A few questions

[Hadi]

Hi, I am about to buy an FTO (in Australia) and just wanting to know a few things.

I am hoping to pick up this car

http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/1 ... d6_20.jpeg

I don't know if it has airbags though. Here are a few snaps of the interior if that makes it any easier to know.
http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/1 ... 77_20.jpeg
http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/1 ... ll_20.jpeg
http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/1 ... ln_20.jpeg

also just from that last shot of the cluster is there anything that should be alerting from the warning lights?
should mention that it is a 1995 GPX.

Second question:
The centre console has some cracks:
http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/1 ... bl_20.jpeg

Is this easy to replace myself? How much will it set me back do you think, and are the parts common?

lastly: Is it fuel efficient?

Thankyou, any guidance would be much appreciated

[Sebastian]

Hi and welcome . i'll be quick
- no airbags there
- centre console could set you back 40-80 eur depends where you purchase it's a 2 min diy replacemenet job - common breaking bit
- all warning lights on ... did you just put the key in the egnition when you took the pic? if you did it's normal .
- fuel consumption ( 10-12 L / 100 km ) being a 4 speed auto

[Hadi]

Thanks for the reply.
Would I be fine just pulling one off an fto that is about to be wrecked? What year range/type would match this? eg if I pulled one off a 1997 would it fit etc. And do you know of any guides/instructions?

As for no airbags, are you able to tell just from the steering wheel. The fact it doesn't have airbags puts me off a bit, as this will be my first car. I am honestly not planning to push it above the speed limit or in a dangerous fashion (I am a little to fearful for my life for that). Is there a quick way to know if an FTO has airbags or not.

Thanks

[goz_83]

Yes you can take the part from another FTO, but they are commonly broken. I keep one spare. Becareful when removing it. It pops out easy, but is easy to break. Any year and model will fit. It's clipped into place. If the gear shift has a gaitor, its usually held underneath with 4 screws.

Yes you can tell if it has an airbag usually when looking at the steering wheel. Dash lights are also the way to make sure. When the key is turned, a yellow "srs" light would come on with the other warning lights. If you see an FTO with a bigger, uglier steering wheel from 1994 to 97 then it likely has an airbag. If it has a big mono steering wheel, it probably has one too.

[Hadi]

Ahh thankyou very much, I think it means that unfortunately I might have to end up taking a pass on this one.
Do you know if they came standard in a certain year range, absoloutly love FTOs but really wanna make sure I grab one with airbags. The ones with airbags seem hard to come by, or very expensive.

[colm_mcm]

Airbags are much more common from 1997 onwards.

[Kace]

Ahh thankyou very much, I think it means that unfortunately I might have to end up taking a pass on this one.
Do you know if they came standard in a certain year range, absoloutly love FTOs but really wanna make sure I grab one with airbags. The ones with airbags seem hard to come by, or very expensive.

No need for airbags Hadi - just don't crash it while travelling fast

[optical illusion]

In cars this old, chances are the airbag wouldn't deploy in a crash. I wouldn't let it be a deciding factor on purchase.

[goz_83]

In cars this old, chances are the airbag wouldn't deploy in a crash. I wouldn't let it be a deciding factor on purchase.

I'd definitely go for airbags over none. I didn't know they had an expiry date

Hadi, you're basically looking for facelift FTOs. If you can find one, go for a manual mivec

[Hadi]

Thankyou all, very helpful!