I've heard a fair amount about DSMs I'm general being relatively unreliable vehicles, but I'm wondering if it's more about the fact that these cars are getting old now (my Laser is on its 21st year now) and everyone just wants to buy one and go fast. I've heard about people snapping timing belts andtrashing their head, but with unknown maintenance, the belt was probably gonna go due to age. I've heard of many people shearing synchros, but is this simply from shifting like an anus tart with an overpowered car with old tranny oil and slamming gears too hard? Transfer cases locking up on the highway with out any notice, when it's been leaking and running dry for miles.
In my mind, buying any twenty year old car opens the door for reliability issues, so get on the maintenance! I got lucky a few weeks ago. Alternator voltage regulator went awol, so I bought a rebuilt one and put it in. Fired my Laser up and it ran like a pile of crap. Checked compression and was around 145psi across, when cold, but turning it to top dead center and looking at the cam timing, showed the intake cam had managed to advance itself two teeth. Oh no. Got a pile of parts, changed everything and it runs awesome still. I had planned on doing the timing belts, and here comes my original question again. Unreliable or in need of maintainance after 20 years? I'm leaning towards maintenance and just not driving like a race car driver, until your ride is ready to go.