Jalopnik: Starion

Where Do You Want To Be? In A 1986 Mitsubishi, Of Course!

Murilee Martin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Remember the Mitsubishi Cordia? The Tredia? Where are all those Cordia Turbos today? Of all the nameplates shown in this ad, only the Galant is still around 22 years later… but that spirit of the 80s will live on forever in the Mitsubishi theme song!

1987 Mitsubishi Starion

Murilee Martin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT

You have no idea, dear readers, how long I hunted- perhaps stalked is the more accurate term- this Mitsubishi. Starions are very rare these days, I wanted to shoot one in Alameda for this series, and here was this primered-out specimen living just a few blocks from my house (on the same block, in fact, as the '87 Corolla FX16 GT-S). Unfortunately, its owner clearly uses it as a daily driver, and his work hours seem to coincide exactly with the daylight hours. All fall and winter I waited, and with the onset of the longer days of spring I was finally able to catch this Starion, parked and with photography-friendly lighting (if only I could have the same success with that '76 Olds Starfire that keeps evading my camera).

What's not to like about a rear-drive machine with a big turbocharged Astron engine, Japanese build quality, and perhaps the most Eighties styling ever put into an automobile?

Depending on the model you got, the Starion's engine was good for 145 or 176 horsepower. That doesn't sound like a whole lot, but the heavier IROC Camaro of the same year managed only 215 horses out of an engine with more than twice the displacement.

This one is pretty rough (Starions tend to get hooned a bit) but it gets its owner to work every day, rain or shine. What more can you ask from a 21-year-old factory hot rod?

First 200 DOTS

PCH, 80s Japanese Muscle Edition: AE86 or Starion?

Murilee Martin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:30:00 EST

I know it's been a while since our last Choose Your Eternity matchup (in which, incidentally, the Hayubasa-powered Honda 600 just barely edged out the Duramax-powered '47 Ford, for which I apologize; the cruel overlords at ~~the salt mine~~ my tech-writing job shipped me out to New York for a 4-day weekend of PowerPoint presentations. Aaah, PowerPoint, the magical tool that makes time slow to a crawl! To unwind, we were treated to free booze each night at corporate-sponsored parties, including one with an "Eighties Prom" theme. And, as I fought my way to the bar to get another French 75 (F. Scott Fitzgerald's drink of choice while in Paris), contemplating the spectacle of a bunch of 24-year-old software geeks shakin' it to the usual Billy Idol tunes (how come 80s parties never have good 80s dance music, like George Clinton or Grandmaster Flash? And, yes, I know the answer: MTV), I tried to recall how the rear-wheel-drive Japanese factory hot rods of the era appeared to those of us who cared about cars at the time. And, of course, that was the inspiration for today's pair of PCH choices...

As we all know, it's pretty tough to find a Toyota that's really suitable for this series. They're just too reliable and the parts are too easy to find, so the Hell component is weaker than we like. Still, the mid-80s Toyota Corolla GT-S does qualify, and not just because you know that every single one has had the absolute crap beat out of it by generations of lead-footed hoons. The real reason the flames grow higher as soon as you pick up an AE86, however, is that every single component of every single car has been thoroughly molested by clueless 19-year-olds with a $19.95 set of sockets and dreams of being the Drift King of the parking lots of (insert name of suburban shopping mall here). The surprises will never stop coming, no matter how long you work on it! Such is the likely case with this '86 Corolla GT-S coupe (go here if the ad disappears), which can be had for only two grand in American dollars. The car runs, but it "has low compression in the third and fourth cylinders" (probable translation: lean condition during application of HELLA NOSSSSSS has added speed holes to pistons and/or repeated overheating has blown the head gasket). There's the telltale litany of buzzwords (JDM, HKS, carbon fiber) that indicate both hoonage and tons of drifto-centric mods applied by a series of 19-year-old owners dating back to the early 90s. But... if you could clean up the mess and add engine sap via properly-done modifications, you'd be doing the 80s right- "Loopzilla" instead of "White Wedding."

The AE86 is a pretty cool car, of course, but these days it's akin to what the '69 Camaro was to my generation: just about the only old car that every high-school kid can identify. What if you want a hot Eighties Japanese machine without having to listen to 16-year-olds tell you all about it? And you want a car that's already set up for turbocharging, because you have a (probably unfounded) belief that you'll thereby be able to stuff more boost into it? In that case, this 1988 Mitsubishi Starion (go here if the ad disappears) is the correct infernal choice for you! Actually, this car might be a Dodge Conquest, as the seller doesn't quite make the make 100% clear in the listing. What is clear, however, is that this Mitsu has had the hood and headlight panel painted "SUNBURST ORANGE, 07 CORVETTE/HHR OTHER KNOWN AS MANDARIN ORANGE METALIC IT WILL LOOK REALLY NICE ONCE FINISHED." The turquoise air dam is a nice touch, too. The car doesn't quite, you know, run at the moment, but when you "spray starter fluid into the intake it runs and idles really nice it might have a bad pump and relay or something." Yeah, a turbocharged Astron motor, with its funky injector setup- you have to figure the problem is just a relay. No sweat! Nervous Nellies might shy away from statements such as "it would be a waste to just let it go to crap with the rebuilt motor by previous guy," but everyone knows that engine rebuilds done by the "previous guy" are always up to manufacturers' specs. Don't worry about those minor details, though; you need to picture yourself behind the wheel of this Starion with a nice paint job and 450 turbocharged Astron ponies under the hood.

ENGINE SUPERNOVA POTENTIAL!

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:30:00 EDT

Every now and again we have to revisit the reasons sinking endless hours and buckets of coinstar trappings into our rides somehow worth the effort. Last week we motored down to Torrance from Montrose in the mighty Starion for some wrenching, a late cobb salad down at the Hof's Hut, and to pick up a turbo heat shield bracket that had snapped after twenty years of heat cycling. Kelly was prepping Mario's car for the trip to sin city, and Mark came over to suggest propane turbo engine swaps for the Starlet. After some more wrenching on our own Starion we're off to SEMA today. If you see a mushroom cloud on your way out to Las Vegas don't worry. The nuclear test ban treaty is still in effect. The Star of Astron has merely gone supernova, and I'll need a ride.

Workhorse Engine of the Day: Mitsubishi Astron

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:30:00 EDT

From a distant galaxy of single overhead cam engines comes the Mitsubishi Astron series. The mighty Astron began life in 1972, and is still ticking away under the hoods of everything from Mitsubishi Starions to the panoply of Chrysler K-Car variants. In the beginning, the Flying Sikh himself pummeled an Astron equipped original Lancer to numerous rally victories. Patented silent shaft technology canceled out harmonics as the engine grew in displacement from 1.8 to 2.6 liters of four pot fury. The last production car to pack the Astron was either the the 1991 Pajero or the 1990 Starion, but only if not counting the diesel version of the Astron - which motored on with turbo until 1993 amid Galants. 21 years of Astron! In sourcing a new cylinder head sans jet valves for one of the two 2.6L G54B turbo variants of the Astron in our garage we learned that the 'ol G54B aspirated on propane with propane accessories serves in many forklifts to this day. The odd marriage of Mopar, Mitsubishi, and K-Car station wagons also led to some innovative badging - as seen in the bonus pic after the jump. [Mitsubishi Astron]

Dodge D-50 Smokes the Baloneys

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EDT

The torquey 2.6L Mitsubishi G54B four-banger was installed under the hood of a great number of vehicles, including but not limited to this rusty Dodge D-50 pickup - aka Mitsubishi Mighty Max. There are enough of these engines still running in Monteros, forklifts, K-cars, Starions, and other more industrial applications that parts are still readily available. Good news in case one spins a bearing or kicks a rod while doing a burnout.

1000 Dollars Cash Back on Chrysler Conquest TSI

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Rolling in an import was easier than ever in the during the eighties thanks to your local Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealer. A Dodge Colt would have been the more economical choice, with the D-50 pickup winning in utility. We're not quite sure if the Colt Vista mini space wagon would have swept the durability contest, but we do still see them on the road. A new Chrysler Conquest TSI listed for 18,683 in 1988. The 1000 bucks cash back would have left plenty of scratch for Slayer World Sacrifice tour tickets and t-shirts, or a few shares of Mitsubishi stock.

Donut Potential!

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:00:00 EDT

The Starion in this video is essentially a Euro-spec version of Jalopnik's own Star-of-Orion/Stallion steed. Fit Bumbeck's car with a wide plate, and you're ready to rock hoonage all over the continent. But these guys? Well, they're keeping it confined to the parking lot.

Starion Bar-B-Que in Motion

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:45:00 EDT

Not so long ago we rolled down to the KDM Starion Bar-B-Que for some Carne Asada and turbo goodness. While we snapped stills, mini DV cameras spun to capture the event. One Mitchell Spacone spent hours and a toasted motherboard getting this together, splicing in some stills courtesy of the Jalopnik in the process. The ~~523~~ 539 horsepower king of the turbo and motherboard frying StarQuests is featured with motion and realistic hi-fi sound!

MOD Squad Hits Triple Diamonds in Third Year

Mike Bumbeck — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:30:00 EDT

Having been to the first annual Mitsubishi Owners Day three years ago, the sheer number of Lancer Evolutions tearing up the roads today seems almost impossible. So many EVOS appeared that the cars overflowed onto the nearby streets of MMUSA HQ. While there was some temporary grumbling that Prototype X showed up instead of the production version, there were plenty of 3000GTs, Starions, and Eclipses to keep everyone happily distracted. Stay tuned for some mini-galleries focusing in on some of the historic rides on shipped over from the museum in Japan on display at MOD. The good news is you've got another year to get that Mitsubishi 500 ready to roll.

Mitsubishi Owner's Day

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:30:00 EDT

The third annual gathering of Mitsubishis and the people that drive them will take place tomorrow, July 14th at MMUSA HQ in Cypress, California. Rumor has it that a genuine Group A Starion will be among the machines rolled out from the museum to celebrate triple-diamond racing heritage. As much as we would have liked to put our Starion back together for the show, we'll have to settle for bringing the camera instead. [Mitsubishi Owner's Day via Mitsubishi]

Luxurious Starion Burgundy

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:15:00 EDT

What the Mitsubishi Starion ever had to do with Gallo-Romans or Pinot Noir grapes we don't really know. What we do know is that the burgundy interior is low on the list of desired Starion features among those lusting after the turbo speciality sports coupe. This guy found good use for a velour burgundy interior nonetheless.

Best Use of a Burgundy Interior [kdmperformance.com]

Related:
Feel the Turbo Activated to Serve You Forever [Internal]

Starion Racing Video Music Contest, Part 2

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EDT

More eighties ~~bombast~~ music and STP helps the Starion slay an onslaught of Ford Sierras, BMW's, and even a Volvo in the second video segment of the contest. We're not sure if Andy Granatelli had anything to do with this STP race car, or what makes this second and near 20 minute video the Hot Version. Wait for it... – Mike Bumbeck

Starion Racing Video Music Contest, Part 1

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Long before editing software made it easy for even Chim-Chim to put together a video of his dancing cousins, it seems Mitsubishi assembled their own quality versions of racing videos. As far as we can determine from the eighties soundtrack, these two rolls were produced during the actual run of the Starion itself. The first person to correctly identify all songs featured in both videos will win a genuine used OEM hydraulic lifter from a 1987 Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R. This is video number one - We Are Fast. – Mike Bumbeck

PART 2; Contest Rules; 523 Horsepower Starion Bar-B-Que [Internal]

523 Horsepower Starion Bar-B-Que

Mike Bumbeck — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:00:00 EDT

The coolest thing about owning any automobile is almost instant membership in the club of the car. The less ubiquitous the machine, the more esoteric the club. In the case of the Mitsubishi Starion, aka Chrysler Conquest, a membership of peers is required just to keep the twentysomething year old StarQuests rolling. That same community is also there when it comes time to squeeze more horsepower than the factory ever intended out of the 2.6L Mitsubishi mill, or chow down on some tasty BBQ.

When it comes to the West Coast the man to talk to about Starquests is Kelly. It was Kelly and the rest of the KDM Performance crew that pulled together with tuner Chris from DC Performance and organized this BBQ dyno pull bonanza. Starions and Conquests showed from all over the western regions for some Carne Asada, and a chance to post some dyno proven numbers. DC Performance usually deals in Mopars less removed than the StarQuest - Vipers and other V-10 powered machines are their specialty.

In stock form the Starion makes about 140-something to the wheels. What does it take to squeeze more juice from the SOHC 2.6L Mitsu? Fuel and air supplied courtesy of more boost. A little nitrous doesn't hurt either. Or at least it didn't this time around. With 18 PSI, a Mitsubishi Super 16G turbo, and a 100-shot of nitrous oxide Mark's StarQuest spun the rollers to 326 hp. All this using the stock two-injector throttle body injector system and a good measure of driveway ingenuity.

With an extra injector piped into the intake upstream from the stockers and some tuning, dyno-man Chris knocked out near 320 hp without use of the bottle. Adding in a fourth injector and a modified intake from an Aussie 2.6L variant was Ivan. This multipoint injection along with a turbo the size of a watermelon helped Ivan's yellow screamer kick out 523 horsepower on the dyno. At the end of the day Ivan was king, and got to eat the part of the cake that said "500" on it.

KDM plans to throw another one of these SoCal StarQuest deals next year with a added bonus. Along with plenty of grub, prizes, and general good times, the crew announced that next year's shindig will feature a 88-89 Starion as a giveaway! Right after the announcement and within relative earshot of the crowd Mark also added "with rod knock!" - complete with accompanying sound effects. While that last part was good humor, it could pay off to come to the 2008 KDM BBQ. – Mike Bumbeck

KDM Performance; DC Performance [External]

Related:
More Starion Madness [Internal]

Unfortunate Metal Potential! Starquest Madness!

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 29 May 2007 23:15:00 EDT

Okay, here's another rad vid with an unfortunate soundtrack. There are no good engine sounds, so unless you're a fan of generic nü-metal, pick a rollicking tune of your choice that clocks in around four minutes, cue it up and mash play on this vid and the genuine rock article at the same time. You may just achieve potential nirvana. – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
TURBO SPECIALTY GUITAR, Starion! [Internal]

Jalopnik Preview: Awesome is Coming

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:15:00 EDT

Why did Bumbeck cross the road? I was lucky enough to participate in what will no doubt prove to be a most awesome J-Lop feature. We're keeping it secret for now, but trust me, awesome. Think you know what we're up to? You can win my standard prize - a fresh lock of my chest hair. Aw shucks, we'll even throw in the gas cap off Bumbeck's Starion. If you get it right. Exactly right. – Jonny Lieberman

Half-Price Day Junkyard Day

Mike Bumbeck — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:30:00 EDT

Uttering the phrase half price anywhere near the word junkyard sends a couple of the Jalops driving with toolbox toward the self-service junkyard like so many moths to a streetlight on a summer night. One of the larger self-service yards in California had a statewide half price sale a while back and we were there in NoCal and SoCal. Bumbeck headed down out of the hills into hot and dusty Sun Valley while Martin ventured out onto the mean streets of Hayward from Alameda. Out of the thousands of cars being picked apart we've chosen ten that qualify to enter into the pantheon of Jalopnik half-price day junkyard specials. Our selections in blazing full color after the jump.

Ford Pinto

Ah, the Ford Pinto. After having successfully made it thorough the 12-step program for those that had to drive Pintos through their formative High School years, it always fills us with a combination of awe and revulsion whenever we see one of these compact hatches at the junkyard. This one had already given up its popular with the builder crowd rack-and-pinion front end, but had a fender already yanked and waiting for the lucky soul still driving a dented fender orange Pinto.

Chrysler Newport

Here's a '78 Chrysler Newport with a four-barrel 360. Someone's already yanked the carb, but everything else is still there. This engine choked out a miserable 170 horses in '78, but that's just because it suffers from 8.2:1 compression and other Malaise Era smoggitude; add the usual ingredients of aftermarket pistons, cam, and respiratory gear and you'd have an engine that would really wake up a Dart or Valiant. And, hey, '78 was the first year for the lockup-converter Torquflite.

MERKUR Xr4Ti

Despite having made it through the Subway Series, this mighty Merkur had fallen. The Merkur was sold here in the states as a 2.3L turbo and intercooled Ford Sierra with another name. At first we were bummed that someone had swiped all the ~~pocket parts~~ emblems and badges. Sadness turned to joy as we found one of the Merkur emblems minutes later on the rear trunk lid of a Fiero. The obvious choice in parts with the Merkur is to yank the 2.3 turbo mill, intercooler and trans for your Mercury Bobcat wagon. Don't forget to roll over to the van section and grab a smoked bubble window for additional style points. Cherry pickers rent at an additional fee. [Tell me about it. Never lose you keys if you live on the 6th floor.— ed]

Cadillac DeVille

Ignore the Ford intake and all the pine needles cluttering up the view. That grungy engine reposing in this beat-to-shit '70 Cadillac DeVille is none other than the 375-horse 472, a forged-crank monster that doesn't weigh much more than a small-block Chevy, fits easily in GM A-bodies, and has a fair selection of aftermarket performance goodies available. Sure, the 500 had 400 HP, but GM only put it in the FWD Eldorado and let's just make it perfectly clear that we'd sooner pull out several of our own teeth with a needlenose pliers than spend another endless day breaking tools and fingers extricating a 500 from an Eldo. Might as well take that BOP-pattern TH400 while you're at it.

Rambler Wagon

This find would be like winning the lottery for a Rambler fiend scouring the junkyard; we picture some old guy with a couple of Rambler project cars hitting the yard on Half Price Day, hoping to find an early AMC with a few compatible parts, when he spots this '59 wagon and blows out a couple heart valves- GHASP!- with the shock of recognition. It would also be a moneymaker for an eBay shark who can recognize the pieces that will fetch ten times the junkyard price. This Kenosha Kreampuff's been de-engined already, but the fenders are still there, as is the tailgate and most of the glass.

Plymouth Conquest

This flatside Mitsubishi Starion imported for Plymouth and rebadged as a Conquest hit the floor of the yard while we were milling about the Pontiac section. The unmistakable wedge shape of the Starion made its way into the corner of our eye while it was still on the forklift. While the engine looked pretty well cooked, the turbocharger had a rebuilt by sticker on the wastegate actuator. Hair dryer removal ensued. Rusted exhaust manifold mounting bolts served as a reminder to bring some JB-80, or similar, next time around. We already have a set of those wheels from the last half price day.

Toyota Corona

We have a soft spot for 60s Toyotas (in fact, Murilee's first car was a '69 Corona) so it made us a little sad to see this fairly intact one on the yard. Toyotas didn't start selling like crazy in the US until the '73 Arab oil embargo, so it's tough to find junkyard parts for the older ones. This '67 Corona is a rare junkyard find indeed; not only does it still have the engine, taillights, complete interior, and a jillion other rare-as-hen's-teeth bits and pieces, it's got the supah-cool Toyoglide transmission ready for harvest.

Mazda 323 Turbo

You don't see these every day on the street, much less sitting in the junkyard: an '88 Mazda 323 Turbo. Everything's still there for the discerning junkyard scavenger looking to build a totally shocking sleeper out of Grandma's 4-door 323, from ECU to intercooler and all the other stuff that makes for turbocharged fun. Unfortunately, this one doesn't have the AWD option, but torque steer puts hair on your chest! Extract the engine, all the turbo plumbing, and the transaxle... and don't forget the all-important ECU!

Chrysler Conquest TSI

Moving further into the eighties and Mitsubishi Starion rebading exercises was this wide-body 1987 Chrysler Conquest TSI. Despite its obvious signs of neglect and abuse at the hands of the previous owner, this Starion had a mere 54K on the clock. A chewed up turbo cold side wheel filled us with punk rock rage thinking some bozo took a low miles Conquest to this sad ending. The only solution was to drop the 5-speed manual transmission and bring it home in the Starlet as a backup for the Starion. While we were under the car we had a great conversation with a guy scoring the rockers for his Mazda B2600 Pickup. G54B cross-branding junkyard goodness. Mitsubishi also put the G54B in forklifts. [Perfect for our forklift project car. Maybe you guys can get on that this week. — ed]

Lincoln Town Car Limo

The salad days of prom goers, wedding bells, and excursions down into Hollywood are over for this once fine Lincoln Town Car. Under the long white hood of this stretch Lincoln was a 5-0, perfect for a swap into that Fairmont wagon otherwise rusting away in the backyard. We're not really sure what else this beast could have given up besides a multi-switch console and a few toothbrushes.

– Mike Bumbeck & – Murilee Martin

Junkyard Chronicle [Junkyardchronicle.com]

Screw You Tweaker, You're Not Selling Bumbeck's Starion!!

Ray Wert — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 22:41:53 EST

An IM conversation from earlier this evening:

Bumbeck:: someone swiped my pic from jalopnik for a CL ad
Bumbeck:: funny
Wert:: Wait, is it your pic that you took?
Bumbeck:: yep
Wert:: Sue them!!!!!!
Wert:: Want me to call the guy?
Wert:: Seriously, let's call the dude and tell him he's not selling your Starion
Wert:: He's also not going to be selling the picture of your Starion
Bumbeck:: That would be funny - but Napa County is full of tweakers
Wert:: Ok, fine, you're no fun...but wait, can we let our readers call him and say "Don't steal Bumbeck's Starion!" I mean, his number's on the ad...
Bumbeck:: Sure
Bumbeck:: Screw that guy

Mitsubishi Starion 2.6 posi turbo DRIFTER Fast, new heads - $1000 (santa rosa) [CraigsList]

Related:
A Brief History of the Starion [internal]

Sierra! Astra! Starion! Rally!

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:30:00 EST

Look! It's random rally footage featuring Sierra Cosworths, a Vauxhall Astra and a couple of unfortunate schmoes who manage to plow their poor, beleagured Starion through a fence. Note to Starion drivers: the Drift King says, "Do not upset the car!" – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
Lutz Explains Why the XR4Ti Failed [Internal]

Starionamino!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:31:34 EST

Apparently this fine machine is used as a parts runner for a shop in the UK. While it does seem to be cheating a bit on the bed opening (simple hatch removal), it does have a functioning tailgate. Go, Starionamino, go! – Murilee Martin

Starion Truck! [StarQuestClub.com]

Related:
A Brief History of the Starion [internal]

Turbo Gremlin!

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:00:00 EST

Back in late 1970, Clarence Milstead purchased a 1971 AMC Gremlin. As time went on, he began tinkering with the six-cylinder Kammback hatch until the fateful day he saw an XR4Ti in a junkyard, yanked its turbocharger and plumbed it in, using a carburetor bonnet scavenged from a Mitsubishi-built Chrylser Hemi 4-cylinder. What fully awesome cars used the Hemi 4? That's right kids, the Conquest and its Starions! As time's gone on Milstead's continued to widdle with the Gremmie, converting the front drums to discs and dropping the final-drive ratio to 3.55. We'd be proud to drive this car. We'd be even prouder to say we built it ourselves. – Davey G. Johnson

My 1971 Turbo Gremlin [Gremlin X]

Related:
Turbo Pinto! [Internal]

TURBO SPECIALTY GUITAR, Starion!

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:45:00 EST

We have found Bumbeck's Starion's evil twin. It lives in Nihon and wears American-market Conquest TSi badging. We tend to prefer the stock wheels on Bumbeck's car to the blingy bits on this machine, but if they canned the stickers, it would be the perfect nightime attack-mobile for an aspiring Yakuza hitman with a penchant for the States. If Brock Samson lived in Japan, he would drive one of these. Dare we say it? We do. SUPER MURDERMAN-CARRYING POTENTIAL! – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
A Brief History of the Starion [Internal]

Holy Crap! Obvious Jalopnik Brainstorm!

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:15:00 EST

We're not sure why we didn't think of this as soon as we realized how heavily Changfeng relied on Mitsubishi technology and design of a certain age. If Mitsu won't give us a new Starion, why shouldn't Changfeng give us an old Starion with a leaping cheetah gracing the front end instead of a diamond star? We can almost guarantee that it would never make us disappointed. – Davey G. Johnson

Dateline Dearborn, MI: Import Center

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:33:46 EST

While in Detroit half-trying to locate the Ham Center we found instead the Chrysler Import Center. This well lit sign reminds us to not forget about Chrysler's long-term relationship with formerly beloved Mitsibishi. Right after this memory was served we found Miller's, and were served cheeseburgers. Another reminder is the that the Chrysler Conquest was in realty a rebadged Mitsubishi Starion. Not sold at your local Chrysler dealer since 1989.– Mike Bumbeck

Related:
Yes! Conquest Hoonage!; Ham Center, Warren, MI [Internal]

SUPER POTENTIAL! The Ad That Launched a Million Random References

Mike Bumbeck — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:04:44 EST

Anything with lasers has got to be good. Space queens from galaxies of the distant future shooting blue lasers from their fingertips are that much better. The star of this commercial is of course the turbo specialty sports coupe called Starion. If Mitsubishi would just take whatever engine and turbo they're going to put in the EVO X and stuff it into an updated and slightly lighter version of this rear-drive icon, they would once again have a vehicle with SUPER POTENTIAL! We know of a few laser sporting space queens from the distant future who are now available for commercial work. – Mike Bumbeck

Related:
Starion [Internal]

Cannonball Run II: Not Good, But, Starion Afterburner!

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:30:00 EST

Not only is there an extended scene of Jackie Chan's Starion crossing from San Pedro to Long Beach, but he then uses his afterburner to elude capture. It's a tossup between this car, Clarkson's infamous pseudo-rally car and Uncle Bumbeck's Battlecar Galactica as to which is the coolest Starion of them all. – Davey G. Johnson

SUPER POTENTIAL! Older than Starion, Younger than Mitsubishi

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 21:15:00 EST

Mitsubishi began as a shipping firm founded by Yataro Iwasaki in 1870. The theory of superpotential was first posited by E. T. Whittaker in a series of papers dating back to 1903. The Starion was introduced in 1982. It took a war between Japan and Russia, two World Wars, a stalemate in Korea and a debacle in Vietnam to finally bring the two together. Oh, and a space in what was originally a compound word. But we sure are awfully glad they found each other. – Davey G. Johnson

Superpotentials, Scalar interferometry, and Internally Structuring of Fields and Potentials [The Tom Bearden Website]

Why Mitsubishi Deserves a Second Chance in America

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 20:30:00 EST

Yes, we all know that Mitsu is a somewhat beleagured brand these days. But they did give us the mighty Starion, the totally underrated Mirage Turbo hatchback, and of course, the nothing-short-of-obscenely miraculous Lancer Evo. Paukert drove the upcoming Lancer on some winding roads near Santa Barbara recently, and seemed to like it just fine. But that doesn't matter. Without Mitsubishi, we wouldn't have Super Active Yaw Control, Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing-and-lift Electronic Control or, most importantly, SUPER POTENTIAL!. There, Mitsubishi, we just came up with your new tagline: Super. Innovative. Mitsubishi. Check's in the mail? Great, thanks. Business doing potential with you. – Davey G. Johnson

We Drive The New Mitsubishi Lancer - Just Don't Ask Us About It [Winding Road]

SUPER AGING-TOYOTA POTENTIAL! Mitsu-2.6 Turbo Corolla on eBay!

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 02:30:00 EST

Oh crap...Bumbeck just shot this one over, and might we say that it's a doozy? Somebody yanked the motor out of a Dodge Conquest and dropped it in a '74 Corolla, added hood pins and mags, and well, voila, sans culottes, this shit is simply the business. Go forth and bid. And then take us for a ride. – Davey G. Johnson

1974 Toyota: Corolla [eBay]

SUPER ENGINE-EXTRACTION POTENTIAL! Bumbeck's Starion Goes Under the Wrench

Davey G. Johnson — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 02:30:00 EDT

Yeah, whatever, schmoes. Bumbeck is manly enough to yank his own 2.6L Hemi — with hood-removal assistance from Coonce — and live to tell about it. Soon, the Mighty Starion shall rise, relieved of its Achilles' Jet Valves. And your boots? Well, they'll just have to get used to your quaking in them. Deal with it.

Related:
Oh Look! Dannica's Making More Money! [Internal]

Classic Top Gear: Fifteen-Hundred-Quid Coupes

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 19:15:00 EDT

While there's something to be said for the Trans-European Veyron-vs.-Cessna race, and the Merak/Urraco/308 GT4 challenge is certainly a classic, our all-time favorite Top Gear competition is the "1,500-Pound Coupe That Isn't a Porsche" bit. Hammond in a BMW 635, May in an XJS, and Clarkson, brilliant bugger that he is, chose a Mitsubishi Starion. And now, via the glory of YouTube, we present it to you. What makes it so great? The trio are at the top of their game with the one-liners, the challenges are inventive, and the grass-track race at the end is simply epic.

More Top Gear

Oh, Look! Danica's Making More Money!

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 08:30:00 EDT

The domain-name registrars at Go Daddy have signed on to help fund Danica's Motorola-marqueed Andretti-Green car for next season. They find her "edgy, innovative and fun!" according to some guy named Bob who helms the company. H sker D was edgy, innovative and fun. Danica is not H sker D . Meanwhile, in more interesting news, Bumbeck began the initial stages of a Jet-Valvectomy on his Starion up at the place we like to refer to as "Robin Masters' Compound East." Boss pic, non? Danica? Potential. Starion? SUPER POTENTIAL! [Thanks to Haller for the tip.]

Go Daddy Press Release On the Dealy. Only click if you want another useless PDF cluttering your machine. Trust us, we gave you the best bits. We gave you Starion! [Go Daddy]

Hoon of the Day: Look Out Honey, 'Cause He's Using (Turbo) Technology

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:30:00 EDT

There are few things we love more than Mitsubishi Starions and the Stooges. One comes from Japan. The others come from Michigan (except, of course, for Watt, who reps Pedro harder than anyone else). Together, we suppose, if they decided to rock it Voltron-style, with Iggy forming the head, they would become the Chrysler Conquest. Nevertheless, James Williamson's guitar tone in "Search and Destroy" is one of the most godly forms of sound ever conceived, and the perfect score to watching some dude in a widebody Starion hoon it around a parking lot. Pure bliss.

Hey Killboy: Can You Shoot StarQuests On the Tail of the Dragon?

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 21:00:00 EDT

We want to see your skills of an artist.
Well, g2g,
Jalopniks
CA

Thanks for this great shot, Mister Killdude! It makes us wish were in the Tennessees or Carolinas, meandering about in a Conquest TSi, jockeying for position with Bumbeck in his Starion ESi, both of us in StarQuests stuffed to the fender flares with females. Super Potential! Go check out Killboy's page for more inspiration. And thank you, Al, for the tip.

StarQuests [Killboy]

SUPER POTENTIAL! Shilling for the Starion, Japanese-Style

Davey G. Johnson — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 19:50:09 EDT

We love the Mighty Starion, and are actively campaigning to have Mitsu save their endangered US hides by bringing the marque back to these shores. And may we remind you why the Starion was so badass by posting this 1982 JDM ad for the Junichiro-to-the-Conquest's-Hank Hill, featuring the car with fender-mount mirrors, an animated woman with a blue-laser finger, and all manner of rudimentary special effects accompanied by random captions? We can't truly explain why, but this totally kicks the crap out of the "Never Before" Corvette ad.

Related:
The Mitsubishi Starion A6M7 [Internal]

The Mitsubishi Starion A6M7

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 31 May 2006 15:30:27 EDT

A while back, Bumbeck told us that a friend of his asked a Mitsu bigwig why they didn't capitalize on the heritage of the Zero, one of the finest fighter planes of World War II. Yesterday, we suggested that the company needs to bring back the Starion to stave off doing the collapse in the US market, and furthermore posited that the top-spec Neo-Starion should be badged the A6M. Turns out that Andy Takakjian had already photochopped up such a beast, based on a widebody version of the Conquest's twin. We simply must have one. And who among the bosozoku wouldn't be stoked to own this car? Not a one, we imagine.

You Never Should've Killed the Starion: Mitsu May Say Goodbye to US

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:00:00 EDT

Let's just put it this way: We never made it to Webelo status, so "Be Prepared" was never fully burned into our consciousness as though by a hot brand on the flank of a longhorn. And since we don't have an Automotive News subscription, we can't give you details on this one. But apparently, Mitsubishi is considering withdrawing from the American market if the new crop of redesigned vehicles don't sell. Mitsubishi: we have a proposal for you. Click through for salvation, whoaaooh.

Mitsubishis. Y'all once had a reputation for building light, fast cars. The Mirage Turbo. The DSM Eclipses. The Mighty Starion. As Jeremy Clarkson once asked, "Should you buy a car built by an aeroplane maker?" This current Eclipse business is all wrong. Wrong-wheel drive. Sure, you've got the Evo, but there's a niche that's unfilled: A fast, light RWD grand-tourer in the low-to-mid 20k range. Now listen: Start in the high teens for the stripper version. Naturally-aspirated four. Independent rear end. Minimal amenities. Next, add a turbo, pump the power up to around 220hp and sell it for around 23k. Then maxing out around 28 thousand samoleons, drop in the Evo motor and call it the Starion A6M. We'll take ours in olive drab with a big red meatball on the side. [Thanks to Bumbeck for the tip.]

Related:
More Starion stuff.

No Starion From Mitsubishi: Eclipse Spyder, Concept-CT Instead

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 12:39:33 EST

No doubt, Bumbeck's weeping in his cranberry juice right now, as his pleas to Mitsubishi to bring back the beloved Mitsu variant of the StarQuest twins have fallen on deaf ears. However, they did introduce what they refer to as an "attainable exotic" in the form of the Eclipse Spyder. Because the Solstice is obviously an unattainable exotic.

Also unveiled was the Concept-CT, which "introduces an innovative hybrid powertrain packaged in an entirely new type of vehicle architecture. " Really? Holy crap man, this innovation's just gotta stop! A four-door small car with a hatchback and a hybrid powertrain? Entirely new! It's like a Prius and an Insight all rolled into one, with a Diamond Star logo!

Ahoy! StarQuest Bonus! Redux! Whatever! The Gullwing Starion!

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 09:26:57 EST

Too late for yesterday's blockbuster Maximum StarQuest Day bonanza, Bumbeck tipped us off to an example of one of the rarest of the Starion/Conquest breed: the vaunted Gullwing! Originally conceived for a Japanese cop show nobody seems to know anything about called simply, Gorilla, Mitsu created four of the cars back in '88; a fifth was built by the vehicle's owner with parts ordered from the factory.

Interestingly, while the factory cars had manual doors, the owner-built vehicle's were power-operated. Unfortunately, this tended to be a bit much strain for the battery and the doors were converted to manual operation. We promise this is the last Starion-related post for a while. Really. No, Scout's Honor. Unless somebody uncovers a scissor-door Conquest.

Gullwing Starion [Mitsubishi Starion U.K. Owners Club]

Related:
Yes! StarQuest Hoonage! [Internal]