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[Rods2]

Honest John Review

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/mitsubishi/galant-1997/?

There are also a few threads in his technical forum.

[andrew38]

I owned the legnum VR4 for 4 years, Mitsy parts prices horrendous but you don't need many. Engine is a sweet thing with a soft smooth tick over, couldn't hear it in the car. Liked the fuel though not sure for the non turbo, also much preferred full fat super 99, most Jap cars do even if de-tuned for export markets, they normally leave the high octane maps in the ECU. Cambelt service every 5 years very expensive and an all day job £700+, when doing it change the camshaft oils seals or it all has to come off again, and they are actually not that expensive and only adds an extra 30 mins to the labour. Camskill may do non VR4 parts they were my preferred supplier.

I have missed the Legnum so much I am importing a Legacy GT next year, Mitsy don't make a Galant/legnum equivalent anymore unfortunately.

Check for rust wheel arches and underbody around fuel tank, mine was 10 years old when imported and came from southern japan so had never seen snow or salt it was like new, but the Japanese tend to only lightly underseal, I had it completely sealed as soon as it was put on the road. The real killer is the front suspension struts they are double skinned so don't show corrosion until they are rotted through from the outside and showing in the engine bay, if they are heavily rusted around the shock mount run a mile as its fit only for parts.

[andrew38]

One last thing I notice its an auto. They cool through the bottom of the rad, the jackets split, 10 years is the max they will last, if the rad has not been changed in the last 5 years change it. If water gets into the box its toast in about 2 miles. The boxes have an external filter about £40.00 for a proper Mitsy, check the fluid there is a dipstick in the engine bay mine was on the right hand side, the fluid must be a nice red, the box holds about 8 ltrs and there is a drain plug so no dropping of sumps, do not use Dextron III it must be Diaqueen spec, or I think that is what it was called. I used Amsoil in mine fully synthetic, cost about £14.00 a ltr but about the best you can get. If gearbox is jerky and wont shift smoothly and those boxes are very smooth then its either old fluid burnt brown colour or the wrong fluid. I think all the radiators are the same for the 2.5 and the VR4 cost about £140.00 for a pattern part.

The VR4 had the 5 speed box all UK and export model Galants had the 4 speed auto. Only the GDi 2.4 got a 5 speed and that was only for the Japan domestic market never officially exported.

Hope my two posts help you, all the cars I have owned my Legnum was the best by far, everything worked right up to when I sold it. Every time I planted my foot I had a grin ear to ear, the 2.5 V6 would still do the same I am sure, very low end torque engine and loves to rev.