1982 Mitsubishi Starion race replica - reader resto
1982 Mitsubishi Starion race replica - reader resto
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1982 Mitsubishi Starion race replica - reader resto
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The Starion has turned out to be the perfect toy for this long-time fan
Car: 1982 Mitsubishi Starion
Length of resto: 10 months
My first car was a 1983 JA Starion, and it was Kevin Bartlett’s Group E car. I didn’t know it at the time when I bought it, as it was plain white. I had it for about 10 years.
I burst a radiator hose at high speed and cooked the motor. I couldn’t get a replacement Starion motor and ended up putting a V6 Commodore engine in it. Me and my dad did it all and got it engineered.
While it was off the road, I decided to get it repainted. As it was stripped back, the painter asked if it was originally red, or silver, or black. He was stripping off paint and kept coming across different colours. And then I pulled off the computer and on the back it had a scrutineering sticker, marked K Bartlett, Adelaide International Raceway! It was Bartlett’s old Group E car.
Years later, I had sold the car and joined a local Charger club. One of the people there, Steven Mullins, had sold me the Starion years before and pulled me aside and asked if I still had it. No, why?
It turned out Ralliart Australia had been trying to track it down. They wanted it back for their heritage museum.
The thing was, back then no one wanted an old race car because they were flogged. Now it’s like, wow, you have to preserve it!
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Time moved on and I decided I really wanted another Starion. I found this one and it looked rough. The paint was rattle can black in places, it had crow’s feet all over it, but it was almost rust-free. There was a little rot around the hatch and some in the boot, but only minor stuff.
There were also a couple of small dents – overall, the body was not too bad under that rough exterior.
I stripped it all back to bare metal and then painted it myself.
Much of the engine and pipework had been done by a previous owner, so there was a lot to recommend the car, despite appearances.
That motor is a 2.0lt SOHC, with an L300 (van) multi-point fuel injection manifold on it, which is a popular upgrade. It’s running bigger Galant VR4 injectors.
Standard they only had two injectors and they were the ‘wedge with the edge’ in Group E, but didn’t quite have the goods for Group A.
This example has a JB water-cooled turbo, running around 12psi – the wastegate is wound out to maximum. It’s quick.
This car is a 1982, with a JB motor that could be 1984-85. The transmission is a standard five-speed manual. They’re a tough transmission and seem to last.
I don’t yet have an LSD, which I’d like. So if someone out there has a spare LSD sitting in their shed, or paddock, I’d like to know about it.
Braking is four-wheel ventilated discs from the factory. Suspension is MacPherson struts on the front and independent rear.
I installed the half cage, and it’s built to Motorsport Australia specs. The plan is, once my son Tom is old enough, we’ll do some Targa-style events with the car.
Right now I’m doing track days, like the Phillip Island and Sandown sprints. It’s a race car, so it’s fast, but not fast enough – they’re never fast enough!
Despite that, it has a couple of standard comforts, such as power steering and air-conditioning. It’s on club rego, so I still drive it on the road.
The guys at the racetrack say "take that belt off, you’ll get another 10 horsepower". But I like my air-conditioning.
Did it cost a lot? Not really, as I’m a TAVO – that is, Tight-Arse Valiant Owner! So I did everything myself. I had a sign guy make the stickers, but everything else was me. The car was $4300, but the wheels and tyres were $3500. The stickers were $800, and I probably spent around $600 on paint. The door trims, which I made are part of the originals, plus MDF, with a carbon-fibre-look vinyl cover. The handles are tow straps. The whole thing probably owes me less than 10 grand, excluding labour.
The seats had already been reupholstered – Starion seats don’t hold up well and they generally need recovering.
What’s it like to drive? It’s loud, and the tyres pick up every single rock on the road. It’s got King springs and is set up stiff, so it’s rough. On the track, it’s great.
However it’s surprising how far cars have come. I’ll go to the track and an Hyundai i30N will whistle past. What the hell? But this is 40 years old.
If you are on the hunt for a Starion, look for rust. Ideally, find something that someone has already spent money on, because some parts are hard to find. From 1982 to 1987, they only sold about 1400 in Australia.
There’s a Facebook group called Austarion, which is worth joining. That’s where I found this car.
Starions weren’t all that popular for a while. They weren’t a Supra, or an RX-7, or a 240Z, but now they’re in demand and worth a bit of money.
And the Shannons feature on the production racers
Reader Resto of the year contender
See all the contenders and vote here until Jan 8, 2023:
http://tradeuniquecars.com.au/rroty
From Unique Cars magazine #472, published Nov 10, 2022.
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