I saw one today. One of my pals drives one. I was in my Vette at the time. He had a little fart pipe on, it sounded like a crotch rocket. He was blowing alot of smoke too!! :eek: Just wondering what the specs are, is it turbo charged or something? L8r guys. :seeya

 

If I remember right
Turbo, AWD
not quite reliable
Tons of potential

 

Turbocharged 4 wheel drive, 210 hp if stick, 205 if auto. Stick has about a 6 second 0-60 and a top end 148. Auto has a 0-60 of 6.5. My girlfriend has a stock '98 GST Spider auto. Its a turbo convertable. The 4 wheel drive was not an option on the convertable. She got it because she was jealous of my car and its now our practical car. We have 60,000 miles on it of which I put the majority on and it still drives like new. It will also kick the tails of most modified riceburners stock. I haven't lost yet. :D Haven't had to do anything but change the oil, filters, pads and tires. The only thing that broke was the CD player. For a rice burner, its ok. I call it quick, but the LT-1 is fast, big difference. Most rice I call zippy. Really ticks the owners off. :D :D :D
:cheers:
92TripleBlack

 

No potential out of the stock turbo. No potenial out of the 2.0L four banger. The turbo can't supply you with much more than 14psi and 10 is stock. 4 psi on a 2.0L four banger....equals K&N on 5.7L...which equals NOTHING! ...well maybe 5HP at 6K. Nothing to start with and not much low buck potential. Example 1. $3000+5.0 Mustang = 11 sec 1/4mile.
Example 2. $3000+LT1 = Low 12's
Example 3. $3000+Eclipse = Running deep into the 15's. Possibly high 14's.

Let me tell you a story about a Corvette owner who once test drove this very car.
A long, long time ago in a small town in Cerritos, CA a Corvette owner on the brink of losing his drivers license decided it was time to go out and look for a less powerful car that might have decent power to satisfy his urge to accelerate and could offer some upgradeable performance when his driving record once again became clean. After searching through some cars (and his wallet) he decided that a Eclipse GSX might be a compromise suited to his current situation. Upon rolling out onto the street during his first test drive he questioned "is this car fast?" Knowing full well the potential, rather lack of, of this car, he needed to feel first hand (foot) what the car was capable of and whether it would be acceptable to replace his corvette as a daily driver or not. The dealer, working up all his sales pitch might, stated, "This car can beat a 5.0 Mustang." Unbeknownst to him, this Corvette owner was also a 5.0 Mustang owner. Forgiving him for his stupidity and general ignorance to the difference between a Mustang and an Eclipse, the driver proceeded to floor the gas with the permission of the dealer. With the turbo whaling away, the driver questioned "Is that all this car has?" The dealer replied, "You don't have it floored!" .....as the driver waited for the car to reach it's redline in first gear, he pointed out that the turbo was in fact producing 10 psi and doubled his foot pressure on the gas pedal. When the dealer realized that this was the most his car could muster he replied "This car is deceptively fast" .....However, the Corvette owner was not so easily fooled. A quick check of the speedometer verified his suspicion that after several seconds of acceleration the speed was a lack-luster around 25mph. After some time, it was time to shift to 2nd gear and discover what this car could really do, now that it's excessively low 1st and rear ratioed gears had gotten it off the dock. Time passes and boredom besets the driver. Much to the his dissapointment the run is over. The owner begins to come to the realization that this car does not have what he is looking for and proceeds to return the car and dealer back to the lot from which they came. That day, he returns home in his vette, and when he wakes up three years later, with a clean record, he finds he still owns the same car.
This is a true story. "How do I know?" you may ask. I was that driver. BELIEVE! :conehead

 

There is a late '80s Eclipse that runs 12.6x at Bandimere (6000+ ft elveation). That certainly counts as potential to me. My best (crappy as it is) is a 15.287. Just goes to show ya.......ya never know.

Bob

 

There's a kid around here, (moved to Florida now) that would street race in a GSX and it was commonly accepted that the car ran 7.5's and quicker in the 1/8th. I don't know what he had done, I'm sure a lot, and he was running like 28psi of boost.

 

You can do anything with enough money. You could make a golf cart do 7s if you really wanted to. But Why? For a rice burner its ok because it has 4 wheel drive. The Spider was good for us because it had a trunk, 4 seats, and was easy for her to drive and was more dependable than most other cars with the same stuff for the price. I just lament the fact that the current crop of teenagers want to spend thousands on a *** piece of junk to try to tweak it to the point it can compete with a camaro that costs $10000 less after all their mods, is more dependable after all their mods, and is being cancelled because of lack of orders. Go cook some rice guys.
92TripleBlack :cheers:

 

POTENTIAL?!!! Sure, anythings got potential, give me enough money and a gas powered scooter, and I'll be back in a few weeks to smoke a ZR1. The point to this thread is how fast these things are stock and what can they do with a reasonable amount of modifications. The answers here are SLOW and NOTHING. The fact is 28psi cannot be done on a stock engine and even with a custom one it would not survive very long. This type of boost requires a complete re-engineering of every major system on the car. Let's see, the entire turbo, all it's plumbing, the rest of the exhaust, the intercooler, it's plumbing, fuel supply and delivery, timing, complete computer retuning, engine internals, all driveline components, etc, etc, etc, must be upgraded. Stop and think for a minute, that just an upgraded decent fuel system can run ~$1000 or more and you realize this is unreasonable for the final result of just mid 12s. Another fact is that naturally aspirated mustang regularly dip in the 12's with less than $2000 worth of mods...sometime less. Now, lets' stop and think about a 5.0 Mustang or 5.7 Vette with 28psi of boost.....yeah, assuming the engine was built the same way, you'd have a good 1000hp....but that's right, we don't need to 28psi to whoooop their patudiees.

 

HEY, this thing changed the last word I wrote from as ses to patudiees!!WHAT GIVES?!

 

I don't think you know of what you speak K Y.. I bought 1 because I had always wanted a turbocharged car. And then got into the local club. Stock it would run low 15s to high 14s. There were guys running 13s with less than 1k in mods. Next the turbo , yes its a bit small but with a mbc it could push 18-20 psi all day. Again you dont want ot run that all day but you could safely run 15 psi keep you foot out of it spare the engine and have powere when needed. The fastest was between the prez and his buddy. Each had less than 3k in the car but were in the high 12s with 100k on the engine and no rebuilds. The one BIG problem is the tranny. It has a hard time with the AWD had hard launches. SO if I were you I'd rethink what I wrote, or maybe the ones you were around had the dogg poop ran out of them. That happens because they are fairly inexpensive machines to buy and mod so a younger group has them.
Mace

 

Please do not take offense to this in anyway, but you have no idea what you are talking about. To say an eclipse GSX has no potential is just wrong. First it does not cost much to upgrade if you have a 2nd gen start with a bigger turbo around $650, upgrade the fuel pump around $200, add a K&N around $60, mbc around $80 or less if homemade, a 1st gen bov around $50, cat back exhuast around $250 and lastly a boost guage (stock does not read psi!) Drop in some race gas turn the boost up to around 20lbs and if you can drive you'll be in the high 12's. I also know from experience.

97 GSX 12.20's @114 less than 3k in mods Sold
2000 Z28 12.70's @109 less than $1500 in mods Sold
1996 LT4.......slowest car I have owned in 4yrs.........

 

The Eclipse GSX (AWD) or the GST (FWD but faster due to lighter weight) and Eagle Talon TSI is based on the Mitsubishi 2.0 Turbo Four, one of the best and cheaper engines to mod & yet remain streetable due to tons of aftermarket support. Most Diamond Star Motors Turbos running the streets right now are at least 3 years old (last year was 1999). They are very cheap to pick up and since they are newer they can be easily financed and with minor dollar investment in the right mods (check out Hanh Racecraft in Oswego Illinois) you can see an 11 second street car for under $20k total investment.

This is the wave of the future, affordable technology. V8 domestic cars are great but $$$$ to insure and have a higher cost to get into plus they lack the glamour of technology.

If you run across a modded Diamond Star listen to the car for telltale signs of certain mods (Higher boost, even sound through RPMs when blipped, Lightweight parts like Volk Wheels, Carbon hood etc..) cause some of these cars can kick major hiney.

I know because I used to own a 12 sec GSX a few years back.

 

I C. I would agree that an Eclipse GSX has potential. I could make my fiance's 4 cyl. Cavalier have potential with enough cash. But thats a waste of money. :yesnod: :yesnod: That guy was getting on his car. It did take off, but i think i can beat him. If we ever hook up, i will let you guys know. :cool:

 

No there's not. 1990 was the first year for the Eclipse ;)

 

MACE and MAXPOWER.....What does the boost gage read in? I actually forgot since it is been a while, but I found out the stock boost level from import tuner mag.
Anyhow, I don't take offense to what you are saying because it's actually funny. The fact is I don't have to rethink anything I have said...as you have backed me up with your own attemped argument. MAX POWER, do you run race gas all the time? And race gas gets you only high 12's???? This is a joke. :U I have not needed race gas to pass solidly into the 11's with my Mustang. I don't even need an intercooler (although one would be nice) I drive my car almost every day, with the SAME power I have ALL the time. I don't have to change gas/tuning/whatever every time I switch between the street and track, I can pound on those kind of cars anywhere. In fact I still run fine now that 92 octane has become extinct in my neighborhood and 91 is the norm. YOU SEE THIS IS POTENTIAL. and MACE, you don't have a readily avaliable performance transmission do you??? You may have some rebuilt stock one that will be a little better, but not a complete trans engineered for high torque ratings. I have probably six of either gender for any level of performance I want. AGAIN THIS IS POTENTIAL. You dont have performance heads, blocks, intakes (not RS AIKIMOTO style I am talking manifolds here). I am not currently versed in imports these days, so there might be one or two, but certainly there is no flexibility or choice here. Porting can only go so far on stock stuff....don't beleive me? feel free to ask any (real) tuner running a honda and they'll tell you that you that the water passages are too close to the intake ports and there isn't much room to left to open it up for REAL performance (that is not to say that they don't have fast hondas or imports for that matter). YOU SEE, you may have a 12 second car, but they are unreliable (you said it yourself), require special gas(you said it yourself), and overall are beater cars (you said it yourself).
I will summarize it all for you before I exit this thread. Potential in car racing/building is more than just what you ran down the 1/4 once and was ucky enough to evade catastrophe. When you realize this I will be two blocks ahead of you and you will be looking for the first street to turn off on. For your definition of the word, I'll let you know when my potential passes into the 10's on pump gas. Thank you for the entertainment. Hope you get those 14's. See ya.

 

Excellent point Kore, no doubt that there are cars with "more" potential, but to say they have no potential is untrue. Something else to consider what tires do you run dr's, et streets do you run them all the time or just at the track? A well driven awd can launch very hard on the street. Unless you are running good sticky tires you will be playing catch up. Oh and the boost guage is some silly little - + really does not give any information.

 

What is a GSX??? My gosh this is like the THE RICERS utlimate Cheap power car.
Lets just say because I used to have one! Just call me an old school ricer! The car is a 4banger with a 2.0 turbo and All wheel drive. What makes this thing a bad Azz on the street is due to the 4500rpms clutch dump and they will not even spin the tires on the street! Even when heavly moded! These things are almost impostable to beat 60's due to there traction on the street. Know how many of us can pull 1.6 on street tires on the slippy street without slicks? I know the GSX can first hand!
I ran 13.8's with a single 2.5 exhaust and a 5 dollar boost controler that I made! At 18 psi on street tires pump gas. Thats it about 300 in mods!

Next mod's (4500 dollars woth) where a 20g turbo and Huge intercooler and differenet exhaust manifold. And and Apex AFC. Act2600 clutch The car was running low 12's on race gase and on pump 12.5 (with street tires). Of corse I blew up a ring on the street. Replaced it. Next goes the trany! next an axle, Lets just say these trannys do not last long at 4500 rpm drops. I've even heard on stock cars they fail alot. (which puts me around 400 horse)

At this point of power alomost every driveline parts needs to be upgrade and I didn't have the cash $$$$ or the time to do it. And besides I need something reliable for my job and this car whould have a new problem almost evey month. The cars are fast but there quailty and an the parts do not like high horse power. This is where the Vette Shines.
At least the c4 vette which I own is rock sold! I'm going just as fast on pump gas and I don't have to worry about breaking parts! Also the vette is great for street driving becasue my GSX has turbo lag and especial with the bigger turbo I would have to hit the gas about 2 seconds earlier then my opponet. Oppsed to the vette? Tap the gas and your gone! Instantantiously!
Know on the track with slicks on the Vetts rule!! As amatter of fact there is only like 6 people in the nation who are in 10's with a stock bodied GSX! And these are all Not streetable cars and they probably spent 4 years woth of salarys to get there! That was not for me!
Know the vett's can hit 10's Very easly and still be street driven!! When it comes to depenabilty and lots of power the vette wins.
If you want a somewhat fast street car with 4wd (Which was best car I ever drove in the winter) but low power potional go with the GSX. Also if you want large repair bills and new tranneys every 6 mths go with the DMS.

Each car has there advantage! But the vette rules for one reason only! It dosen't look like a girls car! No offence to you vette girls but alot of people said that about my GSX!

Unforantly I know way too much about those cars!

Shane

 

MAX POWER, OK, I will retract my statement that this car has no potential because what might not be potential to me might be to someone else. :yesnod: This is what life is all about right?! Sorry! :cheers:
On my car (rear) I run, drag radials (275/40/17's) all the time. I switched after my rubber to dust converter was beaten by a slower mustang runing them. I get fairly good life out of them (compared to nothing of course) and would never go back despite the extra cost. The launches are incredible though, but the wet traction sucks. What I did have a problem with on "regular" street tires was traction. Before switching I could put down rubber in third gear (not like this is cool or anything, it sucks!) here AWD might have helped, but I have always managed by careful power application and practice to always pull ahead of AWD cars, even when I had street tires....I just couldn't win as bad. Now it's almost drop it and forget it. So....I guess you could say that my car lacked potential here right? :jester See ya!

 

Well, so what is a Eclipse GSX?
If its not a Corvette whos gives a s--t? It is a cheap car. Cheap cars are for cheap people. "You are what you drive". My Ranger 2.3 is a "fast truck".
Corvettes the best f--k the rest.

 

Cheap can easly be don in a vette to!!! dont forget this.(this will be my next recipe) Clean 84-87 high mile vette coupe For around $6000-$8000. A killer Small block crate motor (like a motown 415) $6000 Or a Injected 502 for $6600. After all the odds and ends (and there will be plenty) you still will end up with a NATURALY ASPERATED 10 sec car!!! :chevy :cool: I think I'll start looking in auto trader today :D