Good buys?

[StrnSC1]

I found these three Talon/Eclipse's for sale and wanted some opinions. Sorry if it's a lot of reading

1995 Eagle Talon TSi AWD with 85k miles. He's got Eibach pro-kit springs, KYB adjustable shocks, RM swaybars f&r, Upper strut bar, Lower stress bar, Poly motor mounts, Powerstop cross-drilled rotors f&r, Hawk pads f&r, Centerforce dual friction clutch, Short shifter, Greddy catback exhaust, K&N FIPK, Turbo timer, Kosei 17" wheels w/ Toyo T1S tires, Keyless entry. He said he has some of the stock parts and a few more aftermarket parts that he will include with the sale, also will include a second pair of wheels. He claims to have done ALL of the dealer's recall's and recommended services (done by dealer). Also says that he's never street raced or drag raced. The only negative about the car is that it needs some paint work on the driver's side
quarter panel and there are a few door dings in the drivers door. He's asking $5,500 I have yet to check this out on CARFAX but if all of this was true, is it a good deal?

1998 Eclipse GST with 71,400 miles. He has no mods and is the first owner. He's asking $7,500. I will be checking this car on CARFAX as well, but would this be a good deal?

1997 Eclipse GST with 71,000 miles. These are his mods: Apex exhaust, Injen cold air, Flex-A-Lite fans, Fluidyne radiator, blue hose kit, and more. He says it runs great and he's asking $8,000. CARFAX again will be involved. Here are some pics if you care to look at this GST: http://www.geocities.com/schollechris

When would the turbo's go bad on these? What problems, if any, might I face? I am going to be taking whatever car I buy to college with me and want it to work all 4 years. Thanks for the help

 

[RamenPride]

I am going to be taking whatever car I buy to college with me and want it to work all 4 years. Thanks for the help

if you want a reliable form of transportation I would suggest getting something other than a DSM.

as far as the time frame for turbos going "bad," there really isn't one, it all depends. of the three I would pick the stock 98 GST.

 

[midnght]

I will just throw a shameless plug out there for a certian someone.


There is no time line persay. It is about abuse and care.

 

[Coup D E'Tat]

I'd take the AWD, but buying a stock car is always nice.

 

[saw wave analog]

if they said they never raced it they were lying


id take the stock car, the others were likely beat on like dsms like to be beat on. usually the closer to stock a car is the better condition it will be in.

 

[midnght]

if they said they never raced it they were lying


id take the stock car, the others were likely beat on like dsms like to be beat on. usually the closer to stock a car is the better condition it will be in.

Which is why most people buy a car that is back to stock. Missconceptions are all over the place. I would buy from the guy that is telling the most truth. You never know what you are buying till it is in your driveway.


Mods on a car are not the end all of all. But stock can just be a fog.

 

[saw wave analog]

its been my experience that its not very hard to tell if the car was modded and then put back to stock. might be a challenge for someone not familiar with the cars though. im definately not saying id take a stock car with a questionable past over an obviously well loved modded car, just that given the fact that most of the people driving dsms are young, its a fairly safe bet that they have been beat upon more than a bone stock original owner car.


easiest ways to tell if a 2g has been modded and put back to stock-

the engine lift bracket is missing. its in the way and ugly, i took mine off when i had the manifold out to port it, most other people do the same.

lower heat shield missing or cut. this thing is a huge pain in the ass stock, i cut the crap out of mine so i didnt have to pull the o2 sensor and dipstick to get it out, seen a lot of other cars similar

broken or missing heatshield bolts- they are weak and that front one on the upper shield always snaps off after torquing it a few times

irregularities in the vac lines or missing shields- the stock vac lines have a lot of styrofoam shielding on them, if its not there anymore there was probably an mbc and boost gauge in at some point

play in the drivers side a pillar- would indicate the pillar has been removed for gauge mounting purposes, those tabs bend and break easy, mine had a bit of a wiggle after going in and out a few times, passenger side was solid

exhaust bolts are rounded or the heads have shiny spots- everything down there should have the same amount of rust if its truely an unmolested car



i had a bone stock 98 gsx that i modded pretty well and put back to stock to sell so im pretty familiar with what to look for my buyer ended up taking a few mods anyway so it was kind of a waste of time putting it back but whatever. if im going to be spending the cash on a stock car, i want bone 100% stock, not once modded now stock. just trust your instinct, if something feels wrong it probably is. good luck

 

[Defiant]

I am going to be taking whatever car I buy to college with me and want it to work all 4 years.

I want a free trip to Europe.

A DSM won't go 4 years, and that was from new. Add ten years, and the chances go from zero to you-already-owe-more-money. If you can find grandma's 23,000-mile weekend car, you're set. But any DSM that's been driven has been driven. They have just a little higher maintenance-to-operation ratio than most helicopters.

Hold out for AWD at all costs, and make sure your college home has provision for working on the car.

For a college car that'll carry you through all four years, get a recent Toyota pickup. One that's already beat-up a bit so people don't feel compelled to eff with it.