Posts Tagged ‘hot hatch’

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Eighties Hot Hatch – 1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo

October 22, 2014

So if you’re bought into the idea of a 1980s hatch, but you’re not a hipster looking to make a statement with a diesel Escort, nor do you want a boring mainstream GTI or Civic Si, and you’re not crazy enough to try importing an Alfasud ti. Well, how about a Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo? It’s less complex than a Mazda 323 GTX, and less tinny than a Chevy Sprint Turbo, but you still get that wacky 1980s turbo kick-in-the-pants, perfect for serious wheelspin on those wet Pacific Northwest days. Check out this 1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo for sale for $3500 in Hazel Dell, WA.

1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo right rear

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Not a GTI – 1989 Plymouth Colt GT Turbo

March 7, 2014

Before many manufacturers happened on the clever idea of throwing a turbo on their hot hatch engines, Mitsubishi (and by extension, Dodge/Plymouth) were doing it. Starting in 1984, they put the 4G32T turbo four in the fourth generation Colt GT (with the famous twin stick transmission), and by 1989, the sixth generation Colt GT received the 135hp 4G61T. With the turbo lag of the day, this must have been really fun, and this version of Colt GT has become something of a cult favorite with tuners, who modify the factory engine or slip in a 4G63T engine from the DSM Eclipse/Talon/Laser. Unfortunately, the combination of tuning and the cars’ cheap-speed mean that many have been lost to attrition, and the remainder are hard to find for sale. You can find this 1989 Plymouth Colt GT Turbo for sale for C$3200 in Mission, BC.

1989 Plymouth Colt GT right side

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Goes Like Hell – 1986 Dodge Omni GLH

February 12, 2014

Based on a European Simca design, with substantial modification for the European market, sales of the Plymouth Horizon/Dodge Omni were credited with saving Chrysler’s bacon back in the 1970s, convincing the government to put together a rescue package. They beat Ford’s Escort to market, and were right on the heels of GM’s (rear-wheel-drive) Chevette/T1000. In spite of Chrysler having borrowed quite heavily from the Mark 1 Golf, VW agreed to supply Chrysler with its 1.7-liter engine, and for many years this VW and a Peugeot/Talbot 1.6 were the base engines, depending on year. However, America being America, we needed more power, and so Chrysler started fitting their 2.2, and then (more power! more!) they added a turbo. With 146hp, it blew the segment-leading GTI out of the water, at least in terms of acceleration. You can find this 1986 Dodge Omni GLH for sale for $3500 in Deer Valley, AZ.

1986 Dodge Omni GLH

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