I bought a 95 GST Eclipse - I have no love for the car other than the fact it was a friend's who was moving and it's stupid fast. It's running an EVO 3 TD05 turbo with big injectors . That and it was only $1500.
Anyways, the clutch on it sucks. It pretty much engages on the floor and tends to get worse the more I drive the car to the point where it grinds when I put it in gear.
I've searched a lot of DSM boards and I've seen others with my same issue, but no one has posted any reasons why and how to fix it. I'm not leaking clutch fluid and I just rebuilt the clutch master cyl. last night and bled the clutch at least 5 times. Tonight I'm going to adjust freeplay but I think I'm ok. It has an ACT 2600 clutch and a SS clutch line.
I know we're all Subaru fans, but is anyone else here crazy enough to work on a Mitsubishi?
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
Yeah, I'd try and turn it for maybe a profit. Everyone that I know who has one, they spend more time on jackstands than on the road. They usually give up and buy an Evo.
^^^ All true statements. I had a 91.5 gst. Seven bolt flywheel, shitty thrust bearing, lots of movement. When it went, it was easily faster than my buddies stage 2 wrx, but it was a project car for sure, no daily driver, not reliable enough.
I have no intention of keeping the car - I don't really like it and working on it hasn't been fun.
Anyways, I did manage to fix the car (no thanks to anyone's advise ). Turns out it was only the freeplay in the clutch pedal. I've been trying to fine tune it so there is enough freeplay that the clutch won't slip and then it's time for the car to go. I'm thinking maybe a 280z next???
240Z if you can find it - they're lighter and better looking inside and out. Try to avoid the pre-May 1971 cars if you can as the differential was mounted farther forward (which sounds cool while driving), but eats universal joints. And you don't want the last of them either as the carbs are similar to the 260Z's, which are shit. The uglier dash of the 280Z resists cracking more, but at this age it likely won't matter and there's plenty of aftermarket support for everything. Definitely don't get a 260Z unless it's an earlier one with the smaller bumpers and the original carbs have been junked in favor of Webers or Mikunis.
Get one from a sun state. I can't stress that enough. They're not much worse for rust than many contemporaries, but that's only because they all suck ass as well. You do not want to get into expensive body work as the cars are cheap enough to buy. Get one that some idiot already dumped too much into to restore.
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
And... yeah... I know a guy with a Talon... things always trying to die.
~Spencer
94 Legacy Turbo (550 Robtune/ej20h v2 Sti RA drivetrain)
94 Legacy Ti Wagon (5mt ej22e)
91 rhd Legacy GT Wagon (factory 5mt, ej20g)
93 rhd Legacy GT type S2 Sedan (4eat, ej20g)
91 rhd Legacy Ti Type S 1.8
03 Lincoln LS V8 Sport
08 300 SRT8
Arctic Assassian wrote:stupid lot techs, always rallying the used cars.
Yeah....
I'm also why you wouldn't want to buy a car from a rental company.
I had an HHR when I was in Mobile, AL for work a year or so ago. I hate those fucking cars with a passion!! They are the biggest piles of crap EVAR!! Even more so then the Aztec. Anyway....I did off-roading with it....and it started making a clunking sound......oh well.
Arctic Assassian wrote:stupid lot techs, always rallying the used cars.
Yeah....
I'm also why you wouldn't want to buy a car from a rental company.
I had an HHR when I was in Mobile, AL for work a year or so ago. I hate those fucking cars with a passion!! They are the biggest piles of crap EVAR!! Even more so then the Aztec. Anyway....I did off-roading with it....and it started making a clunking sound......oh well.
HHRs are major POS... We have a whole bunch at all times... In a brand new one there was something falling around in the steering wheels... There was a ball bearing in there... I was like WTF?
And we get tons of used Impalas that were rental cars... Yuk...
~Spencer
94 Legacy Turbo (550 Robtune/ej20h v2 Sti RA drivetrain)
94 Legacy Ti Wagon (5mt ej22e)
91 rhd Legacy GT Wagon (factory 5mt, ej20g)
93 rhd Legacy GT type S2 Sedan (4eat, ej20g)
91 rhd Legacy Ti Type S 1.8
03 Lincoln LS V8 Sport
08 300 SRT8
I'd wait for a nicer one for about double that. They're fun cars, but only when they run. I had a nightmare 1974 260Z and a rotted 1970 240 was my first car. My cousin had a 280Z (beautiful until he wrecked it high or drunk or something), but I can say the 240 is the best of them, 260 the worst. The interior of that one needs some work. I don't know how you are about that, but I can't stand a crappy interior. At least you can pull the rear bumper and save some weight.
Some pointers to look for - body. All of it, even the front strut towers. I personally don't find any of it acceptable unless you really want to put immediate attention to it as cancer spreads fast with these cars. The hoods never matched up perfectly from the factory, so if it's a little higher than the fenders towards the nose, that's pretty normal. In fact, if you do find one that is perfectly aligned, it's either sign of an accident or an anal owner.
The electrical system in my 260 was the biggest problem, but that may have been a lemon (64,000 original, old lady original owner so the wiring wasn't messed with). Nevertheless, make sure everything works. Headlight switches are a problem, so especially check that. What they do is, when you switch on the high beams (because the headlights are horrible), they come on, but the low beams go out and never come back on. You'll need a knew steering column switch. The clocks never worked.
Mechanically, the cars are tough, easy, and cheap with an almost infinite amount of possibility. Check the universal joints for clunking. I don't know the fuel injection systems. Make sure the car didn't sit around too much, though that low mileage is kind of scary (these cars are the worst to let sit around - clutch goes, brakes stick and freeze, seals dry up and stick). It's probably why the brakes and clutch have been done recently. So maybe it doesn't matter much in this case that it may have sat around.
It's a nicer color green than my 260 and it doesn't have the ugly vinyl roof, which is nice.
Just don't fall in love with the car (it's hard not to) - if there's anything you don't like, walk away, there are lots of them and a good one will be a lot more fun and may go up a little in value. They should sometime for christsakes, they're better looking and performing cars than most of their era.
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
I really don't care for anything that GM is producing nowadays. Since the mid 90's they have really been going to the shitter. I absolutely hate how they throw a supercharger and a bodykit on a relatively poorly made econo-shitbox and claim it appeals to people who are in the market for "sporty" vehicles. And sure, the new Corvettes are really nice. But, realistically, who can afford to have one? Certainly nobody who actually works for a living and needs a daily driver.
One of the owners where I work bought a Buick Lacrosse a little over a year ago and hated it a week after owning it. The doors are already rusting and one of the foglights is hanging from the bumper. Power seats work when they want to and there are more squeaks coming from it than a shoebox full of baby mice. And it's not like he beats the dogshit out of it either. The most action it gets is a 40 minute trip to the golf course every weekend. The other owner bought a used Lexus ES for less than the Buick and has yet to have one problem. Not one single complaint in two years.
The owners used to have a policy of buying only American-made cars, particularily GM vehicles, to help out the home team. Now, in the last round of buys, the company bought a Highlander, a Camry, and a 4Runner. Everyone loves their new 'Yodas, unlike the GM piles they came from. They couldn't afford to have company cars that left a bad taste in their mouth for 3 to 5 years a month out from purchasing them. GM is really missing the big picture.
Then again, what can you expect from a pension and health care provider that sees it's car-making business as a loss-making nuisance?
Datsun was Nissan, not GM, and they could take on the small block Vettes for the cost of a stripper 318 'Cuda. Not that you could buy for sticker with demand outstripping supply, allowing dealers to add all kinds of ugly options to mark them up (like rocker "2x0Z" stripes, vinyl roofs, and bumper overriders) even after four years of sales.
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
Drove the piss out of it last nite until I realized the water temp was pegged. It's got a busted thermostat. The coolant was so hot that it was boiling out of the reservoir. Yeahhhhh...
The craigslist guy is supposed to send more pics of the car.
They are nice cars. If that problematic 260Z didn't leave such a bad taste in my mouth, I'd consider another. I do miss them sometimes and I got mid twenties for mileage, which isn't amazing, but isn't bad. They're not very fast by today's standards, but they're fun - something you can't get much of today, and I'll personally take that over speed any time. Plus speed (and worse mileage) isn't far away. I always wanted either another white/blue one like my 240Z or a red with black Samarai-style stripped of bumpers with the headlight covers and front air dam. I was really never sure about the duck tail spoiler visually as my 260 had it and my 240 didn't, but it does help the car's bad aerodynamics.
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
My comment was geared towards the mention of the HHR and Asstek. Man are those things deserving of a failgoat or what?
As for the Z cars, they have always had their quirks here and there, but their demand even today speaks volumes of their overall quality. Much respect has to be given to any car that can be mass produced, yet loved for generations. Try saying that of a Cobalt SS 20 years from now, if there are any still roadworthy.
As for the DSMs, I'd rather drive one than push my Subaru. Unless it was down a really big hill. A friend of mine had a Talon for a couple months. It eventually leaked a lot of oil due to him beating the dog shit out of it. And as far as modding one, I'm not sure the same level of intellect is involved when all you need to do is pick up any catalog and find a thousand bolt-ons versus getting a little creative on your own as with our Legacies. It cheapens the experience in my opinion.
But then again, I've always owned a Subaru since the day I got my first set of wheels, so my opinion may be slightly skewed. I'd gladly own a Z car on the side though.
I'd rather have one GM car than a hundred Ford cars.
In fact, a GM is the only American car I'd consider owning. Chrysler has some very fun cars with their SRT lineup, but Chrysler's still junk. Ford... well, you know how I feel about that.
What's your beef with the HHR? I haven't driven one, but I've driven several examples of the platform it's based on: the Cobalt. And I cannot say anything bad about it.
Chevrolet had their Rev-It-Up event last summer here in Orlando, and I got to compete in the non-supercharged Cobalt SSs. All automatic, but whatever.
I personally think they handle really well, have a decent amount of torque, and surprisingly responsive automatics. But here's the kicker: Not ONCE did I ever see any of those cars broken down and off to the side of the track... in fact, none of them even had a CEL on. And they're being beaten on all day. I've done a couple Mazda Zoom-Zoom events and always see several Mazdas off to the side broken, or at least with 3 or 4 lights on the dash lit up.
In fact, in December when I was looking for a new car, I considered the Pontiac G5 (I think it looks better than the Cobalt). Alas, I stayed Japanese and got the Fit, but I honestly think the Cobalt platform is a decent car.
The Dodge Caliber is garbage... my ex got one for a rental when her car was in the body shop, and I had to deliver the Jeep version, a Compass, when my dealership had a Chrysler sister dealership, and was anything but impressed.
I had to drive a Cobalt rental when my Mazda was in the shop for bodywork and I thought it was a horrible joke that they considered it competition with the 3 ... or much of anything for that matter. The engine sounded like a tractor, made little power, the handling was terrible, and the interior cheap as hell. The girl I was seeing at the time even laughed when I stepped on the gas in the thing at the sound of the engine its lack of progress.
It did have a very tight turning circle.
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
Well, out of all the American cars, I'd say I'd still rather own a GM. But they are still nowhere near the top of my list. The S-10 I sometimes drive at work ain't too bad, for an S-10 that is. I almost got killed in a Ford, though I'd consider an '87 Mustng fastback just because they're cheap to fix and RWD. Dodges are poop, even though it seems like they got the tranny problem fixed for now. The Chrysler logo reminds me of a beer label, PBR perhaps. But nothing, NOTHING America makes can stack up to most foreign makes IMHO. They just look/feel/handle/wear/depreciate like crap. Even Hyundais have improved leaps and bounds compared to GM over the last 10 years.
Why does our "home team" seem like the 1976 Buccaneers?
. That and it was only $1500.
). Turns out it was only the freeplay in the clutch pedal. I've been trying to fine tune it so there is enough freeplay that the clutch won't slip and then it's time for the car to go. I'm thinking maybe a 280z next???