Disagree if you want, plead your case for the WRX if you want or validate any other car to ever have any sort of signficant following in the aftermarket all you want – but nothing holds a finger to the price vs. results you get with a 1990 – 1994 Mitsubishit Eclipse, Eagle Talon or Plymouth Laser in the AWD, Turbo model. This argument may have already been done a million times over and people proudly protest their disgust for these cars that were pumped out of central Illinois in the mid-90s, but no one can argue their potential on the drag strip.
It only take a few bucks; hell..it doesn’t even take that – to achieve a very respectable 12 second quarter mile time. That’s very impressive for a car that can be had in the local used car classifieds easily for under $3,000; usually around $2,000. What is known to the cult following for DSM drivers, which by the way stands for: Diamond Star Motors, as “free mods” are the things you can do to these cars for little to no money. Cutting the air box, freeing up the exhaust and most importantly – cranking up the boost will instantly send your 1/4 mile times down and your Horsepower numbers up.
The stock turbo on the DSM is now regarded as one of the most durable, efficient turbos to ever come installed from the factory; infamous 14B setup. The turbocharger safely pumped approximately 8 pounds of boost through the 2.0 liter engine (4G63T is another famous reference for these devout enthusiasts). Let’s not forget what launches these things in the first place; the all-wheel-drive system that has been the butt of track jokes for years now. If there is a weak link in the power train, this is it; though you can weld the differential (for free) and it becomes yet another, ‘free mod’ and incredibly sturdy under a high RPM launch. One other weak link to note, assuming we’re nit-picking here, is the synchros in the transmission. When people start modifying their cars to produce higher horsepower numbers and shifting in and out of gears as fast they possibly can, it tends to take a toll on the OEM parts and in this case, the synchros – usually the 1st to 2nd gear is the issue.
This setup accounts for some of the fastest street cars in the world in stock form. You can’t argue numbers. Get mad haters, but the DSM is a street or strip legend..all it takes to get started is a few Eagle Talon Parts.
