(Click on picture
to see more pictures of the car)
I bought this car from a dude that lived in Glendale, CA. I was looking
for a GST to replace the RS because I can't keep smogging it. I wanted a
GST because its stock turbo and its front wheel drive. If it was
front-wheel drive it would be more practical and get better gas mileage than the
GSX. I took the greyhound bus in September of 2008. I won the car on
an ebay auction for $2800 but the guy wouldn't sell it to me for that much.
It had 212,000 miles on it also! He said he'd sell it for $3200.
I thought that was a fair price since he said that it just had a headjob and a
couple valves were replaced. So basically all the major maintenance had
been done. The pictures on the auction and craiglisting were very small
and not very detailed. When I first saw the car I thought was nice but
then it was pretty junky. I already went all that way to pick the car up
and $3200 for 98 GST was still a good deal I decided to work with it. It
made the 300+ mile journey home with no problems. Among the deficiencies
the car had when I first got where: peeling clear coat all over the car (its
black the dude definately didn't keep it in his garage), the B&M style shifter
had HELLA play on it hella hard to get it in gear, the radio was just hanging
there nothing supporting it, the Mitsubishi battery was dead (wonder if it was
the stocker, that's pretty amazing for 212k if it is), missing sideskirts and
door caps (don't know why you'd take em off O_o'), improperly adjusted clutch
(won't go into gear easily), slightly worn CV boot, TOO MUCh negative camber
(very unstable), TOO LOW also, poor wheel alignment, interior panels missing,
cracked spark plug cover, leaking intercooler, just to name a few. I did
however get a full set of KYB AGXs, some nice 18" wheels (some of them kinda
scratched up O_o"), tuner lugs, K&N FIPK, RRE Upper intercooler pipe, 1G
Blow off valve, a 2.5" muffler, a nice front strut bar, a nice LOUD stereo
system (which I sold I wanted trunk space), and underdrive pulley. So for
the price, deficiencies, and the goodies it kind of balances out. My goal
for this car are to put down ~250-300 HP daily driveable car that can pass smog
fairly easy. I want to try to keep the car as stockish looking as
possible.
STATUS:
CAR RUNS GREAT FINALLY IT IS PRETTY CLOSE TO HOW I WANT IT, FOR NOW I CAN BE
HAPPY WITH, IT NEEDS A LITTLE POLISHING BUT I'M HAPPY. ITS BEEN A LONG GAP
SINCE I'VE UPDATED THIS SITE SO I'VE DONE QUITE A FEW THINGS TO THE CAR SO THE
CHORNOLOGY IS PROBABLY ALL OFF, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I'VE DONE 2011 I
GUESS. FINALLY GOT THE SUSPENSION SORTED OUT THE WAY I LIKE IT.
REPLACED THE BLOWN REAR AGX SHOCK AND PUT THE SKUNK2 SLEEVES ON IT. FOUND
OUT I FORGOT TO PUT A WASHER ON ONE OF THE SPRING CUPS SO IT KIND OF ELONGATED
THE HOLE BUT PUT A WASHER IT IN AND ITS GOOD TO GO. DITCHED THE AGX/PROKITS
SETUP FOR THE AGX/SKUNK2S I HAD ON THE RS. I ALSO RAISED THE CAR BECAUSE
I'M SO SICK OF DRIVING A LOWERED CAR. I RAKED IT SO IT HAS MORE OVERSTEER
WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR THIS HEAVY FF CAR. IT IS 4 FINGER IN THE FRONT AND 5
IN THE BACK. AS OPPOSED TO THE STOCK HEIGHT WHERE ITS 5 FRONT 4 REAR.
FOUND OUT I HAVE A BENT REAR CROSSMEMBER. I REPLACED THE REAR TOE CONTROL
ARM AND IT WASN'T THE PROBLEM THEN I CHANGED THE REAR CROSSMEMBER AND IT FINALLY
HAS A PERFECT ALIGNMENT. TOE AND CAMBER ARE IN SPEC IN THE REAR. NO
MORE UNSTABLE REAR END. APPARENTLY THE CAR WAS IN A CRASH THAT AFFECTED
THE DRIVERS SIDE, I REALIZED THIS BECAUSE WHEN WAS INSTALLING SIDE SKIRTS ON
THAT SIDE I FOUND BONDO ON THE SIDE SKIRT MOUNTING HOLE IN THE REAR. SO
THE DRIVERS SIDE BODY WAS FIXED BUT THE SUSPENSION WAS DAMAGED. INSTALLED
SPC REAR ADJUATABLE CAMBER KIT. INSTALLED SOME MUSTANG GT 17X9 WHEELS.
THEY HAVE 245/45/17S WHICH IS SLIGHTLY TALLER THAN STOCK BUT I LIKE IT, CAR HAS
THE POWER TO MOVE THE EXTRA MASS AND MY ANALOGUE SPEEDOMETER ACTUALLY READS THE
CORRECT SPEED NOW SO I WILL STICK WITH IT, I THINK I GET BETTER FREEWAY MPG
ALSO. WHEELS ARE THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK 17S THAT ARE IN 5X114.3 LUG
PATTERN. THEY'RE LIGHT WEIGHT, FORGED, AND WIDE! GREAT GRIP! I
MANAGED TO GET SOME EVO8 ENKEI WHEELS AS WELL, I'M TRYING TO SELL THEM BUT IF
NO1 WANTS THEM I WILL JUST USE THEM AS TRACK WHEELS. THEY ARE SLIGHTLY
LIGHTER THAN THE MUSTANG WHEELS. INSTALLED CHECK VALVE IN PCV SYSTEM TO
UPGRADE IT. GOT A TACTRIX OPEN PORT 2.0 CABLE, SO FAR I CAN ONLY DO BASE
INJECTOR SETUPS. WHEN I HAVE TIME I WILL PUT THE 1000CC PTE INJECTORS IN
AND FLASH THE ECU, HOPEFULLY IT WILL IDLE AND RUN FINE. THEN I WILL FINE
TUNE WITH THE SAFC. AFTER THAT ITS ON TO E85. FIXED BOOST LEAK ON
THROTTLE BODY SCREW DURING BOOST LEAK TEST. FOUND OUT THERE IS A LEAK FROM
AN INJECTOR SEAL NO SEATING PROPERLY APPARENTLY. CAR BOOST BETTER NOW BUT
BOOST STILL TAPPERS OFF A BIT. INSTALLED A VERY NICE DC SPORTS CS-2 REAR
STRUT BAR. LOOKS GREAT AND IS FUNCTIONAL. I FOUND OUT THE EXHAUST
CAM GEAR IS BENT, APPARENTLY SOME STUPID MECHANIC PRIED THE CAM GEAR OFF AND
BENT IT BECAUSE I SEE MARKED ON THE GEAR. IT WOBBLES BUT I THINK I HAS
BEEN LIKE THAT SINCE I GOT THE CAR SO I'M NOT TRIPPIN TOO MUCH, WHEN I CHANGE
THE TIMING BELT I'LL REPLACE THE CAM GEARS WITH SOME 1G 5 SPOKE CAM GEARS.
I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO PAINTING AND INSTALLING THE SIDE SKIRTS IT LOOKS VERY
NICE. I ALSO INSTALLED SOME FRONT MUD GUARDS I'VE HAD LYING AROUND FOR A
WHILE. FINALLY GOT THE FULL 2GB TURBO BODY RESTORED.
Specs
Engine Code: 4G63
Displacement: 2.0 liter 1997cc @ 4 cylinders
Valvetrain: DOHC 16 valves @ 4 per cylinder
Compression: 8.5:1,
184 181 182 190
210 HP @ 6000 RPM / 214 ft/lbs (Stock)
Front Engine Front Wheel Drive (FF)
Weight:
2900 lbs Stock
Wheel size: 18"
5-Speed
Manual Transmission
22-25 MPG CITY, 25-29 MPG FREEWAY
Modifications:
Performance:
MHI Small 16G Turbo with HUGE Bulls Eye Power Turbine Housing
Improved PCV system
Check Valve PCV Support Mod
Ported and Polished 2G Exhaust Manifold
Ported/Gasket matched O2 Housing
Magnecor 8.5mm Spark Plug Wires
Underdrive Pulley
K&N Fuel Injection Perfromance Kit Air Filter
eBay black Hard Intake Pipe
eBay 16G Install kit (LICP, J-PIPE, and Oil Line kit)
1G Blow Off Valve
RRE Upper Intercooler Pipe
HRC Lower Intercooler Pipe
Neutron 2.5" inlet muffler
eBay 3" Catback Exhaust
Fuel Pump Rewire
Autometer Phantom Boost Guage*
Modified Gadgetseller Autometer A/F Ratio Guage*
Purolator Fuel Filter Catchcan
Turbonetics Type Boost Controller Turbologic Manual Boost
Controller
Reach all aluminum radiator
Walbro 190 LPH Fuel Pump
TCStudio Carbon Fiber Hood
Apexi Super Air Fuel Controller (SAFC)*
EVO IX 560cc Injectors
eBay Apexi copy Front Mount Intercooler
Suspension:
KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks
Skunk2 Coilover Sleeve System 2 finger front / 4 finger rear
Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs 1.5" drop
Matrix Lowering Progressive Springs 2.0" Drop
Front strut tower bar | eBay Rear Strut Tower Bar* | Neuspeed front strut tower bar*
| DC Sports CS-2 Rear Strut Bar
Matrix Rear strut tie bar*, RRE Front lower tie bar
Suspension Techniques 19mm Rear Sway bar
Energy Suspension 19mm front sway bar bushings mounted in the rear (its
the only way to get a 19mm bushings fits just little big longer)
Custom made spacer to get sway bar to fit crossmember
3000GT Dual Piston Calipers w/ Jspeed front crossdrilled/slotted rotors*
Metal Master Semi Metallic Brake Pads*
Race Concepts Rear crossdrilled/slotted
rotors*
Metal Master Semi Metallic Brake Pads*
RRE SS brake lines*
Russell's Speed Bleeders
SPC Rear Adjustable Camber Kit
$11 Rear Camber Mod (5 washers)
Drivetrain Mods:
Energy Suspension Shifter bushings*
Red Prothane Side motormount inserts
Energy Suspension front and rear motormount inserts