Actually, no USDM Starquest ever came with Enkei wheels, some dealers installed them, but they were never an option. I have this on good authority, I have many internal Mitsubishi and Chrysler Historical Foundation documents, as well as every USDM new-car sales brochure.
A popular wheel, nothing more.
We're going to need someone with a real, stock, JDM car to confirm exactly what kind of wheel they are, or if someone has the above pictured brochure we can scan it to look closer, they look like Enkei's to me, but I need absolute proof.
A few questions...
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UltimateLurker
- Big Dorifto
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wheels
Ultimate Lurker this can be followed up on the starquestclub forum as I have talked to several guys off there who have the same enkeis and they were in agree'ence that the ENkeis were a dealer option. They have the same off set as stock quest wheels, and I know they were offered in the 7inch(front) and 8inch rear size ( 87 Quest stock wheel size/width). These were a dealer specific option and are extremely rare...
The centre caps do come off easily/stolen. They are wanted in the US as most havebeen lost. They can be bought off the starquestclub forum ( or use to) by some members for a high price.
The word Enkei is stamped on the plastic centre cap and i *think* in the centre of the reverse of the acutual wheel iteself.
mrb1 i belive one of the previous owners painted the wheel red to "colour code" to the rest of the car, as well as the calipers, inside vents, wipers etc :p
The centre caps do come off easily/stolen. They are wanted in the US as most havebeen lost. They can be bought off the starquestclub forum ( or use to) by some members for a high price.
The word Enkei is stamped on the plastic centre cap and i *think* in the centre of the reverse of the acutual wheel iteself.
mrb1 i belive one of the previous owners painted the wheel red to "colour code" to the rest of the car, as well as the calipers, inside vents, wipers etc :p
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UltimateLurker
- Big Dorifto
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Conquest: I an unconcerned with dealer-installed non-factory-authorized accessory wheels, which is what the Enkei's were in this country. I know for a fact that Enkei mesh wheels were never a factory-authorized option on any Widebody Starion or Conquest.
It may be true that the wheels pictured on the cover of the '86 or '87 JDM brochure are Enkei's, the company itself is a Japanese company founded in 1950, what I need is proof.
Being in this little Starquest game since 1988, I've learned a few things, but interestingly enough, much of what I learned early on was false. There is a LOT of false information circulating about the car, and I've taken it upon myself to persue the facts, and only the facts.
My reply is in no way a flame, I would never do that, I appreciate any information you can give :).
P.S. Most people on SQC and Tristarion go to me for their information, I'm known in most circles as the Encyclopedia Starquestica...lol.
It may be true that the wheels pictured on the cover of the '86 or '87 JDM brochure are Enkei's, the company itself is a Japanese company founded in 1950, what I need is proof.
Being in this little Starquest game since 1988, I've learned a few things, but interestingly enough, much of what I learned early on was false. There is a LOT of false information circulating about the car, and I've taken it upon myself to persue the facts, and only the facts.
My reply is in no way a flame, I would never do that, I appreciate any information you can give :).
P.S. Most people on SQC and Tristarion go to me for their information, I'm known in most circles as the Encyclopedia Starquestica...lol.
UL (The Encyclopedia Starquestica)
We need to ask one of our Japanese members they may be able to add some light to this. The only clue here is that Enkei is a Japanese wheel company. Would it have been possible/common for a Chysler dealer back in 1986-88 to be able to get Enkei mags from his local tyre/wheel shop? How widely available were Enkei wheels throughout the US back then? Maybe Chysler US did a deal with Enkei so they were ORDERABLE by a dealer through Chysler rather than being an official documented option?UltimateLurker wrote:Conquest: I an unconcerned with dealer-installed non-factory-authorized accessory wheels, which is what the Enkei's were in this country. I know for a fact that Enkei mesh wheels were never a factory-authorized option on any Widebody Starion or Conquest.
It may be true that the wheels pictured on the cover of the '86 or '87 JDM brochure are Enkei's, the company itself is a Japanese company founded in 1950, what I need is proof.
Being in this little Starquest game since 1988, I've learned a few things, but interestingly enough, much of what I learned early on was false. There is a LOT of false information circulating about the car, and I've taken it upon myself to persue the facts, and only the facts.
My reply is in no way a flame, I would never do that, I appreciate any information you can give :).
P.S. Most people on SQC and Tristarion go to me for their information, I'm known in most circles as the Encyclopedia Starquestica...lol.
I visited the US in 1987,88,89,90,91,92,93. However I didn't visit any tyre/wheel shops looking for Enkei wheels!
I think the JDM brochure says they were available (special order whatever), just because it may not have happened in the US doesn't mean it didn't happen anywhere else. The whole massive Ralliart effort happened but not in the US.
I have never seen an official Japanese brochure with a picture of a car with something you can't get unless quallified in some way saying "wheels shown export only" or "wheels domestic option only".
What about the Velnas trip computer/display some of the NZ guy's have did you guy's get that?
Anyhow no harm in finding documentation it all adds to the history of the car. I was talking to our guy from our Japanese office at work and he said he actually knew the guy in charge of the Starion program. Sadly he died about 10 years ago. Anyhow I will find out his name, he did tell me but I didn't write it down.
What we know in Australia is there is a huge number of options and cars that are JDM only.
But yes if we are going to have information about the car let's get it right :) By the way when we say the factory we mean "the factory" ie. Japan!
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ProZac
- G33Kz0r
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The Velnas computer was a jap option, no NZ new car i've seen came with it. Alas, ive lost the pictures of the live axel starion, but last time it was mentioned another member posted them up? I also downloaded a starion video the other day that was just a whole collaboration of picture strung together by someone in the US, and was supprised to see them in there! Along with a few other photo's ive taken, heh.
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UltimateLurker
- Big Dorifto
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mrb1: Back when the car was new there were very few aftermarket wheels available because of the offset, and being 16" (quite rare at that time). Enkei was actually one of the most popular, along with Borbet, but most people that wanted mesh wheels just stole them off of the Pontiac GTA since they fit perfectly...
I actually have a small collection of mesh-wheel pix, many of which are Enkei's.
On the subject of options, Japan should have gotten everything (but they didn't), like the 8" & 9" SHP wheels. However, JDM cars have always gotten better after-market options, even to this day. The thing that's weird about the brochure I posted is that the mesh-type wheels are on the cover, and on the back of the brochure, almost like the car came standard with them, but again, we need someone in Japan that knows their starion history to tell us definitively.
As far as being orderable through the dealership, that's a negative, I'm in the car business right now, and my manager was the manager at a very large Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth/Jeep/Eagle store at that time. He has shed light on several things for me.
1. They couldn't give the car away in '86 and '87, some of the cars had birthdays!
2. The car sat almost an inch lower on the left (drivers) side than on the right.
3. Most dealers outright threw away the Aero Wheel Covers that came with the Starion SHP, customers complained of their brakes overheating!
4. Technitions would put a small screw in the wastegate hose (to plug it up) to get more boost out of the car for test drives!
And there's a lot more where that came from :).
Anyway, I'm a collector of information, I just want to get it right, and you seem to be the very same, which is nice.
I actually have a small collection of mesh-wheel pix, many of which are Enkei's.
On the subject of options, Japan should have gotten everything (but they didn't), like the 8" & 9" SHP wheels. However, JDM cars have always gotten better after-market options, even to this day. The thing that's weird about the brochure I posted is that the mesh-type wheels are on the cover, and on the back of the brochure, almost like the car came standard with them, but again, we need someone in Japan that knows their starion history to tell us definitively.
As far as being orderable through the dealership, that's a negative, I'm in the car business right now, and my manager was the manager at a very large Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth/Jeep/Eagle store at that time. He has shed light on several things for me.
1. They couldn't give the car away in '86 and '87, some of the cars had birthdays!
2. The car sat almost an inch lower on the left (drivers) side than on the right.
3. Most dealers outright threw away the Aero Wheel Covers that came with the Starion SHP, customers complained of their brakes overheating!
4. Technitions would put a small screw in the wastegate hose (to plug it up) to get more boost out of the car for test drives!
And there's a lot more where that came from :).
Anyway, I'm a collector of information, I just want to get it right, and you seem to be the very same, which is nice.
UL (The Encyclopedia Starquestica)
aero covers
Yeah those wheels off the pontiac do seem surprisingly similair :)
I thought the aero wheel covers were only a marketing gimmick to improve the quotes of the aerodynamics in brochures etc
No one in their right mind would leave them on they are ugly as!
I thought the aero wheel covers were only a marketing gimmick to improve the quotes of the aerodynamics in brochures etc
No one in their right mind would leave them on they are ugly as!
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UltimateLurker
- Big Dorifto
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ProZac
- G33Kz0r
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Heres another one for you UltimateLurker. I was driving today, and i spotted a widebody starion, here, in ChCh, NZ. Bloody weird i thought, it's definaly one of less than 5 in the country. I stopped and started writing the owner a note. He came back to his car before i finished, so i had a word, along the lines of "SELL ME YOUR CAR!". It was a bit rough, but i offered him $5k on the spot, and was turned down.
The car is a bit odd. Its a 1985, one of the very first production runs of widebodies, and has 4WS. Yeah, four wheel steering, prototyping it for the GTO's. Bloody odd i thought.
The car is a bit odd. Its a 1985, one of the very first production runs of widebodies, and has 4WS. Yeah, four wheel steering, prototyping it for the GTO's. Bloody odd i thought.
Was it NZ new or imported? I wonder why were they prototyping for the GTO's back in 1985 - surely it wasn't til 88-89 they started doing that sort of thing!ProZac wrote:The car is a bit odd. Its a 1985, one of the very first production runs of widebodies, and has 4WS. Yeah, four wheel steering, prototyping it for the GTO's. Bloody odd i thought.
I have heard of it aswell, red? old guy who owns it? apparently lives near JAS :? apparently there were only a handfull made of thsoe 4ws models :?ProZac wrote: The car is a bit odd. Its a 1985, one of the very first production runs of widebodies, and has 4WS. Yeah, four wheel steering, prototyping it for the GTO's. Bloody odd i thought.
Watch your speed - It's virtually impossible to pick it out of the carpet if it gets blown off the table.
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UltimateLurker
- Big Dorifto
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Hmmm. Forgive my skepticism, I know it's not good for a new member like myself, but several things seem very out of place for that year.
1. No market got the Widebody for '85.
2. No Starion ever got 4WS.
3. The GTO 4WS wasn't even part of the original plan for the GTO, the concept arrived very late, and almost didn't even make it to the production stage.
The only true GTO concept that I've ever seen didn't even have 4WS, in fact, it had no drivetrain at all because the details hadn't been worked out yet. I find it very hard to believe that Mitsubishi would add 4WS to a car destined for the ax, and had never had any 4WS plans in the past (the 4WS Rally Starion suspension was created by Ralliart Japan).
Next time you see it, don't bother writing a note, write down the VIN and Firewall Plate, that'll give us a lot more information than owner claims. I've seen owners claim a zillion things, but they're never true.
1. No market got the Widebody for '85.
2. No Starion ever got 4WS.
3. The GTO 4WS wasn't even part of the original plan for the GTO, the concept arrived very late, and almost didn't even make it to the production stage.
The only true GTO concept that I've ever seen didn't even have 4WS, in fact, it had no drivetrain at all because the details hadn't been worked out yet. I find it very hard to believe that Mitsubishi would add 4WS to a car destined for the ax, and had never had any 4WS plans in the past (the 4WS Rally Starion suspension was created by Ralliart Japan).
Next time you see it, don't bother writing a note, write down the VIN and Firewall Plate, that'll give us a lot more information than owner claims. I've seen owners claim a zillion things, but they're never true.
ProZac wrote:Heres another one for you UltimateLurker. I was driving today, and i spotted a widebody starion, here, in ChCh, NZ. Bloody weird i thought, it's definaly one of less than 5 in the country. I stopped and started writing the owner a note. He came back to his car before i finished, so i had a word, along the lines of "SELL ME YOUR CAR!". It was a bit rough, but i offered him $5k on the spot, and was turned down.
The car is a bit odd. Its a 1985, one of the very first production runs of widebodies, and has 4WS. Yeah, four wheel steering, prototyping it for the GTO's. Bloody odd i thought.
UL (The Encyclopedia Starquestica)
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ProZac
- G33Kz0r
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I can understand your skeptiscism, but ive heard from more than 5 sources now that this car does infact have 4WS. It resistered as a "1985 Mitsubishi Special", and was imported from japan in 1986 (All the information i gathered from the rego stocker in the windshield). They were one of the very first runs of the widebody, and only 4 were made. They were all imported to New Zealand as parts (importing cars was very rare at the time), and re-assambeled. The other 3 have been smashed up over the years. The original owner still owns this one. I couldn't tell you if it had 4 stud, or 5 stud wheels, as the wheels had screw on caps over the studs. The owner seemed pretty cool, i gave him all the details to this site. All 'Hearsay' ofcourse, but ive never actually heard a differing version, from 5 independant sources.UltimateLurker wrote:Hmmm. Forgive my skepticism, I know it's not good for a new member like myself, but several things seem very out of place for that year.
1. No market got the Widebody for '85.
2. No Starion ever got 4WS.
3. The GTO 4WS wasn't even part of the original plan for the GTO, the concept arrived very late, and almost didn't even make it to the production stage.
Next time you see it, don't bother writing a note, write down the VIN and Firewall Plate, that'll give us a lot more information than owner claims. I've seen owners claim a zillion things, but they're never true.
My $0.02:
According to http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/docs ... tone_5.htm, Mitsubishi's first 4WS car was released in 1987, so it's not too difficult to believe that they may have trialled it on a few Starions a few years beforehand for experimental purposes. Perhaps Mitsubishi were looking for ways to improve interest in the Starion, and 4WS probably was a nice addition to a spec sheet at the time!
According to http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/docs ... tone_5.htm, Mitsubishi's first 4WS car was released in 1987, so it's not too difficult to believe that they may have trialled it on a few Starions a few years beforehand for experimental purposes. Perhaps Mitsubishi were looking for ways to improve interest in the Starion, and 4WS probably was a nice addition to a spec sheet at the time!
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