Acquired All In The Name Of Nostalgia, A 1987 Lancer GT

3 min read

Nostalgia is not only defined as a sentimental longing for a period that reminds one of happy personal associations, it could also mean some wistful affection for the past. We all have had a fair share of things in life that we so badly want to own but we never did, as more urgent things need to be given priority. We learned to set aside those once significant aspirations and over time those desires were simply forgotten. But whether we admit it or not, given the opportunity, with all enthusiasm, we will all jump in to acquire this once forgotten dream, all in the name of nostalgia.

For Michael Compuesto, the Lancer Boxtype was the car he always had his eye on. It was the cool thing when he was in high school, and with a few twitches, this car can easily be hot rodded by the tuners of his day. While the squared appearance of the 80s automobile in general has not been the most popular design among many car aficionados, it was the shape of the boxtype that has fascinated Michael. But because there were more important priorities in life back in the day, Michael never got to own the Lancer Boxtype he always wanted.

It’s not surprising at all that Michael fell in love with the Boxtype. Of all the cars that came out in the Philippine market, nothing has come close to this Mitsubishi that came out from 1980 (technically 1979) to 1988 when it comes to fan base followers. It’s almost a cult. These cars came out as replacement for the aging A70 series and it’s everything the old Lancer was not. It was also the last of the rear wheel drive Lancers, and may explain why it has been the favorite among car tuners and aficionados alike from the time it came out until today.

Since the early 90s, Michael has been involved in the car culture. He loves going to cars shows as well as window shopping at the Motor City Showrooms in Santa Mesa looking for some nice rides. And because of his great interest in the Lancer Boxtype, he ended up owning not one, but three of them.

The car in feature is Michael Compuesto’s 1987 Lancer GT that he acquired in 2016 from Angeles, Pampanga. The car is still equipped with its stock 4G32 1600 motor with a single Aisan Carburetor, although the heads were ported and polished but the block was bored back to stock to accommodate standard pistons.

The car was then brought to Michael’s good friend Ramir Perea in Tanza, Cavite who owns JBR Motorworks and Restoration for complete body works and paint. Interior was kept stock and the audio entertainment comes from a period correct Pioneer KP500 hooked to 4 JBL speakers in the rear. To complete the restomodification, this Lancer sits on 15 x 7 Concept One Rims wrapped in 185/45R/15 rubbers. The small details of the restoration process were overseen by Michael’s nephew Franz Allan Barol.

With Michael’s busy schedule as a Medical Equipment Sales Executive, the car seldom gets driven, which was what Michael intends. The Lancer was always meant to be a weekend cruiser.