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How exciting, my first project thread.

So here it is.

My new 1988 Hyundai Stellar.

I've wanted one for the past 2 or so years. because their such an odd-ball car, hardly no one knows what the fuck it is, and there are practically none of them left now. As they all rusted out.

My Nana and Grandad had one for a short time between approx 2008 and 2011. Theirs was the pre-facelift model. I've got the facelift model that came out in 1988. The front end on the facelift model doesn't look so naff.

A bit of history behind the car, it was brought by a south African guy down in Christchurch about 9 months ago, and then driven up to Auckland. He did about 11,000KM's in it, during that short time. Before that it was owned by an old couple down in Christchurch by the name of Mr and Mrs J.D Dale. They owned it for 24 years. Before them it was with a rental car company called Southern Cross Rental Group for 3 years from when it was first registered in 1988. So it was obviously a rental car for a while. Furthermore it was sold from the local Mitsubishi yard.

I discovered the Stellar while I was driving up White Swan road in Lynfield. I was in the green Mirage at the time, and was like shit, it's a Stellar. So I turned around and gave chase, but yeah I lost him. I then noticed he was at the Z station in Lynfield filling up. So I went in for a chat, and got his number, then went in about a week for so later too have a look, and a test drive. As I discovered he only lived 5 minutes away.

Basically for those that don't know, the chassis is the same as an early 80's Mark V Ford Cortina, and has similar Mitsubishi mechanical'sto that of an early 80's Mitsubishi Sigma, with a 4G32 engine and Borg Warner 3-speed automatic transmission.

Another reason I brought it, was it ticks off three boxes, it's automatic so will be a good cruiser, it's rear wheel drive, (it can drift but not that well with the 1.6L) and finally, I had too set myself apart LOL.

It does have a few issues that need sorting for the WOF. It's also got a few pretty mean oil leaks, and smokes like a typical Mitsubishi engine should LOL. But I will get onto replacing the seals, head gasket, rocker cover, and giving it a damn good service, replace leads and all that normal stuff when I can free up some money.

For now I just want too drive it when I can. Well enough rambling. Time for some pics.

Cheers

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  • 1 month later...

Started up the old girl the other day. She's running like absolute shit. It's hesitation too go over 60KPH, and the rough running is leading me too a gummed up carburetor. Put some CRC carb cleaner through it, and it helped, but not too much. I'll pull it off soon, maybe before I do the engine work, as I want too drive it more before I take the engine apart.

Other than that, everything in Stellar land is good.

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  • 2 months later...

The old Stellar is still parked up, I haven't done anything to it in nearly 3 months. Getting some money in at the moment, so I'll hopefully be able too start doing more work on it. But yeah she ain't driveable, it's turning over but not starting / running like shit.

While i'm waiting too get it running for summer cruzin, it's gone a bit moldy on the inside.

That's all I got for an update at the moment.

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  • 2 months later...

Well finally an update on the Stellar, shes been a non runner for the past few months. Me and my good mate Steven, along with some help through txt message from @piazzanoob 24/7 mechanical help line, LOL (thanks mayte)The old girl roared back into life today, after being parked up for 5 months while I fucked around doing nothing and swearing at myself, thinking I had brought a fucked car with some stupid Mitsubishi engine. They are actually good engines, when their working well anyway.

I brought some new parts for it last month - spark plugs, distributer, rotor, points, condenser and coil. Everything like the distributer, points and things had corroded and were apart of the issue is too why the Stellar was not starting / running.

Once we got her firing and running for about 20 seconds at a time, every time we put gas directly into the carb, and then a few sprays of Start Ya Bastard, we noticed that petrol was pouring out around the carburettor seal. As we took the carburettor off a few months ago, to give it a clean, we must have disrupted the seal without realising it, and this was the reason she was only running for 20 seconds at a time. We then took the whole carb off and cleaned up the seal and got some silicone over it.

Then with a big burst of blue smoke, she started up. Like a typical Mitsubishi 4G32, at one end she was running pretty smoothly, and at the other you wouldn’t think so. Smoke Smoke every fucking where LOL.

She’s running a lot better now, and no longer hesitates going over 80km/h. It was like that from the day I brought it.

I am able to do 110KPH on the back roads of Papakura very easily now in the old girl.

I’ve got too get a few seals and do an oil change next. But for now, i’ll catch up on the months of driving I missed, but yeah. At least she’s driveable now.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Clean as F**k. Gotta love a clean engine bay, the clean rocker cover really brings it out.

Replaced the rocker cover gasket today, after driving around South Auckland trying too get one. Did an oil flush / filter change. And did a full clean of the engine bay. I also replaced the leads as well. She's idling OK. Shes really quiet while idling. I feel it's set too low, as I keep thinking she's gonna stall at the lights. But Yeah, it as adjusted as high as it can go by the looks of things.

Anyway, ended up doing about 40KM'S of driving out the back country roads of Papakura. So I'm happy. :)

20171109_200615.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

I took the Stellar home on boxing day. Once everyone had left the house for a week or two.

The past few days has been a bit of a spruce up task with the old girl. Pulling apart the interior, putting parts back in place, cleaning behind everything, including the door cards. Since I've brought it, I haven't actually had a decent look at the rest of the interior. Overall it's in pretty fine condition, with a few cracks here and there in the plastic. As the below pic shows. That was the worst. Where am I going too get that?

20171229_194744.jpg

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I cleaned every interior part. Shampooed the carpet in the boot. Didn't get around too doing the interior carpet. The carpet is in good condition otherwise. 

Went too Repco and brought some floor mats which complement the interior well.

She's all crisp, clean and clear now.

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  • 2 months later...

Been a while since the last update, she's been driving really well, and I haven't had any issues at all.

Shes I'm at my mechanic this morning having both rear trailing arm bushes replaced. Couldn't be bothered doing it myself. Will throw down a few pics of the progress this morning.

20180317_094511.jpg

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  • 9 months later...

Got the old girl at home with me, like I did this same time last year. Going too get the interior cleaned. $$. It's got a bit of mold in it from being in the shed. Going too improve the storage situation in the coming days. Haven't driven it much since last year. I took her in for a WOF yesterday, and it failed on the left front wheel bearing, it's real bad, you can hear it quite well. And the left rear diff seal. Both quite easy jobs. 

Other than that, she's my daily driver for the next few days. Also going too paint and clear coat the rims today.

Cheers.

20181227_223912.jpg

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  • 11 months later...

Once again, I'm around to doing yearly updates around the same time every December. 

I will hopefully bring her home in the next week or so, for her yearly spruce up and drive. I cannot sadly have her at home as I've got my other 3 cars and the work truck.

More updates too come soon.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A 1989 Hyundai Excel ended up landing at Pick-A-Part in Takanini. I went out to look at it two weeks ago, as I knew I'd be able to score some parts off it for my Stellar.

The front drivers seat needed to be replaced as it was starting to dip to the left side, as can be seen here. It was also starting to rip around the edges of the upholstery. As can be seen in this picture. Plus it also had what I can only assume were cigarette burns too.

20200104_233607.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Another yearly update on the old girl. I've had her out of storage since the 28TH December. And since then, she has pretty much been my daily driver. I've done nearly 1200KM's in her. With a big 700KM trip of the motorway system from West AK to Westgate then upto Albany, back down to Manukau, where I joined the motorway upto Puhoi. Visited my mate in Omaha. Then drove to Hamilton and down to Matamata. Being it's first road trip in my ownership in nearly 4 years, she did extremely well.

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  • 1 year later...

Haven't done an update lately but I've been driving her every 6 months or so.

Getting a bigger engine for the old girl. Gonna get rid of the 1.6L 4G32 and put in a very very low KM 2L 4G63. And a 4 speed auto instead of the 3 speed it has now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I may be missing the letter T at the end of 4G63? :badgrin::compress:

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  • 1 month later...

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