1989 Mitsubishi Mirage turbo

Hi Everyone- I have found a obscure car that maybe you all have some experience with. I finally connected with the owner today. It has been in their family since new. The car has about 89k. It hasn't really been run in about three years and has sat outside. The car is bone stock and has the original 4g61 engine. They only imported 1500 of these in 1989.

The car has green mold all over the car and really needs to be cleaned up. One of the rear lenses was cracked and both doors were missing this vertical, hard plastic piece that ran up the door. Other than that everything was there and no dings/dents. The interior is in similar shape with a ton of dog hair. The seats are in nice shape and everything is there except for the shift boot. I think it would take some serious cleaning, but both in/out could be made presentable with a little effort.

The owner said he jumped the car last week and it started right up. We tried again today and he mismatched the cables and blew the fuse for the alternator. I am going to head back over next week to hear the car run. The exhaust and suspension are total crap.

You might be wondering what the good news is. It is dirt cheap and they just want the car gone. I could get the car for under 500 clams. I have done some reading and these engines take to mods just like the bigger 4g63. I am thinking I could make a pretty quick car on the cheap. The car only weighs 2300 lbs. I am thinking with a decent exhaust, 14g or 16g turbo, injectors, some sort of air/fuel metering, and an intercooler that this car would really move out. I know the 4g63 could easily be swapped in, but this would be a cheapo build and the stock 1.6 seems pretty stout from what I have read.

What say you GRM? Is this a waste of dough on a unloved car or a good time? Thanks in advance for any input.

Do eet! If nothing else it could be a great base for a $200X challenge car

Please don't get it just send me the contact info and I will save you from this car.

I remember an issue of Sport Compact Car that had a feature on a redonkulous sleeper Mirage Turbo that made over 400hp on a 4G63T. It had such violent wheel hop it spat out an axle when they tried to do a 1/4 mile time and every time the engine blew, the owner would swap in another one. I think he was on engine #3 or #4 at the time of the feature.

Does anyone have any turbo mirage or turbo colt experiences here?

I remember test-driving a new one one at the dealership back then. It was the first turbo car I'd ever driven, and it introduced me the "rubber-band" effect on the gas pedal. Seemed a little underpowered at the time (especially for a "turbo car"), but probably made that way to keep from spitting out axles, lol.

The Westside guys brought a Mirage or Colt turbo to the challenge multiple years, and did extremely well, IIRC. Someone else took a Mirage in 2008 that had been given the full 4g63t/AWD treatment. Hopefully someone from one of those teams can chime in.

Those cars have great potential. You can make them very fast with relatively minor and easy mods.

Also, they are rare and fairly sought after. It would be impossible for you to lose money on this deal unless you completely destroy the car, otherwise you will always be able to at least get the purchase price back out of it.

FWIW, Wikipedia informs me that the Mirage Turbo was on Car and Driver's 10 Best list in 1989.

Vigo- I was thinking that same thing today. The car has to be worth double that in parts alone. There are a lot of turbo model specific parts on the car that people would definitely want. Hopefully, the owner can get the no start situation squared away this week so I can hear it run and drive. This would be a situation perfect for a Earl Scheib $199 paint job!

I called a friend of a friend who knows DSMs. He was helpful to talk to, but didn't have much love for the 4g61. From what I have read, it is no slouch. Later on in the conversation, I got the feeling he was trying to swoop in for himself....

I test drove one back in 2003 but bought an 88 gti instead. wish I had bought the mirage as at the time, I didn't realize what I was passing up. I recall it was pretty quick with the turbo. buy it.