Will DSMs ever be JNCs?

Camshaft · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:11 am

I had a non-running, half-disassembled parts car with no title that I traded for a '92 Eagle Talon, and I kind of like it. Since they were built in the USA, and very few were sold in Japan, will they ever become "nostalgic?" Or will they be stuck in limbo, garnering derision from both classic American car buffs and nostalgic Japanese car lovers? Will DSM owners be forever doomed to hang out with their own kind, watching "The Fast & the Furious" in a dark corner, wondering what might have been? Discuss.

UtahSleeper · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:16 am

That is a tough one..........between crappy craftsman ship, shotty electrical and crankwalk + FF, they might be doomed.

I owned a 91 TSi and couldnt stand the car. Interior was cheap and cramped for me. I might have been more happy with it if I could have ever got it to run right.

I think when more of the FF type owners get away from them then the car will have a chance of more respect from the import lovers.

Camshaft · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:18 am

+1

I'm looking at pictures for inspiration, and all of the modified ones I see are awful D:

ToolZ · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:54 pm

Hi Cam,

I wasn't really sure what you were talking about and had to go a googling. :roll:

A DSM Eagle Talon is a Mitsubishi Eclipse (or a Plymouth Laser?).
First generation looks suitably retro-futuristic especially in two-tone white/black or gray/black.
AWD turbo seems to be the one to have and I was surprised to read that it competed in racing and was even successful!
Any chance of a photograph to see what you are working with? From a quick image search I think the clean look with a drop and a nice set of suitably '80's-tastic rims look best. :lol:

RaptorReed · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:05 am

ToolZ wrote:

Hi Cam,

I wasn't really sure what you were talking about and had to go a googling. :roll:

A DSM Eagle Talon is a Mitsubishi Eclipse (or a Plymouth Laser?).
First generation looks suitably retro-futuristic especially in two-tone white/black or gray/black.
AWD turbo seems to be the one to have and I was surprised to read that it competed in racing and was even successful!
Any chance of a photograph to see what you are working with? From a quick image search I think the clean look with a drop and a nice set of suitably '80's-tastic rims look best. :lol:

Toolz,
Most compete in drag racing with the two fastest running either 7.70sec (1st gen) in the 1/4 mile and the other (RWD converted 2nd gen) that ran 6.9sec in the 1/4 mile.

The 1st gens are based off the 6th gen Galants, Especially noticable in the AWD cars, (suspension and drivetrain is practically identical, a few minor differences, due to vehicle length), while 2nd gens were based off the Dodge Avengers of the same years.

They aren't too bad of cars, but I wouldn't nessarily see them as true JNCs, nostalgic sure, but they weren't built in Japan like the rest of our cars, and very few were ever actually exported to Japan, several to Europe and I have even seen a couple 2nd gens in Dubai.

Crankwalk wasn't as big a problem as most made it out to be.

I had a 99 Eclipse NT and that shares more in common with a chrysler product than it does ever being near Japanese, it was honestly just a better styled dodge neon than anything lol.

Camshaft · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:09 pm

What I've learned so far: DSM owners are douchebags, and their cars will likely never be considered JNCs. Anyone wanna help me swap this 4G into a box Lancer? :lol:

Would anyone be mad if I posted a build thread in the off-topic section?

UtahSleeper · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:49 pm

Go for it. Figured that is what off topic is for. Off the wall shit like dsm's lol

ToolZ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:27 pm

RaptorReed - Cheers for info. I have seen a few 1st and 2nd Gen Eclipse in Dubai but not many. I had never heard of a DSM Eagle Talon or a Plymouth Laser though (every day is a school day

).

Camshaft - In a few years the 1st gen Eclipse will be considered nostalgic. Post up the build thread in the Off-Topic section and when it turns 25 it will be moved to the Mitsubishi sub forum. :tu:

(By that time you will probably be seen as the "Go-To Guy" for all things Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Laser. :lol:

)

Camshaft · **Posted:** Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:46 am

ToolZ wrote:

(By that time you will probably be seen as the "Go-To Guy" for all things Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Laser. :lol:

)

DON'T PUT THAT DEVIL ON ME, RICKY BOBBY! :lol:

ToolZ · **Posted:** Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:14 pm

Well, if you don't I am going to come at you like a spider monkey. :mrgreen:

Toy_Yoda · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:12 am

So what if they are manufactured by Chrysler?! who designed the car in the first place? Mitsubishi. The only thing different from the eagle/plymouth cars and thier Mitsubishi counterparts are the emblem and some slight styling changes. I personally preferred the look of an 97 talon tsi to the gsx of the same year. Not to mention, how many Asian cars of the 90's till now can lay claim to being built in Japan? Most of our toyotas were built in the Midwest. Half of the hondas on the road are from Canada... And now the shoe is on the other foot. The current base model Lancer is running a GM world motor. Will someone in the near future question its eligability as a future nostalgic based on that? I think not since it carries an emblem from Japan. So why knock the DSM?

So, DSM will always be considered j-tin materiel to me.

Camshaft · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:36 am

Well, it looks like mine is sold.

But I really liked it while I had it...maybe one day I'll pick up another!

city hunter · **Posted:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:57 pm

I'm pretty sure the 1st gen dsm engines were built in japan? I could be totally wrong. I know the whole crank walk with the 7 bolts had to do with not hardening the cranks like the rest of the world did, which was a dsm decision from what I understand.

I've never liked the first gen styling, but I always loved the styling of the second gens.

With that being said, the numbers of them on the road is quickly going down. I don't see nearly as many in the junkyards anymore as well. Eventually it will be something of a rare car that people will go, damn that was a fast little car way back in the day.

Kanaric · **Joined:** Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:26 pm **Posts:** 15

Every DSM if it wasn't destroyed by ricers of the fast and the furious first movie era has been wrecked or parted out. I havn't seen a good one in forever meanwhile I see great Galant VR4s and 3000GTs constantly.

When I do see a nice one its like a miracle. So they probably will be a "JNC" simply for the fact that htey will be so incredibly rare.

Camshaft · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:43 am

Kanaric wrote:

Every DSM if it wasn't destroyed by ricers of the fast and the furious first movie era has been wrecked or parted out. I havn't seen a good one in forever meanwhile I see great Galant VR4s and 3000GTs constantly.

When I do see a nice one its like a miracle. So they probably will be a "JNC" simply for the fact that htey will be so incredibly rare.

I never see clean Galant VR-4s, all the ones I saw at the DSM Shootout yesterday were roached or riced! I saw maybe two or three clean DSMs there...DSM people seem to be a strange breed. They don't care if it has rust holes in it as long as it runs 11s... :roll:

john · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:28 pm

Camshaft wrote:

DSM people seem to be a strange breed.

Buddy, you said a mouthful there... :mrgreen:

RaptorReed · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2012 1:14 pm

Rust holes are weight reduction as long as the drivetrain and suspension isn't affected lol.

TSiSS350 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:32 pm

There are some real nice ones out there!

My best friends 90...

and his VR4...

Both cars are fast, reliable and fun! When the last DSM's left all look like these....they will be JNCs!

Garant · **Posted:** Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:03 pm

brad you're forgiven for deadthreading with those fine examples

re-reading the original posts, can't say that i disagree with any of it

guy down the street from me has a pos 2nd dsm..

TSiSS350 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:36 pm

Garant wrote:

brad you're forgiven for deadthreading with those fine examples

Haha, I hesitated when I saw the last post was in August. But I HATE to miss a chance to defend my beloved DSMs. My old '90 blue TSi is the car that got me into older Mitsu's and older Japanese cars in the first place.

Will DSMs ever be JNCs?

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