- Builder Jake Plender transformed his daily-driven Mitsubishi Mighty Max into a nearly 500-horsepower hot rod.
- This engine is a modified version of the 4G63T found in many Mitsubishi models.
- Plender’s goal is to run a quarter mile in the ten-second range, which would be a 100 percent improvement over the truck’s original time.
Mitsubishi needs a redemption arc here in America. The automaker once focused on performance now makes five versions of basically the same crossover. However, there was a time when Mitsubishi made exciting machines.
Jake Plender remembers those days. In fact, he is reminded daily of the good old times possible at Diamond Star Motors. You see, Plender took an old Mighty Max pickup truck and transformed it into a fire-breathing example of past Mitsubishi glory, producing nearly 500 horsepower.
We were curious about this project – after all, who makes a rocket ship like this out of Mitsubishi’s compact pickup truck? So we reached out to Jake to see what it was all about.
Mitsubishi Mighty Max Evo
Photo by: Jake Plender
manufacturing process
Plunder won’t go so far as to call it the Mighty Max Evo, but we’d be happy to do so. That’s because the 4G family engine under the hood is shared with many of the greatest hits in Mitsubishi history. The list includes the Galant, the Starion, the Eclipse, the Montero, the Pajero, the FTO and yes, the Lancer Evolution.
This Extra Mighty Max uses a bottom end built from a 1991 Eagle Talon, an HX35 turbocharger from a diesel-powered Dodge, and DOHC heads from a 4G63. On pump gas, Jake says the truck delivers about 420 hp, but can crank out about 500 hp on E85.
Plender says, “When I bought the Mighty Max in 2015, hot rod building was not my original goal. I just needed a reliable runabout while my daily driver was down, so I found this 1989 2WD Texas truck with 75k miles on Craigslist for $1,500.”
“The truck was temperamental and repeatedly tripped me up. While researching the original engine, I learned it was part of the “Sirius” engine family, similar to the 4G63T found in the Eagle Talon and Mitsubishi Eclipse. The ‘aha’ moment came when I realized I could bolt a DOHC 4G63 head onto the original block. After seeing what those engines could do in my friends’ Evo 8s, that The idea of putting power into a light mini truck became a passion. I eventually sold my second vehicle, and the Mighty Max became my primary project.”
Photo by: Jake Plender
There’s a lot more going on here than a simple engine swap. The gearbox comes from a Toyota Supra, which required significantly more cabin clearance to fit. It comes with a Ford 8.8-inch limited-slip rear end, Sparco seats inside, and a sleeper-style roll cage in place.
Jake Eagle uses an AEM ECU and digital dash mounted in the engine harness from the Talon donor car.
‘This was a budget-conscious, ‘all go, no show’ build, so most of the parts were obtained second-hand over time.’
What’s next for the mighty Max?
Like any proper project car, this one is still a work in progress. Since turning in the truck, Jake says he’s upgraded the intake manifold, fitted a larger throttle body, and added more under-hood heat management.
The next step for Plunder and its wicked Mighty Max Evo? Fast passes on the drag strip. His current goal is to run the quarter-mile in ten seconds. Considering that the Mighty Max was originally able to run in 20 seconds, this is an impressive improvement compared to stock performance.
“As long as I’m banging gears and making passes with a smile on my face, that’s the most important metric to me.”
Mitsubishi could learn a lot from that last part about making people smile. With the pending arrival of a new Montero, and even more in the works, hopefully that’s exactly what he has planned.
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Source: Jake Plender
