New to DSM

[Nathan DeBarros]

Alright I already know its a stupid idea but I'm looking at a 2g dsm as my first car. I know a little about cars but I've never really worked on one. Right now I'm looking at a 95 talon tsi. I live i CO so rust isn't a problem, but what are some things I should look out for exterior wise? This specific talon is a built 4g63t making roughly 320hp, what should I look out for in a test drive or just in general? Thanks so much, ill take any help I can get!

 

[randman2011]

I had a DSM as my first car. A 1997 GST Spyder from 2008-2014. It was very reliable and taught me a lot about maintaining and upgrading cars. I was going to keep it forever until a Dodge Caliber totaled it. My second car was a 1995 Talon AWD that went through two engines and two transmissions in 14 months. It was a POS and I knew that before I bought it. My third car was a 1999 GST Spyder that lost an engine and chassis structural integrity within 6 weeks of purchase, despite looking to be in showroom condition. My fourth DSM (my 9th car) broke a timing belt the week that I got it and has gone through a second engine build and a replacement transmission in the interim.

I don't want to scare you; I just want you to know what you're getting into. DSMs absolutely can be reliable daily drivers, but those examples are hard to find. So many of them have been abused and driven into the ground. Even in Colorado I'd still check for the notorious strut tower rust, but the thing that you should pay special attention to is every wear item. Belts, suspension bushings and ball joints, VC boots, brake pads and rotors, tires, etc. If ANYTHING is overdue for replacement and hasn't been addressed, walk away. Especially now that the youngest of these cars is over two decades old, it's not worth taking the risk on a car with obvious deferred maintenance.

My latest GSX had some minor red flags but I figured I could fix them easily. Two engine builds and a transmission rebuild later, the only parts of the engine bay that I haven't replaced or had machined are the AC compressor and the radiator. And that's it. The block, wiring harness, alternator, intake manifold and throttle body have all been replaced or repaired. Find a good one up front and spend the money to keep it good or end up like me spending lots of money to just get it back to decent.