2G Advice question: Which is better, fixing the rust on one car, or converting a 420A to a 4G63T

[Draylan]

I have two 2G Mitsubishi Eclipse. One is a Spyder, GST (I think), with a 4G63T (engine on driver's side, transmission on passenger's side), and the other is an RS with a 420A (engine on passenger's side, transmission on driver's side).

The Spyder's 4G63T engine is nicely upgraded, new parts, upgraded turbo, intake/headers, etc. But, the rest of the car is rusting out around it. LOTS of metal work to replace rust.

The RS has a solid body, but a blown engine.

I had originally purchased the RS for a parts car (interior, some body panels, etc) to fix up the Spyder. But, with the extent of the rust on the Spyder, I thought, "Hey, I can just take the engine out of the Spyder and put in the RS, it looks like just swapping the engine/transmission mounts and the wiring harness." BUT, after looking through this forum, it sounds like it will be MUCH more involved than that.

So, now I'm wondering which would be less time consuming/headache:

1. fix the extensive rust on the Spyder
2. convert the RS with the 420A to the 4G63T,
3. find a 'less rusted' shell for the Spyder (or a hard-top that will accept the 4G63T) and use that.

However, I live in Maine and haven't seen a lot of them on craigslist, etc. And I'm not sure if it's worth the price to look for something outside of personal towing range and have it shipped to me....

I'm decent with metal work and some fabrication, but certainly NOT a professional.

Any advice would be extremely helpful!

Thanks!

 

[pauleyman]

I have two 2G Mitsubishi Eclipse. One is a Spyder, GST (I think), with a 4G63T (engine on driver's side, transmission on passenger's side), and the other is an RS with a 420A (engine on passenger's side, transmission on driver's side).

The Spyder's 4G63T engine is nicely upgraded, new parts, upgraded turbo, intake/headers, etc. But, the rest of the car is rusting out around it. LOTS of metal work to replace rust.

The RS has a solid body, but a blown engine.

I had originally purchased the RS for a parts car (interior, some body panels, etc) to fix up the Spyder. But, with the extent of the rust on the Spyder, I thought, "Hey, I can just take the engine out of the Spyder and put in the RS, it looks like just swapping the engine/transmission mounts and the wiring harness." BUT, after looking through this forum, it sounds like it will be MUCH more involved than that.

So, now I'm wondering which would be less time consuming/headache:

1. fix the extensive rust on the Spyder
2. convert the RS with the 420A to the 4G63T,
3. find a 'less rusted' shell for the Spyder (or a hard-top that will accept the 4G63T) and use that.

However, I live in Maine and haven't seen a lot of them on craigslist, etc. And I'm not sure if it's worth the price to look for something outside of personal towing range and have it shipped to me....

I'm decent with metal work and some fabrication, but certainly NOT a professional.

Any advice would be extremely helpful!

Thanks!

Neither is a good option. 420a to 4g63t is a ton of fabrication, wiring, etc. Get another shell. Scrap the other two.

 

[motomattx]

Find an engine for the 420a and install it, they are plentiful. Drive it or sell it to finance a clean shell for your Spyder.

 

[Draylan]

Thanks for the advice! I'll be looking for another shell.

 

[DogWhistle]

It gets back to deciding what kind of driving you want to do with the car.

If you want the car for year-round transportation, driving the RS is perfect for that. In your area, apparently, the salt will eventually destroy it, as well. There are mods that you can make on the 420a engines, if you want a little more juice. The 420a can be a very reliable daily driver.

If you want the car for good weather ripping around, and want the additional power of a turbo, find a new shell for your 4G63. The cost of a clean shell, with shipping, will be far cheaper than trying to repair the rust on your existing Spyder. Don’t bother to do this unless you are only planning on good weather driving.

There is a third option: and that is to do an Evo 4G63 swap into the RS. One thing this forum is silent about, is explaining to new members, that the transmission “hump” in the front subframe, is on different sides of the car between a 4G63 and a 420a. Installing an Evo 4G63 and trans has been done, but it is not a recommended first project.

Or, take Pauleyman’s suggestion, and sell both, and look for a GST already done.

The good news is, you have options. Your intended driving purpose and bank account should help you figure it out.

 

[Draylan]

My plan is for good weather driving and maybe the occasional trip to the drag strip to test it/make performance adjustments.

Thanks for all of the advice everybody!! I'm now looking for a new shell for the Spyder.