an Astron 2.6L 4-cylinder carburetted motor that produced 85kw... not too much firepower, but has plenty of useful torque.

The GLX model of the TS Magna is "bare-boned", and does not have any extras like EFI (optional), electric windows, central locking or airbags, but has an above-average crash protection especially with side impacts and generally has a strong chassis.

The brakes are discs all-round and the front ones are ventilated to provide excellent stopping power in all conditions, but an upgrade from the 14"x5" standard tyre to the 16"x7" will provide the most benefits (at a cost to greater rolling resistance and tyre noise).

Ride quality is excellent with a balance struck between handling requirements and ride comfort. With quite a large amount of sound deadening used, the interior cabin is also sheltered from wind and road noise.

Don't expect a glamorous interior since large expanses of plastic abound, but are at least colour coded instead of the vast greyness of other manufacturers of the era. At least the instruments are logically placed and within easy reach, with the headlight operations on a stalk off the steering column (my preference) instead of a dial-like operation in the Falcodores out there. Illumination is brilliant from the headlights, with an excellent beam spread from a system that houses separate low and high beam lamps, but in the one assembly.

This model has a

hard-wearing cloth trim that can feel like hessian on bare skin, but the front seats have a bucket form and are quite comfortable especially on long journeys.

Rears in wagons are often geared toward children-sized passengers and you'll be hard pressed to fit three adults and leg room can be a bit cramped although tall people would appreciate about the headroom above. Split-fold rear seats in a 2-1 configuration allow for some load/passenger carrying flexibility, but the centre rear lap belt, without the sash component, may be a safety concern.

The engine is adequate, but don't expect overtaking velocities once loaded for a holiday with a family and all the trappings. The "overdrive" switches the automatic into concentrating more on the torque side of the powerband whereas the "power" shifts it to the, well, power band allowing later gear changes to utilise the benefits of a high-revving 4 cylinder engine.

Me? It happily eats up tarmac after my tinkering and add-ons *winks*.

Expect excellent build and paint quality from Mitsubishi and with the current make's stigma, buyers will delight in the bargain, but sellers will wince. Because of this, parts are cheap and plentiful and easily accessible to the home mechanic.

Provides a great blank canvass as a project and now has:

-Entire interior exchanged from a dark blue to a black/charcoal from another Magna.

-K&N pod filter with integrated MAS (Mass Air Sensor).

-2.5" cat back exhaust with 2.5" to 4" 3A Racing stainless steel muffler

-PCW black chrome split 5-spoke alloys, 16"x7" Marshall soft compound tyres.

-Munroe Sensatrac gas shocks, struts and Kmac springs.

-RalliArt badging (interior and exterior) sourced from Japan

-Tint=A=Car Formula 1 metallic black window tint

-Pioneer sound system (6" front speakers, 6"x9" rear with CD/MP3 capable head unit).

-Instrument panel backing is now red

-Front seats redone in black leather with red inserts.

-Narva White Xenon globes replace all standard headlights.

-Headlights exchanged for KS Verada black surround/crystal parabolic versions.

The exhaust improves the otherwise asthmatic Astron 2.6L engine whilst the tyre and suspension choice offer greater handling and stability in all conditions with the slight torque steer inherent in a front wheel drive setup.

Examples exist mainly as family mules, but have appeared lately as street cruisers with soft appealing lines with the engines able to take a WIDE variety of modifications.

My "RalliArt" version? Always happy to sacrifice some comforts for some more "go" and handling. A work in progress with EFI, engine works and a Garett turbo to strap in as well as a manual transmission... but this would not even be achievable if the car was not a great all-round package to begin with.