Buying a 94 Talon TSI AWD, what to look for?

[KramerScarcelli]

TSI AWD manual transmission 1994 talon....

after going through 2 ford probes, one being a turbo GT in less then 10 months, i figured i should pay more then 900$ for a car, and maybe actually receive quality

no rust, no leaking everyting, etc.

I was, under the advice of a few friends and some interest, looking into talons, lasers, etc, when i came across this site. wow. very helpful indeed! ok but this leaves me with a few basic questions.

1) in the first generaton series of talons, eclipses, etc, 1990-94, is there any major engine differences, im not talking sensors or wiring, but displacement, turbo size, etc. I assume slight differences are to be expected, but I just want to be sure before I drop 5 grand in a few days.

i read a thread about crankwalk 7 bolts and so forth but i thought i'd play it safe and ask directly.

Is a 90-91 better to mod then a 92-94? other then the turbo, non-turbo, and FWD and AWD versions of the cars.... are there any big differences, different trannys? calipers? rotors? cam shafts? anything? i recall reading an automatic has a different turbo then a manual transmission?

I did look but only found a model comparision guide that didnt have this info.

2) is there any "lemon" things i need to look out for? for example, 89-92 Probes, notorious for leaking tail light gaskets.... infamous for valve ticking, broken turbo exhuast manifold studs, stripped spark plug holes, etc.... I just need to know the comon things that go wrong, and not just "check tires", or "check engine", but "Check fuel filter" or "check master cylinder".... thats more helpful

great site, tons of info, ill be pouring over every thread and wont be posting any new threads anywhere but here until I really cut my teeth on these cars. I wont abuse the thread button or ask "how can i go 10's" either I promise

Thanks in advance all guys, gals and guru's

 

[mitsubluetalon]

your right about the different turbo in the auto than the standard. but other than that there hasn't been much difference in major aspects of the 90-94 years. the crankwalk 7-bolt engines are only used in second gen DSM's. so your safer in the first gen. i myself have owned a 92 AWD for about 3 years now and i do know enough about what to look out for.

the most notorious spot for rust on the first gen cars is right behind the outer marker lights on the quarter panel. there is a bracket there that attaches the front of the quarter panel to main body. this is the point you would want to look at to get an idea of how bad the rust is on the rest of the car.

as for the engine, and drivetrain, i've had some peculiar problems with the manual tranny before. a way you can check that the tranny is good is when you go for a drive, see how easily it shifts into first at a stop and when your downshifting from second. if it goes easy, then your tranny is near mint. also put it in reverse at a stop and listen for any grinding or clinking. these are the most notorious gears that DSM's have trouble with.

umm as for the engines, it really depends on what kind of a person drove it before, if the guy was hard on the car without treating the components right, you might look for if the head ticks, or blue smoke at idle or while driving, shifting etc. see if he changed the oil to synthetic, thats a positive. listen for the turbo while driving. feel if there is any hesitation. other than that i can't think of anything else.

the tranny is the weakest part of these cars, so i would mostly base my decision on buying the car on how well the tranny feels. and if the car has been abused, you will mostly feel it in the tranny. on AWD listen for any clinking as soon as you let off the throttle. the joints in the drive shafts tend to make noise if they haven't been taken care of.

Good luck and welcome to the Exciting world of DSM tunning......

Jason.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

the crankwalk 7-bolt engines are only used in second gen DSM's. so your safer in the first gen..

While crankwalk is less likely in a 1g 7 bolt engine, it still happens. Mine did at 92k miles.

The ideal car would be an early 92 with the 6 bolt engine and 4 bolt rear if your looking to go AWD.

Any 1g will be good to mod though. Do all maintenance first before any mods.

 

[Andrew415]

Is this talon in toronto? I have a buddy selling one in GTA, what colour is it? and how much is he asking?