What’s your real name?  (What’s your screen name?)
Phillip Kinsley (phinko)

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I am a Jet Engine Mechanic in the Air Force, and currently live in West Texas working on the B1 Bomber!!

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?
’87 Chrysler Conquest (aka: Mitsubishi Starion). Purchased this particular one in 2005.  Had a few before it.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?
Just to be an all around awsome street performance car. Original goal was to build a street car geared towards autoX and road racing, but unfortunatly I had to relocate for the military and now live in the land of drag racing. Its been a setback, since alot of the suspension tweaks I had done for road racing worked against me when I started to drag race.

How often do you use it?
I live on a gravel road, so as long as it isn’t muddy out, I try to take my car.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?  What keeps you going today?
Actually, [I] always loved the Porsche 944s and RX7 turbo IIs, so when I came across my first Starion in the UK,  it was more an attraction thing. Took it for a test drive and was hooked.   I’m real comfortable working on these cars. So I guess that’s why I stick with em. Plus they look freakin’ bad ass!

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
You mean other than being referred to as an RX7/Supra/Daytona/Delorean? HAHAHAHA!

I guess my favorite memory is when I bought my first Starion it had already been molested and someone painted all the plastic trim pieces red. So one of the guys at work went for a ride in it. I was griping about the painted trim and he made the comment, “I dig the interior, its FUNKY!” You had to know the guy. He had a Clarence Carter/Isaac Hayes personality. From then on, he always called me Funkytown, and it became FunkyPhil.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
A reliable low- to mid-11 second street car. I’m close, I have the power. Just need the transmission that’ll allow me to put it down.

What was your favorite modification and why?
Multi-Port Fuel Injection. Opened the door to much much more power and reliability.

Your mod list:
FIP Hurricane Intake Manifold
Megasquirt Engine Management by Elutions Design Bureau
Wiseco Pistons
TimC 292 Banshee Cam
Precision SC6062 Turbocharger
Spec 3+ Clutch

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
The yearly Branson meet. See, I love to talk shit.  Don’t know why, I just enjoy it. So when we can all get together and get a shit talking party going without keyboards, it’s a great time for me. But I’m just having fun. I have the most fun when everyone settles down and we get to make fellow SQ owners’ rides run better.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
Well, it was actually a weekend event. Went over to Dallas to prep for Import Faceoff in ’09. Went to the magic house of  RX7 tuning God, Steve Kan in Fort Worth to get on the Mustang Dyno. My car left there with well over 400whp and more ready than ever. The next day, we rolled into the Texas Motorplex in Ennis to make some attempts at some decent times. Well, regretfully, 2ft outta the burnout box my forward U-joint grenaded, taking the shifter housing with it and damaging my trans tunnel. I loaded the car up with the help of my buddies from 26liter.us and moped my ass back home. The next night, yanked that trans and threw up another, thanks to Dan Brewer, and my car was back on the prowl!

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
I don’t really think this applies. The majority of Mitsubishi owners are all about their DSMs and 4G63′s, and half of them don’t even know what my car is. I know it’s a Mitsubishi, but since it says Chrysler, it kinda puts me in left field to anyone that isn’t a real car enthusiast. I know the car’s history, and how it ties into all the following Mitsubishi’s, and thats enough for me. Everyone else is just missing out.

The most challenging is getting the quick cars around here to race. All the muscle car guys think its just another import tooting a BOV.

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
For me, Im hoping I’ll have my new tranmission and the car ready to roll. I intend to compete at all the Texas Import Face Offs. Maybe get the car in some spotlight. Kind of a “Hey! We’re still here” type deal. Never know, may get some more product support out of it other than engine swap garbage.

For the community, looking forward to see what these guys come up with. In the last few years, these cars have come a long way! The throttle body injection (TBI) cars are making more power than ever. And people are coming up with all sorts of tidbits to make the car itself better overall. That has always excited me the most. I’ve got my fingers in some other projects that I’m looking forward to seeing come to life.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Really, only once a year. Gary, the ring leader over at 26liter is lazy and wont set anything up! HAHAHA! (J/K  Had to take a jab at him.)

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
It’s a shame, but I cant blame all of them. Not everyone has the time/money/skills to bring them back. Anything is salvageable. Just how much can someone spend is the question. I definately don’t beleive in the crusher, but people have to do what they have to.

But then again, I’d rather someone share the parts with the community rather than hoard easily restorable cars. I’ve seen plenty of complete cars forgotten about, only to have the environment destroy the interior/paint/seals/etc..

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
I feel it is strongly connected. The better you build the car, the better you represent the community.  And it works both ways. Which is why these cars get so much flack for being unreliable garbage. People turn the boost way up on too small a turbo/not enough fuel/120k on the clock and blow these cars probably once a month if not more. The guys building the reliable ones are the example we should be following. Rob @ Baltimore Tint was running 10′s for years on the same engine. Same as Super Dave in Nebraska. Both guys pushing near 500whp, running 10′s and 11′s for years. That alone is a testament to the strength of these engines.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
Access to hard to find parts. These cars are hard to find outside of the community, especially OEM parts.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Transmission swap and hopefully some paint.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
Roman C. in the UK, The cats on the Starion/Conquest sites, Rob at Baltimore Tint for being a badass and owning/building one of the most ferocious street ‘Quests. His car proved that these cars can freakin’ move!

Special thanks to my wife Bobbie for all the support. And being an all-out Sugar Momma Babe!

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
I try to as much as I can. I think its more a pride thing for most. The guys are just too proud to accept any help. But that’s with any car.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Steve Kan in Fort Worth Texas / www.kantuning.com for all your performance needs. Complete builds/tuning with an in-house, AWD  Mustang Dyno.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
Yes,  www.dallasdsm.org / www.26liter.us / www.sqperformance.forumcity.com

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Phil. The car looks great. Let us know when you can arrange a race between your car and a B1 on the airstrip, okay? ;)

There was no way we could meet everyone in attendance, and we’re sure we missed a few cars and events, but we wanted to roam the lots and snap a lot of pictures to share with our brothers and sisters who couldn’t attend. It sucks that the little point and shoot Nikon we used to get these pictures added the date to all of them, but our resident photog is currently on vacation in Colorado so we had to improvise.

Note: Gallery displays 20 images in each batch. There are something like 150 here. Don’t miss the gallery pages beneath the following thumbnails to see more images.

[nggallery id=1]

MOD was a great time as usual. BIG TIME THANK YOU to everyone at Mitsubishi who gave up their Saturday (and likely many more days) to make such a special day for all of us. There are two more MOD events in the US this year – at the factory in Normal, Illinois (September 18), and at the Mitsubishi Motors North America Eastern Zone HQ in Swedesboro, NJ (October 16). Your fellow Mitsubishi owners want to see your Mitsu there. Plan on attending.

More info on MOD can be found on the MOD home page.
Are you a fan of Mitsubishi yet on Facebook?

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?  How do you use it?
My build philosophy? I guess do it once, do it right. Don’t skimp and use cheap parts or do the job half way just to get it done. I ask others about the parts I’m getting ready to buy/install and see how they turned out for them. I check and recheck everything before reassembly.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?  What keeps you going today?
I was originally attracted to the styling, the SQ is such a unique car. What keeps me going the most is probably that uniqueness. I get people stopping me all the time asking about the car, telling me stories about when they had one or their buddy had one. I like talking to people about them.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
I bought this car “for parts only”. The previous owner had crashed it into a concrete bridge support several years before I purchased it. He was advertising it “for parts only” and was convinced the car was un-savable, he even gave me the contact info of a gentleman interested in the interior. He shook my hand and told me “good luck” when I picked it up. About 8 months later I emailed him pictures of the revived car, and he was shocked. I saved this car’s life.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
My goals are constantly being reassessed and revised. At first I wanted to have the car complete and drivable. Now that it’s there I want it quick and reliable. When I achieve my current goals, my goals will change and become more ambitious. Ultimately though, I’d like to make around 350whp on pump gas.

What was your favorite modification and why?
My favorite modification is easily my fender stripe. Being a part of such a unique community already, it sets me apart from the group. Everyone comments on it, whether for or against it. It’s a conversation starter for sure.

Your mod list:
As of a few weeks ago, something like this:

Drivetrain:
- 70k mile stock longblock
- Balance shaft elimination
- Jet valve elimination
- Powder-coated; turbo heat shields, valve cover, oil pan
- Delphi 65lb primary, 95lb secondary fuel injectors
- Ported & polished throttle body mixing bowl
- MK1 intercooler hard pipes
- HoseTechniques 4 ply silicone couplers w/SS t-bolt clamps
- Knockoff RFL BOV
- Hallman Pro RX boost controller w/heavy spring
- All vacuum lines replaced with silicone lines
- Ragdoll_Unlimited 16g turbo @ ~15psi
- LSP SS braided turbo oil feed line
- LSP SS braided turbo coolant feed line
- Modified Honda Prelude intake
- 1g DSM MAFT w/3″ GM MAF
- Jolyrgr fulll 3″ straight exhaust
- BLSG short shifter
- Delrin spherical shift knob
- RX7 spec clutch
- Lightened stock flywheel
- Redline MT-90 trans fluid
- 3SX SS braided clutch slave line
- Jolyrgr 3 row, cross flow aluminum radiator

Chassis:
- 16×8 “SHP” front rims, 16×8 standard rear rims, PC’d black
- 245/45/16 tires, front & rear
- ST sway bars, front & rear
- MK1 performance gas struts, front & rear
- Cosmo “dual spring” coil-over sleeves, front & rear
- MK1 front “pillow-ball” camber plates
- MK1 rear “flat” camber plates
- TEP rear strut tower brace with battery tray & brace
- 3SX one piece SS braided brake lines, front & rear
- Semi-metallic brake pads, front & rear
- Dimpled & slotted rotors, front & rear

Misc.
- Full AC delete w/duct, firewall plug & alternator bracket
- Cruise control delete
- ABS delete
- Rear seat delete
- Charcoal canister delete
- EGR delete w/block-off plate
- Sparco 4pt harness’
- Manual seat belt center console
- LED dome light & door lights
- HVAC controls relocated
- AEM UEGO wideband mtd. on gauge hood
- Hand made center mounted gauge cluster
- Autometer Phantom gauges; Boost/Vac, Oil psi, Water temp
- Battery relocation
- Custom CNC plasma cut intake heat shield
- 1983 Starion hood
- 1983 Starion tail lights
- MK1 fiberglass upper hatch spoiler/sun visor
- Custom made polished aluminum center caps by Starquestrims
- Custom fender stripe by Ron @ Moto-On.com
- Zipties
- Heli-coils
- Electrical tape
- Pure, unadulterated AWESOME (Added by editor.)

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
Last summer I made the road-trip out to Branson, Missouri for the “2009 Starquest Nationals.” I got to meet a ton of great people and see SQ’s from all over the country.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
Probably the Mitsu community as a whole. Most Mitsu owners know of the SQ and respect it greatly. There’s a mutual respect between owners that other people don’t understand. The most challenging, besides finding parts for the car, is probably convincing people its not a Supra, Celica, RX-7, DeLorean, Daytona, etc… haha.

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
I’m most excited to just drive the car this year. Last year and the year before it was all shakedown runs and constantly worrying about the car. I think I’ve got most of it worked out this season, so I’m just going to enjoy it. As for the community, probably the Vegas National meet in October. I’m not sure whether or not I’m going to make it, but it should be a great time for everyone regardless.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Local to me there are very few SQ owners so I have to travel a little bit to get to them. I’d say probably 3-4 times a year.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
I guess that depends on what your definition of “salvageable” is. You’ll come across cars that are completely gone, to the point of being dangerous to drive even if fixed. Then there are those that need some work beyond the average persons abilities. Some people just don’t have the skills, funds, or resources to save a car, I understand their situation. I definitely frown upon those who part/crush them strictly for monetary gain or out of spite to the community. Yes, it’s happened.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
Jeeze, hmm… Having never built a “community” before, I can’t say for sure, but I’d imagine it’s like anything else. There’s hard times when you wanna give up, but the payoff makes it well worth the effort.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
Without the community, I don’t think my build would have been completed. Parts are so difficult to find, without the community, I would have had an awful time getting the stuff I needed.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Miles on the odometer, and tuning.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
The forum (starquestclub.com) as a whole has helped me infinitely. The knowledge it’s members hold is staggering. The local guys have been great for helping with parts and advice; Joe, Mike, Ryan, and John. Oh, and Mrs. Joe for letting us have the meets at the house in PA.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
The new owners usually get roughed up over simple and common questions, I try and answer those, just like the seasoned guys did when I was new. I keep my car clean and try to set a good example. I take time to talk to others that seem interested in being an owner and try to lead them in the right direction.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Your own garage, get out there and work on your car.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
The majority of my time is spent over at starquestclub.com. That’s a great group of guys and ladies. I also spend some time at mitsumedia.com, and speedhunters.com and will occasionally poke my nose in over at dsmtuners.com.

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  How can people find you online?
I never got into the twitter thing, I’m on Facebook though, just search my name (Dale Myers).

Thank you, Dale, for taking the time and for reminding us:

1. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
2. We were all FNG/newbies at one point.

What do you think of Dale’s StarQuest? Do you want one now? Do you have that burning desire to devote yourself to the fine details and Mitsubishi craftsmanship? What do you think about that fender stripe? ;)

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I work as a senior tech in the IT department for the FAA. This has been my current job of 12 years. I live in Fort Worth, TX.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
I drive one of two 1988 Chrysler Conquests that were imported and re-badged from Mitsubishi Starions. I’ve had my blue Conquest for 4 years. It’s more for show and events. I have also had my yellow Conquest for almost 2 years and drive it daily.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
My build philosophy is to set your goals before you make any changes from a stock running car, and stick with it. If you want big power, you may have to give up drivability, if you want show quality, you might not want to track it.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
In the late 80s I was living in SoCal driving an econobox and kept seeing these bad ass Starions on the road. So I drove down to the Mitsubishi dealer and realized right away that I could not afford a one new. I picked up a used ’86, and was instantly hooked when I blew away a bragging Camaro owner. What keeps me going today, is knowing there is no other car out there that looks, runs, and performs like a Starion. Most people have no idea what kind of car it is and I am always being approach by people asking what it is.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
My second Starion had a freshly rebuilt engine, a new ecu, and tons of other mods. Being unproven for reliability, but running good as it was I decided to drive it 17 hours from Fort Worth to Pigeon Forge, TN. I had my wife with me and she was encouraging but was worried. It made it there and back without a problem, although when I got back it had a noisy driver side wheel bearing.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
My goals are to have everything about my car as perfect as possible. To make it look clean, inside and out, as good or better than when it was new. Performance goals are 350 hp and 400+ torque. I am close to achieving these goals since the bodywork and interior are mostly done (are they really ever?) and I have dynoed the car at 306rwhp/412tq.

What was your favorite modification and why?
My favorite modification is a toss up between changing the car from throttle body to multiport injection, or the thumping sound system that makes cruising so enjoyable.

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
We routinely get together for a some track time. While I do not always run mine, I enjoy watching other push theirs to the limit, and sometimes set records.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
The best part is owning a car that is totally unique. I can drive the car for weeks and not see another like it, and if I do, mostly likely I know the owner.
The most challenging is keeping it running, since parts are getting hard to find, with a lot of parts no longer made.

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Mitsu and your community)
Our National meet, where we get together, B.S., race and drink. Also, fixing some mechanical issues that have been keeping the car in the garage more than it has been on the road lately.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
At least twice a year, sometime more.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
While I can understand a car that is “too far gone” to rebuild, I think some people don’t put in enough effort to keep these cars on the road. I have seen several in junk yards that are in good shape, but might need an engine rebuilt or a body panel replaced. As these cars age and get more rare, as many that can be saved should be.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
There certainly are similarities; the cars are unique and so are the owners but, there are those common elements; passionate about the cars and great desire to have great performance and looks that unites us as owners in the Mitsubishi community.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
Definitely the info-sharing and commiserating!

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Perhaps having the seats recovered, tinting the windows or,tuning the car for more HP.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?
Its hard to pick one person that has helped the most. Several friends have spent hours in the garage with me , others have driven parts out so that I can finish a project, and others have helped with tuning.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
There are too many to mention, but I can say that the group of folks on 26liter.us are all the best you can find for help. They’re always willing to lend a hand, get you a part and help diagnose a problem. Its a great community of people who share a common interest in Starions and Conquests and also make good friends.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
I don’t usually take my car to any shops, but I can recommend KAN Tuning in Fort Worth for squeezing that extra HP out of your car and Burton Customs for making your car look good.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
26liter.us and Starquestclub are the two main sources for Starion parts, troubleshooting and meet planning.

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? How can people find you online?
Facebook, jross35

The turbo that John is using to squeeze out the 306whp is a Garrett 60-1 mated to a cast Turbonetics exhaust manifold. To get the correct amount of fuel John upgraded from the stock TBI (throttle body injection) to a more modern MPI (multiport injection). Reason for doing this is to get a better air to fuel mixture.

To be able to control the fuel pressure John installed an  Aeromotive Fuel pressure regulator. Pumping the fuel from the tank is a Walbro fuel pump. To manage the fuel system a Fuel injector Pro  management system was put in place of the stock unit. Keeping this thing screaming throughout the power band is a Screaming Banshee Cam. With this small mod list John was able to almost double the stock horsepower output.

John also upgraded the sound system to make cruising more pleasurable. Opening the hatch you will find two Infinity Reference subs. Also from Infinity you will find Kappa Speakers.  Power Acoustik Amps help give this car a stereo system that you want to listen to. All of this is controlled by an Alpine head unit.

John also owns another one of these beauties, a 1988 Chrysler Conquest TSI.