I’m currently in the market for a new car. My criteria are basically that it be a coupe and have leather seats, although I am also considering a BMW 7-series that’s in excellent condition for the price. I was all set to buy a red 2001 Prelude that was for sale in Indianapolis, but unbelievably, it sold, in the one day in between when I arranged to have it inspected by a mechanic and when that was supposed to happen. (God dammit!) Now I’m looking around for other cars; one that I found was this 1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT. It LOOKS nice and the price is a tiny bit over my budget but still do-able - the question is, is it total crap? Because from what I’ve read, the 3000GT was supposed to have been kind of a lousy car, and also very expensive to have repaired because of the esoteric electronics.
I could get a used Prelude or Integra for several thousand dollars less (although there are none with leather seats available for sale in the area right now, to my intense frustration.) That Mitsubishi looks beautiful but will I regret buying it? Anyone have experience owning one of these things?
The VR4’s were a very complex car, technologically. They could be configured with an active suspension which lowered the car while at speed, a spoiler that changed angle of attack, all wheel drive, and some other pretty nifty doodads that escape me at the moment.
So it’s important to determine if this was a car configured that way, and something to keep in mind when considering repairs in the future. Special shocks that change ride height will naturally be expensive to repair, but I think you could order a car without them. A spoiler that doesn’t change angle doesn’t really affect things much. All Wheel Drive might be desireable, depending on the weather you get. There’s also some expectations with having the turbo V-6 in the top of the line car.
But if the car is all functional, a top of the line sports car will DRIVE like a top of the line sports car.
I had a roommate that owned the mid-level Dodge stealth. It had the non-turbo V-6 and with exhaust and intake mods would scoot. It was a fun car to drive. Since it didn’t have all the active crap and was front wheel drive, it’d still get around pretty good, and didn’t have the techy stuff to break.
I had a V-6 non-turbo Stealth for years and I loved it. It was very well-made and reliable and a hoot (yes, hoot) to drive. Repairs weren’t any more expensive than my previous car (ironically, a Honda Prelude, though older than your '01)
Of course I always got smoked by my buddy who had a twin turbo 3000GT VR-4 Spyder (hardtop convertible) that he’d sank about $20K into upgrades. I think it had around 650 bhp when he finally sold it. Bastard.
IRRC, another perk to the VR-4 was that the rear tires would rotate slightly during turns, allowing for far superior cornering.
Are you planning to modify it at all, or are you keeping it mostly stock? I know for a fact the 3000’s are tailor-made for customization.
The Mitsi GT is a hardcore sports car. I remember when I had my Celica GT4 way back in the mid ninties it was on my dream list (but way out of my budget)
I have no specific experience with the car, except to say that a Prelude is not even in the same ball park when it comes to performance.
The only piece of advice I would have is to have the car checked VERY carefully. IME, cars that are meant to be driven hard (as the Mitsi GT is) often are driven hard, consequently they may wear quicker than expected.
For $9k, you should be able to get a perfect '99, and that one isn’t. See here.
The one he’s looking at is the 160 hp non-turbo V6. It’s not a hardcore sports car, and it’s no more powerful (and significantly heavier) than a '99 Prelude 2.3.
Thanks for the advice folks. My dad and I are driving up to Huntington on Wed. to check out the GT. It has a Carfax report according to the dealership ad, which is a plus. If it checks out, I think I’m going to go for it. I have always loved the way that car looks, it seems much more comfortable on the inside than the Integra I was eyeing, and lower miles as well.
No it’s not. I always thought of it as a working man’s Dodge Viper. That said, it was one of my dream cars when I was a teenager. The only concern I have about those '90s Stealths/3000GTs is the same concern I had about the '80s RX7s in the '90s (and which was borne out by several friends buying them): the people who bought them originally drove the ever-living fuck out of them. Be careful, and have it inspected by someone who really knows their shit, and I still recommend the Honda, but enjoy it if you buy it. The rare ones I see that are in good shape are still beautiful cars.
I always thought the GT was about 9,000 times cooler looking than the Eclipse. I knever got the hype about the Eclipses. The earlier ones look kind of cool but the newer ones are truly hideous, real jellybean-like abominations that look about as aerodynamic as a sofa cushion. The GT has a really unique style that truly stands out among Japanese sport coupes. I know it sounds strange but it always reminded me a little bit of a cross between a fourth-generation Chevy Camaro and a Ferrari, looks-wise. The people who designed it at least had a good aesthetic sense.
If I were Jay Leno I would by a 1999 3000 GT. It’s a really cool car both visually and technically. I think you should plan of being married at the hip if you buy one and by hip I mean your wallet.
The Eclipse actually has an exceptional Coefficient of drag. That jellybean is the ideal shape for aerodynamics and it’s a pretty clean design without a lot of grooves and edges. The Ford Probe is one of the most aerodynamic cars ever made and it’s fairly similar to the Eclipse. The various intakes and moldings on the 3000GT make it noisier and less efficient and the tail fin is terrible from that standpoint.
I do like the looks of the 3000GT, but the Eclipse look much more aerodynamic. It might be boring looking, but boring tends to be the ideal when it comes to drag.
It’s a 10 year old sports car. My opinion of it is second hand from enthusiasts. I wouldn’t say it’s any worse than any other 10 year old sports car. Look under the hood and decide how thrilled you would be to work on it. I would buy it as a 2nd car in a heartbeat. I have an 88 Turbocoupe sitting in my garage that was easy to work on and I foolishly tried to swap out a modified V8 with a tubular front end. It was truly an easy car to work on and I could have dumped the expensive brake system and shocks with non-turbo parts if need be. Now it’s an unfinished project. But I digress.
I’m sure there are clubs for this car so I would recommend that you hunt one of them down and ask what to expect in repairs, and how much they cost. If you don’t get the turbo and it doesn’t have all wheel drive/steering then you’re down to the transmission and engine.
I guess what I’m wondering is, is the regular standard non-turbo base model of the GT a good, robust daily driver? I’m not planning on modifying this vehicle or racing it or doing anything else that enthusiasts do, just driving it around town and enjoying all the heads that it turns. I certainly don’t plan on driving it hard and abusing it, so if it’s in good shape already, it shouldn’t be falling apart or failing at inopportune times. (As if there’s any such thing as an opportune time for a car to fail.) So it’s not going to be a project or anything.
I’m weighing this GT versus an Integra. I feel like the Integra might be a little bit too small, and not quite comfortable enough. The GT looks more comfortable on the inside and a little roomier. Hopefully I can test drive both.
