I am buying buying a talon

[Jinji]

I am buying a talon next week but I need to decide between a 97/98 or a 95/96. Are there any differences besides the overall look of the car? If any one could help it would be appreciated.

 

[pnklmnd]

well tomorrow im buying a 1995 eagle talon TSi awd it has 105k miles on it for 2700...it has a blown turbo that is why im getting a good deal...it is modded slightly it has intake exhaust, bov, gauges, rims, lowered...i guess it was owned by this ladies son and he was fixing it up...she has driven it for the last 2 years tho and she drives it very wussy...much like i plan to it is gonna be my daily driver...

i want to do a compression test on it(would you?)
i might bring my scan tool(error codes) start it and see if it throws codes

anything else you guys would do?

 

[Scrymerr]

I think you have it pretty well covered as to what you will actually want to bring, so here are some tips on what to check and stuff.

-I suppose it is too late, but a carfax can never hurt.
-Inquire about any accidents the vehicle has been in.
-Give the car a thorough check both inside and out looking for damage.
-Ask to see maintanance records. If the owner has none, try to find out as much as you can. For example, try to find out that the timing belt was done as it should have been at 90k miles and stuff like that.
-Check every electrical feature on the car: power locks, mirrors, windows, lights etc.
-Check to see if the car leaks oil, or any other fluids.
-Check the tires.
-Turn on A/C.

That is all that I can remember at the moment, but the most important advice I can give you is to "use" everything in the car. Imagine you are a little kid playing around in your mom's new car; open everything, and move stuff around. Open the glovebox, move the seats and check under the floormats. Basically just try not to overlook anything that you may notice late after you have bought the car. I don't know what else to tell you as you seem pretty set on buying the car. Still, knowing everything you can about the car is reassuing before you hand your money over. If you buy the car and then take it home to find out that nothing in it works. This way you can know exactly what you are getting, and may be able to bring up the cars flaws to help in negotiating the price. Know what you are getting before you buy.

Good luck,

 

[cuttheduck]

^^^good stuff
Also, why rust probaly isn't a problem in your area, look underneath the hood at the strut tower for rust and open up the hatch and look up for rust. Seems like some cars like to rust right there too.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

well tomorrow im buying a 1995 eagle talon TSi awd it has 105k miles on it for 2700...it has a blown turbo that is why im getting a good deal...it is modded slightly it has intake exhaust, bov, gauges, rims, lowered...i guess it was owned by this ladies son and he was fixing it up...she has driven it for the last 2 years tho and she drives it very wussy...much like i plan to it is gonna be my daily driver...

i want to do a compression test on it(would you?)
i might bring my scan tool(error codes) start it and see if it throws codes

anything else you guys would do?

Don't get a 95, they are prone to spontaneously exploding. No crankwalk in that year. Just spontaneous combustion.

Don't bother asking for accident history, they wil deny it. Look for spots with overspray/drips/orange peel and inconsistencies in color. That will be your determining factor in deciding whether or not the car has been in an accident.

Make sure to take it on the highway or speeds exceeding 50 mph, check for any noises/vibrations/clunks/thuds/squeels. Be sure to examine EVERYTHING and look under the car for underbody damage/rust. Take a look at the wheel wells if possible to determine whether or not any parts have been replaced, are rusted or look to be banged up.

For the price you are paying, I wouldn't hold too much against the car as you aren't paying that much to begin with, but make sure to notice each and every imperfection and use them to determine whether or not it'll be worth to take care of those imperfections.

 

[pnklmnd]

i went and checked it out lastnight...... very nice i did a compression test came out 140-145 on all 4 cylinders...has a newer 98 motor in it...all reciepts...greddy profecb, greddy tt, the car is really nice except the turbo...but i knew that to begin with...definetly planning on buying it...oh the only body issues is the front bumper is all fed up but can be fixed and im planning on a 2gb talon bumper conversion...since i have one i can use!

 

[MaNGiNa24]

i went and checked it out lastnight...... very nice i did a compression test came out 140-145 on all 4 cylinders...has a newer 98 motor in it...all reciepts...greddy profecb, greddy tt, the car is really nice except the turbo...but i knew that to begin with...definetly planning on buying it...oh the only body issues is the front bumper is all fed up but can be fixed and im planning on a 2gb talon bumper conversion...since i have one i can use!

If the front bumper is effed up check the front underbody for scrapes/dents and such.

 

[Well Traveled]

No crankwalk in that year

Actually, 95 had the highest reports of crankwalking. Also, 95 had many problems because its the first year that they switched to the new body style. It's probably got more wrong with it than a blown turbo. That's a good excuse though because it can mask a lot of other problems.

 

[pnklmnd]

i checked the turbo and it is indeed blown...compression is cool...she has reciepts for everything, new cas, tps...

i looked under the car all the damage is the bumper cover...

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

I wouldn't call 140 the best compression numbers I've seen but they're not bad.

 

[Jinji]

So I hardly post anything but I had a question and I figured you guys would know best.
I came across a 95 TSI (AWD) with 82k on it. There's hardly a scratch on it. Other than the transmission, everything looks to be in pretty good condition. The trans grinds going into 2nd gear. After I checked the car out the owner decides on a price of $2500. Also threw in that the car has a salvage title.

Bargain?

Avoid like the plague?

I figure I'll take it to MY mechanic first and get it checked out. But I'm not too sure what to make them look at extra close.
I would really appreciate some feedback/tips from you guys.


Thanks

 

[92awddsm]

IMHO, with a grinding tranny and salvage title, I wouldnt buy it for $2500. Ive seen some 95's go for that with a clear title and tranny problems.

 

[GSTinCO]

I would usually avoid a vehicle with a salvaged title like the plague. If the body/frame are straight the why not, although it will not be good for resale. If you want to keep it till it dies then go ahead but the 2500 should be negotiable.

 

[Amar1995]

With a salvage title, you know that that is not the original milage either

 

[Jinji]

Actually, 95 had the highest reports of crankwalking. Also, 95 had many problems because its the first year that they switched to the new body style. It's probably got more wrong with it than a blown turbo. That's a good excuse though because it can mask a lot of other problems.

What other kinds of probs did the 95's have besides most reports of crank-walk? I know of some things but don't wanna be left in the dark.

 

[BGRIPTP]

Actually, 95 had the highest reports of crankwalking. Also, 95 had many problems because its the first year that they switched to the new body style. It's probably got more wrong with it than a blown turbo. That's a good excuse though because it can mask a lot of other problems.

95 & 99 have the least reports, 97 being the most, but I wouldnt even think about crankwalk when buying one of these cars, it is so overrated. I have owned two 95's and never had any problems with them.

 

[JwUoNoG]

Find out why it has a salvage title. If it was wrecked, avoid it! If it was because it was retitled, I guess you could still consider it. Run a carfax on it.

I almost bought a car that had a salvage title. It never worked out, here in MD, salvage title cars have to go through a lot of stuff to be able to be driven on the road again.

 

[destruckeclipse]

I would never buy a salvage unless it was a super rare car, even then it better be a steal price. It doesn't take much here in cali really though, just needs to pass rebuild inspection, and of course smog. Oh I forgot to mention all those little fees though...

 

[Bostedquest]

1. why was it salvaged?
2. is the frame straight?
3. why the heck are you paying that much for a busted up smiley?
4. You can usually take the title to a different state, then back to yours and get the salvage removed. You will have to look around and check that option out.
Me personally? offer 1K swap all the AWD parts to your car. While your working on that you can tear the trans apart and find out whats wrong.

 

[Jinji]

Thanks for the feedback on my last post. I found out some more info about the car. The owner bought it from her neighbor 3 years ago. The car had 20k when he fixed it and the owner has driven in til now. It has 80k now. This is one of 5 salvage cars that they bought from him that all "ran great" for the time they had them. The car was in a wreck but didn't sound very bad. The car hit an elk and didn't need much reconstruction. The engine wasn't even touched. I'm getting it checked out this monday by MY mechanic. I was wondering if $2500 was too much. Also if the salvage tittle will hold me back from anything besides resale. And the clutch felt like the engage point was off. Could that cause the the slipping and a grind going into 2nd?

Thanks guys.

 

[Jinji]

Forgot to say that it's a 95 TSI AWD and that the engine looks great.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

Salvage title.

Slipping clutch is most likely a slipping clutch and the grinding going into second is quite common on DSM's no matter if you have a new master or slave cylinder.

It seems like you clicked the wrong button, you started a new thread instead of continuing the current thread.

If it's a 95 TSi AWD you are getting a good deal, salvage title or not. In most cases newer cars aren't as affected by accidents as older cars are due to the frame designs, but get it thorougly checked out, take it out on the highway or anywhere where you can exceed speeds of 60 mph and see how it feels.

 

[talondude4]

I am buying a talon next week but I need to decide between a 97/98 or a 95/96. Are there any differences besides the overall look of the car? If any one could help it would be appreciated.

i would go with a 98 just case it was the last yr the talon tsi was made..... i dont know why that mean something to me, but i would love to get a 1g and a 2g that way i could say well here is the start and the end of the talons.
so i would get a 98 i dont think there is any changes..