1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT sl 3.0L N/A DOHC

Summary:

This car is impressive

Faults:

Had to replace the struts when I got it.

Clutch is going out.

Seats are torn badly.

Tie rod ends replaced.

General Comments:

This car, while it is a boat, handles extremely well. The setup feels much like a Ferrari 575... just subtract 300HP and make it FWD.

The cabin isn't exactly roomy, but its perfect for 2 people.

I get a lot of looks in this car.

Engine is exceptionally powerful.

User interface is magnificent.

Many toys inside.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th November, 2006

7th Mar 2007, 17:55

I purchased a 1992 3000GT SL in August 2006. I agree on the clutch problem. I had heard they had clutch problems and electrical problems. I haven't had elec. problems. My clutch problem is undetermined. The clutch reservoir appears to be on the drivers side of the engine compartment rather than on the passenger side as depicted in the owners manual for servicing. I agree on the drive-ability. While driving home, the suspension was taut, sure. I've never thought of the car as a barge. My car's interior is like new except for a slight wear on the left front corner of the driver's seat. Instrumentation is great. Mine has the optional gauge set. Exterior paint is great with minor stone chips and minor chipping on rear of spoiler. My cars color is silver. My car has the electronic suspension damping. Haven't driven a Ferrari, but my car felt as firm as my 1988 Corvette.

1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT vr4 3.0 twin turbo

Summary:

Honda Killer

Faults:

The common lifter tick that's it.

General Comments:

Sleek look, fast as hell, makes you feel like you own the street.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th September, 2006

19th Mar 2008, 00:29

At least Hondas are far more reliable than this. Try dragging a Honda CBR250 and then you'll see that Hondas are better than Mitsubishis.

19th Mar 2008, 23:20

There is NO WAY that a honda is better than a 3000gt.

2nd May 2010, 03:39

In reliable cars to putter around in town with and get gas mileage, Hondas are better.. but for performance marks, it's very hard to beat a twin turbo, all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering car with 300hp and 307 lbs of torque without breaking the bank..

And the engines are made to take a lot more abuse... take a 3000GT VR-4 and boost the psi... then get a catback exhaust and a few other mods (upgraded turbos, intercoolers, K&N filter) and for less than $10k you have a beastly 500+hp AWD, AWS twin turbo that will blow any Honda on the street away... it's so lovely to have so many Honda fans that think their 4 shooter will outrun anything on the road... simple physics guys, just give up..

BTW... I don't drive a Stealth/3000GT, so this comment is totally unbiased. My damage is a '75 Nova SS with a 454 big block, dual 4 barrels pushing bout 725hp. Talk about cheap speed... Running low 8's at drag strip for less than 12k. >=O next step, lighten the load with carbon fiber everything.. bring a little old, and a little new.

Happy racing! =)

1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT SL 3.0L DOHC

Summary:

Solid, sexy, and very reliable

General Comments:

I have a 92 3000GT SL, which I love. I have been driving it for ten years and would love to drive it ten more. The car has 194,000 miles and is still tight and runs superb. It's been up and down the East Coast and Midwest, from Milwaukee to D.C. to Miami and many points in between. Regardless of where I take it, I still get compliments.

I have put some money into it, but nothing really extraordinary considering its age, number of miles, and the amount of reliable performance it's provided over the last decade. There have been a couple of anomalies, though, which I'd like to share with you.

First, I am in the military and twice the car has sat for months at a time with minimal use. When I came back from my last eight-month deployment, I replaced the belts, hoses and CV joints just to be on the safe side.

The car began doing something strange, however. Occasionally when I would shut the engine off, a metallic rattle would continue under the hood that sounded like a small air compressor. This would go on and drain the battery. So I traced the sound to the gizmo making the noise and disconnected it. That stopped the noise and eliminated the need to disconnect the battery, but cost me my anti-lock brakes. So the orange ANTI LOCK light now stays on and I have normal brakes, which still work extremely well.

Occasionally the suspension would get stuck in SPORT mode and the SPORT/TOUR light would flash. Then it would inexplicably go away and return to TOUR like nothing happened.

The transmission switch for POWER/ECON once got stuck in the POWER mode. So I ordered the part and had a friend fix it. The part was only around $50, but my friend said it was a difficult task.

I lucked out on the main computer replacement. It started having problems with driveability so I took it in. The shop told me what I needed amounted to a major, major tune-up which they did for about $900. Note: the back spark plugs are buried under the intake and fuel injection system and are difficult to get to, so make sure you use high quality plugs.

Anyway, this helped, but failed to solve the problem. They told me it needed a new main computer that would cost $1000 just for the part. I was a bit miffed about the incorrect diagnosis and don't like making other people's boat payments, so the shop finally did it for free. This happened at around 180,000 miles.

At about 165,000 miles I had the transmission rebuilt for around $2000. If you ever have this done, I recommend you replace the mounts as well. I wish I would have, but the shop didn't suggest it at the time. The transmission gave me plenty of fair warning, so I was able to shop around for the right facility to do the work. Furthermore, I had expected the transmission to go much sooner because I used the car to tow my two jet skis, and frankly, I thought it would cost considerably more than it did.

I had the engine rebuilt at around 150,000 miles. It ran fine, but would blow smoke out the exhaust, especially after idling for a long time. The rebuild cost around $3500 with a really solid warranty package. It's now stronger than ever.

Other failure modes included the A/C compressor (around $800), the power antenna ($150), the drivers' side power window motor ($250) and the blower motor for the heater/AC ($300). And that's really about it. The rest was just oil changes, a new radiator to protect my investment in the engine, and one headlight bulb. The vents on the dashboard where it meets the windshield have cracked, but I'm told it's not worth fixing because they all do that.

I find the car pretty easy to drive and I feel safe in it. The handling is precise, the brakes strong, and it's quick and nimble enough to dodge road hazards and bad drivers. I also like the fact that it sits relatively high and is rather large, heavy and quiet. It performs well on the highway and is comfortable on long trips for two adults and their luggage. The back seats are OK for kids, and they fold down to accommodate large objects. There's actually a lot of room in the rear with the seats down. Speaking of kids, when I have two kids in back the car seems to handle better and ride smoother. The additional weight low and just aft of center mast seems to balance it out.

Like many other cars, I'd imagine the 5-speed probably outperforms my automatic. But living in the city, I'm OK with that. The transmission could be smoother, and if you really get on it, it can shift rather rough. The front-wheel drive gives you plenty of "torque steer" which you can feel in the steering wheel. I would like rear wheel drive, but I will say this -- the car maintains solid traction under poor conditions. In heavy rain, the front wheel drive lets you know when traction is reduced (read: hydroplane).

Historically, I've had some pretty aggressive performance tires on it, but after a blowout on the 4th of July far from home forced me to get a tire from Wal Mart, I switched over to the type of Goodyear Eagles that they exclusively carry. The handling is now less taut, but they are quieter, smoother, and better in the rain than previous sets.

I have made minor modifications which I'm quite happy with. I bought a stereo from a VR-4 model on ebay and installed it. It's got the fancy graphics that match the climate control display. It was difficult to see in the daytime, until I got the windows tinted. THAT made a huge difference, and kept the car about ten degrees cooler inside. Anyway, it looks spectacular and sounds good too.

I was hit in the back, but the trailer hitch (which is just the empty square socket with the draw bar removed) is welded to the sub frame, so my car was barely damaged. The other guy's car took it hard. So I took this opportunity to paint the entire bumper red, and got rid of that tacky looking black oval around the license plate. I think they originally did that in an effort to make the car look more like the Italian exotics it seems to imitate.

After this set of tires, I plan to upgrade to a set of 17" VR4 rims, possibly chrome. By then it will have well over 200,000 miles, and be closer to the day when it is finally confiscated by my teenage daughter.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th May, 2006

13th May 2008, 10:17

I Had the same Problem with my 93 3000gt on the ABS running all the time with the key off. i fixed it by taking the right front wheel fender cover off and on top of the ABS pump making all the noise is a box with 2 relays. under the cover, note you can only get to the box by taking off the right front fender wheel cover. but anyhow 1 of the 2 relays had popped out. I popped it back in and my ABS pump shut off with key off, and ran perfect while running car. just thought this might help you chris.