Can someone find information on a specific tuned Mitsubishi Sigma for me?

[G.T]

I know it might be impossible, but it'll be interesting to see if anyone can get some information on it for me as I couldn't find any myself. All of the information I'll be giving below if from my Dad and from a friend. It happened many years ago, so it may not be completely correct.

My Dad owned a tuned, one of a kind Mitsubishi Sigma 2.6 from the late 1970s/ early 1980s, one of the first cars to get a turbo in Australia. They both said it went like absolute stink. It was red, and Dad added orange stripes to it. The car was also in some magazine (can't remember the name), and had all of the car's specifications and performance figures in there. He did have the magazine, but he got rid of it.

Can anyone help here? Any information is appreciated.


Edit: I'm adding all extra information said in the thread here.

I have found the pictures of the car. On the back it does say Mitsubishi Sigma GLX with an added fancy "Turbo" badge and the stripes stand out more than I imagined, saying "Turbo" on the sides of the car. But as people have said, the car may have completely changed now. The numberplate is 6GO 401 if this helps in anyway as I can't get the picture up until at least tomorrow.

He bought the car for $8000. He went to a Mitsubishi dealer in the town C(K?)anningtion, Western Australia, and Dad asked for something a bit different and nippy, and the salesman drove him to the tune-up place where it was sold.

He can't remember much about the exact modifications of the car, but he knows that a Holden Diff was installed, a big exhaust and heatshield above the turbo to protect the bonnet. I'm not sure if these made it to the normal turbo though. The turbo would cut in at about 3200rpm, and made a loud whistle when it was floored (of course!).

Also, forgot to add, the car's speedometer went up to 240/280kph, and he said the needle went off the end once so he never got to tell how fast the car was going. He was told not to go that fast anyway in fear of bursting the tyres as they were just stock!


Edit2: I've come across a little something. The closest I've been so far to finding out something. A reply from PerformanceForums (cached by Google because the forums don't exist anymore).

Whats really funny is that I didnt mention the GSR turbo sigma,that was to replace the
2.0 version.
The prototype,a To4 2.6 with EFI was rumoured at the time to be producing around 340HP(remember they had the real SUPER then).
It was destroyed along with 2 engineers testing in Adelaide.The whole project was scrapped.
Its also interesting to note that a Starion holds the record for the fastest run down the old conrod straight.294K/h.

Two things wrong here. 1, he mentions that the car was to replace the 2.0 Turbo, so I doubt they were thinking about replacing the 2.0 Turbo when the car hadn't even been released to the public yet, and 2, he says it was destroyed.

Edit3:

 

[Dave A]

The name of the magazine and ideally the issue number would increase your chances ten fold.

 

[Poverty]

www.lancerregister.com

These guys could help. Best of luck.

 

[G.T]

The name of the magazine and ideally the issue number would increase your chances ten fold.

Yeah, exactly what I thought, but they can't remember at all.

@ Poverty. Thanks for the link. I think I'll have a better chance asking on Mitsubishi Forums than here.

 

[niky]

That's a Galant Sigma? I think I've read about that somewhere... I'll pore over my Aussie mags when I get home... this is interesting...

 

[Jay]

Good old sigma turbo, I remember when I was young my first experience of turbo power was seeing a Sigma snaked all the way up the road when it came on boost (guy who lived around the corner done them up).

I doubt you will ever find the magazine pictures of your dads, if you told us some more details on the car like the modifications done etc, we may have more luck as there was only 500 made, by now I expect the orange pin striping to be gone and possibly the car looks completely different.



Here is some info and pictures for anyone not familiar with them.

http://www.sigmaturbo.com/sigmaturbo_002.htm

"Sigma Turbo used the 2.0 litre, SOHC, Astron 4G52 four cylinder equipped with a completely new intake manifold and a Garrett Air Research T03 turbocharger sucking through a Zenith CD 175 carburettor."

(Standard)
116Kw's (155hp)
16.8 1/4mile
reaches just over 200kph

All Sigma turbo's were two tone like this, the one I remember that was very fast was blue/black.

That's a Galant Sigma? I think I've read about that somewhere.

Nope just a Misubishi GH Sigma Turbo

 

[G.T]

Yes, I managed to get some information off my Dad last night as we searched the 'net together. The car for sure is a 1981/'82/'83, before the limited 500 run of turbo's were made, as a prototype to see what the 2.6 engine could do. It had a special bonnet to help handle the heat generated, a big exhaust (white smoke would pour out of it) and other things like that (not sure if they're on the normal turbo though). The turbo would cut in at about 3200rpms. He can't remember the names of the parts added as he probably didn't even know in the first place. He has some pictures of it somewhere, but it might take sometime to find them. If I find them, I'll post them up ASAP.

His friend also did own a Sigma Turbo, and he says it certainly wasn't as quick as his car and the turbo was much quieter. His car's turbo would whistle quite loudly, whereas the Sigma Turbo didn't really.

Edit: He also tried to remember what workshop installed the parts for that car, but he cannot remember the name. It was somewhere in Western Australia, but I cannot remember what he said the town was.

 

[Jay]

Interesting, how did he get a pre production testing one?

a big exhaust (white smoke would pour out of it)

Haha, was it not real healthy?

 

[G.T]

Interesting, how did he get a pre production testing one?

By pure chance I think. He saw it for sale, wanted a test drive, got so shocked by the performance it was sold to him straight away. He went through 2 clutches in the first 2 days he owned it, and because it was under warranty (amazingly), they fitted a stronger clutch to the car and said to him to be more carefull in the future. He wasnt , but the clutch lasted.

He has also been 150mph in it, and he thinks the top speed is 240kph, around 150mph.

Haha, was it not real healthy?

I'm not sure, it must'nt have been if it did that every time he floored it.

 

[Jay]

By pure chance I think. He saw it for sale, wanted a test drive, got so shocked by the performance it was sold to him straight away. He went through 2 clutches in the first 2 days he owned it, and because it was under warranty (amazingly), they fitted a stronger clutch to the car and said to him to be more carefull in the future. He wasnt , but the clutch lasted.

He has also been 150mph in it, and he thinks the top speed is 240kph, around 150mph.

I'm not sure, it must'nt have been if it did that every time he floored it.

He was lucky then, usually they just crush cars like that, probably worth some money now

 

[G.T]

Ooops, I got the "by chance" bit wrong. Well, it still is lucky I suppose.

He went to a Mitsubishi dealer one day in C(K)anningtion, and asked a salesman "I want something a bit different. I want something nippy". The salesman knew the car, and drove him to the tune-up place where is was for sale. He think he bought it for $8000.

Also, the speedometer only went up to 240kph, so I didn't know how fast he was going after that. He was told not to go over that anyway because the tyres might burst as they were just stock tyres!

Plus, it was some heatshield to stop the bonnet from getting damaged by the turbo, not a special bonnet itself.

 

[Poverty]

That car sounds bad ass. Its like taking a current Evo FQ340 back in tine when people thought cars with 100hp were fast.

 

[G.T]

Well, not that it helps much, but we found the pictures. Can't post them up yet, probably be able to by tomorrow.

On the back it does say Mitsubishi Sigma GLX with an added fancy "Turbo" badge, and the orange stripes are more outstanding than I thought. It also says turbo on each side, but as people have said, the car may have completely changed.

Also, the numberplate is 6GO 401 is this helps in any way.

Edit: I've come across a little something. The closest I've been so far to finding out something. A reply from PerformanceForums (cached by Google because the forums don't exist anymore).

Whats really funny is that I didnt mention the GSR turbo sigma,that was to replace the
2.0 version.
The prototype,a To4 2.6 with EFI was rumoured at the time to be producing around 340HP(remember they had the real SUPER then).
It was destroyed along with 2 engineers testing in Adelaide.The whole project was scrapped.
Its also interesting to note that a Starion holds the record for the fastest run down the old conrod straight.294K/h.

Two things wrong here. 1, he mentions that the car was to replace the 2.0 Turbo, so I doubt they were thinking about replacing the 2.0 Turbo when the car hadn't even been released to the public yet, and 2, he says it was destroyed.

 

[niky]

Here is some info and pictures for anyone not familiar with them.

http://www.sigmaturbo.com/sigmaturbo_002.htm

"Sigma Turbo used the 2.0 litre, SOHC, Astron 4G52 four cylinder equipped with a completely new intake manifold and a Garrett Air Research T03 turbocharger sucking through a Zenith CD 175 carburettor."

(Standard)
116Kw's (155hp)
16.8 1/4mile
reaches just over 200kph

All Sigma turbo's were two tone like this, the one I remember that was very fast was blue/black.



Nope just a Misubishi GH Sigma Turbo

That's funny, must be a Mistubishi thing... they sold those bodies over here as Galant Sigmas... sort of an articulation between the Colt-Galant and the following AWD-FWD Galants.

I know a ton of guys who would ga-ga over one of those.

 

[G.T]

Ok, here are the pictures if anyone is interested.

 

[Jay]

Great, clearly has none of the Sigma turbo exterior bits on it like wheels, two-tone paint, bonnet vents. If he bought it from the dealer like that must have been their pre-production test mule.

BTW I see someone has been doing donuts in the first pic.

 

[G.T]

Haha, never noticed that before. I'm sure he never done them, otherwise he would have told me.

Now we just need to find that magazine, or anything that has specifications of that car!

 

[Poverty]

Send a letter or email mitsubishi motors UK! Im sure they would be interested about it too.

 

[Jay]

Now we just need to find that magazine, or anything that has specifications of that car!

Ever thought of contacting Skipper Mitsubishi? (got the dealer from the numberplate surround)

Skipper Mitsubishi, Hyundai & Volkswagen
49 Shepperton Rd
Victoria Park WA 6979

Phone: +618 9334 3390 Fax: +618 9334 3142
Email: paulross@skipper.com.au

You could email them to see if they have any old records.

 

[G.T]

Hmmm, good idea. I will do that.

 

[20B_4ME]

What ever happened to this story? I only stumbled upon it by accident! I've owned many Sigmas since 1998 and have lots of magazines with stock and modifyed examples. If anyone is interested in following with this story/research, please check out my website www.galant-sigma.com and also our large club forums: www.sigma-galant.com.