1981 Mitsubishi Mirage GLX 1.1 petrol from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Mitsubishi Battlewagon

Faults:

Alternator.

CV boots.

Apart from that nothing else, very very reliable.

General Comments:

This was my first car. I drove it very very carefully for the first year... I did the speed limit... even if I had to almost push the accelerator through the floor.

But then I became a true teenager and started getting bored with it... I took it rallying, rev'd it until it haemorrhaged, and all in all... tried to kill it.

But it didn't die, nothing broke, it never let me down.. it may have used more oil than gas, but it kept going.

A car that looks like a heap, but will be loyal to whoever drives it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th January, 2002

17th May 2002, 16:09

I know what you mean. I own a 1985 Mirage and I have also tried to kill it to give me an excuse to get a different car, but it's too darn stubborn. I give up, so I will still be driving it when man starts living on the moon.

8th Aug 2008, 05:08

Yeah, we had an old 1981 in the family since new. My brother-in-law got it as a graduation present from his dad. My sister used it as a school-bus for several years until my dad decided to use it as a pet project. It left the family to a friend who painted our house. He was still driving an Escort Van and still drives the old Mirage today.

6th Mar 2009, 06:18

I've recently got my first car which happens to be a 81 Mirage. I've driven plenty of different cars and this is by far the most fun to drive. I drive it around on empty and occasionally chuck in 2 or 3 dollars when I feel as though it may cut out on me. Picked it up for 650 and there is nothing wrong with it. Doesn't look too bad either.

29th Jul 2009, 21:08

I own a 1983 Mirage GLX which I have had for 2 years. It cost me $350. I received it with almost no water, transmission fluid and engine oil. It had been driven like that for weeks and it was still going strong. And it always starts on the first turn of the key.

It also is one of the few cars that can make it up a friends steep driveway at a 35-40 degree incline.

I service it and have replaced many consumables, with the only parts needing to be replaced being the timing belt and spark plugs.

I agree about being a fun car to drive. It's a solid battler that will possibly end up in a museum when all the oil reserves have run out!

Wouldn't have even looked at a car like this before, but now I'm tempted to buy another one. 9/10 for reliability.