You'll never forget your first FTO

[Myfeckin FTO]

well i suppose i was driving an FTO since i was 19!!

Jeez - how long ago is that?

I had my first FTO 5years ago when there was very little info on FTO's around. NEVER changed the oil in that Tip box over the course of 50K miles. - Didn't really address the bushes or droplinks either.

Goes to show what a website can do for the health of your FTO!

[CJ]

I had my first FTO 5years ago when there was very little info on FTO's around.

If you were on the Smartgroups FTOlist at the time, you would have come across a small number of us who used to get together every so often. Perhaps you discovered FTOs before the Internet?

CJ

[Dave]

i drove the mother's FTO for a few years before getting my own, i joined the UK forums then but the irish one started up after that, i actually contacted JJ in the UK asking about the Irish owners... CJ stepped up and re-vamped this site and the rest is history!

[Myfeckin FTO]

Perhaps you discovered FTOs before the Internet?

CJ

I discovered FTOs when reading Car Magazines back in 93 when they started showing the new coupe that Mitsubishi were bringing out and I knew I had to have one some day even if it meant waiting a few years.
Then I saw one while working in Dublin in 97 and it made a lasting impression - it was the first time I had seen it in the flesh and back then there was nothing that could compare to those looks.

You never forget your first love.

[soc]

You never forget your first love.

I first heard about them in 1998 when a guy I knew working for barrable motors had one in the garage - heard all about the tip box and how fast it was. Then a couple of months later I parked my 205gti beside one outside tamago's in portmarnock - it had a 5" jap exhaust. I remember thinking how crap the gti looked beside the FTO and resolved that someday I really wanted one!

[Myfeckin FTO]

I first heard about them in 1998 when a guy I knew working for barrable motors had one in the garage - heard all about the tip box and how fast it was. Then a couple of months later I parked my 205gti beside one outside tamago's in portmarnock - it had a 5" jap exhaust. I remember thinking how crap the gti looked beside the FTO and resolved that someday I really wanted one!

Was this one a Steel Silver - I lived beside Barrable Motors and remember seeing a steel silver in the area on a regular basis.
Off Topic - I was also in Tamangos a few times a week at the time - its a small world.

[CJ]

Off Topic - I was also in Tamangos a few times a week at the time - its a small world.

Ah Tamangos, where the gang goes!

CJ

Note: Better split this topic

[Mustang]

I was typing while CJ was splitting this topic! So I've moved my post over!

CJ wrote
Quote:
If you were on the Smartgroups FTOlist at the time, you would have come across a small number of us who used to get together every so often. Perhaps you discovered FTOs before the Internet?


Way off topic now but, what the hell!
Back when I was in college a friend of mine went on work placement with Upright Ireland, in Dublin (the scaffolding people) and there was a guy there who used to run an FTO tip, said he knew a few other owners and they used to meet up and go for 'leisurely drives' around the Wicklow mountains. (this individual had previously owned a mazda 323 -seems like a common FTO stepping stone!)
Don't suppose you know the guy CJ? never met him myself.
Oh yes and I remember my friend telling me the guy had paid ~£17000 punts for the car.........long time since I was in college!

[Mustang]

Back on topic.
I think I first encountered the FTO when in college -late 90's.
My two lasting memories are seeing a steel sliver one on College Green and thinking how good it looked and how unusual the rear looked.

Second was a black tip tronic, bought by someone in Portlaoise. My friend worked beside a garage and had the keys of the car. It was straight in from Japan -not even registered at that stage. I remember sitting in and thinking how cool it looked -thought the tip box was a bit of a novelty too.
There was no alarm on the car and I remember thinking the guy was taking it big risk leaving it parked out in public in a notoriuos part of town!

More recently and leading up to the purchase of my own -sometime in the last two years or so -I fell in love with the car and had to have one, can't remember the exact defining moment

[CJ]

Way off topic now but, what the hell!
Back when I was in college a friend of mine went on work placement with Upright Ireland, in Dublin (the scaffolding people) and there was a guy there who used to run an FTO tip, said he knew a few other owners and they used to meet up and go for 'leisurely drives' around the Wicklow mountains. (this individual had previously owned a mazda 323 -seems like a common FTO stepping stone!)
Don't suppose you know the guy CJ? never met him myself.
Oh yes and I remember my friend telling me the guy had paid ~£17000 punts for the car.........long time since I was in college!

The guy you're talking about is called Robert Edge, he owned a 94 GPX Tip, I used to met up with himself, Kace and a few other guys when I had the GS. We used to take a few trips about the place and generally act the maggot on back roads etc. I took Robs car out on the M50 one time and couldn't believe the difference in performance in relation to the GS. He put it up for sale soon after that, and guess what, I bought it Some of you would have met Rob at the last rolling road session, he was the guy with the chipped Mondeo TDCI that would pull a donkey out of a swamp. Back then, I always admired Rob for his seeminly endless knowledge of FTOs, he still has a glint in his eye every time he see his old car, that'll be you soon Mustang

On a related note, one of the other big FTO heads back then was a guy called Kevin, Chuck now owns his GR!

CJ

[Mustang]

Doh! moved again
Too much thread swapping going on!
Small world. My mate got a lift in the car once or twice, I remember him saying he was well impressed with it as they sliced through the traffic on the Stillorgan dualer. Yea I met Rob at the one of the meets.
I must tell my mate about the car. What with Shane and MfFTO drinking in the same pub, and CJ/Robs car forming a serious part of my early FTO memories with its "infamous 200bhp 2L engine" (before CJ even owned it!)

[soc]

I first heard about them in 1998 when a guy I knew working for barrable motors had one in the garage - heard all about the tip box and how fast it was. Then a couple of months later I parked my 205gti beside one outside tamago's in portmarnock - it had a 5" jap exhaust. I remember thinking how crap the gti looked beside the FTO and resolved that someday I really wanted one!

Was this one a Steel Silver - I lived beside Barrable Motors and remember seeing a steel silver in the area on a regular basis.
Off Topic - I was also in Tamangos a few times a week at the time - its a small world.

Most definitely a small world - Living 15 only a 15 minute walk from tamangos (seapark in malahide) I used to do the Thursday night 2 for 1 drinks before 12..... and the odd Sunday as well. I had terrible trouble with Brendan because I always looked about 10 year younger than I actually was (on a sidenote I actually got asked for Id in wexford town on my stag last year - I was 30 at the time ) still he (brendan) was an awful w**ker all the same.

And yes, that FTO was a silver one - had 17's I think.

[Myfeckin FTO]

... I had terrible trouble with Brendan because I always looked about 10 year younger than I actually was ........still he (brendan) was an awful w**ker all the same.

He was some tool all right.
My mate wasn't let in cause he had a fancy set of shoes on one night that Brendan decreed were trainers - and said in his best Dublin accent " If it don't take polish its not comin' in - right!!".

[soc]

He was some tool all right.
My mate wasn't let in cause he had a fancy set of shoes on one night that Brendan decreed were trainers - and said in his best Dublin accent " If it don't take polish its not comin' in".

sounds like brendan alright.. I'd a mate who took off his runners and got some bird to carry them in for him while he walke in wearing his black socks...

[soc]

He was some tool all right.
My mate wasn't let in cause he had a fancy set of shoes on one night that Brendan decreed were trainers - and said in his best Dublin accent " If it don't take polish its not comin' in".

sounds like brendan alright.. I'd a mate who took off his runners and got some bird to carry them in for him while he walke in wearing his black socks...

and before anyone asks..... they weren't white air max runners he was wearing - the were sketchers or something along that line (practically shoes if ye ask me)

[Daz]

well i suppose i was driving an FTO since i was 19!!

Jeez - how long ago is that?

I had my first FTO 5years ago when there was very little info on FTO's around. NEVER changed the oil in that Tip box over the course of 50K miles. - Didn't really address the bushes or droplinks either.

Goes to show what a website can do for the health of your FTO!

I bought my first fto 5 years ago did no research just saw and bought. joined fto club the following week and started modding straight away, can't ever see me driving another type of car unless dream cars. (db7 vantage or 2004 mustang) first owners i spoke to on the internet (j cars-smartgroups ) were Martin while, Patt torr, Sam Newton, Dave willson, stuart "the freak" munch and richard batty. First irish owners was Rob edge then Cj and the rest as they say is history.

Daz...