1g DSM still worth it?

DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

We are now in 2003 which makes almost all the 1g DSM's over ten years young. To just get started on DSM's is it still worth it or will i have to many problems to worry about. Was planning on buying one as a daily driver, and run 12/13's. I know a decent amount about cars in general and plan to buy a stock 1g dsm and mod is as the months go on.

Just looking for ppl's opinion on this matter before i dive all in.

Other questions i have if i deside to buy one is how big my backrole needs to be and how often should i expect to work on my car and for how long

Thanks in advance for your replies and hope to hear from you soon

DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

addition to first post

Sorry forgot to ad that i wanted a turbo awd 1g dsm . Figure it would make a diff.

dirtydeweyjr · Jul 30, 2003

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=97472

should be some good stuff in there for you to read and think about

DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

Thanks for the reply

I have read that. Thats why i'm looking for some more info and opinions.

But thanks for the head up though

dirtydeweyjr · Jul 30, 2003

either way you are gonna be paying out your ass
let me explain myself in some good detail:

i bought my 93 with 54,900 miles on it, and i still got 2 years left to pay it off, i got high insurance cuz my bank forces me to have FULL coverage, shit, i have FIRE insurance... so im paying out my ass

ppl wit high mile 93's, gotta do cool thinks like CV boots, water pumps, alternators, starters.... can get costly if u cant work on your own car
if u have skills, or have friends with skills, get one, just dont kill yourself... otherwise if you have no skills, you will need a big "backroll"

DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

thanks for the input

NOMIEZVR4 · Jul 30, 2003

dsm's are the shiznit..

its just soo much fun driving them and working on them. If you find one in good shape, dont let it go.

Boost Fed · Jul 30, 2003

Yeah i just picked up a high milage 92 in Jan. I carry full coverage too and its NOT bad at all ... In fact 9$ more per 6 months then a 95 Mazda pickup..

I haven't "had" to replace any parts yet.... YET.... knock on wood.

But I haven't left a lot of things stock either..

Just don't plan on this being your only daily driver - mines been down for a month at a time more than once.. Right now its going on week 5 for engine swap...

But they are fun cars and completly worth it IMO...

Jazzie604 · Jul 30, 2003

Im going to agree with nomiez, these things are fun to drive, tough as stone, and the potential is so huge. Just make sure that you find one that is in good shape to begin with, then keep it up.

SleepR DSM · Jul 30, 2003

After all the work I have put into my car, and all the things I have upgraded, I can.. and will say, yes, they are still worth it.

My car is invincible off the line.. on the street. I scare the hell out of corvettes and faster cars...just with the launch. (and soon their will be very few cars that are faster)

Also, the economy and manners of this car co-existing with its launch, the massive pull when the boost kicks in.. The Power..
Its so hard to find a car that can be this fast, and also truly streetable. I would do it again.

Yes, you will have down time. All cars break down. High performance cars are just like high maintenance women. You have to pay to play. The faster you want to go, the more things you will need to fix or replace. But, its worth it all IMO.

If you just want to make 200 whp, you can have a reliable daily driver. If you want 400 whp... then join me. You will end up being a mechanic and your garage will be your second home. I enjoy that. Some don't. I take breaks from the car though...until I get the energy to work on it again, the energy to keep enjoying the hobby. Some guys burn themselves out, losing to much sweat and blood under the hood. Thats a shame. When seeking high performance, expect down time for any car. If you can't cope with that.. don't modify your car.

I have a feeling you will start out just looking for a quick reliable car. Buy one in good shape, take care of it, and you will have what you are looking for.

LunarEclipseGSX · Jul 30, 2003

I have one of the oldest DSMs ever made that came with AWD. There were some '90 DSMs built with only FWD. Those are the true DSM grandfathers.

I bought my car in June, 1996 with 88,000 miles on it. It was bone stock with a dead turbo. I only paid $3300 for it.

Now, I'm still modding it and driving it only in the summers and my current odometer reading is 173,000 miles. The car is running better than ever. Just keep up the regular maintenance and find yourself a GOOD mechanic if you can't do the work yourself.

Just check all those 2G guys that love to brag they have have 1G engines in their car. Makes be feel proud to be a 1G owner

SleepR DSM · Jul 30, 2003

"proud to own a 1G"

Ditto

Turbo'dTalon1G · Jul 30, 2003

off of the topic but, i want my dsm to last a long time. itll have 300whp or less when im done moding it. If i never floor it or redline the gears, which i dont plan on doing., how many miles will i get out of it. It has 96k on it now and i have replaced alot of oem parts just to be safe........even if they werent broken in the first place.

DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

keep the replies comming

Thanks for the replies. Keep them comming

Here is my situation. I'm a full stim student and no garage so the idea here is to leave the car with my parents ( yes i know i'm 21 but still) so i'll come home on the weekend and repair/mod/maintain/ and drive it. Which mean the car downtimes is not such a big deal for me. I'm learning more and more about cars and i have all the time in the world. So thinking about getting a dsm sounded like a good idea. Which in my head still is from what i have been reading. I just have to become more of a gearhead but i'm a fast learning.
The only problem i have being a full time student i dont make full time paychecks. so my modding/maintaining will just take a lil longer. I'm just glad i did all the research first ( still at it)

So that my story. Now i'm hooked on DSM and i dont even have one yet.

DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

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DragonCell · Jul 30, 2003

So what is the learing curve for 1g dsm.
How much time a month do you spend on maintaining your car

After you put a new oem part in (exclude belts) how long dont you haveto worry about it

LunarEclipseGSX · Jul 31, 2003

The lifespan of parts all depends on your driving style. If you beat on the car, obviously, some of your OEM parts won't last. Typically, if I need to change one OEM part, I'll see if there's anything related to it that needs replacing as well.

It is possible to keep your 1G as a daily driver, and as a 13 second car, but your annual maitenance will be higher. But do your research if you have to buy replacement/enhancements parts. The better the quality, the longer the life. You may pay more, but it'll be beneficial in the long run.

To give you an idea of my maintenance, I had only 1 day of downtime last year (replaced the alternator). But this summer I've had about 3 weeks straight of downtime because I did a LOT of preventative maintenace.

LunarEclipseGSX · Jul 31, 2003

Turbo'dTalon1G said:
... how many miles will i get out of it. It has 96k on it now and i have replaced alot of oem parts just to be safe........even if they werent broken in the first place.

Lots! Just keep up the maintenance and your engine should outlast the body of the car. You can get a lot of rain in Salem, so try to avoid driving through deep puddles

I used to drive my car in the north-east winters where they put TONS of salt on the road. My car runs great, but the rust is like a cancer... it just keeps spreading

I'll be due for an entire paint job in about a year.

NOMIEZVR4 · Jul 31, 2003

Im going to agree with nomiez

its Nomie..

There were some '90 DSMs built with only FWD. Those are the true DSM grandfathers.

Thats me!!

Jazzie604 · Jul 31, 2003

Lifespan of a car is completely dependent on maintenance. my shop has a crownvic with 260,000 miles on it, and its still going strong. Dont let your maintenance get behind, always check things over every couple of weeks to stay ahead of trouble, and read lots to learn more about maintenance and modding.

1g DSM still worth it?

DragonCell

DragonCell

dirtydeweyjr

DragonCell

dirtydeweyjr

DragonCell

NOMIEZVR4

Boost Fed

Jazzie604

SleepR DSM

LunarEclipseGSX

SleepR DSM

Turbo'dTalon1G

DragonCell

DragonCell

DragonCell

LunarEclipseGSX

LunarEclipseGSX

NOMIEZVR4

Jazzie604

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