The DSM was never a tuner-boy icon like the nissans, supras and RX7s. Now that tuner boys have grown up and make more money they buy said cars. This is why said cars still command tons of money on craigslist. Ever see DSMs on tuner magazines? No, because for whatever reason the import people (thank god) never got on board.

The handful of DSM's I've seen around here within the past few years have all been NT's.. Sometimes, I'm a bit nostalgic and wish I still had my GSX but, in all honesty, that thing took more time from me than I'd be willing to invest these days. I suppose that I haven't hit my Mid-Life Crisis yet..

IMO value is creeping up. I for one will may a premium 5k+ for a MINT 1g that hasn't been hacked to death. Nowadays I think clean examples of the awd turbo DSM's can fetch a price comparable to an older WRX. Anyone else of the same opinion?

8716valver said:

IMO value is creeping up. I for one will may a premium 5k+ for a MINT 1g that hasn't been hacked to death. Nowadays I think clean examples of the awd turbo DSM's can fetch a price comparable to an older WRX. Anyone else of the same opinion?

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I agree with you, I bought mine for $5800 cause it was so clean and stock. Has 160k miles on the chassis but it was a one owner female owned car and has an engine and trans with 60k miles on it. Had some paint issues on the rear bumper and the ac wasn't working which is why I didn't pay $6500+

praisethelowered said:

I agree with you, I bought mine for $5800 cause it was so clean and stock. Has 160k miles on the chassis but it was a one owner female owned car and has an engine and trans with 60k miles on it. Had some paint issues on the rear bumper and the ac wasn't working which is why I didn't pay $6500+

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See! Worth it.

8716valver said:

See! Worth it.

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To him. How many of "him" are out there buying these things. If anything, the DSM market is dying off. It is dying off with the vendors that produce quality parts for us. I guess as long as china puts cheap copies on ebay, someone might pay for the short term thrill.

I am mad enough that most cosmetic parts are not available at all. When I heard Jack's stopped rebuilding transmissions (Thankfully he changed his mind) I was thinking that was one of the last nails in the coffin for me. The DSM market is only as good as the aftermarket support.

I have no idea why people think age increases value. It only increases pain in the ass. Small scale nostalgia has no part in economics. And that's what the DSM buyers are. A small pool of nostalgic buyers. That and cheapo modders who will drive their chinabay car into the ground.

IF (not when) DSM's go up in value, I am selling mine and buying a Supra/rx7/etc...

This why we should continue supporting vendors on this site. In addition to this, there are also some freelancers that have a deeply rooted devotion to the DSM platform and have offered some very high-quality custom parts. I cannot speak for all vendors, but some have provided parts that have been among the highest quality I have seen.
To name a couple recent ones:

• Custom brake kits
• 2g SS exhaust
• Wiring harnesses
• Intercooler pipe sets
• Braces
• Tubular frame/suspension parts

I never got why a pos hacked up S13 can fetch more money than a clean turbo DSM. They call it "drift tax" but I never got it. Every single one I've seen driving around locally has been primered, has dents/no body panels and rust. Can we just make up "DSM tax" or "speed tax" and raise the value of our cars?

I have noticed that (locally) the price of a clean DSM has gone up, nothing big though. Not sure if my cars' value has gone up or ever will, until then I'll just be taking good care of it.

Well the world record holder for fastest 4 cylinder all wheel drive down a quarter mile is a 2g....I've seen their value around the same for the past 5+ years but we'll maintained low miles one I've seen sell for almost 10. Who's know what the future will hold for the 90's DSMs but I'm keeping mine. It's my dream car!

value around here for a clean dsms is fairly high, but i see ppl trying to get high dollar for hacked ones too. whats worth it and whats not is all up to the individual purchasing one. i still think in 10 years or so youll see alot of the clean restored ones on here get good asking price.

240s piss me off. 14-15 years ago they were unknown and dirt cheap. then drifting took off and they became stupid expensive, get all hacked up, but still drive a high price. i sold a bone stock 92 s13 3 years ago, blown engine, dented front rocker and trashed interior, for $1500. i couldnt believe it sold as fast as it did either.
tried to sell my 91 tsi awd roller shell for 300, with the whole driveline and tranny, trashed motor and interior, and noone wanted it whole, just wanted to nickel and dime for parts off it, bitching the whole time. guess it comes down to whos looking at things and wants to spend the right money.

People saying dsms wont ever go up in value are wrong, any decent sports car that amassed a following will go up. Will dsm's ever be worth what say a mk4 supra, r34 gtr or FD RX7 not likely. Look at 240z's tho people never thought they'd be worth anything but they are...same with AE86's are getting stupid expensive (10-15k in my area) and they are not even that old. Mazda mx5's are another one, way over priced in my area but they are the most successful roadster ever made. Its no different the the 60' muscle cars people get nestalgic about, no way shape or form should they be worth half of what they are but the demand for thems there even with tons of them left around. Also look at that generation (our parents) thats big into 60's muscle cars, they had them growing up and imports werent near as proment in north america as they are now. Views have shifted in just a few short decades.
Hell when i sold my mk2 supra p-type i had 18 people in less then 24 hours chomping at the bit to buy it from me because theres so few around. Most of those people had them in high school or had friends that owned one. The exact same thing as the old school muscle cars.
Car you'll want to buy that will gain equity would be any Skyline, mk4 Supra, Honda NSX, S2000, 240/260/280z's, MR2, 180/240SX's, E36 M3 (will start to sky rocket in about 6ish years), EVO5-9, BMW E30's.....etc

tametalon92 said:

240s piss me off. 14-15 years ago they were unknown and dirt cheap. then drifting took off and they became stupid expensive, get all hacked up, but still drive a high price. i sold a bone stock 92 s13 3 years ago, blown engine, dented front rocker and trashed interior, for $1500. i couldnt believe it sold as fast as it did either.
tried to sell my 91 tsi awd roller shell for 300, with the whole driveline and tranny, trashed motor and interior, and noone wanted it whole, just wanted to nickel and dime for parts off it, bitching the whole time. guess it comes down to whos looking at things and wants to spend the right money.

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I hear you there! Hell in my area the rusted out ones with no engine or drivetran go for 2+k!!! I really wanted a s13 until i seen how stupid the prices were.

2gmitsueclipse said:

This why we should continue supporting vendors on this site. In addition to this, there are also some freelancers that have a deeply rooted devotion to the DSM platform and have offered some very high-quality custom parts. I cannot speak for all vendors, but some have provided parts that have been among the highest quality I have seen.
To name a couple recent ones:

• Custom brake kits
• 2g SS exhaust
• Wiring harnesses
• Intercooler pipe sets
• Braces
• Tubular frame/suspension parts

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THIS!!!! Some one needed to say it.

They have gone up in value around here. (Michigan/IL area). I believe that is due to the fact most are rotted out or rotted out and tore up. So if you want a nice, clean one, it's going to cost you. I used to be able to find them for less than $1000.... now non-running ones going for over $1000.

Here's a question for everyone in this thread: When was the last time you have seen a DSM in the wild that didn't belong to you or someone you know? I have seen two in the past 6 weeks, both non-turbo models. I can't remember the last time I have seen a turbo -and AWD- model. Even at the junkyard, sometimes there's a DSM or two but always base models. I'll admit I failed at turning my DSM into a daily but I do fire it up weekly and take it for a cruise around town always keeping an eye out for another. It does make it feel a little more special knowing you're driving something rare and knowing you won't see anything else like it.

Also here's a list someone threw together of cars that could go up in value, the 1G is on it
http://www.drivingline.com/articles...-should-invest-in-before-they-go-up-in-value/

It would depend on number of the cars in the U.S. a lot of things.
From my experience, I've seen the 1 g Plymouth laser go up price if it's A.W.D. with low miles and everything is perfect.
Last year there was one for 6k with A lot of people trying to out bid the next person.
It sold for 9.5k and only had 27k miles on it.
So if it's all perfect and you could store it properly than I could see it going up in price.
Probably by the time most of us are grandfathers and great grandfathers if you want to see 20k-30k.
And I would think the 2g A.W.D. would have higher demand in the future.
I will also say it depends on where you live in the U.S.
I bought a 2g in Idaho for $2k and in oregon it's worth 6k-8k in mint condition. According to my bank. My car has 112k miles and I bought it in 2009 with 106k miles in .
So in 8 years my Eagle Talon Ts-i A.W.D. M.T. tripled in value.
And all the 2g A.W.D. M.T. cars for sale in Eugene to Portland Oregon I've seen for sale have been $6+k with 140k miles or less and they all seem to need a few things fixed .
Just my input...

That's crazy, mine is AWD w/ MT and under 100k miles and I feel I'd struggle to get 3.5 for it (where I live). Good thing I never plan to sell it.

The only people willing to pay a price for these cars would be someone who regrets selling theirs years ago.
The DSM crowd was always different than the rest of the import crowd, at least around here in Toronto. I was even more different and stuck to my DSM in sheep's clothing, the colt.
For example, the dodge omni glhs. I have a friend willing to pay $10k. If it's in mint condition. Is it worth 10?
My colt is another example. Only and handful of people like me would ever buy another one. These are nostalgic vehicles.
I think the clean DSM that aren't heavily modified will be worth a bit more in years to come. But only a select few will pay the price.

I'm always looking for a decent AWD 1g 2g DSM in my area and now its no where to be found. Where three years ago they were everywhere!!!

I agree. Only a select few will ever pay it. Worse still is there is no aftermarket for non performance items. It is not possible to fully restore a dsm with new parts. The parts simply dont exist and probably never will.
I have a very clean 2gb talon 1 of 7 with cloth I terior and whe it starts to deteriorate I know I cant fix it. I stockpiled brand new 1g trim for years but lost it all in a tornado.

The car will only be worth what someone wants to pay for it. Hars for me to see what folks would pay for a Chrystlerbishi but they are paying it in some places I hear. Just not here in the Northeast! Once that early 90s tranny conks out or the 95 plus engine crankwalks theyll wish they did not pay such a premium. These cars dont compare to a SupraTT, FD RX7TT,Subaru STI 2.0 JDM,Acura Integra Type R,Acura NSX, BMW E36 M3 and dare I say 3000GTVR4 (GTO)nor Galant VR4 quality wise IMOP. Sorry about the blasphemy! Id pay the price for one of these if Im gonna be spending 6kplus. And I owned my 2g since 1999 and proud of it. 80k miles on her but with a 6bolt.

If i may chime in. And i know this thread is about a month or two old. But i was once in the dsm game and left. Only to come back again (hence this post) and what i have noticed was that before i left (2years ago almost 3) dsm's could be found dirt cheap (800-3000$) now i cant seem to find a single one (that is not a shell or complete) for under 6000$ but i will note that i have only looked up gsx and not gst. Regardless. Their price have gone up a good amount. And even if no one else cares for these in the future, that's ok with me. Because these cars are easy to work on, reliable (if maintenance is done) , and so much fun. The dsm (and evo) has ruined any other sports car for me. These cars are so cheap to make fast and theres always that special driver to car bonding that i just cant get with any other car. So even if this car doesnt end up to be sought after by many people thats ok. Because that means more spare parts for us to keep these cars running and passed on to our great grandchildren

Damn 6K I actually want to sell my 2G but I doubt I could grab that much for it. I noticed that they were cheaper a couple years ago too.

JDT said:

Good thing I never plan to sell it.

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Eating my words right now.

You get what you pay for largely. A DSM more than $5K will likely have mods or stock but maintained properly.I bought mine for $3K and easily have put $2K into it fixing shit