My obsession with these cars started way back when I was in grade school. I don’t remember exactly when I saw the first one, but it was the wide stance of these cars made me fall in love with them…especially the rear end.
The 3000GT VR-4 was the car of my dreams. I didn’t want anything else. Back in high school, I used to drive by all the Mitsu dealers around my town to check out the VR-4’s in the showrooms and parking lots…it was a hobby of mine. Anytime I was doing anything, if I laid eyes on a VR-4 parked anywhere I would immediately tell whoever was driving to stop and turn back around and take me to the car..lol
I used go to the libraries and read through the old publications of Road and Track, Car and Driver, Motortrend, Turbo, etc…every article that was published about these cars, I read over and over again. It was always disappointing to me that the VR-4 rarely placed 1st, but it didn’t diminish the love that I had for the car.
The first chance to drive a VR-4 came in my junior year of high school. I had saved up about 9k and found a red 93 VR-4 for sale not too far from where I lived. I took my mom with me and actually test drove the car! Looking back, I don’t know how the owner of that car let me (a high school kid) test drive his VR-4…The car was perfect, I was ready to give him my wad of cash, but for one reason or another, I didn’t get the car. I’m glad I didn’t, otherwise I would’ve been broke for the rest of my life…
My love and obsession with these cars only grew over time. I promised myself that I would probably never own one only because I liked the car too much it would make me broke and make me make stupid decisions. The closest I ever got to these cars was going to a few NG’s and making a video of one.
http://www.streetfire.net/video/3000gtstealth-2006-national-gathering-st-joseph_54395.htm
Fast forward a few years. 2010, I’ve graduated from college, got my degree, Ive been blessed to own and manage run my own repair shop (with my brothers) for about two years now…and thank God things are going pretty well. I’ve got a crotch rocket, a turbo miata and a camry as a daily driver. I’ve been lurking and posting on 3si since 2001…every so often just checking the classifieds, my curiosity getting the most of me.
So one day browsing the classifieds I find a Sorrento Red 95 VR-4 for sale. Mostly stock, sunroof (It was a must for me!! If I was ever going to own one…) and owned by an older gentleman. Relatively low miles and it was fairly priced too….so I told a few friends just for kicks and made nothing of it.
Well the car remained in the classifieds for some time….and each day as it sat, I somehow convinced myself that it wasn’t too expensive and I could just buy it and keep it relatively stock and just enjoy it for what it was. So I called the owner of the car just to get a few details and just ask a few questions….and before I knew it, the 95 VR-4 which called Texas home was coming to Chicago!
Now this is where the fun starts. So the day comes, August 25th, 2010 my VR-4 officially arrives at a trucking port/hub in Illinois, about 30 miles away from my house. It was gonna take the shipping company an additional two days to bring the car from the port to my garage. I couldn’t wait…I called headquarters and told them I was coming to get MY own VR-4(I still couldn’t believe it..!)
So I arrive, show ID, pay them off and grab the keys to my VR-4...and I’m off!! The drive back to the shop was amazing, it was a nice day, sunny and I had the sunroof open and I was just cruising in my very own VR-4! It was unreal, I actually now owned the car of my dreams, the keys that I had in my hands were for my own VR-4…I still couldn’t believe it…!!!
So I arrive at the shop, all my friends are there waiting to congratulate me, I pull into the shop, with a huge grin on my face unable to control myself. I let the car cool down and shut her off and pop the hood to show everyone my new pride and joy…everyone was happy for me…
Now its time for test drives, I gotta show them what 320hp Twin Turbo’s are all about…So I start the car and hear an awful sound, sounded like lifter tick but louder. In the back of my head I was like no way, it can’t be a spun bearing. No way. So I rev the car and it got louder (the knock). Was this for real? Its gotta be the lifters. I recheck the oil level, (I checked it before I left the shipping facility) and oil level is fine…I didn’t want to believe it, but this was the reality. My VR-4 had spun a bearing. I drove it 38.6 miles exactly now my car sat with a spun bearing. The car of my dreams had a spun bearing. This was unreal. I knew it was a problem with these cars but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I was going to be a part of the Spun Bearing Club…well now it was reality and this was it.
And so, that was the beginning of my project…
I’ve owned a few DSM’s…great cars…had a lot of fun with them. Ive also owned two miata’s also very nice and fun little cars…Ive had my fair share of projects so this wasn’t anything new to me, the only difference was this time I didn’t have a choice..
The 3000GT VR-4 was the car of my dreams. I didn’t want anything else. Back in high school, I used to drive by all the Mitsu dealers around my town to check out the VR-4’s in the showrooms and parking lots…it was a hobby of mine. Anytime I was doing anything, if I laid eyes on a VR-4 parked anywhere I would immediately tell whoever was driving to stop and turn back around and take me to the car..lol
I used go to the libraries and read through the old publications of Road and Track, Car and Driver, Motortrend, Turbo, etc…every article that was published about these cars, I read over and over again. It was always disappointing to me that the VR-4 rarely placed 1st, but it didn’t diminish the love that I had for the car.
The first chance to drive a VR-4 came in my junior year of high school. I had saved up about 9k and found a red 93 VR-4 for sale not too far from where I lived. I took my mom with me and actually test drove the car! Looking back, I don’t know how the owner of that car let me (a high school kid) test drive his VR-4…The car was perfect, I was ready to give him my wad of cash, but for one reason or another, I didn’t get the car. I’m glad I didn’t, otherwise I would’ve been broke for the rest of my life…
My love and obsession with these cars only grew over time. I promised myself that I would probably never own one only because I liked the car too much it would make me broke and make me make stupid decisions. The closest I ever got to these cars was going to a few NG’s and making a video of one.
http://www.streetfire.net/video/3000gtstealth-2006-national-gathering-st-joseph_54395.htm
Fast forward a few years. 2010, I’ve graduated from college, got my degree, Ive been blessed to own and manage run my own repair shop (with my brothers) for about two years now…and thank God things are going pretty well. I’ve got a crotch rocket, a turbo miata and a camry as a daily driver. I’ve been lurking and posting on 3si since 2001…every so often just checking the classifieds, my curiosity getting the most of me.
So one day browsing the classifieds I find a Sorrento Red 95 VR-4 for sale. Mostly stock, sunroof (It was a must for me!! If I was ever going to own one…) and owned by an older gentleman. Relatively low miles and it was fairly priced too….so I told a few friends just for kicks and made nothing of it.
Well the car remained in the classifieds for some time….and each day as it sat, I somehow convinced myself that it wasn’t too expensive and I could just buy it and keep it relatively stock and just enjoy it for what it was. So I called the owner of the car just to get a few details and just ask a few questions….and before I knew it, the 95 VR-4 which called Texas home was coming to Chicago!
Now this is where the fun starts. So the day comes, August 25th, 2010 my VR-4 officially arrives at a trucking port/hub in Illinois, about 30 miles away from my house. It was gonna take the shipping company an additional two days to bring the car from the port to my garage. I couldn’t wait…I called headquarters and told them I was coming to get MY own VR-4(I still couldn’t believe it..!)
So I arrive, show ID, pay them off and grab the keys to my VR-4...and I’m off!! The drive back to the shop was amazing, it was a nice day, sunny and I had the sunroof open and I was just cruising in my very own VR-4! It was unreal, I actually now owned the car of my dreams, the keys that I had in my hands were for my own VR-4…I still couldn’t believe it…!!!
So I arrive at the shop, all my friends are there waiting to congratulate me, I pull into the shop, with a huge grin on my face unable to control myself. I let the car cool down and shut her off and pop the hood to show everyone my new pride and joy…everyone was happy for me…
Now its time for test drives, I gotta show them what 320hp Twin Turbo’s are all about…So I start the car and hear an awful sound, sounded like lifter tick but louder. In the back of my head I was like no way, it can’t be a spun bearing. No way. So I rev the car and it got louder (the knock). Was this for real? Its gotta be the lifters. I recheck the oil level, (I checked it before I left the shipping facility) and oil level is fine…I didn’t want to believe it, but this was the reality. My VR-4 had spun a bearing. I drove it 38.6 miles exactly now my car sat with a spun bearing. The car of my dreams had a spun bearing. This was unreal. I knew it was a problem with these cars but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I was going to be a part of the Spun Bearing Club…well now it was reality and this was it.
And so, that was the beginning of my project…
I’ve owned a few DSM’s…great cars…had a lot of fun with them. Ive also owned two miata’s also very nice and fun little cars…Ive had my fair share of projects so this wasn’t anything new to me, the only difference was this time I didn’t have a choice..
but that fucking sucks. All that anticipation to have that kind of bad luck. 
awesome build, and welcome!! Sleeper right now for sure lol
