Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder – A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder

A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, who passed away earlier this month, was far more than a one hit wonder, but then, her Total Eclipse of the Heart was a huge hit, putting Tyler on the worldwide musical map – and then keeping her there. With Tyler’s connection to ‘Total Eclipse’ we went looking for an Eclipse owner and found one – as you might guess – at a local Cars and Coffee. We’ve referenced Mike Mahanay – with his vintage dirt bike collection – previously, but this is his first contribution. But then, it’s his first Mitsubishi! 

By Michael Mahanay – When I was in elementary school my best friend invited me to a birthday party that would unknowingly shape a large part of my life. His party was held at a movie theater, and the movie we saw was The Fast and the Furious. The film Instantly became my favorite movie, as there were so many cool cars to choose from! But the memory I garaged was Brian’s Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Since that day I have always wanted an Eclipse, but never really pursued one – I tended to lean towards more versatile/utilitarian cars. It’s also always been difficult to find a nice example that hasn’t been modified or ruined; I turned 16 in 2005, 5 years after the model was discontinued. And the turbo models always bring somewhat of a premium. 

Fast forward to today and cars are advancing at a rate that I believe far exceeds customer expectations and needs. Connected cars, subscription features, screens across the dash and for the passenger – things few buyers ever asked for. This led me to want to preserve my 2019 Honda Ridgeline. It’s a vehicle that barely has phone connectivity, and utilizes Honda’s tried-and-true V6 and 6-speed automatic. 

I decided to look for something to be a daily driver, but I didn’t want anything boring or standard; I wanted something fun and interesting but still simple. This basically narrowed it down to 90s Japanese cars, a perfect excuse to shop for an Eclipse. I got extremely lucky finding this car on Facebook Marketplace in Maryland, and messaged the guy about 20 minutes after he posted it. It’s in excellent condition all around, but had only done 30 miles in the last 5 years due to an elusive issue. After determining that it was a leaky throttle body seal the engine has been fantastic. It comes with Mitsubishi’s prolific SOHC 4G64 engine used around the world. It’s not fast but it is extremely reliable. Unfortunately, sitting for five years has not been good for the rest of the car, and I’ve been ironing out many small issues ever since. Still, I’ve always been in love with the way the Eclipse looks and I think I will always love it, running or not. 

And if it’s not running, I’ll rewatch the movie…