A new recruit...

[Vega]

Hello everyone!

First I would like to say that I'm new with everything here (cars, mecanic, mods, etc...). It's been just a few weeks since I totally fell in love with the "mods world".

I'm about to change my car in the coming months and I decided that a Mitsubishi Eclipse 2G (maybe 95 or 96) would be the best thing for me. I want to make it my "dream car" and make all the mods and repairs myself but since I don't know anything about cars, mecanic or mods (I'm new to this remember?) what are your suggestions? How can I learn more about all of this? Got any website, books or anything else to learn about mecanic, mods, etc...?

Thanks a lot for the infos and I'm now VERY proud to be an official (and new) Mitsubishi Eclipse lover! I know that I'm gonna have a great time here...

[GSX-Terra]

Congrats!

I am new here myself, but I own a 98 GSX (sleeper). So if I say something that does not sound right, hopefully the moderator corrects me

The best thing is to get a good used car first, then work from there.

Ok here goes...

The 95 and 96 models came with the original styling cues. The front and rear bumpers are different. Depending on trim level offered, the OEM large spoiler started to pop up on the 97 on up.

If you can find it, get either a GSX or GST. If purchasing the GSX, try to find one with the LSD option. It makes a difference in tight turns. Avoid the RS, GS trims. They had the Chrysler engine and transmission that was used in the Neon and both are crap. (My brother had one and it gave him nothing but trouble)

Turbo's generally have a life span of 60,000 miles, longer if the car was taken care of and had a turbo timer. A turbo timer is an ignition kill delay that let your turbo cool at idle for a set time. You could lock your car, walk away, and in two min. your car would shut off giving the oil in the turbo time to equalize it's temperature with the rest of the oil circulating in the engine. Turbo timers extend the life of a turbo by a factor of 2. There was a great technical article at http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com on turbo's and superchargers. I'm not sure if it's still there.

The 98 model year had a two-tone interior black and grey. They must have been trying to use up the last of the 97 interior plastic before the 99's went all black.

The 4G63 engine found in the GST & GSX 2nd gen is well built. The only problem I can find is that there is a common engine "ticking" problem. I believe this is because the oil passageways for the valve lifers are too narrow. This can cause a problem if left alone for too long.

Always check the CV boots. If you find that there is more than just normal road crud on the boot, there may be a rupture in the boot.

Check if the car had gone in for the recall on the lower front ball joints.

Since a 95 or 96 has been around for 6 to 7 years, run a CarFax report. This will tell you if the title for the car has any accidents logged or salvage titles. Check the body to see that all panels align correctly. Tap the areas that are most succeptable to colission, the sound will be different if there was body fill used. Also check the gas pedal, break pedal, clutch pedal. If the used car dealer rolled back miles, you may see a difference in the wear on the rubber surface on the peadles.

You can tell if the car has been repainted by comparing the color on the exterior, to the color in the engine bay.

When test driving the car, put it through it's paces. Do 360 turns in both directons from wheel stop to wheel stop. Drive it for a distance on straight level pavement to see if there is an alignment problem. Drive it in reverse down the length of a parking lot. Go up a curb with the weel at the turned all the way right, then again left. If you hear a groan, the CV joint may be damaged. Open and close the doors, rear hatch, and hood. Turn on the A/C full blast for 5 min, then do the same for the heat.

If the dealer hasn't changed the tires, you can check them for wear. If there is anything other than normal wear, be skeptical.

As for modifying the car, find a local speed shop. They can be useful for information, but expensive for parts. You can find great deals online.

Since the 4G63 engine has been around a long time, there is an abundance of after-market parts. The best thing is to post messages here asking about specific upgrades and their pro's and con's.

Later

[eclipse_99rs]

here are websites that are most useful
for turboeclipses go to www.dsmtalk.com
for nonturbo eclipses go to www.2gnt.com

[turboracergsx]

www.machv.com:smoker2: