Your opinion on 2g gsx reliability

[jakelandry]

Hey everyone after looking for quite some time i found a gsx. Its not in the best shape but itll do. The problem is after all this searching and wishing i had a gsx since i was a kid im having second thoughts. It seems like everytime i get on here 20 people have a problem with them and 20 more people on craigslist have one with a blown motor for sale. I want yall's opinion, the owners. The car im looking at the owner claims it shakes when accelerating and he sent me a vid of the motor mounts and they were shot. He also said it puffs bluish smoke when he lets off the throttle... If those are major problems please let me know, but i dont assume they are. Anyway if anyone has anything to say as far as specific parts that go out or their stories about how reliable their 2g gsx's are i would love some motivation. I dont plan to whore this car at all, its going to be my dd that i take care of and mod lightly. Thanks in advance.

 

[zanderson]

Motor shaking would definitely be motor mounts, but they can also cause problems like the tranny/engine seperating and things like that (Currently dealing with that on my parts car 1g). Just go look at the car, go over it with a fine tooth comb and make sure the frames good, no hack job wiring, little to no rust. Then if you decide it's worth the price once you get it do ALL the maitenance on it (timing belt, fluids, plugs/wires, i'd suggest headgasket as well). There's no reason these cars are unreliable other than the fact that people cheap out and go mods before maitenance when it's the other way around. I know plenty of people with well modded dsm's that don't have any more troubles then any other car.

 

[dsm03]

Welcome, to the world of DSM's my friend...


there is no such thing as a good working/running one anymore these days..


Tough to find one second hand or whatever the case maybe that is still a virgin and unmolested..


Dont get me wrong there are probably lots who are bone stock still and is almost perfect running cond.. but Its either been Fixed from all issues and continued maintenance for it to be like that..


Now, owning a DSM wouldnt be that much fun if it werent for correcting previouse owners mistakes and problems but some can be more challenging than others..


Like above mentioned.. Change motor mounts, check for other flaws and basically will boil down to calculating time and cost whether you think it is worth it or not.. . Also, if the price is right!


GOOD LUCK!

 

[jakelandry]

Welcome, to the world of DSM's my friend...


there is no such thing as a good working/running one anymore these days..


Tough to find one second hand or whatever the case maybe that is still a virgin and unmolested..


Dont get me wrong there are probably lots who are bone stock still and is almost perfect running cond.. but Its either been Fixed from all issues and continued maintenance for it to be like that..


Now, owning a DSM wouldnt be that much fun if it werent for correcting previouse owners mistakes and problems but some can be more challenging than others..


Like above mentioned.. Change motor mounts, check for other flaws and basically will boil down to calculating time and cost whether you think it is worth it or not.. . Also, if the price is right!


GOOD LUCK!

Lol im not new to dsm's just to 4g63's. And i hear you, if anyone has taken a shit car and made it something its me.

 

[Big T-28 GSX]

After losing my last DSM in an accident I found a GSX and went for it, I, like you had always wanted one. It had about 130,000 miles and was almost completely stock which was a huge plus. One month later the engine blew (combination of causes were found once we took the motor out and really got into looking at the car). Not the answer you wanted Im sure but I am just sharing my experience. Although on the bright side, I now have put in another engine, clutch, Big T-28, and know the condition of everything in my DSM so it should be ready for slowly building a quick, street drivin GSX.
I love the car now but sadly I think its hard to find these cars in good condition anymore because it seems they always find their way into uncaring hands who just beat on them til they find somethin new.

And as for the shaking, motor mounts are a likely cause but if its puffin blue smoke I would take a look at the turbo and the intercooler pipes if possible, could be on its way out or need a new seal which will be a factor in the cost. But who doesnt mind "having" to get a new turbo

 

[jakelandry]

After losing my last DSM in an accident I found a GSX and went for it, I, like you had always wanted one. It had about 130,000 miles and was almost completely stock which was a huge plus. One month later the engine blew (combination of causes were found once we took the motor out and really got into looking at the car). Not the answer you wanted Im sure but I am just sharing my experience. Although on the bright side, I now have put in another engine, clutch, Big T-28, and know the condition of everything in my DSM so it should be ready for slowly building a quick, street drivin GSX.
I love the car now but sadly I think its hard to find these cars in good condition anymore because it seems they always find their way into uncaring hands who just beat on them til they find somethin new.

See these are the stories i want to hear actually... and yes your right theyve all been torn to shit. However ill still have about 3 grand in backup money in case it does blow .

 

[Big T-28 GSX]

See these are the stories i want to hear actually... and yes your right theyve all been torn to shit. However ill still have about 3 grand in backup money in case it does blow .

If you have the extra money just in case I would say then you should definately look into it then. My first DSM was a NT and I loved it and now that I've been drivin my GSX with the new engine and turbo I could never imagine goin back to a non turbo. They are great cars if you take care of them, and AWD is awesome. If you do pick one up do the maintenance, I would suggest a boost and oil pressure gauge, and drive it for a while to make sure everything turns out good. Then move on to the addicting part of modding
Keep us posted on what you decide

 

[jakelandry]

If you have the extra money just in case I would say then you should definately look into it then. My first DSM was a NT and I loved it and now that I've been drivin my GSX with the new engine and turbo I could never imagine goin back to a non turbo. They are great cars if you take care of them, and AWD is awesome. If you do pick one up do the maintenance, I would suggest a boost and oil pressure gauge, and drive it for a while to make sure everything turns out good. Then move on to the addicting part of modding
Keep us posted on what you decide

Will do man, my nt is ganna be my project as it is my baby and is currently totaled.. but been there done that and im bringing it back. I just want a quick reliable gsx as my dd.

 

[AWDtalonPt2]

If you keep it stock and do ALL the scheduled maintenance they are as reliable as most other cars on the road. It's when you start modding with only a little knowledge is when things may go wrong.

 

[jakelandry]

Oh yea another thing.. it has a welded center diff... i read up on it but i dont know how reliable it is..

 

[housegsx]

My GSX and TSi have both been completely reliable. Though I do maintain them. Only broke down once since 2001.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Mine have broken but its a car, reliable to me, sometimes when i dont tear it apart and change something. nt, awd, gst, they all break somewhere, especially if you have fun.

 

[daren_p]

These cars get a bad name because of all the cheap ass owners. Guys don't do maintenance & mod them improperly, etc. These cars are easy to make big power with so when you combine the two, its easy to see why you hear their not reliable. My DSM is the most reliable car I have owned (but it was like new when I bought it & always properly taken car of). I have owned the car for 8 years & the amount of stock OEM parts that have failed in that time can be counted on one hand & cost well less then $1K for parts. I know plenty of people who have had warranty repairs that cost more then that in their first year of ownership on a brand new car (myself included). I also make close to 3X what the stock hp was.

DSM's aren't a bad car, its the majority of their owners & it just get worse as the cars get older/cheeper.

 

[Big T-28 GSX]

DSM's aren't a bad car, its the majority of their owners & it just get worse as the cars get older/cheeper.

I agree with this statement 100%. That why you have to be very careful when looking to prevent spending seemingly endless amounts as you find more and more PREVENTABLE problems.

 

[Black Widow97]

Any car is going to be as reliable as you allow it to be. Keep up on maintenance and it will keep running.

 

[Ghost1984]

I agree with daren. Dsm's are reliable cars if you take care of them and keep up on maintenance. There's too many people out there throwing a MBC on and cranking up the boost than wondering why their car is on jacks.

When I first got my very first DSM i didn't know squat about them, but over the years of reading threads and how to's i've learned quite a bit. To this day I still have to ask a bunch of questions on how to do stuff. But, if everyone would take their time and read up on them and keep up on maintenance DSM's wouldn't have such a bad rep when it comes to reliability.

 

[98GSXin]

Reliability is going to depend on you and the driving habits. My GSX has been problem free since the day I got it almost a year ago. Close to 130k now. I changed all fluids once I got her to be on the safe side and have addressed every little semi-issue that has arisen asap before it got a chance to get out of hand. All these dsms that are "unreliable" really just reflect the poor ownership quality. If there is one gsx that is in great reliable shape, who's to say that all the others wouldn't be exactly the same if their owners hadn't cared for them the same ways.

Do a compression check on the car before you buy. If that checks out, get her. Replace the motor mounts and maybe the valve stem seals to help with the smoke. Those issues don't seem to be too excessive.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Does blowing ic pipes count?

My car has never broken down apart from when I destroy something. Nothing on my car has failed prior to reasonable limits of the MTBF.

 

[RallyEclipse98]

I am considering a GSX, GS-T, or staying with a 420a. As said above, as long as you are willing to do the maintenance on it, you should be fine. Are you sure you want a GSX and not just a GS-T? The GS-T would get you a little better mileage for the DD. EPA says 1mpg better city, 3 better highway.

 

[paulv1971]

I must have been super lucky when i found my 95 gsx.Im the 3rd owner of this beauty with only 72k on the clock with not a spot of rust.The guy i got it from had all the paper work to all the maintenance
records.she was bone stock and runs great never had a prob with mine.like others have said look it over very close and check everything.if there is a mitsubishi dealer near by see if the owner will let you bring it there for a free inspection.

 

[jakelandry]

Yea I am sure I want a gsx. I want awd because I'm tired of everybody telling me if I turboed my 420a it would be a waste due to traction. I love the 420a because if it's taken care of it's reliable and it's incredibly easy to work on. I know what sacrifices I'm making by getting the gsx and I also know it's advantages.

 

[Billiam]

My car has been great! But still needs some TLC before any major modifications will be added.

 

[STORTZ77]

seems like a majority of dsms fall into bad hands
got my gs-t and the previous owner had simply "forgot about maintence' like alot of them and went striahgt to modding so now im replacing a lot of what went bad because of the neglect

 

[STORTZ77]

seems like a majority of dsms fall into bad hands
got my gs-t and the previous owner had simply "forgot about maintence' like alot of them and went striahgt to modding so now im replacing a lot of what went bad because of the neglect

 

[98_spyder_gs_]

Hey everyone after looking for quite some time i found a gsx. Its not in the best shape but itll do. The problem is after all this searching and wishing i had a gsx since i was a kid im having second thoughts. It seems like everytime i get on here 20 people have a problem with them and 20 more people on craigslist have one with a blown motor for sale. I want yall's opinion, the owners. The car im looking at the owner claims it shakes when accelerating and he sent me a vid of the motor mounts and they were shot. He also said it puffs bluish smoke when he lets off the throttle... If those are major problems please let me know, but i dont assume they are. Anyway if anyone has anything to say as far as specific parts that go out or their stories about how reliable their 2g gsx's are i would love some motivation. I dont plan to whore this car at all, its going to be my dd that i take care of and mod lightly. Thanks in advance.

the blueish smoke is a very likely a head gasket