2nd gen. Eclipse (Spyder) reliability?

Hi, I'm an Eclipse newb.

I'm thinking of buying a 98 Eclipse Spyder, GS, GST or GT. I am leaning toward a GS.
I have no plans on boosting its performance. I will leave everything stock as well. I have a few to choose from, all around the 70,000 mile range. I am hoping this will be a fun and reliable convertible.

I've searched this forum for a couple of hours and am still unsure.

So please let me know... is this car reliable if I look after its basic maintenance (ie: oil change, checkups, etc.), or are there problem areas to be watching out for?

They dont make a spyder gt in the 2g's, there is only a gs, and a gst. If you want something reliable get the gs, its a non turbo 4cyl and the chances of it being beat on are slim to non.

quote:

ORIGINAL: slow420a

They dont make a spyder gt in the 2g's, there is only a gs, and a gst. If you want something reliable get the gs, its a non turbo 4cyl and the chances of it being beat on are slim to non.

agreed. a spyder GS would work great for you.

I had a '97 Spyder GS before my '99 GS-T coupe...It had the 2.4L 4 cyl. non-turbo motor which at the time when I had it, I was having trouble finding mods for the motor because they were making everything for the 2.0L motors and I wasn't about to take it to a shop and have everything custom built ($$$$$$) so that was one of the reasons why I traded it on my 2.0L turbo...Another reason why I traded the Spyder was because the top leaked where it met the top of the windshield on the driver's side and it was bending brackets too...I replaced all of the elastic in the top and fixed the brackets and it didn't help much and there was no way I was going to put money into a brand new top, too expensive..The Spyder ran like a dream and I never had any problems with the 2.4L motor other than it breaking the balance shaft belt once and burning out the cam sensor as a result of that and paying about $400 to have it fixed...Overall, it was a very reliable car and I had fun with it but I am soooo glad I own a GS-T coupe with a sunroof and turbo now, what a fun ride! I'll never own a convertible again. Here is a pic of my old Spyder..It's the red one...The black one is the GS-T coupe that I have now.


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Spyder GS uses the same parts as a spyder GS-T, the exhaust manifold bolts directly onto it. You just have to convert alot of parts over to the GS that would come stock on a GS-T. Even ecu bolts directly in.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Spyderman9803

Spyder GS uses the same parts as a spyder GS-T, the exhaust manifold bolts directly onto it. You just have to convert alot of parts over to the GS that would come stock on a GS-T. Even ecu bolts directly in.

http://4g64.150m.com/turbo2.html lots of parts... worth it... maybe not?

Yes now but at the time I when bought the Spyder it was only about a "model year" old in the second half of 1998 and I called about every place I could think of or have seen in mags and what not and was getting the same answer from everyone I spoke to so I kept the car for a few more years and all I ever did to the Spyder was put an intake on it, wheels, and a big ass stereo but I had my fun with it and now am even more serious about modding with my GS-T since they make everything under the sun for it...It's the funnest car I have ever owned.

Yea. nobody really knows that the turbo intake works on it. Just a MAF adaptor pretty much. I had problems at first until i did ALOT of research to figure out what I could do.

So....

from what you guys are saying the GS engine is reliable, OK.

How about transmission?

How about the convertible tops? I heard they have a tendency to split at the seams, or their motors are weak (pins break?), etc. Are these common problems that happen to all Spyders? Where can I get another top other than from Mitsu?

Anything else on these cars I should look out for?

With the GS Spyder your getting the 2.4l motor instead of the normal GS which comes with the 2.0l motor.. If your not looking for a car to upgrade then its an awesome car to get... I have a 98 GS-T Spyder and I love it... Its a lot of fun to drive in the summer and catches eyes... The top does leak a little bit by the back window only on really bad rain or in the car wash... But overall it just depends on the car itself that your looking at as far as the top goes... Just make sure you look it over good so you don't start off with any holes in the top.. Ive had mine for over 6 months now and I havent had any probelms with the mechanics of the top...

the spyder is the one non turbo DSm you want if your looking to modify , At least I always heard that it was a direct fit for a 4G63T\AWD swap in. the 420a motor is the one that is a pain in the balls to mod and make fast, either way both are not easy to amke "fast" and will require alot of money

ive heard lots of reliability issues about the top leaking when it rains....

Hi carlos, I have a 99 eclipse spyder gs. I have used the car as a daily driver for almost 5 years now, yes the top leaks around the back window and where it closes against the windshield, "convertibles leak, get over it". As far as reliability goes, my car has over 80,000 miles on it and the only major problem I have had so far is that my Harmonic Balancer broke around 30,000 miles, thankfully it was under warranty. So I would have to say the car is reliable as long as you keep up with changing to oil and all that stuff. I should add if you want a fast car you can make faster, find a different fast car cause they don't make alot of aftermarket parts for the 4g64 engine, but if you want a fun to drive convertible then get the spyder gs. If you get a 97 or 98 spyder get the car checked at a dealership, there have been alot of recalls on them, the 99 has had only one, either way get the car checked first some people abuse their cars and cause problems for the next owner, Hope This Helps!

I can attest by experience that the Gen II Spyder does have a tendancy to leak big time. While true- a convertable is a convertable and may leak, the Spyder WILL leak! Stopping or slowing the leak can be a major biT** too as there are TONS of window adjustments that can and will affect how the window seals. The TSB on how to fix the leakage is as thick as a dictionary (of course i'm exagerrating but it is quite a few pages). I'd suggest you garage it when it rains.

Joel, CA

i have 97 spyder and it is grate no prods and it is turbo and fun