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Hello from New Zealand, my two JDM 'Sapporo' coupes


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Hello guys!

 

My name is Phil and I am from Hamilton, New Zealand. I actually came across here to try track down a set of widebody rims for sale.

 

I've very much been a Starion fan for a long time, but for me, I've gone with the older route and I have two 4th generation Galant coupes - the very chassis/platform the Starquest was heavily based on. Mechanically it's essentially the same as the early model Starions from Japan, featuring the same all independent suspension front and rear, four wheel ventilated disc brakes, turbocharged G63B 2.0L ECI-Turbo engine with 5 speed KM132B manual gearbox etc. The main key difference is the 4th gen Galant coupe platform is some 6 inches longer in wheelbase over the Starquest. For those of you familiar with these cars, you would know them as the Plymouth Sapporo and Dodge Challenger II in the States. They seem to be called many names depending which market they are sold in, for instance in Australia they were initially called the Chrysler Scorpion, then re-named to the Mitsubishi Scorpion.

 

My two are JDM models, both came in to the county in the late '80s as used imports. One is a 1980 model badged as an 'Eterna GSR' which is the upper most spec model available, and the other is a 1982 model badged as a 'Galant GT', which is the lowest spec turbo model available. The Eterna has electric windows front and rear, electric fender mounted mirrors, power steering, air conditioning and a much nicer interior while the Galant GT has manual steering, wind up windows but still retained the electric fender mirrors along with additional equipment like the VELNAS trip computer and rear windscreen wiper.

 

Anyway, enough with the wall of text, here are some pics:

 

The Eterna how I picked it up in 2007 with just 80,000 miles on the clock and one owner before me

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/eterna10.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/eterna11.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/eterna12.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/eterna7.jpg

 

Didn't take too long to start modifying it

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/Nats2.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/strut2.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/eterna18.jpg

 

Did a couple track days, handling was still quite appalling

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/FUEL.jpg

 

So had these made up for it

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF0937.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF0964.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF0966.jpg

 

Then got some 16x7.5 F and 16x8 SSR Star Formula rims

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/IMG_2609.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1309.jpg

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Then went a little crazy, and decided the G63B wasn't enough even though I was planning on doing a DOHC Evo III head swap. So I purchased two donor engines

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1376.jpg

 

And proceeded to take my perfectly functioning car off the road, to do this

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1377.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1382.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1435.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1410.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Eterna/DSCF1452.jpg

 

Sadly I haven't got any further with it due to losing motivation and needing to build up a bit of funds to purchase a suitable gearbox to go behind it (Toyota R154).

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In the meantime, this happened to pop up for sale - the Galant GT

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/DSCF2296.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/DSCF2294.jpg

 

I got it for a stupid cheap price, but the catch was that it was retro-fitted back to a carburettor engine, using the original (low comp) block and head, with just carb manifolds wacked on

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/DSCF2384.jpg

 

But with the leftovers from the Eterna I converted it back to its former Turbo glory

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/IMG_0665.jpg

 

also swapped over the coilovers and wheels

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/IMG_0396.jpg

 

and then proceeded to kill the bottom end..

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/IMG_0674.jpg

 

So with some of these

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/IMG_0647.jpg

 

and one of these

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/GalantGT/IMG_2994.jpg

 

I built up a DASH engine with circa 90s era HKS 0.50mm over-sized pistons, removed balance shafts and fully balanced rotating assembly. However as I was missing the DASH specific wiring loom and RWD specific inlet manifold (mine was a FWD item which the thermostat housing was incredibly close to the firewall), I couldn't get it to run right. Also at the time, I was going to be purchasing a widebody Starion so I put the Galant GT up for sale with the Eterna's original motor in it (as I would seriously lose out if I sold the GT with the freshly built DASH engine).

 

Fast forward to now, I ended up missing out on the widebody Starion (boo hoo), but I eventually sold the Galant GT coupe (yet to be picked up though), and through a strike of luck picked up one of these - an '87 JDM Starion GSR-V parts car, with the DASH engine

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Starion-parts/IMG_3794.jpg

 

which has the wiring loom and RWD inlet I am after, along with other bonus items such as 5 lug hubs, spare engine (to use as parts if needed) and gearbox.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/Starion-parts/IMG_3795.jpg

 

So in the next coming months, the DASH engine will be making its way back into the Eterna along with the missing bits, and I will make up a new exhaust system and intercooler setup to replace the items which were robbed for the Galant, and I will carry out the V6 swap at another time once I have all the parts for it ready.

 

I hope that all made sense and that you enjoyed the read.

 

Thanks!

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Great read while half dozed off from a hard days work. I like your cars. Engine bay sheetmetal looks very much like the 'quest.

 

It should do! 99% of the platform is the same between the 4th gen A164A IRS Turbo and the A183A/A187A Starions. You can even get a Galant/Eterna turbo sedan - basically a four door Starion!

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almost forgot, I have one of these things also

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/91zero/IMG_2869.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/91zero/IMG_2852.jpg

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/te71se/91zero/IMG_2874.jpg

 

E39A Galant VR-4, JDM 'Evolution' spec factory fitted with 16G turbo, 510cc injectors, larger FMIC + piping, 3.909 ratio diffs with 4 bolt rear axles and LSD.

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Haha, good to see you here. I was wondering if you ever finished your 6g72 swap the other day.

 

We didn't get the 16x8 -0 wheels here, those are JDM only, yo.

 

So... you have two DASH heads now?!

 

-Robert

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We didn't get the 16x8 -0 wheels here, those are JDM only, yo.

 

yep we got the 16x8 +18 and the 16x8 -10

 

And I thought I recognized the yellow car from a 6g7X swap site, I've always been curious as to what tranny was gonna be used.

 

Bunch of good look cars you've got though

Edited by D_Venable
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yeah I figured the 0 offset 8in rims would have to come from Japan or possibly Europe if the Euro-spec models run with them as well. It's not too hard to get things in from Japan, it's mostly just checking the availability.

 

Yep have two DASH heads now, well two complete DASH long blocks, one engine would just be missing the wiring loom, DASH exhaust mani and turbo.

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