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The Official "What's this DSM worth?" Thread

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drewvr4 said:
keep looking...also the cheapest way you can get one is one with say a broken timing belt, you got a head job and generally a pretty good car for cheap.
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Yeah, I just don't want to have to buy something and immediatly dump a ton of money into it, unless it's in performance parts. It was my experiance that if the timing belt is replaced on regular scheduled intervals, the engines will run for quite a while. Even with 180+ thousand miles on my old one, the engine was the last thing I was worried about. It was everything else around it. I would smack the redline pretty much every time I drove the car without a problem. Plus, I don't really plan on doing huge mods. Probably just exhaust and intake, or maybe some other simple bolt ons. Another reason is that I'm finding it hard to find a 1g awd turbo anywhere around here that doesn't have 200,000 miles on it.
 
Your gonna do more than just intake and exhaust, trust me LOL. Thats just the start. Next will be fmic and bov, then fuel and tuning, then clutch. Just all keeps coming at you.
 
kylelilley said:
Yeah, I just don't want to have to buy something and immediatly dump a ton of money into it, unless it's in performance parts. It was my experiance that if the timing belt is replaced on regular scheduled intervals, the engines will run for quite a while. Even with 180+ thousand miles on my old one, the engine was the last thing I was worried about. It was everything else around it. I would smack the redline pretty much every time I drove the car without a problem. Plus, I don't really plan on doing huge mods. Probably just exhaust and intake, or maybe some other simple bolt ons. Another reason is that I'm finding it hard to find a 1g awd turbo anywhere around here that doesn't have 200,000 miles on it.
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There are plenty of good conditioned 1g's for sale, you just have to look and be willing to drive ;) Also, comparing an NA 4G63 to a turbo 4G63 is kind of like apples and oranges. I say this to you because I've driven a 1G NA for the past 2 years along with my turbo talon. The amount of stress of revving out an NA versus a boosted car is no comparison. Even at stock boost the amount of strain you put on the motor with forced induction will cause wear in the engine a lot quicker than an NA. Of course, turbo cars can be built and maintained just as well as an NA and some turbo's last even longer! Goodluck with your search and remember, patience is a virtue!

P.s., sometimes to score a properly maintained DSM, you'll have to fork over more cash. The cheaper you are (unless you're lucky) the shittier the DSM will be.
 
My thinking is, you gotta drive the car everyday so if your willing to pay an extra buck to a dealership for a car you want then go for it. Although its nearing that 100k mile marker and will need things replaced soon along with the cost of mods you want to do. I have a friend down the street who picked up a 91 3000gt VR4 with 89k miles and a rod knock for 4000, he got it rebuilt for 1800 and now has a MINT twin turbo AWD, so theirs plenty of good deals out their just gotta find one that suits you.
 
I guess I should mention that I'm driving a 2001 ford focus with 90000 miles on it. The car looks brand new but as far as I'm concerned it's a slow piece of s-hit. The trade in value is $4900 so I figure I could just trade strait up. If I had to choose which p.o.s. I've gotta dump money into I'd rather it be a turbo dsm, not a car that can never be fast. Even an SVT with a supercharger will only run the 1/4 in 14.9 at 92mph. So you see my hate for the focus. Sure the 35mpg is great but the fun factor is non-existant. I could go out and buy an evo if I felt like wasting my money but I'd rather save "some" cash and get a 1g. I always loved the handling of that car and if I enjoyed driving a N/T I know I'd love an AWD Turbo.
 
where exactly are you located, because i have a couple in North Carolina that are going to be for sale really soon...like today i just came across a 91 tsi fwd turbo talon that runs good and everything is straight...if your up for a little drive i might be able to help.
 
This guy called about a '91 talon he has. It's, turbo, fwd, M/T, 180k miles, needs a new head. He says it ran great before the timing belt broke, and he has said a valve bent or something. But I always hear of people buying a car that doesn't run that the original owner says it ran before just to figure out it needs more. Should I pursue or leave it alone?
 
when the timing belt breaks then most often your going to have at the least some bent valves and possible damage to the pistons, if you can get the car cheap enough to where you'll still have some money left over for repairs and some unexpected costs, then yes i would get it if it seems like a car you would want.
 
Baltour said:
This guy called about a '91 talon he has. It's, turbo, fwd, M/T, 180k miles, needs a new head. He says it ran great before the timing belt broke, and he has said a valve bent or something. But I always hear of people buying a car that doesn't run that the original owner says it ran before just to figure out it needs more. Should I pursue or leave it alone?
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Your better off with an awd turbo. Once you start building a fwd you cant stop and then you run into major traction issues. As for value; maybe a couple hundred based on the shape of the car, but if it looks great and you want a cheap project car buy it off him for as little as possible and put the rest in fixing it up and go fast parts.

Check on www.autotrader.com to see what the same type of car is going for. I think in good running condition its still only worth maybe 2500 with those miles on it maybe not even.
 
To me it all depends on the shape of the body. If its clean, and I mean CLEAN, I might go as high as 600 dollars. If it looks like it fell off a roof or something and still needs a head, then my cheap ass wouldn't go higher than 200-400. :rocks:


:laser:

Eric
 
If the rest of the car is in good shape and all that needs to be done is engine work than it is worth something. How much is another story. That will depend on how nice the rest of the car is inside and out.
 
It is definately worth more than 500. To me. I stress this.

FWD traction can be manageable. Yea at 400hp its not nice unless you know the ins and outs of FWD suspension. But 13.5 w/ a stock 14B (at only 15ps stock maf stock injectors stock intercooler stock fuel pump stock style clutch and pp) is what my FWD has accomplished...

If it's clean then a valve replacement is worth picking it up. This is 1991. It has the famous 6-bolt block. Some around here are runnign over 500 hp daily driven. . . I have not dynoed on a stationalry dyno but my results in airflow and "road dyno" show the same... The engine is worth 500 if the valves are replaced. Keep in mind that a broken valve is much different than a bent valve. If one has broken then surely the piston and block wall is damaged... This is probably a bad purchase as there would be so much work to do initially even if you picked it up for free. However, this rarely occures. It's a gamble. But I'll bet at worst all the vlaves are bent and you'll need to pull the head. Can you or are you willing to do this? Can you or are you willing to pay a head shop to swap out the valves if you are intimidated by pulling a 16V head apart? getting this car on the road will be between around $200 to $1000 depending on what YOU are willing to do. . .
 
Don't know if I want to pick it up though.....

1997 Eclipse GS-T 5-speed.
A little less then 118,000 on the clock.
CLEEEEEEAN!!
Asking $5000. (I'll offer $4500).

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Can't decide on if $5000 is a good price, though.

My question is for you 2g owners. I have been told that once you hit over 100,000 miles, and the crank hasn't walked then you're safe. Is this true.
 
The other one I found is nice, but more expensive and already modded (which I don't like).

1998 Eclipse GS-T Spyder 5-speed.
A little less then 153,000 on the clock.
Not as clean, but nice
Asking $7000.


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What do you think, Quid or Quo?
 
Push in the clutch and take a few hard left turns. If the pedal sticks or you feel it get lighter (pressure-wise) walk away and dont look back.

$5000 is a pretty good price for that I would think and if you get it for $4500 it sounds like a good deal. Let us know how it goes! :thumb:
 
go around a left hand turn, if the clutch falls its startin to walk.
Id say if its fine and doesnt have any symptoms to just buy the car (whichever one you choose) and if all else fails just swap in a 6 bolt.
 
Do a left turn and see if the clutch falls to the floor.

EDIT: yeah what ^^^ said.
 
I'd say go for the first one. I paid $5500 for my 98 GS-T, over 2 years ago, it had 100,000 on the clock at the time and was bone stock. One owner lady driven, and it was mostly highway miles that ran up the odometer. Mine runs like a champ and the turbo still pulls pretty hard, for a T25 at least :( . But yeah I would say do the clutch test as mentioned before, mine was good by the way, and have some extra money for maintenance, etc. So far Ive only had to change the clutch master cylinder on mine and brake line(battery acid caused that but thats another story). If the car drives good and acts as it should I wouldnt pass it up.
 
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