not a fan of kits... but...

[DSMbish90]

does anyone have any pics of first gens, with just some mild side skirts.. ? thanks!

 

[1993eclipseGS]

there are a few diff. kinds here are two pics from andy's autosport.

Rob.

 

[1993eclipseGS]

2

 

[drive_eagle]

1st ones would be straight if it didn't have those holes near the back tire. < but thats just my 3 cents. other wise, just keep it stock.

 

[PaulPDX]

Don't... please don't put on a kit just because it is something to do what you'd think of when you think of a modded import.

There just aren't any quality kits out there for the 1G so I don't think the 1G deserves the punishment. None of the skirts above are "mild". Stock skirts are fine.

Perhaps all you need is a fresh coat of paint. You'd be surpised how much difference that makes.

 

[versatileperf]

sorry if any1 on these boards owns those cars....but that shit looks ghetto just my .01

 

[1993eclipseGS]

Actually those cars are pretty ugly, There isnt anything wrong with the stock side skirts!! I was just helping him out. I just put bold white gsx sticker one on each side of the side skirt at the very end on the back right in front of the back tire.. Looks awsome

Rob.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Anything over stock is an improvement, but why not save your money and get a 2G and work with it. Far more choices to pick from.

ROW

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

Originally posted by Rice Over Wheat
Anything over stock is an improvement, but why not save your money and get a 2G and work with it. Far more choices to pick from.

ROW

Anything over stock is an improvement? I dont think so... But 1G's dont have a lot of choices in the "kit" world so I chose to stay original. Its better lookin than that stuff ^^ up there....IMHO.

 

[PaulPDX]

Cheaply made fiberglass bits that will crack with the slightest impact is an improvement over stock?

Umm... ok.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Originally posted by RiceKiller_TSi
Anything over stock is an improvement? I dont think so... But 1G's dont have a lot of choices in the "kit" world so I chose to stay original. Its better lookin than that stuff ^^ up there....IMHO.

Considering the choices for 1G, you're probably right. However, for 2G stock looks like a rental fleet car now.

The negative connotation of "rice" as in the late 80's definition is out. Pretty much any import sports car is rice. Even an aesthetically stock turbo eclipse qualifies as a rice-rocket. A lambo a pasta-rocket, and I call domestic musclecars wheat-rockets. Nothing like a little competitive rivalry to make for some fun on the roads. That's why I hope the budding domestic tuner market is successful in the long run.

ROW

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Originally posted by PaulPDX
Cheaply made fiberglass bits that will crack with the slightest impact is an improvement over stock?

Umm... ok.

I take it you are prone to scraping your front grill over curbs when parking? Then get a urethane or drive with care.

ROW

 

[PaulPDX]

Nope. All stock body parts. I don't believe in spending money on fluff. Besides, cars with bodykits are just begging to get:

1) pulled over
2) stolen
3) broken into
4) all of the above

Think about it... in the long run, you're just making a relatively high maintenance car even more high maintenance.

The only aftermarket part I would consider is a replacement rear spoiler, the stocker is faded and rattles.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

It's a hobby and you have to weigh the pros and cons. An alarm system with all the bells and a key ring pager helps deter break-ins. Using a car cover at all times when parked outside your home is a good way to hide the car. A garage is great. I park under bright lights and away from other cars when in public places. I use radar to sniff out cops and don't speed. The biggest fear of mine is some jealous hater keying the paint.

My previous modded car was never ticketed or abused. I would argue that the biggest target for thieves is glittering electronic components inside, like SAFCs, other engine management components, and high end audio gear. My current eclipse is still stock in appearance since I just aquired it, however it was broken into and the thieves stole the SAFC, radar, head unit and amps when the previous owner had it.

Never had problems with cops unless I drive recklessly. Even had some compliment the car.

ROW

 

[teams2n]

RiceOverWheat (like the name) thanks for standing up for us, you make some great points! I think my car has "mild" side skirts. There is also an orange 1G with 19s (sorry I forgot his user name) that looks great with the drift kit. IMO you can make a 1G look as good as a 2G, it just takes a little more work and creativity

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Years ago I used to own a 1990 GSX but other than an aftermarket clutch and some intake mods, it was all stock. Talk about a fun car to drive...it was my first car with some power under the hood. I remember racing a Honda Prelude VTEC shortly after I bought it, the guy had a big wing on it and some ground effects (before the Fast and the Furious type movies made it trendy), and I straight killed him on the highway. I never did get to mod the body...I kind of like how it looks stock. The body is more angular and wedged than the 2G. Kind of like how domestic musclecars just don't seem to have many body kits that look that good...the lines are different. The 2G's teardrop body just lends itself to modifying...you can get really creative with it.

I love seeing people create their own self-expressed ride. Just like some people love seeing the work that went into squeezing every non-OEM pony out of a factory engine, and exult in shaving one more tenth of a second off their 1/4 time, some people love to trick out their cars for show and pour tons of $ and time into doing so. Taste is subjective, but the reward is when people you don't know give you props and you see those bystanders look twice when you roll by, wondering what you're driving.

I just happen to like doing both.

ROW

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Originally posted by teams2n
IMO you can make a 1G look as good as a 2G, it just takes a little more work and creativity

Eclipses period look good! I even like the 3Gs, although I'm sorely disappointed that Mits decided to can the turbo and AWD options. Imagine that V6 turboed and AWD! It's obvious to me that Mitsu didn't have need for that trim since the Evo was being introduced in the US. I work in Japan and the only Eclipses you see here are imported to Japan...Lancer Evo IVs to VIII gave them no reason to build them here in a market crowded by turbo/awd 4-cyl cars. Instead, there's the FTO, a Japan/Euro sister car to the Eclipse (I was going to bring one back to the US but its not on the NHTSA import list).

In Japan I own a Honda (no Acura badge here) Integra AWD. They never built those in the US.

ROW

 

[RipperXX]

^ huh, AWD integ.. wow... thats um.. how much torq do there engines put out? I ask because low rpms & AWD in a low torq engine just sounds like a bad idea. But I wont go runing my mouth unless you list 100ft/torq or something

really that, is actuly kinda cool.


FTO not on the list huh, so that means you can't import it? I have heard there not that fast but damn do they look awsome.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

I don't know what the hp/torque on my Integra is. I just bought it for a daily driver and needed the AWD for the snow. It has pretty good acceleration though, and I'd say it's maybe a little slower than the Type-R they sold in the US. It's a 1994 Honda Integra, AT, and the AWD is called "Dual-pump system" whatever that means. In Japan, the used car market is almost non-existant thanks to strict inpection requirements every 2 years that add up to several hundred dollars...it's called JCI and requires that your car be within regulations mechanically and electronically. So once your car is 5 years old or so, it becomes very expensive to keep your vehicle as it depreciates and parts wear out. So most Japanese trade-in to new cars within 5 years. What happens is you're left with a huge backlog of used cars that nobody wants except foreigners (US military, etc) and the average car is only worth 18% retail at 5 years old. I bought my 94 AWD Integra in perfect condition, with 43k miles in 2002 for $4000. I can buy a 96 supra TT for $7k or a R33 skyline for $8k.

Here's the import list for what you can bring to the US (still needs emissions/safety/etc conversions though which can cost up to $15k like for skylines):

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG102803.html

You can't bring in FTO because they haven't been crash-tested to make the list. Now if you want to donate a FTO or two to crash-test you can get it on the list... They are really nice cars and are VERY similar to eclipses -- dimensions and everything. The trims have anywhere from 140 4-cyl to 205 hp V6...the latter being the top model GP Version R. It's like the equivelent of the 03 Eclipse GT.

ROW

http://www.j-garage.com/mitsubishi/FTO/5510.htm

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

Originally posted by Rice Over Wheat
Considering the choices for 1G, you're probably right. However, for 2G stock looks like a rental fleet car now.

The negative connotation of "rice" as in the late 80's definition is out. Pretty much any import sports car is rice. Even an aesthetically stock turbo eclipse qualifies as a rice-rocket. A lambo a pasta-rocket, and I call domestic musclecars wheat-rockets. Nothing like a little competitive rivalry to make for some fun on the roads. That's why I hope the budding domestic tuner market is successful in the long run.

ROW

Thats YOUR definition of rice which is actually a racist statement... MY definition of rice is NOT all imports, but those that attempt to make their cars only LOOK faster not actually BE faster. BTW I've never heard of a Lambo being called a "pasta rocket", so like I stated before YOUR definitions definitely lean towards racist remarks. BTW I didnt mention ANYTHING about the definition of rice in my previous post so where did all this come from?

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Originally posted by RiceKiller_TSi
Thats YOUR definition of rice which is actually a racist statement... MY definition of rice is NOT all imports, but those that attempt to make their cars only LOOK faster not actually BE faster. BTW I've never heard of a Lambo being called a "pasta rocket", so like I stated before YOUR definitions definitely lean towards racist remarks. BTW I didnt mention ANYTHING about the definition of rice in my previous post so where did all this come from?

Your name. Most guys driving a show car wouldn't bother racing in the first place since they're probably cruising, so what ricers are you killing? By your definition, there's not much sport in that. But that's beside the point...I like how you think my statement is racist, yet you're the one using the archaic definition of "rice" by referring to the primarily Asian car clubs who build show cars rather than tune them for speed.

Most people today use a definition of "rice" as being a fast import car with a small engine (usually 4-cyl) that requires a turbo and tons of aftermarket mods to compete with the traditional V8 muscle cars. That's what the eclipse is. Import tuners who try to further differentiate between their rice-rocket and one with a big wing on the back are obviously expressing misplaced guilt borne out of that "buy American" 80's Chrysler propaganda, so point at the other guy driving the import car to deflect the critics.

It seems that most of the people calling imports with kits and wings and bling bling rice, are fellow import owners which is ironic considering all the while domestic musclecar owners and euro drivers will laugh at your turboed 4-banger as you pour $1000s into it trying to run with twice the cylinders. At tracks you'll hear them refer to 10 sec hondas as rice-rockets. So who's definition is correct?

ROW

Edit: Now if you mean RiceBOY...as in an exhaust tip, 16 PIAA lights in the front, "upgrading" their trim by slapping a sticker on their DX civic that says VTEC, and 20 lbs of vinyl graphics splattered about the car, plus a 747 jumbo-jet wing on the back, ok then I can agree with your definition.

 

[PaulPDX]

*cough* off topic * cough*

 

[1fast97gsx]

Originally posted by teams2n
IMO you can make a 1G look as good as a 2G, it just takes a little more work and creativity

No you can't.

BTW it is true you will get pulled over a LOT more with a kit. I used to have a 3rd gen eclipse with a blitz kit and I drove it pretty decently. I got pulled over once every few days just for stupid stuff like no front plate or tinted windows. Then I got rid of it and got my gsx. A much better looking car to begin with and it's dropped with tints and some different rims. I didn't get pulled over all summer for the plate or tints in that car and I even drove that car much harder and more careless.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

I haven't been pulled over in any car since 1996 when I was doing 90 in a 65. I've since had 360 deg radar and never looked back since. The cops must like you...not the car.

ROW

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

I actually like the drift kit on the 1G's.

P.S. No more rice debates or I will lock this.