I am looking at TH/TJ wagons or KH Verada wagons but am not sure about the 4 speed auto but manuals are rare unfortunately so it's more than likely the 4 speed auto (invecs 2 I think it's called) which I'd end up buying.

I have a VT wagon with the 4L60e turbo 700 gearbox, they are as rough as guts but bloody tough and hard to break, but the reason I like the Magnas in one word is "Refinement".

I've heard that the TH/J 4 speed autos tend to hunt and stuff around looking for gears and hesitate when you need power etc, but when I drove one it felt fine (compared to my VN:rant: which I was driving at the time)

I don't want to spend too much as it will be a work horse 2nd car to replace the VT so a 5 speed auto is out of the question. I really like the Verada wagons and KH versions are quite cheap now:) and also quite old:doubt: But I love the luxury thing even in a work horse type vehicle and the Veradas are supremely Quiet and refined even as wagons, they are also pretty heavy from what I've heard compared to an exec or advance wagon anyway.
Thanks in advance for any info:D I did search but could not find the answers to my questions, it is my understanding that the Invecs II 4 speed is a pretty 'intelligent' gearbox and can read your driving style.

Had the 4spd since late 2005, never given me any trouble. Pretty smooth, and usually handles itself pretty well when applying a little more right foot.

It learns your driving habits too...

I have a VT wagon with the 4L60e turbo 700 gearbox, they are as rough as guts but bloody tough and hard to break, but the reason I like the Magnas in one word is "Refinement".

I know this isnt answering your question but i managed to kill 5 of these boxes in a VR V6 within 40,000 kms... lol All 3rd and 4th gear + one pump. Beaut box...

However, i have a few family members with 4 speed TJ's and they have had no issues with the box. One tows a van all the time and that transmission hasn't missed a beat. Although it was replaced at 90,000 kms (under warranty) by a previous owner and now has a cooler fitted. That car has 180,000 on the odo now and drives as well as it did when the new box was fitted. My grandfather (85 y.o) also has a TJ and if anyone is going to break it he is believe me... Redline upshifts all the time! And his has never played up! lol

My grandfather (85 y.o) also has a TJ and if anyone is going to break it he is believe me... Redline upshifts all the time! And his has never played up! lol


What is it with old people, i personally know a few who drive like that, i think they are hoons, is it because they've lost feeling in their feet? or they are deaf and can't hear the engine bounce off the limiter or blind and can't see the tacho?

Yes, All of the Above!!! Or maybe us oldies like the sound of a V6 revving out :bowrofl:

TE/TF had the main issues with autos. TH/TJ are heaps better but can still cause problems from time to time. Its mainly the 2 to 3 shift. If thats ok then the box should be fine. They are a bit touchy on oil condition. My TJ has the occasional flare going into 3rd but this is just because of old oil and im lazy.

I don't want to spend too much as it will be a work horse 2nd car to replace the VT so a 5 speed auto is out of the question. I really like the Verada wagons and KH versions are quite cheap now:) and also quite old:doubt: But I love the luxury thing even in a work horse type vehicle and the Veradas are supremely Quiet and refined even as wagons, they are also pretty heavy from what I've heard compared to an exec or advance wagon anyway.
Thanks in advance for any info:D I did search but could not find the answers to my questions, it is my understanding that the Invecs II 4 speed is a pretty 'intelligent' gearbox and can read your driving style.

My Altera hunts a little but I haven't yet done a power Flush of the fluid, that apparently can sought the hunting out. When I need her to move her **** she does so without hesitation. I add an extra 6-8psi in the tyres as well.

Disconnecting the battery for a few minutes clears the Autos memory, I've found giving the car a good thrashing after reseting the auto helps with economy for some reason. Disconnecting the battery will also mean you have to re-program the remote but thats as easy as ****e.

Disconnecting the battery will also mean you have to re-program the remote but thats as easy as ****e.

WTF crappy ebay remote do you have?

You do not have to reprogram your remote after disconnecting the battery lol

WTF crappy ebay remote do you have?

You do not have to reprogram your remote after disconnecting the battery lol
:stoopid:

in the last week alone - my battery has been disconected for one reason or another twice - never once had to reprogram the remote...

keep the oil up in the transmission - and it will look after you in return (same as any car really)
there are however friday cars / friday transmissions which will suck in general.

so yeah - change the fluid in the trans when needed / sched'd and it will be fine.
if it starts to slip / hunt a little - do a flush of it, and it *should* go away as discussed here in AMC...

I have a VT wagon with the 4L60e turbo 700 gearbox, they are as rough as guts but bloody tough and hard to break, but the reason I like the Magnas in one word is "Refinement". I've heard that the TH/J 4 speed autos tend to hunt and stuff around looking for gears and hesitate when you need power etc, but when I drove one it felt fine (compared to my VN:rant: which I was driving at the time)

If you've come from driving a Commodore then you'll have no issues with the Verada 4-speed once you get used to driving it. I went from driving a VX Calais (supercharged six, not the eight) to a KH Verada and, apart from the acceleration/kick-down being nuts in comparison to the Calais, its a much nicer car/trans to contend with. The Verada seems to have more of a sense of urgency about it and will kick-down at the slightest touch of the accelerator where as I found the Holden gearbox to be hesitant with lazy, dragging gear changes. Only downside I've noticed is that the Verada isn't quite as forgiving if you accelerate hard to make a tight gap, then back-off, at least in my car there is a moment of indecision before it settles on a gear. A minor character imperfection I'm willing to live with.

If you've come from driving a Commodore then you'll have no issues with the Verada 4-speed once you get used to driving it. I went from driving a VX Calais (supercharged six, not the eight) to a KH Verada and, apart from the acceleration/kick-down being nuts in comparison to the Calais, its a much nicer car/trans to contend with. The Verada seems to have more of a sense of urgency about it and will kick-down at the slightest touch of the accelerator where as I found the Holden gearbox to be hesitant with lazy, dragging gear changes. Only downside I've noticed is that the Verada isn't quite as forgiving if you accelerate hard to make a tight gap, then back-off, at least in my car there is a moment of indecision before it settles on a gear. A minor character imperfection I'm willing to live with.

To which I say Amen in every sense of the word. As others here have said, if you look after the box sensibly (and religiously flush the fliud till it runs clear at the specified service intervals) they last just fine. I have 176,000km on a tiptronic Sports TF with no issues.

Your post is quite topical. My KJ 4 speed tippy is currently being rebuilt after 117,000km. It had regular oil changes and was never really trashed or towed heavy trailers (occasional box trailer).

Seems mine failed because of a particular wave spring on the lower gear clutch packs which let go. It got sucked up in the oil pump and made a mess of things. No warning, slipping or anything - it just failed like that!!! It apparently is a common problem such that Mitsu have released a modified spring.

Mine will be finished today or tomorrow so will let people know how it goes. Its has been totally rebuilt with new clutches, gaskest, pump, modified spring etc and is a like a new box according to the rebuilder. Well it better be it is going to cost $1700.

Hey guys I bought one, 2001 TJ advance with factory dual fuel, smoke grey colour, drives well, has climate control etc, got it for 8K.
Has about 167,000 km's on it (country sales reps car) he has two other magnas, he just bought a TL wagon so he sold me his old one, he would have bought a 380 but needed a wagon.

It's pretty clean, a few scratches here and there and the paint on the mirrors has flaked off in areas, but I bought it as a work horse, goes well, smooth gear changes with no apparent flaring between 1-2 or 2-3rd, there is a coolant smell inside the car, apparently the heater core was recently replaced and coolant had leaked onto the carpet, there was no coolant dripping and the carpet was dry and no coolant under the car either. The seller gave me the name and number of the service manager who knows the car so I can check up on anything. It does have what appears to be a couple of oil leaks so I'll have to look at that, it's not a new car anymore but it's better than my VT by a mile and faster as well but may be not as fast initially with step off the mark response softer than the VT) but I think that's something they call refinement.....something I'm not used to, I pick it up over the weekend, it is nice being able to rev an engine to 5000 rpm and still conduct a conversation with the passenger.

P.S. It has really skinny stock wheels and looks like a grandpa's car but the numbers 17 and 8 will remedy that :D I hope 17" X 8" tyres and rims fit on these Magnas with no problems.

may be not as fast initially with step off the mark response softer than the VT) but I think that's something they call refinement.....

gotta correct u on that... generally i find mine actually takes off faster than any rwd, based on traction etc (well, this in terms of racing :redface: ), in day to day traffic it depends on where it shifts

Your post is quite topical. My KJ 4 speed tippy is currently being rebuilt after 117,000km. It had regular oil changes and was never really trashed or towed heavy trailers (occasional box trailer).


Topical indeed!

I took my TH into an auto transmission specialist a couple of years ago to get the fluid flushed, and the guy that did it said it was pretty dirty ... even went as far to insinuate that it'd never been done ... and that was at 125,000!

Here it is now pushing 180,000 and it's still going strong (no problems whatsoever) after only one more fluid change. Very occasional flare between 2 and 3 but usually that's because of the speed I'm doing.

Of course, I was touching wood while I typed this... :)

To which I say Amen in every sense of the word.

I concur.

I've had cause to drive around in a few VY Commodores - admittedly they were all hire cars, but the first one I drove had around 40k on it and felt very rough around the edges. I just put it down to the hiding most hire cars get, but the next one I had was almost new - only 2,000k's - and it felt exactly the same. Sluggish to get started (but had a bit of poke when you sunk the boot in a lot), very harsh around the 3k RPM mark, and extremely reluctant to downshift. Bleh.

it is nice being able to rev an engine to 5000 rpm and still conduct a conversation with the passenger.


have you driven one with LPG installed?
cant rev it VT past about 3ooorpm and try to hold a conversation - it drops back 2cogs, and SCREAMS its tits off like no tomorrow!
when trying to accelerate, its now known that when the foot goes down to overtake a slow camry that conversation must stop. hehe

they make a LOT of noise the VT's but dont seem to be going anywhere fast... its strange.

put put your foot down like you would in the VT in a maggy, and she will be off and reaching for the horizon at an increasing pace!

(the only holdens i like, are VZ Calais - they are nice, but still wear a holden badge!)

(the only holdens i like, are VZ Calais - they are nice, but still wear a holden badge!)

:bowrofl:

[QUOTE=doddski]have you driven one with LPG installed?
cant rev it VT past about 3ooorpm and try to hold a conversation - it drops back 2cogs, and SCREAMS its tits off like no tomorrow!
when trying to accelerate, its now known that when the foot goes down to overtake a slow camry that conversation must stop. hehe

they make a LOT of noise the VT's but dont seem to be going anywhere fast... its strange.

put put your foot down like you would in the VT in a maggy, and she will be off and reaching for the horizon at an increasing pace!

(the only holdens i like, are VZ Calais - they are nice, but still wear a holden badge!)[/QUOT

Now that I've driven the Magna for a few days it is way ahead of the VT no matter what you are doing, off the mark, rolling acceleration is so superior in the Magna and with so little fuss that it embarrasses the VT, the rolling refinement along with the way the engine and trans compliment each other is sensational, the last car that I owned which left a smile on my face like this was my R31 Nissan skyline over 10 years ago:D But the Magna is way superior to that to:bowrofl: I think this Magna would still beat the VT running on LPG even if the VT was running on petrol pre-LPG installation.

It has Mitsubishi/Impco factory dual fuel and runs as well on LPG as petrol and even idles smoothly on LPG, it returns 15.8 L/100 on LPG which is outstanding, and 0-100 kph on LPG doesn't feel any softer than on petrol, as far as power goes I now have a new feeling of confidence which I have not had since the Skyline.

I have a few questions about my car so I will open a new thread for that, I think it is a series "1.5" Advance model with climate air and front map lights elec aerial but no tippy, no digital odometer but according to the 2002 brochure I have it may have the 155 kw 316nm engine but I'm not sure, build date is Sept 2001) but the owners book says 150 kw 300 nm engine but it may just be the earlier engine but it is fantastic anyway, Mitsubishi magna Gen 3 Australia's best kept secret....under rated:D

3rd gen magnas... converting falcadore owners since 1996 :bowrofl:

I think it might have the 155 kw 316nm engine, wishful thinking maybe but it is a Sept 01 build and I've heard that from sept onwards they used the series 2 engines my Vin is 6MMTJ8A461T0***** but I'll start another thread on that and have searched and certain comments suggest it may have the series 2 engine:D hell I hope so.