Buying a GSX, alot of build up on undercarriage, need opinions...

[AngelOfPassion]

Hello guys, I am looking at buying a GSX and was hoping to get a couple of opinions.

First, underneath the engine there is alot of buildup of what looks like dried oil or whatnot(see pics below)... it seemed like a bit much to me, but then again underneath my 420a isnt the prettiest sight either... if you think this is serious let me know

Second, the last "GSX" i looked at was actually a gs-t so i snapped a couple pics of the drivetrain after searching the forums a bit. Is this the "Box" they mention by the exhaust?

I'm new to the turbo model so any opinions you guys have about this one let me know, everything else on the car looks good. I have driven it twice and seems to run alot better than mine, 160,000 miles with no turbo or engine rebuild. The clutch feels a little soft but he said that he has never replaced it so i am willing to deal with that. He also said a radiator hose blew and that was responsible for most of the build up, i don't know what truth there is to this. He is asking 4300 which i am willing to pay unless there seems to be a serious problem.


HERE IS THE BUILD UP

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HERE IS THE SNAP OF THE DRIVETRAIN

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HERE IS A SNAP OF THE FRONT BRAKES (they look just like mine on my 420a...)

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[beendenied]

I can't see the pics at work, but $4300 for what I'm hearing? I would definitely keep on looking.

 

[bryanwheat]

That's definetly not from one isolated coolant loss issue. That is from a leak over time. It's not too terribly uncommon to see that on one of these cars because most people don't know how to properly seal a 4g63. It would be relatively easy to clean it up with some purple power, a jack and a power washer. Also 4300 is a little steep for something that looks like it hasn't been maintained.

 

[Alex7747]

I can't see the pics at work, but $4300 for what I'm hearing? I would definitely keep on looking.

x2..keep looking man.

 

[joe sobo]

it is all wheel drive

 

[AngelOfPassion]

Cool that it is actually all wheel drive, I checked the timing belt and it looked good, he said he replaced it about 20,000 ago give or take.

I don't mind paying the 4300 because all the GST/X's around here i have seen go for 3500 to 5000 and the NADA/ BLUEBOOKS are at 4700 and 5200

The first thing i would do to the car though is start all the maintenance explained in the tech guide...

Thanks for all the input any other ideas?

 

[gieri002]

What year GSX is this? I'd probably negotiate a bit, but I'd go for it. The prices on these cars have skyrocketed!

 

[AngelOfPassion]

it is a 1997 GSX

He originally posted it at 5000 even, I felt bad for lowballing him but i told him the car wasn't worth that much and he felt comfortable at 4300.

 

[nated420]

How many miles are on it? It seems a little high. I know its awd so that's sweet but I bought my gst for 1650 needs some work but by the time I'm done it'll still only cost me around 3 grand. But if it runs good and compression is good I'd say get it even if you need to put a grand into it you still would have a sweet gsx for 5 grand. But if you could prob do better.

 

[Boomdeeze]

When I bought my GSX it had an oil leak on the drivers side. Looked like it had been that way for awhile since the bottom of the car had a thin coat of oil with crap stuck to it. I don't know if it was the oil or my car was stored every winter (MN) but my underside has little to no rust.

 

[97gst_spyder]

Don't pay $4300. Thats all I have to say.

 

[MichaelSuch]

Seems normal to me for a dsm with some miles put on it, both my 1g's were like that.. If the rest of the car checks out ok I would offer him a little less than asking price.

 

[dsmvenge]

bought my car with a bad rear main seal, rod knock, blown headgasket and the return line on the turbo leaked and the cas leaked bad and my motor didnt look that nasty

 

[bradselph]

ive had my fair share of oil looks up front and none were that bad...

and i was lossing about 1 quart a day

been fixed for a while now though for you people that are a bit worried

 

[born2tune]

yeah, the car aint that bad but the price is a little steep.

im sure you can find better deals for cheaper so keep looking.

 

[gusu]

My car looks like that because I've never tried cleaning the oil off honestly. The old oil cap used to leak and the valve cover gasket was replaced by the previous owner.

 

[BoredDSM]

If a coolant hose popped off there is a reason for that. To get that kind of pressure to pop a hose off has to have an explanation and when purchasing a vehicle you should always accept it as the worst case scenario. In this case say it has a bad head gasket and negotiate from there. 4300 for a gsx with 160k is obscene, especially in that condition.

 

[LOVEBOOOST]

I wouldnt pay 4300 for it keep looking..hit up craigslist and even the classifed on here!!