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1979 Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste "Plymouth Arrow 200 GT"


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I couldn't find a Datsun in my price range so I had to compromise and buy the only cool Jap tin I could find. Here' the story. I was coming back from the scrap yard one day driving through a little town on the way home when I spotted the back end of what I thought was a Z car with louvered windows sticking out from behind an old house on main street. I asked my friend to drive back around the block so I could get a closer look. At this point I thought it was an old Celica hatch. I knocked on the door of the old house and was greeted by a very old man who was happy to tell me all about the car that he bought new back when Disco was hot and cocaine was cool. It was a Plymouth Arrow 200 GT which I quickly found out was a re-branded Mitsubishi..He told me it had been sitting for about a decade or so. It had served him well but he had parked because it wasn't getting enough fuel. It had rolled over 300k (reads 66,073). I made him a fair offer which he accepted. A couple weeks later I come by with cash and trailer and it's gone! Day late dollar short as they say. He tells me he sold it to a guy, for 25$ more than I offered, who fired it up and drove it onto a trailer. I was kinda pissed off, at myself of course, and told him thanks a lot and walked away. About 4 months have passed since then. I'm coming back from the scrap yard with my brother this past week when when we stopped to ask about an old Iroc that has been sitting for as long as I can remember. I'm standing at the side door of this house waiting for someone to answer when I spot a car way down at the bottom of the hill behind the house. Lo and behold! It's the Arrow! I scribbled out a note and phone number on a mcdonalds bag and left it on the porch. The next morning I get a phone call. I talk to the man who bought the car and he explains he bought the car for his lady friend who is on fixed income and is slowly fixing it up to make it a daily driver. He makes it clear she is not interested in selling it.

  Well this past week I pick up my check from work and call him up to make an offer. He makes some calls and finally calls me back to tell me she'll sell me the car If I can be there in within the hour. I go cash my check and head straight there with a bill of sale. I meet the wild folk who bought this car of mine and we do a little talking. Apparently they never even got a bill of sale from the old man. We walked down to the car and the man shows me all that he has done so far. I hear it run and I hand them the cash. They hand me a registration receipt from 04 and a blank bill of sale... Well I'm a little sketched out but a deals a deal. It took some muscle to get a car that's been sitting 10 years to drive out of a mud hole with 4 flat tires. I made it up to the road and start making my way home with my brother following close behind. It's no fun doing 30 in 2nd with four flats throwing you all over the road. And it was running on E with a bit of old gas on top of whatever was in the tank for 10 years. I limp 2 miles to the closest gas station to fill the tires and put some fuel in the tank. All 4 tires

where at 0 pounds and 35psi later and 10$ of gas had it cruising a little better. The only pics I have at the moment are from the gas station but I'll add more soon. I made it the 10 miles back home and it's sitting in the driveway waiting for me to give it some love. I did buy my first part already. Fuel filter, 1.73$  :thumbup:

 

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Aye Captain!

 

I went to take pic and start it up for the first time since driving it home. I was told It needed ether and came with a can. I pumped peddle and fired it up on the first turn. It ran like a three legged mule with asthma. I pulled it up to the carport, parked, and popped the hood. I pulled the wires one at a time till I found the baddie. Replaced #1 with an old Autolite from the glove box. It runs... better. Drove it up the street and back. I feel it would be ready to daily drive with a tune up and a couple tires.

 

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I'm looking for a hood 

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I think I can fix this from the back 

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4g52. Very much original as is the rest of the car. Needs a side draft Solex and turbo.

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Original tools and the driver rear wheel that needs bead set and air. 

 

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This car i growing on me. 

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Visions 

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4g52B* (I know the id plate doesn't state it, but that's what it is and since it's a 52, it's a narrow block). Intake manifold you need either a Astron 1 specific one or one with a dual stud pattern flange. Dual sidedraft manifold is what you will commonly find, however there is as I call them, a LHD and RHD manifolds. Difference? RHD ones have longer runners since their brakes are on the right side of the car while LHD have short runners to allow for clearance with thr master cylinder.

 

Even then, you may run into clearance issues even with the LHD manifold due if you have boosted brakes since the Booster causes the MC to be positioned further forward. Then you either got to create your own rod/cross shaft linkage or just convert to cable throttle.

 

Starion Distributors are not interchangeable, if you want a electronic dizzy, better hunt for some mighty maxs/d50 with g52/54/54Bs or random early 80s caravans with g54b.

 

Pacesetter makes a header still for the Astron engines Does not need turbo lol, if you plan to rag on it, your rear end will share what it thinks about your shenanigans.

 

Is it a 5 or 4spd? 4spd definitely not boost compatible trans.

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Pretty much, but the 5 could handle low boost to an extent. 88-89 Starion KM132 5spd would be the best option for boost purposes, however he has a narrowblock and that isn't a option unless he swapped motors. Lancers came with the 5spd KM132 option instead of the smaller KM119 found in the Galant 5spd cars. KM110 4spds and KM119s are not that strong of transmissions lol.

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If you expect to daily it, don't expect it to last long. It is a NA motor afterall, it's not a 4g54b out of Starion/Conquest that is designed for boost. Aftermarket support? Pretty much non-existent. Rear end? It could possibly take light abuse, but it's why most recommend a fire arrow axle or up towards a hilux axle for boost application.

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Good cause it's a pain sourcing info for this thing. I had links to 4g52 parts from when I first found the car but can't find the link now. They had rebuild kits at 130$ 

There is an ad on ATL craigslist with a fire arrow and gt for parts. I'm flat broke now so not much to do but clean it up lol.

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Firearrow rear axle is ideal for best upgrade as a direct bolt in if you can find one lol. Shit isn't like a datsun, all these cars take a fair amount of time to find car specific parts.

 

Join up on ClassicColt, where the rest of us Galant and Lancer guys hang out.

 

4g5x = Astron engine family

4g51, 52, 52B, 54 = Astron 1

4G54b = Astron 2

4D55/56 = Diesel/turbo diesel Astron.

 

Use a Starion trans, will need to convert clutch pedal from cable to hydraulic.

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