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gs-t for a daily driver

T

turbotooslow

New member
Hey guys, thinking about keeping the ssei until I can afford a lower mileage new gen. I am thinking about getting a 97-99 gs-t for a dd. I know they are unreliable when you upgrade the turbo and such, but you guys recommend one for a dd for a while?
 


DSMs have a bad wrap for being unreliable. My Talon was very reliable for me. It was because I took care of it engine wise. I just never washed it and let serious dirt build up after several off road rally fun days. I washed the car once since I bought it. I wish I had washed it more because it turned out to be a problem for me, but still never had serious engine issues. I did wash the engine bay often though!

As long as you take care of the car, play it smart, you can upgrade it with minor issues. DSMs are very affordable cars with a reputation of going fast for cheap. So who buys them? 16 year olds that just get their license and know nothing about cars, but want to have the fastest car to show off for their high school buddies. They see the videos of Shepard, Magnus, etc. and think they can do it right out of the box. They destroy their car quick by modding too much, and by not keeping maintenance up. Much like what would happen with any car.

When I first got my license I bought my Talon for the same reason those kids did. Many people I went to school with also bought first gen DSMs. By the end of my senior year i was the only one with a drivable DSM. i was the only one willing to go home after football/lacrosse practice and work on the car instead of going to my girlfriends house to get laid, or get hammered w/friends because it's the cool thing to do. I made time for my girlfriend (who I am still with BTW) and to hang out with friends but I had my priorities. School work and Car running were at the top of my list.

Then to make matters worse (and I have seen a lot of this) when the kids sell their "unreliable broken down DSM" another fresh driver snatches it up thinking he will fix it up, and they never do, for the same reasons listed above. Then it ends up in the classifieds again and gains more of a reputation as an "unreliable car." They never even drove it, it sat in their yard!

In turn they destroy the reputation of, what I feel to be, a great car. It's sad that kids that know absolutely nothing have that kind of power, but it's true. Rumors period. Start one lie and it spreads.

If you buy a broken down car, expect work, obviously! If you don't take care of your car, it will break down on you, obviously...

Spend some time on the DSM forums. You'll see that all the hard working owners that take care of their DSM will tell you that the car was actually one of the more reliable cars they've owned.
 
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Oh, to answer your question Turbo, yes I do feel the car would make a great DD and you will fall in love with it.

Obviously being a used car there will be some issues but expect many DSMs to have been neglected, even the 2g.

Don't be afraid of the "unreliable" factor. It's total BS. The car should be good to you if you are good to it. Do your research when modding and you'll be fine. :)

Few things to look out for are crankwalk of course. Drive it for awhile. if the clutch holds when taking turns you may be in for a new crankshaft. Just don't get it. The problem isn't on as many cars as they make it seem, but it is out there and you always have a chance.

Other things are the clutch. Popular amongst awd launches these clutches burnout fast, as with any car, and especially awd models. I would suggest replacing it when you purchase one.
 
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I would go for the 99, as they have better lifter design, and have a les chance of crank walk.

the 95-97's were VERY well known for crank walk.

keep everything stock, dont hot rod it, let the turbo cool down....and dont hard shift it. I dont see any reason why it wont last. the minute you raise the boost level...... your just asking for trouble.

I have had 3 DSM's. a 91, a 93, and a 95. I love them, respect them, but they were money pits.

stock is the way to go with those!

EDIT: also there is a clutch saftey switch under the dash....you can rig it up to be pressed all the time. this will allow you to start the car without pushing in on the clutch....which pretty much eliminates the pressure against the crank.... eliminating the chances of crank walk.
 
forgot about the turbo, it is almost essential you allow it to cool.

Again with my experience I didn't have issues when raising the boost ( I didn't do a lot of it) as long as I played it smart. Note: I kept the stock 14b on there. It was great for what I wanted because I loved to rally it in the few dirt areas around here, and in Salisbury. It worked fine.

If you are looking for a 95-99 then you will probably have the T-25 turbo, unless the previous owner swapped it out. I've never had experience with that turbo, but a lot of the guys seemed to prefer the 14b over it.

As for the money pit statement, I guess in a way it could be considered that because I did have to put a moderate amount of money initially into the car. However as for modifications you can make a good amount of them and save. That's if you plan on going that route. Aside from washing it, i took very good care of it. It ran great for me. I didn't sit around if something was wrong, and I never really drove it hard unless off road. 16 and managed no tickets until I turned 21. <<< Cause: Road Rage; Chrysler Pacifica cut me off, I was angry at how he did it, I attempted the payback... both got caught speeding on Route 50 near Vienna. Now if someone cuts me off I let it go. Much like some younger women in a Honda Civic did to me the other morning.
 


I'd get one for a dd. Before i got my gtp i was deciding on getting a tsi awd or a gsx or get a gtp and i decided i wanted the gtp more.
 
since you have a good looking GTP, get an old 1g DSM and have some serious fun with it. Snow was fantastic! Although I don't want to mislead anyone that you can do 100mph in the snow with them, I did go faster than you should and didn't feel like the car was going to run off the road at all. Note again: I had 4 sets of tires for my car. Street, Strip, Dirt, and, yes, I had snow tires!
 
My cousin had a 99 GS-T, black/tan top. Fun car to drive, shifted well. Just make sure to let the turbo cool down and keep up good maintenance, it will serve you well for years to come.
 
the 94 awd talon i had was actually pretty good 2 me w/ 125k miles on it w/ a stock tranny. (no rebuilds) although it needed one.



i would baby the car alot if your planning on it being your dd. the tranny is gonna be a problem 4 you if u dont.
 


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