Underrated Autos
Thread Starter
Word..aight then!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 104
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From: Winchester, Va.
Underrated Autos
I am just curious as to how many people have decided to modify a vehicle that not everyone else owns &/or modifies. For example like me, I have a 91 Isuzu Impulse RS which is an AWD turbo beast! Lots of stuff about this car just isnt widely know. Like stock Lotus tuned suspension & the fact that Lotus built a car in the early 90s (Elan) that sported the exact same Isuzu engine my car has. Just like the Lotus Elise now has the Toyota Celica GTS engine with a few ECU upgrades. My Impulse is light weight with a 1.6L DOHC engine. More challenging I know, due to hard to find performance parts & basically fabricating everything, but it has been done. I have everything from a Standalone fuel management system to custom turbo & downpipe & much more. Anyways, anyone else out there got something a bit out of the norm...
TC.
TC.
Racetracks
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,668
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From: How long is a piece of string?
Re: Underrated Autos
I remember those cars, my buddy had one of those in 1995 or 96. It was falling apart by then, everything on the whole car rattled. Build quality was crap it looked like. Seemed like a fun car, although not very quick or very nice to look at. Why it was falling apart I don't know, he never did any mods to it or anything like that.
Isn't that car a rebadged Geo Storm?
*EDIT: Found it, thanks Wikipedia!
That would explain the build quality..
Isn't that car a rebadged Geo Storm?
*EDIT: Found it, thanks Wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_Storm
"The Geo Storm was a rebadged version of the sporty Isuzu Impulse minus some of that car's more expensive features. The Storm and the Impulse were sold in Japan as the Gemini Coupe[1]. The Storm lacked the Impulse's Lotus-tuned suspension as well as the Impulse's optional turbocharger and all-wheel drive drivetrain. Although they were essentially the same car, sales of the Storm were much stronger than those of the Impulse—indeed, the Storm sold better than most small GM cars of that era. Slow sales of the Isuzu version doomed the Storm as when the Isuzu Impulse was canceled, the Geo Storm derivative had nothing to be built from, meaning both cars were discontinued in 1993".
"The Geo Storm was a rebadged version of the sporty Isuzu Impulse minus some of that car's more expensive features. The Storm and the Impulse were sold in Japan as the Gemini Coupe[1]. The Storm lacked the Impulse's Lotus-tuned suspension as well as the Impulse's optional turbocharger and all-wheel drive drivetrain. Although they were essentially the same car, sales of the Storm were much stronger than those of the Impulse—indeed, the Storm sold better than most small GM cars of that era. Slow sales of the Isuzu version doomed the Storm as when the Isuzu Impulse was canceled, the Geo Storm derivative had nothing to be built from, meaning both cars were discontinued in 1993".
That would explain the build quality..
Last edited by Fabrik8; May 30, 2008 at 07:20 AM.
Thread Starter
Word..aight then!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 104
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From: Winchester, Va.
Re: Underrated Autos
SRT-4 Neons may be out of the norm in 20 years, but not now. ;-) Now if you said Neon ACR then maybe but not your car. Also, & this should be common knowledge, any car that isn't taken care of will start to fall apart! I have seen more crappy & rattling Hondas than Impulses. Why do you ask? Because there are more Hondas out there than my car. You follow me? Only 800 imported to US. Also the sticker price in 91 was $17K versus whatever the other small subcompact cars went for. Pretty pricey car back then due to Lotus affiliation. My car isn't falling apart at all. Is in pretty decent shape for a 91. As far as being slow, LOL not even in the same zip code as slow. With the stock 5 psi & little turbo, yeah the cars were modest, but not slow. My car is FAR from stock. Sounds like your buddy Fabrik got one that just had a rough life man. With no mods & a rough life, I bet the car needed some love. My Impulse is far from the car you described. As for the looks, everyone has there own taste. I love the way it looks, especially the round head lights when the car is lowered to the ground...
Oh yeah, someone asked if I was accentman or something. No I am not him.
TC.
Oh yeah, someone asked if I was accentman or something. No I am not him.
TC.
Thread Starter
Word..aight then!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 104
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From: Winchester, Va.
Re: Underrated Autos
I know all about the heritage & where the car came from. I also had a GSi Storm & installed the Lotus Tuned suspension on the car & everything. The reason the cars didnt to so well is because they were very expensive. Quality isn't an issue & I know this because I have owned them. Mine rarely break down. I will tell you this, my stock buttom in can hold 400+horsepower which isn't too bad for a 1.6L. The engine also is very high revving. Stock red line is 7200 for turbo cars & 7800 for nonturbo cars.
I started this thread to see who else out there has a vehicle that they have or were building on that isn't seen everyday. Somehow we are way off topic from that. I love my car & know what it can do & I guess the only way anyone else will know is to see me at the track or on the streets. Plain & simple as that. This whole "trial member" label is temporary, that will change with time. I am new here but that is about it.. :-)
And no the Storm (came in the 1990) is a rebadged Impulse (been around since early/mid 80s)
TC.
I started this thread to see who else out there has a vehicle that they have or were building on that isn't seen everyday. Somehow we are way off topic from that. I love my car & know what it can do & I guess the only way anyone else will know is to see me at the track or on the streets. Plain & simple as that. This whole "trial member" label is temporary, that will change with time. I am new here but that is about it.. :-)
And no the Storm (came in the 1990) is a rebadged Impulse (been around since early/mid 80s)
TC.
Last edited by ISUZUPERFORMA; May 30, 2008 at 07:43 AM.
Thread Starter
Word..aight then!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 104
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From: Winchester, Va.
Re: Underrated Autos
(this is for Fabrik)
There is one pretty weak link about my Impulse. The stock IHI turbo. It is small. Oh, wait a second, isn't that the same type of OEM turbo on your Subaru? Yeah, yours is bigger, but since we were talking about quality. Your car uses the same turbos as mine. The good news is I have done away with my IHI turbo, have you? :-) If not, the predecessor of your turbo is my low quality IHI...
Happy boosting!
There is one pretty weak link about my Impulse. The stock IHI turbo. It is small. Oh, wait a second, isn't that the same type of OEM turbo on your Subaru? Yeah, yours is bigger, but since we were talking about quality. Your car uses the same turbos as mine. The good news is I have done away with my IHI turbo, have you? :-) If not, the predecessor of your turbo is my low quality IHI...
Happy boosting!
1.6L Elitist
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,207
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From: NOVA
Re: Underrated Autos
If you wanted a thread about rare/random cars you could have said: "Who has a random car? I have an 87 Impulse." Instead you pretty much have spent the last 5 posts blabbing about your car.