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Eclipse vs Spyder. Which To Get?

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Sephent

Proven Member
61
2
Feb 18, 2016
Medford, Oregon
so i am wanting to buy a project 1995-1999 mitsubishi eclipse... i just cant decide if i should get a spyder/convertible or not... they are harder to find and i think it would be cool to own a convertible, but the convertible top kind of takes away from the sweet eclipse look... i am wanting to mainly externally mod the car first, then work on engine goodies. i love the look of the eclipse and it is what got me into the tuner scene. i just cant decide on if the spyder is worth it or not (only pro of the spyder to me is having a convertible.. why not?) but it seems to take away some of the eclipse features with the roof and rear window.. can someone list me some pros and cons to try helping me decide on one or the other please? thank you. oh, i will be getting the GS-T.
 
i was just curious of any pros or cons of the spyder GS-T vs normal eclipse GS-T. I might just go with the normal GS-T because the look is smoother and i should be able to find the car easier... now the hard part is finding a damn manual... most the ones iv seen for sell as project cars are automatics.. LOL
 
Auto is the new way to go. No loss of turbo spool. I WISH my car was an auto. My oldest son has a 97 Talon AWD Auto and that thing is a beast. Something to think about anyway!
 
I've had over a dozen 2g coupes and 2 spyders. I love my spyder the most. I suggest taking one on a test drive just so you can experience the open roof feel. That should help you make your decision.
 
How much do you want to deal with slashed roofs, cracks, tears, and broken hardware? That is the question you should ask yourself. If the answer is that you don't mind, you have already made up your mind.
 
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I have owned a couple of Talons before and decided I wanted an Eclipse, going with the Spyder GST was the best decision. It is a lot of fun having a convertible, you get lots of looks and it looks amazing. I would highly recommend the spyder over a regular gst. It is seen by the casual public as a one of a kind vehicle, telling you from experience. You will not regret it!
 
I have a Spyder GST and I love it, but I voted for the GST.
Pros: fewer out there and fun driving top down.
Cons: much noisier, I've had a slashed top, I've had a bent top brace, I've had to change out the switch, I have major leaks that collect in the floor pans when it rains and the carpet is trashed, the lines are nicer on a coupe.
 
After thinking about it, maybe my opinion is a bit skewed. My spyder is garage kept and is a second car, so I don't really have issues with slashed tops or water leaks, as it is rarely driven now. Even when I did drive it year round though, the only time the top would leak is if I went through a car wash.
 
Personally I love all DSM's but truly feel the coup are sleeker. Now that spyder above is super clean and I would love to drive that purdy thing around. It's up to you, and I feel you need to drive them, sit in a few, and make your decision. Spyders are harder for AWD swaps, as I'm sure almost all fwd owners want AWD. But it's your car man you gata drive it and be seen in it.
 
I've owned both Spyders and now a Talon AWD. I'd go GSX if I were you. Spyders are cool and owning a convertible is fun, until it's not. They tend to leak through the weatherstrips, the cowl shudder is very marked and you feel the flex due to the lack of roof every time you go over a bump. My rule from now on is if the car was not designed originally as a convertible, just buy the coupe.
 
so i am wanting to buy a project 1995-1999 mitsubishi eclipse... i just cant decide if i should get a spyder/convertible or not... they are harder to find and i think it would be cool to own a convertible, but the convertible top kind of takes away from the sweet eclipse look... i am wanting to mainly externally mod the car first, then work on engine goodies. i love the look of the eclipse and it is what got me into the tuner scene. i just cant decide on if the spyder is worth it or not (only pro of the spyder to me is having a convertible.. why not?) but it seems to take away some of the eclipse features with the roof and rear window.. can someone list me some pros and cons to try helping me decide on one or the other please? thank you. oh, i will be getting the GS-T.


If you aren't deeply committed to a Spyder you should stick with a coupe. There are so many drawbacks to owning a convertible and only one advantage. Plus, how often will you use that advantage? Pay attention to the convertibles you see on the street...how many of them have their top down? Do you really want to deal with all the squeaks, rattles, Way Worse road noise and leaks that come with a used roadster, just for a few GLORIOUS Spring and Fall drives? Only if you are Deeply Committed my friend.
 
I have been looking for another DSM for about 3-4 months now. I know a lot of people are saying that a Spyder GS-T is harder to come by, but with my experience there are many more of these local to me than there are GS-Ts. Personally, I am not a fan of convertibles; the cons (which many have already mentioned) only apply to the Spyder and far outweigh the pros. If you are looking for something with good top end speed, or just to use as a daily I would go with a GS-T. If you are looking for something for a street/drag build, or a year round daily that's fun in the snow then I would search around for a GSX.
 
If i was you i would get a eclipse because I've owned a spyder and i didn't like it at all but mine was preowned and the roof leaked.
 
Everyone i know with a gst conv. has had a knife slashed in top and someone broke in. Major security risk there. Go gsx and don't look back.
Holy shit this has been one of my most feared things to happen but no one has ever attempted but conv. Still sucks vs hard top. Plus the hard tops look way better
 
Cant slash the top if you leave it down a
Holy shit this has been one of my most feared things to happen but no one has ever attempted but conv. Still sucks vs hard top. Plus the hard tops look way better
Cant slash the top if you leave it down all the time
 
so i am wanting to buy a project 1995-1999 mitsubishi eclipse... i just cant decide if i should get a spyder/convertible or not... they are harder to find and i think it would be cool to own a convertible, but the convertible top kind of takes away from the sweet eclipse look... i am wanting to mainly externally mod the car first, then work on engine goodies. i love the look of the eclipse and it is what got me into the tuner scene. i just cant decide on if the spyder is worth it or not (only pro of the spyder to me is having a convertible.. why not?) but it seems to take away some of the eclipse features with the roof and rear window.. can someone list me some pros and cons to try helping me decide on one or the other please? thank you. oh, i will be getting the GS-T.
I've owned a spider for 23 years. I have never Driven A coup. I finally replaced the top to black. be prepared to replace the top on the spider
 
Well on my way to have my transmission looked at. All of sudden battery light and temp rising.some how being blocked in and temp rising I bullied my car through traffic and pulled over. Anyway I was one mile from my repair shop popped the hood and found drive belt broken. 🤪
 
All of these failures were bound to happen , but I just had work done in that area the Harmonic balancer . In that case the drive belts should have been changed its Just another way repair shops charge more money return visits. I will talk to management
 
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