You're fucking crazy if you think GSX's are reliable.

Don't get a mitsu if you can't handle down-time. That's just my opinion. My VR-4 has never NEEDED to be torn down for any length of time... I just do it. It's hit or miss with 3/S's it seems.

Just take your time looking and find an owner that you really trust took care of the car. That can be said for 3/S's AND DSM's. Both can be horribly ragged-out.

Good luck,
-Adam

 

in my opinion if you don't have extra money laying around stick with a more reliable NA car. 97-99 gsx's are basically worse for reliability unless you buy it crank walked and put in a 6bolt.

 

If you want reliable, then dotn get a DSM or 3/S!!!

One you start modding either one the reliability factor goes otu the window. Expecially ont he drive trains. high hp isnt easy on AWD.

The DSM may be cheaper to fix and cheaper to modify but dont think a 2G DSM is reliable at all until you replace that 7 bolt motor with a 6 bolt. That is the first think I plan on doing to any 2G I buy. Hell, I have a build 6 bolt engine sitting on the stand just for incase! And I am not kidding. Crankwalk is a very common and horrible thing that happens to 7 bolt motors.

There is a huge follow for both cars. Expecially the DSM. Shit, in the DSM everything is laid out there for you already. Anything you need to or want to do tot he car has alreayd been done and documented on hwo to do it and the best and cheapest way to do it.

The 3/S's are getting there fast. But the parts will cost you more, the down time will be longer, the harder to work on(still not bad though), and you will spend more money buying one worth having.

If you are in college and need a reliable car, get a Honda Civic and leave it totally stock. Drive it back and forth.

I have a '94 Toyota truck as my daily driver. It work well because I can throw parts in the back of it.

How do you know if you are a DSMer? One of your first serious mods is a daily driver!

For a college student that wants to get intothese kind of cars, I woudl suggest buying something htat you know will get you to where yo uneed to go. Then buy yourself a 1G DSM.

Why a 1G? There are parts everywhere. They are cheap these days. They are still nice cars. Performance wise they are better than the 2G for the weight less and are a better starting point(better off already when stock). There are plenty of aftermarket parts onthe used market. Every mod you can think of doing has already been done and documented so there is no guess work to it at all. You can have a 12 second car for the cost of the car and about $800-1000. If you get a 6 bolt 1G('90 to mid '92) you dont have to worry about the dreaded crankwalk monster showing you a visit.

Ok, there is my basic suggestions. Take what I say as you wish. But this is what I would do if I was you.

Good Luck,

 

I wouldnt get a vr-4 if downtime is a problem. Plenty of people have had no problems with there vr-4's but my personal experience is that it is broke more than it runs. But when it runs it is wonderful. For those few days atleast . My opinion will not be liked but I would get like a 95-98 v8 mustang or a fox body style one. Not once did I ever have a problem with my 98 v6 mustang. And a v8 98 mustang with x-pipe and intake and a few other minor mods ran a 9.4 in the 1/8th. Didnt beat me though because I ran a 9.3 in the vr-4 with just intake

 

neither is that reliable...it's really preference and whether or not the mileage of the car and gas mileage you're gonna get (which won't be that great after you start doin some serious mods) is a big factor to you...

whatever you decide...i suggest lookin at your potential next car inside and out and making sure it's in good condition...you can usually tell when a car has been taken car of (don't get thrown off by body panel damage...i'd look for structural and mechanical integrity above all else)...it might be a good idea to bring another car nut or even a mechanic with you for a second opinion...good luck wiht your search bro...

 

thanks guys,
i appretiate all teh advice and welcome any more i can get....
as far as down time im less conserned with that then cost, cause i will ahve a second car for that situation, and i plan to do most work on it myself...
i am still cureous about gas mileage... its not that it matters all that much but something im cureous about..... i have always been happy my camaro with a v8 can get over 25 mpg when i need to go highway driving.... and i hope i don't have to, but i may have to take into consideration , that the car gets 20 mpg AND i ahve to run premium fuel... but if i can go 0-60 in -6 sec. all is good lol not that i plan on killing the car ad doing clutch dumps......
tj

 

im with Weed_Man, with these cars its hit or miss. if ur gonna test drive either one, do it in extremely hot weather, that usually brings out whats wrong with the car.

but if ur after reliability, go for a honda or subaru for ur car. mitsu's cars are not known for reliability.

 

If you are poor then don't get either. If you juice your whole account on the original cost of the car you will nothing for maintenace.

You could get a 1G for like 3K, have money to mod and maintain it as well. That is what I would do if you want a turbo vehicle and a fast one. If they look too dated: Hey you can't have your cake and eat it too if you are broke.

Also, don't think you can pick up a nice, manual 1997 GSX for 7K. That isn't happening.

I would say neither, 1G or get a 94-95 Nissan 240SX with higher mileage.

 

yeah, also with weed_man on this one.

It all depends on the condition of the car that you buy. I bought my car from an old fart that barely drove it, covered it when not in use, never seen rain/snow, ETC ETC ETC. My car has had almost no problems other than a few normal things like replace clutch and 60k maintance.

my buddy on the other hand, got his car from a dude that you could tell just beat the hell out of it. I don't think he has ever had his car at his house working for more than a week before something else breaks. He bought his car for like $9,000 i believe, and has now spent over $30,000 into it, and still on basically stock everything. Almost everything on the car has broke. HAHAHA.

it is sad, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Make sure you search around and pick wisely. I test drive quite a few local vr-4's, and searched nationwide (just online and phone calls) for more than 6 months before I found the perfect one for me.

 

the only car I would consider trading mine for is a 1st gen talon. I wouldn't go with a 2nd gen. You can have a 10 second Talon fully built running 30+psi for $10K.

 

Get yourself a nice SL and it will be about the same speed as a turbo eclipse.
I have had my 94 SL and have never had any problems with it and have never done any maitenance on it.
3k's will turn more heads than a dime a dozen eclipse.
105k and counting.

 

I can buy a 1G DSM and have it spanking that SL with no money spent. Just give me about 15-20 min. under the hood.

The SL weights about 500 lbs. more and only has 10 more hp stock. I can have the DSM pump out another 40-50 more hp, to the ground, with no to very little money spent. Dont tell me it cant happen for I have worked at a couple of shops with dynos and have done it many times. More than I can coutn. Then you through AWD ontop of that.

As for the 3000GT/Stealth turning more heads. I doubt a base would do that but, a nice SL, VR-4, R/T, R/T TT will, no doubt. but, if you are a true sports car guy / Hot Rodder then who cars how many heads it turn. You are looking for how it performs.

I dont give a shit what other think of my car. I build cars for me to enjoy. Not the other way around. Wait, that isnt a true statement. I do build cars for others to enjoy. But that is their car with their money, lol!

I will stick with my opinion that you should get a 1G DSM AWD and then you will have money to get the timing belt done and maintinance anything else that needs it. Then you will have a sound car that you really dont have to worry about, till you start modding it and doing 6k rpm launchs. Plus you will still have money to start modding the damn thing. And you can have a really nice, 11 second car for that $7k you have sitting there. At least low 12's.

I'll let you in on something... I buy 2Gs because I can resale them for good money. I buy 1Gs because the are great hot rods, normally not for the intention of resaling.


As for why I bought a 3/S...
I bought my Stealth because I have been doing DSMs for years and needed something different. Since I am familure with Mitsubishi and there style and the Z16 platform basics, I figured it was a good choice. I also like taking on challenges, just as I have over the years with DSMs. So, I am building the 3.5 lt that everyone claims cant be done or is too complicated to do. I know of one person who has built one but never installed it. So he has been a lot of help in finding the right parst. Makes things easier, for sure. Dont have to search manuals and CAPS and the internet trying to find out what works and what doesnt. I am also doing the FWD to AWD convertion. Which, when I first joined the board I was told it couldnt be done. But was quickly PMed by two guys letting me know that they were about to finish theirs up. Within the next couple of weeks they came public with the first and only 2 cars that have had the convertion done, that I know of. Was hoping to be the first but they beat me to it. Thats fine with me though. I love to see guys with that kind of ambition. Plus, it gave me a guide to go by when doing mine. Just that much easier.

So this car should kep me busy and out of trouble for some time. The out of trouble part will go away once its running I am sure.

 

This isnt really an answer to the question, just thought I'd share my experience with mitsubishi cars. Maybe I have just been lucky, but I had a 97 GS-T for nearly 3 years with absolutely 0 reliability problems. I never upgraded the turbo but I had exhaust, dp, boost controller, HKS bov, intake, fuel pump, ic piping.... drove it hard basically every day. However, I bought it with around 35K on it and had just under 60K when I sold it so it wasnt exactly a high mileage car.

I've had the VR4 for 6 or 7 months now and while I have had a few problems (alternator, brakes, ecs fix, few other things) nothing major has needed to be done. Again, I have fairly low mileage at just under 68K right now. Scares me to death when I hear so many people talking about these cars being so unreliable haha. I guess the key thing like a few others have said is to wait until you can find/afford one in really good condition or find something else for now.

I do plan on getting a second car after about 2 years though if all goes well... I'll probably be a little bit over 90K by then. Until then I'll keep my fingers crossed

 

i say go for the 1st gen DSM...the talons and lasers are usually cheaper than the eclipses

 

3k's will turn more heads than a dime a dozen eclipse.

very true. especially if you get one with the paint in good condition, hell yeah.

 

very true. especially if you get one with the paint in good condition, hell yeah.

don't 4get HiDs for night time attention!!!

 

niether if you have 6.5-7k dollars buy a 1st gen talon or eclipse (lasers are ugly) for $1500 then buy a honda or toyota for daily driving for $1500 and you have $4000 in case anything goes wrong or you want to modify you 1st gen.

and i dont want any one to give me S@#* over this i own 1991 vr4 and my girl friend has a1990 talon tsi , they are extremely expensive driveway ornaments. my vr4 motor went in june i just got most of the parts to put it back together yesterday ( thousands upon thousands later) , the clutch in my tsi is gone. they are parked right next to each other every morning before i leave for work in a friggen buick that has never broken down once.

i also owned an integra for 3 years guess how much downtime it had .... 0 days. never one problem

if i were in your situation which im familar with being a broke college student, i would get a first gen eclipse spend $1000 in mods putting it into the 12's , and a 1990-1993 acura integra. and KEEP EXTRA MONEY in the bank. any vr4 you buy for $6000 will cost you another $2000 in the first year of owning it and you will regret buying it.

 

My brother's '92 FWD TSi hasn't had much of a problem, but he doesn't run it hard at all. If you are anything like me, you'd be running it like it's meant to be and have the chance of breaking shit.

If you got a '92 - '94 AWD DSM and drove it responsibly except for the occasional run, it would be a very good and cheap car for you.

If you want reliability, but it'll be slow, get a non turbo 3S. It's slow, but I haven't had a problem with mine. The tradeoff sucks

 

all your guys advice is great, keep it comming, but im sort of torn also because the vote is saying practically vr4 all the way....
tj

 

ah, I had a vr4 when I was a broke college kid. Me and my vr4 had one thing in common. We were both broke. It ran for 3 months, then it broke. I spent tons of money on it and it broke again. Out of the four years I was in college, the vr4 only ran for 1 of them. I would say...buy an old toyota truck until you graduate. save money and heartache and then buy a nice fast car later.

 

If you are poor then don't get either. If you juice your whole account on the original cost of the car you will nothing for maintenace.

You could get a 1G for like 3K, have money to mod and maintain it as well. That is what I would do if you want a turbo vehicle and a fast one. If they look too dated: Hey you can't have your cake and eat it too if you are broke.

Also, don't think you can pick up a nice, manual 1997 GSX for 7K. That isn't happening.

I would say neither, 1G or get a 94-95 Nissan 240SX with higher mileage.

I vote GSX. Crankwalk really isnt all that bad. Hell, if u really wanted to do it up right, find a 2G AWD rolling chassis, then send the tranny to TRE and throw in a six bolt. Stay with this setup for awhile. You can have some fun with a 14B. :mitsu:

 

all your guys advice is great, keep it comming, but im sort of torn also because the vote is saying practically vr4 all the way....
tj

lol, that's because this is 3S forum
And I'm with VRMAN, I'd go for 240SX as they are pretty reliable if your budget is tight. Or get 1gen DSM. 3S isn't really reliable.

 

I can assure that most people that vote are not reading all the post and just voting then going about there business.

Listen to the people who actually take the time to post something. They are taking the time to think about it and trying to help you make a good and sound choice.

I myself havent voted because there is more to this than just this or that.

 

I had a 98 GSX for over 1.5 years (last semesterof high school and little over a year in college) and it never broke down. The only time it was down was when I was installing a 16G in it. Oh, and I raced that damn thing probably every other weekend. I have about 50 time slips from that car. I only stopped driving it because some dick in a truck decided to plow into me at 60mph at a stop sign :ak47:

My Stealth I've had for a little over a year (still in college, btw), and it is now broke. But I pushed this car to the ragged edge the last two or three times I went to the track in it, and it the engine just let go. Now, I'm not blaming the car, but myself for it. I am not that broke of a college student, so I can usually afford to fix what is broken.

As for what I'd rather drive...probably the stealth. It looks better, it's faster from what amount I've spent on it. And I have NEVER EVER seen another 2G TT stealth, let alone a 95. I've seen plent of 98 GSXs rolling around.

 

Buy a 2000 Camaro SS or T/A used,.... or get a loan and buy a Supra since it will be worth what you paid for it when you get out of school. Its cheaper to fix then a VR-4, its faster right out of the box until the VR-4 gets a turbo upgrade or a shitload of mods with 9bs. A good condition VR-4 will cost you at least $8-10k. A crap condition one will cost you $4k and another $6k in parts to get into order (thats just a tranny and engine if you do all the work). I would say if your very automotive saavy, you could buy a blown motor, and tranny VR-4 with a good body and have a great car for $10k total-------add another $5k in parts and you will be a little faster then a new Camaro on pump gas...............or you could just buy the Camaro and drive it w/o care with a warranty and have a great fast car that costs you nothing with no worries. A VR-4 is not a car to get if your still in school and looking for one under $5k that will be reliable. I bought mine from a dealership with around 30k miles and an extended warranty to 95kmiles. I have over $15k in receipts for work that would have come out of my pocket btwn the standard warranty and aftermarket. I would not own this car today if that was the case and it would never have any mods, so it would be even less desireable when every new sedan would be blowing my doors off while I was paying for repairs.

Its a $45k car---dont expect it to cost nothing to maintain it and repair it just because you can get one really cheap today.


Sam