91 stealth issues what to look out for

Thinking of buying one.Es model 3.0.How reliable are they? This one has is a one owner 60,000 mile car.It has been sitting in a climate controlled garage for the last 12 years.What should I look for? I know it's due for a timing belt.How reliable are these for a daily driver?how hard to do a timing belt and how long

Manual transaxles can be troublesome. Especially if driven hard or engine has had any power mods.

the early 3.0 mitsubishi engine was known for dropping valve guides, which caused a smoking issue and oil usage.
as to the timing belt, i've only changed a couple over the years, but they were in minivans. wasn't a hard job, just time consuming.
while you are in there, change the water pump as well as any idler pulleys. [i can't remember if there are any in there like a 3.5 engine]
i don't know if the clearances are any tighter in a stealth vs a minivan. it might be a good idea to pull the hood just to see better.

We've had several Mitsubishi 3.0s in minivans, Dynastys and a New Yorker. If you're doing the timing belt make sure to replace the crank and cam seals too. Just did one one on my father's minivan that had been parked for 6 years because it was hemorrhaging oil. Told him to replace them when he had done the last timing belt, but didn't listen. Chrysler SOHC I believe are free running, but don't think the Stealth is (I think it has DOHC). Father's 278K and he never changed the plugs. I'd change them, but afraid to pull them at this point. Oh, Throttle body gunks up to too.

I've always wanted an R/T AWD and the more I researched it, the more I gave up on the idea. Problems just about everywhere you can think of in these cars that go beyond the drivetrain: early computer unreliability, electrical issues, and typical j4panese poor quality everywhere else.

A shame really, sits up there as one of the best-looking cars ever made.

Always liked the look of the Stealth but the majority of the ones I've seen on the road smoked noticeably at idle.

Mostly electrical gremlins . ESPECIALLY grounds

Only the 3.0 single overhead cam motors had the valve guide issues as far as I know. which usually causes to smoke at idle and 1st pulling away from stops once warmed up

The 5 spds are well known for axle seal leaks and the trans doesn't hold much oil so it only takes a small leak and the trans is toast quick

I’ve owned a 93 base model (SOHC) automatic for about 10 years now, but I stopped driving it about a year and a half ago due to getting a different daily driver.

It’s been a good car. It did blow a head gasket at about. 130,000 but that wasn’t hard to fix, and I did the timing belt prior to that but it’s only the SOHC.

Mechanical parts are cheap, body parts can be a royal pain to source...they just aren’t out there. Incredible handling and appearance for a cheap little car.
I put a 3000GT wing on mine cause I hate the banana!

Head gaskets. Not enough bolts in the right places to ensure torque.

I had a '93 ES as my first car. We bought it with about 70,000 miles and by the time I crashed it it had about 90,000 miles. Mine was at the mechanic every 6 months. The plastic would crack and window motors would go out. The car required 91 octane but even with that, my heads would tick. But my biggest problem was the heater core. Mine was cracked and was spewing coolant onto the windshield. They are very difficult to work on and there's hardly any finger room if you're going to work in the engine bay. Also parts are rare to come by. Mitsubishi doesn't provide many/any parts anymore.

I always wanted to do a V8 conversion on one of these. Even got so far as buying a '91 model with a blown engine and the associated factory manuals. After it sat for 6 years without me touching it, and I got tired of pushing it every time it needed moved, I finally sold it.

Sexy looking body style for sure! I wanted a all wheel drive turbo 5 speed.

IIRC the valve guides are famous for dropping out of the head. Then a bunch if not all of them had those silly optic triggered distributors.