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  • 81gtv6

    Dec. 4, 2009 8:24 a.m. 81gtv6 Reader

    In reply to 93celicaGT2:

    It was a GT with the 2.2. Don't get me wrong, I really did like the car, it was a lot of fun to run down the back roads here in Ohio but the starter and alt thing really got on my nerves. Also it had the regular seats in it and I was never able to get comfortable in them for long trips.

    I will say that when we sold it at 290K the valve seals were starting to go, it would smoke a little on startup and the 2nd gear syncro was on its way out but other than that it was running great.

    I guess my point was that there are cars/makes that get bad reps for reliability when it is really dependant on maint.

  • 93celicaGT2

    Dec. 4, 2009 9:47 a.m. 93celicaGT2 SuperDork

    81gtv6 wrote:

    In reply to 93celicaGT2:

    It was a GT with the 2.2. Don't get me wrong, I really did like the car, it was a lot of fun to run down the back roads here in Ohio but the starter and alt thing really got on my nerves. Also it had the regular seats in it and I was never able to get comfortable in them for long trips.

    I will say that when we sold it at 290K the valve seals were starting to go, it would smoke a little on startup and the 2nd gear syncro was on its way out but other than that it was running great.

    I guess my point was that there are cars/makes that get bad reps for reliability when it is really dependant on maint.

    Weird.

    I'm going to hedge a guess that it was a 90-91 thing, since the parts ARE different from the 92-93s that i'm accustomed to having. 290k is quite an accomplishment, though. I haven't hit that yet on either. Hit 250k on my last one, my current one is at 235k.

    And yes... these things ARE a hoot on a backroad. Not the fastest thing out there, but the handling is so predictable, they're so easy to drive hard.

  • mtn

    Dec. 4, 2009 10:41 a.m. mtn SuperDork

    Adrian_Thompson wrote:

    Trucks. Yyuuukkkkk He doesn't
    A) Pull a race car/boat/horse trailer
    B) Work as a building contractor
    C) Work for an NGA in a 3rd world country
    D) Want to marry his sister

    Note this post is 11.3% tongue in cheek.

    So I'm still working on coming up with the remaining 1.2%, but does that mean you want to marry your half-sister?

  • Adrian_Thompson

    Dec. 4, 2009 11:22 a.m. Adrian_Thompson Reader

    mtn wrote:

    So I'm still working on coming up with the remaining 1.2%, but does that mean you want to marry your half-sister?

    Perfect comeback 10 out of 10

  • Adrian_Thompson

    Dec. 4, 2009 3:33 p.m. Adrian_Thompson Reader

    Can any one throw light on NA FWD DSM's? It's one of the car's he's expressed an interest in and he knows where there is one. I know slightly less than zip about them.

    I know the AWD trannies are weak, but this is NA/FWD so that doesn't apply. I recall people complaining that the 2nd gen power steering could get caught out in slaloms, but that's about it.

    Remember we're looking for a long term DD, so mod potential is not that important. What is important is how the thing runs and drives stock and how reliable they are. The kid and his father are both very mechanically capable so working on things is a no brianer, but they don't want a ticking time bomb.

    Thanks

    Wow I got through a whole post without dissing Turdbota's....DOH

  • Matt B

    Dec. 4, 2009 4:05 p.m. Matt B Reader

    I've never owned one, but I wanted one real bad in HS. Does that count? hehe I think that the DSM's have great styling on their side, but they don't have the reliability history that some of the other Japanese brands do. They weren't exactly know for their build quality, but at the same time there's less to go wrong without turbos. Still, they wouldn't be my choice for a rock-solid DD for years to come. Before anybody gets mad (like the last thread I voiced this opinion), I think they're great cars - just not top dawg when reliability is high on the list.

    In a very similar package that is about 200lbs lighter with excellent reliability history - non-vtec Integra. The RS/LS/GS models can be had all day long for cheap. Tons of 5spds available too.

  • JeepinMatt

    Dec. 4, 2009 4:23 p.m. JeepinMatt Reader

    Choices seem really limited, mostly based on price and age. How about a W-Body, like a Grand Prix? I know you can find a 3.8 for around that price. Maybe not the sportiest, but a fun car, especially if you can afford a GTP. My dad had a red '00 GTP.

    edit - forgot about the manual. They put the engine in the Camaro, so maybe you could swap a manual in? Bah.

    Hmm, a GTP with a stick. Still FWD, but sounds like fun

  • Dec. 4, 2009 4:32 p.m. mndsm Reader

    DSM, really depends on the car. I'd avoid a 420a equipped DSM if I could help it... mostly commonly found in the 2g cars. 1g 4g63 n/a will be getting up on miles, but if you can find a clean one, they're as reliable as anything else from that era, and pretty cool lookin, if slow. 4g63t is where it gets dangerous. 1g prior to early 1992 had the 6 bolt setup, those are the strong ones. anything after that is going to be a 7 bolt, and horribly prone to crankwalk. (That's actually what claimed mine). The 2gAWD cars and the later 1g AWD cars had a 4 bolt rear, which was a LOT stronger than the 3 bolt in the earlier cars. The ever elusive 1g 6bolt/4bolt does exist, but they're all pretty much cut up and boosted to the sky. Realistically, they're reliable as anything else that's going to be that kind of fun. You just have to remember, there were some weak components on them, and everyone knows what they're capable of and are intent on doing that with them.

  • CLNSC3

    Dec. 4, 2009 10:39 p.m. CLNSC3 Reader

    You listed an se-r, have you considered an NX2000? I bought mine when I was 17 and drove the hell out of it. It was nothing but reliable and was a ton of fun, it was the car that I started doing autox and track days in. These days you can get them dirt cheap and there is a ton of mod potential.

    There are plenty of subarus that fit the bill as well. How about a first generation Legacy turbo? I had a second generation legacy as my first car, that was a great car as well! Also look into Imprezas.

  • Dec. 4, 2009 11:53 p.m. mndsm Reader

    Has anyone said 240sx? It seems that a 240, especially an s14, would fit really well, if you could find one that hasn't been drift hacked, and the KA24 is as strong as an SR20, and 80 thousand times more plentiful, because it was also a truck motor.

  • Adrian_Thompson

    Dec. 14, 2009 11:56 a.m. Adrian_Thompson Reader

    DSM seems to have faded. So, he's now looking at a cheap mega high mileage 2004 Impreza wagon, a TS not a WRX. My limited knowledge of scoobies goes like this.

    One. They run forever as the interior slowly falls to pieces but are like energizer bunnies, they just keep going and going so I'm not too concerned about the fact it's got 200+K miles on the clock.
    Two. Trannies (5 speed natch) are weak behind the turbo, but mainly due to morons who thing that AWD + turbo = drag car. Not a problem for an NA, especially as the miles suggest an highway car, not a backstreet racer. Also I think it was 04 that got the stringer trans, correct?
    Three. He should check the syncro's though, how do clutches hold up? I know that some early cars (02, 03) had clutch chatter issues, but again I think that was solved by 04.
    Four. Wagons are always cooler than sedans, especially with Scoobies! Subaru seem to have a knack for building ugly cars, the wagon's really help balance the lines tome.
    Five. with 200K miles it's prime for a swap to low mileage WRX suspension as some one wants to upgrade their suspension, which WRX owners always want to.
    Six. Basically I can think of nothing but good things to say about this prospect if the car checks out OK.

    Edit. Start rant.
    Why oh why can't this board handle 1. 2. 3. for line #'s, why why why and why do you have to put lot's of spaces at the end of lines to stop run on. What's wrong with vBullitin? this feels like a problem that didn't need solving. And how about a search that actualy does???
    end rant

  • SpeedTheory

    Dec. 14, 2009 10:01 p.m. SpeedTheory Reader

    Keep in mind, Adrian, with the SC2 (we're building one for LeMons), that if he's looking to autocross it, keep the grip down, or you'll be replacing motors due to oil starvation.

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