Was there a factory made 2.6T?

[Shifta]

I've always told people the only factory Turbo was the 2 litre Astron that came in the 500 Sigma Turbo's that were made ( Starions aside ). Over the years plenty of people have argued against me and said that there was a factory 2.6 Astron Turbo made. Anyone know the final answer on this? I was at Sprints yesterday getting plugs and it did look like there was a listing for a 2.6T but it wasn't clear what car it was from. I'd be really interested to know the answer once and for all!

[turbosigma]

Last I know - only the 2L factory turbo.

But - from what I've heared/read over the years.


They test 2.6L and efi. (the cops had a test with the 2.6 too)
- 2.6L was to much power for the drive train / brakes, so killed off.
- efi cost to much.



What is fact - No idea.

[DragonCypher]

American starions... 2.6L g54bt

They had a special black 'turbo crank', 'turbo pistons' and had blow through Throttle Body Injection.. I think some may have been factory intercooled and oil cooled

But I know its common for owners to install huge f*ck off style intercoolers to them, and the hardcore guys still convert to magna EFI like us Aussies.

I'm pretty sure the starions also use the jet valve heads, which are meant to improve torque, but sacrifice top end power.. and are also prone to cracking.

Have a look at StarQuestClub.com and you should find everything you wanted to know

-
Chris

[webby]

The US market Starion/Conquest and the Jap market widebody Starion had the 4G54BT

[Shifta]

Cool, thanks guys. I'm a bit rusty on my Engine numbers - so is the 4G54BT basically the same Astron 2.6 block that peeps bolt the siggy turbo setups onto in Oz? or is it something completely different?

When I frst got my Sigma going a couple of years ago I remember a guy started arguing with me about it and he said his mate took him for a spin in a brand new 84 Sigma Turbo 2.6T back in 1984. I said they didn't make em in 84 and they never came out 2.6. After the guy had left I did the math and worked out he would have been 12 years old at the time so probably not the best person to know what was what. It still has had me doubting my info all this time though.

[webby]

You can bolt the siggy turbo setup straight up to a 2.6 Astron 1, but the intake bolt patterns are different on the Astron 2. I think the 4G54BT has an Astron 2 intake bolt pattern

[GB_BB4C]

There were 3 2.6lt turbo motors made for the sigma turbo's. They were not allowed to see the road due to too much power being produced.
I think a TAFE ended up with one of the motor's, dunno about the others.

[turbosigma]

There were 3 2.6lt turbo motors made for the sigma turbo's. They were not allowed to see the road due to too much power being produced.
I think a TAFE ended up with one of the motor's, dunno about the others.

Hear that too - Why the engine number / chassis numbers are off a bit.

[Sean]

My grandfather had what I beleive to have been a 2.6 turbo as a trial police vehicle.

He wasn't exactly a fan of it..... I beleive he even threatened to stand outside mitsubishi and defect them as they came off the line if they went into production.

[A112H]

When I was a young lad about 15 years ago I was pulled over in my Scorpion for being a dick. The copper told me that they had a 2 or 3 2.6 turbo Scorpions as test cars and used them as freeway patrol because they were so bloody fast??

[TUFSIG]

When I was a young lad about 15 years ago I was pulled over in my Scorpion for being a dick. The copper told me that they had a 2 or 3 2.6 turbo Scorpions as test cars and used them as freeway patrol because they were so bloody fast??

thats awesome lol

[darcy79]

the 2.6 police cars are a myth,
they had 3 turbos on loan, but they were just the 2 lt with no 2lt badging on them

i believe it was motor magazine in 82 that mentions these police cars on a review they did on the turbo

[leoca]

I've always told people the only factory Turbo was the 2 litre Astron that came in the 500 Sigma Turbo's that were made ( Starions aside ). Over the years plenty of people have argued against me and said that there was a factory 2.6 Astron Turbo made. Anyone know the final answer on this? I was at Sprints yesterday getting plugs and it did look like there was a listing for a 2.6T but it wasn't clear what car it was from. I'd be really interested to know the answer once and for all!

It was probably an American made part whose catalog you were looking in .
In Japan they also had the 2.6 turbo in THEIR Starion of the day.

You can buy one for as little as $10,000...I have read.

[Cottees]

To get an official answer, someone might be able to call Mitsubishi and ask. A mate of mine recently bought an Aus Spec 3000GT and wanted to know how many were released in Australia. He called them up, and they eventually got back to him with an answer. Think it was around 60 or so. They couldn't get the info about the number of Aus delivered 3000GTs for what year, but could give him the total amount.

[BOOTS]

the 2.6 police cars are a myth,
they had 3 turbos on loan, but they were just the 2 lt with no 2lt badging on them

i believe it was motor magazine in 82 that mentions these police cars on a review they did on the turbo

yep the only sigma turbo released in Aus was the 2.0L

(a bit late i know) lol

[Shifta]

Ha ha thread revival! Seeing it's current I have more info! Not long ago there was a Scorpion for sale in SA ( from the SG For Sale section posted by Azza91 ) and we went and checked it out. I didn't end up buying the car but spoke with the owner for ages about the Sigma Turbo as he worked for Mitsubishi at the time and was a wealth of knowledge regarding them. He confirmed the 2.6 is a myth - apparently the lads at the factory made one "off the books" and it had some nickname that I can't remember. Mitsubishi made 7 cop cars and they were 2 litres but were modified somehow to make them quicker. The cop ones were all sequentially registered with some sort of letters and then 001-007. The guy got to take one of them home one weekend and said it went great. He just happened to be on a ferry up the river somewhere and two cars in front was another one driven by a cop. He strolled over and had a chat to the cop and asked how the car was going. Initially the cop was reluctant to give any information away, so the guy then pointed 2 cars back and explained how he was driving the same car from the factory. They then had a good chat about how quick they were!

[karl_2ltgc]

I imagine the police ones probably had a different jet or whatever in the carb and a bit more boost/better exhaust. Would have given them a easy 10kw over standard turbos which back then would have been a pretty big deal.

[Shifta]

Yeah I wonder if they had more boost somehow too. I'm planning on using the info next time a cop pulls me over in it "Hey, did you know Sapol had 7 of these back in the early 80's..."

[A112H]

I have had a few chats with mates about this, and even thought the copper I spoke to back in the day said it was a 2.6 it is likely it was a 2.0
But, and this is a big but, the few descriptions I have managed to get about the "special 7" the cop cars that made more power, it seems to be the thought that they were fitted with 2.0 63's (as in the Starions at the time) and not 52's. That would definately explain the extra power. And this would also explain the fact that I was pulled over in my Scorpion and the copper said it was a Scorpion that he said they had were turbos I wonder if they were actually Sapporo's on trial? That would account for the 63 theory and the turbo Scorpion theory.
Any thoughts??????

[Shifta]

Yeah dunno, an interesting theory. The guy I was talking to was selling a Scorp and definintely knew the difference between the two so I'm pretty confident they were Sigmas. He seemed to know the engine and chasis prefixes off the top of his head, even after all these years!

[Shifta]

Was just reading the article on the SMASA/Sigma Turbo sites. Here's what it says:

Anyway, do you remember the Peter Wherrett Sigma?. Pretty much a forgettable red car, but the cops got these with the then still secret 2.6 turbo that Chrysler planned to release as a performance car.

The power, acceleration, top speed and lack of lag on the 2.6 Turbos (particularly for their time) was breathtaking. Everyone in "the job" raved about the cars and some serious legends were born of times taken from the Toll Gate to the Top of the Eagle and to Murray Bridge. (Not to mention the serious heat waves wafting outta the bonnet scoops!)

When the cars were officially released, my patrol partner at the time was foaming at the mouth to get his hands on one and we rolled into the Chrysler (now Mitsubishi) dealer on Port Road for a test drive. After the usual weak cliches such as "did we want to trade the police car", we took a silver one for a thrash. And it was a DOG!.

It was only then that we found out the many differences between those test mules and the final product. Four pounds boost compared to 30+ in the cop cars for a start. 30+?, ah the turbo/bonnet melt-down stories I could tell!.

I guess we have no reason to doubt the author but 30+ PSI kinda puts doubt to the story's credability I reckon. Very doubtful a non intercooled carby fed set up could run that, even with serious mods...... I guess I could be wrong though!

[Shifta]

Been on the hunt for a picture of one of the Sigma Cop cars - no luck so far. While searching I came across this - be cool to find a sigma photo!

[karl_2ltgc]

Its possible the guy say 30 psi when he meant 13 psi which sounds about right for a low comp 2.6 turbo.

[Shifta]

Yeah could be, but then again he also says 4psi instead of the 10psi standard so I'd be thinkin his memory may not be all that flash

[GB_BB4C]

After speaking to a few people who worked at Chrysler (some of them in the experimental area) at the All Chrysler Day.
There were 7 prototype 2.0lt Sigma Turbo's made all in GE bodies. Rego number ???-501 to ???-508. Now i know that adds upto 8 cars as one of them was actually a 2.6lt running 16psi.

[TR11KY]

thanks shifta for quoting the article i would have quoted if i had found this in time.

the first few models in the range were indeed 2.6 test mules. The results were great and the police that had tested them among with the normalair garret guys that spoke of them raved about how amazing they went. Sadly misubishi chose in conjunction with normalair garrett to release the milder 2L version. Therefore no 2.6L was ever released in australia as turbo.

However i have the paperwork for upgrade packages thanks kindly to a local guy that used to tune them for mitsubishi dealer in newcastle. So essentially there are a couple of thing we know.

any sigma back then gsr, wherret if the onwer so chose could have been fitted with turbo setup at a cost prior to the owner taking delivery or afterwards visiting to upgrade. However none were factory released.

The few test mules are long gone, dead and buried. Sadly im not aware of anyone coming forward with a factory sigma turbo younger than about build number 18. So its becoming safe to assume mistubishi scrapped the first few. Seems silly and i honestly am hoping somewhere the #001 still exists fitted with a 2.6L coz god itd be worth a mint!


As for america and japan. Yeah the galant or starion whatever had the 2.6L turbo setup that the starion ran. The funny injected thingy looks like a demented carby with a pipe to it... I was also told it was actually supposed to be called stallion but a pronunciation error meant it got called starion??? anyone heard that one???
The americans called them G54B but its basically the same as a 4G54 as i understand it.

G54BT it may well have been called but i cant say ive seen one or read it off top of my head...

The G54BX is this motor the 12 made rare as rocking horse shit twin cam hks head.

[Nath76LA]

I was also told it was actually supposed to be called stallion but a pronunciation error meant it got called starion??? anyone heard that one???

Yeah I've heard that one as well. Japanese pronounciasion made the Stallion a Starion.

Nath

[ddt]

PmHeard that too. Makes sense if u consider the existing horse theme with the 'colt'.
Also consider 'other spelling errors around same time like donkey Kong' was meant to be 'monkey Kong' and it doesn't seem so far fetched.

[woops]

I was also told it was actually supposed to be called stallion but a pronunciation error meant it got called starion??? anyone heard that one???

Yeah I've heard that one as well. Japanese pronounciasion made the Stallion a Starion.

Nath

PmHeard that too. Makes sense if u consider the existing horse theme with the 'colt'.
Also consider 'other spelling errors around same time like donkey Kong' was meant to be 'monkey Kong' and it doesn't seem so far fetched.

That rumour has been going around for years and the starion community has pretty well given up trying to set the record because the fact isn't as interesting as fiction. The thing is though that the starion was actually named after the "Star of Orion" as were many Mitsubishi things. Think about the engines designations of the Saturn, Neptune, Sirius and the astron all being star and astronomy related. It would be highly unlikely that a company would name two vehicles so similar with the Colt and the Stallion.

There is merit to both sides of the argument but i think the stallion to starion is a very simple argument to make whereas the counter argument takes a lot more discussion to bring across. Although this is also the same company who called a car a "wanker".

[TR11KY]

i feel smarter already mate thanks for those helpful facts! though i feel somewhat disturbed that mitsubishi / chrysler released a 'wanker' wtf!!!