Hello from El Salvador! (Central America)

Hello guys, so cool to find this community.

Brief Bio :sleeping: Bought the car used in El Salvador, it was a salvage car from NC imported and fixed here. With about 28k miles. It was an urgent buy because our main car (Kia Soul) was in the shop for an insurance claim, (unfortunately it wasn´t totaled :greedy_dollars:) so I needed something cheap that I could resell later, got it for $5600 all fixed and great condition (just needed one tire, rim with TPMS sensor. total 120$ including programming.) . Needless to explain, I fell in love with car and now is part of the family. Although actually I am the only one allowed to drive it :cool: There is something about the simplicity of this car that makes it really honest.

Anyway, I am attaching the picture of the car, if anyone recognizes the rear window stickers from the previous owners please tell them to sell me the spare key :D

Haven´t done much to it, just installed an OEM rear dome light for the wife and kids :fatigue: and some DIY security locks for the hubcaps.

Some general Qs.

1. Looking forward to install roof bars, but I don´t like those clips that go between the door and frame. (they end up breaking the rubber seal) Anyone tried to do a slot in the rain gutter (beneath the rubber thing along the roof) to anchor those THULE roof bars. Do you guys think it could work?

2. And also has anyone raised the suspension, like a lot? (maybe 2in) for this country the front bumper is kind of low. but i would like to know how it affects the highway MPG.

Anyway, great to meet you guys. LOVE that car.!

Welcome to the site!

I unfortunately don't have any real answers for you about the roof rack. Some of our owners have replaced their rear springs with other car's springs and that lifts the back, but nobody has lifted the front.

Welcome aboard! I replaced my rear coil springs with 98-06 VW New Beetle springs and this raised the rear end to allow the room for my aftermarket rims/tires. I had no need to raise the front even driving through deep snow. I did have to re-aim my headlights after this.

Look at your Mirage from the side and see how low the rear end looks. Now load 2 people in the back and look again. These cars should have better rear springs. I am a Geo Metro owner and am used to hauling all sorts of stuff in the back of it and I feel the stock Mirage springs in the rear are just too soft.

One forum member squeezed a 175/80r14 tire which is about 11.4% larger than the North America OEM size of 165/65r14. Both sizes are not common. Most of the rest of the planet gets either 175/65r14’s or a 15” rim. Here is a link with some pics.

http://mirageforum.com/forum/showthr...st-of-the-time

I replaced my rear springs with a Suzuki Swift 2013 springs and it works great even at full load.

Welcome!