3SGuide

So you’re looking at your first Mitsubishi 3000GT or Dodge Stealth. It looks great in the pictures, the price is within your budget, and you’re ready to make a deal. After owning multiple 3000GTs over the past few years, my number one advice would be to be patient when looking to purchase one of these jaw-dropping machines. Never rush a purchase, there are always other 3S’ available on the market, or there will be soon. Wait patiently for the right car, one that has maintenance records, looks and feels right, and is within your budget. Pay a little extra for a well-maintained car. It will save you a bundle of money and headaches in the long run.

Before I get started, do not be afraid to tackle minor repairs yourself. There is a great community at 3si.org that offers a wealth of knowledge.

When you go to look at your (possible) new vehicle, here are some specific things you should check on:

Exterior

• Inspect all panels carefully and look for problematic alignment issues, paint defects, or signs of panels being repainted or replaced.
• In 1994 3000GT and Stealth models, look for foggy glass headlights. They can be restored with a few hours work without too much difficulty. Look for signs of clearcoat peeling on the Lexan (plastic) headlights of 95+ models. This requires much more work to restore. Click here to see a guide on restoring each (lexan | glass).
• Although the 3S chassis is not particularly prone to rust, it may happen in northern climates, particularly where roads are salted. Look for obvious bubbles in the paint as there may be rust underneath. The exhaust system is most likely to rust. Bring a flashlight and try to spot badly rusted components (catalytic converter, mufflers, downpipe). Having a mechanic look at the underbody carefully with the car on a lift is recommended.
• 2nd generation (94+) models with red paint (paint code R71) do not have clearcoat from the factory, and fade more easily than other colors. As these cars get older, paint flaws are bound to happen particularly where they are exposed to direct sunlight.
• A common wear item is the strip/moulding where the bottom of the driver/passenger window meets the door. It is best to purchase these new. See our list of recommended vendors.
• Fading of the black panel at the base of the hatch glass is very common. See this guide to restore it yourself.
• Make sure all of the locks work with the key.
  

Interior

• The most common wear items inside the car are the driver’s side leather seat (bolster), door panels bubbling, dash vents cracking. You can purchase replacement seat covers from, but they are expensive. Door panels are best purchased used. Dash vents are cheap, but rather difficult to replace as they require removal of the entire dash assembly.
• Check the door seals and weatherstripping for cracking, tears, and hardness. Ideally they should be conditioned every season to remain soft and provide a proper seal.
• Look for wear on the shift boot, e-brake boot, and steering wheel. The first two are replaceable at reasonable cost with higher quality components.

Engine

• When buying a used 3000GT/Stealth, engine maintenance is an important item. While the 6G72 is a robust engine, the 60,000/120,000 mile service is a must for these cars. This service includes the timing belt, timing belt tensioner, water pump, oil pump (every 120k miles, ideally sooner), and a few more items. Check our 60k/120k list for full details. This service costs about $1000 (including parts) from a dealer, or about $500 in parts to do it yourself. This is critical to the car’s longevity. If the service has not been done, be sure to set money aside to do it right away.
• Turbos tend to begin failing at 100,000 miles-150,000, even with proper care. The stock 9B turbos are small, spin very fast, and generate a LOT of heat. A good used pair will run you about $300-400, or you can do a basic upgrade for about $1000 excluding necessary fuel system modifications. The stock boost gauge is worthless and does not reflect true boost pressure. The most accurate way to check on the turbos is to remove the intake to check for shaft play. You can also remove the intercooler piping and Y-pipe to check for excessive oil. A thin film is normal. Lastly, when under heavy acceleration or deceleration, keep an eye out for smoke coming from either under the hood or out of the exhaust.
• Before you start the car, open the hood and look for signs of leaks around the valve covers, oil cap, master and slave clutch cylinders, brake master cylinder. Use your handy flashlight to look for signs of heavy oil/dirt stuck to the oil pan. Quickly look over the intercooler piping and make sure all of the clamps are in place and there are no cracks.
• The cooling system is very effective when fully operational. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge inside the car, it should not go over the half-way mark on a healthy cooling system. Look for cracks in the hoses and fans, and damage to the radiator itself.
• Listen for belts squealing, this may be a sign that either the drive belt or power steering belt may be loose or worn.

Transmission

• Inquire about transmission service (when/if the clutch was replaced, when fluids were changed). If the owner has no records, you are taking a bigger chance, especially with a high mileage car. At stock power levels, the factory MANUAL 5/6 speed transmissions are durable provided maintenance has been done. Shifts should be smooth and not grind. A little notchiness can be addressed with high quality synthetic gear oils such as Penzoil Synchromesh, Royal Purple Max Gear, and Red Line MTL, MT-90. Automatics tend to fail sooner than their manual counterpart and will cost more to repair or replace. Pay attention to gear changes on acceleration and look for abnormalities. New parts for the 3000GT VR4 and Stealth R/T Turbo transmissions (5/6 speed) are VERY hard to come by and thus increasingly expensive.
• The 5 speed transfer case on 91-93 models has had a recall issued by the NHTSA because of a dangerously defective design. If the recall service has not been done, take the car to any Mitsubishi dealer to have the seals on the transfer case replaced. They are required to by law, unless it has already been performed on the car. This is very important for both your safety and for the car’s AWD system.
• The clutch pedal is naturally stiff, but should not require 400 lb leg presses. Note any slippage or engagement issues. Sometimes the problem can be as simple as adjusting the clutch pedal to replacing the clutch master and slave cylinders and the clutch fluid line, or having to replace the clutch itself.

Steering and Suspension

• If equipped, check on the electronically controlled suspension (ECS). It should default to “Tour.” If it is stuck on Sport or is flashing, there is likely a problem with the ECS system. The ECS computer in the hatch sometimes blows its capacitors, or the wires on the strut caps may become frayed.
• When driving the car, listen for any abnormal noises (clicking, clunking) in the suspension or steering. It should be tight and straight. Keep the window open to listen. Check on the power steering fluid.
• Check for curb damage on the wheels, amount of tread left, and even wear across the tire. Uneven wear my indicate alignment/suspension issues.
  

Electronics

• Look for any obvious warning lights in the main gauge cluster. If you need a guide on what a particular symbol means, look here. Check engine lights in 96+ models (OBDII) can be diagnosed at Autozone, or similar auto parts stores. Other years will need to be tested manually or by a dealer.
• SRS lights are rather common and can range from just needing to be reset by a dealer from the system voltage dropping too low, to needing new sensors or SRS module.
• Test out all of the gadgets such as the wipers, headlights, turn signals, brake lights, radio and antenna, keyless entry (if equipped), heated mirrors (if equipped).
• If looking at a 91-93 model, inquire about the ECU/ECM capacitors being replaced. They are prone to leaking and ruining the entire computer. This may cause mysterious hesitations in acceleration and fuel delivery issues.

Feel free to post a comment or contact me with questions at: wildarmz (at) gmail.com.