Buyers Guide?

[Kingers]

Hi guys - thinking of buying a FTO and had a thrawl of this fine website of yours for a buyers guide to no avail.

Anyone point me in the right direction?

[ottostreet]

Try buying off a member on here. There's few good examples of the car left here.

If you see a car you like on a site, throw it up here, members on here will tell you as much about the car and give you tips as much as possible.

[optical illusion]

Welcome young un

[goz_83]

Welcome.

Don't buy a thing unless you post it up here first. Most FTOs will be known here by the members. Ideally, buy from a member if there are any selling, because we bleed our souls into our cars here.

[Kace]

Hi guys - thinking of buying a FTO and had a thrawl of this fine website of yours for a buyers guide to no avail.

Anyone point me in the right direction?

Welcome. Have you checked to see what your insurance quote would be? Try this before going further to avoid building yourself up for disappointment / unexpected cost.

[Kingers]

Welcome young un

you're the young un!

Insurance isn't an issue lads.

Here's the car I'm thinking of looking at -I think someone on here owns the car.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4156380


Thoughts?

I drove a non mivec 2litre last night, manual - had no guts down low but it was a bit of a screamer alright, not sure if I'd call it quick... is the Mivec that much better? There doesn't appear to be a huge amount of steering feel either but I guess that's just the way they are?

[Chris_Heilong]

sounds like you drove a dud, one thing about the fto is its all about steering feel, my car tells me everything about the road. What kind of cars are you used to OP?

[Kingers]

Other than my current Impreza Turbo, nearly all my previous cars have been RWD (E30 325is, S14a 200SX, S2000, Omegas, Soarer TT, E39 M Sport), I currently race a Stryker (Kitcar like a Catherham).

I don't want to sound like a C0ck but I drove a 360 during the week and that had a proper front end feel. Now I don't for a second expect a car like a FTO to have anything like that, it would be nice if it was something along the lines of a 306 gti6 or DC2 Type R - I might be asking for a bit much, I just hadn't driven one before and was a bit let down in that department.

Great sound off them though!

[Kace]

Other than my current Impreza Turbo, nearly all my previous cars have been RWD (E30 325is, S14a 200SX, S2000, Omegas, Soarer TT, E39 M Sport), I currently race a Stryker (Kitcar like a Catherham).

I don't want to sound like a C0ck but I drove a 360 during the week and that had a proper front end feel. Now I don't for a second expect a car like a FTO to have anything like that, it would be nice if it was something along the lines of a 306 gti6 or DC2 Type R - I might be asking for a bit much, I just hadn't driven one before and was a bit let down in that department.

Great sound off them though!

You're definitely going down in the world with an FTO with regards to power, based upon what you have driven in the past. However the FTO makes up for it in other ways. Drive a good manual Mivec and let us know what you think - surely there is no better car out there for €1k.

[Chris_Heilong]

Other than my current Impreza Turbo, nearly all my previous cars have been RWD (E30 325is, S14a 200SX, S2000, Omegas, Soarer TT, E39 M Sport), I currently race a Stryker (Kitcar like a Catherham).

I don't want to sound like a C0ck but I drove a 360 during the week and that had a proper front end feel. Now I don't for a second expect a car like a FTO to have anything like that, it would be nice if it was something along the lines of a 306 gti6 or DC2 Type R - I might be asking for a bit much, I just hadn't driven one before and was a bit let down in that department.

Great sound off them though!

Thats what I thought, nobody that had been driving normal cars could say the FTO lacked steering feel, make sure you were testing lowered suspension and low profile tires and that the car had at least a front strut brace. Anyway it is a car that was built 17 years ago and was and still is a very original car, not an update of a particular constantly updated line like alot of the other cars you drove. Its a drivers car with its best 0 to 100km in and around the 7 sec band so dont expect a rocket. Depends on why you want one really but we all love ours.

[goz_83]

And do check insurance first. The guy that I bought my first fto from was 36 and had claimed to drive high performance sports cars since he was 17. His insurance was "only €900" and he was from Carlow. I got it for around €400ish at 28 years of age, but some others on the forum have paid far more and are older than I am. Many more bought an fto and couldn't get insured at all. They're marked as category 50.....harsh, but what can you do?

[Kingers]

Went to look at that car today - I had done up a big post on the actual condition of it but it got wiped on my cpu so count yourself lucky. Owner is a nice guy, just needs to realise that is always better to underpromise and overdeliver when it comes to the condition of a car. Doing the opposite only leads to disappointment and pisses people off.

Anyone who wants to know the details pm me.

Other than my current Impreza Turbo, nearly all my previous cars have been RWD (E30 325is, S14a 200SX, S2000, Omegas, Soarer TT, E39 M Sport), I currently race a Stryker (Kitcar like a Catherham).

I don't want to sound like a C0ck but I drove a 360 during the week and that had a proper front end feel. Now I don't for a second expect a car like a FTO to have anything like that, it would be nice if it was something along the lines of a 306 gti6 or DC2 Type R - I might be asking for a bit much, I just hadn't driven one before and was a bit let down in that department.

Great sound off them though!

Thats what I thought, nobody that had been driving normal cars could say the FTO lacked steering feel, make sure you were testing lowered suspension and low profile tires and that the car had at least a front strut brace. Anyway it is a car that was built 17 years ago and was and still is a very original car, not an update of a particular constantly updated line like alot of the other cars you drove. Its a drivers car with its best 0 to 100km in and around the 7 sec band so dont expect a rocket. Depends on why you want one really but we all love ours.

I know what you mean, everything is relative. After driving a second standard one today, I can confirm that they have little in the way of steering feel, and this is comparing it to its direct rivals -306gti 6 and DC2 type R.

Anyway, after today I think the FTO is not for me. Thanks to all who imparted some advice, partcularly OI.

[Chris_Heilong]

Went to look at that car today - I had done up a big post on the actual condition of it but it got wiped on my cpu so count yourself lucky. Owner is a nice guy, just needs to realise that is always better to underpromise and overdeliver when it comes to the condition of a car. Doing the opposite only leads to disappointment and pisses people off.

I know what you mean, everything is relative. After driving a second standard one today, I can confirm that they have little in the way of steering feel, and this is comparing it to its direct rivals -306gti 6 and DC2 type R.

Anyway, after today I think the FTO is not for me. Thanks to all who imparted some advice, partcularly OI.

Thats a shame, oh well. As long as it wasnt the one you linked to before, that one has bog standard wheels, high suspension and no strut bar and has been up for sale for a very long time. What car do you think you will go for instead of an fto?

[Kingers]

It was the linked car.

I want something more fun to drive and different to what I've had in the past - if I could find a clean original MR2 turbo I'd be delighted.