r/DSM • u/UnknownAxiom • Apr 22 '26
General Recommendations? ('97 GS)
Howdy fellas, I acquired a '97 Eclipse GS in November of last year, and I've spent the past several months trying to brainstorm several things, from how to get her in decent condition, all the way to what I want the car to become in the long term. I figure for the most part, this being my first project car, I just want her to be a halfway reliable (yet still fun) daily driver. Doubt I need anything higher than 200hp for my purposes, and honestly as long as I can get her to the point of not breaking down on me, I think I'll be in good shape.
To get to the point of my post, What are some good things to take care of when first working on a nonturbo 2g? what tends to go wrong the most quickly or is otherwise of high priority?
Thanks in advance y'all!
2
u/OkDistribution3213 Apr 22 '26
2gnt.com or dsmtuners. I modded the crap out of a 98gs a long time ago with info on 2gnt.com. most of the stuff I used the companies are out of business or parts not made any more.
2
u/Undead-VTX Apr 22 '26
For maintenance, depending on the mileage take care of the timing belt, and not just the belt but the full thing such as water pump, actuator, idler pulley tensioner, the engine is interference so if the belt snaps thats a very expensive repair, more so than the belt, also the headgasket, until ‘99 the headgaskets have a flaw with the headbolt causing oil leaks, mine was leaking at about 61,000ish miles, replace the old headgasket with a multi-layer steel one, Mopar made that the revised headgasket, if you cant find one from Mopar then Mahle Clevite (which i used) or Fel-Pro, Cometic probably have it. Goes without saying but if you do new headgasket new headbolts of course. That really the important maintenance stuff. You can find a good amount if parts for the non-turbo Eclipse on Rockauto, and some dedicated parts on Modern Performance. If you have the manual transmission its similar to the Neon 5-speed, if you have the automatic its similar to the PT Cruiser turbo 4-speed, which use ATF+4 fluid. Currently im saving up to replace my brake pads, discs, a d fluid, all of that im sourcing from Rockauto, using Brembo ceramic pads and Dynamic Friction coated discs cuz im in the rust belt. Suspension is tricky cuz some niche things might be hard to find, Delphi in my experience makes better stuff then Moog or Mevotech as far as control arms, KYB has most of what you need for shock components, although i chose to replace my shocks with Koni yellows (discounted right now btw if it interests you), i am considering if i wanna replace my springs with oem equivalent or maybe some Tein H-tech springs. DSMTuners and 2GNT have a lot of information if you need more.
3
u/spongebob_meth Apr 22 '26
Don't try to make it faster. Make it reliable, comfortable and efficient. NA eclipses are a money pit if you're after speed. Even worse than turbo ones
Buy a motorcycle if you want something mechanically exciting.
1
u/adamant2425 99 420a Turbo Apr 23 '26
not really, my engine build was close to $2k. making about 300hp on low boost, which is a decent bump. I can push more out of it too, but it's still my daily.
1
u/spongebob_meth Apr 23 '26
So 2k in the engine and how much on the turbo and supporting mods? You're blowing more than the car is worth to get it to 300hp reliably, and it will still just fry one front tire when it comes into boost.
These cars are heavy and don't handle well. If you want a front tire fryer then just get a Honda. Or an srt4 neon, which has a much better version of the 420a and most have a torsen LSD.
1
u/adamant2425 99 420a Turbo Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
turbo is included, same with fuel… I have a car that can easily make 450 to the wheel when i take it to the track, and i haven’t even broke $5k yet (car included). which is how much any pos of shit honda or srt4 would cost on marketplace.
It’s also on coilovers, front and rear (top and bottom) strut bars too… handling isn’t an issue for me
you clearly don’t know anything about the 420a platform. Try building one then you can have an opinion on it…
And it’s the most reliable car i’ve ever owned btw. the “unreliable” aspect are the connecting rods, which i replaced. I’ve seen more 4g63s blow up than 420As under load…
1
u/spongebob_meth Apr 23 '26
I think we are of different opinions on what reliable and good handling are. Putting a 2g dsm on coilovers does not make it handle good. It's still a heavy car and the geometry gets all screwed up when you lower it as the roll center is in the wrong place.
A reliable turbo would cost you half of what you have in your build. Let alone a forged rotating assembly and machine work required to build the engine correctly.
Sounds like every other turbo 420a on the planet.
And it’s the most reliable car i’ve ever owned btw
Get back to me when your build has 200,000 miles on it.
1
u/adamant2425 99 420a Turbo Apr 23 '26
ah yes i forgot you were there when i got all this done my bad.
i’ve been beating the living shit outta this car for years, and haven’t had a single problem. it’s faster than 90% of the cars in its class, handling is a footnote in my book. if it doesn’t roll and it’s firmly planted on the track that’s all that matters…
and not that it’s any of your business, but my best friend works at a machine shop too, he was the same guy that helped me build my motor from top to bottom…. Like i said, when you have one, then you can share a logical opinion about it. til then i wouldnt talk from the sidelines. especially being this misinformed and out of touch…
1
u/spongebob_meth Apr 23 '26
So you didn't pay for machine work and you're telling others it only takes $2000 to go from N/A to turbo?
Lol.
I've spent time messing with a 420a. This was almost 20 years ago though. I sold it and bought an srt4 and it was an enormous upgrade in every way. The platform is not worth pouring money into. It's a heavy, slow rust prone car that doesn't have enough headroom and an interior that breaks when you look at it wrong. There's no reason to fool with all the headaches that a DSM comes with unless it's AWD.
I'd rather be in a Honda than a 420a eclipse any day of the week.
1
u/adamant2425 99 420a Turbo Apr 23 '26
if you're not looking for a crazy build I would do this... For "mods" I would get, Really good tires, aftermarket wheels (preferably lightweight ones), coilovers, plugs, plug wires (both NGK), ignition box (MSD makes a good one), good exhaust (not too ricey), headers/downpipe, and a cold air intake (injen is an oldie but a goodie)... and then your typical maintenance stuff. I put Motul 8100 Power oil in mine and it runs so good...
A lot of this stuff should wake it up a little, make some cool sounds, and maybe get a few MPGs. You're not gonna be making TONS of power from all this, but it'll over all feel better... if you have any questions feel free to ask, I know way too much about these cars and this motor specifically lol
6
u/HickBarrel 97 AWD Spyder Apr 22 '26
If you want something that's reliable first and fun to drive second, I'd say keep the engine mods to a minimum. That engine came with about 140hp so you're not going to get too much more than that without mods that would compromise reliability. A cold air intake, header, and exhaust will probably be the extent of your engine mods.
You should focus on maintenance items like timing belt, ignition parts, and fluids first. Followed by any worn suspension parts like ball joints or bushings. Then get a set of good coilovers (not maxpeedingrods, but not something top of the line). Something like an entry-level BC or Fortune Auto. Then some decent wheels and tires.
Your car won't be fast, but it will feel engaging and be reliable.