RELICLIPSE: Fast and furious no more

October 13, 2010 12:54 am Published by

Look at what I found last week. This remarkably intact spocom-style Mitsubishi Eclipse has found a slightly wretched end amongst the weeds in an open field.

Without wanting to look too suspicious, I quickly did a u-turn and pulled over to take a closer look at it. The mods it seems to have would have made it one of the coolest cars to own…ten years ago. Among other things, it has a big stereo install, wide bodykit, pearl white paint, red interior and some very period-correct Racing Hart CX wheels.

So, will people be building these cars in thirty years or so in the same way that classic Japanese cars have become popular in western tuning circles recently? Hold on to those Momo seatbelt pads, knock-off Veilside bumpers and high-offset 18×7 Zepter Ligare wheels, as they might be worth money some day!

…or not.

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This post was written by Alexi

41 Comments

  • MaydayDavidD says:

    I’m guessing not!

  • Mun says:

    in my country, a car left like that will be stripped in no time…

  • Charlie says:

    Its an incredible machine….

  • Benson says:

    I would like to set that car on fire!

  • GenJi says:

    “relicipse” ? oO

    .. why the hell did they put it out on an open field ? . .

    Mun > i could say the same

  • Luka says:

    That would look cool with stock body kit. Wheels are pretty nice and so do the seats.

  • crinale says:

    i still think those racing hart cr’s are cool

  • Henry says:

    ROFL! I almost forgot how terrible those can look! Seems like a good place for it! Haha!

  • Will says:

    +1 to Mun’s comment, though i would change “my country” to “my county”.

    Love the rearview mirrors, too. Are we sure this isn’t some kind of art project or some ****? I mean, who is mowing around this thing rather than just towing it away?

  • Dale says:

    I’m very surprised that if that car has been there for any amount of time that it hasn’t been stripped,here in the UK loads of bits would have been robbed !

  • BlueSlug says:

    oh god i hope you’re wrong hahaha.. look at the mirrors on that thing.. so hideous

  • Nigel says:

    Usually here in Canada if a car like this was seen on the street, you would notice mechanical problems (ie – coolant filled smoke). Or it had a spare on one corner that had been there a while…

  • drift kid says:

    im just amazed that it was dumped there :S like not under a bridge or in a river or anything, just in the middle of an open paddock, thats soo strang :S i wonder why it was abandoned, it doesnt look too bad, but the rear bumper is grose. are these fwd or what? we never got them here in Australia..

  • James says:

    Interesting find…

    Where I’m from a car left sitting there that long would at the very least have a missing sound system by then.

  • Mark Pakula says:

    The craft square mirrors would be worth more than the rest of the car.

  • Komeko says:

    You may or may not realize, but that is not a Japanese car. Those were all built in Illinois, USA, in a Mitsubishi owned plant. I do not believe they were ever available in RHD and it appears that they were never officially exported to Japan. Somebody apparently spent as much to get that car into Japan as the rest of us spent to get some of the Japan only cars to wherever we live. Chances are it is looked upon in Japan about like a R32-34 GTR is in the US.
    Based on the comments from friends involved with Mitsubishi Eclipses, the current scene in the US is pretty much dead. As popular as they were as the anti-Civic, the Mitsubishi specialist parts makers moved on to Lancers and the Eclipses are not new school any more.

  • Killua says:

    Japan is such a weird place, I don’t know where else this car couldn’t have been vandalized.

    Since I like the Eclipse’s (stock) design, I think someone should take one of these and swap the whole drivetrain from a Lancer Evo. That could make it a fun ride!

  • tim says:

    lets not forget how good these things were…very under-rated IMO.
    with work…very nice.

    It hasnt been there long Alexi, those weeds are what 2 months high?, get yourself a trailer…and get it on a shit to me right now!! before the rust sets in!!!

    DOOOEEEETTT!!

  • khev vitug says:

    i feel sad for the car 🙁
    it looks it could kick ass though 🙂

  • Frisco says:

    period-correct Racing Hart CX wheels. Has it been that long?

  • azn069 says:

    Where in japan was this? I’m really curious now! Could you do a spotlight on it? hehe.

  • Joey says:

    That body style is American.. Someone actually spent all that time and money importing it into Japan. Did the work on it, to let it sit in the field. It’s probably someone who wanted the car to look like the FnF.

    Had it for a while and moved on.

    I’d wrap a pillow around a bat, and claim stuff. I mean it’s abandoned! LOL JK

  • jessejames says:

    the eclipse was basically a mini EVO. turbo 2.0 AWD, though they apparently understeer a little more than evos.
    and yeah, they WERE great about 8 years ago. the Fast and the Furious wrecked this car(amongst many things in our culture! haha)

  • spirit ドリフト says:

    I wonder when that person just went “Right! Thats it!” and just parked it and walked away! HAHA really makes you think!

  • tom says:

    nice parking…

  • pete says:

    waste of a half decent car, if the bumpers and skirts wrre more subtle itd be nice.
    and i agree, in britain that would be a bare shell within 72hours.
    hell, email me the location and ill catch a plane over and do it myself

  • SAKONE says:

    So somebody bothered to buy a wrong-side driver and “kit-it” out and then dump it. It’s doing the same thing mine is in my backyard, collecting dirt.

    BTW- I’ll buy those tail lights.

  • Wreckerupe says:

    I’m drivin an Almera right now, so i’d give my right testicle for this car !!!

  • Komeko says:

    Ten years ago, someone probably had the money to import that car to enjoy. Heck, three years ago most of us had the money to do something seemingly silly like that. Today, no one has any money.
    Chances are that Eclipse needs some inexpensive little part to be put back into working order, but being on the opposite side of the world from any spare parts, with $43.45 flat rate US Mail shipping (the cheapest), and in a world where no one has beer money, gas money, or even rent… Well, in the spirit of the “for want of a nail” proverb: for want of a part costing a couple dollars, a whole car was lost.

  • brian says:

    maybe its just the photo but on the last picture it looks like there might be some damage on the drivers side cause of the way the bonnet flows down towards the bumper? maybe it was stolen and had a bit of biffo and they just left it there.. owner gets insurance payout and doesnt care about getting the car back.. The rims looks great on it though 🙂

  • raxe says:

    It’s most like a stolen car ditched by joy riders who tried driving it through a field and gave up. Most cars like this are.

  • Paul says:

    As said earlier, all Talons Eclipses and Lasers (DSMs) were made in Normal IL and were exported in LHD only. Mitsubishi models in US were available in GS (420A Chrysler powerplant) non turbo, GST (4G63T FWD), and GSX (4G63T AWD). European models exported were available with a base powerplant of the 4G63 non turbo, versus the Chrylser powerplant similar to that in the Dodge Neon. They also had amber side markers in the fenders, amber corners in the tail lights (as pictured), folding side mirors among other minor differences.

    There are clean and fast examples of these cars out there, but both time and young people doing terrible modifications have taken their toll on all year models of those great cars. I myself am a proud owner of a 1990 Eagle Talon TSi AWD, and look for the day when it’s looked upon the same way an old school Z car or 510 is.

  • 7shades says:

    He must have blown the welds on his intake.

  • ill take those craft square mirrors

  • EVO&Eclipse Owner says:

    I would take that car if they are just gonna live it there , I dont care if its ricy , as long as it goes fast ……….i ll make it fast anyways and live it all ricy like that hehe………….hope it has a 4g63t in it :-]

  • Nick says:

    Poor car.. Funny seeing comments from people hating, when they were into this “look” when it was hot.. Interested in why this car sits/was left like this.

  • Randal says:

    As an ex-eclipse owner, I will say this its worth the time if you have the time to give as well as the money. IMO that one may be worth it, its a euro model (can tell from the tails) so its not going to have a 420A, but it may be a nt 4G63. oh and paul you forgot the spyder GS had a 4G64 in it.

  • Kimmo "Xan" says:

    In finland that car would still be worth a lot of money!

  • Neil says:

    Can i come over and steal it?