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.