A gst is a really nice car if you can get your hands on it.

 

What are your goals with this car? Daily driver? Road racing? Drag racing?

 

Well hey I got a esi talon finally very happy with it but money was a factor so i went with the esi. which is the same motor that the eclipses use on the non turbo. Its a 420a engine ok.like one of the member posted its weak 224hp if your lucky lol. right now i have just done this to the car and i am very happy with it and some how i can beat the stocj turbo eclipses and i means tock only. ok If you want a fast car like 12 secon and less car go with the turbo one already saves you the time and money. Now if your like me i went the cheap way but only for one reason my dad is a welder and has acces to **** load of metals lol. so heres the list and hp i got running as an estimate witht the cheap palm pilot dyno.
greddy headers
test pipe
full cat back system
bored out throtle body and intake manifold.
bored out the area where the cylenders are and put biger ones on.
bigger fuel injectors
did that crazy mod on the ecu that was on vfaq.com about freeing some speed. which mean my car stops at 130 before the wheel and fuel start to cut off. now i can got past that i haven tried going faster than that until iget rims.
removed rev limotr. not hard to do if you have a crazy nerd friend who has a major in engineering lol.
thats about it for now
so im ready for turbo since my internal are forged and freed up space. oh also forgot have a cai all this has gotten me to 160-190 the palm pilot said but that it its an estimate lol won say exact acuracy until i get dynoed.
though i ahve beaten hondas si
preludes
the bottom lin 3g eclipses.
and so on im sure my car is like a 14-15 second car if im lucky but thats all iwant a 14second car that be cool if im beeting all this civi nation guys. but like i refered before i wen this route because my dad is a welder i enforce this because when i decide to go turbo he can do the manifold for me and all the work for me. ofcourse i will help but that why i went with 420a engine. hope this helped some that the 420a has potential. if you wan it to be a 14-15 second car. if you want it faster than that i would say go already turbo if you have hook ups on parts or labor cuz that way u just go ahead and go with a bigger turbo 16g well that my experience with my car and i love it. fast quick and fun to drive with almost no money invested in it.

 

I'm thinking about going with a 93-94 GSX. The onlly thing that is scaring me off is the mileage on cars that old. I dont want to get the car and then it dont run for **** or the engine goes after I drive it for like a month...
Any thoughts on "safe" mileage?

 

milage like any true dsm member can tell you id just a number. its all about hopw the person before you treated it. though you also have to take into consideration most of those car are way to old and the engine is going to go anyways sonner or later so wen you buy it give it a tune up and an engine rebuil. after that your set to go .

 

How much is it to 'rebuild' an engine?
I actually have a cousin who's going to one of the best automotive schools in the state and lives about 2 min. drive away.
I could probably have most of the work done outside of a real garage so theres that factor.

 

My advice to you would be to search out an early model Eclipse / Talon AWD (1st gen 90 to 94). They aren't exactly the prettiest to look @, but they have alot more potential than the later (2G's) model Eclipse/Talon, can be had for cheaper, and are faster buck for buck than the later models.

I personally owned a '95 Eclipse GSX and did about all the boltons, then sold it for my '94 Talon TSi AWD. The 1st gen's are great cars, fun to work on, can be had cheaply, and are relatively inexpensive to modify.

The only problem here, is that it's somewhat difficult to find one that's in good shape. Just look for a bit and you will though. I'd recommend an AWD, but FWD's are okay if you have to get one. Also, make SURE it's a 5spd.

 

I had a 97 GS-T (stock) for four years and it served me well. The car had good power, got good gas mileage (30 MPG) and had an interior that made it fun to drive. Insurance rates were high until I turned 25 even though I had a good driving record (approx. $700/6 months if I remember right) There are maintenance costs to be considered. Timing belts and water pumps need to be watched. I had to replace the valve cover gasket twice and the turbo oil return line gasket once due to small leaks. I actually ended up selling it to a dad for his 16 year old son. I was up front with them when describing the power and handling of the car. It was their choice to make and it was up to the kid's folks to decide if he was ready for it. I, personally, wouldn't have my kid driving a car like that.

My personal recommendation for a first car would be to find a cool old 60's pony car and fix it up. You can work on them very easily with basic tools and no need for computer skills and the insurance is fairly low. You should be able to get a good running car $3000-$4000. Here is a good example. I still have the '68 Mustang I bought as my first car 13 years ago. The classics are just classics and they also go over well with members of the opposite sex.

Best wishes,
f86sabre

 

HAHA wow f86sabre, another eclipse gst/mustang/evo owner. You must be a very well rounded driver and mechanic. Anyways everything this guy said is the truth. My only argument would be you can do the same with a beater honda considering most of the youth was brought up to learn computers.

If you can get a GSX, or GST do so. Even if you drive stock this will be way too much car for you and your friends.

 

Hi,

I'm a certified Mitsu turbo addict. ("Hi, Dan!") I've owned a '91 GSX, a '92 Galant VR-4, and an Evo. I modded each one like crazy, and drove them a lot.

I'm torn on recommending a 1G DSM to somebody really young. On the one hand, it's a great car. Amazing power, bulletproof engine, and (to me) nice styling, even for an older car.



People were always asking me if my GSX was new, and what model it was, even though it was ten years old.

On the other hand, the older DSM's can be a hassle. They're often neglected, with "timing belt specials" (cars sold for cheap because they've blown a timing belt and bent all the valves) all too common. They can have other nagging problems that all older cars have. Particular issues with DSM's include ticking lifters, idle problems, 1-2 and 2-3 synchro problems, and the previously-mentioned oil leaks.

Plus, the cars have a lot of power, and although they handle well, they're not THAT great, especially with 100K+ mile shocks that should have been changed years ago. You can EASILY get into trouble with one, especially if it's modded and has 300+ horsepower.

Heck, I got myself into trouble in my first car, and it probably had 60 hp...

So, definitely take that driving school. If you do want to go for the DSM, check out our Buyer's Guide. Good luck!

--Dan
Mach V Motorsports
MachV.com
MachEVO.com

 

hey i agree with ryukyuhapa1... just be smart and careful and have fun... i had a 3g eclipse w/ 4 cyl and automatic and it was SLOW... haha, but i know several people with fast 2g's, so go for it man.