Help

[Helen]

Hey guys,
I'm going looking at an FTO that is for sale in th auto trader , needs some pointers so that i can see if she is a good car, seeing her about 3 so i would appreciate any help at all. she has just got th NCT on monday so that is a good thing i suppose.
thanks

[kevinod]

Hey Helen,

NCT coming up on it soon is excellent, they'd pick up on a lot of problems it may have, including droplinks gone which is a common FTO fault. Fixable and not that expensive but it rattles a lot if they're gone.

Obviously watch for the same as any other used car, indications of a crash - check the gaps between wheels and mudflap is the same on both sides, gaps between the wings and doors are the same all the way up and down. Check the colour of the paint on the various panels match.

Check the electrics are all working, put the windows down and up again and watch for any 'stuttering'. Fixable but would at least give you some negotiation leverage. Check for a service history and when the cambelt/etc. were changed last, when the last oil change was done.

The droplinks are the main FTO specific thing I can think of... If its a tiptronic make sure the gear changes are nice and smooth or the gearbox might not be in the best nick. Check when the gearbox oil was changed last, should be done regularly enough every so often.

All I can think of right now, hope that helps!

Let us know how you get on.
Kev.

[Helen]

sorry i phrased that wrong, it passed the NCT last Monday so i presume the car is sound

[kevinod]

sorry i phrased that wrong, it passed the NCT last Monday so i presume the car is sound

My bad, misread it. How did the car look?

[Helen]

Car looked Good. on or two little things need doing & def needs a t-cut but other wise she is in great condition, it tip-tronic so thats going to take a bit of getting used to but i will manager it. needs new alloys also, the ones that are on it are looking a bit scraped and i think one is slightly buckled. hope fully going to collect her on friday so hopefully can sell my 206 this week. if ye know anyone that wants a 206 of a nissan 100 NX let me know.

[CJ]

Whats the model Helen, year, price etc?

CJ

[Myfeckin FTO]

Welcome Helen,
Nice to see another West of Ireland head on the forum.
Now all you need to do is get to the Tynagh Kart Meet on 2nd April (near Galway) to show off your FTO and meet the crew.

Did you buy the black FTO that was for sale in Sligo?

[Helen]

its a black 1.8 Gr. I honestly dont know to much about the car itself so im hoping ye are going to teach me.
Its '95 and cost 6,500 got him down to 6K, he will tax it for 3 months for me and a full tank of petrol so i thought that was a fair deal. cant insure it till may so the meeting on 2nd april is a def no no . Its going to kill me trying to hide her for 5 weeks but at least it will give me time to get her looking her best. Do i have to ask anyone if i can put this wedsite address on as my viser?

[CJ]

its a black 1.8 Gr

You mean a GS Helen?

Its '95 and cost 6,500 got him down to 6K, he will tax it for 3 months for me and a full tank of petrol so i thought that was a fair deal

Assuming its in good condition and theres very little work to be done to it then thats not an excessive price.

Do i have to ask anyone if i can put this wedsite address on as my viser?

Not at all, while you're at it, make sure to keep some flyers in your glove box as well!

CJ

[Helen]

He has it in the autotrader as a GR so thats what i was going by. ya it is good condition all thats wrong with it is 1. a little scrape beside the FTO sign on the back. 2. on the drivers door handle someone tride to brake in to it and used a screw driver so it was marked and a really bad job done to fix it. i think just black paint put on to cover it and the bumper on one side is a tiny bit off line but thats just a matters of taking it off and putting it on properly. he did not know if it was hit before him. bar that everyting is sound, itside has all crome dials which i line and there is a aerial of a T.V all wired up so now all i need to do is pop to argos and but a set of screens. thats all i could find wrong with her, the fact that she has a 2 year NCT on it is why i def could not let it go

[Mustang]

CJ wrote

You mean a GS Helen?

Helen wrote

He has it in the autotrader as a GR so thats what i was going by

I too saw this one in the autotrader described as a 1.8GR, and I was a bit wary! FYI Helen the FTO model lettering describes the engine (as opposed to the trim level, as is the case with some other cars).
Therefore
GS = 1.8L
GR/GX = 2L
GP/GPX/GPvR = 2L mivec
There is no such thing as a 1.8 GR. So perhaps the seller is just a bit confused. If there is a GR badge on the bootlid. Then either
One of the previous owners was trying to make the car look like something it's not (unlikely IMO).
Or
The boot lid was replaced at some stage with a secondhand one from a GR.

Helen wrote

cant insure it till may so the meeting on 2nd april is a def no no . Its going to kill me trying to hide her for 5 weeks but at least it will give me time to get her looking her best.

I too had to park up my car for a few weeks when I bought it, while waiting to get insurance. Really frustrating, as I actually sold my old car in the meantime. But well worth the wait. Who are you getting cover with?
Anyway best of luck with the car and welcome to the exclusive club

Mustang

[Helen]

oh right, well when i asked him this morning was it a GR or a GS he said it was a GR and the only other type was a mivec so i dont think he really knew so maybe he has just made a mistake with the letters . i did not look if there was a badge on it.
Frustrating is not the word, how can you hide a FTO for so long, so what do ye think i would need to do with her to have her looking sexy

[Mustang]

Helen,
If the car is a 1.8 then it's a GS. Just be sure you are clear when speaking to the insurance company. If you are lucky enough to be able to get cover with an insurance company that differentiates between models. The last thing you want is to be paying a higher premium for a 2L GR (and then, in the event of an accident, find that your insurance is invalid because you had given them the wrong model! ).

Mustang

[Dave]

anyone got pictures of the two engine blocks? easy enough comparison then.

[Helen]

Stupid Question i Know but what is an engine block and i am ment to compare the pictures if anyone has them. i really have got alot to learn dont i

[Dave]

it's just the actual engine itself, there's a massive difference between the two so basically once someone posts a decent pic of both you'll be able to tell straight away once you lift the bonnet if it's a GR or a GS.

[Dave]

GS 1.8



GR 2.0 V6

[Helen]

okay thanks for that. i wont have the car till thrusday so i can have a look then, that will give ye plenty of time to find pictures.

[CJ]

anyone got pictures of the two engine blocks? easy enough comparison then.

Buying Guide!

CJ

[pergau]

Stick with it Helen, you'll find all the answers that you need (and some that you don't) on this site.

My advice is to get the car serviced by a mechanic that knows FTOs - someone here will be able to recommend a mechanic in your neck of the woods. The big thing is to see if the timing belt has been replaced and if the gearbox oil has been replaced. after that there's not much that will go wrong with them.

Apart from the stepper motor (automatic choke) which is simple to fix and the dreaded orange engine warning light (it's only the windscreen wash bottle empty warning light but it will scare the bejasus out of you the first time you see it)