Should I Buy this eclipse for $600?

[Moose Knuckle]

hey everyone, I want to get a project car to work on while in school. I found a 97 eclipse RS with 155,xxx on the body and 65,xxx on the motor for sale. It overheats when idling and grinds 5th gear. I think i can get it for around $600.. Do you think I should do it and how much do you think it would cost to fix everything? THANKS

 

[Alex7747]

If Youre looking for a project car. Forget the rs and look for a Non running gsx. Im sure you can find one for cheap.

 

[silicosys4]

Ditto, I paid $800 for my tsi, with 130k on a stock motor...body wasn't too pretty but I didn't buy it for the body. If you know you want one, look for a decent one that has potential, don't just buy the first dsm that presents itself

 

[Moose Knuckle]

I'm still in school and while this'll be a project car im hoping to not have to spend too much on it...I would love a GSX but i think it would be too expensive to buy and fix up. Im looking at the 420a cars and maybe in a year or two saving up to turbo

 

[phunny]

Nope

 

[TRSblader]

If you are saving up to go turbo in a few years anyway, just wait a few years and get a turbo car to begin with.

 

[Moose Knuckle]

charlie i appreciate the quickness in your response, but could you please give me some more insight?

 

[95AWDTerror]

hey everyone, I want to get a project car to work on while in school. I found a 97 eclipse RS with 155,xxx on the body and 65,xxx on the motor for sale. It overheats when idling and grinds 5th gear. I think i can get it for around $600.. Do you think I should do it and how much do you think it would cost to fix everything? THANKS

Overheating can be something as simple as a thermostat or expensive as a head gasket. The range is quite large. I would do a block test to see if there is oil or exhaust gases in the radiator. You can buy that at a parts store for around $25. Its a bottle with some green fluid. You will start the car with out the radiator cap on. Place the bottle where the cap was and see if the fluid changes color. If that passes showing a good head gasket then it can be one or all of the following
Thermostat
Water pump
radiator
air pocket in the system
bad cooling fan

As for grinding, that can mean a syncro.

 

[brandonwh64]

420A engines cost a pretty penny to turbo properly. They require a full forged internal build and a stand along ECU such as megasquirt. The fastest 420A on record here is 661HP from DSM_ZERO. Its been proven a 4g63 will do 650HP on stock internals.

Do yourself a favor and do not buy this car. find a 1G/2G TSI or GST or GSX and build that.

 

[paulb1320]

Save your money for a TSi or GSX with some problems, I got a 2g TSI AWD with a few problems for $700

 

[Boomdeeze]

Don't buy it

 

[Moose Knuckle]

so everyone's saying no. I thought someone would think its good.. Is it because its not Turbo or bc you think the repairs don't justify it...And "The temp gauge goes up about 7/8th of the way up. Never shut off,fans work,radiators fine,coolants good,new rad cap,new thermometer,new temp sensor cooler. I think its just reading wrong electronically but I'm not.sure."

 

[miguelmcv]

Do what every one is telling you.
I got a GSX for 1800, (not running).
I know it is a little pricey, but I didn't spend any money to make it run, It had a lot of work, but all was Just like tight all bolts, Spark wires to swap, Miss Wiring to Hook up and little things.

All what I spend on $ was a Fuel Pump which cost me 20 bucks at Yank Yard.


Wait a little and keep looking, You think that you will spend more money on a turbo car, But If you keep it stock, They can be so reliable.

 

[Awdspyderman]

NO DON"t do it , I had a non turbo 95 GS and the whole time I just wanted a GSX and I waited and waited for the right GSX to come along and IM SOO GLAD I DID because theres nothing like AWD & TURBOCHARGED MOTOR. Just listen to everybody and buy a GSX. Good luck man

 

[silicosys4]

so everyone's saying no. I thought someone would think its good.. Is it because its not Turbo or bc you think the repairs don't justify it...And "The temp gauge goes up about 7/8th of the way up. Never shut off,fans work,radiators fine,coolants good,new rad cap,new thermometer,new temp sensor cooler. I think its just reading wrong electronically but I'm not.sure."

Trust me, this is a case where delayed gratification is going to be your friend.

People are booing the idea of buying a non-turbo as a project because for the money you'd spend making your non-turbo run right, you could have spent on a turbo model. If you haven't found a turbo model for the same price or a few hundred more (that few hundred that you would have dumped into the gs anyways) you aren't looking.

 

[Bishikid]

sense its gona be a project anyways, buy it and turn it into a 4g rwd conversion!
or just get a a turbod rwd starion or conquest. I ran into one once, the turbo sounded nice and the bov sounded amazing, dude did drifting donuts around me while I was in my gst haha

 

[jay1892]

For only six hundred, the interior parts will get you that. Its still running get it. It will get you used to dealing with DSM. If its what you really want go for it. Dont let some ppl on a forum discourage you from that.

 

[ed1380]

no. i got a 95 gst for $450. just needed a new intake gasket and timing reset. There are better deals out there.

 

[accidentaldsmer]

Gotta agree if you're looking for a reliable car then this one clearly isn't it with the temps going 7/8ths of the way I'd be really surprised if your head wasn't warped and if you want a project car then this car still isn't it because 420's really don't make good projects...

 

[bertrenolds]

GEt a GSTor GSX, if you start looking for a 1g I bet you will get a better deal as well as a better engine if it's a 90-92 GST or GSX, Don't waste your money on a RS. That would = stupid!

 

[jrstroh_96]

Moose this is what I would do. I dont own a DSM but I'm learning about them and will proably get 1 as I get out of the army. Do the checks everyone it telling you to do. Try to get it as cheap as you can. put as little as money as you can into in. Sell if you can make 400 off it. That's 400 closer to your awd. I use to flip cars before I joined the military. Just dont do bad work. If you have to hire someone to do the job that you can't then dont buy the car. But if you can change the possible head gasket. Then do it. There's always someone looking for a cheap gas saver. Always.

 

[Tfitch90]

No Good. DO NOT DO IT. You will want something else when you get it. I did something similar to what your thinking about doing. I brought a base model rsx and it got so boring to the point that I just wanted a SRT4. Then i crashed it and heaven sent me a 1g TSI for 200 bucks. It came with a trans. I brought a engine for 550, broke it down. My goal was to just get it running but i started buying parts and just never stoped.

O and let me add I still ended up with 2 7 bolt engines.

 

[pgarland]

Definitely no. Too many possibilities of that car being a money pit, and if you're running on a limited budget (like it sounds from your original post), this is definitely not the car for you. There are tons of 420a's in decent shape available for around the same price...but it sounds to me like you might be better off getting something reliable and cheap like a Honda for now, and saving your money up to enter the DSM community later with a much better car. Patience is a virtue...DSM's are a passion and a lifestyle, don't sour your relationship with them by buying one that is going to make you wish you had never laid eyes on it in the first place. Listen to everybody's advice here, this is NOT the car for you.

 

[MichGS96]

Don't buy it, is better look for a GSX or a GST at least

 

[andrewrnava]

i say just wait 420a doesnt have the same kick that a 4g63 has