What to look for when buying a Talon.

[XylathaneGTR]

Aight guys...I need some help from those DSM folk here.
My sister has come across someone selling a 1996 Talon for 4,000.
Now, before you go "WTF, 4000? wtfs this cracka talkin' about?" It was claimed to have been bought at a seized police auction for 600. (Havn't seen verification for it yet, but will be seen when we go down to talk to them.)
The seller also claims the engine was repaired for a Seized Piston (Isint that when the belts snap and the piston kisses the exhaust valves?)
Anyways, im wondering WHAT we should look for when buying it, to make sure its in good condition and everything, We'll prolly be taking a look at it sometime this weekend...
*Btw, Not sure of the talon model number, as i've not yet talked to the seller, and my sister was to dumb to remember.

Thanks all...
-Darren.

[01sohccivic]

All I can think of is, make sure the car looks freggin stock because the car could of been "gang' related as you say, I don't know, just becareful when buying things from or out of a police auction, You never know the background on the car.

oh yeah, rev the engine and make sure you don't hear any rattles, next I would say drive it on a kinda bumpy road and see how the ride is, one more thing you should bring it to a shop and have them inspect it for you.

Thats all I can think of right now other then the normal things to look for paint, rust etc...

01SOHCcivic

[littledan]

that year of talon is prone to "crankwalk" which is a failed thrust bearing i believe. Make sure there is no play in the crank. other than that just make sure the body and suspension is in good shape as you could probably rebuild the engine and still have a pretty good deal.

[XylathaneGTR]

Its been owned by the current sellers for a while...So that newfangled gang crap prolly won't apply.
As for revving, thats obvious, as well as taking it for a test drive, I was kinda interested in more model speciffic kinda things...Anything that applies to DSM's in speciffic. ANd the shop inspection is thing is also obvious...

[dsm69]

You MUST have deep pockets to own a DSM. Maby get an inspection of some sort :tongue:

[DSM Power]

For that price, I'd be highly suspicious... they are obviously trying to get rid of it.

Things to look out for hey? Hmm... crankwalk as mentioned, although it's not as common as people think. I'd say it sounds like a timing belt victim. You're going to want to hear what it sounds like at idle. Does it miss a beat or two? A lot of timing belt jobs get screwed up and then the car drives like crap.

Assuming it's a turbo model you'll want to take it out and see if it has any boost left. Check for oil leaks everywhere. How's the clutch?

Really, these are all standard things you would have checked on any vehicle. Because they are claiming it was purchased at an auction, it's a perfect excuse to not show you the service history. Was the oil changed on a regular basis? When was the timing belt last done? Has the turbo, motor, clutch, tranny, etc. ever had to be replaced? ALL of these things are potential trouble that you will not be able to determine when or if it was done.

If I were you, I'd steer clear. There are better Talons out there, and it will probably cost you less money in the long run.

[Davetronz]

Yea exactly what Tom said, I would kinda steer clear of this "deal" to give you an example, I paid almost $13g for mine and I have had to put a fair amount of work into it.
That crankwalk will kinda sound like a rattlesnake in your engine... lol... And it will happen when the clutch is in.

Other things to watch out for. All DSM parts are a bitch to replace, there is no such thing as a "cheap" DSM part.

When you start this bitch up, you will probably hear a ticking. This isnt to be confused with crankwalk, this is just rocker arm tick, and I THINK its due to bad oil distribution on the top of the engine.

Take a look for leaks, and when you are test driving it, make sure there isnt a large cloud of smoke behind you.

Most of my probs have been winter and cold weather related but I have also had some electrical problems, boost problems, vacuum problems, oil problems, steering problems, suspension problems aaaaaaannnnnnndddddd CEL problems.

But everything is fine now *knock on wood*...
Judging from the price of this car, I would say run like hell...

[5.9 R/T]

If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. ESPECIALLY when it comes to DSMs.

[desipwr]

If you want a good auto repair shop... before you buy it ..go to Franklin Auto Repair in Calgary. Also check the status of the vehicle ie write off repaired and check for liens..for 4000 I would buy it..

[DSMer4Life]

Um, I'm not too sure about Franklin Auto Repair's credability anymore as they are under new ownership. There have been, how should I say, "incidents" there that make me question their workmanship. This is my personal opinion.

A FEW things to mention. I say FEW cause there's so much to look over in general on any car you are considering. If you have access/time/consent from the owner:

Take off the upper timing belt cover and see if the marks on the cam pulleys both face the same direction. If a timing belt wasn't installed properly, or if the belt jumped a few teeth, you may see that the marks are off one or two notches. This is fixable, but gives you a general idea of how the car was maintained. You should also start it up with the cover off to see if the belt runs smoothly. Check for good tension on the belt as well. This is only related to the 2.0L engines in the TSi and ESi models.

If it's a turbo, take the intake snorkel off and check for shaft play :tongue: on the compressor wheel. A little side-to-side play is alright, but excess play is a sign of a tired turbo, or one on it's way out. You may see oil in the inlet/compressor side of the turbo as well, but it's hard to determine if it's the turbo oil seal as the crankcase ventilation tube returns into the intake and can leave an oily residue behind. A big trail of blue smoke when you bag it might raise suspicion of a bad turbo oil seal, or valve seals for that matter.

You can check for a symptom of crankwalk when you're test driving it. On a sharp left turn (like a regular 90 degree turn), push in on the clutch while in the corner and see if the pedal comes right up after the you complete the turn. Apparently, the pedal is supposed to stick, or take a while to come back up if crankwalk is present. You can also try to measure the endplay on the crankshaft pulley side, but I'm not sure of the specs.

What else? If it's all wheel drive, make sure all four tires are the same size, and preferrably, the same brand and wear. This can put an extra strain on the viscous coupling in the centre differential and can cause premature wear as it constantly tries to compensate for the difference between overall diameters.
Check if there's a spray pattern around the transfer case on the undercarriage, which would indicate a worn seal on the output shaft of the transfer case. There is a recall for this that Chrysler covers, but the transfer case can still leak. Also listen for any strange clunks, thuds and what not on your test drive.

That's all I can think of right now, that's DSM specific. I would take down the VIN number and check it with the registry to learn a little more about the car's history. If the milage was ever recorded, you can try to verify that it somewhat matches what the odometer reads. This will also tell you if the vehicle has a "repaired" status, meaning it was once written off and has been re-inpsected after it was fixed. You can check for little things like if the bolts on the fenders seem to have been removed (stock paint is scratched/chipped on the bolts or they look repainted). Check that the body lines are straight and that all seams are straight (between hood and fenders and trunk and fenders). That price is definitely too low for an all wheel drive turbo model, but I couldn't say what the book value is on a ESi or lower model. It is pretty low for a 1996 DSM in general. As my past experiences have proven to my dismay, time and time again, if it's too good to be true....

Hope that helps.

[sin]

ya r/t is right, i looked at an 89 7 series in good condition but it was only 4700... haha not to mention the russians started it with a screw driver
and finding a talon that hasnt been driven to shit is tough, i wouldnt even buy my brother in laws when he tried to sell it to me...

[SJC]

It took me almost 6 months to find a DSM worth buying - test drove half a dozen, and looked at another dozen that weren't even worth test driving...
The money you spend repairing all the "little" things on a cheap DSM quickly equals the price of one already in decent shape...

I spent over $2500 just getting mine interprovincially safetied (and it was already in "the best shape he's ever seen a talon of my year" - according to the head mechanic), and with things like $200 crankshaft pullies (that like to separate every few years) it's not hard to rack up a significant bill fairly quickly.

But who knows, there are the rare gems out there - just be careful, that's all.

SJC

[XylathaneGTR]

Yah...When my sister mentioned it to me, I also thought it was bs...96 DSM fo' 4gees? uhhh...Right.
She wouldn't be able to afford mad repairs either tho, thats the thing, She spends lots of her money on clubs/clothes/cigarettes/drugs...so like, 2500 to get it good to go would be out of the question...
If it were me, i'd steer clear of it...but than again, her money...So...If we do go check it out..I'll print out this thread and bring it with me...Thanks for the help and tips guys
-Darren

[eclipse2000]

Ok, things to check on a 2nd generation talon/dsm.. see if it's a TSI...only if it's a TSI it's boosted, then check to see if it's all wheel drive.. If it is both, then for 4,000 it's a good deal.. still a good deal if it was only boosted.. But if it's a non-turbo it sounds about right for the price. 1995 and up Dsm's had a problem called crankwalk, caused by a oil squirter that wasn't placed in the right spot. Check and see how long ago that piston seized up an when it was overhauled. A seized pistion is not when the timing belt breaks.. Is it an automatic or manual??. I prefer manual if ur gonna be doing some racing. Check the mileage, if it's above 120,000 i'd make sure the turbo isn't burning oil. If you gun it, you'll see some smoke coming out the back if the turbo is shooting oil into the engine. Also check the oil pressure, if it's above 1/2 way mark on the gauge at 3000 rpm, it's pretty good. Check and make sure it doesn't grind when shifting, common problem with DSM's.. Make a sharp turn in it, and listen.. You'll hear some poping sounds coming from the back of the car if the center differential is bad (only awd model). that's all i can think of for now.. let me know how it goes..