Newbie looking to buy a boosted AWD DSM

[Ziruly]

Hello, this is my post on this form. I have been looking over threads the past few weeks. I've always been interested in DSM and have finally gotten my license! (YES!!!!!! Btw, I'm 16) So it's About time to get a car. I've recently been looking at Talon TSI's and GSX's on Kijiji and have found a good deals. What problems should I look for, what years are better, what's a rough price range for these cars? Sorry for all the stupid questions, just really concerned. Also, what should be upgraded first in these cars. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Alan11]

The closest to stock the better, look for rust on the strut towers if its a 2g. Look for rust over all.
Test drive it, listen to any weird noises, make sure it doesn't overheat.
Edit:http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...t-things-you-should-look-when-buying-car.html
Reasearch about cars and how they work. I honestly don't think an awd dsm is the best choice for a 16 year old. Psh I drove a 3 cyl geo metro when I was 16, and I'm glad I did.

If you get one here http://www.dsmtuners.com/tech.html

About the price it really depends on the condition of the car and miles. Good luck man.

 

[Ziruly]

I have auto co-op right now so I can do most work myself and if I need any assistance I have my dad to help. But thanks for the info.

 

[Alan11]

Good luck I hope you know how to tune

 

[xMaNgOxKusHx]

I myself am in the same boat, I just got my license and am 16, looking for a nice dsm. A GSX could price anywhere from $2-8,000 depending on what year it is and what condition it is in. It's just a matter of whether you want to pay that much for your first car. I couldn't ask for more than to own a nice 2G GSX, but I realize that my first car probably shouldn't be something so damn nice that I can't appreciate it when my insurance is through the roof and there hasen't been experience owning a car that I can look forward to getting rid of if you know what I mean. Usually the first things people do to upgrade their DSM is install aftermarket bolt-ons like intakes and cat-back exhausts, but I'd take every experienced DSMer on this site's advice and perform all necessary maintenance before modding ANYTHING. Check out the tech upgrade paths and get an idea of what order things should be installed.

 

[JB4G63]

Just know if you do acquire a dsm, one modification means multiple more to make it work correctly. Good luck

 

[chronicvex]

Good luck! Do all your maintenance first(including boost leak testing).

 

[DSM Chase]

Guys I am 17 and all I have to say Is be ready, these cars are not by any means easy to work on... They will fight you every step of the way. But man when they are running right

 

[constant_proj21]

I wish I got 2-8k for my first car... Just remember, if you do buy one, take baby steps, and do it the right way, the first time. People skimp on maintenance and it always becomes a problem down the road. Your first taste of boost is going to make you want more, its just how it is. Thats when being fast becomes a priority, over keeping the car reliable, which is usually how these cars end up in pieces. Keep them happy and they will make you happy!

 

[TWOpointFORliter]

Everyone has covered the basics about what to look for. All I want to add is since you are a 16 y/o I would try really hard to find a talon you like instead of an eclipse. For some reason talons are far cheaper on insurance than a eclipse. I wish I would have know that when I was younger and bought my first Dsm.

 

[bigbird94]

I think that Honda's make great first cars. They are cheap, easy to drive, reliable, and very easy to fix when they break. IMO it is best to learn how to drive manual on a car like a Honda before going to something like a DSM, but thats just my $0.02.

 

[clizz3]

Guys I am 17 and all I have to say Is be ready, these cars are not by any means easy to work on... They will fight you every step of the way. But man when they are running right

There easy when you know what your doing

 

[gprix1]

My son is 19 and the thought of him owning a DSM... shutter.
I even have a second 2g GSX builder that I would love to see him have but the fact of the matter is, it would be a disaster. He just isn't ready.
If you are like the typical teenager who:

* Thinks their friends dad who rebuilt an engine once and works at a wrecking yard has a ton of good advice for your DSM. Like replacing the weak IRS suspension for a 9" Ford axle. Or worse yet, takes advice from his other teenage Honda buddies.

* Doesn't take the time to learn how things work and loves the sound of the BOV venting to atmosphere

* Body kit parts are among the highest of priorities

* Wants to jump right to a big turbo without proper fuel and other supporting mod's

* Is given advice from people who actually know what they are talking about, decides that's not what he/she wanted to hear and creates a new, alternate reality for themselves

* HERE IS THE BIG ONE - Doesn't have the $$$$ to keep their DSM in excellent condition, further helping it along to it's fate of getting parted out and a date with the crusher. Sorry, but these things are expensive to modify and maintain correctly. I make over $20 an hour and it's taken me over a year to fix what the teenager before had done to it and I still have a couple thousand left to spend. You see some of these guys saying they've put $10k, $20k or more in not including buying the car, they aren't kidding.

Not trying to be an ass but unless you are among the 1% of teenagers who doesn't think they know it all and has a steady job to support their hobby, you really should start out with something else.
Now if you're determined to do this, do the DSM community a favor and do it right. When something breaks, even little stuff, fix it. Don't let that DSM turn into another part-out tragity because you got in over your head. Be commited to doing things right, keeping up on maintenance, replacing worn parts, etc. even if it means parking it sometimes and you will have huge respect from everyone here.

 

[omega260]

My son is 19 and the thought of him owning a DSM... shutter.
I even have a second 2g GSX builder that I would love to see him have but the fact of the matter is, it would be a disaster. He just isn't ready.
If you are like the typical teenager who:

* Thinks their friends dad who rebuilt an engine once and works at a wrecking yard has a ton of good advice for your DSM. Like replacing the weak IRS suspension for a 9" Ford axle. Or worse yet, takes advice from his other teenage Honda buddies.

* Doesn't take the time to learn how things work and loves the sound of the BOV venting to atmosphere

* Body kit parts are among the highest of priorities

* Wants to jump right to a big turbo without proper fuel and other supporting mod's

* Is given advice from people who actually know what they are talking about, decides that's not what he/she wanted to hear and creates a new, alternate reality for themselves

* HERE IS THE BIG ONE - Doesn't have the $$$$ to keep their DSM in excellent condition, further helping it along to it's fate of getting parted out and a date with the crusher. Sorry, but these things are expensive to modify and maintain correctly. I make over $20 an hour and it's taken me over a year to fix what the teenager before had done to it and I still have a couple thousand left to spend. You see some of these guys saying they've put $10k, $20k or more in not including buying the car, they aren't kidding.

Not trying to be an ass but unless you are among the 1% of teenagers who doesn't think they know it all and has a steady job to support their hobby, you really should start out with something else.
Now if you're determined to do this, do the DSM community a favor and do it right. When something breaks, even little stuff, fix it. Don't let that DSM turn into another part-out tragity because you got in over your head. Be commited to doing things right, keeping up on maintenance, replacing worn parts, etc. even if it means parking it sometimes and you will have huge respect from everyone here.

Is there a story to the IRS statement? I want to hear that .

Sounds harsh but its true. Ill be 20 soon, and I definitely think alot different then when I was 17. Forget about maintenance, you should be thinking about your safety! I think we all know your going to try to race the first brostang that pulls up to you. I ended up crashing my first car, and all of my buddies (except the one with the evo surprisingly) have crashed their car due to stupidity by now.

Just be careful dude. If you decide to get one make sure you can afford it, and dont drive insane. Take it to the track if you want to race that cocky mustang/civic/whatever owner that keeps taunting you to race. And id recommend taking a performance driving course.

 

[ofgofg]

Look for clean, well maintained, as stock as possible. Basics already mentioned, like rust, maintenance history, oil leaks, funny noises. Do not buy somebody elses half assed project car! Unless its dirt cheap and you already have another car to drive.

Best thing in the world is a well sorted dsm to DRIVE. Worst thing in the world is a basket case dsm to FIX and fix and fix...never ending. Get a good driver.

 

[thereef]

Be patient and be ready to have your grit tested. I've had my car two years and I'm just now getting it back to a strong stock performing vehicle. My 1g had so many half-finished hackjob mods when I bought it.. Had no idea what I was getting myself into.

However, last night is the first time I put any amount of substantial miles on the car since I was doing a full engine rebuild..

Well worth it. I love my DSM

 

[JAW91]

You guys are being kind of harsh, I'm 19 now and I've been working on DSM's since I was 15 and owned one since I was 15 (few months before I turned 16). If you are mature enough you shouldn't have a problem being safe in the car. I was and I have done fine. I owned my Talon (FWD) until I was 18 then sold it and bought another Talon 91 (AWD) right after I sold my FWD, but what I'm trying to get at here is not everybody is a "typical" teenager, and I am willing to bet the percentage of the ones who are mature enough to handle a car like these is above 1%. You gave good advice gprix1 but the rest of the stuff was unnecessary.

Look for clean, well maintained, as stock as possible. Basics already mentioned, like rust, maintenance history, oil leaks, funny noises. Do not buy somebody elses half assed project car! Unless its dirt cheap and you already have another car to drive.

Best thing in the world is a well sorted dsm to DRIVE. Worst thing in the world is a basket case dsm to FIX and fix and fix...never ending. Get a good driver.

This, best advice given. Also, know what your buying before hand and don't get over excited about driving the car to overlook the problems. If its not what your looking for that doesn't mean that what your looking for isn't out there, just keep looking. Trust me it will be worth it in the long run.

 

[Tiki2777]

Not trying to be an ass but unless you are among the 1% of teenagers who doesn't think they know it all and has a steady job to support their hobby, you really should start out with something else.
Now if you're determined to do this, do the DSM community a favor and do it right. When something breaks, even little stuff, fix it. Don't let that DSM turn into another part-out tragity because you got in over your head. Be commited to doing things right, keeping up on maintenance, replacing worn parts, etc. even if it means parking it sometimes and you will have huge respect from everyone here.

Yay, I'm the 1%... 16 and doing it right...yea. (but...i'm a smartass who knows super calculus... so #### school)

I've loved dsms ever since the fast and the furious (alright, i know, just keep the comments in your heads), but I when i get into something i really get into it. I say if the kid is ready to devote alot of time into it, why not let 'em. I've seen adults blow up dsms as well as kids (obviously not as many but still). But, if he's not ready, then he should look into a POS honda to roll in.

Not all teenagers are idiots, there are some good ones out there

 

[hckyplya8]

Just remember, if you do buy one, take baby steps, and do it the right way, the first time. People skimp on maintenance and it always becomes a problem down the road. Your first taste of boost is going to make you want more, its just how it is. Thats when being fast becomes a priority, over keeping the car reliable, which is usually how these cars end up in pieces. Keep them happy and they will make you happy!

VERY VERY true!!!! take your time and do it right if your gonna upgrade. ive personally seen many cases where kids are too worried about performance and dont do the supporting mods needed and go through multiple motors!

 

[Jon91TSi]

You guys are being kind of harsh, I'm 19 now and I've been working on DSM's since I was 15 and owned one since I was 15 (few months before I turned 16). If you are mature enough you shouldn't have a problem being safe in the car. I was and I have done fine. I owned my Talon (FWD) until I was 18 then sold it and bought another Talon 91 (AWD) right after I sold my FWD, but what I'm trying to get at here is not everybody is a "typical" teenager, and I am willing to bet the percentage of the ones who are mature enough to handle a car like these is above 1%. You gave good advice gprix1 but the rest of the stuff was unnecessary.



This, best advice given. Also, know what your buying before hand and don't get over excited about driving the car to overlook the problems. If its not what your looking for that doesn't mean that what your looking for isn't out there, just keep looking. Trust me it will be worth it in the long run.

I remember when I was 19, it wasn't so much about maturity as it was peer pressure, I think the same applies today. You can be as mature and adult like as you want, but get a bunch of other 19 year old dolts in your car and you'll act just like them. This is how tragedies happen, sadly.

 

[mattasi]

I remember when I was 16 I saved up and bought a 91 Eclipse with the 1.8 motor. It was slow but I loved that eclipse back then. Good times.

For insurance reasons I would advise a 16 year old not get a turbo as their first car. That's just me thought.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

I remember when I was 16 I saved up and bought a 91 Eclipse with the 1.8 motor. It was slow but I loved that eclipse back then. Good times.

For insurance reasons I would advise a 16 year old not get a turbo as their first car. That's just me thought.

I agree, i was looking at m3's gsx's and GSXR-600s and 350z... From when i was 16-21 and all of which were over 300 for liability only, the GSXR was fricking going to be 600 a month for liability, so i decided on no insurance hah. My GSX currently is 71 for liability almost 23 years old.. so i guess if you dont care to get it fixed if it gets wrecked.. then insurance really isnt too much a problem, unless you have a street bike and lots of tickets

 

[mattasi]

Yea back when I was 16 with the little 1.8 motor, my insurance was $140 a month.

Now I am 26 with the 97 GSX, and my insurance is about $58 a month, and that is with my truck on the same policy.

My example shows just how much your insurance will change during those first 10 years of driving. Of course that is if you don't get many tickets, no wreaks and such.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Yea back when I was 16 with the little 1.8 motor, my insurance was $140 a month.

Now I am 26 with the 97 GSX, and my insurance is about $58 a month, and that is with my truck on the same policy.

My example shows just how much your insurance will change during those first 10 years of driving. Of course that is if you don't get many tickets, no wreaks and such.

you get the break after age 25, is that 58 bucks for full coverage? if so thats a steal who do you go through?

 

[JAW91]

I remember when I was 19, it wasn't so much about maturity as it was peer pressure, I think the same applies today. You can be as mature and adult like as you want, but get a bunch of other 19 year old dolts in your car and you'll act just like them. This is how tragedies happen, sadly.

I drive the same in my car with or without people in the car with me.