What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?
The only Mitsubishi I have is the Starion.  I have had a couple before this one, but I bought this one in January of  2004, notably because of the rare color, Palermo Gray, and the fact that it was a factory sunroof car.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?  How do you use it?
Build philosophy, hmmm.  I guess it would be to improve on the car in every way, while not sacrificing driveability, or luxury.  These were grand touring cars from the factory, and I can’t see removing that heritage from the car.  I’ve gone to great lengths to upgrade the car with some of the rarer items that were available on Starions, as well as using aftermarket items and services where I could to improve the car’s performance, however at the same time, keeping the car quiet, and refined.  I guess I’m one of those guys that want it all.  Improved power and handling, but I refuse to give up my cruise control, or my air conditioning.  It’s mostly driven on the highway, and they way it’s built makes it a very pleasant car to spend time in.  It doesn’t beat you up, it doesn’t tire you out, but if you want to go, you just have to push down a little…  it’ll do that too.  Plus it cuts a great donut.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?  What keeps you going today?
This will sound pretty funny, but I guess I can admit it.  If you’re a child of the 80′s, which I am, think back to the old Inspector Gadget cartoons.  When the Gadget Bus morphed into the Gadget Car, I’d swear it was the Gadget Starion.  Of course, after that, there was an occasion that my mom was looking at a new car at a local Mitsubishi dealer back in Texas where we were from, and they had a black, 1987 Mitsubishi Starion sitting on the showroom floor.  You know, as a kid, you’ll jump in one of those cars, and just wish you could take it home?  I made myself a promise that I would have one one day, and I finally got it.  I think I keep going in this, pretty much because I have been in it so long now, and I know so much about this car now, it really doesn’t make much sense to sell it off, and go get something else to start all over on.  I know a lot of guys will do that as soon as a project is “done”, but I don’t think I can do that.  I’m going to enjoy the fruits of the labor for a while yet to come.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
Actually, I do.  My car, I purchased from a high school friend of mine, who had purchased it from a SQC member, IntercooledFlatty, HMonsta back in those days, or Harry, as I know him.  Now, I had never known this, and I just found out last year at our National Meet in Branson, MO, that this car was Harry’s first Starion that he purchased.  I think it’s really cool that Harry’s been able to watch and follow along the progress of his first Starion.  He even drove it at last year’s meet, which I loved.  I was so glad to see him drive that car again.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
Goals for cars like this are an ever-changing thought.  As far as my original goal of making the Starion that Mitsubishi would not build for me, I’m there now.  It’s a fast car, it’s a quiet car, it’s a smooth car, it’s a luxurious car, it’s a decent handling car, it’s extremely driveable, and it even gets reasonable mileage.

What was your favorite modification and why?
Without a doubt, my digital dash.  For years, I was told that there was just NO way to install a digital dash in an analog dash car, and I always pondered why.  Most of the sensors would interchange, the engine computer controlled nothing of it, there was no such thing as an SCP data bus, or CANBUS communications, nothing.  It took about three months to make an adaptor harness by hand, and it is done in such a manner that should the digital IP ever fails, it can simply be unplugged, a speedometer cable reinstalled, and it’s back to analog IP.  It’s my favorite mod because myself and Maxzillain, another board member, attacked the problem, solved the issues, and came up with a solution that works exactly like it would if Mitsubishi installed it, and what’s more, we did something that was said that couldn’t be done.

Your mod list:
8:1 Wiseco Forged pistons .020 over, balanced rotating assembly, non jet valve head, 2.5 turbo back exhaust, Magnaflow muffler, 355 LPH fuel pump, recurved distributor, MSD coil, 14G Turbocharger, Competition Clutch Stage 4 6 puck clutch, Competition Clutch 15 pound flywheel, HKS SSQV blow off valve, car was an automatic, converted to 5 speed manual, car was leather, first converter to ’88-’89 style checkered cloth seats, then switched to ’86-’87 style velour, car was analog dash, converted to ’86 Technica digital dash, KYB struts at all corners, Premier Bluetooth-capable sound system

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
The National Meets I have helped set up certainly qualify for that.  There’s nothing quite as exciting as seeing one of those come together, with 20 or 30 Conquests and Starions being parked in the same place, and of course, the people are just incredible.  We haven’t had a National Meet yet that has failed to deliver a great time for all.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
The best part has to be the constant “What kind of car is that?” question.  22 years later, these cars are still turning heads, and it seems like everywhere I go, there’s plenty of people who want to check the car over thoroughly, I was at the local Mitsubishi dealer a while back, and the general manager wanted a picture of it on the showroom floor.  The most challenging part is getting parts quick.  It’s usually not a big deal, but when you decide to drive it to a big meet, and you’re fixing a bunch of problems, there’s just not a lot about this car that’s over the counter.

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
Without a doubt the meets.  My car is set up to be a grand tourer rather than all out racer, so getting out and driving it to meets is definitely something to look forward to.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Usually about once a week, if not once every two weeks.  We’ve got a little group here in Wichita, there’s three of us that have cars, and it’s a nice little setup.  One guy has parts, one guy is the engineer, and then I’m a wrench-turner.  We all work together well, and it’s a good relationship.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
I think it sucks, but I learned long ago that I am in no position to stop it from happening.  My only hope is that those guys who part cars out because they can’t sell them for what they want, and figure they are worth more dead than alive would simply not come back to our community.  Those guys need to stick with cars that are cookie cutter and that they made millions of, like Mustangs or Camaros.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
Well, I would imagine it’s pretty finicky.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
Fortunately, I have made some good connections over the years, and since I am knowledgeable on the cars, the fact that I was able to help folks, I’m sure played no small part in me getting help on locating some of the harder to find parts, like the ’86 velour interior.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
I have been toying with the idea of going Multi-Port injection on mine, and switching the car back to an automatic.  The car was switched to a manual by the guy who owned it before me, and I can’t say that I am crazy about the workmanship, so going back to automatic would make the car “right” again.  Besides, I hear that MPI with a well-built automatic, and 3.90 rear axle gearing is a pretty hot setup.  Sounds like a very good fit with my car as I have it thought out.  Also, I’m getting rid of the motorized seat belts.  I like power equipment, but I think in this case, less may be more.  Switching over to the factory door-mounted seat belt setup from an earlier car.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
I’d have to say that Jolyrgr and Maxzillian from the website have helped me the most with the car.  Jolyrgr helped me decide how and what to do with the powertrain, and Maxzillian helped with the digital dash conversion.  These are the two guys close by that I referenced earlier.  I don’t know if there has been just one mentor.  I’ve received a lot of great advice from people over the years.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
Absolutely.  I have a small cadre of guys that hit me up for advice, and I am happy to help them, and share with them my insight, and of course, my mistakes.  Hopefully, they won’t make the same ones.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
No, with these cars, shops pretty much either won’t touch them, or when they do, they screw them all up.  Best bet is to get a factory service manual, and do it yourself.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
Yeah, I can be found at starquestclub.com, I’ve been on that site for about 8 years now, it’s pretty much the best place to go for these cars.

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  How can people find you online?
Yeah, I’m on Facebook under my name Timothy Finn, I have a Vimeo Channel called The UlrichWolf Channel, and of course, I can be found on Starquest Club.

We are not average automotive consumers. We are not vehicle operators. We are drivers. We are mechanics. We are automotive purists who understand the almost spiritual connection between man and machine. We know the hard times we endure with our Mitsubishis lead to exponentially better good times. Our Mitsubishis are extensions of who we are and what we stand for. We have friends around the corner and around the world. Our lives are better because we bought the Mitsubishi. This is our interpretation of M-Gen.

Mitsubishi wants to meet you. Visit whatareyouinto.net to find out when and where Mitsubishi will be in your area. There are many events planned across the United States and more will probably be added. Get your friends together and check ‘em out. Mitsubishi is actively reaching out to us now. They’ve been listening and they want to provide us with their very best. As a true Mitsubishi enthusiast, wouldn’t you like to get to know Mitsubishi a little bit better?

Our lives are better because we are part of the Mitsubishi community. Now Mitsubishi is coming to the party. Let’s get out there and meet them, discover how much we have in common with them, and show the rest of the world what we’re into. And after you’ve spent a day hanging out with Mitsubishi, drop us a line and tell us about it. If there’s anything we love to hear more than Mitsubishi owners getting together and helping each other out, it’s owners getting together with Mitsubishi and representing their communities.

There was no way we could meet everyone in attendance, and we’re sure we missed a few cars and events, but we wanted to roam the lots and snap a lot of pictures to share with our brothers and sisters who couldn’t attend. It sucks that the little point and shoot Nikon we used to get these pictures added the date to all of them, but our resident photog is currently on vacation in Colorado so we had to improvise.

Note: Gallery displays 20 images in each batch. There are something like 150 here. Don’t miss the gallery pages beneath the following thumbnails to see more images.

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MOD was a great time as usual. BIG TIME THANK YOU to everyone at Mitsubishi who gave up their Saturday (and likely many more days) to make such a special day for all of us. There are two more MOD events in the US this year – at the factory in Normal, Illinois (September 18), and at the Mitsubishi Motors North America Eastern Zone HQ in Swedesboro, NJ (October 16). Your fellow Mitsubishi owners want to see your Mitsu there. Plan on attending.

More info on MOD can be found on the MOD home page.
Are you a fan of Mitsubishi yet on Facebook?

What’s your real name?  (What’s your screen name?)
Darin Frow  (Username: Darin)

Where do you live and what do you do for a living?
I live in Bath, England and my job is running the Mitsubishi Lancer Register

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?

2003 Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 TD LWB
This is my ‘everyday car’ but is unique as it’s one of the actual Support Vehicles for the Long Way Round; the round the world trip that Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman filmed in 2004. I’ve owned it since 2007 after Mitsubishi offered it to me.  In addition to the upgrades from TBR UK (OME springs, full length roofrack, bullbar, snorkel and tints) it came complete with dirt from Kurdistan (inside and out), the Shaman scarf that were tied on the rack for good luck and all the teams personal phone numbers on a grab card in the glove box!  I’ve managed to get rid of the dirt, but still have the scarf (and the numbers!)  Since then have done over 100k miles in it I have to say it’s probably the best vehicle I’ve ever bought.

1999 Evo 6 GSR
#23 of the ‘first official’ UK cars brought in to the country by Ralliart UK (now Xtreme Autos) and was originally ordered by my friend and Rallyday co-organiser Brian.  I bought the car with Mechell (who also works for the MLR) in 2008 as I’ve known it from new and it’s still standard with the exception of an HKS air filter and Ralliart exhaust.

Ex-works 1981 Lancer 2000 Turbo WRC
Believed to be 1 of only 3 genuine works rally cars in the world today – out of a total number of 8 built – the other 2 being owned by Mitsubishi Motors Japan (on display in the Mitsubishi Auto Gallery) and the other by Andrew Cowan, ex-Mitsubishi Ralliart WRC Team Director.

Originally built by Denzel’s of Austria for Mitsubishi’s WRC programme in the early 80s, the car features one of the last works 4G63T engines producing approx 380bhp but with multi point injection, larger turbo with integral wastegate and intercooler, dogleg 5speed gearbox and 4.6 LSD.   The LHD arched bodyshell was acid dipped, part seam-welded and caged, with revised suspension and engine mounting, and internally features 3 position switchable boost,  Recaro seats, Willans harnesses, Halda navigators computer, and rear bulkhead mounted ECU.  The boot is dominated by the 20gallon fuel tank, along with the fuel pumps and filters, spare wheel, jack and wheel brace.

What are your build philosophy & goals for your Mitsubishi(s)?  How do you use it/them?
I don’t really have a build philosophy but my goals are very simple; buy standard, original and if possible unique cars and keep them that way as much as possible!

The Shogun is a workhorse – and a very good one, pulling the MLR show trailers and being loaded to the roof with other event gear on a very regular basis.  The Evo is used by Mechell as her daily driver, and the Lancer Turbo rally car is hardly ever used – in fact I doubt I’ve done 50 miles in it since buying it back in 1995!!! (probably not something I should admit to!)

You run a Mitsubishi community.  What’s it called?  Why/How did it start?
It’s the Mitsubishi Lancer Register, and it was started by me in 1996 to cater for owners of the Lancer 2000 Turbo, although in those days is was called the Lancer Turbo Register.  The “LTR” expanded to include EVOs as the Jap import scene kicked off here in the UK and become the “MLR” in 2000 shortly after the Evo 6 become an official UK model.

Who are your members?  How many are there?  Where do they come from?
MLR members include anyone who has an interest in Lancer Evos and 2000 Turbos – whether they are owners, ex-owners who enjoy being a part of the club or enthusiasts who currently own other cars.

We currently have around 3000 fully paid up members predominantly from the UK, but approx 10% from overseas, including the Europe, USA, Australia, Scandinavia and Japan.

Every member is important, but describe the ideal community member.
To me the ideal community member is someone who enjoys being a part of the community, gets involved in a variety of different ways and is keen to help others wherever he or she can. As the MLR is more than an online community though, we also hope members step away from the keyboard and attend one of the many national or regional events that we organise or attend throughout the year, or contribute to the magazine, or maybe get more involved in the club by becoming a regional organiser or another role which in turn enables the MLR to do and offer more to our members

How do you keep community members engaged and active?
We genuinely try to offer all MLR members as much as possible as we understand that not all members want the same things, or have the same opportunities (eg: not all members have internet access and therefore cannot see the site or forum), so what we offer members has now grown to include all the following…
•    Membership pack including A5 Handbook, ID card and lanyard, decal pack and stainless steel badge (the pack varies every year)
•    Full colour 120 page magazine which all members receive on a quarterly basis
•    Access to a huge event calendar which includes UK and European trackdays, national MLR Sprint Series, car shows and bespoke MLR events such as 30-130 and MLR500
•    Regional events
•    Unlimited access to the website and Forum
•    Discounted prices for virtually all the items in the MLR Shop
•    Huge range of discounts with official MLR traders
•    MLR insurance scheme and more
Full details of membership benefits can be seen here.

What’s the best part about running a Mitsubishi community?  The most challenging?
Personally I enjoy seeing the members benefit and enjoy what the MLR is able to offer, and know that what we do makes a difference not only to their enjoyment of Evo ownership but is also very likely to have saved them a considerable amount of money. Of course, seeing what other members do and what’s available through the MLR and MLR traders may also cost them more money too, but if it puts a smile on your face there’s nothing wrong with that!

The most challenging part about running the MLR is trying to find time to develop certain areas and continue to improve it whilst having to manage the day-to-day aspects.  I wish my success rate in doing both was higher!

Tell us about some of the events your community organizes each year.
As I mentioned earlier, the MLR organises a fairly comprehensive events calendar throughout the year, and this has continued to grow year on year since the club started.  To give you an idea of what we offer members, the national 2010 calendar is listed below, and all events with the exception of the Shows and Driver Training are organised by the MLR.  This doesn’t include all the regional dates which add a considerable number of events to the calendar.

MLR TRACKDAYS:
22 February         Brands Hatch – Indy
26 March              Anglesey – International GP
23 April                 Oulton Park – International
7 May                    Silverstone – New Southern
31 May                  Spa Francorchamps
31 July                  Cadwell Park – Full circuit
21 August            Castle Combe
9 October             Snetterton
22 October           Spa Francorchamps
19 November       Oulton Park – International

MLR SPRINT SERIES:
20 March         MLRSS Round 1              Silverstone – New Stowe
24 April            MLRSS Round 2              Oulton Park – Full Rally Circuit
21 May             MLRSS Round 3              Rockingham – National Circuit
11 June           MLRSS Round 4              Castle Combe
25 July             MLRSS Round 5              Ingliston, Edinburgh
6 August          MLRSS Round 6              Teesside Autodrome
23 October      MLRSS Round 7              Silverstone

30-130 & MLR500
13 March                  MLR                   RAF Marham
25 September         MLR500            Blyton

MLR DRIVER TRAINING:
19 March           Millbrook
17 July               Millbrook
16 October        Millbrook

SHOWS & OTHER EVENTS:
24 April                        Modified Live            Oulton Park
15 May                         Japfest                       Castle Combe
16 May                         Modified Live             Knockhill
5/6 June                      Rally Show                Chatsworth
27 June                       Modified Live             Brands Hatch
4 July                           Japshow                    Santa Pod
1 August                     Modified Live             Cadwell Park
7/8 August                  TOTB8                        Elvington
15 August                   Japfest 2                    Rockingham
5 September              TRAX                          Silverstone
10-12 September     JAE                              Wicksteed Park
18 September           Rallyday                      Castle Combe
4 October                    Japshow                    Santa Pod
10 October                  Modified Live            Snetterton

If you’d prefer to list a summary, the total is 36 national events split down as follows;
•    14 Shows
•    10 Trackdays*
•    7 Sprints*
•    3 Driver Training events
•    2 bespoke events
* which also include driver tuition

Tell us about something really exciting your members have done or regularly do.
Really exciting?!?  Well a number of people would say the MLR trackdays and sprints were all exciting for those who take part (driver and passenger), but as the times for the Sprints are shown instantly on a large plasma screen in the paddock, the competition is so close watching the screen can be enough for some people!

30-130 (which is also a top speed event) is quite unique and guaranteed to get adrenalin rushing as drivers test their cars from a rolling start with the sole aim of getting from 30-130 in the shortest time possible. They can then continue to complete a top speed run if they wish – the quickest Evos we’ve seen so far is 30-130 in 5.94seconds and a top speed on 201mph.

The MLR500 is another unique MLR event where 20 teams compete in a Mitsubishi worth no more than £500 on a dirt oval for a 4 hour endurance.  The event includes compulsory refueling, driver changes and a sin bin (for the over excited drivers!) and the winners are the team who completed the most laps. When everyone has calmed down we have party into the small hours with a BBQ, band and a bar – in a word it’s a riot!

We’re also now in the Guinness Book of World Records having successfully organised the largest parade of Mitsubishi Lancer Evos in July 2008, when we had a total of 273 cars on track together. It took some considerable time by a few members to make it happen, but it was a great spectacle and well worth the effort – and we raised nearly £8000 for charity too.

How do you want your community to benefit Mitsubishi owners?
In all the ways it already does, ie: bring people together with a similar interest in a particular subject, help them get more from their interest and help them when they have problems.   I think the measure of a good forum / community is too see its continued growth and the regular influx of new members, all wanting to be a part of something informative, interesting, social and good fun.

What steps are you taking to make sure that happens?
We have to continue to offer our members what they want and what they’re used to receiving, but it also important to improve what we do and look at introducing new elements to the club too – whether that’s with the magazine, events, website etc.  It’s very important to retain members, but equally to attract new members also think it’s important to get as many members as possible really involved in the club and it would be great to see more members attend events.  Away of the visible part of the MLR, we also need to ensure our IT infrastructure is resilient and up-to-date, so the elements that most take for granted remain operational, and we’re extremely fortunate to have an ISP and IT consultant who between them ensures the MLR runs 24×7.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
As much as I like cars (including Evos!) in general, I’ve always been more interested in the older versions – partly because they’re invariably rarer and in my opinion have more character, so it’s sad to see these cars get broken for spares if the only reason is they’re worth more money in parts. Sometimes of course it’s the only realistic option, but if it helps other people keep their cars roadworthy then it’s worthwhile. We see it happen very often now with newer models too though, purely because there make more money in their component form, which although is fine for the short term gain, it will accelerate their rarity too so I hope there are some owners out there who have the foresight to retain their cars originality – because they’ll be sitting on a very sought after car in years to come.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
Although I’ve never built a Mitsubishi, I have built other cars and there are similarities in understanding what you want both to achieve and having a game plan on how to get there. So although the details and components are quite different, the ethos is very similar.  There’s also a similarity in that neither are ever finished!

Who do you look up to in the greater automotive community?
A long (long!) time ago I was a member of the Porsche Club and I was always in awe of what they offered their members; from the quality of their magazine, the numerous events, the support network with regional areas and organisers, merchandise, and their whole infrastructure.  I’m extremely pleased and proud to see the MLR in the position it currently has, but I still think we have some way to go before we’re on a similar plain – it’s good to have goals though!

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car(s)?  With the community?
The MLR simply wouldn’t be where it is today without the help of a large number of people who volunteer their time and services – they are all the “MLR Staff” who want to get more involved with the club they enjoy, and because of their involvement, they create a better environment for others.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?  Want to thank any sponsors?
Due to the overwhelming popularity and growth of the MLR over the past 10 years we’ve been fortunate to attract a number of companies who have chosen the MLR to promote their businesses through. All these companies have helped the MLR grow and enabled us to invest, so I would like to thank all of them equally for their continued support.

Other than your own, do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
Regrettably no – I really wish I did, but I don’t have the time!

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  How can people find you online?
Me personally?  Errr, no!  Apart from that ‘lack of time’ factor again, my details are all over the internet via the MLR, so if anyone wants to contact me they’re already able to via PM and email – and there’s always the mobile too which is welded to me 7×24!

What’s next for your Mitsubishi(s)? Your community? (might not be exciting)
There are a few plans I’d like to see come to fruition for the MLR over the next 12 months – some of these are web based, some involve the magazine and there are also a couple of events which I would like to introduce. Whether they become a reality we’ll have to wait and see!

Thank you to Darin – and all the members of the Lancer Register – for helping make this story possible. For that one MLR member who left the visitor message on Darin’s profile requesting pictures of his Mitusbishis, we hope this will suffice.

Now what about you? What was your favorite part of this story? Are you excited? We are!

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?  How do you use it?
My build philosophy? I guess do it once, do it right. Don’t skimp and use cheap parts or do the job half way just to get it done. I ask others about the parts I’m getting ready to buy/install and see how they turned out for them. I check and recheck everything before reassembly.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?  What keeps you going today?
I was originally attracted to the styling, the SQ is such a unique car. What keeps me going the most is probably that uniqueness. I get people stopping me all the time asking about the car, telling me stories about when they had one or their buddy had one. I like talking to people about them.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
I bought this car “for parts only”. The previous owner had crashed it into a concrete bridge support several years before I purchased it. He was advertising it “for parts only” and was convinced the car was un-savable, he even gave me the contact info of a gentleman interested in the interior. He shook my hand and told me “good luck” when I picked it up. About 8 months later I emailed him pictures of the revived car, and he was shocked. I saved this car’s life.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
My goals are constantly being reassessed and revised. At first I wanted to have the car complete and drivable. Now that it’s there I want it quick and reliable. When I achieve my current goals, my goals will change and become more ambitious. Ultimately though, I’d like to make around 350whp on pump gas.

What was your favorite modification and why?
My favorite modification is easily my fender stripe. Being a part of such a unique community already, it sets me apart from the group. Everyone comments on it, whether for or against it. It’s a conversation starter for sure.

Your mod list:
As of a few weeks ago, something like this:

Drivetrain:
- 70k mile stock longblock
- Balance shaft elimination
- Jet valve elimination
- Powder-coated; turbo heat shields, valve cover, oil pan
- Delphi 65lb primary, 95lb secondary fuel injectors
- Ported & polished throttle body mixing bowl
- MK1 intercooler hard pipes
- HoseTechniques 4 ply silicone couplers w/SS t-bolt clamps
- Knockoff RFL BOV
- Hallman Pro RX boost controller w/heavy spring
- All vacuum lines replaced with silicone lines
- Ragdoll_Unlimited 16g turbo @ ~15psi
- LSP SS braided turbo oil feed line
- LSP SS braided turbo coolant feed line
- Modified Honda Prelude intake
- 1g DSM MAFT w/3″ GM MAF
- Jolyrgr fulll 3″ straight exhaust
- BLSG short shifter
- Delrin spherical shift knob
- RX7 spec clutch
- Lightened stock flywheel
- Redline MT-90 trans fluid
- 3SX SS braided clutch slave line
- Jolyrgr 3 row, cross flow aluminum radiator

Chassis:
- 16×8 “SHP” front rims, 16×8 standard rear rims, PC’d black
- 245/45/16 tires, front & rear
- ST sway bars, front & rear
- MK1 performance gas struts, front & rear
- Cosmo “dual spring” coil-over sleeves, front & rear
- MK1 front “pillow-ball” camber plates
- MK1 rear “flat” camber plates
- TEP rear strut tower brace with battery tray & brace
- 3SX one piece SS braided brake lines, front & rear
- Semi-metallic brake pads, front & rear
- Dimpled & slotted rotors, front & rear

Misc.
- Full AC delete w/duct, firewall plug & alternator bracket
- Cruise control delete
- ABS delete
- Rear seat delete
- Charcoal canister delete
- EGR delete w/block-off plate
- Sparco 4pt harness’
- Manual seat belt center console
- LED dome light & door lights
- HVAC controls relocated
- AEM UEGO wideband mtd. on gauge hood
- Hand made center mounted gauge cluster
- Autometer Phantom gauges; Boost/Vac, Oil psi, Water temp
- Battery relocation
- Custom CNC plasma cut intake heat shield
- 1983 Starion hood
- 1983 Starion tail lights
- MK1 fiberglass upper hatch spoiler/sun visor
- Custom made polished aluminum center caps by Starquestrims
- Custom fender stripe by Ron @ Moto-On.com
- Zipties
- Heli-coils
- Electrical tape
- Pure, unadulterated AWESOME (Added by editor.)

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
Last summer I made the road-trip out to Branson, Missouri for the “2009 Starquest Nationals.” I got to meet a ton of great people and see SQ’s from all over the country.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
Probably the Mitsu community as a whole. Most Mitsu owners know of the SQ and respect it greatly. There’s a mutual respect between owners that other people don’t understand. The most challenging, besides finding parts for the car, is probably convincing people its not a Supra, Celica, RX-7, DeLorean, Daytona, etc… haha.

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
I’m most excited to just drive the car this year. Last year and the year before it was all shakedown runs and constantly worrying about the car. I think I’ve got most of it worked out this season, so I’m just going to enjoy it. As for the community, probably the Vegas National meet in October. I’m not sure whether or not I’m going to make it, but it should be a great time for everyone regardless.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Local to me there are very few SQ owners so I have to travel a little bit to get to them. I’d say probably 3-4 times a year.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
I guess that depends on what your definition of “salvageable” is. You’ll come across cars that are completely gone, to the point of being dangerous to drive even if fixed. Then there are those that need some work beyond the average persons abilities. Some people just don’t have the skills, funds, or resources to save a car, I understand their situation. I definitely frown upon those who part/crush them strictly for monetary gain or out of spite to the community. Yes, it’s happened.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
Jeeze, hmm… Having never built a “community” before, I can’t say for sure, but I’d imagine it’s like anything else. There’s hard times when you wanna give up, but the payoff makes it well worth the effort.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
Without the community, I don’t think my build would have been completed. Parts are so difficult to find, without the community, I would have had an awful time getting the stuff I needed.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Miles on the odometer, and tuning.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
The forum (starquestclub.com) as a whole has helped me infinitely. The knowledge it’s members hold is staggering. The local guys have been great for helping with parts and advice; Joe, Mike, Ryan, and John. Oh, and Mrs. Joe for letting us have the meets at the house in PA.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
The new owners usually get roughed up over simple and common questions, I try and answer those, just like the seasoned guys did when I was new. I keep my car clean and try to set a good example. I take time to talk to others that seem interested in being an owner and try to lead them in the right direction.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Your own garage, get out there and work on your car.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
The majority of my time is spent over at starquestclub.com. That’s a great group of guys and ladies. I also spend some time at mitsumedia.com, and speedhunters.com and will occasionally poke my nose in over at dsmtuners.com.

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  How can people find you online?
I never got into the twitter thing, I’m on Facebook though, just search my name (Dale Myers).

Thank you, Dale, for taking the time and for reminding us:

1. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
2. We were all FNG/newbies at one point.

What do you think of Dale’s StarQuest? Do you want one now? Do you have that burning desire to devote yourself to the fine details and Mitsubishi craftsmanship? What do you think about that fender stripe? ;)

Does your Mitsubishi race team have an official name?  What would that be?
What Mitsubishi do you race?  In what series?
91 Eagle Talon, RWD. I run it at most DSM specific events and all of the local import events, as well as the various events that come around like Nopi, etc.

What’s your real name and role in the team? (Do you have a screen name online?)
Kevin Jewer (kjewer1), owner, driver, tuner, mechanic, pit crew, etc.

Where do you live?
In the wonderful state of Massachusetts. Someday I’ll move to a free state…

What do you do for a living?
To pay the bills I work as an equipment specialist for Intel. Essentially I work semiconductor equipment used to make computer processors and chip sets.

How long have you been racing this car?
This is the third season with this car. 10th season racing a Mitsubishi though.

Why did you choose this Talon to race? Features?  Benefits?
After all of the drivetrain breakage on my 2g Eclipse GSX, the much more robust driveline of this car appealed to me. I can put about as much power as I want to this drive train and just keep on racing. It’s also consistent enough to test new ideas and gather good data.

What have you already accomplished with the Talon?
Mostly just new personal bests. Getting into the 9s on the first full pass in the car was a welcome surprise, and the first 8 second pass I made, at the 2008 DSM Shootout, was probably the highlight of my racing “career.” I’ve also been able to make compound turbocharging work pretty well in this application, which has been a rewarding and educational experience.

When giving the car the final once-over before a race, what sort of things are you looking at?  What are your primary concerns at this point?
The car is ready to race when I put it in the trailer, hopefully. I’m generally just making sure the fluids are still good, tire pressure is set, chute is ready, etc. I’m basically just trying not to do anything stupid. :o)

What’s the stupidest thing that’s broken (or the stupidest reason why something broke)?
At the last event I won my round, but when I went to restart the car on the return road the starter was toast. Somehow the whole nose of the starter got blown off, no idea why. And naturally I had the bye in the next round, which was the semi-final. Figures. :o)

Walk our readers through what happens between when you get into and out of the Talon for a run and your concerns each step of the way.
And, when the car gets back to the pits?  What then?
Man, a lot goes on in that time. I used to have a lot more to do, but I’ve gradually changed the setup so that I can focus more on the task of driving than anything else. My logger is set up to start automatically, the car runs great without overheating or anything, etc. Once I leave the pits I don’t bother thinking any more about the tune. I try not to think about anything except my performance as a driver on the track. A proper burnout is fairly important. Staging is 90% of the race. The rest is driving the car as straight as possible and getting it stopped safely. Back at the pits there’s a flurry of activity for a short time while the car is checked over, logs downloaded, tune up changed, and so on. Then it starts all over again.

What does it take to go the distance?  Mechanically?  Mentally?
Physical, mental, and emotional durability. Gaining the knowledge and the funds to run a car like this seems easy compared to the constant abuse you take from the long hours, hard work, and inevitable disappointments. And I’m just a casual sportsman racer, sometimes I wonder how the big dogs do it…

How have you tuned the car for what kind of powerband?  Flat torque curve?  Peaky?
What has been your favorite event?  Why?
What other expenses are involved when budgeting for season of drag racing?
With the compound turbos I went for a pretty flat torque curve, compared to what I had on the big single. It’s just easier to drive the car this way. My favorite event is always the DSM Shootout in OH, and more recently, the DSM Showdown in NJ. Probably because I know and respect so many of the other DSMers that compete in those two events. As far as the racing budget goes, the biggest share goes to parts, but I’m always surprised by what it costs me to simply get the car to the track and back. Diesel, truck, trailer, etc.

What’s next for the Talon? Why?
More testing! The other half of the compound turbo project is to test intercooling between stages, and its effects on drive pressure, charge temp, etc. The goal for this season is 8.50.

Can people come and watch?  Where and when?
Yes, I’ll have the car at the DSM Shootout August 15th, and at the DSM Showdown October 23rd, as well as all of the local events at New England Dragway.

Is it easy to get into this type of racing?
Easy to get into, hard to get out of. :o)

Who has helped you the most along the way?
Other DSMers mostly, it’s a solid community with a lot of guys willing to help and share knowledge.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
How do you encourage other enthusiasts to get involved in legitimate racing?
The guys that get it done and share their knowledge and help others. Shep, Kiggly, Marco, the guys at Forced Performance, and a lot of the NABR guys.

I try to encourage a lot of the younger guys to go to the track and give real racing a try, and help guys out on the forums as often as time allows. I had some help and encouragement along the way, so I always try to give some of that back.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
Mostly Team NABR, DSMlink, and the local board (NewEngDSM).

Mod list?  Dyno sheet?
Where can our readers go for more information on your team online?

Most of the car’s info can be found at POSRacing. The key mods are the RWD conversion including the Powerglide transmission, 12 bolt rear, ladder bar suspension, and big slicks, and the the compound turbo system, which consists of a T3 50 trim on a custom JM Fab exhaust manifold being fed by a T6 Borg Warner S475. The car doesn’t dyno well through the auto, but it has put down around 590whp on a Mustang dyno for 8.9-9.0 second passes in the mid 150s.

Thanks for taking the time, Kevin. We all appreciate getting to know a bit more about you and your DSM. It just goes to show that, if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. Going beyond that and sharing what you know with others is truly paying it forward. That is going fast with class.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the rapid fire run of badass DSM racers this week. Did you learn anything new? Was there anything more you would have liked to have known about each of these racers? Leave a comment below (or below any article on Gearbox) and we’ll see about getting those questions answered for you from now on!

Happy Independence Day!

Does your Mitsubishi race team have an official name?
Kiggly Racing

What do you race?
It is a 1991 Plymouth Laser, FWD with an automatic transmission and 2.3L.  We run in a local tire-size limited class that dictates a 28×10.5” tire and also some DSM and Mitsubishi-related races, mostly at Norwalk.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Kevin Kwiatkowski, Owner – AKA Kiggly. I live in the greater Detroit area. I’m a mechanical engineer, working in specialty vehicle design as a system and vehicle-level team leader.  Work is predominantly on road race and military vehicles.

How long have you been racing this car?
12 years racing this same car.

Why did you choose this Laser to race?  Features?  Benefits?
It started as my street car and I just never got rid of it.  It was a decent vehicle to make a race car from as the lightest of the DSM trims and also drivetrain parts didn’t break as often with a FWD at lower power levels.

Accomplishments
World’s quickest FWD car on gas, quickest DSM on gas.
Temporarily world’s 2nd quickest Mitsubishi on gas (by 0.01sec).
Quickest and fastest FWD DSM
Quickest automatic DSM

The pre-race check list:
The car has a pretty strict maintenance regimen.  The external trans filter is disassembled and cleaned every time out to look for excessive debris.  We had some main and rod bearing wear problems in the past so the pan comes off every couple of times to the track for an inspection.  Those problems seem to be fixed by some clearance adjustments, but as the power and rpm range gets pushed higher they could resurface so everything is still on a tight schedule.  Otherwise, there really isn’t much that goes wrong so I just do a good visual inspection of everything between races as long as nothing out of the ordinary happened previously.

Primary Concerns?
Engine bearing wear as mentioned above, not really much else.

What’s the stupidest thing that’s broken (or the stupidest reason why something broke)?
Lost a whole engine to a backfire during startup.  The engine skipped timing backwards a couple teeth and popped the head off an intake valve.  This even took out the block.  Only the rods, cams, and crank were salvaged for hard parts.  Ever since then I run a positive backstop on the hydraulic tensioner (it is just washers over the peg).

What goes on in and out of the car for a pass?
First thing into the car leaving the pits is be sure I have Erin (my wife) guiding me backing out since I can’t see a thing behind me through the cage.  Then I try to avoid any uneven ground on the way up to the staging lanes so I don’t beat up on the wheelie bar wheels too badly nor bottom out the fascia.  Once we’re in the lanes we usually check the wheelie bar heights and chase tire pressures (they change pass to pass with heat).  I get my HANS and helmet on and strapped in with Erin’s help before going up to do the burnout.

This car is tough to get a good burnout sometimes, so I try my best to be consistent.  After Erin positions me in the box I start the burnout in 1st gear at about 4200-4500rpm and shift 1-2-3, then neutral when leaving the burnout.  For the first pass of the day I will try to get a strong burnout in 3rd gear and sometimes set it on the rev limiter at 9200rpm.  Later burnouts I just try to keep it down in the 8k range for a couple seconds.  Getting the car on the converter is the biggest problem/inconsistent area and these problems will show up for the burnout.

I try to line the car up in the groove as best as possible and I stage it myself.  If in a real race on a pro tree, I bump the car into the first beam and then get it to launch boost and on the 2-step (4700rpm) before tripping the second beam.  At this point, my only concern is cutting a good light.  After I leave the line, I just try to keep the car in the groove and hit my shifts right.  On a good track I’ll be shifting at ~9000rpm for both the 1-2 and 2-3.  If the track doesn’t stick I’ll be short-shifting it.  If I get into tire shake I will be pedaling it in 1st gear.  I’ve only seen tire shake in 2nd gear once or twice, but this may get worse as the power goes up.

At the end of a pass I stop the car using the brakes.  I really don’t like using the chute and the car stops fine with just the foundation brakes.  As soon as I turn off the track I usually get my helmet, harness, and sweatsuit opened up as quickly as possible if it is hot out.  I drive back with the driver’s door cracked open to get some cooling air since the windows don’t open.  This can be pretty damn uncomfortable and sweaty by this point on 90F days.

Back to the pits
Between passes there is a standard schedule:
Set up the fan on the engine and leaf blower on the converter (big fan)
Pull the logs from the Haltech and AIM dash and review for any problems or changes needed
Check for leaking fluids and the catch can
Add fuel
Check spark plugs to verify no knock/peppering and also change them every 2-3 passes (more than this and they can get tough to read)

What does it take to go the distance?
Mechanically – Be sure everything is strong enough and inspect parts all the time, even if you don’t think they’re broken.  I quite often catch things before they go catastrophic and try to keep it that way.  Bearings and gaskets are VERY cheap compared to a rod through the side of the block.

Mentally – STAY FOCUSED!  As simple as it sounds, this is sometimes very difficult to do.  When you’re going up to the line to cut a light you have to be focused only on cutting that light.  The car must be reliable enough that you’re not thinking about things breaking.  Consistency in the routine helps me a ton with being able to have a clear mind when pulling the car into the beams.

How is that mechanical/mental prep different from other forms of racing?
I have also done a lot of autocrossing and some road racing (wheel-to-wheel endurance events).  Lots of those guys tend to dog drag racing because “how hard can it be to go in a straight line?”  Truth be told, very hard and with absolutely zero room for error.  It is a totally different set of challenges than racing with turns.  You absolutely must cut a good light, hit your shifts, and keep the car going straight and in the groove.  There are no second chances, nor room to do something a little better to make up for it somewhere else.  Every single time I’ve come off an autocross or road race session I think about the things I could have done better and what I can improve for next time around.  If you can do that after a drag race, that means you screwed up and probably lost the race due to it.  You can’t make up for it in the next round when you just got knocked out.

How have you tuned the car for what kind of powerband?  Flat torque curve?  Peaky?
The powerband is approximately 7.8-9.2k, but with the requirement to make enough torque and boost in the 3.4-4.7k range to get onto the converter and launch.  It is actually a very flat torque curve from 7.5-8k and I don’t know what the torque curve does at high boost below 7.5k because it rides on the converter at that rpm at high boost.  Based on fuel requirements, I think it is actually a pretty flat torque curve from full boost up to 8k.

What has been your favorite event?  Why?
The Talon Shootout (aka: DSM Shootout). It is great to see all our old friends there that we only see once a year.

How do you budget for season of drag racing?
Budget is dependent on Kiggly Racing’s sales.  The business exists to fund the racing program.

What’s next for the Laser?
I really want to see 7’s on gas.  So far in 2010 there have been a couple hiccups but a lot of promise as well.  With what has been shown so far I think it has the capability to run 8.1’s or 8.2’s at 43-45psi on a good track.  As long as it makes more power at higher boost, 7’s should be possible before 50psi and the 76mm borg warner turbo is capable of a lot more than that.

Can people come and watch?  Where and when?
We’ll be at Norwalk for the races Buschur Racing puts on (like the Talon Shootout) and Milan Dragway for a couple more True 10.5” tire races this season.  Besides that we do some testing on Friday nights at Milan, usually before the races.

Is it easy to get into this type of racing?
Absolutely, anybody can come out and drag race their cars.  All you need is a mechanically sound vehicle.

Who has helped out the most along the way?
Have to thank the guys that have been helping me out:
Forced Performance and their killer cams
Wiseco Pistons
Precision Industries Billet Torque Converter
Borg Warner/Airwerks 76mm S400SX3 76/83 turbo
Monkeywrench Racing
TRE shot-peened gears
Manley Turbo Tuff Connecting Rods
Fuel Injector Clinic [fuel injectors]
Haltech [engine management]

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
I have the utmost respect for both the shops and individuals who are out there developing new and innovative parts, ideas, and approaches to accomplishing their goals.  One of the reasons I got into this type of racing in the late 90’s was the creativity involved that just wasn’t there in other forms of racing.  Although you can buy turn-key cars today, the innovation is still alive and well if you look for it.  After all, this breed of vehicles is really still in its infancy compared to the V8 stuff.

How do you encourage other enthusiasts to get involved in legitimate racing?
Just show up, in my experience the legit crowd is generally more friendly than the street racing crowd as well!

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Mitsubishi community today?
Both the biggest advantage and biggest challenge is the anonymity of the internet.  It is obviously our home base and the biggest wealth of information available by a mile.  Unfortunately, there is no good filter for misinformation vs good information.  Another challenge is the DSMs are just getting old and nice examples are becoming less common.  Yet another big challenge for the drag racing community is finding places to race as the series for cars like mine have unfortunately dried up.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?
Now that I have a family I don’t spend that much time on the Mitsu sites.  I sometimes check out NABR, DSMTuners, DSMTalk, EvoM, and DSMLink forums.  There are a couple other ones I sometimes check on, but those are the major sites.  I usually just do searches for “kiggly” to see if somebody is looking for me buried in the verbiage of a post.

Mod list and dyno:
Chassis
28” x 10.5” MT Front Slicks on 12” Wheels, 25” Rear Skinnies
65” Wheelie Bars
25.5 Spec 7.50ET Cage
Koni Double-Adjustable Front Struts
Strange Single-Adjustable Rear Shocks
Zero Bump-Steer 4-Link Rear Suspension with Panhard Rod
Stock Front Suspension, Delete Swaybar
Coilovers
Factory ‘Big’ Brakes with Vacuum Pump
Kiggly Racing 1-pc Fiberglass Front Clip

Engine
6-bolt 2.3L
Launching 4700-4900rpm, Revlimit 9250rpm
Tall-Filled Block
Eagle 100mm Stroke Crank
Full-Groove all Main Bearing Shells
Wiseco 9.7:1 Pistons
Manley Turbo-Tuff Rods
FelPro PermaTorque MLS Head Gasket
ARP Main and Head Studs
Kiggly Racing 6-Bolt Main Girdle
Modified Oil Pickup and Deeper 6qt Pan to Maintain Pressure Everywhere
2g Head, Stock Size Valves
Kiggly Racing Beehive Springs
Kiggly Racing HLA Pressure Regulator
FP Cams – Prototype Intake and 11R Exhaust
DSMIVEC Intake Cam and Control System
Custom Sheet Metal Intake
Custom Tri-Y Header
Garrett 28×12.75×5.1 Bar and Plate Intercooler with 3” Piping
Q45 Throttle Body
Kiggly Racing 6-Bolt Crank Trigger Sensor

Turbocharger
Borg Warner S400SX3 76/83
1.1AR Turbine Housing
“Race” Cover

Driveline
Mitsubishi 2g F4A33 Automatic Transmission
Precision Industries 9.5” Billet Converter
OEM Filter
Ported Fluid Passages in VB and Case
Translab Shift Kit with some Custom Tweaks
Full Manual Shifting at Full Line Pressure
John Deere Hy-Gard Universal Tractor Fluid
Kiggly Racing Front Clutch
TRE Shot-Peened and Detailed Gears
Kiggly Racing SFI29.1 Flexplate
Porsche 930 (911 Turbo) Torsen-Style Diff
Kiggly Racing Billet Diff Saddle
Upgraded Porsche 930 Inner CV Joints (30-spline instead of 28-spline)
BIG 300M Bars and Pro4 Outer Joints with GM 2500 Truck Splines
Custom Hubs and Wheel Bearings to Accommodate Axles

Fuel System
2 Gallon Pro Stock Fuel Cell Filled with VP Import
160lb/hr FIC-Serviced Injectors
Dual Parallel Walbro 255 Pumps with Pressure Bleed Eliminated
20V, 40A Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump
-6AN Fuel Lines and Stock Rail, SX Regulator

Electronics
Haltech Platinum Sport 2000 ECU
AIM MXL Pro05 Digital Dash
Various Accelerometers, Strain Gauges, Pressure Sensors, etc.

Old Dyno Plot:

Where can we find more information online?
KigglyRacing.com

Special thanks go out to Kiggly for taking the time to be interviewed! Like many of us, Kevin works the day job and plays with the Mitsubishi after hours, but Kevin also runs a business based around his passion, so you know free time can be hard to find.

The Gearbox Magazine 4th of July red, white, and blue DSM dragster series is back again TOMORROW. If you can’t make it back, grab our RSS or register on the site and you can receive future stories right to your inbox. (It’s that easy!)

In the meantime, jump on over to KigglyRacing.com and take a look around. You’re bound to find something you like! We’ll see you back here tomorrow! (Have you figured out our blue car yet? HINT: It’s been in the background of a couple pictures already! WINK!)

Does your Mitsubishi race team have an official name?  What would that be?
Nope, I don’t have any sort of official name for the team that help me out with the car. I wouldn’t be able to do all of it without them though. Thanks

Christyn, Rick and Mark – all of you help me out so much – no way I’d be able to do this without you.

What Mitsubishi do you race?  In what series?
I Drag Race my 1991 Eagle Talon Tsi RWD. I don’t race in one particular series right now, although someday I would like to.

What’s your real name and role in the team? (Do you have a screen name online?)
My name is Scott Glassbrook. My role in the team encompasses pretty much any role there is. I own the car; drive the car; do any of the work that needs to be done; fabricate all the custom parts; maintain the car; foot the bill; come up with new ideas to try out – those sorts of things. Online, I can be found under my real name or as ‘phydiux’ on various forums, although I’m not nearly as active on forums as I used to be.

Where do you live?
Michigan – The land of muscle cars :-)

What do you do for a living?
I’m a computer geek. More specifically, I’m a software developer.

How long have you been racing this car?
This car has been a work in progress since the end of 1999. In 2000 I started racing it and my first trip to the track netted a few 12.8x@108-ish mph passes.

It’s come a long way since then, that’s for sure.

Why did you choose this Talon to race? Features?  Benefits?
I chose to race the Talon because it was the car that I owned when I started racing and it was very respectable in stock form. My first car was an F-body; my brother Jake had a Talon at the time and it was much faster than my bigger V8 engine. Some kid I went to school with rear ended me and totaled my Camaro, so I replaced that car with a 1990 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD to get with the times. That’s when I started drag racing. That was in 1997. I ended up driving that car until 1999 and replaced it with the Talon I own now. I continued drag racing because I already knew that I wanted to.

The car itself features a lot of common items you’d see on a DSM, along with a lot of items you would almost never see on a DSM. The GT42 is pretty standard fare now, along with a 2.3L stroked 4g63 with JE pistons and Pauter rods. I’m currently running a set of FP3x cams and a set of Kiggly Racing springs. Additionally, I have pretty standard things like a Jay Racing alternator relocation kit, 1600cc injectors and a Haltech Sport 1000 that I just put in the car this year. All of those items are pretty standard fare when talking about modded DSMs. The more generic parts on the car consist of things like a Powerglide transmission, aluminum driveshaft, Chevy 10-bolt rear end, Four link, Competition Engineering shocks, QA1 springs and rod ends, CSR Water pump, Fluidyne radiator and Speedglass windows, just to name a few random items. These are the items that set the car apart from other DSMs and make it what it is.

The primary benefits of the car? Burnouts! :-) Seriously, though, the car is now a purpose-built drag car. The 4-link allows me to make changes to the way the car hooks and it’s the best suspension you can have on a door-car for drag racing. The rear end, the transmission and the chassis are overbuilt to withstand more power than I will need to make with them.

The chassis is certified to 8.50, and that’s all I ever planned on running with it. This car is built for fun, plain and simple.

Got a favorite story to tell about building or racing the Talon?
There are so many stories, it’s hard to pick just one. One of my favorites about building the car has to do with the conception of converting the car to RWD.

Back in 2003, I was basically stuck running 11.teens at 134mph. That sort of mile an hour will net low 10 second passes on a properly equipped suspension and drive line. I was having a hard time getting my transmission to agree with handling the power, and this was before dogboxes were widely available, and multiple-clutch options didn’t even exist. The only real option to improve my ET was to change the setup drastically.

Over dinner one night, Mark and I were talking about what to do since we both had very similar setups at the time. I think I mentioned something about rear wheel drive being the ultimate way to go. Mark prodded me, saying something like “why not make it RWD?” and we literally started sketching out ideas on napkins and scraps of paper. I still have some of those sketches.

Through the next few months, we loosely threw together a game plan, and then I started acquiring parts for the project. I didn’t even have a shop – I had to borrow Rick’s garage to get started on the project. The chassis was built in a detached, small, old two-car garage in Lansing Michigan over the course of about five months. No heat, and there we were February of 2004 cutting up a perfectly good AWD DSM.

My favorite story racing the Talon has to be my first full power pass after completing the RWD conversion. This was back in 2008. I had made a few partial passes at Milan to make sure everything on the chassis was straight, and then loaded the car up and went down to PINKS All Out in Norwalk, Ohio. The event was largely a disaster – it was really freaking hot out, the event wasn’t the best-run event I’ve ever been to at NRP and the car was out of sorts. I was having ignition issues; my wideband died on me; the car’s fuel map was way rich and just not cooperating with me. The first day of the event I didn’t even make a pass! To top it off, it was the first event, my whole family was there and it was my birthday.

Overnight, Mark and I worked on the fuel map, Kevin Kwiatkowski let me borrow an entire ignition setup and we worked through the night getting things in order. The next morning, we uploaded the new map – completely pulling numbers out of thin air based on some math we had come up with and swapped over to Kevin’s borrowed ignition setup just in time to get the car ready for the first qualifying pass. The net result was a 10.15@133mph. I was ecstatic – four years of work showed real promise immediately – that was an awesome pass in spite of all the difficulty I had in getting to that point.

What have you already accomplished with the Talon?
My best pass to date is a 9.63@137.25mph This was running between 22 and 29 psi of boost – boost creeps a little up top. My best 60′ so far is a 1.38. I need to work on that; 1.2X’s should be in my future, but I guess that’s bench racing, isn’t it?

When giving the car the final once-over before a race, what sort of things are you looking at?  What are your primary concerns at this point?
The main thing I do on the car are bolt checks between races. The one thing I would change if given the chance was the decision to solidly mount the engine.

Everything rattles loose. I have safety wire on almost all of the really important suspension bolts, but you simply can’t safety-wire everything. So, I put the car on jack stands and spend time under the car checking all the bolts. I guess it’s a good thing because I also get to examine all of the things under the car. I have bolts that have locking washers, with
nylock nuts and lock-tite that still need to be re-tightened from time to time. Other than that, I spend a lot of time obsessing over the ECU maps – I’m constantly making changes to them. Aside from that, I usually have a checklist. Ice, fuel, tire pressures, stuff like that.

What’s the stupidest thing that’s broken (or the stupidest reason why something broke)?
Without a doubt, my throttle body was the stupidest thing that broke. I went to a gambler’s race a few weeks ago, and broke my throttle shaft on the burnout. I found out it broke about 30 feet out on my first qualifying pass when the car went from a decent launch to dying on the track. That ended the day, right there. I was out $200 for that one race, not counting the time, effort and energy to get to the track. It was really disappointing. The reason it broke was stupid – I had removed the intake manifold over the winter and didn’t remember to readjust my pedal stops after putting the throttle cable back on. That is now on my checklist of things to do.

Walk our readers through what happens between when you get into and out of the Talon for a run and your concerns each step of the way.
I think about everything, from what the air pressure in the tires are to the conditions on the track and try to account for all of it. I’m starting to get a rhythm down on some things, but get rusty over the winter. Sometimes I have to rethink things, because I’m thinking about other things. When I get to the line, it’s all about the staging – when I’m
actually racing (as opposed to T&T,) I work on cutting a good light; I know by the end of the 60′ mark whether it will be a good pass or not. I went racing last night, and the last pass I made I just knew it was going to be decent because I felt the front wheels touch back down further up the track than normal. Sure enough, I matched my best 60′ and ran
9.64@122mph – I was making a moderate licensing pass.

When I’m done with my pass, I either immediately grin and celebrate on the return road, or start thinking about what was up with that pass and try to figure out how to improve it for the next pass.

And, when the car gets back to the pits?  What then?
Fuel, ice, plugs, tire pressures, logs. Repeat :-) It’s a little more involved than that when I’m testing and tuning, but those are the main items.

What does it take to go the distance?  Mechanically?  Mentally?
Mechanically, going the distance is done by having the right parts. If you’re half-assing things, you might end up with a reasonable run – once or twice – but in the end it’ll get you. You lose consistency and reliability when skimping on important parts for the car. Mentally? I think you need to be a little bit obsessed with what you’re doing – maybe a little nutty, even. :-)

How is that mechanical/mental prep different from other forms of racing?
I don’t think it’s all that different than other forms of racing. It comes down to getting your stuff together, and then doing the best that you can do.

Sometimes you end up short, and other times you end up on top.

How have you tuned the car for what kind of powerband?  Flat torque curve?  Peaky?
On a good pass, the car is always somewhere between 5700 and 8200RPM. With a 2500 rpm powerband, I’m basically going for peak power at as high an RPM as I can get it. Of course, It’s also imperative that I’m able to get it up on the converter, too, so I always try to tune for that, too.

What has been your favorite event?  Why?
The DSM Shootout, for sure. I can’t give you a specific year that was my favorite, but I really enjoy talking to people I’ve met over the years. It’s great catching up, sharing experiences and spending the weekend immersed in DSM geekiness. I go every year.

What other expenses are involved when budgeting for season of drag racing?
There are a few wear items on the car that are kind of part of the race-season budget. Spark plugs, race fuel, fluids, RTV, stuff like that. I tend to just get these when I need them; I don’t particularly set a budget for them. Then there are items that you just have to replace – O2 sensors, Slicks, stuff like that. The real expensive stuff just creeps up on you though – safety equipment. The harness and window net have to be replaced every two years. The chassis also needs to be certified every few years. The transmission needs re-certification every 5 years. This stuff adds up, so it can get expensive without even realizing it.

Aside from those items, I try to plan out events as far enough as possible to give myself time to ease myself into spending that money. Hotels are a big expense but I don’t go to many races, so they’re not nearly as bad as they could be. Diesel fuel for the tow rig is another item when I’m making trips out to tracks, too. My last trip to the track, I blew out two trailer tires that I had to replace *right then* in order to get home. (Thankfully, I was literally 4 miles to a trailer store and could leave my trailer where it was.) It’s kind of crazy if you think about it too much – why exactly is it that I have this hobby that takes my money? Oh yeah, the burnouts!

What’s next for the Talon? Why?
More boost, more tuning. Why? So I can go faster. The goals are 8.50′s, and I’m not there yet.

Can people come and watch?  Where and when?
People often ask this question. I always do everything I can to make it to the Shootout, so you can bet that I will be there. Otherwise, sometimes I will post on my site about when and where I will be running. I usually do one or two other events throughout the year, so those are usually posted. Aside from that, you can find me at T&T sessions at either Milan Dragway or Mid-Michigan Motorplex – I frequent both of those tracks.

Is it easy to get into this type of racing?
It’s really easy to get into, I think. They have all sorts of “run what you brung” And street car types of events around here. Getting good at it is another story; I’m still working on that.

Who has helped you the most along the way?
There have been so many people that have helped me. During the conversion into a RWD chassis, Mark Hessler and Rick Garnaat helped me with everything on the car. Rick provided the shop and helped with ideas and helped with the labor of the car. Mark helped with the designs – we would challenge each other’s ideas and come up with the best solutions that we were able to implement – he also pushed me into starting the project in the first place. I also have a friend, Jay Danhof who helped out quite a bit – from lending a hand to making food runs, Jay saved me tons of time
and energy, for sure.

Since the project has been running, the biggest help is my wife Christyn. I probably drive her crazy, but she helps get things packed and ready for events and helps me out with everything at the track. All the maintenance of the car and of me – I mean everything. I’m sure she’s learned a lot since we started this crazy stuff a few years ago (whether she wanted to or not!) and she really does a great job with making sure I have my act together at the track.

Rick Also lends a hand a lot and does everything he can when we’re at the track. I couldn’t ask for a better team to have with me :-)

Mark lends a hand, too, when he’s able, but he lives on the other side of the country now so it’s usually through phone support.

Finally, I also have to thank Kevin Kwiatkowski of Kiggly Racing for all the help and advice. He’s always willing to offer suggestions and is such a wealth of knowledge about DSMs that it’s kind of ridiculous. Kevin has helped me out in a pinch a countless number of times, and I don’t think anyone has ever had a conversation with him where they didn’t learn a thing or two. Kevin is crazy, in an absolutely fantastic way – it’s mind-boggling what he has accomplished with his own car.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
There were so many influences early on that it’s hard to name all the people I look up to. I think most of them are pretty well known names. I honestly look up to the guys who’ve made their own way. Shep, Rau, Buschur, Passante, Kiggly, Frank & Serge – All of these guys went down their own paths and all kick ass in their own way. I respect them all for their contributions to the DSM community; We’ve all learned a lot from them. There are others, sure, but these are some of the original guys that I still remember from back when my car was stock-ish.

How do you encourage other enthusiasts to get involved in legitimate racing?
Well, I hope I encourage legit racing through posting about my car on my website. I think people should race if that’s one of their passions, but I’m kind of old school – I think street racing gives all of us a bad name.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Mitsubishi community today?
Drama :-) I think that happens in all cliques, but I think that’s the biggest challenge “we,” collectively, face as a group. I think the internet exacerbates this, but I think that’s the biggest challenge we have.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
I’m on NABR from time to time. I also check out DSMtuners, MIDSM, and a few other boards.

Mod list?  Dyno sheet?
eagletalon.net/specifications

It’s pretty long, but the most up-to-date.

Where can our readers go for more information on your team online?
eagletalon.net

Gearbox Magazine would like to thank Scott for taking the time to share so much with the Mitsubishi community. Remember, just because it hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean you can’t do it if you put your mind to it.

We continue our red, white, and blue 4th of July celebration here on Gearbox Magazine TOMORROW. It’s another 1G (first gen) DSM drag racer. (HINT: He’s mentioned in this interview a couple times. WINK). Come on back tomorrow or subscribe via email/RSS so you don’t miss out!

In the meantime, leave Scott a comment here or on eagletalon.net, where he has nearly a decade of DSM history in pictures and posts. Thanks again Scott!

What’s your real name?  (What’s your screen name?)
My name is J. Paul Lang and my online name is “mararmeisto”.

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I’m recently retired from the Canadian Navy, and I now work for a commercial company that is performing long-term maintenance on submarines. My last few years in the Navy were as a submariner, so my current job as a project controller is a way I get to stay involved with the program. I live in Langford, BC, on Vancouver Island.

What did you do as a submariner? You probably run into submariners every day, but I think you’re only the second I’ve known in the last 15 years. A rare breed!
I spent the last five years of my naval career as a submariner: 2 years training and consolidating training before “putting up dolphins” (recognised as qualified in submarines), two years waiting for my submarine to be finished its refit phase (still waiting), and one year figuring out how to get back to the surface fleet while the submarine fleet got itself sorted. Prior to that, I’d spent 15 years in the surface fleet as a radar and electronic warfare technician. I’ve literally sailed the seven seas, set foot on all the continents (except Antarctica), circumnavigated the globe twice, and filled up a whole ditty bag full of memories, as it were.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?
I am currently driving a 1994 short-wheelbase (SWB) Pajero, powered by a 2800cc intercooled turbo diesel that produces about 125hp – we call it “Monty”. Essentially it’s the diesel-engined 2dr version of the Montero that was sold in the Americas. While the 2dr was initially sold in the US and Canada market (first by Dodge as the Raider, then by Mitsubishi as the Montero), after 1992 only the 4dr model was sold here. I’ve had the Pajero since January of 2010, and before that drove a ’90 Delica StarWagon for about 2.5 years.

How do you use your Mitsubishi?
We’re using Monty as a commuter and a tower (as in towing a trailer for camping). While the van seated 6, it was a bit underpowered for towing, so the extra ccs and the intercooler in the Pajero really makes a difference for pulling extra weight like a trailer. For commuting, the average fuel economy is about 18-21mpg (combined city/highway), but when it gets on the highway for a long run, it’ll get nearly 25mpg! With niceties like climate control and the SuperSelect AWD transmission, it’s a very comfortable and capable year-round city vehicle, while being rugged enough to take it off-pavement for those weekend excursions to the middle of nowhere.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?  What keeps you going today?
We had driven out to the start of the West Coast Trail in our ’91 Windscar, brakes smokin’ and the transmission protesting for the last few kilometers probably due to 3 adults, 4 kids and 2 dogs loaded into it, and I just knew it was about time to get something new. The Ford was actually in my wife’s name, so it wasn’t really my vehicle, but I despised it just the same: always owned imports and the Windscar pretty much confirmed my convictions every time I drove it.

“Windscar” is a snarky reference to Windstar, right? The mediocre Ford minivan?
We have a winner! Gawd I hated that vehicle. Somebody told me once, “Don’t buy a Ford with the word ‘star’ in its name.”

Anyways, in the parking lot that day was a Delica: seats 7, windows all-round (check out the Crystal Light sunroof models), diesel-engined cab-over design (saves on size), 4X4 (an added bonus good for the forestry roads), and 20+mpg. A bit of research determined that these vehicles were generally in better repair after 15 years out of Japan than most North American vehicles after only 5 or 10, cost was quite reasonable (around 10k$), and it was different and cool looking. We found a dealer who had their vehicles go through a thorough inspection and maintenance process which made them almost like new again, and we knew we’d found the right vehicle for our family. When we didn’t so much need a 7-passenger van any more, we set our sights on the SWB Pajero. My wife had always wanted a Rav4 and I liked the Suzuki Samurai, so the Pajero is like both only bigger, badder and cooler looking. One of the biggest draws for both is the diesel engine: more power than gas, better fuel economy, slightly cheaper fuel (at least in Canada), and the motor will last quite a while longer than gasoline.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
I bought this Japanese plate more than two years ago, had it on the front of the van until I got this Pajero. After detailing I decided to mount the plate, and that’s when I noticed the numbers: “94-05″. Coincidentally, it’s the same date as the VIN code indicates the Pajero was manufactured – May of 1994! How cool is that?

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
The best part is driving a JDM and explaining to people how it’s similar but how it’s different from what was sold here. A lot of people are intrigued by the right-hand drive and wonder if it’s really that difficult to drive (it’s not), though not many are willing to try. The most challenging thing about driving a JDM is that I’m forever explaining how it’s different and you won’t be able to find the part listed in your computer by looking up my vehicle. It’s not enough to tell the parts guy I want a 7″ round headlight, he wants to look it up by vehicle and of course he can’t find a 1994 Mitsubishi Pajero because they weren’t sold here. So as far as the parts guy is concerned, he can’t source me a headlight!

How common are the RHD, JDM Mitsubishis in your area? In Canada (take a guess)?
All JDMs imported are RHDs because Japan drives on the left (sitting on the right). That being said, they import vehicles too, so some of the vehicles imported from Japan are actually LHD (left-hand drive), which would make them ‘different’ for them, but ‘normal’ for us. As for how many are Mitsubishis? I’d say the distribution is fairly even: Delicas and Pajeros for the Mitsubishi; a comparable van and the Land Cruisers for Toyota; Nissan is mostly the Skyline; never really seen many Isuzus or Subarus or Hondas, but I’m sure some of those are being brought over as well. Also, the 1 to 3.5 tonne trucks are quite popular across the various manufacturers, again primarily because one tends to get a vehicle with a diesel engine, considerably less mileage than a local vehicle, and a whole lot cheaper. Finally, the greatest concentrations for the import market is Vancouver and Vancouver Island, and the Toronto triangle (from what I understand). Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg have good representation as well, and after that it’s sporadic across the country.

If someone in Canada wanted to join the club and start “driving right,” what advice would you give them? Where do they start? What should their concerns be? Where can they get familiar with the rules? That sort of thing.
The best sources of information are going to be the Imported Vehicle Owners Association of Canada (IVOAC) and Delica Canada – from those two forums there is a wealth of information to be read to either find someone to source a vehicle for you, or for you to figure out how to import a vehicle for yourself. The route I chose was buying vehicles from a dealer who had imported, serviced and had it cleared through inspection. There have been people in the centre of Canada who have gone through the whole process ‘remotely’ (using the Internet and phones), who then fly to the Vancouver to pick up and drive their vehicle back to where they live (to Thunder Bay, for example).

As for the whole ‘driving from the right’, it’s really less of an issue than most are able to appreciate from outside the driver’s seat. While overtaking to pass and left turns require more patience in order to get a clear line of view to the opposing traffic, the motor vehicle acts for each province are quite clear in their underlying principle of safe motor vehicle operation: perform no action before it is safe to do so. You can’t make a left-hand turn until you’ve checked there is no oncoming traffic – if that means you have to wait for the tractor-trailer unit in front of you to clear the intersection, well, you just have to wait.

As I was reading your interview, it struck me that I’d love to get a Delica or a diesel Pajero (great for towing a Mitsubishi rally car, yeah?), but I wouldn’t know the first place to begin. I bet we’ve got readers who will see “Monty” and want to pursue such a vehicle, but have no clue where to begin.
I’m going to go out on a limb and speculate that you are based out of the US, so the rules for importing vehicles into the States are a bit different from what’s allowed into Canada. First and foremost, the initial stumbling block is a 25-year rule vice a 15-year rule: we can’t import anything less than 15 years old to month of manufacture (unless it’s on a particular list), while the US has a 25-year rule. It’s a protectionist measure, to be sure, but what it means for the American readers is that they can only get a May 1985 and older model of something while we in Canada can import a May 1995 model. What this means is the 4X4 Delica Star Wagon is not going to be available south of the 49 until next year. And then, there is the individual state rules and you guys got 50 of them! I heard a while back Georgia has outright banned RHDs on their roads, so there’s something to consider as well.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
At least once a year there is a www.delica.ca camping trip on Vancouver Island; there’s been the Coombs Country Auto Show and Tell; some of the other shops are starting to run their own customer appreciation days; and then there is the “Hey, who wants to go bimblin’ down a forestry service road this weekend” get togethers throughout the year. So we see each on a fairly regular basis, and any time one of us is travelling from one province to another or going through an area where we know there is a concentration of Delicas, we generally broadcast our trip and keep our eyes peeled for those “on the right”. There is also a broadcast for those who are running WVO-conversions so they can find oil along their route.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
Since most of the Mitsubishis I associate with are from the JDM market, I think it’s great when an importer brings in vehicles identified for parts only. Also, when they can get their hands on a scrapped car from an insurer, it helps the repair market immensely. The concentration of JDM Mitsubishis is in the Lower Mainland of BC and on Vancouver Island, so a lot of those in the Prairies and further east are relying on parts being available in Canada from somewhere other than their local area – otherwise they’d have to source a part out of Japan (which is obviously more expensive).

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Next for Monty is definitely a North American stereo. I’m still driving around with the original OEM stereo fitted, and while it has a CD player and a cassette player (how quaint, eh?), it cannot tune to the North American FM radio frequencies. I had thought of simply installing a band expander (which down-shifts the received frequency to something the tuner can recognise, like a cable box for your television), but I’d like to be able to use my iPhone without a bunch of cords dangling out of the dash.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
There have been individuals who have provided me with more help than others, but on the whole it’s been the forum as a group. We’ve got quite an international following on Delica.ca, so there is quite the variety for experiences and suggestions.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
As one of the moderators and long-time and/or prolific contributors to www.delica.ca, I’ve shared my experiences with the group. Now that I’m familiarising myself with the Paj, it’s like I’ve started all over again on the forum.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Coombs Country Auto (in Coombs, BC) and E4 Auto (in Duncan, BC). The first is arguably the deepest well of Mitsubishi knowledge on Vancouver Island, while the second is also making a name for itself by diversifying into the Mitsubishi-sector. John is pretty keen on the Land Cruisers, but he’s getting familiar with the Delicas/Pajeros, repairing an alternator for me and I now see Pajeros and Delicas outside his shop when I drive past now. And finally I’d like to shout out to John at Rocky Mountain Imports – he has, from what I’ve seen, the most exhaustive inventory of Mitsubishi parts available, and if he doesn’t actually have it here in Canada, it’s on the next boat across the Pacific!

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your story with us and telling us a little bit more about the growing JDM culture in Canada.

The month of June is all about community here on Mitsubishi Gearbox. Last week, we asked you to share your top 3 Mitsubishi forums. This week we’ve got a new question for you.

Which Mitsubishi projects are you following?

Why not tell somebody about them? Who’s doing what, where, and how can we follow along? Can you point us to a build thread somewhere or maybe a blog? We’re all Mitsubishi fans here, so this is the sort of stuff we get into. Who knows? Maybe we might be able to catch these folks on the phone for an interview this summer!

Disclaimer: Tarmac-and-Gravel is the author’s personal Galant VR4 site. As was the case last week, the author needed an image to go with the post. We’re looking for more sites like this.