It Lives!!!

Got the Mirage fired up and running.  Drove it to the car wash and got her shined up, and dropped her off at the shop in order to have some finishing touches done this week.  Here are a few new pics as of today, enjoy!

Here We Come!!!

As of today the car is almost completed.  I was able to put on some finishing touches under the hood, and fire her up for the first time since June 2011.  She runs, and boy does she run good.  When the car was dropped off, it had a huge stumble off the line (amongst other large downfalls) due to issues caused by Justin Merrill at Merrill Performance in San Diego, CA. , now she seems to get a small amount of wheelspin leaving the line even at partial throttle.  Not all is well though, as the alignment is way off and the car tracks horribly due to that and tire wear, but will be corrected this week by the time Eric comes to get the car.  Tomorrow we (Zeke and I) will wrap up a few more things by taking her out for a good wash and wax, and hopefully drop her at the shop so the exhaust can get repaired this week prior to Eric's arrival.  Pictures to come once she is all cleaned up and ready to rock.



FLESH 

Eric's Mirage is Nearing Completion

This past weekend we kicked things up a notch in order to ensure Eric's Mirage being completed by the ever nearing deadline, February 3, 2012.  Zeke, Leif and I all crammed into the tiny work space in order to get many things installed and repaired all at once.  Leif got both front axles installed, Zeke figued out the fuel system, and I wrapped up the last of the wiring dilemma.  Runnability, here we come.  The goal is to have the Mirage fired up this Saturday, in-order to have plenty of time to work out the bugs before Eric arrives on the third.  Can we make it?  Hell yes!!!

Leif Pinned Trying to Install The Drivers Axle (FUNFUN)

 Zeke Smiling As Always

 Cramped Work Environment

My Beautiful Wiring Job 

 As She Sits Currently

Travis' Mirage - BBYEVO

Here are a few recent pictures of my '99 Mirage DE Sedan

The Mirage has a 2001 4G93 engine swap as well as a 2000 model year F5M21 manual transmisson.

Eric's Mirage Update

     Here is a minor update on Eric's Mirage.  As there is a ton of work yet to go, things are just getting started.  First are some pictures of where she began, and some of the wiring damage done to her by merrill performance.


Dyno Graph

Some of the Wiring Damage

Massive Air leak at the Intake Manifold (Black Soot is Where it was Leaking From No Gasket)

    Now, these are just a very few of the items that were done with a lack of care or concern when performed by merrill performance (supposedly a performance shop, but I don't believe it carries a legal license to operate).  I also had a shady intake installed, an oversixed throttle body too large for the manifold (mani. was not properly bored), and the coilovers were installed wrong just to name a few.

     Now, the rebuild process.  The first and largest task is the wiring.  In an attempt to perform a "wire-tuck" the harness was all but ruined.  I have rewired the majority of the harness so far, and have approximately another 10-12 hours of wiring to go.  I am yet to repair the fuel injector wiring as well as the feeds to the coil packs, which both of those will be done by this weekend.  Then the next will be re-mounting the fuse box back to it's oe location.  As far as additional wiring goes, the only needed item is wiring in the AFR (narrow band ) gauge.  Here are a few pictures of the updated wiring as of this past weekend.

More to come as it's a fast work in progress.

Leroy's Mirage Kicks Into High Gear

Great news, just got word before Christmas that Eric will be back from deployment five months early.  What does this mean?  His project car kicks into high gear.  I have major things to get done in just a fw short weeks before he arrives in late January to pick up his Mirage.  The work will include replacing engine gaskets, bolting on the modified intake manifold, installing the 60mm throttle body, performing a tune up, installing the EGR block off plate, adding a PCV system, re-wiring the engine bay (to de-merrill the car), and also performing basic vehicle maintenance such as a LOF and alignment.  The final step will be to get her back to the dyno once up and running to hopefully break the century mark this time around.  The last time the car dynoed at 79whp due to some major issues from poor quality parts and workmanship over at merrill performance in california. 

To start off, a little background information on myself and the site.  I am an established ASE Master Automotive Technician, with my start in the industry (offficially) dating back to 1999.  I have worked for several import makes including Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.  I currenty work for an independant NAPA repair facility in Colorado Springs, CO.  I am starting this bog with the name FLP Garage Works after myself and my best friend and partner in Mirage crime(no real crimes, just humor).  I would like to make some of my time useful and share my technicall knowledge helping others along their import performance endeavors, especially when dealing with the Mirage.

As mentioned above this site will contain loads of info on the 5th generation Mitsubishi Mirage (1997-2002).  The Mirage is the US version of of the Lancer found throughout the rest of the world.  Being the time frame and the competiition (Hoda Civic) during the late 1990's, the Mirage never really took off as a performance platform.  Compared to the Honda, it seemed a loss due to lack of aftermarket support. 

I have had my Mirage since the year 2000 (was my wife's back then), and over the years, I have learned much about the platform and how to properly modify it to its maximum potential.  I will post many pictures of the two Mirages here at my house, and along with that some of the methods behind the madness that gets there wheels turning.  Please check back often to see updates and fun, knowledgeable facts and opinions.