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98 GS Clean DD Build

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cdkelly91

10+ Year Contributor
57
0
Dec 5, 2011
Tallahassee, Florida
Clean DD Build

Well I've been meaning to do this for a pretty long time, so here it is. I picked up a '98 GS this past winter here in Florida. When I first laid eyes on the car it was "OK". So I called them up and met the "owner" at the car for a drive. To my surprise when I arrived the said "owner" was shoving a long piece of wire in the door to unlock the doors since he BROKE the door handle! (Big surprise there, typical issue as we all know) So finally I just crawled in through the hatch. Turns out he was a friend of the owner and I talked to guy down to 1900, which I still felt was too high but the car was growing on me. So a mechanically inclined friend and I took her for a drive and all sounded and drove well. Of course it wasn't perfect for a car with 145k...

First here's some pictures of the car before purchase:

FS1.jpg

FS2.jpg


Once I was able to give the car a good look over I noticed a few issues:
- Someone sealed the sunroof with silicone, seemingly common leak "fix" with these cars.
- The hatch struts were blown causing the trunk latch to not disengage all the way so the trunk would only partially open. On top of that the key would only work 25% of the time.
- Headliner was ripped and had signs of water damage.
- Headlights were horribly yellow
- Missing the trunk floor panel, cargo cover, and mats
- Factory radio replaced with some horrid aftermarket radio, only the rear speakers worked because of their shoddy wiring.
- Obvious broken door handle.

Upon further research this car has ALL options. Including but not limited to:
Premium Infinity Sound
Sunroof
Alloy Wheels
Full Leather Two Tone
Max Adjustment seats, I've noticed not all come with lumbar adjustments etc..

Next, Initial Repairs. Plans for the car. Discovery of more problems.
 
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So the journey towards restoration begins with initial repairs.

I started with the obvious and most needed repair; The broken door handle.
This I ordered online as an aftermarket OEM replacement. Easy enough to install... that is until I got to the lock tumbler. :banghead: My mechanically inclined friend and member here gave me a hand and eventually it was all put back together.

Soon after I decided it would be a good idea to start giving the motor a go through. So I'll take a second to mention that, yes this is a 420a and yes I wish it was a 4G63T of course, but I do enjoy 38 MPG highway and 21 city so I won't complain and I'll just have to get an identical GSX twin some day.

Timing component were first. I didn't know how long ago the timing belt and components were changed if at all. So to be on the safe side I changed them anyway. This included the belt, pulleys and tensioner which I purchased from a user here.

So here it is during the first go over, friend letting me use his shop AND helped me.
photo41-1.jpg

photo11.jpg


What seemed to be a flawless repair quickly went south when the crankshaft bolt was stripped. :ohdamn:
photo5.jpg

After a quick run to a local Ace Hardware, one tap, and 15 minutes of careful re-tapping later all was well again and she drove home avoiding the dreaded overnight stay in the shop.

It was after this that I decided I wanted this car to be the cleanest 2g in Tallahassee, not the fastest.

Next, A few small repairs, Upgrades, and Beautification.
 
Next I had to address the leaking sunroof. Not only did it continue to ruin the upholstery but it just made the car damp after a decent rain. So off it came and I ordered a brand new seal online. But before I could put the new seal on I had to address the rust on the sunroof, which I expected to be there, and the silicone that the idiots before me applied.
Sunroof2.jpg

Sunroof1.jpg

photo22.jpg

So after scraping on the rust and applying and anti rust paste I slapped on the new seal, cleaned up the silicone, and off it went. Leak free. I had never opened the sunroof since purchase until this day. I wish I hadn't. The damn thing would open just fine, but didn't feel like closing under its own power.
So I took a trip to the junkyard and grabbed a working assembly.
For those who don't already know, there is a key that lets you open the sunroof manually to test whether or not the tracks were OK. You just need an Allen Wrench or a ratcheting screwdriver with an Allen bit.
After this it worked like a charm.
Pictures of the final product will be posted later.

Soon after the Timing Job I continued to notice a clunk in the front right wheel when going over bumps. Well as the days and weeks went on it got progressively worse. It was decided that I'd try and replace the inner tie rod.

The tie rod was worse than I thought...
The pictures don't show but the tie rod rattled around like crazy.
photo52.jpg


So we slapped on a new tie rod and began dialing in the alignment the best we could until I was able to arrange a two year alignment with the local Sun Tire.
photo43.jpg


I drove the car home and there was STILL a clunk..

We checked out the car and decided it was ready for its first upgrade.
It was Christmas in April.
photo42.jpg

photo51.jpg


Not only did these bad boys get rid of the clunk but it improved the drive and feel of the car, not to mention the look.
They provided great handling with a 1.5" drop which was great, but it still wasn't enough.

Next, Upgrades, Upgrades, Upgrades.
 
Thanks. I'll have a new update tonight. Most of what you're seeing is months old. I'm just starting from the beginning.

Here's some pictures to go along with the suspension upgrade.

Stockwhls.jpg

Here's to show how flush the wheels are after the drop. The reason for this photo will become apparent soon.
Stockwhls2.jpg


So far this is my favorite upgrade. It provided an excellent feel for the car and I couldn't be happier with the look. Or so I thought. More on this later.

The yellow headlights started bothering me more and more. Finally I just decided to use my dad's tried and tested method of clearing up yellowed headlights. No special cleaners and headlight restore kits.
Here's what I used and the process in order:
Tape off around the headlights to avoid damaging paint.
- Wetsand using 600 grit sandpaper until you get a white paste. Rinse.
- Wetsand 800 grit, then 1000 and then 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper. White paste. Rinse.
At this point you can use either a buffing wheel or do it by hand. I used a buffing wheel which yields the best results.
- Use rubbing compound with wheel ( or by hand) until hazy. Spray off with hose doing this 2-3 times. You'll start to notice it clearing up at this point.
- Next do the same thing using polishing compound. 2-3 times or until it's as clear as you like.
- Finish with your favorite wax. I used Turtle Wax Classic Hard Shell.

The Result? You tell me. I was satisfied.
Before and After.

photo21.jpg


Next is my favorite aesthetic upgrade.
My MIF (Mechanically Inclined Friend) picked up a set of Evo 8 Enkeis that were painted black with spray paint....:ohdamn: unfortunately. So I tried to strip the black paint and ended up ruining the factory powder coat underneath. After I was done cussing myself out I decided I'd paint them later.
Wheels.jpg


After that I grabbed some new rubber for the wheels. So I decided to go with Eagle Gts 235/45/17.

Then I decided I was going to go flat black with the wheels and grabbed 3 cans of black Plasti-dip. I really liked the outcome of the Plasti-dip. It made them look super aggressive.
Wheels2.jpg


This further improved the look of the car and again, handling was increased.
Evo2.jpg

Car.jpg

Now the reason for the picture earlier. The wheels ended up being completely flush with the car, which was great.
Evo1.jpg

These pictures are also right after the suspension upgrade, so naturally the springs hadn't settled yet and will still end up lower.

Next, Interior Improvements.
 
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These wheels were a great deal, I jacked up an Evo and ran off with them. The tires ran me about $650 minus a $100 rebate card.

I got the wheels in a trade for my stockers plus cash.
 
Interior upgrades were next. So I yanked out the old messed up headliner and pulled off the old fabric. I didn't realize how annoying it was going to be to get the foam padding off of the board until I started. Here's after 20 minutes of scraping...
photo53.jpg

photo44.jpg

After scraping everything off I went to the local Jo-Ann and picked up a huge roll of tan "leather" fabric and a can of Loctite Spray Adhesive #300. This sprays out like spider webs and give a pretty good coverage. I only did one coat but I probably should have done two. So I sprayed to entire board and layed out my fabric. The flat areas laid out nicely but some of the curves proved difficult.
photo15.jpg

photo25.jpg

photo35.jpg


After all was said and done the final product came out really nice and I decided to shave the visors for now. There are some wrinkles but after I had it in the car in the heat they released and are barely noticeable to me now.

photo45.jpg


Next, More Small Exterior Upgrades
 
Looking good so far! Keep it up.
 
After the last upgrades I just kept looking around for the little things to start bringing the car together. I found some typical clear side marker to replace the ugly orange ones. For such a small thing they really made the car look better.

photo24.jpg

After installation and a good wax.
photo3.jpg


Then I found a deal that I couldn't pass up. I found some Morimoto Mini H1 projectors for a great deal. They had minor defects which I could live with. So I began the retrofit. First, off came the bumper.
photo26.jpg

I was a bit weary with everything especially with it being my first time disassembling a headlight. It turned out to be a little easier than I thought especially since the projectors were fairly PnP. I did everything clean, I tapped and soldered the wire for the bi-xenon flapper into the hi-beams. This allows full light to come out of the lens instead of just a cutoff when the hi-beams are turned on.

HLWire.jpg

Proj.jpg


I'll be snapping some more photo's after the install and some night shots to show the cutoff.
It came out a bit crooked but when I get some more time all I have to do is give them a little spin to flatten them out.

Overall I'm very happy with the improved visibility.

Next, Sound; Inside and Out
 
Wow, reading about how your car was when you got it, is exactly how mine was. But mine also was sitting or three coil sleeves and a stock strut. Your build looks great so far. Basically the say build I am going only difference is mine is a 96. Love the work and keep it up.
 
Thanks man. I've been keeping an eye on yours too. Looking good. Mine has come a long way.
 
Next upgrade was my sound system. I don't have pictures of any of the processes or installation steps I took. But I grabbed a nice Sony Headunit and a set of Infinity Kappa 6.5" speakers all around. Then installed my JL sub that I've had for a few years. I like crisp sound over ear piercing sound so that's why I chose this setup. Besides they come factory with infinity setups so why not? :hellyeah:

Next was exhaust. I got a super deal from a guy here on the forums. I couldn't thank him enough. I bought a Tsudo N1 style exhaust from him.
Here's how it looked out of the box. It had obviously been sitting for a while and I knew that. This was right after I started polishing
photo46.jpg


After about 10 mins or so of polishing.
photo55.jpg


The gaskets were worn out and falling apart as well. No big deal! That's what copper RTV is for.
photo27.jpg


You can see here how I used the RTV. I put a 3/8" bead where the gasket goes and then a thin layer around the areas that bolt together.
photo37.jpg


Next, Well... It's a surpise
 
This is an inspiration. Thank you for documenting your efforts. It gives m hope that I too will soon muster the courage to remove my fornt bumper, leather my ceiling and sunvisors. i am at the moment extremely intimidated by the bumper removal. You make it look easy. I hope i am as fortumate.
 
Oh wow. Looking good. I think I may invest in an oem door handle myself this time. Second time it broke. Guess a junkyard wasn't the best choice. Lol
 
Oh wow. Looking good. I think I may invest in an oem door handle myself this time. Second time it broke. Guess a junkyard wasn't the best choice. Lol

I am on my second set of replacement door handles. I have purchase a fourth set and they are on standby for when this set brakes. There is a post on this forum from an individual that has a laserd copy metal reinforcement that strengthens the plastic (prone to shatter frequently) arches that connect the door handle pull to the door handle mount.

I am currently in the process of mounting LEDs under the door handle pull so when I chirp the car alarm the door handle will glow. Easier to find the door handle in the dark night at the train station. Also the door LEDs connect to other LEDs on the door which all light up when the door open switch is activated. I plan to light up the planet one of these days with my pride and joy.
 
I am on my second set of replacement door handles. I have purchase a fourth set and they are on standby for when this set brakes. There is a post on this forum from an individual that has a laserd copy metal reinforcement that strengthens the plastic (prone to shatter frequently) arches that connect the door handle pull to the door handle mount.

I am currently in the process of mounting LEDs under the door handle pull so when I chirp the car alarm the door handle will glow. Easier to find the door handle in the dark night at the train station. Also the door LEDs connect to other LEDs on the door which all light up when the door open switch is activated. I plan to light up the planet one of these days with my pride and joy.

I may have to look into that. I would love to complain to mitsubishi and tell them how stupid of an idea the plastic was. Lol

Nice! I used to have leds under the dash that flashed to music. Those were fun.
 
I may have to look into that. I would love to complain to mitsubishi and tell them how stupid of an idea the plastic was. Lol

Nice! I used to have leds under the dash that flashed to music. Those were fun.

Why not have the musical LEDs again? How did you set that up anyway?
I am currently working on having LED turn signals using LED kits that fit on the OEM DSM mirrors. Red LEDs facing backwards and White LEDs facing the front.
 
Why not have the musical LEDs again? How did you set that up anyway?
I am currently working on having LED turn signals using LED kits that fit on the OEM DSM mirrors. Red LEDs facing backwards and White LEDs facing the front.

One of my idiot friends kicked them loose and broke them. :banghead: Now they're sitting in the back hatch with the rest of my old parts collection. Lol. No idea where the control and wiring for them went though. I actually had one of my friends hook them up for me. He ran the wires into the fuse box harness.
 
That is awesome. I think I may get a kit one of these days. I need new handles anyway cause the paint's all scratched around the lock, but that kit would definitly prevent a third replacement.
 
Nice N/T build thread.

As far as the door handles go, order these as mentioned earlier: 2G Eclipse, 2G Talon, Avenger, Sebring Door Handle Repair Kit I hope to be getting a set for Christmas.


OP: How is the black paint doing? Being in FL for so many years, I would worry about clear coat cancer.

Sorry for the late response, I'm planning on updating this very soon. There's been a lot done since my last change.

To answer the question, it's doing OK. When I wax it the paint really does look beautiful. It's almost as if all the dings and scratches from my college town aren't there. The top of the wing, rear hatch, rear fenders and roof are really the only spots where the clear coat is STARTING to suffer. But when I notice it starting to fade I quickly apply a liberal amount of wax. I try to take care of it the best I can. In fact my next update is actually about the paint. But I won't give it away, you'll see pictures soon enough.
 
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