What’s your real name?
Bobby Umhauer.
Screen name: Carbonfiberhooded

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I am a satellite technician for Intertech Digital and I live In Kenmore, NY, which is a suburb of Buffalo.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?
1997 Eagle Talon TSi AWD presently, but started into the scene with a ’97 Eagle Talon ESi that I turbocharged.

How long have you had it/them?
For about 10 years total. I’ve had the TSi since 2003.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?
I wanted something that no one else really had. Everyone else always went with domestics or Hondas. 2Gb Talons are hot and you don’t really see too many of them.

How do you use it?
Mostly just around town and to cruise in.  I drag race a little. I like to drive my car everyday, so breaking something at the strip and putting the car out of commission is something I try to avoid.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?
The looks of the 2Gs. I still can’t believe they made such an awesome car right out of the factory. I feel they where ahead of their time in terms of how they look compared to other cars that preceded them and other cars of the same model years. And we won’t even get into the performance aspect!

What keeps you going today?
Living in Buffalo, we really only have 6 months of good weather. Being stuck in the muck, spinning the tires and going slow in the cold winter months, motivates me to have a nice summer car that I can keep shiny and make faster when I get bored and think it needs more! Some people play the lottery, I just dump all my money into a DSM!

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
Yeah actually, I raced a Tiburon once when I first got my TSi. (On a closed course of course!) The guy was spraying it with like a 50 shot [of nitrous oxide] and had every bolt on he could buy for it. After I manhandled him four times in a row from a dig and a couple slow rolls, he asked what I had done to my car. I told him, “exhaust and intake!” He was like, “Yeah okay,” in a very sarcastic tone. Too bad for him that’s all I did have!

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
Hmm… To keep it running, I guess, and to keep improving on what I have.

What was your favorite modification and why?
Probably going to a bigger turbo and taking it for the first ride after getting it tuned. I must have had the biggest grin on my face when it hit full boost the first time!

Mod list:
Full 2.4L build (G4CS)
-Wiseco pistons
-Eagle rods
-stock 2.4 crank (G4CS)
-5 angle valve job
-Ferrea springs and retainers
-Topline lifters
-FP3 cams

-GT35R
-Evo MR BOV
-Precision FMIC
-DNP exhaust mani
-Tial 44mm wastegate
-Magnus SMIM
-3″ downpipe
- Apexi N1 3″ catback with high flow cat
-2.75″ IC piping
-Aeromotive FPR
-FIC 950cc injectors
-Walbro 255lph fuel pump
-PTT Twin Disc
-Forced Performance 4″ intake
-TRE Stage 3 transmission
-DSMLink 2.5

-18″ Motegi FF6 rims in gunmetal
-Dunlop 225/40/ZR tires
-Tein Sport springs
-KYB 5 way adjustibles
- VIS carbon fiber hood

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
The DSM Shootout is a blast! I’ve gone five of the last six years. Good people, fast cars, and great times! A big thank you to Mr. Buschur for having the event every year!

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
I cracked my exhaust manifold on the way to the Shootout last year. I went to Buschur’s and they did a quick weld to keep it from completely cracking in half and to get me home. They had to unplug the battery when they welded it and my tune went bye-bye. I called a friend who was in town and he called a friend who had a laptop. I had my tuner back home email me my tune which I then emailed to the friend’s friend who reloaded my tune. Everything seemed to go ok, until we started the car and found out my MAF was hacked and we didn’t have the settings for it. So we unplugged the MAF and limped it back to the motel where later we got the settings for the MAF. There were lots of phone calls made that day to say the least, but I made it back home 4.5 hours no problem!

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?
The community, by far! Everyone supports each other and it’s not uncommon for people to go out of their way to help you when you need it.

The most challenging?
Overcoming the urge to buy every new part that comes out! The aftermarket is just out of control! Not in a bad way either! I’m glad to see it where it is today! So many different options and combinations to try!

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
Getting the car back on the road. It’s currently getting the motor rebuilt and will be better than ever! I also look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the Shootout!

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Usually like once a week or every couple weeks, depending on season. I see them a lot more in the summer!

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
As long as those parts go to helping another Mitsu live on, it’s ok. I’ve benefited from it before when I couldn’t find a part and just stumbled across someone parting a perfectly good car. It’s sad in a way, but usually there is a good reason why it’s being parted.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
It takes many different pieces but once they are all tuned in, it runs great!!

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
I’ve met many people off Mitsu-based forums who have helped me wrench on the car on more than one occasion. That, and you can pretty much find out anything you want to know just by jumping on one of the forums and searching around. If you can’t find something, people volunteer their knowledge freely. Just Mitsu people helping other Mitsu people!

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
To get it running again this year. I want to switch to e-85 sometime in the near future. I also want to get an Evo soon. We’ll see, I guess!

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?
Jskrapper (Joe Skorupa) and DeviousTSi (Gary Burch) from the local forums and a few national forums. Joe has been there since I got the car, helping me whenever I needed it. Gary is the most knowledgeable DSM person I have ever met. I’m pretty sure he could teach the Mitsu engineers a thing or two about DSMs! He is a hell of a mechanic and his tuning is top notch too!

Any mentors?
Both the guys I just mentioned.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
Every chance I get. I am no master mechanic by any means, but I try to help whoever I can whenever I can.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Not really. I really don’t hold one over the rest. Whoever has the good deals I guess!

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
www.mitsu-media.com
www.wnydsm.org
www.rochesterdsm.org

Are you on Facebook?
Yes. Just look me up!!

Thanks for being a contributing member of the global Mitsubishi community, Bobby!

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
Shandon Lomoro (ForcedFour)

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
I am a part time student in electronic engineering, an electronic technician for an airborne survey company. Previously was a mechanic. I live just outside Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive? How long have you had it/them?
I’ve always owned a 1st gen DSM. It was my first car and has been one of the few constants in my life for the past 7 years. Having started with a FWD Laser then changing shells for an AWD 2 years later, and finally again to a cleaner rust free shell, I’ve been through more parts than I can remember and spent more time wrenching than I ever dreamt I would’ve when I first got my DSM.

What are your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi? How do you use it?
Building a car is personalizing it – if you’re passionate about it. You add a bit of yourself to it every time to turn a wrench. My build has no corners cut with nothing over looked. I have built a car that I can enjoy cruising around in on the park ways, that will idle (somewhat, lol), or open it up on the track and send the sport bikes home. I have built something I am proud of.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi? What keeps you going today?
Originally, I was drawn in by the many great selling points of a DSM. For a 17 year old a turbo car just sounds cool. It wasn’t long before I got myself into trouble with it but these cars have taught me many lessons. As these cars get older and older I see fewer and fewer of them which is why I appreciate mine the way I do. They are slowly disappearing, making them more and more unique.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
I would’ve loved to have it on video. I took my mom for a ride in my Talon; I think the fastest thing she’d been in before was probably an old Camaro that ran 15s. Before that day I don’t think I’d ever heard her swear in her life.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
My goals are somewhat simple; build something that I enjoy driving. I’d also like to have it run as close to 9 seconds as possible the same way I drive it on the street (I’m allowed to dream aren’t I?).

What was your favourite modification and why?
Probably the engine; I’ve built everything on the car myself excluding the transmission and manifolds. Assembling an engine, knowing that all the parts you put in by hand, measured, and torqued, are orchestrated with such precision that we can squeeze hundreds of horsepower out of such a small displacement and do it time after time is really something.

Your mod list:
From what I can remember here is what I’ve done to the car:

Engine:
Si valves
BC springs and retainers
HKS 272 cams
Wiseco 1400HD pistons
Manley connecting rods
ACL race bearings
Kiggly main girdle
A1 head studs
Felpro permatorque head gasket
ARP mains
Machined balance shaft
JMFab vband exhaust manifold
Forcedperformance GT3586HTA, Tial exhaust housing 0.82 A/R
Magnus Race intake manifold
Remote oil filter
B&M oil cooler
JMFab catch can
ETS intercooler with 3” piping
Tial Q bov
Tial V44 waste gate
3” turbo back exhaust

Drive train:
Shep tranny – stage 3 with welded center dif and Evo 3-4
PTT twin disk clutch

Suspension:
Tien coil overs
Jay racing ATE
Ingals rear camber kit
Konig feathers
Kumho XS tires

Brakes:
Dual piston calipers
Hawk hp pads
Blank Brembo rotors

Fuel:
JMFab fuel cell
Dual bosch 044s,
Magnus fuel rail
FIC 2150cc injectors
Aeromotive AFPR

AEM HD methanol pump
NOS alky solenoid
Devil’s own nozzles

Management:
ECMLink V3 in speed density
AEM wideband
AEM truboost with 5 bar map
AEM methanol flow gauge

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
Cruises or meets are always fun. Meeting other owners locally makes the community much more personal rather just strictly an online thing. I’m looking forward to an upcoming race with the Quebec community at Naperville.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
I’ve been somewhat lucky and haven’t had too many major failures, short of blowing a head gasket or 2 and breaking shift forks in one of my transmissions. The part I break the most often are axles. On my first Laser, however, I did once repair an intercooler with JBweld. I almost believe the package when they say a farmer fixed a cracked block with that stuff now.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner? The most challenging?
The best part about being a Mitsubishi owner is definitely being the underdog. I know when I line up at the track against the gutted Mustang on 10.5” slicks that barely idles, no one is looking at my car. The most challenging is becoming finding parts for these cars. This car is now 20 years old and there are parts that have been discontinued for a few years now.

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Mitsu and your community)
Now that my build is complete I will be able to make it to races with it. I’m looking forward to trying my car on a road course and a bit more drag racing.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
A few close friends of mine own DSMs as well, which I talk to on a regular basis. Usually I’d meet up with other owners once or twice every 2 weeks.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
Maybe I’ll find a mint condition head liner to replace mine!

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
I feel they’re fairly different. It doesn’t take any sort of mechanical aptitude to enjoy these cars. While building a car is, at least for me, more of a solo thing, a community is composed of many. Building a Mitsubishi is totally up to the owner while a community follows trends.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
I would like to improve the oiling system if possible with a Moroso oil pan and Kiggly HLA pressure regulator, put the car on a diet with a carbon hood and hatch, maybe lexan windows in the rear.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car? Any mentors?
Along the way, I’ve found advice on forums to have been the most helpful, not strictly from our community, but anyone into cars. A good friend of mine, Pat, has helped push me to make the car the way it is today with our builds over the past winter.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
I’ve helped numerous people though some jobs that were too big for them to take on their own; either with advice and tips and tricks, to driving a few hours to help with engine rebuild and timing belt jobs.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
JMFab, Of all places I’ve dealt with Jim has provided the best experience. This doesn’t mean there aren’t other shops I don’t appreciate. RTM Racing has put up with my ordering countless AN fittings. More locally is HP Autosports, where most locals go for DSM work.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
www.dsmquebec.org
www.ecmlink.com
www.dsmtuners.com
www.mitsu-media.com

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? Where can people find you online?
People can find me online on Facebook or on any of the above websites.

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of sharing your story with the world, Shandon!

What’s your real name?  (What’s your screen name?)
Beau Xavier Anderson, Xavier is what everyone called me growing up so it was natural for a scree name.

What do you do for a living and where do you live?
Ironworker, specializing in Steel Erection. Home is Payette, Idaho, but I currently reside in Moses Lake, WA.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?
1997 Eagle Talon TSi AWD, 2 years and 2 months. 2Gb FTW!!!!

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?
I know the saying “Cheap, fast, reliable… Pick two” is so used and cliche. Well, I have adopted the philosophy of fast and reliable over the time I’ve owned it. Do it right or don’t do it at all. K.I.S.S…  Keep It Simple Stupid.  R.T.F.M… Read The F*cking Manual. Need I go on?

How do you use it?
I drive it of course! I love to find roads that are begging to have inside corners hugged, stretches of asphalt that wish to be visited. Eventually I would like to have a hassle-free AutoX car that I can enjoy driving under any condition.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?
The People involved. I owned a Mazda Mx-3 before the Mitsu and it was a redheaded stepchild of a car, no aftermarket support, no assistance from others who have been down the path you were/are attempting to go down. With my Mitsubishi there is so much information being handled between individuals and so many people looking to help others.

What keeps you going today?
The community, vehicle ability. Having so many examples of what to look up to is another inspiring aspect. That, and sheer stupidity.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
Absolutely countless hours spent behind the wheel with a smile. Cant really choose one, there are far too many of them!

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
A solid AutoX car, running full r-comps, all the while keeping the stock 7-bolt and drivetrain as healthy as possible

What was your favorite modification and why?
K&N FIPK, Made the HTA breathe much better, not to mention the looks I get from onlookers once I get into boost, because it is loud when coupled with the FP 4″ intake.

Your mod list:

Exterior:
“Tarantula” LED Center tail-piece modification

Engine:
Stock 7 bolt, stock head, 272/272 Comp Cams combo

Electronics:
ECMLink V3

Drivetrain:
OE rear LSD swapped in, full Diaqueen fluids flowing through it’s veins

Bolt Ons:
FPRace exhaust manifold, FP 68HTA (ported), FP 4 inch mongoloid intake with K&N oval Filtercharger, Punishment Racing budget FMIC, JoeP boost controller

Engine Dress:
Valve cover powdercoated Starburst Aquarius, Jay Racing plug cover, JMFab small battery kit, EVO OEM oil cap

Suspension:
BC Racing coilovers, RMRacing rear anti-sway bar, Hankook Ventus 112 Evo K110 225/45/17, Enkei RP01 17×7 powdercoated gold vein

Fuel:
Stock, soon to be swapped out for…
PTE 780CC injectors, Aeromotive A100 FPR, Walboro 255

Exhaust:
Stock, soon to be swapped out for HKS Carbon-Ti catback

Clutch:
Stock, soon to be swapped out for Fidanza 4.3 sprung 6 puck

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
I have been to almost a dozen DSM meets in major metropolitan cities up and down the west coast, all of them great! Being able to see, in person, these cars you have read and heard about, AZDave, DSMTalonTsiAWD, Dominic, Fuzzydoodles, Joe Cool, Just to name a few, is beyond inspiring when seeing all the love poured into them. A highlight would have to be rolling with the NW DSMers through pouring rain to get to a meet in Seattle, driving through weather that would have made most tuck tail.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
I’m gonna be honest when I say that nothing has broke. I replaced the rear end and rear wheel bearings when they were on their very last leg. That was fun, breaking into drivetrain bolts that had been  in the same position for over 1/4 of a million miles. The amount of pinion slop in the old rear end was enough to send everyone’s jaw to the floor. My rear end was this close to locking up on me at speed!!

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?
Having instant recognition in most circles, whether on the web, on the street, or when you finally meet someone in person, this community is so tight-knit that it is awesome.

The most challenging?
These cars are getting old, even the latest model year is over a decade old now. Things are getting phased out. I would say the most challenging would be OE backing out of their support. NLA and parts deficiencies can make or break a project.

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
Another year behind the wheel! Meeting more people, and most of all many more hours wielding a wrench getting my car ready for it’s next workout, whether it be at the local AutoX or scouting out the nearest twisty road begging to be driven.

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Whenever I get the chance, being on the road for work opens up the chances for that immensely. I have actually made a few really good friends in other states, that I have made plans to visit.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
When you are sick of something and done with it, and there is no love involved, it is hard to keep going. Making the sacrifices they do to help the rest of the community is something I could never bring myself to do.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Suspension, exhaust, fuel and three hundred thousand miles! [This is beyond badass, Beau. - Ed.]

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
My buddy Brendan Murphy (Slowblackcherry, Loser3000) has been the best example of a mentor. Honorable mention goes out to Eric Stuhrenberg (Randomtuner) and a handful of local guys on the forums.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
Just last week I walked a new DSMer, who recently picked up his 1g AWD with a Blown HG, through his HG swap and a few other maintenance items to get the car running tip-top shape.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
My buddy’s garage, and I will be taking my car to English Racing, Vancouver, WA, to get the tune buttoned up once the setup is done on the motor, heard nothing but good things come out of that shop.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
Mitsu-Media, DSMTalk, Link Forums.

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  Where can people find you online?
No twitting for me! Myspace & Facebook

Thanks, Beau. Appreciate your sharing your stories with the global Mitsubishi community!

Beau said he wants to put 300,000 miles on his Talon, but he also said he has  a quarter-million (250,000) miles on it already. Is he looking to do another 50k or 300k? Either way, it makes us wonder, how many miles does your Mitsubishi have? How many have YOU put on it? How many more are you going to put on it?

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?
I currently own a 1992 Eagle Talon TSi AWD.  I have had that for almost 7 years now.  My daily is a 2003 Mitsubishi Evolution,  I have only had for about 7 months.

What’s your build philosophy/goals for your Mitsubishi?  How do you use it?
At first I just wanted a “little” power. That soon changed.  I have went through 3 different turbo setups with the car before finally finalizing on the fp3065 setup.  My goal has been more of a very nice 1g, than a drag beast.  I want the power, but I also want the car to look good.  I want to be able to compete at car shows and have a chance. The car is basically a weekend toy.  I drive the car when its warm.  It doesn’t not see any snow, well except for one time last year, when I decided to take it out and play around a little.  Other than that, the car is driven on nice days only.

What originally attracted you to the Mitsubishi?  What keeps you going today?
I got my very first 1G off of my big brother.  It was a 1.8L non turbo.  It was in 2002, so Fast and furious was big.  The car was a pearl blue/pink, color-changing color.  It had a humongous wing, bright white painted interior, and soon after I threw a body kit on it.  We all go through those days, right?  I found my 92 TSi my senior year.  I knew there was a turbo model out there of the 1Gs, just never messed with one.  Well, once I found this one and got it running, then the real fun, and money spending began. I keep striving to make my 1G one of the cleanest ones out there.  The expression I get from other DSMers is what really keeps me going.  I love to hear the remarks from guys who enjoy a nice 1G.

Got a favorite story about your Mitsubishi?
I am a bit of ashamed to say, no. I don’t drive the car as much as I would really like to.  For the past 2 years or so, I was always nervous about the car, so it didn’t get driven, unless it was to a car show, meet or something like that.  Starting last summer is when I started to enjoy the car more and continued it this summer.  I try to drive it whenever I can now.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi and how close are you to achieving them?
I think my goals are very close to being achieved.  My goal was always for a very clean 1G with some good power.  Well, it looks pretty good, and with the help of my new fp3065, I think it will lay down some nice power. I still would like to get under the car and get to work though.  Unfortunately, space and time have stopped me from going there so far.  Once the underside is addressed and looking as good as the top, I will be finished!

What was your favorite modification and why?
My favorite mod is probably the FP turbo setup.  Forced Performance’s products are top notch.  They are a bit on the steep side for some DSMers, but I pride myself in having their stuff on my car.

Your mod list:

Mechanics:
Engintecs built short block w/Scat rods, Wiseco 8.5:1 pistons.  ARP hardware. Fp3065. FP Race manifold. FP o2 housing and dump tube. Precision 46mm wastegate. Tial 50mm BOV. Buschur racing 3″ exhaust ( got after photo shoot). Punishment Racing FMIC with custom short route piping. Gm MAF w/ translator. Aeromotive FPR. -6an fuel feed and return. Walbro 255. Precision 1000cc injectors. -4an turbo oil feed line. -6an turbo oil return line. new oem coolant feed and return(for turbo). BC 272 cams. Fidanze cam gears. Greddy timing belt. Zaklee Clear timing cover. JMFab SMIM. JMFab spark plug cover. Custom 4″ intake. TCC coated Black pearl valve cover, fuel rail. Rebuilt trans to stock spec. Southbend heavy duty clutch. Stainless clutch line from master to slave. Mishimoto Aluminum radiator w/ 2 slim fans. Jay Racing Alt. relocation. NGK wires. AMS shifter cable bushings. DSMLink v2.5

Wheels, tires, suspension:
17×9 Enkei RPF1′s, +45 offset. 235/40/17 Nitto NTO5′s. Megan racing coilovers. DME rear camber kit. Megan racing front and rear strut bars

Interior:
Rear seat delete panels, covered in black carpet. New molded black carpet. 2g oem weighted shift knob. Autometer Cobalt Boost gauge. Autometer oil pressure gauge. AEM Uego wideband. Greddy turbo timer

Exterior:
Body painted (by myself) Toyota Blizzard pearl.  Gm Black on top. Seibon Carbon fiber hood. Custom, Kandy Red tails
crystal clear headlights with clear corners

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
The most exciting thing I’ve done so far with fellow owners was meet up for MOD.  I have went for the past two years and I always have a blast.  I will soon add the DSM Shootout, I will be attending this year for the first time!

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
Honestly, the only thing that has really broke on my car so far, was the clutch slave cylinder.  I had one go out on me as I was leaving a buddy’s house.  Nothing exciting to fix it, just picked up a new one and drove it home!

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
Best part is the community.  There is plenty of help online with all the forums dedicated to Mitsus.  The most challenging is the stereotypes people have about Mitsus.  The whole unreliable thing people always argue with me about.  I always say, if you’re going fast, your probably gonna break something, It doesn’t matter what car you have, if you modify it and push it hard, its gonna break something.  Its bound to happen.

What excites you about the coming year?  (Your Mitsu and your community)
The best thing this year, was I had my new FP setup on.  I will finally get to the Shootout for the first year and hopefully meet a lot more DSMers.  Oh and Evo guys.  I love my Evo too!

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person?
Not too often, unfortunately.  There aren’t many here in town.  I am finally coming around to some of them here in town, but tend to kinda keep my car on the “lowdown”, I guess you could say. Pretty much, owners day, is when I get to be with a lot of Mitsu enthusiasts.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
I can’t say much here.  I am guilty for thinking of part outs too.  I think people expect way to much out of their cars.  When it doesn’t meet their expectations, the answer is to part out.  The advantage is, there are always lots of buyers out there to buy the parts.  I am guilty though.  I have almost parted my 1g out 3 times now.  Its mostly cause I get the bug to mod my Evo though.  At least I am sticking with a Mitsubishi still.   Something still keeps me working on the 1G though.

How do you feel building a Mitsubishi compares to building a Mitsubishi community?
I’m not sure if I get the question? I would say building a Mitsubishi, makes you get involved in the Mitsubishi community.  Everyone starts to work on their own cars once they get a Mitsubishi.  The forums and others Mitsubishi owners is where you turn to get the answers.

How has your Mitsubishi build benefited from your involvement in the community?
I have gotten answers on different setups, what works on the street, what is only good for drag use.  That kinda stuff is what made my car.  If I didn’t have the community to ask questions, the car probably would have been gone a long time ago. Plus all the other clean 1Gs I see on the forums keep making me go further and further on mine.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Not sure, try to enjoy it for a little while. Other than that, I continue to replace little things with new OEM parts.  Parts that some would just pass by or get from a junkyard.  I like the little OEM parts I can still get my hands on.  Like splash shields, brake fluid reservoirs, the reservoir bracket, etc.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
Not a whole lot of help with the car.  I have a few friends that are around as I am working on it, if that counts as helping. There are tons of mentors out there that kept me going.  Obviously, every time I saw Shep, I got pumped!  Any other guys that take their 1G and try to “restore” the car, I have much respect for ya and enjoy watching your builds.

How have you paid this forward and mentored others?
Can’t say a whole lot here, I’m afraid.  I’m more of a learner with the cars.  I have helped a few guys out in the community with auto body and paint questions.  Some have seen my bay and ask how I do things or were I “hide” stuff. I am always willing to let people know my “secrets.”

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
The shop were I get 95% of everything I have bought for the car is ExtremePSI.  I love the customer service and the shipping is ALWAYS on time.  I always get my stuff in 4 days.  Always have.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
Of course! I am on the DSMLink forums, Mitsu-Media, DsmPurity, Chi-town DSM, DSmtuners, DSMtalk, there are some others I’m sure, but those are the most visited ones.

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  Where can people find you online?
I have a Facebook, you can reach me there, although, I am not a fluent Facebooker.  Get on there every once in while.

What do you like best about Anthony’s TSi? Thank you for visiting Gearbox Magazine!

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?

Does your Mitsubishi race team have an official name?  What would that be?
What Mitsubishi do you race?  In what series?
91 Eagle Talon, RWD. I run it at most DSM specific events and all of the local import events, as well as the various events that come around like Nopi, etc.

What’s your real name and role in the team? (Do you have a screen name online?)
Kevin Jewer (kjewer1), owner, driver, tuner, mechanic, pit crew, etc.

Where do you live?
In the wonderful state of Massachusetts. Someday I’ll move to a free state…

What do you do for a living?
To pay the bills I work as an equipment specialist for Intel. Essentially I work semiconductor equipment used to make computer processors and chip sets.

How long have you been racing this car?
This is the third season with this car. 10th season racing a Mitsubishi though.

Why did you choose this Talon to race? Features?  Benefits?
After all of the drivetrain breakage on my 2g Eclipse GSX, the much more robust driveline of this car appealed to me. I can put about as much power as I want to this drive train and just keep on racing. It’s also consistent enough to test new ideas and gather good data.

What have you already accomplished with the Talon?
Mostly just new personal bests. Getting into the 9s on the first full pass in the car was a welcome surprise, and the first 8 second pass I made, at the 2008 DSM Shootout, was probably the highlight of my racing “career.” I’ve also been able to make compound turbocharging work pretty well in this application, which has been a rewarding and educational experience.

When giving the car the final once-over before a race, what sort of things are you looking at?  What are your primary concerns at this point?
The car is ready to race when I put it in the trailer, hopefully. I’m generally just making sure the fluids are still good, tire pressure is set, chute is ready, etc. I’m basically just trying not to do anything stupid. :o)

What’s the stupidest thing that’s broken (or the stupidest reason why something broke)?
At the last event I won my round, but when I went to restart the car on the return road the starter was toast. Somehow the whole nose of the starter got blown off, no idea why. And naturally I had the bye in the next round, which was the semi-final. Figures. :o)

Walk our readers through what happens between when you get into and out of the Talon for a run and your concerns each step of the way.
And, when the car gets back to the pits?  What then?
Man, a lot goes on in that time. I used to have a lot more to do, but I’ve gradually changed the setup so that I can focus more on the task of driving than anything else. My logger is set up to start automatically, the car runs great without overheating or anything, etc. Once I leave the pits I don’t bother thinking any more about the tune. I try not to think about anything except my performance as a driver on the track. A proper burnout is fairly important. Staging is 90% of the race. The rest is driving the car as straight as possible and getting it stopped safely. Back at the pits there’s a flurry of activity for a short time while the car is checked over, logs downloaded, tune up changed, and so on. Then it starts all over again.

What does it take to go the distance?  Mechanically?  Mentally?
Physical, mental, and emotional durability. Gaining the knowledge and the funds to run a car like this seems easy compared to the constant abuse you take from the long hours, hard work, and inevitable disappointments. And I’m just a casual sportsman racer, sometimes I wonder how the big dogs do it…

How have you tuned the car for what kind of powerband?  Flat torque curve?  Peaky?
What has been your favorite event?  Why?
What other expenses are involved when budgeting for season of drag racing?
With the compound turbos I went for a pretty flat torque curve, compared to what I had on the big single. It’s just easier to drive the car this way. My favorite event is always the DSM Shootout in OH, and more recently, the DSM Showdown in NJ. Probably because I know and respect so many of the other DSMers that compete in those two events. As far as the racing budget goes, the biggest share goes to parts, but I’m always surprised by what it costs me to simply get the car to the track and back. Diesel, truck, trailer, etc.

What’s next for the Talon? Why?
More testing! The other half of the compound turbo project is to test intercooling between stages, and its effects on drive pressure, charge temp, etc. The goal for this season is 8.50.

Can people come and watch?  Where and when?
Yes, I’ll have the car at the DSM Shootout August 15th, and at the DSM Showdown October 23rd, as well as all of the local events at New England Dragway.

Is it easy to get into this type of racing?
Easy to get into, hard to get out of. :o)

Who has helped you the most along the way?
Other DSMers mostly, it’s a solid community with a lot of guys willing to help and share knowledge.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
How do you encourage other enthusiasts to get involved in legitimate racing?
The guys that get it done and share their knowledge and help others. Shep, Kiggly, Marco, the guys at Forced Performance, and a lot of the NABR guys.

I try to encourage a lot of the younger guys to go to the track and give real racing a try, and help guys out on the forums as often as time allows. I had some help and encouragement along the way, so I always try to give some of that back.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
Mostly Team NABR, DSMlink, and the local board (NewEngDSM).

Mod list?  Dyno sheet?
Where can our readers go for more information on your team online?

Most of the car’s info can be found at POSRacing. The key mods are the RWD conversion including the Powerglide transmission, 12 bolt rear, ladder bar suspension, and big slicks, and the the compound turbo system, which consists of a T3 50 trim on a custom JM Fab exhaust manifold being fed by a T6 Borg Warner S475. The car doesn’t dyno well through the auto, but it has put down around 590whp on a Mustang dyno for 8.9-9.0 second passes in the mid 150s.

Thanks for taking the time, Kevin. We all appreciate getting to know a bit more about you and your DSM. It just goes to show that, if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. Going beyond that and sharing what you know with others is truly paying it forward. That is going fast with class.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the rapid fire run of badass DSM racers this week. Did you learn anything new? Was there anything more you would have liked to have known about each of these racers? Leave a comment below (or below any article on Gearbox) and we’ll see about getting those questions answered for you from now on!

Happy Independence Day!

Does your Mitsubishi race team have an official name?  What would that be?
Nope, I don’t have any sort of official name for the team that help me out with the car. I wouldn’t be able to do all of it without them though. Thanks

Christyn, Rick and Mark – all of you help me out so much – no way I’d be able to do this without you.

What Mitsubishi do you race?  In what series?
I Drag Race my 1991 Eagle Talon Tsi RWD. I don’t race in one particular series right now, although someday I would like to.

What’s your real name and role in the team? (Do you have a screen name online?)
My name is Scott Glassbrook. My role in the team encompasses pretty much any role there is. I own the car; drive the car; do any of the work that needs to be done; fabricate all the custom parts; maintain the car; foot the bill; come up with new ideas to try out – those sorts of things. Online, I can be found under my real name or as ‘phydiux’ on various forums, although I’m not nearly as active on forums as I used to be.

Where do you live?
Michigan – The land of muscle cars :-)

What do you do for a living?
I’m a computer geek. More specifically, I’m a software developer.

How long have you been racing this car?
This car has been a work in progress since the end of 1999. In 2000 I started racing it and my first trip to the track netted a few 12.8x@108-ish mph passes.

It’s come a long way since then, that’s for sure.

Why did you choose this Talon to race? Features?  Benefits?
I chose to race the Talon because it was the car that I owned when I started racing and it was very respectable in stock form. My first car was an F-body; my brother Jake had a Talon at the time and it was much faster than my bigger V8 engine. Some kid I went to school with rear ended me and totaled my Camaro, so I replaced that car with a 1990 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD to get with the times. That’s when I started drag racing. That was in 1997. I ended up driving that car until 1999 and replaced it with the Talon I own now. I continued drag racing because I already knew that I wanted to.

The car itself features a lot of common items you’d see on a DSM, along with a lot of items you would almost never see on a DSM. The GT42 is pretty standard fare now, along with a 2.3L stroked 4g63 with JE pistons and Pauter rods. I’m currently running a set of FP3x cams and a set of Kiggly Racing springs. Additionally, I have pretty standard things like a Jay Racing alternator relocation kit, 1600cc injectors and a Haltech Sport 1000 that I just put in the car this year. All of those items are pretty standard fare when talking about modded DSMs. The more generic parts on the car consist of things like a Powerglide transmission, aluminum driveshaft, Chevy 10-bolt rear end, Four link, Competition Engineering shocks, QA1 springs and rod ends, CSR Water pump, Fluidyne radiator and Speedglass windows, just to name a few random items. These are the items that set the car apart from other DSMs and make it what it is.

The primary benefits of the car? Burnouts! :-) Seriously, though, the car is now a purpose-built drag car. The 4-link allows me to make changes to the way the car hooks and it’s the best suspension you can have on a door-car for drag racing. The rear end, the transmission and the chassis are overbuilt to withstand more power than I will need to make with them.

The chassis is certified to 8.50, and that’s all I ever planned on running with it. This car is built for fun, plain and simple.

Got a favorite story to tell about building or racing the Talon?
There are so many stories, it’s hard to pick just one. One of my favorites about building the car has to do with the conception of converting the car to RWD.

Back in 2003, I was basically stuck running 11.teens at 134mph. That sort of mile an hour will net low 10 second passes on a properly equipped suspension and drive line. I was having a hard time getting my transmission to agree with handling the power, and this was before dogboxes were widely available, and multiple-clutch options didn’t even exist. The only real option to improve my ET was to change the setup drastically.

Over dinner one night, Mark and I were talking about what to do since we both had very similar setups at the time. I think I mentioned something about rear wheel drive being the ultimate way to go. Mark prodded me, saying something like “why not make it RWD?” and we literally started sketching out ideas on napkins and scraps of paper. I still have some of those sketches.

Through the next few months, we loosely threw together a game plan, and then I started acquiring parts for the project. I didn’t even have a shop – I had to borrow Rick’s garage to get started on the project. The chassis was built in a detached, small, old two-car garage in Lansing Michigan over the course of about five months. No heat, and there we were February of 2004 cutting up a perfectly good AWD DSM.

My favorite story racing the Talon has to be my first full power pass after completing the RWD conversion. This was back in 2008. I had made a few partial passes at Milan to make sure everything on the chassis was straight, and then loaded the car up and went down to PINKS All Out in Norwalk, Ohio. The event was largely a disaster – it was really freaking hot out, the event wasn’t the best-run event I’ve ever been to at NRP and the car was out of sorts. I was having ignition issues; my wideband died on me; the car’s fuel map was way rich and just not cooperating with me. The first day of the event I didn’t even make a pass! To top it off, it was the first event, my whole family was there and it was my birthday.

Overnight, Mark and I worked on the fuel map, Kevin Kwiatkowski let me borrow an entire ignition setup and we worked through the night getting things in order. The next morning, we uploaded the new map – completely pulling numbers out of thin air based on some math we had come up with and swapped over to Kevin’s borrowed ignition setup just in time to get the car ready for the first qualifying pass. The net result was a 10.15@133mph. I was ecstatic – four years of work showed real promise immediately – that was an awesome pass in spite of all the difficulty I had in getting to that point.

What have you already accomplished with the Talon?
My best pass to date is a 9.63@137.25mph This was running between 22 and 29 psi of boost – boost creeps a little up top. My best 60′ so far is a 1.38. I need to work on that; 1.2X’s should be in my future, but I guess that’s bench racing, isn’t it?

When giving the car the final once-over before a race, what sort of things are you looking at?  What are your primary concerns at this point?
The main thing I do on the car are bolt checks between races. The one thing I would change if given the chance was the decision to solidly mount the engine.

Everything rattles loose. I have safety wire on almost all of the really important suspension bolts, but you simply can’t safety-wire everything. So, I put the car on jack stands and spend time under the car checking all the bolts. I guess it’s a good thing because I also get to examine all of the things under the car. I have bolts that have locking washers, with
nylock nuts and lock-tite that still need to be re-tightened from time to time. Other than that, I spend a lot of time obsessing over the ECU maps – I’m constantly making changes to them. Aside from that, I usually have a checklist. Ice, fuel, tire pressures, stuff like that.

What’s the stupidest thing that’s broken (or the stupidest reason why something broke)?
Without a doubt, my throttle body was the stupidest thing that broke. I went to a gambler’s race a few weeks ago, and broke my throttle shaft on the burnout. I found out it broke about 30 feet out on my first qualifying pass when the car went from a decent launch to dying on the track. That ended the day, right there. I was out $200 for that one race, not counting the time, effort and energy to get to the track. It was really disappointing. The reason it broke was stupid – I had removed the intake manifold over the winter and didn’t remember to readjust my pedal stops after putting the throttle cable back on. That is now on my checklist of things to do.

Walk our readers through what happens between when you get into and out of the Talon for a run and your concerns each step of the way.
I think about everything, from what the air pressure in the tires are to the conditions on the track and try to account for all of it. I’m starting to get a rhythm down on some things, but get rusty over the winter. Sometimes I have to rethink things, because I’m thinking about other things. When I get to the line, it’s all about the staging – when I’m
actually racing (as opposed to T&T,) I work on cutting a good light; I know by the end of the 60′ mark whether it will be a good pass or not. I went racing last night, and the last pass I made I just knew it was going to be decent because I felt the front wheels touch back down further up the track than normal. Sure enough, I matched my best 60′ and ran
9.64@122mph – I was making a moderate licensing pass.

When I’m done with my pass, I either immediately grin and celebrate on the return road, or start thinking about what was up with that pass and try to figure out how to improve it for the next pass.

And, when the car gets back to the pits?  What then?
Fuel, ice, plugs, tire pressures, logs. Repeat :-) It’s a little more involved than that when I’m testing and tuning, but those are the main items.

What does it take to go the distance?  Mechanically?  Mentally?
Mechanically, going the distance is done by having the right parts. If you’re half-assing things, you might end up with a reasonable run – once or twice – but in the end it’ll get you. You lose consistency and reliability when skimping on important parts for the car. Mentally? I think you need to be a little bit obsessed with what you’re doing – maybe a little nutty, even. :-)

How is that mechanical/mental prep different from other forms of racing?
I don’t think it’s all that different than other forms of racing. It comes down to getting your stuff together, and then doing the best that you can do.

Sometimes you end up short, and other times you end up on top.

How have you tuned the car for what kind of powerband?  Flat torque curve?  Peaky?
On a good pass, the car is always somewhere between 5700 and 8200RPM. With a 2500 rpm powerband, I’m basically going for peak power at as high an RPM as I can get it. Of course, It’s also imperative that I’m able to get it up on the converter, too, so I always try to tune for that, too.

What has been your favorite event?  Why?
The DSM Shootout, for sure. I can’t give you a specific year that was my favorite, but I really enjoy talking to people I’ve met over the years. It’s great catching up, sharing experiences and spending the weekend immersed in DSM geekiness. I go every year.

What other expenses are involved when budgeting for season of drag racing?
There are a few wear items on the car that are kind of part of the race-season budget. Spark plugs, race fuel, fluids, RTV, stuff like that. I tend to just get these when I need them; I don’t particularly set a budget for them. Then there are items that you just have to replace – O2 sensors, Slicks, stuff like that. The real expensive stuff just creeps up on you though – safety equipment. The harness and window net have to be replaced every two years. The chassis also needs to be certified every few years. The transmission needs re-certification every 5 years. This stuff adds up, so it can get expensive without even realizing it.

Aside from those items, I try to plan out events as far enough as possible to give myself time to ease myself into spending that money. Hotels are a big expense but I don’t go to many races, so they’re not nearly as bad as they could be. Diesel fuel for the tow rig is another item when I’m making trips out to tracks, too. My last trip to the track, I blew out two trailer tires that I had to replace *right then* in order to get home. (Thankfully, I was literally 4 miles to a trailer store and could leave my trailer where it was.) It’s kind of crazy if you think about it too much – why exactly is it that I have this hobby that takes my money? Oh yeah, the burnouts!

What’s next for the Talon? Why?
More boost, more tuning. Why? So I can go faster. The goals are 8.50′s, and I’m not there yet.

Can people come and watch?  Where and when?
People often ask this question. I always do everything I can to make it to the Shootout, so you can bet that I will be there. Otherwise, sometimes I will post on my site about when and where I will be running. I usually do one or two other events throughout the year, so those are usually posted. Aside from that, you can find me at T&T sessions at either Milan Dragway or Mid-Michigan Motorplex – I frequent both of those tracks.

Is it easy to get into this type of racing?
It’s really easy to get into, I think. They have all sorts of “run what you brung” And street car types of events around here. Getting good at it is another story; I’m still working on that.

Who has helped you the most along the way?
There have been so many people that have helped me. During the conversion into a RWD chassis, Mark Hessler and Rick Garnaat helped me with everything on the car. Rick provided the shop and helped with ideas and helped with the labor of the car. Mark helped with the designs – we would challenge each other’s ideas and come up with the best solutions that we were able to implement – he also pushed me into starting the project in the first place. I also have a friend, Jay Danhof who helped out quite a bit – from lending a hand to making food runs, Jay saved me tons of time
and energy, for sure.

Since the project has been running, the biggest help is my wife Christyn. I probably drive her crazy, but she helps get things packed and ready for events and helps me out with everything at the track. All the maintenance of the car and of me – I mean everything. I’m sure she’s learned a lot since we started this crazy stuff a few years ago (whether she wanted to or not!) and she really does a great job with making sure I have my act together at the track.

Rick Also lends a hand a lot and does everything he can when we’re at the track. I couldn’t ask for a better team to have with me :-)

Mark lends a hand, too, when he’s able, but he lives on the other side of the country now so it’s usually through phone support.

Finally, I also have to thank Kevin Kwiatkowski of Kiggly Racing for all the help and advice. He’s always willing to offer suggestions and is such a wealth of knowledge about DSMs that it’s kind of ridiculous. Kevin has helped me out in a pinch a countless number of times, and I don’t think anyone has ever had a conversation with him where they didn’t learn a thing or two. Kevin is crazy, in an absolutely fantastic way – it’s mind-boggling what he has accomplished with his own car.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
There were so many influences early on that it’s hard to name all the people I look up to. I think most of them are pretty well known names. I honestly look up to the guys who’ve made their own way. Shep, Rau, Buschur, Passante, Kiggly, Frank & Serge – All of these guys went down their own paths and all kick ass in their own way. I respect them all for their contributions to the DSM community; We’ve all learned a lot from them. There are others, sure, but these are some of the original guys that I still remember from back when my car was stock-ish.

How do you encourage other enthusiasts to get involved in legitimate racing?
Well, I hope I encourage legit racing through posting about my car on my website. I think people should race if that’s one of their passions, but I’m kind of old school – I think street racing gives all of us a bad name.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Mitsubishi community today?
Drama :-) I think that happens in all cliques, but I think that’s the biggest challenge “we,” collectively, face as a group. I think the internet exacerbates this, but I think that’s the biggest challenge we have.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
I’m on NABR from time to time. I also check out DSMtuners, MIDSM, and a few other boards.

Mod list?  Dyno sheet?
eagletalon.net/specifications

It’s pretty long, but the most up-to-date.

Where can our readers go for more information on your team online?
eagletalon.net

Gearbox Magazine would like to thank Scott for taking the time to share so much with the Mitsubishi community. Remember, just because it hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean you can’t do it if you put your mind to it.

We continue our red, white, and blue 4th of July celebration here on Gearbox Magazine TOMORROW. It’s another 1G (first gen) DSM drag racer. (HINT: He’s mentioned in this interview a couple times. WINK). Come on back tomorrow or subscribe via email/RSS so you don’t miss out!

In the meantime, leave Scott a comment here or on eagletalon.net, where he has nearly a decade of DSM history in pictures and posts. Thanks again Scott!

What’s your real name? (What’s your screen name?)
Kim Schuenman (Secongendsm)

Where do you live?
Roy, Utah

What do you do for a living?
New Media/Public Relations

What Mitsubishi do you drive?
1995 Eagle Talon TSI AWD

How long have you had your Mitsubishi(s)?
Current one – A year and a half

What got you into Mitsubishi?
I was in high school when the first gens (1990-1994) came out and I remember driving around with my sister in her crappy car dreaming of the day one of us could afford a brand new Mitsubishi Eclipse. My boyfriend at the time (now husband) turned his nose up at them. It was V8’s or nothing for him.

Fast-forward to 2001, one of our friends bought a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T and another had a 1995 Eagle Talon TSI. I fell in love with the second gens, went home and started my search. I found a 1997 Eagle Talon TSI AWD with 17,000 original miles just around the corner from us. I dragged my husband over to look at it. We popped open the hood and both said, “We could never work on this; we’d have to pay a shop to do everything!” At that time we thought the world revolved around carbureted V8’s. We took the Talon for a drive, my husband was convinced and we bought it the next day. I’m proud to say we’ve done the work ourselves on all our DSM’s (30+ since 2001). Engine swaps, installing a roll bar in my 1997 Talon to a ground-up build on my current 1995 Talon.

Got a favorite story to tell about your Mitsubishi?
My favorite story has to be about my Mom and my 1997 Talon. After we bought the Talon I took it over to show her. When I was little my parents would always point out nice cars when we were driving around. My mom was a car girl at heart and wanted to go for a ride, so I took her around the block. During the drive we happened to run into a bright yellow 2000’ish GT Mustang. He stayed right next to me as we drove and she kept telling me she wanted to run them. As embarrassing as this is – I really wasn’t that comfortable with a manual transmission so I chickened out on the race. I’ll always regret that because she passed away nine months later and never got to see me race at the drag strip.

What are your goals for the car and how close are you to achieving them?
The goal for my current 1995 Talon is to run a 10 second quarter mile with as many stock parts as possible. I recently ran an 11.2 at 130 mph in Las Vegas. That was only my eighth pass in that car since we finished the build so I’m very happy so far. The drag strip in Utah is closed until next April so my goal will have to wait until next year.

What was your favorite modification?  Why?
Turbos. I love them, I love trying new ones and I love big boost.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?  Why?
To keep pushing my 1995 Talon as fast as I can in the ¼ mile. Why? Because I’m too dumb to put my money into smarter things like retirement.

Who has helped you the most along the way?
Number one person would have to be my husband. He’s ALWAYS been there for me; he enjoys watching me race and keeps pushing me forward. I love the countless hours we’ve spent in our shop together.

Second would be the guys from www.utdsm.org. Some of those guys I’ve known since 2001 and they feel like the brothers I never had.

I have to give a shout out to the recent addition to my racing world, Jet. She’s been great helping me get girlintheblackcar.com out into the social media world, scouting and setting up a photo shoot with the car and keeping me company in the staging lanes at the track.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
No question about it – John Shepherd. Not only has he been influential in showing what a four-cylinder can do, he’s also a very genuine person. We met him at a race in Colorado and he’s done work on my transmissions.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Couldn’t say, we do all our own work.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites?  Which ones?
There haven’t been many days since 2001 that I haven’t visited at least one DSM site during the day. Besides my local DSM site, next on the list would be the ECM Tuning forums, NABR and Mitsu-Media.com

You just went to Vegas to run the car, right?  What was the event and how did you do?
Just hit Vegas and it was a Friday Night Midnight Mayhem (open track to all racers). Best time of the night was a 11.2 @ 130. Videos can be seen here – http://www.youtube.com/girlintheblackcar

When you say you’d like to run 10s using as many stock parts as possible, isn’t just about everything on the Talon upgraded?  The turbo, manifold, BOV, etc.?
Sorry, you’re correct with most upgrades. I should have said with as many stock’ish parts as possible. On my previous ’97 Talon I thought everything had to be purchased NEW from a big name company and everything needed to be upgraded – sheet metal intake, over sized valves, upgraded valve train, etc.. I ended up putting over $30k into that car before I sold it. With the current ’95 Talon I went with more of a budget build to see how fast I could go on the least amount of money. I’ve purchased most of my parts used and we even painted it ourselves.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve splurged on things just to “have” (I wanted all my fuel line/fittings black and silver so I went all out on that). I can’t be totally ghetto, I need some flare in there! I’m seriously addicted to powder coating too. If I could powder coat myself flat black I would.

The bottom end of my ’95 consists of 1g rods, 2g pistons and ARP hardware. Head has a stock valve train with FP 2 cams. Stock 1g intake and stock tranny. Compared to my ’97 with Wiesco pistons, Eagle rods, over sized valves, upgraded valve train, Magnus sheet metal [intake manifold], Shep trans. (I do plan on having him build me one for the ’95 though.)

I plan on pushing the ’95 as far as I can go with what I have, then going crazy and making it an all out drag car. Full cage, etc, etc.
Speaking of mods, a lot of the readers have expressed that they would like to hear about specific modifications.  Care to share your mod list?  Any dyno numbers to share?

No dyno numbers yet.

Mods:
2g pistons/1g rods with ARP hardware
Fidanza Flywheel
Act 2600 w/6 puck unsprung
Stock head with FP2 cams
1000cc FIC injectors
255 Walbro
Mallory FPR
Evo MAF
Ebay FMIC
HKS BOV
Full 3″ exhaust
Turbonetics exhaust manifold
38mm Tial wastegate
PTE Billet 6262 @ 30 psi
DSMLink V2
Tein Coilovers
Rota Slipstreams with Hoosier QTP’s

You can follow Kim on Twitter! http://twitter.com/girlinblackcar

Where do you live?
Indianapolis, IN

What do you do for a living?
Assisntant Manager Deli Department (Grocery store)

What Mitsubishi do you drive?
1991 Eagle Talon Tsi

How long have you had your Mitsubishi(s)?
5 years

What got you into Mitsubishi?
My husband has 2 and I fell in love.

Got a favorite story to tell about your Mitsubishi?
It is always broken. The only stories I have are about being stranded somewhere. One time on Thanksgiving and no one wanted to come help me because they were cooking dinner.

What are your goals for the car and how close are you to achieving them?
I would just like to be able to drive it without worrying about breaking down.

What was your favorite modification? Why?
My favorite on is my very first I did on my own. It was putting on the new O2 housing with an external dump. I love hearing that turbo spool up.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi? Why?
Not sure. I don’t have a lot of extra money right now, so I haven’t even thought about it for a while.

Who has helped you the most along the way?
My husband.

Who do you look up to in the Mitsubishi community?
I look up to a few of the local guys. John Hopkins mainly. I could only hope to have a DSM as fast and as pretty as his.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Mitsubishi community today?
The age of the cars. A lot of people aren’t interested in the cars anymore because the newest ones are 10 years old.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
My garage. Everytime I’ve taken my car to a shop, they treat me like I’m dumb and tell me I’m wrong.

Do you spend time on any Mitsubishi sites? Which ones?
Usually just Indystars.org

Mod List:
O2 housing, downpipe, K&N air filter, hard upper intercooler piping, blow off valve, manual boost controller, boost and pyrometer gauges.

How about you, readers? Has your Mitsubishi ever left you stranded on a national holiday?  Do Mitsubishis run in your family?  Let us know!