It’s one thing to spend time, money and effort on a car that any and everyone would agree is worth the effort. But what about when someone finds a car they love, but nobody else does? They build it and do it right…regardless of popular opinion to the contrary. Putting work in on your ride doesn’t mean you have to drop everything and pick up whatever car everyone else wants to see you build. You do what makes you happy, and everyone else can continue to sit and armchair quarterback it for what you need to care. Think about a mid-1990s Mitsubishi Mirage/Lancer. Nothing special there if it doesn’t have “Evo” badges on it, right? Nope. In America, Mirages were the entry-level choice for parents who were scared of letting their new teenaged driver out and about in an older vehicle. I’m pretty sure they are nearly extinct…I haven’t seen one on the roads in years.

In fact, I’d have to do research to know if anyone besides Mighty Car Mods’ Marty is building one today. He did…a while back he took a Mitsubishi Lancer that had been given the full Fast and Furious treatment (circa 2000), turbocharged it, and had a cheap-car challenge with his partner, Moog, in a Saab. The Saab got sold afterwards, but Marty kept the little Mitsu…he got rid of the crap, cleaned it up and had it painted, and turned it into a neat little commuter weapon. But when it got pitted against a modern-day Evo, the Lancer spilled it’s guts…everywhere. The steam cloud of doom spelled the end for the engine. That’s where this build starts, with a crankcase full of coolant, a broken hand and the powertrain from a later-model Lancer. This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but we’re honestly interested to see how much better the MCM guys can make this little shoebox.