I bought a Car!(no pics yet,boo)

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
05/12/2015 at 15:44 • Filed to: None

So last Friday I bought myself a new, old car! It’s going to be a big project but it’ll be fun, and it’s a bit outside of my comfort zone. No pics of car because I broke my phone. :(

I bought a 1991 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. Number 741/2000. It’s in rough shape as I mentioned in another post.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/galant-vr4-170…

But I acccomplished the goal I set out when I sold my Civic earlier this spring. To buy something that will challenge, and tech me both as a mechanic, and as a driver. In other words buy something that isn’t FWD, and doesn’t have an NA 4 cylinder like every single car I’ve owned up to this point. I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t go RWD but that will just have to wait.

I got it for 1500 bucks which I think was fair. The negotiation process almost got totally derailed tho. I had been talking to the husband of the lady that owned the car. After we had a agreed on price we both went to tell our wive’s(yes I bought my wife with me to buy a beat up old car) and he told me to head into the bar(they owned the bar) when I was done. As I walking in I heard a very familiar sound, one that any married man fears. The sound of a agitated, almost crying women. She told me should would not sell the car for 1500 (they had been asking 2000), as she had to much sentimental value in the car, and she didn’t even want to sell it. I told her I understood that, as an enthusiast I totally get having an emotional attachment to a car, but I reasoned with her that the car needed a lot of work, that it was really being neglected, and I plan on bringing new life to the car, but I’m under a budget and I can’t spend more than 1500 on the car.

I tell you what my experience in customer service and retail payed of in that moment. I could tell she warmed up to me and as she collect herself a bit she told me as along as I promise to take car of her, she’d sell it for 1500. As it turned out the car had belonged to her brother who had passed away in 2001, and that is how she ended up with the car. So not only has she had the thing for 14 years, but it also belonged to a lost family member. That really is a lot of sentiment attached to a car. Once I get it all fixed up I plan on taking it back and showing to her.

Any way It needs A LOT of work, but I was looking for a bit of a project. At this point I shouldn’t need a car at all until winter as my wife has a two block commute to work, and mine is about a mile. We’ve been sharing her car for over a month now with no issue. So that gives me 5-6 months to get this thing all sorted out. I’ve addressed a few minor things already, such as new wipers a new live for the washer sprayers, I filled the antenna hole with some black silicon, and disconnected the antenna motor as something or some one had pulled the antenna out of the motor, put some conditioner on the leather that looked like it hadn’t been treated for about 10 year , and given it a good wash inside and out. good news is even after the brakes, and tires, and all the little things that need fixing I should have another 1000 dollars in my budget, so I’m glad I didn’t budge on the price.

We found that the problem with the brakes was the soft line to to rear passenger side caliper, so this weekend I’ll be replacing all the factory rubber lines with braided steel. Then next week I’ll get tires and an alignment, and then I’ll start diagnosing the idle problem that I’m 90% sure is a boost leak. But if it’s not that it may be the ECU. Oh and I found paper work for a pretty major over haul that the car had 5 years, and 30,000 miles ago including T belt and water pump. Also the alternator was replaced this April when they started driving the car again.

And here a pic I found for inspriation. Dat roof rack, Dem OZs

DISCUSSION (26)

Twism > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 15:50

Nice find!

If everything’s an easy fix, it will be a nice AWD sleeper (since nobody remembers these anymore).

Kinja'd!!!

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 15:55

Really excited to see pictures, I didn’t even know we got them here in the states.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 15:56

Congrats, sounds like a cool project. I’m not a big DSM guy, so I didn’t even know these were a thing, but it sounds like an awesome sleeper of a car.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo
05/12/2015 at 15:56

Yup 3000 of them were imported here. 2000 in 91 and 1000 in 92.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Twism
05/12/2015 at 16:00

That’s kinda what is cool about it. Every one I’ve told about it who isn’t into cars has no idea what it is, or why I’d buy it. In fact today some one who knew I was in the market for soemthign more exciting asked me if I had bought anything yet and i said “yeah I bought a 91 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4.” and the said ‘I thought you wanted something turbocharged and sporty.” My only response was “The VR-4 is both of those.”

Alfalfa Romeo > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:05

A friend of mine bought one of these shortly after graduating high school and loved it.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/12/2015 at 16:07

It will be. Though technically this isn’t a DSM. I guess DSM refers only to the cars that were built here in Illinois. While the VR-4 was built in Japan and imported. So there is your useless car trivia fro the day. lol.

Twism > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:09

So what’s the plan for this build?

lowered with OZ and a rack (like you posted)? Stock-looking but with more power?

Or....

Rally?

Kinja'd!!!

Snuze: Needs another Swede > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:10

Thanks for the knowledge. I always thought DSM referred to any Mitsu product.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Twism
05/12/2015 at 16:19

Not sure yet. I want to keep it stock looking, but some big mudflaps and rally lights would be cool... However for now the priority will be maintenance, and restoration. I need to do a lot of research before I start modifying it. These engines have potential obviously which is why the Elclipse and Talon have become “enthusiast cars” that or every one just wants to be Paul Walker. I think just getting it running properly will be enough for awhile, but maybe down the road I will looking in to building up the engine and going for more power. Mostly I’m afaird of getting lost in the rabbit whole of built my engine, got a bigger turbo, blew something up, fixed that, broke a half shaft, fixed that, wore out another clutch, replaced that...and so on.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/12/2015 at 16:20

from Wikipedia

Diamond-Star Motors (commonly abbreviated to DSM ) was an automobile -manufacturing joint venture between the Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC). [1] The name came from the parent companies’ respective logos : three diamonds (Mitsubishi) and a penta star (Chrysler). [2] Diamond-Star Motors was officially renamed Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America, Inc. (MMMA) in 1995, four years after Mitsubishi took sole control of the plant, and since 2002 its official title has been Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) Manufacturing Division . [3]

In the enthusiast community, “DSM” , especially used in the singular (e.g. “a DSM” ) generally refers to the original first- and second-generation Mitsubishi Eclipse , Eagle Talon , and Plymouth Laser , which all shared the same Diamond-Star Motors vehicle platform .

Twism > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:20

Yeah keep in mind that it’s not a new car, so putting 600+ hp on a stock drivetrain might not be the best idea.

But I think those are reasonably quick as-is?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:22

The more you know...

Thanks!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Twism
05/12/2015 at 16:31

yeah about 200hp/195tq stock. not bad, not great. They are a bit haevy with the AWD and 4 wheel steering at 3200 pounds. That’s a lot for how small of a car they are, I mean it makes my brother in law’s MK4 Jetta look big. Strangely both cars do weight about the same.

BeaterGT > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:36

A friend of mine had one of these in black (forgot what #) and it was a cool piece of machinery but unfortunately he couldn’t keep up with the repairs it needed so I wish you better luck than he had!

Twism > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:36

yeah his car is made from thick steel and loaded with crumple zones.

yours is... 90’s Mitsubishi, so try not to hit anything (or get hit by anything) !

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:40

Congrats man! I’ve always wanted one of those things. I had a ‘95 Eclipse RS and always wanted to upgrade to something 4G63T powered (Eclipse GSX, Talon TSi, Galant VR4, Evo, etc.). Good luck with getting it cleaned up man. Looking forward to see how it turns out!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > BeaterGT
05/12/2015 at 16:40

I hope I can keep up with it. My Honda sensibilities keep asking. Why are ther so many vacuum lines? Why are all the wheels driven? Why is there two steering racks? what kind of MPGs does it get? Where is the VTACH YO?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/12/2015 at 16:41

thanks

Textured Soy Protein > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:49

Dat roof rack

Something I never have, and never will, say.

I hate roof racks.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Textured Soy Protein
05/12/2015 at 16:54

Really? I kinda love them. a lot.

BeaterGT > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 16:58

The answer to all your questions...”Because early 90s”

Textured Soy Protein > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 17:05

I think they’re ugly. There’s no such thing as an attractive roof rack. Putting a roof rack on a car because that roof rack supposedly looks cool, to me, is insane. They’re a bunch of bars and shit that don’t flow with the looks of the car. They look tacked on.

If you have some kind of crap you need to carry on a regular basis and the only way to accomplish carrying that crap with your vehicle is to use a roof rack, so be it, but that’s sacrificing the looks of the car for the sake of being able to carry your junk.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 17:46

I predict that this will be a hobby that will last you at least 4 years.

Congratulations!

Good/interesting choice of car to work on.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/12/2015 at 17:50

DSM literally means “Diamond Star Motors”... a joint production and platform sharing venture between Mitsubishi and Chrysler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond-S…

Delusion77 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/12/2015 at 18:17

nice! This car I feel was made when Mitsubishi was at its peak. I hope you enjoy it :)