Black_Sheep_xB

'Sup..

Just came acoss some pics that filled me with regret, however it was the loss of this car that got me into the box

Ever have one of those cars you never should have gotten rid of?..
Here's mine:

1988 Mitsubishi Starion, my mom was the original owner, I learned how to drive on this car..


When I got it from my mom, after a 15 year wait, I started dumping money into a part stock pile. The only thing left was internals and the "Hurricane MPI" set up.. Then I was messing with the stock boost one weekend.. leaned it out on a launch.. and boom.. white smoke.. motor was gone.. I was out of cash, had no car, and highly upset..
Here is a few pics of the parts that never made it on:



I ran into a guy who had seven starions and wanted to use it to transplant a fresh motor into.. the car had good, factory, black leather interior and one dent..
Here is the last time I ever saw it: Thats me hooking it up



then.. about 6 months later, I bought the xB, just as happy, but I really should have kept the Mitsu..

Factory stats:
1988 Mitsubishi Starion, rear wheel drive, FMIC, super tight multi link suspension, 14 PSI factory boost, 5 speed, wide body, list goes on.. the car is/was one bad ride

I also miss my 94 LT1 Caprice, but it was just fast.. nothing else..

UV7

I've been there!
I bought an '85 Camaro when I was 15 (with the help of my father, of course). We brought the car home and put it in the garage. I spent the entire summer repairing, replacing, and cleaning her, preparing her for the day that I could drive! I drove her EVERYWHERE!
A few years later, I used her for IASCA competition. I took the Camaro to shows and sound-offs all over Texas, which was a ton of fun!
The old Camaro created a love affair with all things Camaro, which eventually multiplied into more Camaros. At one time, I actually had 3 of them, one of which I still own today!
After years of use and a run-in with thieves/vandals, the car was retired to a storage garage, where she saw very little attention. After neglecting and ignoring the Camaro for far too long, I decided to sell her to someone who was looking for a parts car. She was, after all, a T-Top car that did not leak or rust at the T-Top seams, which was a rarity for these cars.
When the new owner put her on the trailer, I felt sick to my stomach. I watched her being hauled away and actually shed a tear as I waved good-bye to her for the last time.
I wish I had pics to post, but the only photos I have of her are in a scrapbook, which my wife put together a few years back.

tCscotty

iTrader: (1)

Nice Starion!

Why didn't you save a little money and fix the motor?

I wish I still had my 88 Caprice Classic. It was my first car and my fourth after trading a full size van for it. I came out ahead on both deals.
That car was unstoppable. Took a beating daily and wouldn't run right if you didn't.
Got rid of for next to nothing, because I needed to get rid of some vehicles. So, I could focus on my project truck. Then I ended up losing interest in it and ended up selling that to.

I think the xB is one of those cars. You don't realize what you got until you don't have it.

Black_Sheep_xB

Mine still had the factory leather and NO RUST, both an extreme rarity for the Starion, so I undertand pointing that out.. odds are if getting back into either kind of car, we would wind up with less than what we already had..

If you look at the last pic, I am staring at the guy put the saftey chains on.. then that was it.. I think you can see it in my face.. every little thing going on while loading that car, was another stab in the heart

Black_Sheep_xB

exactly.. but at the time.. well I'm a single dad, and another 1000 bucks at the time seemed impossible.... of course it really wasnt and a stock rebuild kit was only a couple hundred... I had to have the full ARP hardware, copper headgasket..etc.. rebuild kit or nothing.. that was my mnd set.. now I just wish it was here, running, and bone stock.. thanks for the comment though

I spent the first 5 years of my mechanic life working on late 80's GM cars, a majority of which was the caprice, I owned for while a 86 Buck LeSabre Collectors Edition.. very similar to the caprice.. that was another car i wish I still had.. super low miles and no problems.. I still may pick up another 94 Caprice before its over

Black_Sheep_xB

...yeah its this expeirience that has ensured the xB will be going no where, ever..

CarbonXe

iTrader: (1)

____ YES!

I'm looking into buying a Starion for Time Attack and Autocross for next year. My friend used to have 4 of them. Amazing little cars!


Just read everything, and LOL. My friend was literally just telling me about Starion forums. He said they typically go:

UV7

So true! It is VERY difficult to find either of these cars in great shape. Most of the time, they are just ragged out POS beaters that someone has destroyed or severely neglected.
I was able to keep my hands on one of the Camaros, which actually is a true IROC-Z, though it is no longer anywhere near stock. I've talked about selling the IROC a few times before, but my wife quickly reminds me about how I felt when I sold the '85. That always shuts me up about it!

I know that pain. It hurts all over when you see the car driving away. Believe me, it never really gets better. The love-loss always sticks with you. Just typing in this thread about my old '85 actually chokes me up a bit!

flying_toaster

this is an experience i wish never to happen to me, since the xb is my first car...

4150

iTrader: (1)

My old grocery getter ECR33 Nissan Skyline GTS25t

I searched for a long time to find a late model(kouki) GTS25t in 4 door form since I also needed a family car, to top it off the one I found only had 32K Kilometers on it. Most turbo/RB25DET powered ones are 2 doors. I owned it for almost 4 years.

It had your basic mods for a Skyline. Front mount intercooler, exhaust, oil cooler, suspension, brakes, etc...... full list of mods are in the link in my sig

I sold it since I had to move back to the states a few years ago , not a day goes by where I dont think about it







Here's another one I regret getting rid of, my old '70 GTO that I owned from '92 until '03. It had been in storage since I moved to Japan, I needed a more "family oriented" car since I was moving back to the states with a wife and kid that I didn't have before I moved to Japan. What did I replace it with? a '00 Camaro SS with a six speed...worked pretty good as a family car until I got the xB. I put a lot of time into it in my teenage years and have a hell of a lot of memories to go with it.

Black_Sheep_xB

^^ both are damn nice cars!!

Black_Sheep_xB

yeah its something you cant trully appreciate until its too late.. imagine me with that starion at your age, learned to drive with it, the car was sick for a factory ride in '88 and almost any year since as far as I am concerned then when your 30 years old, your mom finnaly says here you go.. then two years later.. life and crapolla happens.. here i am.. wishng I would have stuck it out and still had it...

Black_Sheep_xB

lol.. that is one lesson I learned the hard way.. when everyone says dont go over the factory 14psi.. at all.. DONT!! lol

that aside..

the Starion/Conquest is a sick track car.. basicaly the only difference between the consumer version and the factory Mitsubishi SCCA car is the interior and HVAC. other than that, it is all track car.. one of the best platforms I have seen.. the only rear factory suspension I have seen like it is on the NSX .. keep it stock or go FULL build.. if you get one and need some help on aftermarket parts.. well I have learned all my lessons and can help you with who to go to.. definetly go to topendperformance.com .. if you see that cam in the pic, that is a custom grind they do.. they ae about the only place secializing in these things still.. also check out the hurricane MPI.. its the funk!! good luck!

Black_Sheep_xB

yeah.. finding hose pics did it to me.. my girl said to take pics that day.. I said no, because I dint want to emember the event...lol.. so she took pics anyway.. I am happy she did..

my aunt had a nice charcoal gray IROC.. never see those any more..

lol.. my mom's side of the family always had awesome cars.. thats what I was brought up in.. and an uncle who builds pro street dragster chassis in Gainsville, Fl...

Black_Sheep_xB

...

CarbonXe

iTrader: (1)

I've heard go all out for suspension, since most finds will have pretty worn suspension, and there is no sense in getting new shocks and springs. It's just a shame that the price of them are starting to go up, my friend was finding them for $500-$1500 and he was just buying them and swapping parts. It's such a badass car.



So sexy. I love the 86 hood with the 88 airdam, gives the front end such an aggressive look.

UV7

Do your best to keep your first car, even if it seems to be a waste of time, money, and effort! Years from now, you'll look back on all of the good times you had and how much of a role your first car played in those events.
You may want something faster, sportier, newer, etc., but these will never have the same value as the first. I've had a 35th Anniv. Edition Z28, a '97 T/A, an '81 Camaro w/ 400+ hp, an '89 IROC-Z w/ a 420+hp 355 roller motor and a 6-speed tranny (still have this one!), etc., etc., but none of them has the memories associated with them that my little '85 V6 Camaro had.
To this day, I regret letting her go.

Black_Sheep_xB

lol.. dude I was going to say that.. lol
getting a hood off an old one with the top mount IC is the way to go..
engine temps are very high, and what a nice factory way to help cool it..
I like that blue color..
I have a folder on here dedicated to Starion pics I have found.. +1

glad you like the look.. to me that car will never die.. it had looks based on pure function

...also is that a CF hood? from what I remember only a hand full of guys got those made..group buy..awesome

CarbonXe

iTrader: (1)

My friend had an 86, he repainted the hood for nothing (uncle is a bodywork guy) and sold it for $1200...People want that hood like there is no tomorrow .


If I knew what I do today about cars, I would have tried to find a Star/Quest, Supra, or Rx7 for a first car, instead of buying a piece of ____ Dodge Dakota for my first car. The only reason I got the truck, was to haul around my ATV...sold the truck for a tC and now the quad sits .

Black_Sheep_xB

^^lol .. mine was an F150.. I would kill being able start with a gen 1,2 or 3 Rx7.. we even had the first year Datsun 280Z!! .. I should have them all!!! lol