Looked at a 98 gsx, have some questions

[unclespok]

Hi everyone, let me start off by saying I am new to the forums and am looking for a awd 2g dsm. I havn't had much experience with the awesome 4g63 so I would like to ask some questions.

The car I looked at was a red 98 gsx 5sp with approx 80k. One owner, very clean, stock. However the guy has gone through a clutch, transfer case, and recently a tranny. During the test drive I noticed that the whole car vibrated under load above, 3500. I initially throught it was the ehaust, but under further inspection I realized it was the valve train. This seemed like very excessive valve train noise. Also the clutch grabbed right at the top of its travel and did not slip, but did not seem to snappy. I know it has a hydraulic clutch and am assuming it is reacing the end of its life. Also after I test drove it there was a faint coolent smell under the hood. I couldnt determine exactly where it was coming from, but it didn't seem to be the coolant over flow tank.

The guy wants 12k, which might be reasonable if it didn't have the afformentioned traits. What do you think could be wrong with it, and how much is it worth? Or should I just run away from problems like that?

 

[talnteddriver29]

Welcome Unclespok

I personally wouldn't pay 12,000 U.S for a 2g dsm with 80k, Coolant leaks & Engine Vibration. Not a good sign/deal. Could it had possibly been the Engine mounts? If it is the valvetrain, looks to me like your gonna have to rip open the head and take a look/possibly rebuild. Lots of time and money invested.Even though 2g's are very sexy rides, remember 7bolts are more prone to CW. I would wait for the right deal to arrive. Patience my friend

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200797

Hope this helps. Good luck

 

[Felloffmyrocker]

ok i happen to know the car that is in question here i work in the shop that installed the new transmission. You should consider yourself lucky that the car has recently had the transmissioon changed as they fail frequently in these vehicles and most in the same mileage range. if you run a search on the internet of available used tranmissions you will see at any given time there are only 2 or 3 available. This tells us one of 2 things either they never blow up and last for ever or they all the units out of vehicles that have been crashed in the 80 - 100K mileage range were no good. Im going to have to go with the 2nd option on that one. this vehicle has a new tranny from the dealer not a rebuilt unit like most others out there and if you know understand how a 4 cylindar 4 stroke motor works then you know that the motor only fires once every 180 degrees of crank shaft rotation and willl not and can not be as smooth at high rpm's especially under load as a 6 or 8 cylinder engine.. The smell you are getting from under the hood is probably from all the oil that sprayed all over the bottom of the vehicle when the old tranny failed the residual oils are probably still burning off the exhaust The bearing in the midplate froze and spun through the case spilling all the oil out the bottom. As for the clutch pedal being a little high the car also has a new cluth master and it was adjusted to be that way be certain that the clutch is new and not worn out by any means and the pedal can be adjusted a little lower, however none of these cars with a stock clutch have a verry snappy pedal.

 

[TangNinja]

12000 is def. way too much, I paid $10,000 Canadian for my 97 with 70,000 miles, and I overpaid, but it was a very clean car so I figure it was worth it.

If the driveline noise is really bad I would take it to your own mechanic and have it checked out, I think they all make some driveline noise, but mine is hardly noticable, and there is definitely no vibration.

As for four cylinders not being able to be as smooth as 6 and 8 cylinders I guess it makes sense, but they defintely shouldn't have any noticeable vibrations, I don't imagine too many people would buy new four cylinder cars if they were vibrating like a mofo on the test drive.

If the clutch is indeed fairly new then it could probably be adjusted, but my stock clutch with 85,000 miles on it now grabs no where near the top, so that is definitley not normal.

Good luck with finding a car man, but don't rush into the first one you find, if you wait long enough you'll find the perfect one.

 

[Snobordin8]

I say wait for another nice 2g to buy. If it's making weird noises/vibrations/smells now, it just makes me wonder what it'll do in the future.

 

[MJMgsx]

I think you should find one of those mechanics that will meet you somewhere to inspect the car. My friend just did that, and I think he just paid the guy $75 because he really wanted the car. Once the mechanic does the inspection, then you can come back to the seller with ammunition to negotiate the price.

Just a thought...if you really like the car. I know that 2g GSX's can be difficult to find sometimes. I'm sure the $12k is negotiable. Did you check the KBB value?

Good luck!

 

[olmytsi]

I'd stay away from that car for sure. Be patient. I looked for 6-7 months before settling down for this one and it was worth it.

 

[nightspeed87]

yea i would leave it alone too, its not like its going for 6 or 7 thou he wants 12, and it sounds like it needs money to fix a few things and spending 12 thou that car better damn well be perfect. And i dont completely agree with 4 cylenders not being able to shift as smooth or they wouldnt make such high revving 4 cylenders. A 4 cylender revs up easier because of less friction and less engine to rev up and because of the valve train, most big blocks arent good high revving machines. But its possible v8s and 6s shift better but i think its more so because there geared different because of the power band.

 

[gsxeclipse97]

no i wouldnt do it to much

 

[vtech243]

i am also in the market for a 2g dsm..............(my post is right beneath this!)

i found a 98 GSX in good condition for 12k......

 

[moviebumm]

The car in question is in very good condition. You people obviously do not know your cars. All the major parts on the car are BRAND NEW from Mitsubishi except the engine. The car is a steal at 12,000 has has no real issues. The clutch can and will be adjusted. The engine vibration noices is not existance. The sound coming from the muffler is also nothing as it has been checked by 3 different dealers. Remember this abiut this car that most people are forgetting. This is NOT a brand new car although it has many new parts in it. It is a used car. All used cars have something about it that is not right. The price is based on how it runs, condition of car, and the availability of the car. Mitsubishi only sold 5% of the GSX so the car is relatively rare. Grow up and don't base your opinions from the main post as he was completely inaccurate about many issues.

 

[elfroggo]

What is going on here? We have a post about a GSX for sale and here we have the buyer, the guy that worked on this car, and the seller/owner all in the same thread? Did you get a link here or something?

Crazy.


"if you run a search on the internet of available used tranmissions you will see at any given time there are only 2 or 3 available. "

What? In North America at any given time we only have 2 or 3 of our trannies available? DOes that even remotely make sense to you? A single tranny shop that works on DSMs has more than that (shepard racing, TRE whatever) What are you talking about?

DSM trannies aren't the smoothest or the best feeling, but they take a fair amount of abuse.

 

[Booster-Shot]

The car in question is in very good condition. You people obviously do not know your cars. All the major parts on the car are BRAND NEW from Mitsubishi except the engine. The car is a steal at 12,000 has has no real issues. The clutch can and will be adjusted. The engine vibration noices is not existance. The sound coming from the muffler is also nothing as it has been checked by 3 different dealers. Remember this abiut this car that most people are forgetting. This is NOT a brand new car although it has many new parts in it. It is a used car. All used cars have something about it that is not right. The price is based on how it runs, condition of car, and the availability of the car. Mitsubishi only sold 5% of the GSX so the car is relatively rare. Grow up and don't base your opinions from the main post as he was completely inaccurate about many issues.

kbb for the car is 8k. you cant add an extra 4k just because you replaced some parts. its amazing how crazy 2g prices are getting.

 

[Snobordin8]

The car in question is in very good condition. You people obviously do not know your cars. All the major parts on the car are BRAND NEW from Mitsubishi except the engine. The car is a steal at 12,000 has has no real issues. The clutch can and will be adjusted. The engine vibration noices is not existance. The sound coming from the muffler is also nothing as it has been checked by 3 different dealers. Remember this abiut this car that most people are forgetting. This is NOT a brand new car although it has many new parts in it. It is a used car. All used cars have something about it that is not right. The price is based on how it runs, condition of car, and the availability of the car. Mitsubishi only sold 5% of the GSX so the car is relatively rare. Grow up and don't base your opinions from the main post as he was completely inaccurate about many issues.

So you're telling the guy who felt the vibration that it doesn't exist? If the sound from the muffler wasn't anything, I don't think you'd hear it, it's probably just a loose hanger or something but if it's making a sound it's obviously not nothing. Don't base your opinions from the main post? Then where the hell are we supposed to base our opinions? He asked for our help and we told him what we thought.

 

[shleppy]

kbb private party on the car assuming it's in excellent condition(which it isn't) is only 7,625. It's most likely in good condition-worth 7,045 if there are no mechanical conditions, which sounds unlikely the way the clutch feels and with the vibration. As far as dsm 5 speeds go, they tend to be pretty durable unless beat on and last far longer then 80k on average. You can buy 98's with the same miles making 400whp with 10-15 grand worth of aftermarket parts in them for 12k. I sell used cars for a living if you want to know where I get my information from, and have bought and sold numerous dsm's in my time.

 

[TSIMonsteR]

I would not buy that car. I got my A/T GSX for $6600 about a month ago in great condition. Near stock too, which is good in my opinion

 

[wolf20043]

transmissioon changed as they fail frequently in these vehicles

Documentation to support that theory please.
Mike

 

[Strm Trpr]

1. Coolant Odor- There is probably a little bit of corrsion on one or both of the rad hose connections to the motor.
This along with 80k mile old coolant and rad hoses will produce a small leak and smell terrible and obvious.

2. Clutch pedal engaging at top of pedal- Could simply be that the push rod that the pushes the master cylinder needs to be adjusted in a little to get the engagement in the middle of the pedal travel.

3. Engine vibration over 3500rpm- Could indicate that when he had the T-Belt B-Belt changed they allowed the rear balance shaft to be out of phase and is now 180* out of time with the motor. Or the clown cut the front balance shaft belt and left the rear balance shaft spinning in place causing this wobble of the motor in the motor mounts as an infaited attempt to do a BSE.

 

[unclespok]

1. Coolant Odor- There is probably a little bit of corrsion on one or both of the rad hose connections to the motor.
This along with 80k mile old coolant and rad hoses will produce a small leak and smell terrible and obvious.

2. Clutch pedal engaging at top of pedal- Could simply be that the push rod that the pushes the master cylinder needs to be adjusted in a little to get the engagement in the middle of the pedal travel.

3. Engine vibration over 3500rpm- Could indicate that when he had the T-Belt B-Belt changed they allowed the rear balance shaft to be out of phase and is now 180* out of time with the motor. Or the clown cut the front balance shaft belt and left the rear balance shaft spinning in place causing this wobble of the motor in the motor mounts as an infaited attempt to do a BSE.

Thanks for the help. Before I give further staements let me qualify them with this. I have owned a lot of "performance" type cars, most of which I bought used. I have had everything from a 72 nova with a small block to a 91 honda hatch in which i installed the infamous b16a to myself. Needless to say I am familiar with how automotive things work. On top of that I have my bs in mechanical engineering and am currently employed in that field. I am not a newb.

Back to the car,I would assume there is no way to check the timming belt/balance shaft assembly besides pulling the cover ect??? After driving it I popped the hood and revved it via the TB. It definatly sounded like it was coming from the engine or very close to it. The balance shaft thing seems plausible. Could this damage the car in anyway, via excessive vibration? Or would I just have to spend a day taking everything apart?

In closing the car in question is very clean besides these issues, which may be minor. I did not mean to ruffle any feathers.

 

[Julia]

I think the part that ruffled feathers was simply those two above joining the forums just to defend the car and tell you you were dillusional about the problems you were hearing. In the long run it is up to you what you do with the car, but as everyone has said, it seems the price is pretty steep. Especially with the KBB quotes at less that $8000. Broken parts replaced with stock parts, new or used, just brings the car back to original value, not above it.
Julia

 

[Strm Trpr]

I don't have any feathers.
I had a feeling you knew what you were talking about when describing the things you felt in the car. That's what compelled me to answer your post.

I too have a degree in mechanical engineering.

This is probably the first GSX you've looked at with intentions of purchasing posing the outcome of your test drive and such.
IMHO, I'd forego that POS promptly.

This guy is trying to rip someone off and it's not worth your time or money.
It's obviously been beat if he's shredded thru a clutch, tranny, and t-case.
Trust me, if you have another car, drive it and search til you find the right one.

Happy Hunting.....

 

[wolf20043]

^^^^Exactly, they are trying way too hard to convince you to buy it. But implying you are ignorant about what you felt and heard is the wrong way to go about it.
Mike

 

[unclespok]

I have deceided not to get this car. Moderators please lock the thread.

I will say that the car is extremely clean besides the clutch, coolant smell, and vibration. Plain and simple the vibration scared me away, I couldn't identify it and that made me very nervous. Hopefully I will find a DSM that I want in the near future and become a contributing member of the forums. Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[moviebumm]

I am not the owner of the car but I know this particular car. The clutch has been adjusted and is awesome. The smell which is faint to say the least will go away in time. There is no vibration. It has a problem that can not be identified. I know this car has been to several dealers about a loud noise coming from what appears to be the exhaust. But the documented invoices that I saw show that no mechanic can idenify what if anything is wrong, thereby admitting everything is ok. The car is not a piece of sh*t as some people may have suggested. In fact the car is probably better than the car most of you are driving. I think you are being way harsh especially on a car you don't know.

 

[Strm Trpr]

I agree with some of what you are saying, but not all.
$12k is way to high for a stock car at over 80k miles that has had so many repairs.
Why were these repairs necessary, one could only imagine.
97-99 GSX's are being way over priced lately and the demand is high, nevertheless, the problems need to be addressed before he tries to sell it.
If not, then lower the price and thats that.

unclespok already mentioned he was done with this car, so we need to be done with this thread.