What to look for in a 2G GSX

[420_Friendly]

Im starting to shop gsx and was wondering if there were any things specidc to look out for

 

[Dericsh]

Strut towers and rockers under the side skirts for rot.

 

[Mech Addict]

That was going to be my two cents also. Rust is the most insidious thing to repair.
After that go for the most stock example you can afford. I’d take higher stock miles than one with mods of uncertain quality. Plus more mods can mean more stress on everything else. Exception would be a modded car from a reputable source, though that’s difficult to assess.

 

[randman2011]

If it has been modded, it has probably been modded poorly or incorrectly. Don't let high miles scare you away from an otherwise clean example.

Also, when checking for strut tower rust, check from inside the wheel well. It rusts from the inside out so by the time you see it in the engine bay it's already too late.

 

[TWOpointFORliter]

The only thing I look for is a clean straight and rust free shell. Im not a body man and everything mechanical is getting upgraded. I could care less about miles on a car I’m going to be upgrading everything on anyways.

 

[Boomdeeze]

I always see people say to shy away from a modded car. Me personally, I would prefer a modded car that was documented or at least checked out when you go look at it. If your goal is to mod the car, nothing wrong with getting a head start on the build with a car that is modded the way you want or at least close to it. Plus you will be able to get that modded car for cheaper than it will cost you to get a stock car to the same point.

My .02, don’t turn a car away just because it’s modded as there are some nicely modded cars o it there.

 

[pauleyman]

I always see people say to shy away from a modded car. Me personally, I would prefer a modded car that was documented or at least checked out when you go look at it. If your goal is to mod the car, nothing wrong with getting a head start on the build with a car that is modded the way you want or at least close to it. Plus you will be able to get that modded car for cheaper than it will cost you to get a stock car to the same point.

My .02, don’t turn a car away just because it’s modded as there are some nicely modded cars o it there.

I'll throw in this information also. I would buy a modded car but for somebody who isn't very familiar with a particular platform that may not be a good idea. They wouldn't know a quality mod from a poorly done hack job with chinabay parts. Its going to depend on the platform and the individual. I've been around the block enough I'm not afraid of anything. These days I am going to say a modded dsm is suspect. Way too much chinabay stuff out there with cheap owners. That wasn't the case years ago. Either know what you're looking at or take somebody with you that knows. I look for straight body and no rust more than I care about mechanical issues.
Some telltale stuff I look for is as follows.

Poorly added wiring and vampire taps.
Bad tires or worn unevenly
excessive leaks
poorly done bodywork (If you can spot it immediately it's poor)
mismatched paint (same color). If you can spot it somebody did a poor job
look for the body stamps/stickers to see what's original

 

[420_Friendly]

I had a 95 gst as a kid with lots of mods planned.......till that tree got in my way.

I understand that the stocker the better but i prolly will be scooping a modified one since thats the ones im finding available. if it already have 280 cams thats a huge bonus in my eyes cuz. 272s i can pass on, tells me the owner was alittle scaredy cat. Awwwe thats a little 16g??? How cute

Whats a black box ecu and how do you tune it?