What are your thoughts on Charade Detomaso?

[Osiry]

Hey.. the guy selling me the SI Civic fell through so I took it as a sign that I am not meant to own another Honda.. After lookin around I have decided that I perhaps want a Charade Detomaso. I have found a nice 1993 one and am just wanting peoples opinions on em.

[eritate]

i dont know how they drive etc

but they seem pretty fast for a small car

Cheap on gas ?

Sporty Looking

Chicks car in my opinion

[snwtoy]

I just bought one. Bloody excellent. They handle VERY well, and the engine with it's cam tickled by mr detomaso is a gem. Standard recaro seats, nardi steering wheel and gear knob. Colour coded interior.

They are good on gas, over 260kms on 22l commuting to town and back from manukau last time I put gas in.

How much is the one you are looking at? Mine was in slightly below average condition but all there, 1994, 158000kms, $2300.

[Leon]

I liked them enough to buy one too. 1995 133,000km, $3400 I think?

They are good, for the price, but you really do feel like you're driving a "for the price" sort of a car. My AE92 feels about 100 times more rugged than the Charade. I've killed a wheel bearing in mine, and had to replace a door hinge in only a couple of months of ownership.

Revhead can also get Daihatsu parts, so that's a bonus.

Pro: really nice to drive around town as they have so much torque it isn't funny, nice looking car in a "sheep in wolf's clothing" sort of way, runs on the smell of an oily rag (14 - 15km per litre on the highway), recaro and nardi factory, reasonable handling, insanely light.

Cons: the paint on them is terrible, and prone to fading and cracking. The seats usually get holes in them. Very loud inside. Very thin panels. Very harsh motor as you go up the rev range. Serious trailing throttle oversteer, you've got to be hell fast to catch it. Trim rattles.

I was shopping with a $3 - $4k budget, and looked at all sorts of options, but ended up with the Charade because the AE92's are currently over priced, and I didn't really want to go to a Pulsar Gti 1800 with the price of petrol and their tendency to be a bit thirsty around town.



Goes really well as a clubsport use car with absolutely no modifications.

Useful links
http://www.mrtrally.com.au/performance/maga.htm
http://dairally.net/SpecG201.jpg

[snwtoy]

Also:

www.daihard.org
bbs.daihard.org

There are some guys there with a sheetload of knowledge, but they're a bit hard on n00bs. You have been warned.

[Mr Revhead]

Revhead can also get Daihatsu parts

under protest!! and i charge an arsehole tax

[Leon]

Daihatsus are apparently not manly enough, in the eyes of a man who drives an MR2

[Mr Revhead]

no, they are a PITA do look up.....

stupid dirty scratched old microfiche!

[RS13]

Daihatsu FTW!! I love mine, as ghey as that sounds.. uses feck all gas, handles superbly, p/s, e/w and all that, has to work pretty hard on the open road to keep up with traffic, but for what I paid for it, I can't complain!

[Boosted_162]

Another Detomaso owner here, and i love mine to bits. They are a nice spec from factory as above, tho i seem to find my recaro's too firm and sore for my back (i have a lower back problem) so i have a set of Jamex reclinables on the way. Mines standard bar suspension and a 2.25" exhaust, im really happy with how it goes! Its been reliable as hell, tho mines only done 86000km, i bought it from a dealer with 69000km with only regular oil and filter changes.

Only cons that ive found, i have rattles EVERYWHERE but my exhaust doesnt help, and some parts are not the greatest quality - eg my drivers door handle is cracked, and i cracked my cam cover with a 1/4" rachet

[bluemaumau]

yea i think there all good aye, cheap as chips, gtti ftw

[Leon]

AMines standard bar suspension

What suspension have you got under it? I am finding mine very soft, and was contemplating upgrades in the distant future.

[wde_bdy]

I will have to find the pics later, but you DO NOT WANT TO CRASH ONE!!!!!!!

[Boosted_162]

Mines standard bar suspension

What suspension have you got under it? I am finding mine very soft, and was contemplating upgrades in the distant future.

I have kings in the front, had dobi's in the back but they became uncaptive (weren't correct for car). Shocks i have completely f**ked factory fronts and munroes in the rear. Not happy with the setup tho.

Fully upgrading in the next few weeks. KYBs all round with Jamex springs, and combined with some new tyres on my new wheels should be good

[Leon]

I'd appreciate it if you let me know how that works out for you. I've only used Jamex once, and found them too soft. Have used Kings since, but would be interested to know how you find the Jamex for this model.

[deaf_rattle]

how much power do they put out?

[Ae92typeX]

put out ~93kw range from memory, I think. More torque then the 16v 4ages also.

Great cars, I'd own one without hesitation...if I had space for every car I wanted anyway.
My mate has jamex on hers- quite firm- more so than other jamex I have seen in some models.

[snwtoy]

put out ~93kw range from memory, I think. More torque then the 16v 4ages also.

Great cars, I'd own one without hesitation...if I had space for every car I wanted anyway.
My mate has jamex on hers- quite firm- more so than other jamex I have seen in some models.

Indeed, and they're sohc too.

[Boosted_162]

Really? I cant remember, but i thought it was similar to the 4AFE having 2 cams with 1 cam wheel? But yeah they make about 120ish hp, while only weighing over 800kg

Im hoping the jamex's will be quite firm, i cant stand bouncy. Coupled with good shocks will make sure i get the most out of them as well.

[Ae92typeX]

yep, sohc...which shows dohc dosent mean everything