I have known Stephen for about 10 years now. We were two of the first kids in our graduating class to get our drivers licenses, and some of the first to have modified vehicles in the school parking lot; my 97 Eclipse GST and his 95 Dodge Ram. It didn’t take long before we became friends. We spent quite a bit of time hanging out, quickly learning about the automotive world. Shortly before our Junior year of high school, I sold the bright red 2g GST and drove my dad’s 1990 Dodge Ram until Senior year, when I picked up a 95 Eagle Talon TSI AWD. It didn’t take long before Stephen was bit by the DSM bug, and shortly thereafter he ended up picking up his first DSM, a green 2g GSX. Our modest builds started off pretty much identical; big 16g setups with all necessary supporting mods. However, as I began to become entrenched with the struggles of college, it was time for me to sell off my DSM and focus on what mattered. Even after I sold my DSM, we worked on Stephen’s GSX constantly. Sadly, just as what happened with my own DSM, life happened and it was time for Stephen to part with the car. While my original bright red GST is long gone, he still owns that same truck. It is currently getting a huge amount of work done and hoping to get it on the road later this year. But that is a story for a different day (and feature car article on this website).
A few years later, new life circumstances brought another DSM into the picture. Enter Krisandra and her GSX. They decided that their first project together was going to be building her 200k+ mile GSX into a 500whp street car. It did not take long before the plan was set, and parts began rolling in.
The plan was simple, a GT35r powered car on E85 making 500awhp. But as always is when working on a project, it never goes that easy. The car had a good base to start from, but needed some TLC to bring it back up to spec to make the jump into 500hp street car territory. They had the head fully redone with a brand new port and polish. GSC Billet S2 Cams open the Manley 1mm oversize valves with GSC Beehive springs and GSC titanium retainers, while ARP L19 headstuds hold the head to a .020 over standard 2.0L block. The rotating assembly consists of Manley rods, connecting Wiseco HD pistons with a Manley crank. Clevite bearings provide the surface, and ARP bolts hold everything together. As usual, a balance shaft elimnation kit was used to prolong the life of the rotating assembly. Finally, an HKS Timing belt rides on a set of AEM cam gears to bring the whole engine to life.
Finishing out the engine bay, a Mishimoto radiator with a 12” slimline fan, Mishimoto upper and lower radiator hoses, and Mishimoto coolant overflow keep the car cool. A custom made oil catch can with AN fittings off of the valve cover sits where the battery typically sits which has now been relocated to the trunk. Braided stainless lines have replaced all of the standard vacuum lines throughout the bay, and a mild wire tuck job has been done to keep the bay looking clean.
Next comes the fun part, the power. The turbo chosen was a custom powder coated Garrett GT3582R, connected to the head via a tubular exhaust manifold. Exhaust gases escape out a custom made 3” vband downpipe and catback to a Magnaflow muffler, while a Tial 38mm vband external wastegate that is atmospherically dumped, handles the boost pressure duties. Fuel is provided by ID 1200cc injectors and an Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator keeps it in check. A custom made 4” intake directs the air through the turbo, which then is routed though a large Power XS front mount intercooler with custom piping, and passes through a 1g throttle body and into a Magnus sheet metal intake manifold. Pressure is relieved via a Tial 50mm BOV. The whole setup is held in place via Avid billet motor mounts and a BulFab tubular crossmember. Power is put down through a TMZ (Tim Zimmer Performance) transmission and transfer case.
As is with most DSM’s, the outside of the car is understated, exactly what a car of this type should be. The body is the original 200k+ mile paint, and the infamous Mitsubishi silver paint sideskirts show their age, having faded to an almost dull, flat silver. The stock hood has been replaced with a VIS carbon hood, and there is a matching VIS carbon hatch around back. The car is lowered on Fortune Auto 500 coilovers, set to allow more than enough travel on the street without worries of rubbing the 245/40/17 Yokohama S Drives tires mounted on a set of custom blue powder coated Advan 17×8 +34 RGII’S. The brakes have been upgraded with Stop Tech slotted rotors and Hawk pads all the way around. A set of stock tail lights have been custom tinted, and a custom set of retrofit projectors, both done by our friend Ned Flanders (Yes, that is his real name) round out the exterior modifications.
The interior is even less assuming than the exterior. A set of Autometer Cobalt mechanical gauges, boost and oil pressure, display the vitals while an AEM Uego monitors the Air/Fuel ratios. The ever so popular DSMLink V3 provides the tuning software, and a B&M short shifter and Blox weighted shift knob complete the interior. Besides that, the interior looks no different than any other slightly modified DSM out there. Just the way it should be.
DSM’s get a bad reputation, unjustly so. Being a 20 year old car, they are now easily affordable by everyone, including those who will not take the time or resources to properly care and maintain one. With the immense power that can be drawn from the 4g63 so easily, it is no wonder that people buy them cheap, modify them even cheaper, and then complain when they fail. Being as though this isn’t Stephen or Krisandra’s first foray into DSM’s, they knew what it would take to build of a car of this magnitude. They have spent the time and money researching just what it takes to create a well running, reliable example of what this car is capable of. I have been around many DSM’s in my day, and this is without a doubt one of the nicest and most well built examples of a streetcar DSM I have been around.
– Andrew
Engine-
2.0 block
.020 over
Wiseco HD Pistons
Manley Rods
Clevite bearings
Manley crank
Balance shaft elimination
GSC Billet S2 Cams
Manley 1mm oversize valves
GSC Beehive Springs
GSC titanium retainers
Full port and polish on head
1g Throttle Body
AEM Cam Gears
L19 head studs
HKS Timing belt
Turbo and Exhaust-
Tubular Exhaust Manifold
Garrett GT3582R
3 inch down pipe
3 inch vband exhaust
Magnaflow muffler
Tial 38mm vband waste gate
Atmospheric dump
Transmission-
TMZ transfer case
TTMZ Transmission
Southbend clutch
Fuel System-
Walbro 320 fuel pump
ID2000 Injectors
Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator
Engine Bay-
Power XS intercooler and custom piping
Catch can
Mishimoto overflow
Mishimoto radiator
Slimline 12 inch fan
Mishimoto upper and lower hoses
Tial 50mm bov
BulFab Tubular Crossmember
Avid Billet mounts
Exterior-
Custom retrofit projectors
Tinted tail lights
Vis carbon hood
Vis carbon hatch
Advan 17×8 +34 RGII’S
Yokohama S. Drives 245/40/17
Fortune Auto 500 series coilovers
Stop Tech slotted front and rear rotors Hawk pads
Interior-
Front and Rear strut bars
B&M short throw
Blox weighted shift knob
AEM Uego
Autometer Cobalt mechanical oil pressure
Autometer Cobalt mechanical boost
