Speed  Thrills
by: Dimitri Rigopoulos '99

You’ve seen it before. Tow cars stopped at a red light gunning their engines. The light turns green, tires chirp, and the cars are off leaving a trail of smoke and rubber imprints behind them. Fast cars are where it’s at nowadays. People buy them for the speed and the chance to show off or stand out. Some buy expensive cars already fast and scorching to the eyes. Others buy and then build up, with after-market parts and body kits. I would have to say that building up your car is the most rewarding course you can take. Anyone can go and finance a brand new sports car in hopes that this new car will give him all the speed he can handle and more. It’s adding each new part and feeling how the car drives afterwards versus before.

Our focus this time is on a 93 and ½ Mitsubishi Eclipse GS owned by senior Anthony Watson. Under the hood is a 1.8-liter inline four. Let’s face it. It’s not the biggest engine in the world. Personally I’d prefer a V-8. But there is a substantial amount of room for potential. This particular engine is spiced up with Taylor 8mm ignition wires, K&N air filter, and a Weapon R Intake and a Crane HI-6 ignition system.

Out back Anthony has added a 3" cat back exhaust which pushes the spent fuel through a Borla Magnaflow muffler and out a 5" tip. All of these modifications rack up a 140 horsepower total. A stock 5-speed transmission and stock shifter with an aluminum shift knob control the power this car makes.

To take those turns at a ridiculous rate of speed, Anthony has added after-market springs, shocks and struts. Eibach and KYB provide the control and handling that keeps Anthony’s car from ending up sideways in those brutal corners. To keep the wheels firmly planted on the road, Anthony has stepped up in the world of tires. His Panther Rims in the front sport Yokohama 205 60HR 14’s and his rear wheels rely on BF Goodrich 225 60HR 14’s.

If you can’t hear Anthony’s car coming up the road by the sound of his exhaust, you surely could not miss the sound of his stereo. His interior features a Panasonic CD Player with a pre-amp output of 40Watts x 4 with a remote. Additional power is provided by a JBC amp rated at 125Watts x 2. In the way of speakers Anthony has an assortment of Pioneer equipment which includes two 6 and ½ ‘s, two 4 and ½’s as well as two Alpine 6x9’s. By the time you read this Anthony will be selling his two 10 inch JBL GT’s in favor of four 12 inch Kicker Competitions. That’s enough base to blow out all his car windows.

Future modifications under the hood include 500cc fuel injectors and an after-market computer chip. I personally would recommend a Hypertech chip. A strut bar and subframe connectors are planned in the near future. Anthony also wants to install a body kit and have a new paint job performed on his car.

The world of auto racing is extremely addictive. Once you start adding things to your car, it is almost impossible to stop. A little more speed each time is all you need to keep the desire for more. It is a hobby that world that while very expensive, is also very rewarding, especially when the other guy in the next lane gets your tail lights for his viewing pleasure.