[IMG]http://www.mitsubishi-starion.net/gallery/pic/1987/mitsubishi_starion_2892572.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/dburdyshaw/Vehicles 11 Car Show West Plains Missouri/20090613_Mitsubishi_Starion_31-1.jpg[/IMG]
What do you guys think about the mitsubishi starion/ chrysler conquest? Very good looking car in my opinion but pretty rare, so it seems like parts may be hard to find/expensive. Anyone have any knowledge of these things?
they're notoriously unreliable.
that's what i was afraid of.
Unreliable as fuck but the coooooooolest
Swapping a different Mitsubishi powerplant in them makes them pretty much the bee's knees.
how easy are these swaps to do?
motor, trans, harness. Like any other swap. A lot of 4G stuff interchanges but you have to watch for wideblock/narrowblock differences. A good reliable swap is the wideblock 4G out of the later Mighty Max and D50, they make a bunch of power and torque stock so even in N/A form they're not bad. Plus they bolt to the wideblock Starion tranny out of the box and the electronics may work directly as well, but I'm not sure.
How much does a swap like that usually cost? (everything included)
You're better off getting an older supra or z31.
[QUOTE=Siminov;39512841]You're better off getting an older supra or z31.[/QUOTE]
If it's what he wants, why not? Starions are just as cool as Supras or Z31s, and both of those have terrible engines as well. The VG30 has BHG and timing chain problems and the 5M/7M have BHG and rod bearing problems. The Starion only has BHG problems, and they all come turbocharged. So it's a win-win.
As far as cost of a swap, you're looking at a chunk of cash. The Starion's factory transmission is set up for a wideblock engine, and wideblock 4G63s and 4G64s are hard to come by in any kind of good shape. You're better off doing a build on the stock 4G54, which is a reliable enough engine when you replace the head gasket and put in some ARP head studs. The bottom end is tough and they're non-interference, so snapping a timing belt won't leave you stranded. You can also plop in a 4G54 N/A from a D50 or Mighty Max like I said, and have an ultra-reliable little N/A car, but that's no fun. And the D50/Mighty Max head doesn't work with your factory turbo manifold either, so you can't really boost them. The D50 and Mighty Max 4G54 go for $500 or less generally, and literally bolt right in and (upon further investigation) all of the electronics are damn near identical. So using bits from both your old engine and new should make it work no problem.
If you dig around you might find a D50/Mighty Max with a narrowblock G63B SOHC, and you can snag that transmission and use it in the Starion (using the starion tailhousing or just moving the shifter) and run a 4G63 in there. It takes a lot more work but is ultimately the best way to go. If one were to drop a narrowblock 4G63 and D50 tranny in, you're looking at a few grand if you can find everything on the cheap. USE A 6-BOLT BLOCK. The 7-bolt are notorious crankwalkers. You'll also have to adapt the tranny to hydraulic clutch, since the D50 uses a cable. It's a lot more work this way but is a LOT more car as well.
On a side note, if you find a D50/Mighty Max with a G63B, you can use that entire drivetrain in your car and simply do a head swap (you'll want to change the pistons out too for the 4-reliefe 4G63 units) to a 4G63 head off of a DSM. The G63B blocks are sturdy like early 6-bolt DSM blocks, and were designed to be used in RWD form.
There are a plethora of DSM engines you can drop in but only a few documented ones, most people use the 4G54 or go straight to the 4G63, skipping notable powerplants like the 4G64, 4G15, 4G61, 4G32, 4G37... All of which share the narrowblock (or sometimes wideblock) bellhousing pattern.
Pretty much anything swaps in with time and parts. On basic swaps you could have as little as a grand, and then on complicated/better swaps you're going to murder your wallet. But that's with a lot of vehicles. It's a great platform but rare enough that people stay away from it because they don't understand it.
Good place to read up for newbies is [url=http://projectzerog.com/]Project Zero-G[/url].
[QUOTE=bradley;39513591]5M/7M have BHG and rod bearing problems[/QUOTE]
garfeel.jpg
Oh wow, I see one of these at a gas station like 3 times a week.
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