23rd Jul 2001, 07:46

I recently (about two weeks ago) bought a 1990 TP Magna SE from a friend who is a dealer. It has done 183,000km and still runs beautifully. This one is rare as it is the 5-speed version, but is otherwise fully optioned. My only worry is that of fuel economy; the 2 litre Mazda 929 I used to own did exactly 10 litres per 100 km, whereas this one gets 500km out of 60 litres. I guess this is due to the larger engine...?

All in all, a very nice car. Wouldn't mind upgrading in the future to the newer 3.5 litre V6 model!

17th Aug 2001, 22:28

We have got a 1993 Magna Wagon, I have to say that it is a very comfortable and enjoyable car to drive, it has gas fitted as-well.

But our car has had 2 times at the mechanic. The first was for a new timing chain cover, (it had corroded badly), and the second was for a new cylinder head. And the transmission is soon to go.

The fuel economy is poor but on gas it is alright. On a scale of 1/10 I would rate it 5.

2nd Oct 2002, 07:45

This person obviously had a bad lemon of a Magna as I own a 1989 TP Elite and have since new.

The only problem I had with this car was the timing chain, front discs warped, right side driveshaft and the overdrive on the auto had to be replaced.

This might all sound nasty and expensive which it is, but nothing lasts for ever and all these parts were replaced due to wear and tear.

I am extremely happy with my Magna for it is a very comfortable and quite car to drive with all the comforts of the electronic gizmoz.

2nd Sep 2003, 04:46

The TP Magna had many faults with them when they were put into production. I bought mine brand new and after only a year and a half I had to purchase a new battery. This went one for the entire time that I owned the car. The 2.6 Lite four cylinder engine is pathetic and has a chronic overheating problem. I bought the version that was carburettor and the power from it was pathetic. The quality of the paint was also horrible and I now see many TP series Magna's on the road with oxidizing paintwork. The doors trapped water and the insides of the doors were not sprayed with wax to prevent rust. The four speed automatic transmission was weak and in decisive, constantly changing from second to third gear up a hill. The car on hills was also hopelessly slow. This glorified Mitsubishi sigma is garbage.

9th Nov 2004, 05:57

I have gone from my L's to P's in a Magna that was a gift from my Grandparents. It is in the shop right now, unfortunately it has been playing up. When it gets to about 2000 rpm the engine cuts out for a second or two, then kicks back in again?! To make matters worse it doesn't happen all the time.

I was a little disappointed with the comments on this page. I drive a 1990 sedan and I love it! (When running!!!) It is a low, wide car, that handles great. I feel very safe in my Magna, it is responsive and has gotten me out of some sticky situations. It is also a very forgiving car.

Compared to anything else I have drive it feels like a sports car. A friend of mine let me drive his Holden GTO... I was disappointed! I am a huge Holden fan and think the Magna is a complete chicks car (I am female. My $4 000 Magna is better to drive than his $80 000 'dream machine'. Magna's are very underestimmated. My Magna has been in our family from new and it's a 'little gem' as my dad puts it.

I would recommend them to anyone.

29th Nov 2004, 03:37

I have recently acquired a 1989 Magna GLX, which is also fitted with a carby, and I can say mine is an absolute bullet, It has a new head, new alternator and brand new extractors, recently on a weekend cruise I averaged 8-9L/100klm, which is good for a carby 2.6L. Even my mate in his 1990 manual Nissan Skyline which puts out 118kw couldn't pass me going up a steep hill in 4th gear? All you guys must have bought Lemon's, I can't fault the car, it's also done 303,000klm and shows no sign of stopping! Its also manual.

31st May 2006, 21:47

For my first car I decided to purchase a 1990 TP manual Magna sedan. It's a great reliable car and has never let me down. Magna's have been in my family for years. My mother bought a 1988 Magna (not quite sure what model) brand new, when she started her family. As she puts it she wouldn't have anything else, neither would I. I do have one query though, as the 1990 TP model was not fuel injected what how many kilometers should I be getting out of one full tank. I can usually get 500km... Is that good or bad? Other than that I love my Magna and hope to have it for may years to come.

4th Jul 2006, 03:34

I have a 1990 TP Magna EFI Auto, and I've found it to be very reliable, in fact I had a stuffed battery in it when I got it, and it still started!

I've found that when you're going up hills, it helps to turn the overdrive off. I've also had it to almost 200Km/h, but I'm not sure as the needle was touching the plasic at the bottom of the speedo, and I was going down a hill at the time. But I have had it to 170km/h on a flat.

It's a good car easy to drive, but does anyone know if it can pull a truck without too much strain on the CV joints?

23rd Jul 2007, 10:26

Hey, my name's Daniel. I own a TP Magna station wagon 1989-90, not bad for a first car, but a bit sluggish. The problem is the small air intake pike, the crappy head and the alternator is always playing up... here's what you do!!!

Start with the air intake, get rid of the huge filter and hose, and replace with a cheap Monza 1 meter 1/2 silicon half plastic tube; you can buy these from a super cheap auto or malz, and they only cost about $30. You might have some problems removing the filter, but there is a hidden bolt underneath the cover, then attach a pod filter of your choice (I personally removed the battery and put it where the spare tire is supposed to go, and just ran the positive wire under the factory trim) then you have heaps of room to place your filter.

Then go to your local exhaust shop and get a new exhaust including extractors; 2.5 inch hi flow is the best.

Then go to a wreckers and pick up the head for a 2000 Holden Astra; they're unblowable, LMAO!

I put my Magna on the dyno before my mods, and I was running 65 hp. After the mods 105 at the treads. I take my little beast to the burnout comp every week; I've been through 4 auto trans though; I can't find anything to help that though.

On day my Magna will have an Evo 6 3.0 liter motor turbo'd, and then we will see who has the last laugh at the drags!!!

Dani.