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My Mitsubishi Galant


Sierra Charlie

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Guys, this is my proper first post at Autolanka though I’ve been strolling this forum (goofing, a couple of times) for over four years now. I’ve come here almost on a daily basis since I first started researching my first car. I know the forum tries to adhere to a strict ‘non nonsense’ code and I’m sorry if I violate it in any way.

So, I’ve been researching a car to buy for more than a year now: a year because the financial situation wasn’t looking that good for that long. In hindsight, I should have just got on with it. The cars I researched were Honda Accord, Peugeot 406 and Mitsubishi Galant. Three relatively large cars because I wanted a comfy ride that looked good and performed well. Fuel economy wasn’t so high a priority because my daily running is not much.

Out of the three, the 406 had the best features and the best online support including parts. But most of the 406s’ I checked had dodgy maintenance records. I was tracking the Pelawatte Pug expert on my way to work and I could tell that he was having a hard time managing all the cars in his care. Some of the cars had been with him for two months or more. Harshan mentioned about a Pug expert up the Negombo road but the 406 looked a bit difficult for me to handle.

I was looking for a CF3 but the prices the owners quoted for their precious CF3s made my eyes water. It looked like a lost cause at that stage and not surprisingly some of the CF3s I checked aren’t sold even now, after more than 7 months.

That left me with the Mitsubishi Galant. I could see that there was some Galants imported brand new to Sri Lanka circa 2003. Some of the better specimens were actually buyable for a fair price and I found one. The body looked straight, the engine sounded right and the bottom didn’t have any yellow/brownish spots of rust, etc.

I had people telling me that a car with a 2000cc engine is a bad decision and unfortunately even my father was toting the ‘smaller-engine-better-car’ / ‘Toyota-are-the-best-cars’ placards quite high. So, even my parents didn’t know about the purchase of the Galant until I actually drove it over. I know my old man’s logic behind his beliefs and respect it. But my requirements are different.

Long story short, I’m loving the bigger engine. Let me put my car experiences into perspective. The only cars I’ve driven for more than a day straight are a Maruti Alto and a Toyota Vitz 1000CC. So the Galant is a huge leap in terms of engine and physical size.

The car and I have done some heavy journeying despite the short period of time. We went to Talawakelle via Gampola and Hatton and then some time later went to Kataragama, Udawalawe, Rakwana, Suriyakanda, (the Wangu 10 Road – Absolute pleasure to drive. Was driving before this happened.)

through Deniyaya, Ambalangoda and back to Colombo. While on the E01, I wanted to see how fast I could drive – daft and illegal I know - and hit 165 km/h. The car could do even more since it wasn’t under stress at all but I decided daftness has a limit and dialled back. Knowing that the car could do such a speed was good enough for me.

Generally, it’s a good car and going by my previous experiences, it’s a loveable car. There are a couple things I hate. The steering is quite light & has the turning radius of a battleship and the headlights are just marginally better than a proper 3-piece torch.

On my way to Gampola, I hit a dog. The dog walked away but there was a 4-inch vertical gash on the buffer along with a missing cowling. I couldn’t understand why the gash was so big until we removed it for repairs. The previous owner had hit the same spot and had gone ‘el cheapo’. The repair was done with fiber. I had the fiber removed and had the buffer repaired with what they call ‘Plastic Welding’ (Don’t know whether that’s the correct term). Total damage including the purchase of paint, was 4,200 LKR. I ended up replacing the cowlings with two original fog lights. Those cost me 15,000 LKR from Delkanda and I got them fixed at Malinga Auto Electricals (Hat tip to Komi).

Here are the issues/concerns I'm having with the car.


1. I need several suggestions on where I can buy the spare parts both engine and suspension. Finding parts for the car is one heck of a job. Currently looking for some splash guards similar to this.



2. There are a couple of rust holes of about 3-5mm diameter in rear left upper control arm. I’m getting it repaired until I can bring down a replacement from eBay. One guy quoted me 14,000 LKR for the only part I could find. Hence, the repair. Some pics here.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3

3. The A/C is stuck at a glacial temperature. The only way I can control it is via the A/C on/off switch. The rotary control for temperature doesn’t work and the previous owner had cut off the lines to the heater core. Would like to restore the whole thing to the original state.

4. Thanks to Davy and Trinity, came across the Spoiler guy in Kotte (http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/9443-side-skirts-a-spoiler-for-lancer/) and planning to task him with bringing down a proper vr4 spoiler. There is a corresponding body kit. But I’m mulling over whether it’s too much. Here are some pics of the thing.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3


5. The gap between the front tyres and the bumper is about 4 inches. Bloody hideous. Here’s a pic. The current tyres are 195/65R/14 on original alloys. Should I replace the shocks or should I get a larger set of rims, say 15” or use a combination of both?


The previous owner had used water instead of Coolant. Already followed Schiffer’s excellent thread (http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/15374-how-to-flush-and-re-fill-radiator-coolant/) on the matter.

So there you go. Looking forward to your responses, ideas and comments.

Edited by Sierra Charlie
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First of all, welcome to the forum (officially) and congratulations on your purchase. This particular model is my favourite Galant. Glad you're loving it too.

For your engine and suspension parts, the best place that I can think of for recon parts is Mahinda. Info about him has been shared on the forum many times, but here's his number: 071 476 2223. Give him a call, and tell him the model of your car and the parts that you need. He might even have a good control arm for you (if you're lucky, a bodykit too :)). If Mahinda doesn't have the mud guards, try Delkanda, Eur0nippon or US @uto P@rts. Don't forget to ask them about the bodykit.

As for your AC, I guess the only option is for you to go to a good AC workshop and get the system tested for proper operation. If the compressor does not disengage when it has to, there should be something wrong with the AC thermostat. Sometimes a simple AC service might sort out your problem.

The gap between the wheel arch and the tire does seem to be wrong. The tire look a bit small to me, is that the original tire size? (Check the info sticker on the B pillar on the driver's side).

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First of all, welcome to the forum (officially) and congratulations on your purchase. This particular model is my favourite Galant. Glad you're loving it too.

For your engine and suspension parts, the best place that I can think of for recon parts is Mahinda. Info about him has been shared on the forum many times, but here's his number: 071 476 2223. Give him a call, and tell him the model of your car and the parts that you need. He might even have a good control arm for you (if you're lucky, a bodykit too :)). If Mahinda doesn't have the mud guards, try Delkanda, Eur0nippon or US @uto P@rts. Don't forget to ask them about the bodykit.

As for your AC, I guess the only option is for you to go to a good AC workshop and get the system tested for proper operation. If the compressor does not disengage when it has to, there should be something wrong with the AC thermostat. Sometimes a simple AC service might sort out your problem.

The gap between the wheel arch and the tire does seem to be wrong. The tire look a bit small to me, is that the original tire size? (Check the info sticker on the B pillar on the driver's side).

Hey Davy, been following your numerous threads for inspiration and great to hear you love this model too.

Just called Mahinda. He doesn't have the control arm. He might have the bodykit. Will have to check with him again in Sunday morning. Checked Eur0nippon, US @uto P@rts and Yun1k0n regarding the control arm. No luck with any of them. Thanks for the number. Banged my head on the nearest pillar for not looking up with Mahinda earlier.

I'll get the AC looked over. The car had been sitting in one place for a long time before I bought it. So everything needs a proper servicing anyway.

The car came with either 15" or 14" alloys. I can't imagine why the previous owner would swap 15" alloys for 14" originals and the B pillar sticker confirms the sizes. Been ogling at the new Fortis a few of times and even those seem to have a relatively a large gap. maybe @Bracket or @E L N I N O can confirm.

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Hey Davy, been following your numerous threads for inspiration and great to hear you love this model too.

Just called Mahinda. He doesn't have the control arm. He might have the bodykit. Will have to check with him again in Sunday morning. Checked Eur0nippon, US @uto P@rts and Yun1k0n regarding the control arm. No luck with any of them. Thanks for the number. Banged my head on the nearest pillar for not looking up with Mahinda earlier.

I'll get the AC looked over. The car had been sitting in one place for a long time before I bought it. So everything needs a proper servicing anyway.

The car came with either 15" or 14" alloys. I can't imagine why the previous owner would swap 15" alloys for 14" originals and the B pillar sticker confirms the sizes. Been ogling at the new Fortis a few of times and even those seem to have a relatively a large gap. maybe @Bracket or @E L N I N O can confirm.

Welcome to the forum.

I have English version of catalog (not owners manual) and will post ASAP. Hope you can get some idea on original wheel designs and sizes. (How I missed that beautiful catalog in my catalog thread? :speechless-smiley-004: )

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The crazy, heart-before-head psycho thing that I would definitely not recommend to do is to drop it. With a coilover kit! If you're replacing your control arms you can then get ones with adjustable camber.

And raise and lower that girl as and when you like! The ride will be harsher. Your wife/girl will complain more. It'll cost around 100,000.

So definitely NOT the sensible thing to do! My god!

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The crazy, heart-before-head psycho thing that I would definitely not recommend to do is to drop it. With a coilover kit! If you're replacing your control arms you can then get ones with adjustable camber.

And raise and lower that girl as and when you like! The ride will be harsher. Your wife/girl will complain more. It'll cost around 100,000.

So definitely NOT the sensible thing to do! My god!

:sport-smiley-004: I know and my God, the number of sleepless nights I spent on researching the thing. See, Komi if I go for coilovers - which I would love to do at a certain point - I might as well go the whole nine yards. Currently what's under the bonnet is a 4G63 SOHC. A more powerful option would be to swap a DOHC header with some modifications or Swap a 4G63T which is quite over the top. I dunno how that would work on a Front wheel drive though. But a innocent looking, ass-kicking sleeper sounds like real good fun in my head.

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Welcome to the forum.

I have English version of catalog (not owners manual) and will post ASAP. Hope you can get some idea on original wheel designs and sizes. (How I missed that beautiful catalog in my catalog thread? :speechless-smiley-004: )

Thanks Sampath. Really appreciate it. I would love to go for the red/grey interior which I think was offered on VR2500.

Any idea on original accessories for the Galant? My research is quite hampered by not knowing Japanese. The US model is quite different to the global model which I have. JDMs seem to have a lot more accessories. Remember seeing some distinct centre consoles on a Japanese site. Google Translate wasn't much help to understand what it was all about.

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Still got the links ?

I'm sorry iRage. Wasn't bothered to save them up because it was before I bought the car. Gonna grab myself a beer and go to town one of these days. Will ping you as soon as I come across some. By the way, any suggestions on where I can start? I looked over this and this for parts and any accessories I could find. Not much luck.

Problem with Amayama is either I need to have a parts catalogue or need to know parts numbers. I can't figure out how to use EPC-Data website. :sad-smiley-067:

Edited by Sierra Charlie
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I'm sorry iRage. Wasn't bothered to save them up because it was before I bought the car. Gonna grab myself a beer and go to town one of these days. Will ping you as soon as I come across some. By the way, any suggestions on where I can start? I looked over this and this for parts and any accessories I could find. Not much luck.

Problem with Amayama is either I need to have a parts catalogue or need to know parts numbers. I can't figure out how to use EPC-Data website. :sad-smiley-067:

Try this site. I have already selected Mitsubishi Galant for you, just select the type & model number and you are good to go.

https://partsouq.com/en/catalog/mitsubishi/region?catalog=GE

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Oh..you were talking about actual parts....I was referring to you talking about accessories that were available for the car. If you had the accessories catalog or something I could have read what some of those items were.

The Japanese page I am looking at here gives a bit more detail than your link but even then it just tells if certain basic features were standard or not.

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Congratulations on your purchase! And welcome to the fratenity of Mitsubishi fans, which funnily enough seem to outnumber Honda fans in autolanka at the moment :)

Your car is not that old, so sourcing parts should not be too difficult. The VR4 was also sold in other markets and ebay (UK) etc have parts listed from time to time. Work on a priority basis and don't get carried away, because nothing comes cheap anymore.

I have the same issue with my own AC. The issue is somebody would have fixed a big nice condenser in front and cut out the heating loop, which makes regulating the AC very difficult. The thermostat might also be broken, or disconnected. Get somebody to put the system back to its original state.

As for things like splash guards, try to see if you can get it repaired, because these bits are functional rather than cosmetic, so the repair does not need to be pretty.

For body kits, in SL don't bother with front lips, side skirts etc, because at some point in your life they will have to be left by the road side thanks to the enormous pot holes which are plentiful. A nice spoiler should suffice.

In terms of engine, I don't think there is any point swapping it out, because the 2000cc unit has plenty of torque. The other reason is these engines are a little rare and the more exotic variants like the 4G63T probably cost half the value of the car. And giving too much power to a front wheel drive car will just give you crazy torque steer.

I can't see the pics, but you can probably safely upgrade to 15 inch rims and still maintain a degree of comfort. But note that this again is not a priority because the benefits are mostly cosmetic and you will sacrifice a bit of comfort in the process as you would need to go for lower profile tyres.

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Congratulations on your purchase! And welcome to the fratenity of Mitsubishi fans, which funnily enough seem to outnumber Honda fans in autolanka at the moment :)

Your car is not that old, so sourcing parts should not be too difficult. The VR4 was also sold in other markets and ebay (UK) etc have parts listed from time to time. Work on a priority basis and don't get carried away, because nothing comes cheap anymore.

I have the same issue with my own AC. The issue is somebody would have fixed a big nice condenser in front and cut out the heating loop, which makes regulating the AC very difficult. The thermostat might also be broken, or disconnected. Get somebody to put the system back to its original state.

As for things like splash guards, try to see if you can get it repaired, because these bits are functional rather than cosmetic, so the repair does not need to be pretty.

For body kits, in SL don't bother with front lips, side skirts etc, because at some point in your life they will have to be left by the road side thanks to the enormous pot holes which are plentiful. A nice spoiler should suffice.

In terms of engine, I don't think there is any point swapping it out, because the 2000cc unit has plenty of torque. The other reason is these engines are a little rare and the more exotic variants like the 4G63T probably cost half the value of the car. And giving too much power to a front wheel drive car will just give you crazy torque steer.

I can't see the pics, but you can probably safely upgrade to 15 inch rims and still maintain a degree of comfort. But note that this again is not a priority because the benefits are mostly cosmetic and you will sacrifice a bit of comfort in the process as you would need to go for lower profile tyres.

Amen to that!

About the comment on the lip kits and side skirts, me personal experience is that there is no issue at all. But my car has good ground clearance. Its not the pot holes that I find irritating but making a steep climb from a flat road or reversing to such a place cuz it increases the chances of scraping the ground..

About the AC thing, OP where are you located?

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Oh..you were talking about actual parts....I was referring to you talking about accessories that were available for the car. If you had the accessories catalog or something I could have read what some of those items were.

The Japanese page I am looking at here gives a bit more detail than your link but even then it just tells if certain basic features were standard or not.

Thanks iRage. Was talking about actual parts as well as accessories. I couldn't get hold of either of the catalogues. But then @trinity shared the link on partsouq. Been going through it like a kid in a candy shop. I'm still looking for the accessory catalogue. Will see how that would pan out.

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Amen to that!

About the comment on the lip kits and side skirts, me personal experience is that there is no issue at all. But my car has good ground clearance. Its not the pot holes that I find irritating but making a steep climb from a flat road or reversing to such a place cuz it increases the chances of scraping the ground..

About the AC thing, OP where are you located?

I'm in Colombo with frequent travels to Kandy. +1on the steep climbs. Pot holes and speed bumps are fine. You can somehow navigate.

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Congratulations on your purchase! And welcome to the fratenity of Mitsubishi fans, which funnily enough seem to outnumber Honda fans in autolanka at the moment :)

Your car is not that old, so sourcing parts should not be too difficult. The VR4 was also sold in other markets and ebay (UK) etc have parts listed from time to time. Work on a priority basis and don't get carried away, because nothing comes cheap anymore.

I have the same issue with my own AC. The issue is somebody would have fixed a big nice condenser in front and cut out the heating loop, which makes regulating the AC very difficult. The thermostat might also be broken, or disconnected. Get somebody to put the system back to its original state.

As for things like splash guards, try to see if you can get it repaired, because these bits are functional rather than cosmetic, so the repair does not need to be pretty.

For body kits, in SL don't bother with front lips, side skirts etc, because at some point in your life they will have to be left by the road side thanks to the enormous pot holes which are plentiful. A nice spoiler should suffice.

In terms of engine, I don't think there is any point swapping it out, because the 2000cc unit has plenty of torque. The other reason is these engines are a little rare and the more exotic variants like the 4G63T probably cost half the value of the car. And giving too much power to a front wheel drive car will just give you crazy torque steer.

I can't see the pics, but you can probably safely upgrade to 15 inch rims and still maintain a degree of comfort. But note that this again is not a priority because the benefits are mostly cosmetic and you will sacrifice a bit of comfort in the process as you would need to go for lower profile tyres.

Hi Don, was toying with the idea of DOHC swap or an outrageous Turbo upgrade but it's too much hassle/cost and it's not as if I'm going to use this as a track car. One fine day maybe.

The problem with the fender-tyre gap is it's actually quite large. I can easily fit my hand vertically and wiggle it between the two. I might not have to go for a skinny tyre even on 15" alloys. Need to explore options on this.

As for the splash guards, yes; you're right. It's function over cosmetics. I can't get the ones I have repaired. These have several large holes and doesn't really protect the lights from any splashes.

I can't fathom why would someone molest the AC. Really annoying. It's either North pole or just hot air. In any case, need to see a good AC mechanic. It's probably the only system that I didn't look at thoroughly.

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I'm in Colombo with frequent travels to Kandy. +1on the steep climbs. Pot holes and speed bumps are fine. You can somehow navigate.

I asked cuz i'm getting my AC services done at a place in Panadura. They are very good at what they are doing and prices are also reasonable. So since you are in Colombo no point going there. Im sure there are plenty of AC repair places around Colombo who other members could recommend.

For other parts for engine and suspension, just call this number & see. 011 2 647284 Place is Wimal motors. Located in moratuwa. They always have everything you need and prices are also very reasonable. highly recommended.

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Hi Don, was toying with the idea of DOHC swap or an outrageous Turbo upgrade but it's too much hassle/cost and it's not as if I'm going to use this as a track car. One fine day maybe.

The problem with the fender-tyre gap is it's actually quite large. I can easily fit my hand vertically and wiggle it between the two. I might not have to go for a skinny tyre even on 15" alloys. Need to explore options on this.

As for the splash guards, yes; you're right. It's function over cosmetics. I can't get the ones I have repaired. These have several large holes and doesn't really protect the lights from any splashes.

I can't fathom why would someone molest the AC. Really annoying. It's either North pole or just hot air. In any case, need to see a good AC mechanic. It's probably the only system that I didn't look at thoroughly.

Remember when you upgrade to bigger rims, you need to lower the profile of the tyres to keep the diameter of the wheel the same. Its not dependent on the gap between fender end and tyre. Else you run the risk of brake failure and your spedometer being incorrect. Its possible your car was imported brand new, and Mitsubishi raised the ride height a bit to accomodate bad roads.

If they have large holes, there is a technique of bonding wire mesh over and then sealing it up with fiber glass to repair them. Its not a Sri Lankan maka bass solution but a generally accepted method of repairing broken plastic trim. You can probably get the originals via Amayama or the agent (I've found that prices can be similar) or even get it remade in fiber if you have the original in good enough shape to get a mould.

Fibre glass is not as bad you think. Its one of the most flexible compounds around, and you can even diy repair stuff with it :)

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Remember when you upgrade to bigger rims, you need to lower the profile of the tyres to keep the diameter of the wheel the same. Its not dependent on the gap between fender end and tyre. Else you run the risk of brake failure and your spedometer being incorrect. Its possible your car was imported brand new, and Mitsubishi raised the ride height a bit to accomodate bad roads.

If they have large holes, there is a technique of bonding wire mesh over and then sealing it up with fiber glass to repair them. Its not a Sri Lankan maka bass solution but a generally accepted method of repairing broken plastic trim. You can probably get the originals via Amayama or the agent (I've found that prices can be similar) or even get it remade in fiber if you have the original in good enough shape to get a mould.

Fibre glass is not as bad you think. Its one of the most flexible compounds around, and you can even diy repair stuff with it :)

Thanks Don. My garage guy found a splash guard. It's 6500 LKR and the guy suggested it's not worth the money and go down the fiberglass path. I agree too. Planning to visit some parts stores during the weekend and if I don't find anything suitable, will go ahead with the fiberglass ones. Personally I have nothing against fiberglass. But I do hate it when used excessively.

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I asked cuz i'm getting my AC services done at a place in Panadura. They are very good at what they are doing and prices are also reasonable. So since you are in Colombo no point going there. Im sure there are plenty of AC repair places around Colombo who other members could recommend.

For other parts for engine and suspension, just call this number & see. 011 2 647284 Place is Wimal motors. Located in moratuwa. They always have everything you need and prices are also very reasonable. highly recommended.

I don't mind driving the car to places off the regular map if the people are competent. I got my fender fixed at Ambalangoda, which is as off the map as you can get. A PM with contact details of the AC place is highly appreciated. :) I called Wimal Motors. planning to pay them a visit too.

Edited by Sierra Charlie
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Remember when you upgrade to bigger rims, you need to lower the profile of the tyres to keep the diameter of the wheel the same. Its not dependent on the gap between fender end and tyre. Else you run the risk of brake failure and your spedometer being incorrect. Its possible your car was imported brand new, and Mitsubishi raised the ride height a bit to accomodate bad roads.

I'm still learning the nitty gritty of how the suspensions work. Komi gave some really good advice (in a PM) and so did you. The car is a brand new import so it might just be that the ride height was raised intentionally. But anyhow, I'd rather wait till it's time to replace the tyres and in the mean time learn as much as I can about the whole suspension/lowering aspect which looks to be the correct thing to do than rushing things. I'll have questions to ask along the way. :)

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I'm still learning the nitty gritty of how the suspensions work. Komi gave some really good advice (in a PM) and so did you. The car is a brand new import so it might just be that the ride height was raised intentionally. But anyhow, I'd rather wait till it's time to replace the tyres and in the mean time learn as much as I can about the whole suspension/lowering aspect which looks to be the correct thing to do than rushing things. I'll have questions to ask along the way. :)

You can certainly lower but it might destroy the reason why you bought this car in the first place. Its a nice comfortable sedan, and lowering will probably increase handling, but it will reduce suspension travel, might need stiffer springs to keep it bottoming out and this will give a firmer ride.

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