Jump to content

Tomble's 1983 Starion GSR-X fumbling / hand-holding / discussion


tomble

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 172
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

@ProZac is a bit of a Starion Guru, he may be able to help.

 

@fuel is also a Mitsubishi weirdo

 

Regarding finding parts, RockAuto.com is your friend - if you can find some sort of US market car with the same engine you should be able to get a distributor. I think Dodge stuff in the states was often just rebranded Mitsubishi back then?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ajg193 said:

Regarding finding parts, RockAuto.com is your friend - if you can find some sort of US market car with the same engine you should be able to get a distributor. I think Dodge stuff in the states was often just rebranded Mitsubishi back then?

I'd love that.  It was known as the Conquest over there and unfortunately they all came with the GSR-VR's 2.6 4G54BT engines.  RockAuto has Starion parts but only for that engine. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, nice purchase, and good luck!

I *might* have a spare Starion distributor floating around, I'll have a hunt around for you just in case. I've also got a small pile of grey starion interior bits and a dashboard if you are keen on it, I converted my previous car to black interior so I still have a few leftovers. I was pretty much going to throw them out if I couldn't find anyone who wanted them, as the grey parts aren't that popular. Flick me a message if you are keen. I'm (very slowly) restoring an 87 Starion, in Lower Hutt so not far from you..

As @ajg193 mentioned there's a few guys on here who know a lot about these cars.

 

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Firebrand said:

Hey, nice purchase, and good luck!

I *might* have a spare Starion distributor floating around, I'll have a hunt around for you just in case. I've also got a small pile of grey starion interior bits and a dashboard if you are keen on it, I converted my previous car to black interior so I still have a few leftovers. I was pretty much going to throw them out if I couldn't find anyone who wanted them, as the grey parts aren't that popular. Flick me a message if you are keen. I'm (very slowly) restoring an 87 Starion, in Lower Hutt so not far from you..

As @ajg193 mentioned there's a few guys on here who know a lot about these cars.

 

 

 

You are my new best friend.  Please have a look for that dizzy because I am going dizzy.

I'll also have to compile a list of shitty/missing grey trim!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That distributor you have is from an E33A Galant or similar (Chariot etc) with 4G63 SOHC 8V. It is optical and has both cam and crank position sensor inside and the ECU controls the advance/retard of spark. The distributor you want is a hall effect with built in ignitor and vacuum advance. I guess in this day and age they would be harder to find, but you could use one from an L200/L300/FWD Sigma or early Chariot with 4G62/4G63 SOHC carb engine at a pinch - it will still trigger spark to get the engine running but the advance/retard curve will be different.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, fuel said:

Also you may have luck getting a distributor from Australia - the 2.0L JA/JB/JD models were sold in slightly larger numbers there than the NZ-new and jap import models that made their way to NZ.

Great info, thanks.  Aside from scraping ebay, is there a oz site like rockauto.com, or other preferred methods of remotely crawling for aus parts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, I spoke to you on the Starquest forums, just popping my head in. As I mentioned I have a couple of distributor carcasses on the shelf but still trying to work out if I can make a complete one

Also try Gumtree in Australia, pretty much their Trademe 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, gibbon said:

Hey, I spoke to you on the Starquest forums, just popping my head in. As I mentioned I have a couple of distributor carcasses on the shelf but still trying to work out if I can make a complete one

Also try Gumtree in Australia, pretty much their Trademe 

I feel like every starion enthusiast is linked across space/time by some invisible celestial web...

... or maybe I've just asked the same thing in too many damn places

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, gibbon said:

Hey, I spoke to you on the Starquest forums, just popping my head in. As I mentioned I have a couple of distributor carcasses on the shelf but still trying to work out if I can make a complete one

Also try Gumtree in Australia, pretty much their Trademe 

@tombleI had a quick look on Gumtree for you last night without much luck, if you do find one over here and have any issue getting it shipped let me know, happy to pick up (if in Melbourne) or get it shipped to me and then on send it to NZ (probably via Auspost, but happy to use anyone you like)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, shrike said:

@tombleI had a quick look on Gumtree for you last night without much luck, if you do find one over here and have any issue getting it shipped let me know, happy to pick up (if in Melbourne) or get it shipped to me and then on send it to NZ (probably via Auspost, but happy to use anyone you like)

You guys are amazing... what a great community :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

2 hours ago, gibbon said:

Ok swing and a miss from me sorry, just realized that none of my distributors have a vacuum advance unit

God there must be a million of them sitting in the back of various sheds 

No worries!  Looks like @Firebrand had one at the back of his so I'm heading over tomorrow to check...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, fuel said:

The distributor you want is a hall effect with built in ignitor and vacuum advance.

No, and Yes. Starions had a separate external igniter box mounted to the LH inner guard, which took the VR signals from the dizzy and did the coil current handling. They had a timing curve programmed into them. There was also mechanical advance inside the dizzy, and the vacuum advance / retard dashpot... The combination of all three of these systems gave the final timing curve. Fucking malarky to get working properly when you don't have the original parts!

Awesome project Tomble, you're in for a fun time. I've got lots and lots of parts, make sure to hit me up... Unfortunately I don't have any dizzies, but I'll ask around down this way. Chances of finding the exact model for your car are slim, but something that will get it running should be kicking about. I'd just retard the static timing a couple of degrees and it'll be safe :-).

You might find this interesting, I wrote it around 20 years ago: https://web.archive.org/web/20130504232342/http://prozac.orconhosting.net.nz/eciguide/rebuild.html

Once you remove the EGR (it'll be blocked up anyway), the vacuum plumbing becomes much simpler, can help there :-). Being a GSR-X yours will have auto climate control (So cool :-) ) where all the blend actuators on the heater box are vacuum controlled. Also jealous of the Auto. I'm old now, and autos appeal :-).

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dare I say it, but throw a Link on it instead? That way you can use the dizzy you have? Plus it will be better in the long run once you inevitably slide carelessly down the "might just do a couple of subtle modifications" route...

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Stu said:

Dare I say it, but throw a Link on it instead? That way you can use the dizzy you have? Plus it will be better in the long run once you inevitably slide carelessly down the "might just do a couple of subtle modifications" route...

Yeah, but then it wouldn't be as Mitsi built it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...