broken timing belt on 96 mirage 1.5

[89baja]

looking at buying a 96 mirage with a 1.5 engine in it. the people selling it said it ran great before the timing belt broke. my first question, is this an interference motor? My second question, if it is how much damage can be expected on the inside, they said they were only doing 10-15 mph when the belt broke and that they were in the middle of shifting so the clutch was pressed in. they didn't hear no metal on metal contact either. all opinions welcome and thankyou in advanced.
curtis

[DFBonnett]

It is an interference engine. No way to determine the extent of any damage or cost to repair without pulling the head that I am aware of.
FWIW
YMMV

[drdisque]

A salvage long block for this engine is probably under $800 and probably easier to drop in than tearing down the engine and rebuilding it.

[azntech630]

i wouldn't buy it but if the car is cheap or lower the price. Also if u knw how to put on the timing belt or anyone then its a good deal.

[ALcars]

If the timming belt is not set properly u may have a problem also if a valve hited a piston it may be the problem, make a compression test to verify it, and if there is a difference between any cylinder there is a bad valve which means a head repair.

[RahX]

Well, you need a timing belt anyway so why not get one and put it on like it supposed to be, see if it starts? Usually you end up bending valves when you break a timing belt. MOST of the time it's not that big of a deal to send the head out and have a reputable shop look over the head and see if it needs any major work other than valves. It's usually not that bad of a price either.