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Starts and runs Starion

Starts and runs Starion

Auto Off Topic Mar 06, 2026 57 min
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About this episode

The hosts celebrate reaching 400 episodes while diving into detailed updates on a Mitsubishi Starion project car. After months of inactivity, the Starion was successfully started outside the garage to avoid fuel hazards, revealing issues like a frozen fuel pump and minor fuel leaks. They discuss sourcing parts from a niche community and a specialist, MKS Motorsports, to fully restore the car for an upcoming rally. The conversation also touches on local weather, NASCAR plans, and a humorous detour about stocking up on seltzer. The episode blends technical car restoration insights with casual banter and milestone reflections.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Ford Bronco

"...ut stay on the bar don't go off the bar with your Bronco 1980 Volvo horns what's right man's coolant he's..."

The Ford Bronco is a type of big car that can drive well on rough roads and dirt paths. People like it because it is strong and can go places other cars might not. It’s popular with people who like outdoor adventures.

Car

Toyota Camry

"...is Nigerian oil print I also wish you drove a tan Camry anyways that's a very horrible podcast content v..."

The Toyota Camry is a popular car that many people use every day because it is easy to drive and doesn’t break down often. It’s a comfortable car that gets good gas mileage and is good for regular trips.

Concept

project car

"unimportant conversation uh project car updates yes I have a big one um fitting that for episode 400 I have a big celebration to talk about uh the starion runs"

A project car is a car that someone works on to fix up or change to make it better or unique. People do this as a hobby or to learn how cars work.

Car

Mitsubishi Starion

"a big celebration to talk about uh the starion runs and not the old starion the newest starion"

The Mitsubishi Starion is a sporty car from the 1980s that has a turbo engine and is fun to drive. People like to fix it up and make it faster or cooler.

Concept

rally

"because it's being prepared to run the driving well awesome camping well awesome rally in May so that means I have essentially two months to have the car 100 sorted"

A rally is a car race on different kinds of roads, like dirt or pavement, where drivers try to go fast but safely. The cars need to be tough and ready for rough driving.

Term

aftermarket parts

"he makes a ton of parts and he sources a ton of parts so I can get everything from him from oem ignition stuff to aftermarket parts uh to make the car 100"

Aftermarket parts are parts made by other companies, not the car maker, and they can sometimes make your car better or cheaper to fix.

Term

OEM parts

"he makes a ton of parts and he sources a ton of parts so I can get everything from him from oem ignition stuff to aftermarket parts uh to make the car 100"

OEM parts are the original parts made for a car by the company that built it, so they fit well and work properly.

Term

smoke test

"I haven't fixed the tank yet I think we talked about running the smoke test on the on the tank um I haven't had a chance to bring that I have a friend of mine who's willing to weld it up or at least take a look at and see if he can"

A smoke test is when you put smoke into parts of a car to find holes or leaks by seeing where the smoke comes out.

Term

OEM style replacement

"so I bought a new fuel pump the standard oem style replacement for now until I figure out exactly what we're doing for fuel delivery in the future"

OEM style replacement means the new part is made just like the one that came with the car when it was new, so it fits and works well.

Part

throttle body

"and then into the factory fitting on the fuel injection port on the throttle body on the car and once it got fuel to it the story is very short because it just fired right up on like a half a crank"

The throttle body is a part that lets air into the engine. It opens and closes to control how much air gets in, which helps the engine run properly.

Part

fuel injectors

"the injectors would be leaky or something but because it's super common now that's they I think there are leaks okay let's not say this is not perfect it pissed fuel out around the fitting where the aluminum fitting meets the aluminum throttle body and I think it leaked down around the injectors as well I'm not super stressed about that because I don't think the injectors themselves were leaking I think it's just the o-rings"

Fuel injectors are little devices that squirt fuel into the engine so it can run. They make sure the engine gets the right amount of fuel to work well.

Part

o-rings

"I think it leaked down around the injectors as well I'm not super stressed about that because I don't think the injectors themselves were leaking I think it's just the o-rings yeah based on how it ran and how it fired up and how after I shut it off it fired up again normally when you have leaky injectors"

O-rings are tiny rubber rings that stop liquids like fuel from leaking out where parts connect. If they get old or damaged, fuel can leak.

Term

leaky injectors

"so I'm pretty familiar with the symptoms of leaky injectors I'm staring on that we're having so many of them but I don't think these are leaking"

Leaky injectors are parts that spray fuel into the engine. If they leak, too much fuel gets in and the engine can run badly or flood.

Term

turbo

"the son of the original owner did say he thinks the turbo was bad but I guess we'll find"

A turbo is a part that helps the engine make more power by pushing more air in. If it is bad, the car might not run well or be slow.

Part

fuel pump

"out there was no smoke I wonder if there was just something else wrong with it maybe the fuel pump had gone bad and that's why it was parked... my guess is just based on first impressions here is that the fuel pump went bad because the second I put power to it was just locked up"

The fuel pump moves gas from the tank to the engine so the car can run. If it breaks, the car won't start or might stop running.

Company

MKS Motorsports

"that MKS Motorsports makes a nice set of stainless lines for under the hood to replace a lot of the"

MKS Motorsports is a company that makes car parts to help improve or fix cars, like strong fuel lines that carry gas safely.

Part

Earl's hose

"...a few feet of that Earl's hose you talked about before to replace the rubber lines from the tank..."

Earl's hose is a strong, special tube used in cars to carry fuel or oil. It's better than regular rubber tubes because it lasts longer and doesn't get damaged easily.

Part

fuel filter

"...obviously a new fuel filter the new fuel sock on the intake of the the fuel pump in the tank..."

A fuel filter is like a strainer that cleans the gas before it goes into the engine so the car runs smoothly.

Part

fuel sock

"...a new fuel filter the new fuel sock on the intake of the the fuel pump in the tank..."

A fuel sock is a small filter inside the gas tank that stops dirt from getting into the fuel pump and causing problems.

Concept

parts car

"...I have that entire parts car which you know the turbo is fine on because it drove just fine last time..."

A parts car is an old car you keep so you can take parts from it to fix another car.

Part

wastegate actuator

""I would just check the wastegate actuator see if it's connected or disconnected or oh yeah yeah I'll make sure everything's free and moving...""

The wastegate actuator helps control how much extra air the turbocharger pushes into the engine. It makes sure the engine doesn't get too much boost, which can cause problems.

Term

vacuum lines

""...make sure everything's free and moving and with the vacuum lines off or something and maybe that's why it feels like turbo's not working I will probably replace all the vacuum lines while I'm in there...""

Vacuum lines are little tubes that help parts of your engine work properly by moving air pressure around. If they get old or broken, your car might not run right.

Term

suspension components

"because I'll need to buy all new suspension components and whatnot as well for the car which are you know not terribly expensive but also not free"

Suspension parts help the car stay steady and comfortable when you drive over bumps or turns. They keep the wheels connected to the car.

Car

Ford Mustang

"it's almost spring you know in the not my project situation Naomi also got her Mustang"

The Ford Mustang is a famous sports car from America that lots of people like to drive because it's fast and looks cool. It has been made for many years and is still popular today.

Concept

NASCAR

"...sweet kota this week was NASCAR yeah so speaking of you've got NASCAR is actually coming to you this weekend..."

NASCAR is a type of car racing where drivers race specially made cars that look like regular cars but are built to go very fast on oval tracks. Lots of people watch these races in the US.

Concept

IndyCar

"...and then personally I am upset at the IndyCar marketing I feel like it was really really bad it wasn't until the NASCAR race last weekend that they were like oh by the way Indy's doing the double in Phoenix on Saturday..."

IndyCar is a kind of car racing where the cars have open wheels and are very fast. They race on different kinds of tracks, including big ovals and city streets.

Term

heel and toe

""like what you call it a lot to heel and toe heel and toe that's it yeah twink there they're they're a little more oh yeah linking the twin turns whatever he said""

Heel and toe is a way to press the brake and gas pedals at the same time with one foot to slow down and keep the car steady when turning. It helps the car drive smoother around corners.

Concept

open wheel racing

"open wheel racing in phoenix right now it would be very popular for them to have pushed it because redbull's doing this whole thing in the city of phoenix right now with the redbull f1 car"

Open wheel racing means race cars that have their wheels sticking out, not covered by the body. These are fast cars like those in Formula 1 or IndyCar races.

Car

Hyundai Kona

"...ng it's looking a lot of good racing between hit kona zillich and svg yeah that one do yep so going int..."

The Hyundai Kona is a small SUV that looks nice and has lots of cool features inside. It’s easy to drive in the city and comes in versions that use regular gas or electricity. Many people like it because it’s affordable and modern.

Term

tire compound

""...they did talk about i think they changed the tire compound and they also they added horsepower for road courses...""

Tire compound is the type of rubber the tire is made from. Different types help the tire stick better to the road or last longer during a race.

Concept

Daytona

"no he did not have a top 10 in daytona because it crashed the end he wound up finishing like"

Daytona is a big race track where important car races happen, especially in NASCAR, a popular racing series in the U.S.

Concept

restart

"on that restart at the end the last stage with like 20 laps to go they got real or 10 laps to go"

In a race, sometimes the cars have to slow down because of a problem. When they start racing again, that's called a restart.

Concept

street course

"with how how well kota was i'm definitely looking forward to the street course at san diego yep which we already have tickets for"

A street course is a race track made from city streets that are closed off for racing, so the cars race on normal roads instead of special tracks.

5 cars featured

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