Buying a used Mitsubishi Starion Turbo Liftback (1982-87)
Mitsubishi's sporty coupe was a late arrival but its hot turbo engine, rear drive and IRS delivered a practical and capable multi-purpose coupe for road and track. Short wheelbase and turbo grunt easily tweaked for more output make it a popular choice fMitsubishi's debut wedge sports coupe was the first of its type to introduce turbocharging and unusual one-piece doors that housed the seatbelts and swung forward as well as outwards.
It was also a rugged, quick Group E race car sharing Lancer Turbo power train combined with independent rear suspension and drive of Lambda coupe not seen locally.
Early leaded JA examples from May 1982 had basic non-water cooled turbo, no intercooler and single point injection hence extra cooling from bonnet scoop.
JB update from September 1985 added twin-point injection, water-cooled turbo, thicker radiator, larger 15-inch wheels and deleted bonnet scoop. Power and torque remained at 125kW/245Nm with extra reliability.
Final JD unleaded facelift in December 1985 added extended front and rear spoilers plus unleaded engine with intercooler and reduced power and torque figures of 110kW/222Nm after engine was wound back for local 91RON unleaded fuel.
The Starion was also sold as Chrysler Conquest in US which may prove useful for uncommon parts but not all overseas models shared local low compression 2-litre turbo manual-only specification.
PRICES
Rare when new, almost forgotten now, leaves tatty examples starting at $2500. The best later model cars in original, unmodified condition may fetch up to $8000 for an unusual but significant sports coupe with no equivalent today.
CHECKPOINTS
- Sirius 4G63 2.0-litre balance-shaft engine is common in Express van applications but not with Starion's 7.6:1 compression ratio. If Starion's turbo gear is transferred to high compression non-turbo engine, watch out for excessive pinging and internal damage.
- Cam belt needs routine replacement. Extra thermal stresses of turbo can dictate earlier replacement of head gasket, hoses, thermostat, radiator and water pump.
- Early turbocharger requires high quality oil and cooling before shutdown to avoid meltdown and bearing damage from oil turned into coke. Smart owners will have adapted later water-cooled design and timer to avoid damage.
- Extra heat will shorten life of fuel injector seals for persistent petrol smell that must be eradicated or risk explosion. Overlooked oil changes will sludge engine and can cause oil pump to cavitate for terminal damage.
- Worn rings are common with this engine and blow-by will soon force oil out of every gasket no matter how recently each has been replaced so treat oil leaks with suspicion. Valve stem seals are routine maintenance items so look for excessive oil smoke after extended idling.
- Extra heat can cause power steering seals to fail. Watch out for noisy pumps that have run without fluid.
- Overheated fuel pumps can die from owners who drive on an empty tank. Ignition module failure is common for cars of this age.
- Worn rear struts are often overlooked for excessive rear camber change and unwanted bump steer. If replacement items cannot be sourced, big rebuild cost is the only alternative.
- Manual gearbox works hard but sloppy linkages and worn synchros usually driver related. Neglected clutch hydraulics will leak fluid and fail.
- Early all wheel disc brakes can suffer from sticky calipers with age leading to brakes that stay on or chop out one side of the rotor.
- Sun damage from large rear glass to rear seat and luggage area can be just as pricey with leather of earlier cars and rare plush velour of later models.
- Early seat belts were recall item so check that each buckle clicks home and stays engaged.
- Watch out for any broken or damaged body parts as they may not be available.
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