1988 Daihatsu Charade Gtti from UK and Ireland - Comments

Driver's seatbelt.

Exhaust Turbo downpipe (straight-through) came loose due to a weirdo fitting it.

Idling problem occasionally (common fault)

Rust on rear arches - reccomended to get a body specialist to shave off the lips.

Amazing performance for a 1.0, the best whipping I've given was a Golf Mark 2 GTI 16v all the way until the road an out.

Absolutely terrible in the wet, especially around corners.

The car had Apex suspension fitted and it was very stiff. It added to the happy back end of the Charade.

Other mods: K&N air filter, straight through exhaust from the turbo, Apex suspension.

I have to say the gearbox was one of the best I've ever used, close ratio and fitted into each gear lovely.

The engines in these are amazing blueprinted engines. Apparently these engines are good for an increase in boost to around 18psi on the standard turbo - I advice to do this, if I knew that then, boy!

The interior is uninspiring, but sod it who cares, the car is a legend.

Come on now a Puny Little One Litre Turbo is never a Rocket! What have you been Smoking?

I think 'Lengend' is going a bit far.

I actually think he is right because I read recently that it was the ''original pocket rocket''. hard to believe isn't it?

It is a real "pocket rocket" have owned one myself, believe me when the turbo spins you know about it.

It was, and still is the most powerful 1 litre production car in the world, 99bhp!

With not much work 135bhp is available, wish I could get hold of a good one now with the price of motoring nowadays.

I'm back.

Yes it is a legend as the man say it's the fatest 1.0 car in the world, and to keep up all the way with a 1.8 16v along with many other cars is insane for a 1.0!

The engines were built blueprinted, forged pistons, ported and polished, etc, etc. The Japanese found through research that the perfect size chamber for combustion was near enough 1000cc divided by 3.

I'm serious you tune up those beasts you'll be on 6 to 6.5 seconds 0-60, which is seriously quick for any car, but a 1.0? The car is a legend!

Yes the GTti is an outstanding motor!! The CB80 motor is 993 cc, twin cam, 12 valve. Boy does it pack a punch die to the car only weighing in at 810 KG!!!

I've done some straight forward easy mod and running around the 150 bhp at 15 psi, 0-60 is in the mid to low 6s!!

The works rally ones they had competing in the past ran at 20 psi on standard internals, that's how tough these little engines are if the fueling is correct.

The only problem is finding a clean shell these days, as only 1000 were imported between 1987 to 1994 (i think they are the dates!). Due to that many were never under sealed properly and are rooting bad. Mine is a mess!! in the arches and foot well, sills... so on yada yada.

If you can find a cleanish one and look after it they make a great project/trackday car!! The cramped room can be anoying, but hey when ya nailing BMWs and other cars worth 5 figures or more who gives a monkeys!! right?

I have driven these cars and no way can they do 0-60 in 6-7 sec, with a driver and 1 other person you would be lucky to get to 60mph in 10sec. The engine is like a little lawnmower (no power) and after 60mph they just don't move! Golf gti 16v mk2 would destroy you, maybe you were racing a 1.6 8v golf.

The Charade in Gtti form is an absolute rocket. 0-60 standard in 7.9 and more torque than a 16v engine. Up to 100mph they are incredible. plus being a turbo can be tuned relatively easily upping the boost/upgrading turbo to that of a Mazda 323's to give increases of a minimum 30bhp. My friend had one and I am seeking to find one now. I own a Renault 19 16v which beat the Golf Gti 16v mk2 in most road tests especially on handling and performance, but not all round flexibility, or reliability, but is in the same league.

Where my 19 16v is about equal 0-60 (7.7 seconds) and has a quicker top end, and kills the Charade in corners, it looses out a lot in the mid range. This is where you want your power and to get another 30bhp out of these 16v engines, you would need to spend several hundred pounds.

Yes a 993cc can be that quick.

Yep I sell parts for them and YES they are fast

Std figures are around 100bhp 7.9 seconds 16.2-16.4 seconds standing quarter mile.

Modded 130-150bhp they'll do 0-60 in 6-6.5 seconds quarters depending on mods down to about 14.5 seconds.

And through the gears 50-70 they are faster than an M3 Beemer (Original one)

They have forged internals and and are better build than an EVO motor who don't even have forged pistons

Haha what a crock. Sorry :)

If I have doubters then just come up to Camskill in Cumbria and I'll give you a drive in my car ;)

Mike

www.camskill.co.uk.

Good shout Mike!!! You tell them, try searching the net on info about these cars and you'll be amazed! Try www.gttioc.co.uk that's the owners club, has a lot of info on the cars.

Stock these cars have a power to weight ratio of 121bhp per ton, With NO torque to speak of! Have driven loads also.

Not much in it compared to my saxo vtr, both will do 0-60mph in around 10sec and 0-100 in about 33.9sec.

Handling is poor also and no way will it do 0-60 in 8sec. lol.

Totaly agree with the above comment, I've owned one for 2.5yrs and have driven others as well, and NO WAY can they do 0-60mph in 8sec stock! More like 9-9.5sec. Also as someone else pointed out, when you have more than one person in the car you will be lucky to see 0-60mph in 10sec.

Still enjoy driving mine though, even though you need to rev it to high heaven to get anywhere!

That CB80 Engine is the Sweetest stove I have ever trashed,

it sounds, pulls and revs like nothing else

Has to be the most over looked performance car out there as for a Saxo staying wit it (if it stayed together) id pay to c that.

How many other 1 litre engines are there which have standard power of 100bhp? easyly up to 150bhp with no prob? all on the stock internals? Then stuck into a car all wieghing a total of around 810 kg! Do the maths its gotta be quick.

Yes that's quicker than a Saxslow VTR!

Some lawnmower engine, init?!!

IT might have 99-100 bhp, and light weight. But it still only produces 120bhp per ton.

...NOT MUCH, hence poor performance!! Also the car lacks torque, which again hinders its performance and with 1 passenger the car simpily doesn't move (SLOW). IT only feeels fast being so porly built and tinny, but in reality its SLOW!