If there was a competition for companies who had the world by the balls in the 90s, and blew it the most by the mid 2000s, I bet it would be very close between Mitsubishi, Marlboro, MTV, and Monica Lewinsky. And Mitsubishi would take it. 

white galant VR4

The Galant VR4…

It’s hard to look back at this car & not think, “Dang man what the hell happened to Mitsubishi?!” They were on such a roll in the 90s. 

How many of us would buy this Galant VR4 brand new right now if that was an option? Hands? Shoot – the car could come with an already sun-warped dash & I wouldn’t even complain. 

90s japanese car

In fact – if Mitsubishi could just hit reset

And bring back their entire mid-90s lineup, I for one, would be totally ok with it. Although… in these times you know the 5 Mitsubishi dealers left in this country would have a field day with dealer markups. But hey – if it would help ’em finally fix their stained drop-in ceilings, I guess a little extra markup would be acceptable.

Yeah… the car industry is more broken than a 90s Mitsubishi. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. 

Galant VR4 16 inch wheels

Ryan Kepes is a 90s-Mitsubishi guy to the bone.

He’d been searching for a well-preserved Galant VR4 for sometime before he scooped this one up from some badasss granny. And with this car, Ryan Kepes wanted to keep the mods retro & respectful. He wanted to capture the energy of 90s Mitsubishi era. 

Galant VR4

 

For example… 

The 16G turbo stays true to the Galant VR4’s original soul. It’s quick to boost, and ultra squirty from light-to-light. Ryan built the engine & drivetrain, not necessarily to break records, but to be reliable & enjoyable longterm. 

JDM car

The VR4’s exterior…

Is subtly modified with JDM replacement pieces. Bumpers & various lighting components have been swapped to their JDM counterparts. 

Mitsubishi Galant VR4

The wheels….

Are a set of 16-inch powder coated Advan RC Rally & Dirt Trials. A perfect fit for this car. Suspension components & brake components have all been updated & upgraded. Everything has been touched, but it all stays within a tasteful, mild, nostalgic harmony. Trust me – that’s more difficult to do than it sounds lol. It takes a lot of discipline NOT to let a project run wildly astray from its original intent. Check out the entire modlist below. 

 

Text by Wooley   Photos by the man Brad Sillars

 

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Galant VR4 engine

Engine Upgrades:

6 Bolt motor bored .20 over NR 8.5:1 2G pistons and OE 1G rods

ARP head studs, rod bolts, and main bolts

264 Delta exhaust and intake cams

Evo 8 valve springs & retainers

Kiggly HLA

Topline 3G revised lifters

ACL oil pump

Balance Shaft and EGR deleted

Fluidampr harmonic balancer

3.5″ GM MAF with direct fit harness

ETS intercooler & 2G Elbow

Thermal R&D 3″ stainless turbo-back exhaust

Eprom ECU with ECMLink V3

Nightshift coil-on-plug ignition

Fuel Injector Clinic 1050CC injectors

255 Walbro fuel pump

Forced Performance aluminum intake & exhaust manifold

16G Turbo

Tial Q blowoff & MVS 38mm wastegate

Hallman Pro Manual boost controller

Mishimoto radiator with x2 slimline fans

Zaklee clear timing cover

Drivetrain:

4 Bolt rear differential swap

Rebuilt transmission & transfer case

ACT chromoly flywheel

Centerforce dual friction clutch

Stainless clutch line

White galant VR4

Suspension / Brakes:

Powerstop front & rear pads 

StopTech slotted rotors

H&R lowering springs

KYB struts

Custom rear adjustable control arms

Polyurethane bushings.

Whiteline rear sway bar

Bulfab tubular front crossmember with arms

Avid Tuning urethane engine and trans mounts

Cusco front & rear strut bars

Rebuilt rear subframe with poly bushings and RWS rack delete

Advan RC rally and dirt trials

Wheels:

16” Powder Coated Advan RC Rally and Dirt Trials

Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 205/50R16 tires

Galant VR4 JDM bumper

Exterior:

JDM front & rear bumpers

facelift projector fog lamps (JDM)

Eterna grille (JDM)

93 Galant clear headlight housings

JDM AMG amber corner lights

Carbon Fiber JDM vented hood

galant vr4 interior

Interior:

MOMO steering wheel

JDM dash mat

JNZ clutch pedal assembly

Custom VR4 floor mats

VR4 lighted leather shift knob

Ortiz custom gauge pod with AEM wideband & Autometer vac/boost

HKS turbo timer

6.5” Alpine Type R rear deck speakers

5.25” JL Audio front speakers

Pioneer headunit

90s mitsubishi