Since Daryl is the sales manager for Advanced Clutch Technology (ACT) in Lancaster, California, there's an ACT Streetlite flywheel and clutch aboard as well. He'd appreciate it if you went to ACT's web site (advancedclutch.com) and ordered two of everything. Or more.
The four-bolt limited slip rear differential from a '94 Eclipse GSX has taken up residence in the Galant's aft end and all the hubs have been upgraded from the original four bolts to the Eclipse-spec five bolts. Hanging on those hubs are Baer Racing 13-inch front rotors clamped by two-piston calipers, the stock rear binders, and SSR Competition 18-inch wheels inside 225/40ZR-18 Toyo Proxes RA-1 tires.
Hunkered over a mix of TEIN coilovers and Whiteline anti-roll bars, Daryl's Galant has the battle-scared countenance of the 100,000+ mile veteran it is. This car may have started life as a sophisticated, high-capability, high-comfort cousin of the Evo, but it's sort of wicked and tough-looking now.
That continues inside, where the stock front seats have been trashed in favor of Sparco Torinos riding on custom brackets, the steering wheel is from Momo, a Razo gear shift knob connects the drivers palm to the Mofugas short shifter, and GReddy boost and exhaust gas temperature gauges have taken up residence. This isn't a perfect show car interior, but a mix of Sony and Alpine audio components keep the entertainment-level high.
Unfortunately, the bottom-end didn't survive long enough to make it to any of the competitions. Sampson's Galant was wracked by a mix of fragility and plain bad luck during our tests. At Willow Springs, what time it didn't spend on a trailer, it spent leaking mystery fluid onto the exact spot where Cameron Diaz once stood during her training to run in the 1998 Long Beach Grand Prix Pro-Celebrity race. While it's never good to see such hallowed ground despoiled, it's more frustrating when you can't drive a car that holds out so much promise.
But that promise is so intense that we were determined to see it realized or die in the attempt.
So, we hauled Daryls mean four-door to the track, again, where it ran one warm-up lap before puking the guts out of its second bottom-end on the same hallowed ground.
But hey, even the obscure deserve second chances.
Daryl Sampson's 1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4EngineEngine Code: 4G63T
Type: Inline four, iron block, aluminum head, turbocharged and intercooled
Internal Mods: 1995-99 factory pistons, HKS cams, assembled by Road Race Engineering
External Mods: Turbonetics T3/T4 turbocharger, HKS external wastegate, Spearco intercooler, Road Race Engineering pipes and plumbing, Supra Twin Turbo fuel pump, Greddy 720cc/min fuel injectors, custom intake with K&N Fliter, custom HKS Hi-Power exhaust
Engine Management Mods: HKS Twin Power DLI
DrivetrainLayout: Transverse front engine, all wheel drive
Drivetrain Mods: ACT Streetlite flywheel, ACT clutch, '94 Eclipse limited-slip rear differential, Mofugas short shifter, conversion to Eclipse five-lug hubs
SuspensionFront: TEIN struts, TEIN alignment adjustment plates, Cusco front strut tower bar
Rear: TEIN shocks, Whiteline 24mm rear anti-roll bar
BrakesFront: Baer Racing 13-in. vented floating rotors with 2-piston calipers
Rear: Stock rear rotors and calipers
ExternalWheels: SSR Competition, 18x7.5-in.
Tires: Toyo Proxes RA-1, 225/40ZR-18
This car may have started life as a high-comfort cousin of the Evo, but it's sort of wicked and tough-looking now.