1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gs

Do you remember when you graduated? What'd you get? $50, a pat on the back. Hey, wait a minute! Maybe even an ice cream cake!

Things were a little different for Jason Southerland. Upon graduating in 1996, he was fortunate enough to receive a Mitsubishi Eclipse GS that would soon alter his life and bring to the "scene" yet another show-stopping ride.

Soon after receiving his gift, a friend, Jason Johnson, tried to convince him to fix up his car, but he just couldn't "...see himself putting an exhaust that sounded like a weed eater on [his] car." Little did he know what awaited him. After saving enough money, Jason's first modification was a $6,000 stereo system-which was shortly removed because of his disinterest in the stereo competition scene.

"It wasn't much fun, so I decided to have the system taken out by John Gyver, who initially put it in," said Southerland. A week later, he was introduced to the import scene when he purchased a Trust exhaust system from Road Warrior Performance and, according to Southerland, this is where the "import trap got him."

Feeling the need to further accessorize his car, Southerland consulted with Maxed-Out Paintworx, where he contracted Max to shave the door handles and remove all emblems. With a little coaxing from Max, Southerland decided to spice things up by repainting the car a pearl white with ghost flames on the hood. Southerland was pleased with the final outcome, but his compulsiveness soon drove him over the edge.

After a stage of complacency, it was time to visit Max again, and, like a junkie in need of a fix, Southerland wanted something new, something stronger. He had a Ninja body kit installed. The kit's aggressive look brought a new persona to the car, as it was topped with custom body graphics and more airbrushing applied over orange.

With everything set and ready to show, Southerland hit the Texas show circuit (his Eclipse appeared in the July '99 issue of Import Tuner in our coverage of the Drag Wars in Ennis, Texas).

The 1999 Eclipse GS was, and still is, a head-turner; it has taken home 14 first-place awards, two second-place positions, as well as "Best of Paint." Unfortunately, (or fortunately) a freak accident occurred, where a ball joint broke, resulting in damage to the kit. The Eclipse was sent back to the body shop, where the old kit was scrapped and replaced with a VIS Blitz kit, topped with a Wings West rear spoiler. The rebirth of this GS came when Southerland decided to have the car painted lime time green (BASF), followed up with even more custom airbrush work.

During this whole ordeal, many other facets of the car were also slightly modified. The suspension now features the addition of Koni five-way adjustable shocks that have been teamed with Eibach springs. The Eibach springs lower the overall stance 3-inches, while a set of OBX front and rear sway bars help stiffen the suspension. Grabbing the pavement is a set of 215/35-18 Toyo F74s mounted on 18x7-inch Quantum Tek Alloys. The wheels' aggressive pattern help complement the body kit, while providing high-speed fun and cornering for both driver and dazed onlookers.

Within the confines of this Diamond Star is a relatively stock interior, accented by custom leather upholstery that was stitched by Kevin Kaylor of Houston. The seats were wrapped in a black and gray motif that holds occupants snug as they reflect on the Indiglo gauges that are surrounded by a custom painted gauge cluster and a carbon fiber dash kit that was custom painted green.

The interior is further refined with the addition of an Eclipse head unit, coupled to an MTX 27SX amplifier. The sounds are harmonically emitted through a full set of Boston Pro speakers leaving a simple, yet functional, system. The system, designed by Mobil One, will eventually be upgraded to include a hatch full of subwoofers, as well as other surprises.

Powering the GS is a 2.0 DOHC non-turbo powerplant that produces 140 hp at 6000 rpm. The engine is home to some minor modifications, which include Magnecor wires, Bosch Platinum plugs and some wire loom to help clean up the engine bay. The stock intake system has been swapped with a RS-Akimoto unit, which helps the car breathe a little easier. Future plans call for a custom Nitrous Works kit.

It was only four years and three colors ago that this show car was once the daily transportation of an anti-import fan destined to never "fix up" his car. Now, with all these modifications and future plans for more, Southerland is sure to leave his competitors green with envy.