Need Help Bad Newbie Trying 2 Surviv!!e!!!

[lansingyardie]

Well....I've always been into import cars like Honda and Toyota power.Recently I was with my cousin and he purchased an 91' eagle talon tsi and his room mate has a 97' eclipse gsx.They convinced me to stray from my JDM roots and look into DSM power for my first car.The DSM I want is a 2g eclipse Gsx or Gst 5 speed.I'm turning 16 this august and have 4500 saved up. It made sense to go DSM because an integra gsr is around the same price give or take,but the DSM is allot faster for a lot less money or mods.
I was just wondering what should I look out for while purchasing a DSM and should insurance be super high because I'm young and have a turbo car?Also I've been getting very nervous because I've been hearing about crank walk,and reliability,is that anything to worry about?I'm still young and i don't want to put allot of money into repair work.
P.S
I'm not some young ricer

the blue talon is my cousins friend

 

[BigSorn]

look for something that has been taking car of, maint records, ect.

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

Things to look out for when buying a DSM are typically the same things to look out for when buying any car. If the one you're looking at is modded take extra caution while looking at it so it doesn't look like they screwed the car up really bad. And don't get ahead of yourself and get convinced into buying a car just because of the parts it has. If someone is trying to push a car onto you because of a big turbo, it's more than likely covering up a bigger problem that you will encounter down the road.

Crankwalk typically happens in the 7-bolt engines more than the 6-bolt engines, but it could, or couldn't, happen to any of the engines.

And reliability is something that DSMs are notorious for lacking, but for reasons that are typically more related to the owners than the cars/engines themselves. The 4g63 is arguably one of the toughest engines ever made, but when someone stops taking care of it, it becomes very unreliable. As long as you do all your maintenance work and don't do anything too wild with your engine, you should be ok reliability-wise.

 

[TalonTsi31]

if you can find one that is "unmolested" aka un modded.
and one that is clean and well maintained. do all of you general maintenance first and make sure all stock parts are in good working order before modding.
i made the mistake of not doing this aka $h!t breaks.
also as far as your insurance i am just about 18 now and drive a turbo talon. so i can tell you first hand between premium gas and insurance make sure your job pays well. the insurance is high 1. your 16 2. your a male 3. your cars turbo 4. you have a high curb weight to horsepower ratio. which is what insurance companys price the rate of a car off of.
7 bolts or the 2g motors tend to have crank walk issues but if the motor has 100,000 to 120,000 and has never had it then it probably never will.
look for a 2g with a six bolt swap if you can since the 2g dsm's have one of the most safisticated and well built suspensions of there time for the money.
i got luckey and found a 2g w/ a 6 bolt swap and a 14b turbo.
also look out for oil leaks.if it does not have one then check if the oil is low
also listen for a lifter tick sound in the motor which is very common.
this is due to hydraulic lash adjusters (lifters) used in the DSM cars.you can find some solutions to the problem or quik temporary silencers. Some owners have found that changing oil has helped alleviate the problem. In the past, fingers have been pointed at very thin oils, such as 0W-30, which have been criticized for providing insufficient lubrication. Others have blamed synthetic oils in general, for being "too" good. Paradoxically, many people point to poor oil circulation in the lifters as the problem, or clogging of the oil passages from poorer quality oils. Adding more oil (thus raising the oil pressure in the car) may help fix the problem in some cases.
other than that check the car for exsesive wear on the inside or outside of the tire.
as our cars are prone to allighnment issues. so look for anything out of wack or loose in the suspention. and any balling on the tire itself.
if he lets you also pull off the intake and check the turbo for shaft play.
just stick your hand on the turbine and see if you can pull it in or out or move the turbine left and right any.
that means that the turbine has "shaft play" and will eventually need to be rebuilt.
here is a great site for common problems andd there fixes with our cars.
[Club DSM] Common Problems and Fixes
hope this helps and good luck with the dsm hunt

 

[voodoogsx]

You could go with a 4th gen mitsu mirage or colt and upgrade the motor. You get the best of everything, a decent car(it's got wheels), a sleeper, a turbo'd car and it's cheaper on the insurance. You wont be pulling as much tail, but you would still smoke the "other" folks... the only problem is finding them...

 

[hubz91talontsi]

Dude don't even worry about your insurance. Just stick on your parents plan until your 18. Im on my parents plan im 17..I pay $38 . Its almost a joke.

 

[Boost92awd]

Dude don't even worry about your insurance. Just stick on your parents plan until your 18. Im on my parents plan im 17..I pay $38 . Its almost a joke.

Yeah you have a 1G though. 1G insurance is very cheap because are cars are so old. I'v been told before from the isurance people that 2G insurance is rediculously high. I guess insurance for a 2G eclipse is the same as a Porsche Boxter. But insurance is all going to depend on your driving record. You being 16 years old and wanting a turbo car get ready to get pulled over, your young and are going to make some stupid decisions we've all been there.

 

[snowborder714]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/fre...estions/238710-dsm-used-car-buyers-guide.html

 

[TalonTsi31]

Yeah you have a 1G though. 1G insurance is very cheap because are cars are so old. I'v been told before from the isurance people that 2G insurance is rediculously high. I guess insurance for a 2G eclipse is the same as a Porsche Boxter. But insurance is all going to depend on your driving record. You being 16 years old and wanting a turbo car get ready to get pulled over, your young and are going to make some stupid decisions we've all been there.

my father owns an insurance agency G&G insurance.
trust me insurance is not cheap. even if you dont ever get pulled over or ticketed. you wont see a significant drop till you are 24 thats 8 more years!
the way you can get around that though is list on your parents policy. like this ......
we have my dad's miata my moms pacifica my sisters accord and my talon and my dads truck. welli amlisted as he primary driver for the truck soi still pay 900 a year full coverage on the truck.
were as my dad is technically listed as the main driver of the talon even though it is mine and i drive it every day.
this way i use my dads 30+ year perfect driving record and get great rates.
you are looking at a $h!t load a year if you list on your parents policy as the primary driver of your car.
and all cars are quoated on there horsepower to curb weight ratio.so the more horse power and the less weight of the car the high the rate. this allows themto put you into differant teirs. then they adjust that teir depending on driving record and age.
aka male+16+turbo+sports car= $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
not cool
also i am almost 18 now and have had my talon since 16. never gotten a ticket either or beenin an accident.
soi belive it soley is based on the driver.
i was pulled over once on a stero type(17 year old malein a loud fast looking car) forno front plate , but was just given a written warning.
so yes you will have to be very cautious because 6 mph over for a 30 year old male in a taurus= ok
16 year old male 4 mph over= ticket
so just be aware.
good luck with the dsm

 

[1gDSM4g63]

Dude don't even worry about your insurance. Just stick on your parents plan until your 18. Im on my parents plan im 17..I pay $38 . Its almost a joke.

I second take. I don't know the insurance rate for a 2g but for a 1g is small change and if you don't ricey it up cops in Calif. won't target me late at night.

 

[Andy5]

Really all depends on were you live, how good your record is, are you a good student, the insurance agency. When I was 16, I think i paid like $60... I'm 23 now and pay 110 for a 99.. But then agian I have a good driving record, but I have to pay for San Diego area which jacks my damn price up

 

[voodoogsx]

Really all depends on were you live, how good your record is, are you a good student, the insurance agency. When I was 16, I think i paid like $60... I'm 23 now and pay 110 for a 99.. But then agian I have a good driving record, but I have to pay for San Diego area which jacks my damn price up

I pay around 350 for the eclipse and thats minimal coverage. If I add anything to it, +200 here, +150 there...it's insane. I also pay close to 600 for my other car with full coverage(still paying on loan)...this is every six months, with a perfect driving record, in LA....and I'm over 30....I've been with the insurance company for the duration of my driving career, no accidents,1 ticket back in 98 or so.... WTF

...maybe it's IS time to move out of Ca.....or at least LA.....

 

[Locke]

There is a massive thread already on insurance rates.

 

[voodoogsx]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/17396-insurance-merged-10-6-a.html

after reading some posts, guess mine ain't so bad....

 

[knochgoon24]

My sister has an n/t eclipse and I have a turbo Talon. I pay less for insurance, even though I'm male and have a turbo'd car.

My only guess is that my her eclipse is 1 year newer than mine.

 

[phirn]

OK first things first, a dsm is basically a mitsu so it is a jdm im surprised noone caught on to that... and onto your question find out if its a awd or fwd and how many miles, this will affect the relaiblety. i bought mine with 87 thou and i now at 102 thou and i have had to replace the clutch( my fault for being a noob to manual) my tranny( ###### also form being a noob and buying it from a fellow noob), and my transfer case bearing just went but...i won't lie its more than worth i have a 92 awd turbo and its fun as hell to drive, and fixing it isnt to bad if u have a couple of good friends and a decent tool store but hey just my opinion thou but ive driven maybe one car i like better and that would happen to be a evo yeap.... most of my friend who have 2nd gens got lucky and we allw ent ot chekc them out only one has any really potenitonal for crank walk( others have already been rebuilt to fix problem)...... so yea just ben ready for anything.... you could buy one that was in storage from the day it was bought and it could still have problems

 

[TalonTsi31]

OK first things first, a dsm is basically a mitsu so it is a jdm im surprised noone caught on to that... and onto your question find out if its a awd or fwd and how many miles, this will affect the relaiblety. i bought mine with 87 thou and i now at 102 thou and i have had to replace the clutch( my fault for being a noob to manual) my tranny( ###### also form being a noob and buying it from a fellow noob), and my transfer case bearing just went but...i won't lie its more than worth i have a 92 awd turbo and its fun as hell to drive, and fixing it isnt to bad if u have a couple of good friends and a decent tool store but hey just my opinion thou but ive driven maybe one car i like better and that would happen to be a evo yeap.... most of my friend who have 2nd gens got lucky and we allw ent ot chekc them out only one has any really potenitonal for crank walk( others have already been rebuilt to fix problem)...... so yea just ben ready for anything.... you could buy one that was in storage from the day it was bought and it could still have problems

sorry noob but i dont consider my eagle talon that was made by DIMAND STAR MOTORS in america jdm.

 

[phirn]

OK so u consider your mitsubishi produced car from bolt ot bolt unless you have a 420a engine a domestic car? Even thou they were designed and built over seas.... ooh do me a favor next time u look under your hood till me what stickers are on your firewall? And have you seen the stamped mitsubishi seal in your engine block or your tranny? Ok and just so u know every part number is a mitsubishi part number, yea I'm the noob shut your mouth

 

[EclipseTical]

OK so <s>u</s> YOU consider your mitsubishi produced car from bolt ot bolt unless you have a 420a engine a domestic car? Even <s>thou</s> THOUGH they were designed and built over seas.... ooh do me a favor next time <s>u</s> YOU look under your hood <s>till </s> TELL me what stickers are on your firewall? And have you seen the stamped mitsubishi seal in your engine block or your tranny? Ok and just so <s>u</s> YOU know every part number is a mitsubishi part number, yea I'm the noob <s>shut your mouth</s>

I wasn't aware that Normal, Il was now an overseas territory and no longer part of America...

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) Manufacturing Division
Type Subsidiary
Founded October 1985
Headquarters 100 N. Mitsubishi Motorway, Normal, Illinois 61761

<A HREF=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond-Star_Motors>Source</A>

 

[phirn]

I stand corrected excuse for thinking that jsut because mine was that yours was too, i apologize for that, but that besides point, to think that a car designed by jdm company was a domestic regardless of the badges i do apologize for my alck of knowloedge on where they where produced but too think that these dsm are domestic cars is just plain stupidity

 

[Twistaye]

Well I don't think insurance is too bad, then again it's where you live and what company you go through. My insurance probably isn't too bad because I'm military and go through USAA. I pay $51 a month for the full coverage in NC. The best bet would be to look around at all the different insurance companies. You can go ahead and price your insurance before you buy a car with just the make/model/year they should be able to get you a ballpark estimate, go around and get some quotes.

Everything else was already mentioned so I'm not really going to say anything over again, I'll just re-emphasize one word:

MAINTENANCE!

Good luck bro and hope you find what you want

 

[tkelly27]

, that's kind of strange to hear from a guy who is driving a Plymouth : D It's a joint venture between Chrysler and Mitsubishi, so it falls somewhere inbetween. Yours was made in the USA too! I don't think they even sold Plymouth's in Japan... It can't be JDM if it's made in America, it's ADM then.

My g/f works for an insurance agency. If you get liability only, it's all the same price from a Ugo to a Vett. As you start adding options where they will have to pay for your stuff when you wreck it, they start taking who you are and what you drive into consideration. Generally speaking, the word turbo ups the price.

Go with a 1g!! $4500 is going to get you a lot further with a 1g than it will with a 2g. Or a colt, cool as crap!

Also, I don't know if I would recommend a turbo DSM as someones first car, at least not their every day driver. I don't know you, or how long you've been driving, or this that or the other... whatever, why would you listen to me? All I'll put out there is that I have a few friends from high school who thought their cars were hot s* and now (5 years later) they are still taking the bus or getting rides from their g/f's. You're not them, but the loud pedal temptation is much greater when it comes with a turbo whistle.

Since you're asking for advice and there's nothing stopping me from giving it... Knowing what I know now, at 16, I'd go ahead and get a well worn 1g 5speed for $1k or less. Add $500-750 in maintenance/upgrades and if you're smart you'll have a car that can pretty easily do 13's, maybe 12's if you are a great driver. You will have 3k leftover to buy a decently cool DD. Drive the DD every day, take the 1g out on the weekends for drives, go to the track and race, and when you've really got a feel for what it's going to do, you can go balls out on something else, or sell the DD and buy a big 'ol turbo for the 1g. Not the coolest of options, but when your DD starts every day and takes you on 1000 mile road trips, and you are smoking $30k cars with a stock turbo T/E/L (AT THE TRACK!), you will be having a lot of fun in life.

That's my $0.02, do what you'd like : )

 

[Locke]

OP: Crankwalk in overrated. DSM's are as reliable as the owner wants them to be. Insurance will likely be higher than a similar year Honda, but is usually not bad. Everybody here has a different experience with insurance, and rates vary widely. Knowing this won't help you at all, just shop around and get some insurance quotes; it's really the only way to know.

phirn: JDM=Japanese Domestic Market.
DSM's were never sold in dealerships as new in Japan.
All DSM's in Japan are imported.
All DSM's were produced at the DSM/MMNA plant in Normal, IL USA.

Toyota is a Japanese company, does this mean Tundra pick-up trucks are JDM too?

 

[Aftershock13]

x'2 and x'2 again