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1997 Talon TSi AWD to Eclipse GSX Conversion, should I do it.

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DeathJunior

Proven Member
34
2
Jan 19, 2017
Springfield, Missouri
Alright so I'll start buy saying that these two cars were my first DSM's. I have wanted an eclipse GSX since I was 10 or so. These are my cars

I found an opportunity to pickup an 1999 eclipse 5 speed GS with the stock 420a 130k miles for really cheap. I expected some issues however, the previous owner had let it run with really low oil and killed atleast 1 rod bearing. Honestly I didn't care, and expected the engine to be fried when he told me the price. It runs and drives but its barely hanging on. Though has the full OEM GSX body kit, a perfect leather interior, and a really cool set of Rage Breaker Wheels that I just finished restoring and some new tires. The trans and AC work well and electrically its sound. It needs new rod bearings and probably a crank but otherwise the car is decent just needs some TLC. I have a freshly bored and polished block with a new crank I can use as well. There was something missing though, I didn't want front wheel drive I want all wheel drive and I want a turbo.

Two weeks ago I managed to get a hold of a running and driving 1997 Eagle Talon TSi AWD automatic with 233k miles. I drove 3 hours there and drove it 3 hours back. It runs and drives however either the engine is starving for fuel or its piston rings have gone beyond there service life. The likes to have its idle randomly spike when you put it in nuetral or park and after its gotten warm its idle bounces I haven't had time yet for a compression check but I'm betting its wayyyy down. Also it needs an O2 sensor and possibly a MAP sensor. The body is in really great shape but it could use a buff and polish and some new door window rails, and the windows are rattling so I'll need to fix that. It has a front mount installed and it came with a spare turbo, transmission cooler, timing belt, bunches of gaskets, and a full service manual. I drove it all the way home and parked it next to the eclipse and until I can work on them monday or wednesday there they sit.

So these are what I'm working with. At this point I have two options.


1. I can do what I want, which is swap the interior, exterior, and wheels from the eclipse to the talon giving me a GSX automatic (i'd prefer a manual) . I found a really solid 6 bolt block at my local pick and pull which already had ARP head studs installed. So I would be using the stock 2G head and reaming out the head bolt holes for the new studs and boring out the 2g intake manifold for the 1g throttle body. Then the usual wiseco pistons and manley rods. Then it will sit stock while I work on paint and turbo options. After that I can sell all the eagle parts since those seem to be in high demand and sell the eclipse with the 420a block and crank.

2. I can sell them both as is, and if I do I have no idea what I should ask or who to sell them to. If i sell them I'd hopefully be able to get a decent amount to put towards a real GSX LOL

So any opinions are really appreciated. I'd love to hear what you all have to say, dsm veterans tell me if this is a stupid decision LOL.

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Awesome, I was worried about having to swap the entire dash. Only having to swap the lower section makes it much easier to convert the black and tan dash to a black and grey dash.

As for its location. I'm in springfield missouri, the car made a 6 hour drive from just outside of Jackson Tennessee.
 
The 2GB talon does look good, but I do like the eclipse look. Mine is a 95 TSi AWD that I converted to the eclipse look (pictured to the left). I'm currently working on a build with my daughter on a 96 TSi AWD, but I'm going to keep it with the talon look for her. She likes it.
 
As for its location. I'm in springfield missouri, the car made a 6 hour drive from just outside of Jackson Tennessee.

Dang that means it was probably at least 6 hours closer to me before that trip LOL.

The 2ga talons are no where near as rare as the 2gb. There are probably more of them than eclipse gsxs of the same years. No worries swapping them over because they have side skirts covering the rockers and they can be easily converted back to a talon. Plus they aren't rare to start with. If you drill holes for skirts in the 2gb talon (it has no side skirts) there's no changing it back without significant repair.
 
That would make this a 2GB then? I'll be honest before doing some research I had no idea than was a 2ga and 2gb. I just hunted down the closest best prices AWD DSM 95-99 and I found this one. It runs and drives but it needs some mechanical work since its either running lean from what I can tell. If it passes compression check then I'll know its either plugs, wires, injectors, or the more likely thing which is fuel filter, I find fuel filters are neglected far to often, LOL. The interior is alright but it needs a lot of cleanup and it has the typical window issue they still move up and down but I'm going to have to do a lot of adjustments to make them sit right. The headliner is sagging but its something I'm used to and the oil pressure sensor connection needs to have a new connector recrimped on and a new pressure sensor added. However it ran reliably the whole 6 hours here its just down on power. The drive side fender is damaged from the ball joint failure but the ball joints been replaced and its not like these fenders are hard to come by. The front and rear bumpers are in good shape however the driver side tail light lense is seperating from the housing, nothing some time and a heat gun cant fix.

Honestly it would be so very much less work if it was a GSX to begin with, but I can't post in the classifieds yet and I've wanted a GSX since I was 10 LOL

I'm going to clean up the carpets and wash and wax the exterior maybe try and wetsand and buff it since the clearcoat needs some help. Then I'll probably post it back up on craigslist while I wait to get the title since I only have 2 days a week to work on it. Before I start the swap I'm going to do as much maintenance as possible. Once I've done all I can to get it running and set up right if I haven't sold it I'll start the swap. I'll start with wheel swap and lugs, painting the brake calipers while I'm at it. Then interior swap, carpet, seats, trunk, console, dash,redo the headliner and pillars in black suede leftover from my daily driver. I'm not sure on the airbag cover really. The body and engine work is last but front bumper and fender first then side skirts and rear. Once its all fitted I'll take it back apart and prime and paint everything below the black top red or silver.
 
Yes there is 2ga 95-96 and 2gb 97-98 talons. The 2gb eclipse goes 97-99. They each have their own unique ground effects. Any 2g a or b body can be converted to any variation of the ground effects.
The 2gb AWD talon is the rarest of all variations of DSMs including 1gs and Galant vr4s.
 
Alright so for the sake of things does that honestly translate into real world dollar value? Because I'm going to put it up on craigslist for 2000 once I've cleaned it up and take a reasonable offer if I receive one. Did the 2gb not have the side skirts?
 
The 2gb talon did not have side skirts from the factory.
Can't say for sure what you could get for it, but if it was more or less rust free, no major denting, and in a reasonably working condition I'd give you more than that for it.
I really wish you weren't 15 hours away.
 
Damn the love you guys have for this car is going to make me have to keep it this way. Dammit. Well I guess I can work on getting it back into the shape that it should be. Clean it up fix everything I can before I swap it. at this rate I'm going to wind up pulling the wheels and interior from the eclipse and keeping it a talon. Childhood dream is slowly being warped the more I see all of these talons and the more I don't want to kill it off. I'm an 06 pontiac GTO owner, I saved mine from the grave. Replaced the whole rear subframe and right quarter had to drive 9 hours there and back for a single special dealer installed wheel and due to that option, auto trans, and red color my car is 1 of 1. I hate destroying rare breeds and the more you guys point this out the more I'm going to have to delay a childhood dream car.

I guess it can't really hurt since every GSX has the high rise spoiler and the bumper anyway. I can always swap these wheels too a different eclipse down the road. Is the two tone tan and black interior particularly rare?
 
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Is the two tone interior in the talon? If so, I'm sure it is. There's a guy over on the link forums with the username JSMCPN that has made a registry for the 2gb AWD talon. Don't know if he's on here but you can find it on Google. If you submit the VIN he can tell you exactly how many there are like yours, that's where I got the info about mine I posted earlier.
 
Well I'd imagine that the dash and door cards being black and tan is standard which is what mine is, for me two tone means two tone seats but I don't really know. I'm new to DSM culture so I'm pretty much just diving in head first. I'd imagine this car isn't that rare but worth a shot. All I know at this point is whatever I do its getting these wheels since I've basically fallen in love with them LOL. The eclipse had a set of rage breakers in rough shape. Heres what I mean by rough.

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That bottom spoke is bare aluminum and the tire shop broke a center cap. I just wanted to put a set of cheap tires on it to get me by that way if they managed to flat spot on me I wouldn't be all that pissed off.

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Heres the same wheel with a lot of TLC with JB weld as body filler and solid coats of wheel enamel. Should take the punishment if the winter rims on my GTO are any example LOL
 
It's gonna be rare I promise you that. Lol Like I said there were only 2519 in total. It's easy to swap interiors though. And keeping it 100% original isn't really adding value with these kinds of cars.

Nice work on the wheels!
 
Black/tan interior isn't particularly rare in dsms. Half of the 97-99 eclispes I've seen have it. I'm not sure how common they were in the talons. I think the all brown interior was the hardest to find in the talons and blue leather for the eclipses.
 
What I would do is order and put an eclipse bumper on it, and if you have to eclipse head lights (I think the talon ones may work though) don't quote me on that.

Leave everything else alone and then sell it, *optionally put the best parts on that talon then sell it. Its worth more so the better parts on it the higher resale.

Or find someone that wants the talon look as is and just sell it.

Fix the gs and drive it, its cheaper is more reliable and will cost you less in gas. meanwhile save for a gsx.

Thats what I would do, they are YOUR cars so do what you are comfortable with. If you don't have access to a garage I wouldn't get into this yourself its going to be a lot to deal with in a parking lot.
 
Honestly I could but I pretty much decided after owning the GS that I really want the GSX, plus the GS's locks are annoying the key I have will only open the driver door and sometimes the trunk, it needs a cable in the door to fix the alarm going off when I open the door as well, the GS will need a new hatch or I'll have to weld in a nut on the air shock since the spot welded in nut broke out. Then it needs an alignment. All of this has to be done and thats not including the rod bearings it deffinetly needs and maybe a crankshaft.
 
For now its a a solid place to house the parts I want for the GSX or Talon swap. As it sits as I said earlier I'm going to being a solid checkup and maintenance procedure cleanup the interior and exterior and then I'll post it in the for sale add on here. If someone on here wants a 2gb talon for a reasonable price I'm up for it LOL
 
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