New to the Forums - Looking to buy a DSM (Advise ###)

[ReMz]

Hey guys. Just registered here and did a bit of snooping around the forums. Good to see that the senior members around this forum know what they are talking about.

I have to sell my lightly modified 2004 WRX STi simply because I cannot afford it anymore . Needless to say, that was my baby and I hate to see it go.

So, I'm in the market for a DSM and am pretty keen on Talon TSi's (although a steal on an Eclipse GSX wouldn't be ignored). Any decent 2g is really what I'm shooting for. My budget is around 3-4k... and I'm looking for something either close to stock, or modified and kept realllllllllly clean.

I'm going to be looking at a 95 TSi AWD tomorrow and have a couple of questions.

Here are the 'specs'

-New:
Timing Belt
Balance shaft belt
Water pump
Spark plugs
Plug Wires
Fluids
Lower Control arms (This is a recall that was never done on the car, it now has brand new parts)

-The car does have some issues that I have yet to remedy:
Cracked Windscreen
Suspension still clunks up front
rear hatch creaks over bumps

-The car runs and drives good, its very quick and shifts well. The vehicle has 152k on it, but you wouldnt be able to tell by looking at it. It has some aftermarket upgrades:
Intercooler piping
KYB AGX shocks
Aftermarket Strut Braces
Enkei Racing wheels
1st Gen BOV (stock 2nd gen ones leak)

What should I look for specifically in a turbo DSM with 150k miles?

What are some tell tale signs of crank walk that I could pick up on (if it's even a problem at this mileage)?

Is $3k a good buy for a car like this in solid condition?


Thanks in advance... I'm off to search the living hell outta these forums

 

[Joshky9]

Some important things I can think of to check would be; when the timing belt was replaced?(did they replace tensioner and pulleys along with it?), do a compression check, any fluid leaks, turbo shaft play, check the condition of the under body, any extreme rust or damage. Other than that the basic look over when buying a car

 

[xioca]

Good luck.

 

[rush2252]

I would plan on ordering new rod/main bearings with that many miles. I changed mine just near 140k and they were getting thin. Its not hard to do and I did mine w the motor in the car. Mine is a 95awd Tsi as well. It didnt show any signs of crankwalk even being a 7bolt but when I started noticing oil pressure dropped I knew it was time. It now runs above the operating mark at cruising speeds

Kolby

You should post up some pics. If we could have a look we could justify the 3k. Mine i paid 600 for but it needs paint and quite a bit of work here and there.

 

[DSM4me44]

My first engine went a 150k so get ready for a rebuilt real quick. I didn't even boost the hell outta mine either, it had a 14b on it for a year or so and a T-25 before that.

 

[my dreamt dsm]

Not to spoof you or anything bro. I think this is going to the what's it worth thread like mines. Anyways, i was on the same boat as you 1 month ago. It sounds like a aight buy. Was pretty hard for me to find a pure stock one in cali... good luck in colorado... post pics when you get one!

 

[ReMz]

Thanks for the responses. Here are the pics provided:

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

I'll be patient and try to wait for a good one... but I'm going to need a car fairly quickly and would certainly like it to be a 2g DSM.

After I look at the car today I'll let everyone know my findings and ask any questions that might arise.

 

[DSM4me44]

The car looks pretty clean. It is a good deal as long as you keep in mind, that at any time you might have to do an engine/swap rebuild.

I would hate for you to buy this car and no anticipate a major repair like that. In reality you might get 10 more miles out of the car or another 50,000+ it all depends.

As long as you are aware of that, I would say good buy.

 

[ReMz]

Well. The car seemed pretty solid. No rust or damage (for the most part). The owner was very honest about the "clunking" in the front of the vehicle over bumps. When I said "ehh, it's not too bad", he insisted that I find a large speed bump to get the full effect.

I also asked him if he minded me running through the gears a bit and he didn't hesitate in the least. It revved right up to redline all the way through 3rd without any strange knocking or noises and it was pretty damn peppy.

My only concern is the strange "aftermarket" intercooler piping running to the stock intercooler. I'm not familiar enough with DSM's to know if this is something normal. It also had a 2 gauge pillar pod with no gauges... hmmmmmm.

I got him down to $2500... but I'll shop around a bit before making a decision on it.

Thx for all the input.

 

[1bad95tsi]

For as clean as the body is its not too bad of a deal but keep in mind with the miles you never know whats going to happen. I bought my d-d 96 tsi awd with a supposed bad clutch to find out it was the whole tranny and in process found out he ran it for a while with the driveshaft disconnected which also had the rear end messed up so after a tranny rear end and t-case i drove it for a year to have the headgasket blow- he assured me it was a good metal one and arp studs -yeah try autozone cheapy and stock bolts so do as much research and checking on a car as you can and goodluck

 

[dsmproject1]

go for it,

 

[Kalisko]

I've kept a folder with every receipt I've bought for my car. It helps the resale and shows your maintenance. I'd recommend anyone to do the same but that's just my 2 cents .

Looks pretty clean bro. for a clean 3k I'd say it's worth it. Just don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.

 

[dsmeclipsex]

I'd say 150k isn't bad as long as all the maintenance was done on time. Just grill him about what he's done maint. wise and see how he reacts.

 

[viperlp01]

The clank is ###### sway bar links or tie rod ends... I wish i would hae bought my car for 2500.. I would have built an engine and been at what i bought it for. I was under 100k though

 

[FMFGSX]

As posted above check the maintance. Looking at the engine bay it's appears to be lightly modded which tells me it was run harder then your average car.

From the looks of it has:
Universal K&N air filter
Modded stock intake. Could be a Dejon Power one, but more then like it's a DIY.
Ebay strut brace
UICP and BOV(1g was stated above)

 

[Richrx_tsi]

What i always do is judge the owner as much as the car.

 

[vanilla gorilla]

Looks like a a nice car. Just keep in mind what you are getting into when you buy one of these. If your looking for a reliable, low maintanence car, you are in the wrong area.

 

[goku28]

If your looking for a reliable, low maintanence car, you are in the wrong area.

I agree, I spent more money on fixing it than mods but I still love my gsx. Its so sexy.

 

[ReMz]

I'd say 150k isn't bad as long as all the maintenance was done on time. Just grill him about what he's done maint. wise and see how he reacts.

What i always do is judge the owner as much as the car.

The owner was very mechanically inclined and seemed to be an overall good guy. He owns and evo and bought this as a daily driver. All of the modifications were already on the car when he bought it....... so I can speak for him maintaining the car well, but cannot speak for the previous owner.

As posted above check the maintance. Looking at the engine bay it's appears to be lightly modded which tells me it was run harder then your average car.

From the looks of it has:
Universal K&N air filter
Modded stock intake. Could be a Dejon Power one, but more then like it's a DIY.
Ebay strut brace
UICP and BOV(1g was stated above)

Exactly.... The tacky cheap 'upgrades' are the only thing turning me off on a car with this many miles.

I agree, I spent more money on fixing it than mods but I still love my gsx. Its so sexy.

I'm expecting something that I can drive around a bit (non-performance driving) until I have a bit more funding and the speed bug bites. If I get this particular vehicle, I'm banking on it lasting a few months w/o any major repairs.

I'm certainly not a mechanical guru and don't know a whole lot about DSM's..... just the basics.

What am I looking at for parts and cost to fix up the motor before adding any performance parts?

Lets say the engine does let go.... what is common on these cars at this mileage and what can I expect to pay to get up and running again (just approx.)?

In the mean time, I'm off to do a bit of searching.