Austarion

Drove the Hoonmobile to work this morning and was just ruminating (as you do) whilst at a set of traffic lights, how much I love a Starion.

It's lines (not curves :) ), it's head turning ability, all its squeeks n rattles, the rear wheel drive and the thing I love best is the two little cold air vents on each end of the dash. Man they are good I can have warm tootsies and a cool face when I'm driving. You can't get that with an EVO!!!

And yes these cars cause us a lot of pain and money but ultimately we all love em, so guys and girls what do YOU love about YOUR Starion?

I thought you were going to say cos yours is gone!!!!

It's loud. It bounces around over every bump. It's (relatively) simple to fix (some of the bloody time) It's unique. And the wife hates going in it.

well I'm probably out of place here but what I love about my Eterna is that in 1980, it had all the bells and whistles (literally) like IRS, 4w vented disc brakes, turbochaged fuel injected OHC engine, electric pillarless windows front and rear, air con, even a bloody alarm clock inside!

You definitely didn't see much of this on any other cars being sold in 1980 at the time (especially in NZ where we still had most of our cars coming from Britain and Australia mainly).

As for Starions I absolutely love their styling, it's very typical of Mitsubishi to be one of the better styled cars in their class (in comparison I don't really like the R30/R31 coupes, Series 2 & 3 RX-7s, MA61 Celica Supras, Z31 Fairlady, Isuzu/Holden Piazza).

I would absolutely kill for a Widebody Starion - has to be my favourite Mitsubishi! (with a 1970 GTO MR coming in at a close 2nd, and an E39A Galant VR-4 Evolution in white coming 3rd)

Well, it all started as I was looking for a project car. And I saw it on the side of the road.

1. Rear wheel drive (with LSD)
2. Coupe
3. Turbocharged
4. Unique/rare

Then there are the other things I learned later about the car
a. 4 wheel disc brakes
b. power windows
c. hydraulic clutch
d. power mirror (at one stage)

Overall, it get looks from people in modified cars and imports... And I know they are wither thinking...
"What the hell is that?" or
"geez a Starion, I havent seen one of those for ages..." :D


Oh and being part of the auStarion forum aint bad either :D

if i knew what i loved about it, i would have been able to get over it and get myself something less of a money/time pit..

i love everything about it.. every time my friends tell me i should just sell it and get something newer or less troublesome, i think yeah, they're right.. but then when i go back and look at it, all is forgiven, and i can't let it go..

4g6beat told me "we don't choose the staz.. it chooses us.." and i think i agree haha.. when i was in the market for something 'cool' and quick, a starion popped up.. turbo.. rear drive.. flappy uppy lights.. oh so sweet looking.. i had seen one earlier on top gear, and thought.. that's what i want.. and then one popped up for sale.. but it was in horrid condition.. and the guy was asking too much.. but then the next day (literally) i saw another one.. and it had issues.. but it was MUCH better than the first, and almost the same price.. so now it's mine.. for almost a year and a half..

so i think it knew i was looking for something, so it presented itself well.. good timing.. haha

I don't know what it is about Starions to be honest.....
You know when you get a new car and you just want to drive it all the time... well kinda like that for the last 3 years with this car!
Mines been stupidly reliable, never really had a major issue apart from when I rebuilt the motor....
Plus it is kinda cool that people always come up to me and ask what sort of car I have or say "nice starion"
I remember I had finished playing a round of golf and was heading out to the car park and this was this old drunk guy standing by my car, started to load the golf stuff into the car and he asked if this was my car to which i replied yes. He then said that he's never seen a car that looks so good in all his life and that he had been waiting in the car park for the last half hour to tell me LOL Meh to the fact that he was drunk.. lol

Alspos wrote:I thought you were going to say cos yours is gone!!!!

It's loud. It bounces around over every bump. It's (relatively) simple to fix (some of the bloody time) It's unique. And the wife hates going in it.

So true on the wife thing!!!!!!!

I just love the lines, my widey wheels :) and just the fact that its not an evo or a wrx since everyone has one of them these days.
Fixing it all the time is just a bonus as gets me plenty of time in the shed :)
And the fact the wife hates both of them :)

My wife doesnt like the starion either, thinks it like a matchbox car having straight lines like it does, but at least she understands its a hobby and doesnt get in the way of it.

I think part of the appeal is growing up in the 80's and being influenced by cars of that era. Starions oozes 80's charm with its pop up headlights and shape. Then theres noise that the 4G63 makes both in the exhaust note and the sound of the engine itself, its neither rough or refined. Then theres the fact that is a turbo rwd car that is rare. Part of the attachment is you work on them so much, partly to modify them partly to fix them when something goes wrong, the reward really is in driving the car.

LONG LIVE THE 80'S WEDGE !!

nothing new or old even comes close
thats is all :D

I love not being noticed until I the wastegate opens and I pass them .

it was always the interior that got me... when all my mates were driving round in mk5 cortinas or RX3s and other dodgy stuff i had my first starion, and it was just awesome in comparison, the interioir was sporty and luxurious at the same time... everyone used to ask where i got my race buckets from... i guess compared to a cortina seat they do look like a race seat...
certainly wasnt much around at the time that compared.
the digital dash, or dumb asian chick that kept warbling at me when i opened the door with the key in the ignition...

and the woman thing,.... every single one of my ex's, and my missus now all hated starions. :D just meant they didnt get to drive it.

Alspos wrote:I thought you were going to say cos yours is gone!!!!

It's loud. It bounces around over every bump. It's (relatively) simple to fix (some of the bloody time) It's unique. And the wife hates going in it.

I liked how the gauges always worked.

my missus actually wants me to hurry up and fix the old girl up so she can drive its wheels off

o guys and girls what do YOU love about YOUR Starion?

the bit between the centre consol next to the gear stick and passenger seat that perfectly fits bottle of water, powerade etc....

Defective wrote:and the woman thing,.... every single one of my ex's, and my missus now all hated starions. :D just meant they didnt get to drive it.

half ya luck, I have to fight to get a drive in the Hoonmobile! :)