Is it just us, or are the Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler Conquest twins the only car where nobody seems to care which one it is? Even the owners are like, “Yeah, it’s a Mitsubishi Starion Conquest…Chrysler…um…yeah.” Not that we care that much…regardless of what name badge was stuck on the hatch when it was sold new, the StarQuest twins were neat little screamers that had plenty of potential going for them. They had all of the Japanese hot rod looks of the 1980s down pat, including flared wheelwells for the later years, turbo-six power, and one of the coolest wheel designs ever offered up on an OEM car. They’re neat units that we don’t see a lot of in any form, let alone streetable and wicked-up. 
A V8-swapped StarQuest isn’t that out-of-the-ordinary. From the LS-swapped beast that haunts the Optima circuit to the Ford 302 and Chrysler 440-powered cars we’ve seen here and there, ditching the six is a fairly common occurrence. What isn’t common is what this StarQuest is hiding underneath it’s hood: the 3.9L all-aluminum Rover V8. Originally rooted in the Buick 215 V8 that appeared at the beginning of the 1960s, the Rover mill saw a long life, built out in production form through the mid-2000s and in aftermarket form through MCT in England. They’re light, they are compact, and they have an aftermarket that, though nowhere near as comprehensive as the Ford and Chevrolet small-block in the States, isn’t to be ignored. It’s an odd call, but if all you’ve got to do is do a little plumbing work, a little wiring work and a little bit of polishing for a car that should bark in the end. $2,000 picks the car up, and you’ll have enough left over to at least get it running and driving. We do wish you luck getting it legal in Washington State, though…from past experiences, they cringe at non-OEM parts.
Did you know that this car was meant to be called The Stallion and the dumbheads at Mitsibushi used the Japanese pronunciation to give us the name Starion instead?
Correction…. Starion and Conquests came with the super long stroke G54B Mitsubishi Inline 4. Non were ever made with an inline 6. They are some dope cars that sent shown a lot of love.
**They are some dope cars that aren\’t shown a lot of love.***
Ugh. That’s a parts car. I had an ’89, bought used in ’94. They were sweet cars. Terrific handling.
Ive seen this one when it was in its prime. Spokane, Wa . this used to make everyones heads turn.
Sad to see it in this state.