Kia Sportage gen 1 parts

[john cooper]

Hi all,

It's me again. Dad bought a small SUV, bought it sight unseen 🤭(Paid 50k deposit)

Why did we buy it sight unseen?

- Dad felt the owner was genuine, and the price was reasonable for a 2nd owner (2 brothers owned since new) verified in the book by the same surname.

- All the repair bills included, and a full engine rebuild, not long ago

- It's a part time 4WD, diesel, imported new

- For the sake of English numbers - Early English numbers

I think the main reason is that his car has no repairs and he missed his time spent at the garage. lol

The vehicle is 400+ K's away from the house in Colombo, and Dad and my Mother booked to take the overnight bus where the vehicle is located, and arranged things with the current owner.

I haven't received the latest pictures of the vehicle yet, but Dad has, and he said he had done a video call, and he said nothing was broken or cracked, but he will find something once he has the vehicle. I am sure he is starting to hassle me to find them for him. 🤣So here I am preparing for the worst.

Where can I find the interior and exterior parts for these vehicles in Sri Lanka?

Thank you everyone

The photo I have included is a sample similar pickedup from the web (same colour)

[iRage]

On 7/21/2025 at 12:22 PM, john cooper said:

Hi all,

It's me again. Dad bought a small SUV, bought it sight unseen 🤭(Paid 50k deposit)

Why did we buy it sight unseen?

- Dad felt the owner was genuine, and the price was reasonable for a 2nd owner (2 brothers owned since new) verified in the book by the same surname.

- All the repair bills included, and a full engine rebuild, not long ago

- It's a part time 4WD, diesel, imported new

- For the sake of English numbers - Early English numbers

I think the main reason is that his car has no repairs and he missed his time spent at the garage. lol

The vehicle is 400+ K's away from the house in Colombo, and Dad and my Mother booked to take the overnight bus where the vehicle is located, and arranged things with the current owner.

I haven't received the latest pictures of the vehicle yet, but Dad has, and he said he had done a video call, and he said nothing was broken or cracked, but he will find something once he has the vehicle. I am sure he is starting to hassle me to find them for him. 🤣So here I am preparing for the worst.

Where can I find the interior and exterior parts for these vehicles in Sri Lanka?

Thank you everyone

The photo I have included is a sample similar pickedup from the web (same colour)

Interesting pick...So its an actual Grand Sportage ? I didn't know we had Grand Sportages in SL. Some knobs and stuff were shared with Mazda and Ford so you might be able to find replacements for those from these brands but other than that things might be a bit hard to come by.

[john cooper]

22 hours ago, iRage said:

Interesting pick...So its an actual Grand Sportage ? I didn't know we had Grand Sportages in SL. Some knobs and stuff were shared with Mazda and Ford so you might be able to find replacements for those from these brands but other than that things might be a bit hard to come by.

It is the Grand Sportage, seems like they were on sale in SL during 2000 and 2001, as New vehicles.
The engine and trans, axel's they're all Mazda Bongo parts, diffs are off from Bongo 4WD

A few FB groups suggested not to mention the parts are off from Sportage, the shop guys wouldn't bother looking, but to mention as Mazda and the parts are there.

 

Do you guys know who the Kia dealer was back then?

[iRage]

On 7/25/2025 at 11:28 AM, john cooper said:

Do you guys know who the Kia dealer was back then

I believe it was Carplan...relatively unknown back then (not that they are that known now).

[john cooper]

My parents took an overnight bus from Colombo to Ampara to pick up the Sportage.

Although it was a sight-unseen purchase, Dad was pleasantly surprised. He said the vehicle matched the description given over the phone and was pleased to receive the full service history file, something he hadn’t expected.

They’re currently in transit, with an overnight stop in Mahiyanganaya. From there, they’ll continue the journey either via Kandy or Polonnaruwa, depending on the weather conditions.

Here’s the actual vehicle:

 

Known Issues After Driving 100+ KM

• The speedometer reads higher than the actual speed.

• The RPM gauge is non-functional.

• No traditional radio is installed, there's a USB media unit with a screen. Dad’s a bit old school, so he wasn’t quite sure how to use it. Let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled about having to listen to Mum the whole way home 😄

• The rear wiper is disconnected and is missing both the wiper arm and the motor.

• The front seat belt buckle needs replacement.

Dad said it drives well for a 25-year-old vehicle. The brakes, suspension, and steering components have all been repaired or replaced, and he commented that everything feels tight and responsive.
The 4WD system works fine, including the low range.

The only real mystery is the inaccurate speedometer. I’m not sure what’s causing it.
The running gears are Mazda, so not sure if the Mazda Transmission has a cable to the speedo or a sensor to the speedo, or if the fault is with the cluster unit?

 

Edited July 28 by john cooper