The Irish Mitsubishi FTO Owners Club

I live in the US, I am a DSM enthusiast/hobbyist and I stumbled upon your forums after searching for Mitsubishi tiptronic transmission vehicles. I am looking to retrofit a tiptronic gear selector assembly into my USDM Galant VR4 that has been converted to automatic. Currently, Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive are selected via a 1g automatic shifter, and the 1-4 is actuated with a momentary toggle switch, which is less than ideal.


Anyhow, here I am and quite to the point, I look forward to using this forum as a resource to locate (or eliminate) the FTO INVECS shifter as a viable option.
If anyone has detailed pictures of a auto FTO shifter (from all angles, with attention to the shift cable connectors and the underside) I would greatly appreciate you sharing them with me.

-Stephen


here are a few pictures of the car

Welcome to the forum. You wouldn't consider manual shifter would you? Less chance of it getting stolen in the states if it's a manual, because most thieves are less than bright. They would be like "Dude, what's that?"

The manual part is just 2 simple switches that the lever hits off under the facia.

Seems a fairly simple system.

Certainly one of the cleaner galants.
Can't say I'm a fan of the over sized tyres, can't imagine it holds the road very well with them.

This is strictly a straight line car, hence the automatic transmission and over sized drag radials. We took the Mickey Thompsons off in favor of a more streetable set of BFGoodwrich tires. It handles much better on the road, but it spins all 4 wheels through second gear off of the converter, at only 20psi and litterally no timing or tuning!! (this set up is capable of doing 35+psi) The slicks are definitely going back on...


here are a few specs
custom Mazworx chromolly 6 point cage
AEM EMS
FP3575 turbo
Magnus street intake
4" exhaust
built bottom end
auto 1g trans
4500rpm converter
Deleted - 4WS/AC/Power steering/
fuel cell
dual bosch 044 pumps
FIC 950cc injectors (2150cc injectors waiting to go in)
running on E85 ethanol

I have noticed a lot of part-out threads on this forum (aka "breaking"?) and figured this would be a good place to start. If there is a popular place to look for FTO parts, or just find pictures of the shifter linkage and the underside, LMK.

@colm_mcm
the mechanical parts are really all I am interested, although it would be nice if the +/- switches operated in the voltage range I need without any modifications. If the throw is off, I can just relocate the mounting point of the shift cable higher or lower, depending on the discrepancy. At the very least, I expect to have to fabricate a new shift gate to accommodate the Galant VR4 center console/1g Eclipse shifter combo that is currently in the car.

again, thank you for allowing me to lurk these forums

I can't see it not working.

Would paddle shifters behind the steering wheel be a viable option instead?

colm_mcm wrote:I can't see it not working.

Would paddle shifters behind the steering wheel be a viable option instead?

The cost of paddle shifters do not justify the benefits at this point (roughly $500 USD, not including the cost of an aftermarket steering wheel and adapter). I think the FTO shifter will be a cost effective alternative with a factory like appearance.

but if you had the shifters on the steering column as opposed to the wheel (ie on the the steering column as opposed to on the wheel) it would be simpler, also a lot of cars have a system like this.

colm_mcm wrote:but if you had the shifters on the steering column as opposed to the wheel (ie on the the steering column as opposed to on the wheel) it would be simpler, also a lot of cars have a system like this.

i only know of a few companies that make the paddle shifter kits, and they are pretty expensive. Do you know of a cheaper solution to the one made by Works Bell?

hmmm, i just noticed you are a site moderator. since i have your attention... I am reading over the forum rules now about "buying". Is it acceptable to post a WTB thread with my post count?

There was someone on the site a making paddle shift kit a couple of years ago.
He's based in he UK and isn't active anymore but it might be worth a PM.
http://www.fto-ireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8213

Feel free to post a WTB thread.

Toyota do these kind of fixed shifters on their cars over here