Quote:
Originally Posted by NaughtyGT
Yeah. I thought a getting one of these lil' relics a little while back. I drove in one back when they were just on the market. These early 80's turbo cars were pretty light so went well. Rust would be my main concern, just as buying an early Corolla or Datsun. 70's & early 80's engines were pretty bullet proof but the cars came over on the ships rusting.....eiiiikkkk! I never liked the Mitsu engines though in general. Oil leakers it seems but the Starion always impressed me. The Cordia was a great, very under-rated performer too. Same engine if I remember? The 5 speeds were the go with early beasts.
Do the ol' girl proud & get some geegee's under the hood & drift away I say haha  |
early 80's rust - mid 80's no rust and it depended on where it was made or assembled.
Sorry for off topic
take early telstar and 626's top range 626's had the good paint as long as it was not repaired here it would not rust. all fords rusted. by mid 80's about 85-86 they made changes by late 80's Rust not an issue. the steps they jumped were massive. Plus by that time ADR's demanded THEN thicker metal. it's why a RX-7 GEN 1 door from the US or Aus spec has thicker metal - use a Jap-sepc door it's thinner. BY mid 80's we had the side intrution ADR's inline iwth the material thickness etc.
since the 1990's and when Howard lessend the ADR's to allow for the good old $14990 car to remvoe the old rust buckets - funny they became the death traps. ADRS just followed either Euro or US safety specs. Lucky our local industry has help keep some LAWS out. Like air bags in 92 but we went 95 and now by 2012 or 13 all cars must have Stability contorl.
Back on the starion. They ain't that bad for Rust. The problem with Mitsubishi motors is a bit like there electrical - don't like abuse. Ever seen a Van or Sigma or lancer if abused not blow oil? Those expres vans use the same engine as CC lancers just larger and now with EGI. sorry EFI.
But even if not abused I've seen some burn oil them - valve stems - but the rings Oh the rings on mid 80's Signa's magnas common as. Just could not take the abuse from the aussie heat. I always found Vic cars didn't burn like QLD or NSW. Bought a 93 GSR back form VIC for parts used the motor brillitant went into a coupe latter on. They just don't like oil abuse. Including putting really thin oil in them. Fools put too thin a oil into some of the magna V6's and it kils them noise and ticking.
I think from memory - as mate had one in purple back in the mid 90's he had sigma turbo bits but I remember his brakes were from another mitsubishi and they bolt on fit under his 15inch Turbo sigma wheels or similar. Maybe you could find a latter intercooled version and takes it's injection system etc. Not sure if easy to find still but might keep costs down.
Makes me want to Watch Jakie Chan and Richard Keil in Cannonball Run 2 in there Starion turbo LOL