Baby's got back!

[Trav83]

Looks pretty good I noticed you got rid of the chrome behind the Mitsu badge, which does look better in my opinion. Your front kind of reminds me of the Evo 8...

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[brian9397gsx]

Nice looking car , Im glad you recut the opening looks alot better. Glad to see someone who can actually take criticism.

 

[marineeagle28]

looks MUCH better now that you have tried to match the lines of the hood... Looks AWESOME man. good work.

 

[SeaveeDSM]

Looks pretty good I noticed you got rid of the chrome behind the Mitsu badge, which does look better in my opinion. Your front kind of reminds me of the Evo 8...

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

I should have mentioned earlier that the chrome was there only temporarily until I got the fascia repainted. I have the OEM fascia which has (now had) the indentation where the emblem goes. The position of the vents is such that the indents were at the upper edge of the vents rather than the center and this I couldn't center the emblem to the vents either or the bare indents would have shown above it. So as a stop-gap til I finished refining the vents better to then paint the fascia I just used some of that cutable mirror stuff (they sell it at auto parts stores in the mirror section) to center the emblem. I never intended the chrome to be permanent as it looks kind cheesy.

Nice looking car , Im glad you recut the opening looks alot better. Glad to see someone who can actually take criticism.

I have no issues with constructive criticism that is spoken without a malicious tone and pretty much all who found fault - and it was valid - with the original cuts were cool about it. At the end of the day I would have preferred no vents but down here with the heat and need for A/C I just couldn't deal with having my temps pretty much always at the upper limits of safe.

Again thanks to all for the kind words people. One thing I love about the DSM in this condition is out on the road I see all these other late model sports cars, many of which indeed are bad ass - but this now 13 year old car looks just as new as them, gets plenty of looks and compliments and at a lesser cost and with performance that is close, equal or often alot better than most. Plus it sort of stands out cause you just don't see many DSMs anymore down here in decent shape.

 

[Aameiel]

Sweet ride man that bad boy looks super clean inside and out !!! Do you drive it much ?

 

[chico904]

Car looks great man! How in the world has your valve cover stayed white and not turned yellow yet?

 

[SeaveeDSM]

The VC is powder coated, not painted with standard paint. Got it from JNZ Tuning about 2 years ago.

 

[vr4x4]

CLEAN! I love white...

 

[OOO_ROB]

very nice

 

[Dhan]

Wow, dust must be an endangered species in Florida! It's a part of the decor here in CO.

The front kind of reminds me of the newer GTOs. Very nice looking automobile my friend

 

[Westslope_talon]

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Yeah, I'll take all of that. Palms and sexiitime DSM included please!

 

[Juanpa]

You have any pics of it without the mesh?

 

[Boostinsideways]

Very nice looking DSM!

I wish I could say orginal owner on mine... 3rd owner though. I am proud of that. I know exactly who owned this car before me, and one of them is still a fellow mitsu guy. He upgraded to an evo and sold his dsm to me. He is local too so its great.

 

[907gs-t]

Man that's one hella clean GS-T very sweet no doubt.

 

[tcbikerguy6]

Very clean car. Great job on keeping it up over the years.

 

[DearestNameless]

Your Eclipse is absolutely gorgeous, but I have to agree with most people here that the front cut out doesn't look quite right, it needs to flow with the bumper a little better.

I think it would look better like this...

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

I don't have photoshop, I had to use MSpaint so it's not perfect but you get the idea


BTW I love your rims, what kind are they? They look a lot like mine but with more spokes (and bigger of course)

This one looks so much better. Only thing I might consider changing now is the line and is next to the headlights. But the top and bottom lines look much better flowing with the hood.

 

[SBstar]

Wow, beautiful car! More dsmers should attempt to achieve that level of clean! While I do agree that the vents look "off" (kind of looks like a pontiac?), part of that is that we're so used to seeing the stock 2gb bumper. It defiantely does look better after you modified it.

 

[Zdrummer15]

Wow, your interior looks like new. You definitely made progress on the vents too. They look a lot better to me.

 

[SeaveeDSM]

Soooo....

I've been away from the forums for a few years now. Busy with other work/life issues, growing kids, other hobbies and interests (off-roading with SxS, boating, my new F-250 SuperDuty 6.7 and RVing, etc) and I was not driving the GST much either. The Eclipse actually sat covered for a full year with a fuel line problem from E-85. My son is going to be getting his driving license in a little over year and three weeks ago I started the project to get it back up and running and updated.

Step one was upgrading all the fuel lines with SST braided PTFE lines (thanks RTM Racing!), replacing the battery, pulling the injectors and cleaning them, replacing their worn out seals and a new BISS and O-ring and using ECMLink to drain out the old E-85. Then added a couple gallons of fresh E-85 and cranked it up - finger's crossed!! It started and after the ECU re-learned it's trims, it runs fine!

Step two was a thorough exterior wash and interior clean.

Step Three: Ordered a whole bunch of new goodies:

- Brand new OEM valve cover (JNZ Tuning) to be painted EVO Wicked White to match re-paint (pending to start next week)

- JMF spark plug well cover (STM Tuning) - the old one was in bad shape and no amount of Mother's mag and aluminum polish was resuscitating it

- Katzskin full leather seat upgrade for front and back - Teak color (closest match to my OEM leather seats)

- Lloyd Floormats

- New carpet - Stockinteriors.com

- OEM leather wrapped shift knob

- New rear tailgate lift struts

- New headlamps - not OEM but OEM style and look (Amazon)

- Headlight Revolution S-V.4 LED low beam headlight bulbs - HUGE difference and great beam pattern

- LED bulbs for all the rest of the exterior lights (except high beam headlight) - Superbright LEDs and Amazon

- Replaced a dead LED instrument cluster bulb - Superbright LEDs

- CV axles (Cardone rebuilt driver side and Cardone new passenger side) from RockAuto

- Rebuilt power steering rack, power steering pump and new upper power steering pressure hose Cardone from RockAuto

- Replaced alternator, power steering and A/C belts

- Motor City Reman upgraded 160AMP Saturn/Mitsubishi alternator

- New Mishimoto FMIC - the old one is still working and no leaks but a lot of fins are mushed and it is old and pitted looking, no way I can bring it back with Mothers and some polishing at this point

Step 4: Next Monday I drop it off at my paint and body shop for a full re-paint. They will get it stripped of all lights, bumper, spoiler, side skirts, door handles, belt moldings etc. off. They will remove the front windshield and rear liftgate glass before painting and re-install after, will also paint underside of hood and liftgate, engine bay, interior door jambs etc. Got a new front bumper cover and repeated the added ventilation cut-outs but am dispensing with the SST mesh protective screens. Color will again be Mitsubishi EVO Wicked White (Paint Code W37).

Changed from the original build in this thread are that I went back to OEM sized 17" rims (Street Tuned brand from Tire Rack) with Continental Extreme Contact DWS Z rated tires. The 18's looked good but with the skinny tire sidewalls it was too harsh of a ride and at 56 now, I like some comfort.

I'll be posting pics and a YouTube video to include some drone footage around the car in about 3-4 weeks.

I'm excited to get back into the DSM scene. I live in Miami and other than my car and a good buddy with a DSM and EVO who lives nearby and we met by accident some years ago, I've not even seen another 1G or 2G DSM on the road down here in over 2 years. Actually I can't recall even seeing a 3G in the last couple years!

Sadly, our DSM's are a dying breed but I'm determined to keep mine on the road - with me or my son driving it - for some years to come. I am blessed and grateful to be at a stage in my life and working career to have the financial resources to be able to do this for myself and for my boy. When he first drives this car - which has aged so well and gracefully with its beautiful lines - to high school all the kids will FREAK OUT.

 

[DogWhistle]

The car looks great. Glad to see one so well preserved.

Unless I missed it, replacing the timing belt wasn’t on your to-do list. With the car minimally driven and then in storage for the last year, considering all of the other upgrades your doing to it, replacing the timing belt would be cheap insurance.

You especially want to make sure things are bullet proof if your son will drive the car like we used to drive them at 16. Are you sure you about this?

 

[SeaveeDSM]

The car looks great. Glad to see one so well preserved.

Unless I missed it, replacing the timing belt wasn’t on your to-do list. With the car minimally driven and then in storage for the last year, considering all of the other upgrades your doing to it, replacing the timing belt would be cheap insurance.

You especially want to make sure things are bullet proof if your son will drive the car like we used to drive them at 16. Are you sure you about this?

Hi, The timing belt was changed with a new OEM one about only about 15K miles ago, so its good to go for a while. When my son drives it, it will be on a limited basis, and with a GPS tracking/monitoring device as well as a de-tune with ECMLINK.

He's actually growing up so far to be a very responsible and respectful kid, but then again, teen years are teen years as you well noted. He'll mostly be driving a beater car for the first few years of driving until he PROVES responsible and capable, but I'll let him occasionally drive the Mitsu to school and on a date here and there. I never had that kind of an opportunity in my high school years, my parents were of modest means and my first car was a beat up VW beetle..... His future high school is also literally 1/4 mile from our house as well so its not going to be a long commute for him and the car.

 

[arrowhead]

Congratulations on a very clean car, not many left in that condition.
By the way I am sure we are close to each other, I stay at a house close to Marlin stadium, which I am repairing and the other by eureka drive.

 

[Jacob5se]

Great to see this car back!
I was looking through your photos from time to time since both car and scenery looks incredible. Show us more photos and info on progress while reviving it!

 

[SeaveeDSM]

Well, I repainted the car a few months ago, new rims as well and also replaced the seat coverings, front and back with Katskinz leathers. Color is once again Evo Wicked White.

Also redid the headliner and the carpet. Will post some interior pics soon.
The rims are Borbet 17X7.5 with a 40mm offset. Tires are Continental Extreme Contact DWS 225/ZR-17 - all from TireRack. Car looks basically brand new inside and out.

Here she is now at 23 years old and I’m proud to say I’m the one and only owner. Down here in Miami I almost don’t see ANY other DSMs on the road anymore and most times I drive anywhere I get thumbs ups and compliments - feels pretty good I have to admit.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[TheDude236]

Man, what a car. Quick question: Are those just stock headlights with a sort of LED bulb inside them or some ebay projector type light? I want that same effect on my car, looks badass!