Good morning! Continuing with what might as well become a theme for the week, we have two visually-compromised but good-running cars for your consideration today. They’re both six-speed manuals, and they both have a patchwork of different-colored replacement body panels. But hey, beauty, or lack of it, is only skin-deep, right?
Yesterday I gave you the choice between a murdered-out Land Rover and a ute-ified Volvo. I was afraid the Swedish pickup was going to be too bork-bork-borked to win, but the idea of a 160,000-mile British car was even scarier, and the 740-minus-two-doors-and-a-trunk came out on top.
I’ve always like El Caminos and Rancheros, and the Smyth ute kits are just the coolest things ever, but I’m not entirely sure I trust a home-brewed job like that, at least not for that price. But an old Land Rover that runs well for three grand? I could have fun with that, as long as I don’t have to rely on it. It’s not often I choose Disco, but this is one of those times.
Cheap fast cars tend to live hard lives, especially at the hands of second or third owners. These two have obviously suffered some trauma, based on front clips that don’t match the rest of the car. One even has a rebuilt title. But they both run and drive well, and neither one has all that many miles on it. Let’s check them out.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT – $3,750
Engine/drivetrain: 3.8-liter overhead cam V6, six-speed manual, FWD
Location: Panama City, FL
Odometer reading: 126,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Mitsubishi’s Eclipse was once the darling of the tuner and street racer crowd, mostly due to its available turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive system. But when the third-generation Eclipse debuted with front-wheel-drive only, and a V6 engine in place of the turbo four, the tuners all but disavowed it. Their loss; the later Eclipses may be heavy and soft compared to the earlier ones, but they’re much nicer and more comfortable for everyday use. The Eclipse grew up, and when you grow up, you realize that speed isn’t everything.
This fourth-generation Eclipse GT is a two-door 2+2 hatchback coupe. Under the hood is a 3.8-liter version of Mitsubishi’s V6. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s no slouch, with 263 horsepower on tap. This one has only 126,000 miles on its odometer, and the seller says it runs and drives well. It’s for sale by a dealer (an RV dealer, no less) so any information beyond that is going to be hard to come by.
It looks all right inside, just a little worn and scruffy around the edges. The GT version included a big stereo, power windows and locks, and air conditioning. Sadly, the one thing that the seller says does not work is the AC, which I imagine is a deal-breaker in Florida. But sometimes, believe it or not, it actually is just something simple.
The exterior is where this car needs help. It has obviously been involved in a front-end collision, which resulted in the hood and nose being replaced by parts from a black car. The ad says the title is clean; I don’t have a Carfax account so I can’t verify that, though I’m beginning to think it’s not a bad idea for this job. The roof looks like a different color as well, but I think that’s just what this orange color looks like when the clearcoat is gone. The left front fender has a huge dent in it as well, but there’s a replacement fender in the trunk, in silver. Oh well.
2015 Ford Fiesta ST – $3,995
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 1.6-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, six-speed manual, FWD
Location: Charleston, SC
Odometer reading: 108,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Ford did American small car enthusiasts dirty when it came to the Fiesta. We got the first generation, but only until the Escort came along, and never the cool XR2 version. When the Fiesta returned to the US after a thirty-year drought, we didn’t get the three-door hatch, only the five-door and a stupid-looking four-door sedan version, most of which were hobbled by the appalling PowerShift transmission. At least we did get a version of the Fiesta ST, complete with the turbocharged engine and proper six-speed manual.
The 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine in the Fiesta puts out 180 horsepower normally, but can bump that up to 197 for short bursts. Since all that power goes to the front wheels, it has a fancy electronically-controlled differential and electronic stability control. The stability control has an “off” setting, which I think might be why this ST ended up the way it is. It obviously hit something, and hard enough to brand the title, which means the airbags probably went off. How well it was put back together, we have no way of knowing. The seller, a dealership, does invite prospective buyers to get a third-party inspection, and I highly recommend it.
The ST comes with cool Recaro seats to hold you in place around corners. They look like they’re in decent shape, just grubby. The airbag warning light is on, which I assume is related to the wreck, but it also brings into question the quality of the repairs. This is definitely one of the cheapest running Fiesta STs you’ll find, but there are a lot of questions that need answering.
For instance, how did the hood and both front fenders end up damaged. but not the bumper? Or did they find a replacement red bumper, but have to settle for black for the other parts? Or are those cheap aftermarket replacement panels that are just primed in black? And what, exactly, happened to this car, both in the wreck and afterwards?
Banged-up cars like these can sometimes be good deals, and sometimes nightmares waiting to happen. And it’s hard to tell which from a few pictures on the internet. But sometimes you can get a gut feeling about a car. What is your gut telling you about these two?
Fiesta, only after an inspection. Other than that a nice schwinn would be my choice
Ugh, Neither.
This. I’m not paying 4 grand or so for something that’s been in a crash.
Fiesta as a potential track/autocross car once I replace the smushed cone air filter.
I actually kinda like that model of Eclipse, and the lack of guts might mean it’s been beat less (…might…). Pretty high prices on both for what you’re buying, though. As rally projects, for half as much, they’d both be fun.
I generally avoid branded titles and cars that have been beat to snot. However, those of you who know me also know that I am completely, utterly, and irrationally in love with my 2018 Fiesta ST. Admittedly I purchased mine new so all the abuse it has suffered has been at my hands, but it has been virtually perfect the entire time I have owned it. I had to reboot Sync3 – once – and it never came with a passenger grab handle from the factory by design – and… that’s it for issues. I’m at eight years and 45,000 miles with no signs yet of Ford quality being job whatever jumping up to bite me (knock on wood).
There is no way a nose-heavy FWD GT can compare with the driving pleasure of a Fiesta ST. I have often likened the FiST to having a devil on each shoulder not whispering, but shouting in my ear do it! Doooooooo iiiiiiiitttt! You will be hard pressed to find an affordable machine that corners so beautifully and rotates so much better than any FWD has a right to, neutral to a bit of oversteer at the limit and communicating ever so precisely when you’re at the limit. You will experience sheer joy on freeway ramps and tight, twisty roads that will spoil you for life.
Legend has it that the Miller Motorsports Park instructors who ran the program for people who bought FiSTs, FoSTs, and FoRSs preferred the FiST for their own enjoyment.
I wouldn’t trust this particular example as a daily driver in a million years; the right fate for this one is autocross and track days until it dies, and it will be glorious.
Where’s the “sharp stick to the eye” option?
I know we are in the strange days era of used car pricing, but no fucking way on either of these.
That said, in the spirit of SBSD, I chose the Mi-u-b-hi simply because it is cheaper. Although in retrospect, you could probable recoup more more by parting out the FiST. But then I would have to deal with people who drive, and break, and cheaply repair FiSTs.
The Eclipse of Many Colors is peak Florida Panhandle. It’s probably looked exactly like this since about 2007.
These are terrible decisions, but at least the Fiesta will be fun until it inevitably blows up/falls apart.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a negative review of the Fiesta ST, so I’ll take it for zipping around town and the twisty back roads that lead me home.
As a previous owner of both 1G and 2G AWD DSMs I’m confident in saying that no Eclipses were made after 1999. So I guess I’m voting for the Fiesta since the other option doesn’t exist.
It is a neither day. I am not an overconfident cheap 18-23 year old under-informed delusional boy.
so you’re a… unconfident cheap 18-23 year old under-informed delusional boy?
I see both of theses as potential rally cross builds, and so I went with the cheapest by default. I don’t like these Eclipses, so I won’t feel bad about hammering it around on the dirt so it can live it’s best third life. As a bonus, its already too thrashed to ever be nice again, so I won’t be afraid to send it, as often and as hard as possible.
I owned a Fiesta ST for about 8 months before it was totaled while innocently sitting in a parking lot. I replaced it with a Golf R because my partner thought it was too small and bad in the snow. The Fiesta was far more fun to drive than the Golf. For the price, and if it runs “fine,” it would be a complete hoot to thrash around.
Wrap it and send it
A beat up high mileage small engine turbocharged car seems pretty terrifying, actually.
Bought a beat up six speed,
In a secondhand store,
Didn’t know how to shift it,
But he knew for sure!
(The only thing I know for sure is you wouldn’t find me lighting my money on fire for either of these)
Bravo sir!
And quick question because I see you in the comment section here on Autopian a lot and I am guessing you’ve had some fun cars over the years. If you had to have one fun car <$20k in addition to a daily driver do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
Yep, MR2 Spyder without reservation.
Lighter than a Miata, mid-engine + Toyota reliability, as much fun as you can cheaply have on four wheels, as long as you don’t need to transport any more than one person or any stuff at all.
I had one, sold it, regret it, and off and on shop for them all the time. $20K would get you a top notch example.
Thank you for the reply! MR2 Spyder was on the list, along with Miata and the spicier option a 04-06 GTO
I never owned a GTO, but I had a G8 and an SS and the Holden cars are awesome if you budget a bit extra for weird Aus-only parts occasionally.
She drove a rasberry Eclipse, I think I love her.
Woohoo! Somebody caught the reference. You, sir, are a gearbox hero.
I didn’t know if you guys wrote your own headlines or not, so I didn’t know who to credit, but nicely done.
Fiesta.
Having that Eclipse in my life would make me feel bad.
As the owner of a Fiesta SE with the handling package, 1.6 engine and a 5 speed, what I am seeing here is a reasonably priced source of parts interchange.
That makes it the winner of this bout for me.
Neither, but the I sat in a Fiesta once. Too low to the groundand to small for me to be comfortable. Eclipse wins by default.
One car is from Charleston, so it has probably been through a flood. The other is from Panama City, so you know it’s been underwater. Those off color panels? That’s black mold. I jest, but not by much. I decline both of these piebald mutts.
BHPH dealer near Tyndall AFB, Florida, or BHPH dealer near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina? As someone only a few minutes’ drive from what’s probably one of the largest BHPH clusters on the East Coast, today’s a day for the. e-bike.
Ideally neither. These have been hooned into another dimension and put away soaking wet. FiSTs in general tend to live hard lives. It’s very hard to find them with clean titles, and it’s a real shame because they’re neat little cars that weren’t fully appreciated until they were killed off.
That being said if I have to pick one I’m going with the FiST and making it into a cheap track rat/autocross build. I’d put a roll cage in it, take out as much weight as humanly possible, and beat the piss out of it on the weekend until it leaves this mortal coil. It would be a fairly dignified end for the little fella, riding eternal, shiny and chrome. I wouldn’t worry about track insurance or using the very best consumables either.
For under 4 grand who gives a shit? If you get 5-10 good HPDE or autocross sessions out of it it’s basically paid for itself as far as I’m concerned.
That would be my exact plan for the Fiesta. As long as the accident didn’t bend anything important frame/front end wise, build it for the track or autocross or rallycross and thrash it till something gives out.
I’ll take the Mitsu and its “big block” V6, because this is a very fast car. It also uses a lot of parts-bin engineering, which will make repairs easier and less costly.
The Ford, on the other hand, will spend a lot of time relaxing in the garage on a set of jack stands, going 0-60 in never. And it’s very specialized engine is quite rare, making repair advice and parts rare as well.
there’s nothing specialized nor rare about the 1.6 Ecoboost in the Fiesta. Ford made a ton of those and shoved them in Fiesta STs, Fusions, Escapes and Transit Connects. The timing belt kit is the same as the regular Fiesta and the other vehicles mentioned. Timing belts are a breeze on these compared to a big V6 mounted in the wrong position.
My last Ford was a Bobcat. ‘Nuff said.
The Fiesta ST got my vote; while it looks like it was modded by someone on a budget (which is probably a good thing) it seems like it was wrecked much less severely and could be cleaned up quite a bit on the cheap. The Mitsubishi is considerably older, less desirable, and is 3 different colors. Not to mention the Fiesta has gotten rave reviews from the hot hatch community and would be less embarrassing to drive while repairs and maintenance were getting caught up on.
I voted Eclipse. Neither is particularly appealing to me, so I went cheap.
Agreed.
Cheaper and clean title, maybe. I’d rather have an ST, but not THAT ST.
They may both be in rough shape, but at least the Fiesta started out as a good car.