Talon Advice/Should I buy? (non-generic version)

[russovi]

Hello all,
I am a newbie and I did search this question which is still opinionated and varies depending on who I talk to. "To buy or not to buy", one of the threads I checked that auto-populated when I started typing, (tyte by the way). But it didn't really answer any questions. More of "get the auto" "change the belts" etc... The facts...I do not own a Talon/Eclipse nor have I ever. I have had about 10 varities of hondas tho, and various other cars. I have stumbled across what seems to be a decent deal. It is a 1995 Talon ESI 5spd. Pwr locks, windows etc. Leather interior is nice. I have talked the guy down to 800 bucks. Starting price was 1500. All I know about the car is what I have seen, heard, and observed when I went to look at it last friday. It has 202,xxx miles on it. Clear coat is coming off, airbag cover on the dash is peeling off, driver side window will go down if forced, and the car smoked a little bit of thin white smoke when cranked up but not when driven.

What the owner has told me- It sat for 7 years before he drove it. He has been driving it for a year. The only parts he claimed to have changed are the exhaust, cold air intake, and rims. He said he put brakes, plugs, wires, and air filter on it recently. He also stated that he bored the block, and re-built the internals. He says he works at a shop and has no reciepts to back it up tho, just his word.

What it needed- Shifter cable. It was jacked up. I picked the part up for 7 bucks at pull-a-part.

Bottom line- 800 bucks is cheap for a car that cranks up and runs. I have never owned this type of car before. Doing some research I found alot of "opinions" on this car compared to others. Some love it, some hate it, as with any car.
Are parts cheap-
Are they difficult to work on-
WTF is "Crankwalk" I keep hearing about?? Is the crankshaft garbage or something??


If your still here, im sure the reading may have bored you, but thanks for any feedback you may or may not leave.

Cheers,
Vinny

 

[nothingfiction]

With the esi i have yet to hear about crankwalk what so ever. most of the parts are made by chrysler (i.e. Dodge) as that is where i go when i need a dealership only part i cant find elsewhere.

most on this site would tell you to let it go and wait for a TSI and leave the ESI model. but thats your option. Do you want turbo? Do you want to go fast NOW? wait for a tsi. if you want to build something and not become another statistic in the "dsm's are junk" poll, then get the esi as 99.9% of all of the "dsm's are junk" things i have ever heard, read, or seen are from people complaining about the 4g63 engine (talon tsi, eclipse gst-gsx, plymouth laser rs).

both engines are good, and have a lot of potential. the 420a engine (inside the esi, which i also have) will be limited as to what you can do to it as theres less options and most people will not be able to help you other than to tell you to sell it and get a pre-turbo model of the car. but there are a number of people here that also can help you and theres other forums to go to as well.

parts price wise... it all depends on which engine you have and where you go to get parts. this forum is very helpful in letting you know what kind of options are available to do to your car (everything from modifying it to proper maintenance). And we will also tell you where to go, who to call, if websites have sales going on, ect.

ultimitely i would say to get it. you'l be happy owning a dsm no matter the make. just remember, these are not honda's and crazy engine swaps are more unheard of. and engine swaps between the two different engines in the same car has been done but honestly for the effort, money, and time spent it is not worth it at all.

One last note from me... about the white smoke... i don't know if it's just me but that makes me think that car may have a blown headgasket. your local dodge dealership can fix that for you for about $500 or you can search on here and do it yourself for half that price. We have the knowledge and are willing to share. Just we need to know what the problem is first .

Good luck on your potential buy. let us know if you decide to get it or not.

 

[russovi]

Thanks for your input homie. I also thought it could be a blown head gasket, however it showed no sign of over-heating. Next time I go look at it (wednesday) cause dude lives 2:30hrs away, I will be sure to let it run for a minute. What threw me off guard a little is how during the "low-balling" process, he went from 1500 to 800 with no hesitation. If all it needed was a 7 dollar part, I wouldnt go down 700 bucks off the bat. Kinda makes me think something else was wrong that he didnt want to tell me...the check engine light is on, his reply was; it is straight piped and the o2 had been eliminated. The motor sounded good. No ticks, smoking, leaks that I saw. The motor is a 2.0 DOHC. I dont plan on turbo-ing it any time soon. I'm more in need of a A-B kinda car for pretty cheap, im not rich apparently. But i am also not an idiot . if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Thanks again for your feedback...

Oh, and no crazy engine swaps....just lost brownie points man. j/k

 

[nothingfiction]

you lost brownie points man . read the sig /just kidding.

but seriously... i think he knows about the blown headgasket thats why he dropped so low so fast. when you take it for a test drive... run it to autozone and see what codes they bring up. its totally free. that will give you a start to know whats wrong and if it is just the or sensor. and even if it is that get a set of spark plug non foulers n put them in the o2 line and lose that code.

as for the 2.0... all 2g DSM's are 2.0. the first gens had a 1.8 and a 2.0. but the 1.8 is trash (i have one as well, i should know).

 

[russovi]

hahaha nice...im starting to like this place already ...
I'll def take it to autozone during the test drive and see what they say. U lost me a lil bro with the non fouling spark plugs. You have to speak a little less mechanical for now, remember, I came from honda's ..all you need on them is a 10-14mm and time..When u say put it in the 02 line, is it something that plugs up to the factory o2 harness?

Thanks again

 

[nothingfiction]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/370580-cat-delete.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/327603-using-spark-plug-anti-foulers-will-trick-ecu.html

You simply get the spark plug non foulers and sandwich them screw the thread onto the or sensor. then the thread of the spark pug non fouler you screw into the or sensor bung. it takes the o2 sensor farther away from the exhaust gas so that it tricks the ecu to see not as much o2 and if it reads too high the ecu trips the cel light. for a cat delete you may need to put 2 non foulers in there tho to take it even further from the exhaust gas.

 

[bryanwheat]

you lost brownie points man . read the sig /just kidding.

but seriously... i think he knows about the blown headgasket thats why he dropped so low so fast. when you take it for a test drive... run it to autozone and see what codes they bring up. its totally free. that will give you a start to know whats wrong and if it is just the or sensor. and even if it is that get a set of spark plug non foulers n put them in the o2 line and lose that code.

as for the 2.0... all 2g DSM's are 2.0. the first gens had a 1.8 and a 2.0. but the 1.8 is trash (i have one as well, i should know).

Eclipse spyders had 2.4 liter 4g64's standard with the option of a 2.0 turbo.

 

[nothingfiction]

i stand corrected.

first gen has 1.8 non turbo (4G37), 2.0 non turbo (4G63), and 2.0 turbo (4G63T).
second gen has 2.0 non turbo (420A), 2.0 turbo (4G63T), and 2.4 non turbo (4G64)

 

[russovi]

Nice. I have the 420A then...or will have it tomorrow...420 fits me quite nicely .

 

[russovi]

So I didn't get the car....I drove it today and it was the biggest piece of shit I have ever sat in. Way too loud, and negative get up and go. Thanks for the advice man...but im going back to Honda's...LATA