[Thor RagingThunder]

Well as opposed to simply showing my current vehicle, I have decided to chronicle the path it took me to get here today. I figure it is a somewhat interesting voyage so here goes……..

I started playing w/ turbocharged cars while I was still active duty Air Force so as you can imagine, my budget was strictly limited. As a kid, I always drooled over my girlfriend’s dad’s 88 red Mitsubishi Starion. He drove the snot out of that car and eventually put it in a ditch. Funny thing, was that he always refused to sell it to me because he thought I’d put it in a ditch. Well I was soon to be returning from Ramstein, Germany when my now Father-in-Law called to let me know he had a Fiji Blue Chrysler Conquest waiting for me, but I was in for some work before I could drive it. Upon my return home, to the St.Louis area, my wife’s pop took me to see my welcome home gift. There she sat, windows halfway down, front end rotting away, flat tires, window tint gone purple….. I couldn’t of been happier. We towed the car home and placed it in my garage where I would, for the next year, spend countless hours trying to fix the destroyed core support area. Eventually I became frustrated and enlisted the help of our local body man. Within days he had my car back to me w/ a new core support installed. Next on the list….. Get the motor running. Now this would normally be no big deal, well this one was different. See, I had never worked on a turbo’d car up to this point, and had only two websites to use as reference, www.starquestclub.com and www.tristarion.com . I would soon acquire the shop manuals and quickly become familiar w/ my new surroundings. Once the beast was together, for the most part, we topped off the fluids and prayed to the gods of timing, oil and fuel that this thing was going to run at all. I excitedly entered the cabin, still smelling of that all too familiar smell of Conquest/Starion leather, inserted the key into my would be starship’s ignition and w/ one turn of that key……. She purred like a kitten. Now she looked more like a kitten that had been beaten, then spray painted to hide the bruises, but she ran nonetheless. I drove this car every day, modified it until I knew I had topped her out due to the 2 injector fuel setup, and grew tired of wrenching every night so I could drive her the next day. She became a weekend toy of sorts for a while, as I could not let her go. You see, this car brought me more joy, and friendships than any other car to date. She was… well, she was my first. UltimateLurker, amongst others, was one of many good friends that I met because of that car. I was attached to her like you wouldn’t believe. She would eventually get the best of me, and my small budget. I sold her to a young man here in St.Louis that has yet to get the car to pass his local emissions. I regret selling that car to this day, but if I hadn’t done that, I would have never moved on to bigger and better things….. Here’s a shot of the ol’ girl and her powerplant when I was finished. Not very pretty, but like a fat girl, she was loyal and gave great… well you know what I mean.

1988 Chrysler Conquest a.k.a. Mitsubishi Starion


2.6 Turbo 4, RWD Goodness


Now what car is turbocharged, safe, and very practical? Which car is all wheel drive and is somewhat gas efficient? What car can a young NCO in the military have great fun w/ all year round and not have to wrench every day, yet has great potential? Imagine a car that’s fast as you’d need, has room for snowboards inside and bikes on top? Enter the WRX Wagon. My wife had been driving an 02 Acura RSX type-S for a little less than a year when I took the car out one day and ended up at one of the local Subaru dealers. I had looked at a sonic yellow 02 sedan prior to purchasing the RSX, but was treated very poorly by another dealer. I pretty much said screw SOA. Acura treated us like gold, while Subaru wouldn’t look at me. Anyway, I decided to give them another chance, at another dealer. I knew my wife didn’t care too much for the sedans, as she swore they looked like an old Dodge Shadow. I found the car I thought would be right and drove her home that night. I was thrilled w/ my purchase. It was a bit more than I should have forked out, still being enlisted and all, but who cared. I just got us a nice new 2004 PSM WRX Wagon. Now this WAS still my wife’s car, technically. I was driving a beater to work, trying my best be be content, but every damn chance I had, I was taking that car. Eventually we bought a replacement “beater,” but this time it was a bit nicer. A 2000 VW Jetta. This was a car that my wife had loved for years. HMMMMM yes, it was sneaky, tricky, whatever you want to call it. But guess what…. She bit!!!! She took the VW and I was in firm control of the WRX. Oh man, this could get bad. OK, I’m a very compulsive person anyway, but this was an opportunity to make something great. Mind you I was still a poor enlisted guy, and had a WRX. This was a car I drooled over for years, catching WRC races on tv here and there whenever I was lucky enough. I knew we’d never get it so, I was elated once I was proven wrong. Anyway, the next year or so was pretty busy. I basically installed enough goods to keep up w/ the now available STI. We made many trips in that car, played in the snow, mud, and rain, filled her up w/ groceries and lumber on many a night. We even brought our daughter home in that car. I was in love w/ that car. How couldn’t I be? VF35 turbo, UTEC, etc… it was a great daily driver all around. Well by this time my wife had understandably grew tired of the 2.0 Jetta. It sure did look nice, but man what a dog. I decided to see how I could use this to my advantage. I looked at some used STI’s, but figured we already had the WRX and it was as fast as the STI, plus it had more utility. Hmmm, lots of research later I had a plan! My wife would get the WRX back. She had a great fondness for it in its new, more confident state. The jetta would get put on the chopping block.

2004 WRX after I was finished

[Thor RagingThunder]

Now were does that put me for transportation? Well, I just happened to find a used 03 EVO in South Carolina on the EvoM forum. Turns out this kid had parents w/ way too much money and no sense at all. Spring break was coming up and he wanted a new sport bike and truck to put it in. Needless to say, he was wanting to unload FAST! Having not yet sold the VW, I was in a sticky spot. I was getting out of the Air Force soon, but not soon enough. Could I afford 3 car paymets? I didn’t care. This was too good of a deal. It ended up playing out perfectly. We madd the drive out East in the WRX and met the kid. The car had an HKS exhaust, TEIN Flex coilovers, HKS intake etc…. and 20K something miles. Yes, it was high for a car less than a year old, but who the hell cares for $23K!!!!!!!! Yep, I stole that car. He said it hadn’t ran right since he installed an HKS blow off vavle, but I was unable to find the problem so I drove it home in “limp” mode. I mean it man, we were in the Smokey Mountains doing 40 up these huge hills because the car was sputtering and jerking under anything but very partial throttle. Once home I found a slit in the hose under the bov. No biggy, just the worst trip EVER!!! I couldn’t be mad though. It was a steal, and well worth the hassle. Now what? We had three cars, one income (tiny at that) and my wife was soon to finish her Dental Hygiene school. Well I was separating from the Air Force and had landed a well paying job as a Computer Engineer on the same Air Force base I had served on. My wife would soon graduate and earn a nice living as well. Now we don’t have any kids, I have a WRX that has been worked to my ideal state, and an EVO I got for a steal and the VW has just sold. What would you do? I WENT NUTS!!!!!!

This car was quickly transformed into one of the first 500+ street EVOs in the country. W/ the help of Axis Power Racing, AMS of Chicago and Joel from Rush Hour Performance, this EVO would soon take possession of my soul. I became consumed by this car. I went through countless parts, from numerous manufacturers and vendors before I got it right. Once I got it right….. Wow, just plain wow. This car was making 500whp on 93 pump gas w/ no nitrous or meth injection. All boost baby! I was driving this rocket ship to work every day. I was eating up Cobras, Vettes, and yes even the occasional crotch rocket. No BS here people. I had replaced the speedo cluster w/ a jdm Ralliart piece that maxed out at 300 km. Well I’m here to tell you that I outran some bikes on a local highway one evening. When I looked in my rearview mirror and couldn’t see them anymore I glanced at my speedo. 300 KM was indicated on the gauge. Now mind you this was no stock EVO. I’ll spout off just a few of the highlights…… AMS GT35R w/ tubular header, JUN titanium head internals w/ a 9.5K redline (suggested), AMS 1000 cc injectors….. You get the idea. This car had grew to be one of the fastest daily driven monster in the area, and everybody knew it. I couldn’t get a race for money to save my life. As all Mitsubishis do, this one developed problem after problem. Remember now, I was driving this car to work every day. Of course things were going to break. I was very ignorant to this fact….. more power equals more wrench time. I was getting everyting from broken dip-stick guides, and busted a/c compressor pullies to symptoms of crankwalk. I had a choice here… re-build the motor and sink thousands more or cut my losses and fix what was wrong now, and sell it. I chose the latter. The car was running top notch, w/ no crazy issues so I put her on EBay for close to $40K. Wouldn’t ya know it…. I sold her. The guy came in from LA to drive it back. He wanted a weekend race car and occasional street racer. That’s what he got. I hear he’s putting down over 700 at the wheels now, but have never seen or heard from him again. I miss that car but it taught me soooooo much about cars and life as well. You have to know your limits. You cannot take other peoples suggestions to heart, but you have to listen to every one and make up your own mind. That car had it’s hooks in me. I had become so obsessed w/ power that I sacrificed too much time and money that I’ll never get back. Anyway, sure was fun!!!!

A show i did (& won for some reason) oh, the vinyl was for show only)


Days before I sold her


Yes, the Money Shot!


Recovered in Sparco Red, w/ Recaro tags. (Recaro red is known to fade really quick)




Ron from Axis Power Racing, here in town. One of 260 dyno pulls on that SOB!


The wife, on the morning of the sale


Myself, on the morning of the sale

[Thor RagingThunder]

Once the EVO was gone, I had said I was done w/ modifying cars for a LONG time….. well what do you thnk happened? I went through a couple more Starions, an old 240 couped, etc….. but I eventually stumbled upon another “great deal.” I found a guy w/in a few hours of me that was in need of unloading a Phoenix Yellow ITR w/ 70K on the clock for 14K. Most were going upwards of 18-20KNow I had my share of Hondas as a very young kid, but never had the chance to own the coveted ITR. It wasn’t Championship White, but it was a real Type-R. Most will laugh at this, but man that car was incredible. It wasn’t the 500hp monster the EVO was, but it was dependable, got ok mileage and it handled like a damn maniac. I couldn’t believe it was fwd!!! Anyway, the car was absolutely bones stock. Not one wrench had been turned that didn’t need it. I would go on to have my friends at StL. Acura do a nice overhaul of anything that might go bad. I was in it for the long haul here. Right. New belts, water pump, injectors, brakes , etc…. It was cherry. I mean mint, cherry!!!! I drove the car for a while, and enjoyed every minute of it, but I was longing for some of the power I had before. I didn’t need 500 or anything nuts, but I was getting envious of my wife’s WRX wagon.

2000 ITR, Bone stock. Best fwd I've ever been in

[Thor RagingThunder]

Dude, I had to get an STI! I flipped the ITR for a cool 17K and found a used Aspen White 04 STI w/ bronze wheels. AKA, my dream car. The car had 30K miles, high, but not too bad. I can live w/ high miles on a clean car. Again, the car had exhaust, APS FMIC and some TEIN springs, but nothing more. I picked her up for 23.5K in Oregon. I had her shipped in and man, when they pulled her from the truck I about peed myself. She was beautiful, sans the “BAR” emblem on the back. (wtf was he thinking? It was a partial de-badge gone bad!) After a good once over, I got in to drive her back to work. Well, well, well what’s this? A blown tranny! 3-5’th gear synchros were shot. HOW THE HELL DO YOU BLOW 3RD-5TH SYNCHRONIZERS? WTF had I done!!! Needless to say, the guy would never speak w/ me. Bastard Prick. Anyway, it was my problem now. I took her to my newly acquired friends at Lou Fusz Subaru (awesome dealer) w/ my dilemma. The SOA rep looked over the car and could only offer that they cover half of the repairs. I was HOT, but I could not be mad at him. Hell, the car was “modified” and bought out of state. My bad. I went ahead w/ the repairs and ended up forking out 1.5K of my own money. At this point I’m pissed. I trade out the APS fmic w/ a stocker, get a UTEC tune, and sold it. Don’t get me wrong, that car was now in tip top form, but the whole thing drove me nuts. Here I had my true dream car and hated it. Well the guy that bought it had one hell of a car to say the least.

2004 WRX STI, I loved her, but she caused me way too much pain

[Thor RagingThunder]

Now what to do? Not a used modified car, that’s for damn sure! We now have a baby girl on the way… own an old Victorian home that needs LOTS of work… That’s it, I’m buying a new 05 Toyota Tacoma! Double Cab, Long Bed TRD Sport to be exact. This thing was awesome. Not too fast, but very useful. No mods here, just Sirius and iPod connections and I was good. The wife loved it and I had no worries. Hell I thought it was so nice to have an unmodified car w/ no worries…. We sold the WRX Wagon! Yep, we sold her in favor of a nice dependable, economical 06 Civic Sedan w/ Nav. I had hit a point in my life, w/ new daughter on the way, where I wanted nothing excessive and everything practical. All for my family.

Nora & I. The reason I freaked & sold the farm


The Taco

[Thor RagingThunder]

Well that lasted lasted a long time. Ha. I drove my truck for about 8 months before realizing that I had made a mistake. Not only had I sold all of my beloved Subarus, but my big, bad new truck wasn’t even 4wd. What the hell would I do come winter? No parking lot Olympics. No laughing at the big lifted trucks in the ditches… I needed another damn Subaru, and I needed it now. I wanted an STI but was unable to find a leftover 05 anywhere even remotely close to me. I was done traveling for cars as well. Hmmm, what to do? We always liked the Forester XT. I went to drive a black FXT and a silver FXT Limited. After driving both, I settled on the black FXT due to the lack of leather. Those seats sucked! Well we get back to the dealership in the Silver Limited and there is someone singing papers on the black FXT. My FXT!!! Ergh! No biggy, I’ll get another. Wrongo Pip! Remember? The 05’s are all but gone. Wait, they are all gone! I searched dealer after dealer for a leftover 05 in any color. No can do, I was told time after time, just as w/ the STI. I returned home to sulk in my Guinness. I called my good friend UltimateLurker for some good ol’ venting. He told me I was dumb, and should just get the car I always wanted, a new STI. But that new front end? The steep price tag! What to do, what to do? Well I called the dealer that next day and they said they had a SGM STI waiting for me. AWESOME! A new color to boot!!! I arrive the next day to see a new 2006 SGM STI sitting there, my new STI! Wait, that’s not SGM, it’s CGM! Now I’m PISSED!!! My buddy thought I said CGM. Hell, there wasn’t even a SGM in our entire region!!! OK, calm down. Go outside and compare a SGM WRX to the CGM STI. Wait, that SGM looks like it has green in it? YUK! I was heartbroken to say the least. I was really thinking they got it right from what I’d seen online. I asked the sales manager to verify. Yep, it’s called “smoke” he said. “Looks green doesn’t it,” he said. WOW, I might get my car today after all. I look over the CGM STI to see what options are crammed on it. To my surprise, the only add-ons were the sub/amp and compass rearview mirror, both of which I didn’t mind paying extra for. After all of these mix-ups my friend, the sales manager was to leave the store the following day. This deal was to be his last. He hooked me up lovely. I now drive my STI every day and don’t regret it one bit. I have replaced the stock rollers w/ UL’s Work Emotions, the back-box w/ my beloved Hayward & Scott Afterburner Vortex that has been on all of my Subaru cars, and also replaced the OEM stereo w/ the new Alpine IVA-W200 DVD/iPod/Nav double-din head unit. Oh, I had the USDM Genome, but that whistle drove me up a wall. I prefer the classic boxer rumble, thanks. I have plans that consist of a few small modifications, but nothing that will make me hate the car. Like my wife, I have found my soul mate in this car. It provides me w/ confidence and joy at every turn of the ignition. Sure, I could dump thousands of dollars into it and make it crazy fast, but then I may hurt her feelings when I’m kicking her on the side of the highway one night, for breaking. I’ll let her grow w/ me and my family. She’s my other baby. The one that grips at the pavement and screams though every corner possible, while singing the sweet flat four rumble that, to this very day, makes the hair on my neck stand up. I love this car, and all the people that it allows me to meet every day. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine. See you soon.

2006 CGM WRX STI, My other baby






The new shoes, Work Emotions 18x8.5

[MSUSTI23]

Wow that is a nice write up. You have had alot of sweet cars.

[EROCK11]

Wow, great read. I see a lot of myself in your story (my g/f is fighting with my car over the "ring" money!) but minus your little bundle of joy!

[nandanrp]

Wow you owned the Evo ages ago

Nice story!

[fourseasonsandles]

Nice, I like the story.. I had a friend that always wanted a Chrysler Conquest a.k.a. Mitsubishi Starion. He used to call it the poor mans Porsche. This was before I knew about cars or was even interested in them. It is always cool to see someone elses background in autos. I wish I had started earlier so I would have more knowledge about engines etc, but It is good to find help on sites like these with enthusiasts like yourself for help!

oh... and hot evo!

edited because I cant spell on a Friday!!

[UltimateLurker]

Wow is right, man, that's a journal!!!

[BluePearl04]

Wow nice journal. Great read.

[speedsnice]

Interesting, Nice 06

[Parker]

damn, you've gone through your fair share of great cars! I've only owned 2 others besides my STi: 91 Nissan p/u and an 00 Civic Si.

great write up too!

[Thor RagingThunder]

Originally Posted by EROCK11

Wow, great read. I see a lot of myself in your story (my g/f is fighting with my car over the "ring" money!) but minus your little bundle of joy!

dude, if you're fighiting over it now.... just think?