Crushed DSM's

[BLACK'98DSM]

I figured this was an interesting idea for a thread. I am one of those junkyard floaters that stops by once or twice per week to see if anything good is there. Occasionally I see a DSM or 2.

I'm going to use this thread to post photos of every DSM I see at the yard. Maybe someone will recognize one of the vehicles. If not, then we're just keeping count of how much more rare our cars are becoming.

I'd like to point something out as well. 4 years ago when I bought my Eclipse, it was a struggle to find a DSM at any of the junkyards in the state. Maybe found one per year. But something happened in 2021 (the state went broke), and there seems to be at least one per month at the local yard, a few more across the state. I'm not necessarily complaining, because it puts the harder to find parts right in my hands. It's just sad to see that more and more people are throwing these cars away.

(2026 update. They're more rare than ever at the local yards. I jump at every opportunity to take pictures and parts for forum members.)

Every car that passes through this yard gets sent to the crusher/scrapper. So you are seeing the final state or close in these images.

These 2 are from a few weeks ago. This week is coming soon.

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I still wonder what caused that Barcelona Pearl '99 to end up at the yard. It was not wrecked and the paint was the best I've seen for the original paint job - but dirty. As you can see, people took advantage of those body parts and the beige interior.

You'll probably notice in this thread that the majority of the DSM to pass through are N/T. But don't be surprised when I find a turbo model. I saw a turbo 1g that was stripped bare and hard to identify.

 

[007jimmy]

I lived near 2 pick and pull yards (1 closed due to environmental issues) and constantly scour for DSM parts. Around the 2010s there were plenty of 2g cars mostly 420a models very few Spyders/turbo models and even less 1g (any) models . Now I can rarely find 1 DSM of any trim. I don’t see this getting any better obviously since it’s been out of production for 20+ years. It is sad luckily there were plenty made to help us chug along decades later.

 

[Bland-Biscuit]

Up north they tend to rot away if they've seen winter roads. The few I've seen at yards in Michigan were pretty far gone, so I get that, but those actually look like they were worth saving.

I doubt that there are enough parts left to save them all though. And repairs can be very expensive. When I think about all of the time and money I'm spending on my car, if it was just for transportation, it would not be worth it. On paper, its a terrible investment . But for a hobby, I don't care, and I love it.

For as sad as it is for me to see these cars in scrap yards, I will be even sadder when donor cars dry up and it gets even harder to source already rare parts if/when we need them. Its just too bad more of these yards dont strip the cars and sell the parts online...

 

[jesse12345]

I'm trying to save as many around here but most of them are extremely rusty so they get crushed unfortunately. I have loads of parts I've been sitting on from over the years. I'll never junk them. I just picked up a rust bucket but I'll sit on it for parts before I ever junk it.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

I'm trying to save as many around here but most of them are extremely rusty so they get crushed unfortunately. I have loads of parts I've been sitting on from over the years. I'll never junk them. I just picked up a rust bucket but I'll sit on it for parts before I ever junk it.

This is the same reason I will buy a complete car, just to have the PARTS to use on my running, titled DSMs!
They are scarce in the yards around here
I saw 2 2gs in a yard a couple months ago. Both N/A cars but decent bodys.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

It's been a while since I posted in this thread, but don't worry. I've got something special for you today.

Today's find is a V6 SWAPPED! 1997 Eclipse GS. It's quite interesting because you hardly ever see anyone who "successfully" swaps other engines into the N/T cars. And here we have a Mitsubishi 4 cam engine and manual trans swapped into one. I really wish I had more info on this build but I'm just the guy who found it's remains at a junkyard.

Not only is this an interesting sight to see and good story to tell, but I also got the rear hatch off this car. It's in rough shape but it has a rear wiper! Since mine is an RS it never came with the rear wiper assembly. I've still got a lot of work before it's installed and functioning.

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[pauleyman]

Good use of quotes. Look at the motor mount. Im guessing this car never saw the road

 

[CrackedDSM]

Good use of quotes. Look at the motor mount. Im guessing this car never saw the road

I wouldn’t be so sure. Remember the guy who was V8 swapping his clean 1G awd, and cut the firewall completely out of the car without bracing it beforehand and then arc welded square tubing to his custom “firewall” for the heavy iron block 400+CI Ford v8? He bragged about driving the car on the road.


I will never underestimate people’s ability to shade tree stuff and drive it on public roads.

 

[pauleyman]

I wouldn’t be so sure. Remember the guy who was V8 swapping his clean 1G awd, and cut the firewall completely out of the car without bracing it beforehand and then arc welded square tubing to his custom “firewall” for the heavy iron block 400+CI Ford v8? He bragged about driving the car on the road.


I will never underestimate people’s ability to shade tree stuff and drive it on public roads.

Ill give you possible but not probable.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Today I found a decent 1G at the yard. 1992 Eclipse, base model. This is my first time seeing a green one.

As usual, I couldn't leave the car with good parts on it so I left with the cylinder head and some various hardware I wanted. I also thought about getting the trans too but knew it wouldn't fit in the Honda. Maybe I'll go get it next weekend if the car is still there.

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[CrackedDSM]

Today I found a decent 1G at the yard. 1992 Eclipse, base model. This is my first time seeing a green one.

As usual, I couldn't leave the car with good parts on it so I left with the cylinder head and some various hardware I wanted. I also thought about getting the trans too but knew it wouldn't fit in the Honda. Maybe I'll go get it next weekend if the car is still there.

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Belize Green Metallic. One of my favorite colors for 1Gs(or GVR4's but especially 1G DSMs). My first AWD DSM was originally that color but got come cheap spray paint-job by the guy I got it from. I always wanted to repaint it that original color. When it's shined up and buffed, it looks incredible.


Your location says AL, but sig says SC. If you're in AL, what part? Because none of the yards anywhere near me have any DSMs and I need to 2GB swap my talon bad. Lol.

 

[chrysler kid]

Caught this one intact in the yard. Believe it was an abandoned repo. Was nicer than the car I was pulling parts for. Literally everything under the hood was intact but the interior was completely stripped.

I always take pictures of the yard cards because they are marked, this time it was a good thing because they wanted to argue with me that it didnt have an engine and i got the injectors and rail from another more expensive vehicle

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[BLACK'98DSM]

Belize Green Metallic. One of my favorite colors for 1Gs(or GVR4's but especially 1G DSMs). My first AWD DSM was originally that color but got come cheap spray paint-job by the guy I got it from. I always wanted to repaint it that original color. When it's shined up and buffed, it looks incredible.


Your location says AL, but sig says SC. If you're in AL, what part? Because none of the yards anywhere near me have any DSMs and I need to 2GB swap my talon bad. Lol.

I currently live on my property in Jefferson County AL. It's a quiet neighborhood full of old people, I love it. All the pics I've posted are from the local Pull-A-Part. Been years since I was in SC. I put that in my signature because they're my initials but didn't have space for periods.

 

[CrackedDSM]

I currently live on my property in Jefferson County AL. It's a quiet neighborhood full of old people, I love it. All the pics I've posted are from the local Pull-A-Part. Been years since I was in SC. I put that in my signature because they're my initials but didn't have space for periods.

Ah, roughly 4 hours from me. Lol that's why there are DSMs there. I do remember there would be at least like one or two every year or so here, but one of our junkyards went from "u pull it" to "we pull it and charge you brand new prices for it" so there's only a yard or two left.

Alas. Oh well.

 

[Purevil]

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Came across this spyder gst a couple years ago in my local pick-a-part in Mesa, AZ. I couldn't find anything wrong with this car. This yard refuses to sell whole cars. 15+ years ago I remember seeing decent awd cars all the time in the junkyard. I've unsuccessfully tried to buy a few from the junkyard. So many of these cars have been scrapped.

 

[CrackedDSM]

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Came across this spyder gst a couple years ago in my local pick-a-part in Mesa, AZ. I couldn't find anything wrong with this car. This yard refuses to sell whole cars. 15+ years ago I remember seeing decent awd cars all the time in the junkyard. I've unsuccessfully tried to buy a few from the junkyard. So many of these cars have been scrapped.

That makes me so sad.


I also see it happen all the time though. Can someone explain to me how it makes logical, unemotionally comprised sense to ask $8,000+ for a DSM, get mad when no one wants to buy it at that price, then sell it to a junkyard for $800? Like...removing emotions from it, I honestly don't get it at all. $2500 is greater than $800? There was a guy on FB that had a popular post where he was saying he had scrapped parts worth $2000+ because no one wanted to pay him $2,000 for it instead of $1000-$1200. I couldn't even make a comment because that level of butthurt and pettiness...idk. I can't comprehend it.


Anyway. Man, if one of you guys finds a 2GB Eclipse in the junkyard that has all the body parts there, I am half tempted to pay you for your time to pull it all for me. Lol. Especially if you're within like 3-4 hours of NW Florida.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

That makes me so sad.


I also see it happen all the time though. Can someone explain to me how it makes logical, unemotionally comprised sense to ask $8,000+ for a DSM, get mad when no one wants to buy it at that price, then sell it to a junkyard for $800? Like...removing emotions from it, I honestly don't get it at all. $2500 is greater than $800? There was a guy on FB that had a popular post where he was saying he had scrapped parts worth $2000+ because no one wanted to pay him $2,000 for it instead of $1000-$1200. I couldn't even make a comment because that level of butthurt and pettiness...idk. I can't comprehend it.


Anyway. Man, if one of you guys finds a 2GB Eclipse in the junkyard that has all the body parts there, I am half tempted to pay you for your time to pull it all for me. Lol. Especially if you're within like 3-4 hours of NW Florida.

I can keep an eye out for you. It will probably be hard to find one that isn't either wrecked in the front or already has Ebay junk on the front end. It's definitely worth getting OEM headlights and restoring them though. I never really found a decent set of aftermarket ones besides Eagle Eyes but they're still questionable. Just don't leak water like the Ebay ones.

 

[CrackedDSM]

I can keep an eye out for you. It will probably be hard to find one that isn't either wrecked in the front or already has Ebay junk on the front end. It's definitely worth getting OEM headlights and restoring them though. I never really found a decent set of aftermarket ones besides Eagle Eyes but they're still questionable. Just don't leak water like the Ebay ones.

Honestly, even a cracked front bumper I'm okay with. As long as it's not got chunks missing, I can fix it with epoxy and such. I mainly want the spoiler, and the side skirts/door caps/fender caps.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Funny enough, I found the owner of that Barcelona Pearl 2g in my original post. He currently owns a white 97 with body kit. I stopped at the auto shop where he works to try and buy it. It's a bit too rice for my taste, but worth saving nonetheless. We ended up deep in conversation about his old cars, and that 2g at the yard was one. He showed me pictures and told me he let it go about a week before I found it. Unfortunately his 97 is "not for sale". It's been sitting in that parking lot for 2 years apparently and the engine knocks, but he's holding on because it's sentimental. I get it, but hopefully he'd give me a call before it ends up at the yard too.

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[BLACK'98DSM]

Tomorrow I'm headed to check out a 1991 Plymouth Laser, NA 4g63 equipped. The plan is to- at a bare minimum take home the valve cover for a shop decoration. If anyone needs parts let me know. Who knows, I may just take the whole drivetrain if it seems usable.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Well here's the Laser. It's a solid car and most parts are in good shape. I personally would have put this car back on the road rather than scrapping it. There were registration papers from 2021 in the glove box. It's safe to say the hadgasket was blown since the head is already missing and the cylinder walls have mild scoring. It looks like someone tried to take the 5 speed but stopped near the end. Only the axles and input shaft are still holding it in. It's probably a good thing they won't let me purchase cars from the lot.

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[BLACK'98DSM]

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Really? No one has broken in at night to steal this car yet? You guys are slackers.

Definitely joking. But if someone does sneak this car away, I didn't hear/see anything.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Been a while since I found one. Today there is a 1996 Eclipse RS. It is badly neglected. It's one that I actually understand throwing away. Most of them are too clean but this one is bad. The engine is locked up and body damage is severe. If anyone needs parts I'm up to get them. Not as many good ones here as I've posted before though. This is also the third Barcelona pearl model that I've found at this particular yard. For that to be a rare color, I see as many of them as any other color.

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[curt-s]

This is the world's most depressing thread.

I'd be taking everything I can off that car. Front bumper, tail lights, interior bits.. whatever can be salvaged. Even if you sell it a slight profit (your time+effort is worth something) at least it keeps parts in circulation.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

I've done that before time and time again. I've literally dealt truck loads of DSM parts. My days of doing that are over though. I live a more simple life now. If anyone needs a certain part, I'm more than happy to grab it even if the profit is low or none. I understand and respect the scarcity of parts. I'm no longer having an entire room in my house or loft in the shop full of this shit though.