by "Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
Published 12/25/2017 at 03:54
by "Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
Published 12/25/2017 at 03:54
Tags: DSM
; Project
STARS: 7
Surely you’ve seen the movie Christine. In the beginning of the movie, one of the owners of Christine states the car “just came back” and was haunted. As it turns out, we have a real life story. Saddle up, I’m taking you on a crazy ride tonight.
You’ve seen me write about Nathan’s 2G Eclipse GST. This is the car that’s been passed along my friends list. Our one buddy traded a clapped out Mercedes for it. The car was a shell that was ragged out to hell in back. It looked like it had belonged to a drug dealer, and I truly believe it was. The car was blown up and came with a spare block and head.
Our buddy quickly realized this car needed help. Another friend purchased it, built an entire engine for it, got it 90% and some life events happened and he parted it out. It seemed like this car was cursed and destined for the scrap yard, which is where I believed it belonged. Turns out.... it didn’t.
Enter Nathan. Like me, he has a savior complex for DSMs. He seen the pretty in the ugly. We picked up an unknown junkyard motor for under $300 that turned out to be perfect. In just a few weekends with a slew of junkyard parts, we had a running and driving car. The car had alignment issues, and the shock towers were beat to shit. The car had recently had hydros on it and other questionable issues. We addressed them the best we could.
Nathan started daily driving it for some time. Awhile back, he bought a Subaru Outback as a daily. Someone offered him a decent sum of money for the 2G, and he had sold it. It went off to new home. I was sad, but atleast we saved a car. We never thought we would see it again. But we did.
The car popped up on Craigslist. Nathan offered him the Subaru for it. The kid remembered us, and wanted NOTHING to do with the 2G. He told Nathan exactly this; “the keys are in it. The title is notarized. Come to address xxxxxx and pick it up. I want it gone” and literally gave us the car back. Free. No catches.
The catch was, it had to be picked up tonight. It has snowed immensely. The car wore the same wheels and DZ101 Star Spec tires we sold it with. We said screw it, and we went. The kid greeted us, gave us all the parts he had for it. Said he got his money’s worth of fun and wanted to see it go. We jumped in it, and made it one block and the exhaust fell off.
We brought a jack and tools. The car was too low to get the jack under. Winds are blowing 25-35MPH and wind chill is zero or less. We ran the car up on a curb to get the jack under it. We get the exhaust back on, and every seems good. Until we hit the highway things went very awry from there.
The engine and transmission was fine, however the bad alignment wasn’t. The tires were atrocious. The rear of the car was controlling the front. Thankfully, Nathan is the ONE person I fully trust to drive his ass off. He team drove semi with me. I’ve put my life in his hands so many times I’ve lost count. To say this trip was grueling is an understatement. The amount of corrections required to keep the car on the road would rival Ken Block in a winter rally course. No, I’m not exaggerating or embellishing whatsoever. I’m dead serious.
We stopped at a Denny’s in Mansfield Ohio to calm our nerves. We truly were on edge and hungry. Also we were tired. We stopped at 130 am, progress was no faster than 35mph. We eat, and then take back off. Except....
A mile down the road the exhaust slips out of the clamp again. 2G meet curb and jack, and we get the exhaust reattached. The rest of the trip got worse. Visibility was feet at most. The snow drifting was accumulating massively, and the car would get insane any time we hit slush. 45 miles to go.
Eventually we make it home, I don’t know how we did. All I can say is this is Nathan is a world class driver. I drive for a living and I’m pretty good at what I do. However, I couldn’t have done what he did. He kept his nerves through being exhausted, cold, and stressed as hell. Frankly, I’m impressed. A car that’s seen life and death, made a 100 mile trip and got us home.
This is a car that’s been barren, complete, barren again, complete, sold and returned back home somehow. This time, we’re going to finish what we started. Obviously it’s destiny, and this car deserves it. Sketchy? Sure. Amazing story to tell some day? You bet your ass.
"KevlarRx7" (kevlarsupra)
12/25/2017 at 04:35, STARS: 1
Good job guys and merry Christmas!
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
12/25/2017 at 04:42, STARS: 0
Merry Christmas to you as well! Stay safe!
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
12/25/2017 at 05:07, STARS: 1
clearly the person you sold it to thrashed the arse off of it, probably drifted it into a few kerbs
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
12/25/2017 at 05:08, STARS: 1
Merry Christmas too.
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
12/25/2017 at 05:14, STARS: 2
The alignment was pretty rough before. Honestly, I think he drove it on a snowy day, got the living crap scared out of him and never wanted to drive it again. That’s my theory.
We’re pretty insane and it scared us. Not much scares us. I can’t imagine a younger kid wasn’t intimidated lol.
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
12/25/2017 at 05:14, STARS: 0
Merry Christmas to you as well! Thanks!!
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
12/25/2017 at 07:06, STARS: 1
Merry Christmas to you! Quite the story, hope you can save the little Mitsu! :)
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
12/25/2017 at 08:01, STARS: 2
Sounds like the the story of how my dad got his first BRZ. Original owner bought in January, got caught in the massive snowstorm we got in February, and the car was back on the dealer lot with 800mi in March.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
12/25/2017 at 09:08, STARS: 3
Maybe it just wanted to come back to a home where it knew it could be treated well?
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
12/25/2017 at 10:37, STARS: 1
She’s back in good hands now, it’s where it needs to be haha
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
12/25/2017 at 10:39, STARS: 0
Certain cars just require tons of finesse in the snow. Because of that, they tend to really humble someone. Sounds like that was the case in both places here. That’s wild!
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
12/25/2017 at 10:40, STARS: 1
Sure seems that way! Never in a million years did we think we would ever see it again, let alone own it again. Regardless, it’s sitting right beside my freightliner semi and ready to be treated well again.