Here is my story of Starion ownership. It's long, with many photos, and has been provided by request of a few people. I apologise now if it is tedious, but here it all is; the pain, the joy and the pain. I remember many a time when I was ready to cut my losses and move on, but I didn't. Something about these cars has kept me interested and devoted, or is that obsessed and stubborn? You decide...
This is my first ever Starion, and how it looked when I bought it in 1996. It's an '83 JA series II. I bought it with my heart, and not my head, and bought a lemon.
It had A LOT of problems, but I didn't want to admit defeat. I kept pouring money into this thing, and I truly believe that this car was cursed. During it's driving life it went through;
. 3 motors
. 2 clutches
. 1 clutch master cylinder
. 1 diff
. 1 gearbox
. 4 alternators, 1 of which was a Sigma alternator which was supposed to have an external voltage regulator, only some MORON had neglected to fit, (no, not me)
. 1 turbo
. 2 coils
. 1 brake master cylinder
. 2 dizzys
. 1 starter motor
. 1 water pump
. 1 fuel pump
and various other numerous bits and pieces that needed replacing, and you couldn't drive the car without them.
This is how it ended up looking before I retired it last year...
I don't even want to think about how much this thing has cost me over the years! It's dead now, never to be driven again, so there's no point putting any more pics up of it.
In early 2001, a friend and I went to look at a Starion that had been advertised in a weekend newspaper. After calling the vendor, my friend had been informed that the car was a wreck with no motor or gearbox, but there were still a lot of good bits in and on the car. He was also told that the car had a 'Racing Bonnet'. Mmmkay...
Anyhoo, this is the car...
And this is the 'Racing Bonnet' Hahaha!
Why someone had cut a dirty great big hole there on the bonnet baffles me to this day! It's still funny, and I still laugh about it whenever I see it. Am I crazy? You better believe it!
Later in 2001, whilst looking through various classified ads in a newspaper, I came across an ad for an '85 JB Starion. I went to take a look at it, and got pins and needles. I had to have it! It still looks the same as the day I bought it, but pretty much everything mechanical and electrical has been replaced. This is because when I bought it, everything was in boxes or crates. The motor was in about a billion pieces, and water had gotten into everything, including all of the wiring and the factory LSD!
This is it...
The only things left to do now are to fit the fuel line, connect up the dash, and fit the interior. Unfortunately, it's been in this state for 2 years now, but one day soon, it'll be back up and running!
This is the car that donated it's parts to the grey JB...
This was bought as a wreck, purely to donate the necessary parts to get the grey JB running again. Luckily for me, the car was complete. However, as you can see, there was not much of the bodywork that was useful, but mechanically the car was spot on. It's gone now...
In late 2005, I found a white JA that had been modified a bit with a Wolf EMS, and MPFI, but had a shockingly bad motor. So I bought it. Yet another Starion! Idiot!
Now, the original plan was to decommission the red JA and it's motor would go into this car, only the intended motor had a cracked block which had been badly welded up. So instead, I had a very nice motor built for this car containing...
. Starion block
. Evo pistons
. HKS head
. HKS camshaft
This is what this car looks like...
It's not much to look at, but that's the idea. I'm going to take it rallying.
Now because the red JA had no motor in it, and had since been de-licenced, and the white JA had a motor being built for it because the existing motor was completely shagged, neither car was driveable. The solution? Buy yet another car to drive around in whilst the white JA was getting it's motor built. This is what I bought...
It's a '93 Lancer with the 1.8 litre motor in it. It has aftermarket Koni shocks, lowered Jamex springs, and a K&N airfilter, but all of these mods were already on the car when I bought it. I added the mags, air conditioning and a decent sound system, as well as replacing the clutch and front brake pads, but that's it. The car has been faultless for the 2 years I've owned it.
It's up for sale soon, and I'm not looking forward to the day when it goes. It drives so nicely.
So here we are in 2007, and I have to move out of my house because I've sold it. I need a car that will tow a trailer. There's only one car for the job...Another JB Starion! This one has a towbar, and has been put back together by one of my good friends from bits of other Starions. Consequently it's a JB/JD Starion hybrid. The motor, turbo, intercooler, and piping setup from a JD, in the body of a JB. It also has an LSD!
This is it...
Functional, but certainly not pretty or fast. The motor in it is very tired, and a lot of things just don't work anymore. Sadly, this car will be pulled apart for spare parts because too much work needs to be done to keep it going. The parts will find a good home though I'm sure.
Finally, we get to the jewel. A 1986 GSR-V japanese import with a genuine 86,000kms currently on the clock! I bought this from the bloke who built my very special motor for my white JA.
Here it is...
I've removed the original double din cassette deck and added a much nicer sound system, and replaced the steering wheel with an old favourite of mine. Some bigger wheels, and the lowered springs from the red JA are following shortly. It has a beautiful black velour interior, and everything matches and works on the car. Finally, a Starion that is as they all should be. Faultless!
There is something about these cars isn't there? Something that keeps us coming back, even though we get burned. For me it's the exclusivity of Starions, and it's also a case of 'better the devil you know'. Well now it is!
People mistake it for other cars all of the time, but it set the initial trend. The Starion was the first car to look like it does. Toyota, Nissan, and others just made their own versions of it.
I have a few very special people who have helped over the years with these cars who I need to thank, but you already know who you are, so I won't embarass you on here. Or should I? No I won't, because I could devote another 100,000 words thanking those particular people.
What I will say though, is that my decision to soldier on with the Starion rather than cut my losses, was HEAVILY influenced by the original Bishiboys site, and the people whom I met through it, so thank you to all concerned, and thank you to all who have helped me.
And...Thank you for getting to the end of my story.
There's joy owning a starion? - I thought it went something like - Pain, Crying, Pain, Swearing, repeat..... rofl
