Questions about the Eclipse

Hey...I'm new to this board, and I need your help. Everyone here seems to know alot about the Eclipse, and I'm interested in purchasing one. My father thinks their to much "car" for my first car. So can someone please explain to him that they are safe reliable cars. Also what year is the best? I'm thinking some where between 97-95. Thanks for any help.

lol to much of a car.. well maybe a gsx\gst
no but seriouly they are good cars. they have near endless posibility in tuning. they are nice looking and donesnt get stolen as much as a civic. they are pretty reialible and can last with many miles. they are fun to drive and has moderate power for a biggner. the gst\gsx has more power the the rs\gs. overall i think that the gst\gsx are a better eclipse then the rs\gs.
but thats my opinion
1

they are pretty reliable cars [crankwalk :-S0 which make about 210 hp which are pretty safe for your "first car." They last alot of miles and have a near endless aftermaket if u plan on tuning your car. I will suggest a GSX cus its all wheel drive [less slippage on the road] but your insurance will be through the roof [hence the turbo!] so u may want to lower your standers to an RS or GS. Overall there are really no "bad" years or "good" years. There all pretty much the same. go with a 95 for around 5 - 7 grand and upgrade the hell out of it, and make sure it has less then 80,000 miles on it. Thats my 2 cents, good luck with your car.

The GSX has AWD which could be looked at as a safety thingy for insurance companies

true, but generally they cost more then a GST, trust me insurance screwed me over -_-

All right thanks for all the help...so basically the car isn't an insanse vechicle until you start to put a lot of aftermarket stuff in it? What's the stock HP on it?

210 hp manual
205 hp automatic
214 lb torque

not extemely high stats compared to other cars u can get. better then most sport compacts though

what kind of eclipse are we talking about? RS or other?

uhh GST // GSX

140 or 160 hp for RS and GS, not quite sure
[sorry for not specifying]

it's all cool...that's some low HP...but i guess you can put a few grand into it and get them up right?

P.S. you got AIM or MSN or somethin like that so i can talk to you more about that car?

stage II turbo kit will get you up around 275 for about 2800$$

When purchasing a used eclipse (especially a GSX) understand that the previous owner probably drove the crap out of it. It is imperative that you change the timing belt immediately, and if the engine has more than a 100,000 miles on it you WILL be changing the transmission soon. The manual transmissions usually fail around 110,000 miles.These cars are very easy to work on if you have some engine experience. Changing the clutch on a GSX can be alot of work just to get to it. The transmission only weighs 120 lbs though and taking the transfer case and front axles off is not all that bad. Ive done it in two days. Just keep in mind that if you buy an Eclipse GSX you will be working on it, or paying someone else a lot of money to do it for you. I think its worth it..
Good Luck
DSM DAD

What are some other options of increasing horsepower without installing a turbo. I don't really like Turbo's, but if that's where all the power is I might just end up getting one.

well then go with a GS/RS and just do your basics ie intake, exhaust short shifter(no hp) port n polish stuff like that you will be close to 200 if you wanna be fast i would go with turbo

200 hp i ment there

All right..thanks for the input..what parts should i get? basically who makes the best stuff?

well which model are you going to go with

Good point...I'm probally end up getting a 96-97 RS

get K&N for the intake
Borla or Apexi for the exhaust system
AEM for cams and fuel rails
650 cc fuel injectors
Venom ECU

that site doesn't have the lowest prices but u can price match other sites to get A GREAT deal, they will beat any price out there!
www.DSMparts.com - for most of the parts
http://www.extremedimensions.com/ - for the body kit // carbon fiber stuff

also if you want you could build up the internals, such as pistons and piston rings and maybe bore the block to get better stoke and more power that way

but if its ur dialy ride and u need it go for what Afrokid said and maybe add a front and rear sturt tower bar and stiffer anti sway bar so that ull have exceptional handling and then upgrade to a big brake conversion so that you have stopping power

lotz a luck with ur tuning hope it helps

Thanks, I'm alomost postive I'm going with the 96 or 97 Eclipse RS...easier on insurance and cheaper

good luck with ur car RATM, make sure u pick up some drunk lesbians on ur first spin on ur wheels, and have some fun with em :naughty:









PS: post the video if u tape it! :biggrin:

If I were to get my kid a car, I defently wouldn’t get them a turbo DSM. I was 17 when I got mine and nearly killed my self on multiple occasions. With that being stated. Their awesome cars and can haul major ass with little modification. But you pay for it, there cheap to buy, but end up costing major $ to maintain. Especially if you begin to modify them. But if you plan on going fast there a good place to start. If you want something affordable and "peppy", an rs would probably be a fun little car. I would go with the rs over the gs if you get 95+ because they’re basically the same thing (pretty dodge neon). And you will pay allot less for the rs! It is a Mitsubishi and they tend to cheap out on stuff, I love my car, but something is always braking. Hope that helps, if I wanted a daily driver I would get a Honda civic and leave it stock!

ok... just for the record... i have a 97 spyder gs-t, i daily drive it [fast] and take care of it like it was my virgin daughter. i also partake in the occasional freeway race [ok, i'll admit to driving like a mental patient duing times of freeway racing], and take every opprotunity to smoke any honduh [even ones with turbo's] or anybody else who happens along to a red light [although i crush honduh's i don't always win, but most of the time]. i listen to the guy that does all the work on my car, and 95 GSXracer, and the thoughts of this forum [although not as much as the first two] the combined expertise far outweighs mine. proper car care will keep your car running sweet, just like any other car. yes, things will start to break if you improperly tune it, and are constantly racing it around. conversely, if you have it tuned right and race the hell out of it, things will break. same as any other car. if you drive like an idiot, you may come close to death no matter what you drive. i had a 92 sentra that i drove for 2 months between trucks [my 96 1500 chevy got stolen, those bastards!!!] and i had more brushes with death in the sentra than i care to remember [lack of respect for a 'less than car'], way more than i do now, although no where near when i was 17 [;)] i bought my ride for 9k cash and have spent 6k or so more in upgrades, i'm addicted. check my ride in my sig for specifics. i've only had it for 6 months. most of the things that would break have already been replaced. as far as the engine goes, crankwalk is not something to worry about, and is only prone to mid 90's 4g63's [turbo model]. very few engines have it. and the 4g63 has internals capable of handling 450 HP, so they are plenty strong, and reliable. once again things like the timing belt have to be replaced on any car. if you do decide to go with the RS, i predict you will soon feel a longing sensation for more speed very soon, so you should go for a GS-T to start with. just remember the stupider [is that even a word?] you drive, the stupider things will happen to you. good luck and happy driving.

i second that

this is kinda off subject but u got a kick ass car BoostedSpyder [i give it two thumbs up!]

well thanks for all the help, now all i need to do it find one..

True, brings me back to the times when my budy had a 87 mazada 626, we almost died far more times in that then any other car.

thanks afrokid :)