Hey Guys,

Signed up a long time ago but never had to post since the search field always answered the few questions I had.

I've got a TJ Sports wagon, a rare beast I know, had it for a few years now and it's just ticked over 200K and never given me a minutes grief. I put some nice 18" black wheels on and put one of those Chinese 2 DIN GPS/BT/DVD jobbies in but apart from that totally original with a full Mitsubishi service history.

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/MarkS895/IMG_0316.jpg

My steering wheel's leather has worn through and I want to replace it and my question is are later Magna (TL-TW)/380 steering wheels a straight swap or do I have to get a TJ one?

Thanks in advance.

Nice rig - and I'm interested in the replies as my TJ Sports Wagon wheel is also coming apart at the seams - seems stupid to put the joins at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock right around where you grip the wheel....

Hey Guys,

Signed up a long time ago but never had to post since the search field always answered the few questions I had.

I've got a TJ Sports wagon, a rare beast I know, had it for a few years now and it's just ticked over 200K and never given me a minutes grief. I put some nice 18" black wheels on and put one of those Chinese 2 DIN GPS/BT/DVD jobbies in but apart from that totally original with a full Mitsubishi service history.

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/MarkS895/IMG_0316.jpg

My steering wheel's leather has worn through and I want to replace it and my question is are later Magna (TL-TW)/380 steering wheels a straight swap or do I have to get a TJ one?

Thanks in advance.

Nice.

I have the sedan version in the same colour.

Question. Just curious, are the side skirts standard? Mine are completely different.

In regards to your steering wheel, you could always pick up a ralli-art wheel (that's what I have), or have your one re-covered for only 2 or 4 hundred I believe. Just a thought...

TL/TW are a straight swap I believe. 380 are not. Airbag or no-airbag doesn't matter as you reuse your original centre piece.

If you are patient you should be able to find a Ralliart wheel in good condition. There's plenty floating about after the Mitsubishi factory cleaned out its parts bin when it closed down.

Nice.

I have the sedan version in the same colour.

Question. Just curious, are the side skirts standard? Mine are completely different.

In regards to your steering wheel, you could always pick up a ralli-art wheel (that's what I have), or have your one re-covered for only 2 or 4 hundred I believe. Just a thought...

Yes, side skirts are standard, I think the wagon version of the Sports got some special treatment because there was no VR-X wagon hence the skirts and the front spoiler, rear roof spoiler etc in addition to the upgraded engine package. That's my understanding anyway.

Thanks guys for the info on the steering wheel, don't think I want to drop $400 on a retrim, I'll keep an eye open for a good second hand leather one from TJ/TL/TW now I know they all fit. I put one of those steering wheel covers on it because the wear marks/holes were giving me a rash on my hands! But the wheel feels too thick with the cover on so the sooner the better and because its my daily driver/work car for my business, it's getting real annoying!

My Weekender
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/MarkS895/DSC_0141_zpsc568e438.jpg

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/MarkS895/DSC_0193.jpg

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/MarkS895/DSC_0174.jpg

1995 BMW 540i LE, Supercharged 4.0 V8/6 speed, Brembo 6 pots, Bilstein HDs, E39 M5 Clutch, 18" wheels (my Magna wheels are a rip off of these!) 306Kw at the wheels 0-100 4.8 seconds

Not showing off or anything... :cool:

According to the press releases at the time the Sports Wagon Body kit was unique to the wagon but as they are all bolt on pieces that might not be correct as Mitsubishi could easily have mixed and matched anything as I think the sedan and wagon have the same dimensions up until the rear wheels?

P.S. Kniggit my weekend car is also a bonnet drooper (aka hinged at the front) has 2x the magna's cylinder count....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bb61266/3621063141/in/set-72157619675995238

The daily driver was quite a find: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bb61266/12302804726/in/set-72157640493717033

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103671

My steering wheel's leather has worn through and I want to replace it and my question is are later Magna (TL-TW)/380 steering wheels a straight swap or do I have to get a TJ one?
If you don't mind the thickening of the rim, I've been very happy with a WheelSkin (https://www.wheelskins.com/) cover bought via Ebay.

According to the press releases at the time the Sports Wagon Body kit was unique to the wagon but as they are all bolt on pieces that might not be correct as Mitsubishi could easily have mixed and matched anything as I think the sedan and wagon have the same dimensions up until the rear wheels?

P.S. Kniggit my weekend car is also a bonnet drooper (aka hinged at the front) has 2x the magna's cylinder count....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bb61266/3621063141/in/set-72157619675995238

The daily driver was quite a find: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bb61266/12302804726/in/set-72157640493717033

Yes, that was the case with the Sports wagons, as I said, no VR-X wagon so it got the unique body kit but as you say, the dimensions should be the same so would fit on a sedan in theory at least.

Yours looks great, I was glad I got a white one so didn't have to worry about clearcoat disintegration!

V12 Weekender eh? Got me guessing a Jag maybe? 850csi BMW? c'mon, out with it!

If you don't mind the thickening of the rim, I've been very happy with a WheelSkin (https://www.wheelskins.com/) cover bought via Ebay.

Yes I bought a cover for it but I have small girl hands so the thickness is annoying the bejesus out of me!

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103671

Thanks for the link, I posted a message but then I scrolled up the thread and looks like someone else already asked to buy it.

very nice wagon mate, i think the verada leather steering wheel would work as well ?????

Link to the photo didn't work for some reason but yes the weekender is a XJ-S V12 with walkinshaw hot up bits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bb61266/3621063691/in/set-72157619675995238

So far the red on my wagon is in good order - vowed I'd never have another red car as all the white dirt stick to them... But then the Jag is Black and fixes that problem.

Link to the photo didn't work for some reason but yes the weekender is a XJ-S V12 with walkinshaw hot up bits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bb61266/3621063691/in/set-72157619675995238

So far the red on my wagon is in good order - vowed I'd never have another red car as all the white dirt stick to them... But then the Jag is Black and fixes that problem.

Yep Jag was my first guess, winner winner, chicken dinner.

Given that I own/operate my own car detailing business, I've seen heaps of the clearcoat problems on the Magnas (and Mitsubishis in general) but I can't pick it as to which one will go and which one wont, there seems to be no pattern to it at all. I just tell people to keep a good coat of wax on and hope for the best!

And finally, went down to see Mal at Mits-Fix this morning and got a great second hand steering wheel off a TL, two Torx screws, three plugs and the 19mm steering column nut and 10 minutes later brand new. Took a great deal of pleasure flinging that cover I had on straight into the bin!

Thanks to all for the advice.

Well done with the new steering wheel, and yes you get the dead chook meal :-)

While I was searching for a replacement for my old TH, I was amazed how BAD newer Magna paint was I looked at some cars 5-6 years newer than my 2001 purchase that the clear coat was destroyed, and it seemed really bad on the last TW? version - not sure if Mitsi had cut back the paint quality or I just found the duds?

Unfortunately my 29 year old Jag clear coat is going so I'm keeping the Kitten Wash and Wax up to the magna while I save for the Jag Respray.

It seems I'm drawn to bad oil seals - Jaguar - yeah well they rust without the built in oil leaks, and Magnas - I think the cam seal and rocker cover gaskets are up to Jag spec..... Drip Drip....

Well done with the new steering wheel, and yes you get the dead chook meal :-)

While I was searching for a replacement for my old TH, I was amazed how BAD newer Magna paint was I looked at some cars 5-6 years newer than my 2001 purchase that the clear coat was destroyed, and it seemed really bad on the last TW? version - not sure if Mitsi had cut back the paint quality or I just found the duds?

Unfortunately my 29 year old Jag clear coat is going so I'm keeping the Kitten Wash and Wax up to the magna while I save for the Jag Respray.

It seems I'm drawn to bad oil seals - Jaguar - yeah well they rust without the built in oil leaks, and Magnas - I think the cam seal and rocker cover gaskets are up to Jag spec..... Drip Drip....

We have a saying in the BMW club "If you can't afford a new BMW, you can't afford a used one" I expect the same is true of Jags!

As far as the clearcoat goes, I would be 99.9% certain that if your clear is in good nick at the moment then maintaining with a good quality Carnauba wax will keep it that way.

A good mainstream product is the AmorAll Carnauba Wax & Polish, it gives a good hand finish but an even better one with a DO buffer, which anyone can use (dual orbital as opposed to rotary which pros like me use), the tighter you keep the grain on the clear coat, the more resistant it is to pollutants that will eventually cause degradation and a machine polish will give much better results in this regard than a hand finish.

Free tip of the day! Cheers

We have a saying in the BMW club "If you can't afford a new BMW, you can't afford a used one" I expect the same is true of Jags!

As far as the clearcoat goes, I would be 99.9% certain that if your clear is in good nick at the moment then maintaining with a good quality Carnauba wax will keep it that way.


Free tip of the day! Cheers

MMmm I think if you can afford a new Jag you have too much money.... But 2nd hand ones are dirt cheap as they don't hold their value like the German cars, and Antiques like my car - well If you can't fix it yourself - you can't afford one!

Thanks for the tip on the wax - I have always kept the polish up to my cars (mainly Meguires as I found it easiest to apply and still claimed Carnauba wax) but I bought a cheap supercrap random motion polisher a few months ago - will try the Amorall product as a test and see how it goes.

We have a saying in the BMW club "If you can't afford a new BMW, you can't afford a used one" I expect the same is true of Jags!

As far as the clearcoat goes, I would be 99.9% certain that if your clear is in good nick at the moment then maintaining with a good quality Carnauba wax will keep it that way.


Free tip of the day! Cheers

MMmm I think if you can afford a new Jag you have too much money.... But 2nd hand ones are dirt cheap as they don't hold their value like the German cars, and Antiques like my car - well If you can't fix it yourself - you can't afford one!

Thanks for the tip on the wax - I have always kept the polish up to my cars (mainly Meguires as I found it easiest to apply and still claimed Carnauba wax) but I bought a cheap supercrap random motion polisher a few months ago - will try the Amorall product as a test and see how it goes.