Until now, we’ve tried our best to share one or two new stories here every week. We’ve been trying to do the same on the other Gearbox Magazine sites, but we recently had an A-HA moment.

1. Instead of splitting 4-5 stories between 7+ sites every week, we should be running 4-5 stories on ONE site.
2. With everything on ONE site, we just opened the doors to ANY gearhead doing ANYTHING with his/her ride.
3. More variety means more opportunities to discover new ideas from gearheads around the world.

We might be moving, but this site – and all the stories we’ve run so far – will still be here and left in place. We hate broken links. The site will look different, though. Very bare bones. Check out what Rally Gearbox Magazine looks like for an idea.

We will still be very Mitsubishi-focused.
Remember, just about everyone on our team is a Mitsubishi owner. We won’t let you down.

Check out the Gearbox Magazine super-site.

You can browse stories by MAKE (Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW, Porsche, Toyota, etc.)
You can browse stories by location (Phoenix, Boston, Hamburg, Adelaide, Tehran, etc.)
You can browse stories by USE (autox, drag, road race, ice racing, EV, collector, etc.)

There will be some bugs to work out during the transition, but we hope our Mitsubishi brothers and sisters will continue to be the heart and soul of Gearbox Magazine. Without you, none of this would have even come to be in the first place.

Go fast with class. Press on regardless.
Let’s take this gearhead thing to the next level.

Sincerely,

Brian Driggs
founder/managing editor

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
Kevin Kovatch (greengoblin)

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I live in Eagle, Idaho where I do powder coating as a hobby job. Thanks to my wonderful wife, my real job is raising my kids. I feel you can’t get much luckier than I am.

What Mitsubishi is currently JSB? (Jack Stand Ballin)
My Jack Stand Baller is a 1995 Eagle Talon TSI AWD.

What happened to your Mitsubishi?
Many a DSM has reached JBS status due to mechanical failure, user error, etc. Mine had a similar fate. I picked the Talon up as a shell with no engine from the back lot of a shady used car lot, so I’ll never know what caused it’s initial demise. Since I wanted to do a complete ground-up build, for some crazy reason this was the perfect car more or less.

How long have you been JSB?
The journey started on 11/29/2007. We just crossed three years and 23 days.

How long before you see the Mitsubishi back on the road?
Haha! This is one of the most asked questions I get. I really have no idea. When it’s done, it’s done.

What’s keeping you JSB (other than time or money)?
Well you hit the two biggest hurdles. The total lack of suspension parts for these cars really slowed things down a lot. It required me to do a lot of research on what worked for other cars. I had to learn to draw blue prints, then have the prototype parts built, then test fitting, revising them if needed. It’s amazing how much time this took.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
My whole life I was taught by my father and uncle to do things right the first time and only make compromise if there is NO other way to move forward. This is my number one philosophy when doing anything. So when I started my build on this car it was only natural to apply this doctrine. It can make things move slowly but I feel in the end it’s worth the results.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
To have a really fun car to compete in time attack events as well as some of our local hill climbs. I’d love to have a feature in a major magazine too! I still have a very long way to go.

Who has helped you the most along the way?
Keith Kovatch (Father), Brandy Welch (wife), Kendall Kovatch (brother) and two of my very good friends Jake Spoor and Scott Moreno. Without even one of these people this build would not be possible.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
Dennis Grant, Andrew Brilliant, Charles Moss, Mike Welch.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Road Race Engineering. I have had nothing but great dealing with them and they have always answered my questions. Not a shop per say but the guys at the FXMD Team, Fes and Ken are super bad asses. I would not hesitate to work with them on anything. Robert Young and Brian Wilson at Forced Performance have always been very helpful and build killer turbos.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
Yes, I do spend time on several sites. More time than I should but they have tons of info and people who have helped me out immensely throughout my build.
DSMlink.com, Mitsu-Media.com, DSMtuners.com

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? Where can people find you online?
The best place to reach me is on one of the above forums, but I’m on Facebook too.

WHY is everyone so up in arms about the death of the Evo? Truly, the Evo died six years ago, when the last 4G63-powered Evo IX rolled off the assembly line at Mizushima. The Evo X, for all its rally-inspired finery, has more in common with a Galant VR4 (to the extent it’s been built on the Galant platform since 2005), and many of us only got those for a few years before they were deemed too fat/heavy to be competitive.

IS IT BECAUSE we’ve lost confidence in our ability to turn our own wrenches, keeping our cars on the road in the absence of a factory warranty (which, generally speaking, we voided as a matter of principle)? This author’s two GVR4s are 19 and 20 years old, respectively, and he’s not afraid. How many more Evo-inspired Mitsubishis are still up to their usual shenanigans, making owners of vehicles costing two and three times the price second guess their their decisions?

IS IT BECAUSE we identify with and believe in Mitsubishi, thinking they’re doomed (and we, in turn)? Maybe other manufacturers buy and sell subsidiaries left and right, but Mitsubishi plays their cards close. They still build cars, trucks (some of the best), trains, airplanes, air conditioners, televisions, lasers, and nuclear power plants. They have their own bank (which didn’t get bailed out, and actually contributed $9B toward the bailout of Morgan Stanley, by the way), as well as mining operations which support the automotive industry as a whole.

IS IT BECAUSE we don’t want to admit we’re all going to be driving hybrids/EVs or taking the bus in the not too distant future, turning a blind eye to the ridiculously-escalating price of gas? “Oh,” you say, “Another Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.” Aside from the Nissan Z, what sporty cars have any of them made recently? The R35 Skyline (MSRP $80K+)? The Lexus LFA (MSRP $375K+)?

Gone are the Type R, DC5, NSX, Silvia, and Supra. And how long since the Civic Si, Celica, or even RX-8 have been truly relevant? Seriously. Let’s rub a little salt in our wounds for a moment and consider the MX-5 Miata is probably the last uncompromising sports car within reach of those without trust funds. Oh sure, the Corvette, Camaro, and Mustang solider on, but at what cost? And how many badge-engineered fleet turds subsidize their very existence?

MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE we’re gearheads, and we’re sad to learn of yet another fun-to-drive model being relegated to the history books. In truth, the death of the Evo hurts because it reminds us we exist on the fringes of automotive irrelevance ourselves; it stands as the last bastion of unbridled performance available to the everyman.

We are the scrappy underdogs for whom the potential to build a world class giant killer with our own two hands has just been diminished. If we could spend upwards of $50K on a sport sedan, we’d all be driving M3s and S4s (and we know it). With the passing of the Evo, our options will be further limited.

THIS IS NOT a day to resign ourselves to cookie-cutter, hybrid-driving mediocrity, or to farty-sounding Subarus (just kidding, you know we love you guys), but to remember, fondly, the Evolution which symbolizes who we are and that for which we stand. We are gearheads. Form follows function; luxury and refinement should take a backseat to acceleration and lateral grip. Cars should be designed for drivers, mindless consumer cattle operators and their coddling, ancillary convenience features be damned.

THE EVO played a significant role in making many us who we are today, but we will not fade away with this model. We will not go quietly into that good night. We will continue to see the value in continuous incremental improvement over the status quo – to evolve – as Mitusbishi did – and will continue to do – no matter the platforms in our future. We are gearheads.

Go fast with class.

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
My real name is Jay Taylor and my screen name on EvoEmpire is “Jay”.

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
Right now I am a man of leisure. I live in El Cerrito, California. It’s just north of Berkeley and part of the San Francisco bay area.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
Right now I have a 2003 Lightning Yellow Evo VIII GS-R. I have had it since Jan 2005. I bought it used through the dealership I worked at. It was a trade in for a used Nissan Monaro.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
I just wanted to have a car that I could enjoy and drive everyday while putting a smile on my face. Something that I could enjoy on the weekend but also something my wife could put up riding in.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
It was not so much Mitsubishi, but the Evo. It, I feel is one of the best performance cars out there. That included all cars from all points on the earth, bar none.
What keeps me going is the fact that every time I get into the car, it puts a smile on my face.

WLopez34@EvoEmpire.org

How do you use your Evo?
I use my Evo as a DD and very occasional Rally Cross beater. It has done that job amazingly well. It has held together for 3 + years of getting beat on in the dirt with no issues, other than the front lip getting forcefully removed at a rally cross at Thunderhill, near Willows, CA.

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
One of my most memorable experiences with other Mitsubishi owners was an Evo track day I got invited to at Tsukuba Circuit in Japan. The track day was put on by Garage HRS, and I was lucky enough to get a 20 minute drive in Garage HRS’s Evo IV demo car. Sato-san from Unlimited Works was there as well, and he was the one who showed me around the track. The whole gang was really supportive and friendly.

Missred@EvoEmpire.org

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
The best part is the other Mitsubishi owners. I think I am really lucky and it is one of the reasons I picked up an Evo. The guys and girls here in Northern California are amazing and even though I might be a bit one sided on this I think they are the best group of Evo owners out there.

The most challenging is keeping all the egos in check, but that really isn’t all that hard. (It was hard for me not to make a comment about drag racing)

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Mitsu and your community)
I think the most exciting thing is also, maybe, one thing that change the community for the worst. With the 03-04 prices now tanking, it is bringing a lot of new member into the community. This is also true now that the Ralliart has been out on the market for a bit. And with all this fresh blood there are a lot of people that might not know that the Evo is a like a super hot girlfriend. She might be beautiful and turn everyone’s head and a bundle of fun, but damn can she be expensive to maintain. Hopefully this won’t give the Evo a bad rap.

Stormtrooper@EvoEmpire.org

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
We are blessed with weekly meets here in Nor Cal. I get together at least two times each week. I also have a member of my community who is a friend, admin and a neighbor. My wife gives me a hard time because even though he lives close I still drive to his house.

But if I wanted too, there are meets almost every night during the week that I could attend. That right there shows how strong and vibrant the Evo Community is here in the bay.

How do you want your community to benefit Mitsubishi owners? What steps are you taking to make sure that happens?
I hope that my community is a place where people come to get tech problems solved, to find out about upcoming events, and to meet other owners. I know I haven’t been doing a good job getting the word out and I hope 2011 will put me in a position where I can better reach the community at large, and not just Nor Cal.

SavageEvo8@EvoEmpire.org

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
That question is kind of hard to put into words; I think that the best way to say is that both require a lot of maintenance to keep at peak performance.

What’s next for your Evo?
Mostly just minor upgrades and it’s about due for its second timing belt/water pump job.

EvoEmpire.org BBQ at Tildon Park in Berkeley Hills, CA

EvoEmpire.org BBQ at Tildon Park in Berkeley Hills, CA

What’s next for EvoEmpire.org?
We have a 2 year anniversary party coming up at the end of January and a trip to Japan in March/April, where I will play tour guide.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car? With the community?
My wife has helped me most with the car. With the Community, I really have to thank Paul (missred), Brice (bricel24), Mark (DarthBarney),  and Brian (lqdchkn) without them the site would be nothing, Wilson(wilson1) for his weekly dinner meets and all the members, because without members this site is just a bunch of code doing nothing.

MonsterParadise@EvoEmpire.org

Were you inspired by any other Mitsubishi community organizer? Who? Why?
To be quite honest there isn’t really anyone.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
I got to give it to the Sierra Sierra guys for their time attack assault with their over the top Evo. That thing is amazing!

EvoEmpire.org day at Umigo Karting in Livermore, CA

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend? Want to thank any sponsors?
We are very lucky here in the SF bay to have three very good shops to take care of our Evo’s, Speed Element, GST Motorsports and FFTech (Full Function). While they each have different specializations, I can recommend any of them, and not just because they are sponsors, but because they do damn good work. I would also like to thank Rexpeed, they have been there from the start and even though they aren’t local they offer good products, so stop by and buy lots of stuff from them!

Other than your own, do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
I don’t spend too much time on other Evo sites, but when I do I tend to stop by DirtyEvo.com, and LancerRegister.com out of the UK for non JDM inspiration.

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? How can people find you online?
We are on Facebook – EvoEmpire on Facebook. Not on Twitter. As of now, people find us mostly by word of mouth.

• Do you have a winter project going on?
• Could you refer us to someone who may have a potentially epic winter build going on? Maybe a jack stand baller?

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
Mark Schroeder (tkrPerformance)

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I am a ground equipment mechanic for Delta Airlines. I live in Plymouth, MN.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
1998 AWD Spyder. I have had it since it was new off the lot.
1995 Evo III swap. I have had the car for 4 years.
1993 Evo I swap. I have had it for a year.
1989 Mirage turbo hatch. I have had it for 3 years.
2001 Mirage sedan. I have had it for a year.

You’ve done something fairly unheard of in the Mitsubishi community. Care to share?
I got a free 1995 Mirage S. when I was working at a small shop were I was building and painting custom cars. It came in with a blown head gasket on the 1.5 and the auto transmission only had reverse. It ended up to be more than the owner of the car wanted to put into it so he gave me the title for it. So in the end it cost me $35.00 to put the title into my name and then it went all down hill from there.

I found an Evo front clip and rear end for a good deal and ordered it up. This is when the full on swap started to turn the 1995 Mirage S into a full on OEM Evo III swap. With help from family and friends we took on the swap. It ended up being AWD swapped, RHD swapped and it has all OEM Mitsu panels throughout out the car.

It stayed all OEM Evo III engine and drive train for a month then started to upgrade pretty much every thing that I could on the car. Even when we had to make one off pieces to get the Evo IX Brembos to fit on the car front and back. It has been a great car just to have fun with over the last four years now.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
When I started the build I only wanted to use OEM Mitsu panels. I could have gone the easy way out and got a copy Evo III body kit but I just don’t like fiberglass kits all that much and they will never fit like OEM panels do.

The main goal for it is just to have fun with it and not take it too serious. It will never be a full out show car. I love to drive it too much. It gets dirty all the time and it does not bother me at all.

The car it self is my daily driver. Just have to keep a good look out when driving it since other drivers look at it and see it is RHD and start to swerve at it.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
I fell in love with the Spyder and really wanted one. I just liked the way they looked and how easy it was to mod them. So for my 19th birthday I bought the 1998 Spyder new. I have never looked back.

I just like to build Mitsu’s for myself, my wife and for close friends now. One of my friends said this about me and I think it is pretty dead on. ”Mark has Mitsuitis, it inflames every time you sell a Mitsu and forces you to buy another to replace it, sometimes even buying two to replace the original.”

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
The best one I think is when I was coming home from work at 11pm. I got pulled over as they were looking for drunks. I was a few blocks from home to boot. I got the normal speech from the cop. The best part is that he came up to the left window and was talking to me in the right seat and had no idea that it was RHD at this point. He asked for all my info, etc. Then he asked were we were going tonight and I told him home, just got off of work and he walked back to his car. About ten minutes went by he came back up to the car and asked me a second time where we were going tonight at this point I had more than I could take. So I told him “who me and my lunch box?” that was in the left seat. He then figured out I was the only one in the car. He turned red and could not say anything at all to me. He just looked dumb founded, handed me all my info back and walked away.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
I want to get it all prepped and painted by spring, shave the engine bay, full wire tuck, and stitch weld the engine bay also. I have already started with it. I took everything out of the engine bay and started on redoing all the wiring so far. I am also building a new 2.4 for the car right now. I just have to drop the block off to get machined.

What was your favorite modification and why?
It would have to be the RHD swap, it makes the car very unique in the states. I have only seen a hand full of them in MN and there is not a second Evo III swap in MN that is RHD. Without it the car could not be a full on Evo III swap in my eyes since it is the only way they were ever sold.

Your mod list:
Bolt-on Modifications:
PTE 6776
1 of 2 divided top mount manifold
PTE 1600cc injectors
Cast shim that came from Japan
Hot pink valve cover
Cam gears
Fuel rail
HKS 272 cams in a stock Evo III head

Engine Internals:
2.4 bottom end
Ross 9:1 pistons
Eagle rods
ARP l19 head studs
ARP main studs
Felpro Perma TQ head gasket
ACL race bearings

Engine Management:
ECMlink for the Evo 1-3 ecu

Drivetrain Modifications:
Evo III RS tranny, transfer case, and rear end
Cusco center, front and read LSD diffs
HKS twin plate clutch

Suspension Modifications:
Cusco Zero R2 coil overs
Cusco front and rear sway bars
Cusco tower bars front and rear
Megan rear toe arms
5 lug swap
Evo IX front and rear Brembo brakes
Cusco brake master stopper

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
All the local Mitsu owners go on a spring and fall car cruise for the week end each year. The spring is the best we always go the week of my birthday in April it is always a great time.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
The HKS 2.0 bottom end spun a rod on the dyno. It was a good excuse to build on of the 2.4 bottom ends I had laying around.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
They are a fun car to own and play with and hanging out with other people that are into Mitsu’s.

The most challenging thing would be trying to get parts for a car that was never sold in the states so you end up making a huge list of what can be swapped out for DSM, Mirage and Evo parts that can be replaced by the broken Evo III parts.

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Mitsu and your community)
I will have the car painted this coming year. Also looking forward to the car cruise’s with everyone.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
We have a weekly meet to go out for dinner. Also the local guys always get together to work on each others cars all year long.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
It comes down to what you have to do for yourself. I myself have parted out over 40 DSM’s to fund all my projects over the years. I would say 98% of them were rotted out, crashed, or were too far gone to salvage.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
I have great friends that have helped me build the car for the start. Without them and my family it would have never took off like it did and be what it is today.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
I will be painting it Daytona Pearl Blue and will keep on driving as much as I can when the snow is gone in the spring.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car? Any mentors?
It would have to be my dad Ken. Without his knowledge of building hot rods and teaching me when I was really young, I would have never been this much into building cars.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
I have helped people build their cars from the ground up, Mitsu or not. If they need help with a crazy swap, I will lend a hand whenever they need it.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?

It would have to be DB Peformance. Shane is the best Mitsu tuner in MN.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones? Are you on Twitter? Facebook? Where can people find you online?
I am on mirageforums.net, evo123.net, mitsustyle.com, evolutionm.net, ecmlink.com
I am also on Facebook – Mark Schroeder
You can see all the pics of this build and the other builds I have done on photobucket.com under username tkrperformance.

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
My real name is Ivan Berko and my nickname (forum name) is FlashBack.

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I am working in state company and I am living in the capital city of Croatia.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
Now I am driving a first generation 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX, and a 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer 1.3.

How’s the Mitsubishi Community in Croatia?
It is not so good, marketing for Mitsubishi in Croatia. On our official forum we are giving all information about Mitsubishi. Our forum, Mitsubishi.hr (Mitsubishi Team Croatia) is a great place for connecting people who are driving Mitsubishi’s. Also, we have meetings twice a year, it is an all day meeting with most members of our forum. We have a photo session of our cars, and we hang out all day together. We eat, drink, play some football, and share stories about our cars.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
The goal is to be unique. Clean look. I have never been on some car contests such as ”drag race”, or on some track. I am interested in driving on a track, and hope that I will do it someday.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
My best friend is working at the Mitsubishi service. Since we were in high school, we were dreaming about some quality and reliable cars that we will have one day. We made our dreams come true. The thing that I like the most about Mitsubishi is that they are so reliable. If it is needed you can go around the world with Mitsubishi and you don’t need to be afraid.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
About 6 years ago the time has come to buy myself a car. In one occasion my friend gave me the opportunity to try a GS-T, the first generation of Eclipse. Then I said I need to have this car. About 6 months later my friend calls me and says that there is one GSX and asked if I wanted to buy it because it is the only one in Croatia. The owner was an older guy who was giving the car all of the care that she needs. Then I said this car has to be mine. Since that time, I am still driving the Eclipse and I will never sell it.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
Nothing special but to rise up the power a little bit more. I am close to that goal.

What was your favorite modification and why?
The favorite modification is suspension. D2 Coilovers. After I put it on, the car is like new.

Your mod list:
K&N Filter (Air Can Removed)
Big Brake Upgrade (Two Piston Caliper from Evo 3)
Front and Rear Strut Bars
Exhaust 70mm diameter
Synchronic Bov
Magnecor 8.5 Spark plug cabels
Turbo Timer
FMIC
XTD Stage 3 Clutch Kit
D2 Coilovers

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
Every meeting is very fun and unforgettable. In winter we are waiting for snow to fall, we are like a bunch of kids and then we are looking for some good places to drift in the snow. Some parking places, or we go out of the city and try to find locations!

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
Nothing special, just some usual things that I fixed at the time.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
Everything. Mitsubishi is a pure perfection.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
With some of them almost every day. With some of them only at a meet. The great thing about our forum and meetings is that we can meet each other and make great new friendships.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Bigger turbo, 16G Evo3, bigger injectors, Walbro gas pump, and balance shaft elimination.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car? Any mentors?
For all the work I can say thanks to all my friends from MTC Motorsport.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
Of course, Mitsubishi.hr, Mitsu-Media, DSMTalk, DSMTuners, DSMPurity, WI-DSM.

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? Where can people find you online?
People can find me on FaceBook.

What about you?

• Are you one of a couple or few Mitsu owners in your area?
• How’s the Mitsubishi community in your country?

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
Kristy Kutzora (LNCRES2)

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I work in a kids clothing store at the mall here in Springfield, IL.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
Well, this past summer I finally traded the 2002 Lancer ES that I had for 7 years on a new 2010 Lancer Ralliart.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
I think Mitsu did a great job with the Ralliart. I just want to tweak it a little.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
I was getting ready to graduate high school and my mom gave me conditions that the car would have to be in for her to co-sign on it. I searched high and low for a car that fit her requirements and that I liked. Reluctantly I test drove the 2002 Lancer ES and enjoyed it, plus it had more get up an go than the old 92 Cougar v6 I had, so we signed the papers, took it home, and started on my homework. Yeah, kind of backwards, most of the time you do your homework then buy. After doing some research and meeting some awesome Evo owners, I was hooked.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
Not just yet. I get a lot of complements on it which I was kind of surprised about. I figured with the wing people would kinda roll their eyes and think “oh great, another powerless car with a big ole wing on it.”

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
Right now just some small ones since I would like to enjoy some of the warranty. So, wheels, coilovers, change the sound system a bit, and maybe the exhaust. Later down the road, I would like to pick up a stock turbo from an Evo X, bigger intercooler, and go for a tune, but that’s still a ways away.

What was your favorite modification and why?
I think the wheels and coilovers are going to be my favorite until I get through some of this warranty. I’d love the more aggressive stance.

Your mod list:
100% stock

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
This past summer I went out to Kansas City for the MidwestEvos.com 3rd Birthday Bash and it was a great time putting names with faces and seeing everyone’s cars. I had a great time seeing the cars, dyno, and seeing who would get the best numbers while everyone watched. I have to say, going to meets with Mitsu owners is a good time, but sitting down for dinner with them just tops everything off. Between the jokes on each other, good food, and then just talking cars, it’s a great time on its own.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
I’ve had pretty good luck, I haven’t had anything break. Just a couple flat tires, which the most recent gave my sister-in-law a good scare since we were on the highway doing about 80 and my rear passenger tire blew out.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
The best thing would be that they aren’t huge like GM or Ford, so it seems as if you have something out of the normal but with that being said, when you want to have meets or just hang out and talk about them, sometimes finding a fellow Mitsu owner can be a bit tricky.

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Mitsu and your community)
Getting new wheels. Also, I plan on going to more events like Winged Warrior, MOD 2011, and the MWE B-day Bash while supporting MidwestEvos.com as much as I can.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Rarely. I’d say just a couple times a year, but when I do get to meet up with the other owners, it’s a pretty good time with lots of laughs.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
Its kind of depressing seeing a car picked to bits, but you have to hope that those parts help someone achieve their goals with their car.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
There is lots of good information out there, and lots of great people who are willing to lend their advice or a helping hand.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Wheels if I can find what I want, otherwise I’ll likely start working on the sound system as I am not a huge fan of the Rockford system it came with.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car? Any mentors?
Golden@MWE, Chris@MWE, and Smevans@MWE have all had great advice and good ideas.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
I try to give the best advice I can, but lately I’ve been reading up on some different things.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones? Are you on Twitter? Facebook? Where can people find you online?
Of course I do. I am a Moderator over at MidwestEvos.com, so I tend to spent a good amount of time there. I check in over at Mitsu-Media.com to see what is going on, and dare I say that I still check Evolutionm.net because there is a lot of info there, you just have to dig for it. I do have a Facebook account but no Twitter. I missed the bandwagon on that one.

Gearbox Magazine exists to do three things and we’ve got a short post about it on GBXM.net.

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
David Kammerich. I go by Davidmitsusrock and/or Davidlanceres

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I am currently in wireless phone sales and am going to school for Business Administration. I live in Boonville Missouri.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
I drive a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer ES that I have owned since November 2007.

Photo by David Kammerich

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
I wanted to build a clean visually attractive daily driver with ambitions of going boost eventually.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
I started my obsession with Mitsubishi when I was 11 years old, my neighbor had a 2nd gen turbo DSM and I fell in love anything Three Diamonds.

How do you use your Lancer? Daily driver?
My Lancer is a daily commuter to work and school.

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
I would say the meets and cruises are the absolute best reward of being in a Mitsubishi Community.

Photo bt David Kammerich

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
I would say the best part of being a Mitsubishi owner is the online community’s, everyone helps each other out and shares a similar passion for Mitsubishi. The most challenging would probably be dealing with the flaming for driving a “rice burner”.

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Mitsu and your community)
2011 is an exciting year for me for many reasons. As for my car it will be receiving a few new simple mods such as either a carbon fiber trunk or trunk lip, a front lip and factory OZ rally side skirts. As for Missouri Mitsubishi I have a few things in mind, Mainly being website reconstruction for a more attractive appearance.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
There are a handful of local Mitsubishi owners from my hometown and we try to get together at least once a month. As for the site we like to have at least 2 meets every year including the Annual Missouri Mitsubishi Meet and the site Anniversary Meet.

How do you want your community to benefit Mitsubishi owners? What steps are you taking to make sure that happens?
We want all members to feel welcome and included as well as valued. We have a variety of forums for various topics and an experienced staff/member base that can help with tech questions.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
In a way the two subjects are very similar, you have to take your time and make careful choices to create the right balance.

What’s next for your Lancer?
Besides a few cosmetic mods the Lancer will remain my daily driver for the coming years. Eventually I would like to do a 16g Evo turbo setup on 10 lbs for a little funner daily driving experience.

What’s next for MissouriMitsu.com?
I want to make some cosmetic changes/upgrades to make the website more attractive and to develop a new “fresh” look. I also would like to have more then 2 Meets a year.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car? With the community?
As far as my car goes I would have to say my father has helped me the most, he taught me everything I know about proper maintenance and appreciating my first car. As for the community, I can’t pick any one person. I created Missouri Mitsu at age 15 with the help of Mike Cunningham who is the Co-Admin. I have had many great moderators over the years the current ones being Arron(DragonGSX) and Matt(Sleeper awd).

Photo by David Kammerich

Were you inspired by any other Mitsubishi community organizer? Who? Why?
I was greatly inspired by Curt Gendron, He owns and runs mn3s.org and organizes the All Mitsubishi Cookout every year. I got a chance to meet him at the 4th annual Missouri Mitsubishi meet back in 2009. He is a great guy and i hope to attend the Cookout in 2011.

Photo by David Kammerich

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
I look up to figures such as Curt Gendron, he works really hard to ensure every meet he puts on is a success.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend? Want to thank any sponsors?
I would like to recommend Midwest Autoworx(Copeland’s) in Boonville for any non-aftermarket work, they do quality work and include an excellent warranty.

Other than your own, do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
I frequent mitsu-media.com, evolutionm.net, and lancertuners.com as well as our local automotive enthusiast site midwestce.net.

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? How can people find you online?
You can find me on facebook at the following link.
http://www.facebook.com/dkammerich

and Missouri Mitsu’s facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2224969430

And of course at www.missourimitsu.com