Where's the aftermarket performance parts? (Turbo specifically)

[Ntnormal85]

I am new to the forum and I want to start off with this is a bit unsual. I see that this fun sized hatchback has two types of owners ( which is fine ) but it seems to me there are those who like the fun sized performance and others who love the amazing gas mileage. I was just wondering, with all the amazing strides being made with this car, why are performance parts , even basic ones so few and far between. I mean I understand the type of car it is but so was the crx hf back in its day and that has a nice aftermarket support. I have been trying to find nice way of tastefully upgrading my little rocket with alot of help with this site's upgrades/diy section. I just really wish someone would boost this sucker and tell us the limits lol I was hoping g to see if she could handle a mere 100 whp on it stock drivetrain. If anyone's does know, please let me know where to look, I seem to be finding alot of dead ends

[deleted user]

I bought an 84 CRX 1.5 serial# 1018 made in July 1983 brand new for $7k in Houston Texas. 0-60 was barely under 10 seconds. I had considered a HF model, known as the 1.3 but found the 13.5 second 0-60 time too anemic for my tastes at the time, 32 years ago when I was 33 years old.

Averaged 45 mpg for 50k miles, sold it for $5k two years later. Owned 94 VX, bought in 2008 at from a salvage yard in Ohio with 27,684 miles at 14 years age. Got as high as 68 MPG at 64 mph average speed in 2008 when gas here was very close to $4 a gallon. Later I bought a 1st gen Insight with 35k miles. Averaged 67 mpg for another 30k miles and sold the Insight. In that time the Insight required $7000 in warranty repairs. I was not interested in keeping it after that.

I'm 65 now and the Mirage fits my age and driving style perfectly. I have no desire to drive any faster than the speed limit and if traffic here allowed me I would drive much slower, but I have no desire to be escorted everywhere by self appointed proctologists.

Best guess for me would be the fact that any such mod as a turbo would instantly void the warranty. I have owned several very fast cars in my lifetime but these days I can say I've been there and done that, doesn't interest me anymore.

regards
mech

[deleted user]

If I wanted to hop up a Mirage, I would buy one at a salvage auction (did 200 in the last 4 decades). Salvage vehicles have no factory warranty, so you would not have the issue of loosing any warranty coverage, or buy a used one with over 60 k miles cheap and turbo it to your heart's content. I'd bet the engine could handle 100 hp. One of the customers at my old shop had us build a 1995 300zx twin turbo up to 500 hp, but it ate up and engine every 15 k miles. That was running close to 15-20 pounds of boost.

I'd bet the Mirage would handle 7-8 lbs of boost fairly easily with decent longevity, unless you drove like a a crazy person or tracked the car every weekend.

regards
mech

[MetroMPG]

Hi Ntnormal85 -

First - welcome to the forum!

Hope you don't mind I split your post into a dedicated thread. Maybe get more eyeballs outside of the thread about corporate rumours of OEM engine upgrades.

I am new to the forum and I want to start off with this is a bit unsual. I see that this fun sized hatchback has two types of owners ( which is fine ) but it seems to me there are those who like the fun sized performance and others who love the amazing gas mileage.

Yeah, I've noticed too - the Mirages's fans are similar in a way to the Metro/Swift fans. That car had everything under the sun: from ridiculous fuel economy in the special 49 hp XFi 1.0L 3-cyl, to decent handling & fun power:weight ratio in the 100 hp 1.3L DOHC Swift GT, to a 1.0L factory turbo they even offered for a few years.

I was just wondering, with all the amazing strides being made with this car, why are performance parts , even basic ones so few and far between.

I think it may just be a matter of market size.

There were many more Metros sold in the U.S. over its model run than the Mirage has sold so far. (About 400k Metros/Swifts were sold if memory serves; so far about 40k Mirages in ~2 years). Also, within both the Metro & CRX line, there were legitimate factory "sport" models that drove people to want to upgrade even more than the factory drivetrain & suspension upgrades. Mitsu hasn't really catered to that market yet. The coming Mirage GT doesn't count -- none of its exclusive upgrades are performance-related... and it's CVT only!

[cyclopathic]

IMHO it depends on how you define "performance", engine only or suspension too.

[nickpon]

Well doesn't the GT just have bigger wheels and a few visual/interior things? Plus it's heavier and CVT only...

[Cobrajet]

The Mirage is not only a new model, but a relatively low volume new model. It's only been here two years. Give it some time.

IIRC, there weren't too many 'hop up' parts available for the CRX in 1986 (two years into it's production).

[MetroMPG]

^ Good point.

My thinking is unless Mitsu offers an actual "sport" model with suspension/driveline improvements that the standard model doesn't get, I'm skeptical (sadly) that we're going to see much aftermarket support developing.

Basic entry level cars just don't generate development interest from suppliers.

I know that Chevrolet Aveo owners find themselves in the same situation -- owners who want to spice up those cars have very limited options. Most of the support has come from within the community of owners who have developed things on their own, like: engine swaps; short shifter "kits"; testing springs from various other cars (we've already seen people experimenting along those lines with the Mirage + VW springs); etc.

Another example: Nissan is offering a NISMO version of the Micra, which competes with the Mirage in many countries. 1.5L 4-cyl instead of the standard 1.2L 3-banger. They even have a dedicated Micra Cup race series in Quebec / Ontario. Aftermarket parts are becoming available because of the racing (e.g. lowering springs, stabilizer bar upgrades, chassis stiffeners, CAI, etc).

[Gnarles2]

They actually have quite a bit of parts for this car. They just all happen to be in other countries.

[Daox]

I suggest throwing your 2 cents in here:

What aftermarket parts would you buy?

The more interest we can get in something, the better chance we have of someone making parts. We have already put together a couple of group buys successfully. We just need people to say they're willing to plunk down a little money.