98 GS ugprade opinions?

This weekend I'm getting my 98 Eclipse GS that I have until next spring to get parts for. I definitely want to get more horses in it but I'm not sure exactly how I want to go about it. One option is to just get a turbo kit and have that installed. My second option is to just go completely non-turbo and upgrade everything else I can while keeping a reasonable budget. My last option is to upgrade some of the parts and then have a turbo and the rest of the parts it needs installed later in the summer or at some later time.

I'm leaning towards option 3. I'd like to get in what I can and getting some more power but not committing myself to a turbo while leaving the option of putting one in at a later time open. The only thing is I'm not sure exactly what I should be putting in to do so. Any help/advice is very appreciated as I'm just now starting to read up on all of this without any previous knowledge. Thanks.

could always put a catback and a cold air intake on it although the cold air intake will be useless once you get turbo. They only cost 20-50 bucks ebay and are easy installs.You could get a stage 2 clutch. New tires. Lighter rims. Spark plugs and wires. There are plenty of other things just cant think of them right now.

Yeah, this seems to be a problem from what I've been reading. Either stuff is for a turbo or a non turbo and I'd have to get rid of some stuff and buy others to convert and I'd be better off just going with a turbo from the start to save money.

sorry...

you don't need cool intakes with a turbo?

you can't use one made for the car without a turbo once you get a turbo kit, it doesn't fit, most turbo kits come with an intake pipe made for them.

So what parts could I put in that won't be affected if I decide to go from N/A to a Turbo?

exhaust, and assuming youre just putting a bolt on kit in and not swapping a 4g63, the clutch, rims, plugs and wires, strut tower bars, that sort of thing... kinda what im trying to do since i dont have enough for a turbo kit yet... the cheap upgrades that will help out the most
-a

Yeah, it looks like I'll just end up putting everything in at once to save money. Some parts could be installed but only to be ripped out later once a turbo is put in, so I'll just avoid that completely by doing it all together.

yeah but if you are going to spend like 2 grand for a nice turbo kit what is the big deal about pulling off a $30 intake,i have the basic mods on my car and it didn't do much for me its still a gs,but its quik enough for me unless your a mechanic and can do alot of it yourself,your looking at a good chunk of change to have one put in,i think i will do what the rest of them say and sell this thing if i want anything faster and get the gst/gsx

it sucks tho cuz nobody is selling them in ny... when i searched for my current 95gs that was literally the only standard transmission eclipse in the state for sale... or at least on autotrader *i didnt know about dsmtrader or anything back then*
-a

i will tell you though,i like dsm's but if i was getting a different car there are more new ones out there that are just as fast if not faster than the dsm's,not as pretty but they are quik too all the new cars coming out seem to have turbos,even the god damn neon has one hahaha

Everyone should stop saying just buy a GST or GSX. Some don't understand the sky high insurance costs for these cars. Especially when you'll have 4 drivers on 4 cars and two drivers are 17 and 19.

i will tell you though,i like dsm's but if i was getting a different car there are more new ones out there that are just as fast if not faster than the dsm's,not as pretty but they are quik too all the new cars coming out seem to have turbos,even the god damn neon has one hahaha


Good point, but look at the prices on these new cars that are faster than stock DSMs. New neon srt-4 will run you a good $23,000. True, they are faster... stock. However, I got my 95 gsx for $5500; and let's say I put ~$5000 into it. I'll be MUCH faster than the neon will be, and I'll have saved $12,000 :) . :iceslolan

i think what everyone is going to get at is you to go for a gst/gsx. Its true that insurance is high, and you are young, but i think some ppl will agree that you will come to regret putting a turbo kit into your car after a year or so. I say do a few minor mods, get to know your car, try to do as much work as possible.

If your 19 you got 2 yrs before your insurance drops, so i say take that 2 yrs to gain as much experience as you can. Once you are ready to get a gst/gsx you can do most the stuff yourself and avoid paying for labor. Just my opinion though, its up to you what you choose to do.

Either way good luck!

Well I'd prefer to keep this car for the next few years and then just get either a new or a newer used sports car. I don't HAVE to go with a turbo. I just want the added power..but the turbo is a lot more cost effective than paying 200-400 for 5 or 10 HP, plus you get the better gas mileage.

are you sure about that? Turbo's are not that cheap, plus if you throw on the cost of labor, thats a shit load of money. I dont know if you got the money or not, but this is a more realistic approach to it.

Do you mean getting a new car or just going N/A? A new car would not only cost more, but the insurance would add up to more than the 2-3 grand it would cost for a turbo and install, easily. And if you meant N/A...those parts are pretty expensive and it doesn't seem like you get too many horses out of them for the price.

i say go N/A. it shouldnt cost alot if you go for used parts. One thing i have learned is that its much better to get used parts, its the same shit just someone has used it for XXX # of miles. If you got your mind set on a turbo, im not gonna change it. Plus, you should fix the car the way YOU like it, cuz you will be driving it not me. Let us know what you decide to do, if you decide to turbo, you prob want to talk to Jake, he will help and guide you through this process.

Good luck man! :thumbsup:

Yeah, well the good thing is I have a LOT of time until I have to put anything in. We just bought the car and will get it this Saturday most likely. It's going to sit on our property until next spring when we'll tag, reg, and insure it for when I'm home in the summer and bring it back out to school with me. I just wanted to get reading up on all of it now, that way when I do get stuff put in, I know what it is and what it's doing and I don't feel like a complete newbie.

I would prefer to get a turbo, but am not against staying N/A. It just depends on the difference in price and power.

As of now, I'm kind of leaning towards putting my own turbo kit together. Should either be cheaper or I'll get better parts for the same price. Now I just have to get a list of parts I need with prices so I can figure everything out. Anyone want to help?

please read the stickie up top. turboing an rs/gs.

I did try reading it. I don't remember seeing a list anywhere, which would be the easiest thing for me to look at.

Actually what I mean is a list of recommended parts rather than a list of what kind of parts I need.