Possible 1st DSM?

[Gundyy]

okay so basically i'm going to be commuting to school in september and my 14mpg truck will not suffice. therefore i'm planning to sell it this may and use the money to get myself a clean LOOKING (haven't seen it in person) 1998 GSX. it's got something like 78 000 miles on it which isn't too bad. i live in Canada and i'm thinking i can drop the price from $6400 anyways... i haven't heard or read much about the eclipse. what i've recently looked into has me so much intrigued though. so my question is that i wanna know if this car is fun to drive. AWD is sweet, turbo'd from the factory is also a plus. i'm mainly looking for a car with good gas mileage as well as a lot of potential for performance upgrades. have i made the right choice with an Eclipse GSX? some pros and cons would be VERY helpful

thanks,
Nick

 

[alansupra94]

Why not just get a crappy beater Honda and keep the GSX for weekend fun?

 

[ReYnd]

Pros - all wheel drive, all the time. Factory turbo'd. Plenty of potential. Generally fun to drive (see below).

Cons - all wheel drive, factory turbo on the 2G's is tiny (not a huge issue), plenty of potential (more cash spent!), and can be a pain if it was not properly cared for by its previous owner(s).

Chances are, due to the age of our cars and the cool factor they have had with punks that run the hell out of them, you will get to know any DSM inside and out sooner or later. I'm cool with that, which is why I still have mine... it's only been driven a handful of times since I bought it, and not because it's a garage queen. This is a commitment.

Look it over inside and out, interior, engine bay, and underneath if you can. Look for general signs of neglect/carelessness. This would include, but is not limited to: leaky transfer case, cracked or otherwise worthless carrier bearings, anything deeper than surface rust, oil in any place it shouldn't be, torn or missing boots, and any issues that could be caused by crankwalk, however unlikely that is.

Good luck, and I look forward to welcoming you to the DSM family!

 

[My1GLaser]

The 2gb GSX is my favorite looking DSM with a nice FMIC. DSMs are like Pringles. Once you pop you can't stop. Boost is addictive and you will be hooked.

 

[floader]

It shouuld be noted that these cars are not that good as far as MPG goes. 24 to 25 is all i ever got with my 91 5 speed, dunno if the 2g's are better or not?

 

[Gundyy]

Cool. Okay thanks. How is awd also a con? I'm thinking of bringing my mechanic along with me when I check it out. I can't afford to own and insure 2 cars being almost 18 cash flow is minimal while in school. Another question, are there any common problems? Like something the eclipse is "famous" for type thing. Oh and another issue... I drove standard only a couple times therefore test driving it is out of the question for me :/

 

[awdwhip]

Cool. Okay thanks. How is awd also a con? I'm thinking of bringing my mechanic along with me when I check it out. I can't afford to own and insure 2 cars being almost 18 cash flow is minimal while in school. Another question, are there any common problems? Like something the eclipse is "famous" for type thing. Oh and another issue... I drove standard only a couple times therefore test driving it is out of the question for me :/

The guy who said that AWD is a con made a mistake and I'm sure he forgot to leave it out of his statement.

To me, DSM's dont have "common" problems. They are very reliable when stock and lightly modded.

Just make sure and check for rust! I made a big mistake when I bought my first DSM and didnt check for rust. It turned out to be a nighmare whenever I tried to take off old bolts and parts. If the bolts are rusted, chances are that the rest of the car is too. Walk away if you see rusty bolts and brackets.

 

[ReYnd]

Nono, I included it for laughs. It is fun, and probably safer. But it also adds more parts to the equation (more things able to go wrong), and the main reason is because he said he wanted something good on gas. Any car with four wheels pulling will consume more gas than a two wheel drive equivalent.

The "famous" thing about our cars has to be the stock transmission. I have never experienced a problem with any of the three I've driven, but second gear is the one that will start giving you problems first. Again, this is probably attributed mostly to cars previously run hard and neglected.

Edit: Almost forgot- on a 100 mile drive a while back (longest trip so far), mostly interstate, getting on it quite a bit toward the end, I got around 27mpg. Around town, I have absolutely no idea because it's never been driven to town more than twice.

 

[Urban Survival]

I agree that you should give the car a good check over. The 1g I just bought had a bunch of little problems that could have been solved easy. Like coolant hoses not being tightened down or on completely like they should be.

 

[supersplat310]

I just got myself a 1g DSM. Not a spot of rust on her. The only problem was a blown motor, but Im replacing everything anyway. I would suggest taking it on a test drive. DSM's are extremely good looking cars, but you usually wont know whats wrong with it until you drive it.

 

[Gundyy]

so basically the car i'm looking at is in the UK and the guy can't drive it so wants to sell it back to Canada. i can't test it, see it and even confirm it's existence... therefore 6400 is WAY too much given the insane risk. should i ask for like 1000 to 2000? or is the GST still a viable choice?

 

[Aproductions]

well i don't think the gsx would be a good idea because of where it is and plus you can get ripped off. I have a gst and I'm happy with it. They are a little better on gas and quicker acceleration when rolling but not obviously from a dig. Anyways like stated, make sure to look for rust and any signs of misuse. Good luck.

 

[Gundyy]

okay yea. i heard the UK and i was sketched out by it =/ so between the GSX and GST there isn't a significant difference?

 

[brandon1239]

the gsx is awd and I think a little bigger turbo, the GST is front wheel drive. the trans is geared different also I believe so the GST feels quicker stock. getting a clean GSX is pretty hard, I'd recommend getting a GST for gas mileage and stuff plus they are less expensive. Its up to you though.

 

[Beastmach5]

okay yea. i heard the UK and i was sketched out by it =/ so between the GSX and GST there isn't a significant difference?

Ok, so unfortunatley this guy is trying to scam you, so if i were you I would make no futher contact.
The only large difference between the gst and gsx is that the gst is fwd and the gsx is awd.
Also 6400 is alot unless it is pristine. I would check around, you can probably pick up something with some good bolt ons (FMIC, bigger turbo, injectors, fuel pump, etc) for around 5000-6000.
When you go to test drive one, MAKE SURE YOU PHYSICALLY GET TO TEST DRIVE IT, and when you do, don't be afraid to drive it hard. Alot of problems won't show up unless you're in high rpms or boosting.
Mainly just be sure there are no abnormal engine noises, it accelerates smoothly, 2nd gear doesn't grind (note driving it hard), and there are no major leaks. Definately bring your mechanic.
All in all DSMs are amazing, you just have to treat them right and get to know them.
Good luck

 

[Gundyy]

so i just found an ad about a guy selling a "clean looking" GSX for 10g's or trading for a truck... hopefully this goes through but... i doubt my truck will pass the e-test - legally. can i agree to have it saftied and e-tested and then get it taken to a guy that i know can pass it? or what... because other than that it runs perfectly fine and pulls like a mother f*****.

 

[Neezer]

I don't know about 10g's for a GSX. People seem to think their GSX's are worth a lot. My GST was 4g's, the kid wanted 5. I like the pull that the GST gives that my friend says the AWD cars lack.

 

[Zdrummer15]

As far as whether to get an awd DSM or a fwd DSM:
Go with the awd if at all possible. I originally looked for both and planned to buy whichever I happened to find a clean version of first. I ended up with my awd Talon and after owning it for 10 months I can tell you I would only look into awd if I ever bought another one. AWD is just more fun to me, it makes cornering easier, and it can handle higher power levels with much more ease (as far as avoiding wheel-spin).

As far as problems go:
I have had no issues with my Talon since I bought it 10 months ago, and I have experience with a 1g Laser RS Turbo as well, which also had no major issues. If you buy DSM in good shape, it will have no more problems then any other car of the same age. Any bad rap DSM's get as far as maintaining them goes is due to the fact that a lot of people beat on them in the past and that they are older cars by now.

 

[Gundyy]

yea i'm not too concerned about AWD or FWD anymore... they are both solid. just hoping for an eclipse but for a stock GSX $9900 is beyond ridiculous? it comes cert. and e tested, 77000 miles, Recent work done: New Fuel filter, New Spark Plugs and Cables, New Alternator, New Battery, all fluids were flushed so it has fresh oil,brake,steering fluids..etc. Only Synthetic oil was used and Premium unleaded gas. so it sounds like it's been well taken care of... i'm still not feeling $9900 though... for a 1998 car?

Looking at a Talon Tsi now. '97 ish... easier to find and cheaper too