Well lemme make everything a bit more clear about what im looking for. Right now, im in a 99 Explorer XLT, and im trying to find something fun to drive around in that gets better MPG while being able to tinker with and possibly upgrade SLIGHTLY in the future. I only asked about the turbo because I have seen a FEW that are priced well but have a heavy amount of miles on them. And I would like to grab one, but not if it its going blow up in 6 months because of a sketchy turbo. Im not looking for a 400WHP track monster. Im looking for a fun DD for a good price, preferably turboed. Anyway, thanks for all the responses!

 

First off, dont let this internet gossip of crankwalk scare you. Everyone hears about it and then it instantly becomes scared of owning a DSM. Most of the cars that were gonna walk already did anyway. You can't not buy a car because you think it may walk. If you think that way, youll never get one. Second, reliability seems to be talked about in a negative way. Ive driven my dsm DAILY for 3 years now, still on the stock 7-bolt motor with 117k miles, making 400hp for the past year, and I havent had any reliability issues. Its my only car, too.

Anyways, good luck with your search, there are a lot of nice DSMs out there, youll find one

 

Thanks for the encouraging words. Im not sure if im quite ready to grab a turbo right now. I know VERY little about them and I dont want to get in TOO deep, and it costing me more then what I can afford. And like I said, I want something for easy transportation for a good price (3500 or less) and is reliable. Not an insane track demon. Now is the base Eclipse (GS) really THAT bad? Yeah it doesnt have a respectable amount of horse power, but I can upgrade it a little to get somewhat better performance out of it (Small things like a better intake, headers ect.).

Anyway, thanks again all for your imput. Oh and are all the 2nd Gen Eclipses DSMs or just the GS-T and GS-X?

 

Man did you just open a can of worms. yikes. well most consider 2g gs-t gsx to be DSM's (i personally fall into this thinking). they share of ton of parts and engineering. but if you check the DSM agreement (between chrylser and mitsu) ended in like 1993 i believe and was officially renamed Mitsubishi of america in 95. so tech no 2g is a dsm. some come with name plates saying dsm some don't. some will tell you if it wasn't built at the Normal, Illinois plant it isn't a dsm. this is kind of like the issue of crank walk, there is lots of debate but hard to pin down an actual final answer.

 

Indeed. I don't even bother with the year thing, but then I do currently own a 2G, but I did own a 1G. But the other can of worms is whether or not a N/T 420A powered 2G is a DSM. I would say no, but others say yes, and there are 420A subforums on both DSMtalk and DSMtuners. Still, most of those are ghost towns compared to the 2GNT.com where the 420A guys and gals hang out with their Sebring and Avenger cousins.

Cliffs: The only DSMs as far as the club definition is concerned, are 1G and 2G turbo cars. (N/T 1Gs, and Galant VR-4's are the extended family.)