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By
EWAN KENNEDY
28 November 2005
The Sigma is
a Japanese Mitsubishi design, but many of its components were built in
this country, some being modified from the original components to
toughen them for local conditions. This toughness has held them in good
stead and, though Sigmas are getting on in years, they continue to hold
a strong place in the Australian used-car market.
Despite the passage of time, there are still plenty to choose from as
Sigmas were generally the number one four-cylinder car on our local
market, often outsold only by Commodores and Falcons. Naturally, with a
car of this age there's a big variation in condition, though many of
those that are still on the road are the good ones as the mistreated
models have long since gone to that big caryard in the sky.
Though the Sigma was nominally replaced by the Magna in April 1985, it
continued on the new-car market alongside its big brother until the end
of 1987. Indeed, some old stock was sold new in the early weeks of 1988,
these are plated as ’87 models but are often sold as being ‘88s. The
last of the Sigma series were comparatively basic models aimed mainly at
business fleets, so many will have had a tough life in their early
years. Chances are they’ve been looked after well since then, though.
Bodies are four-door sedan and five-door station wagon. Being targeted
at the business market, the roofline of the GN station wagon was raised
for extra interior space.
Engines range from 1.6 litres, through 1.85 litres and 2.0 litres, to
2.6 litres. Some of the last Sigmas actually had Magna 2.6 engines,
though Mitsubishi kept that fact quiet at the time.
A 2.0-litre turbo was sold at one stage, but never achieved real
popularity. These could be overdue for expensive repairs by now and
insurance companies may take exception to them.
The three largest Sigma engines were fitted with balance shafts, which
made them exceptionally smooth. When used in the upmarket versions of
the Sigma, which have additional soundproofing, they give a refined feel
that wasn’t normal in cars of this size at the time.
Four and five-speed manual gearboxes are available on all but the base
models, which only had a four-speed. The five-speed is a better bet as
its bigger spread makes it a better country cruiser. A three-speed
automatic transmission was offered as an option on all but the
lowest-cost Sigmas.
A sporty Sigma GSR was sold between 1982 and 1985. Strangely, it used
the 2.0-litre motor in its early days, not the 2.6-litre. So it isn’t
as quick as the non-sporty 2.6 models.
Spare parts are on the scarce side in some areas, though Mitsubishi
dealers will still have quite a few bits in stock. There are plenty of
parts recyclers (wreckers) out there who still have pretty well
everything for the car. Try looking for specialists in either Mitsubishi
bits, or Japanese cars in general.
Insurance is likely to be in the lower end of the scale for most buyers.
If you’re young and/or inexperienced it pays to shop around as some
companies can really slug you in your early days of driving.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
These cars are all old and will have done a lot of work so make sure
to examine them carefully, calling in an expert for the final say if
you’re not confident in your car-checking ability.
Body condition is what is likely to put a car off the road forever as
repairs can be very expensive. Sigmas weren’t as well rust proofed as
modern cars and can have real problems if they weren’t garaged
regularly.
Check for rust in the back edges of the front guards, the lower-front
corners of the rear guards, the doors about 10 centimetres up from the
bottom, the door sills and the bottom edges of the bootlid or
tailgate.
Don’t worry overmuch about the condition of the paint, unless it’s
so worn that the metal is no longer being protected by it.
Look over the condition of the interior but don’t be over fussy unless
top dollar is being asked for the car.
Engines fitted with balance shafts often have a whirring noise from the
shaft drive. This seldom leads to any real problems, but if it sounds
too loud either call in an expert or find another car.
Some Mitsubishi engines tend to have a lot of bottom-end rumble - which
may not actually mean there are problems. Listen for rattling from the
bottom of a cold engine when it is first started, and look for a smoking
exhaust. These latter two troubles indicate real problems, probably
demanding an engine rebuild.
Manual transmissions can be tested by listening for a crunching noise
when rushed changes are made down from
third to second gear. Whining noises in lower gears may also
indicate troubles.
Automatic transmissions in Sigmas are different units to the ones in
Magnas and didn’t have the problems that afflicted those. They can be
relatively expensive to repair so be sure of the condition before
handing over your cash.
Listen for a whining differential, it’s usually worst at around 70 to
80km/h with the car on a steady throttle opening.
CAR BUYING TIP
Old cars tend to be either pretty rough and ready, or in immaculate
condition having belonged to a caring owner. No marks for guessing which
to look for, but don’t pay top dollar for the good one unless it
really is something special.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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1980
Mitsubishi Scorpion |
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1982
Mitsubishi Sigma Wagon |
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1984
Mitsubishi Sigma GSR |
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