New to import scene

We just got our son a '98 Eclipse GS. Kinda basic car but has a few mods such as cold air intake, header, strut bars and a body kit. I have done a little research and it seems there have been issues with the engines in these cars. I could be mistaken. I am an old school gearhead currently owning a '67 GTX w/440, '69 Hurst SC/Rambler w/390 and a '73 AMX w/401. The purpose of our post is to get more familiar with the Eclipse and learn of all the mods available. While he will be on a budget, (his money), we are looking for the easiest mods first. Thanks for your help and look forward to any and all suggestions.

Gary

Start with the exhaust. Turbo or no? If not don't go bigger than a 2.5" exhaust if it does have a turbo go for a 3" exhaust (I'm refering to the piping not the muffler outlet mind you).

Also is it an automatic or stick? Look into getting strut tower braces and if a manual look at better clutches (I run an ACT in my Conquest).

he said its a gs, sounds like its more show then go so im gonna guess its n/a

hay there is nothing wrong with a GS! lol. but i am also swaping my motor with a 1g eagle talon motor! GOT BOOST any one

o ya get rid of the cold air and get a short ram less chance of vapor lock, this is your kids every day driver right! but if he is not going to race it why mod it, just make it look cool and he will get the chicks!

o i wasnt sayin that theres anything wrong with it, but from what CT67GTX was sayin its got on it, it doesnt seem like they focused too much on makin it fast, thats why i didnt think that they wouldve put a turbo kit in it, plus im sure thats something he wouldve mentioned if it did have one

first mod-remove body kit

First off, thanks for all the replies. Hey Sang, it is not turbo so do they make a 2 1/2 inch cat back kit for the exhaust? It is a stick and already has a strut tower brace.

Hey Bud, thanks for the info on the cold air vs short ram. What is the benefit of the short ram?

David, why remove the body kit? It looks pretty good. What would I go with if I were to take it off? Thanks all for the info.

Gary N

98 eclipse's just look so good with some factory bumpers

The major problem youll find with that car is that the head gaskets suck. They are known to fail. The engine itself is a good engine. But with that N/A car its really hard to add alot of HP without big $$. If you want a little more looks get maybe some good lowering springs. Exhaust is a good idea.

the benefit of the short ram is that you run a lower risk of water getting sucked into the intake and hydrolock. When I had a 95 Nissan Maxima, for winter and spring seasons, I changed my cold air intake that was in the fender to a short ram intake, it seemed to be a bit louder, and I didn't notice any loss of power.

well the reason you wont feel much power loss is that it doesnt really create much power to begin with

yep exactly, cold air sounds good but there is not much of an hp gain between the two.

i my self am installing a carbon hood that has the vents for a short ram built in so pretty mutch it will act like a cold air any way's just a shorter tube" i also found an air filter cover that let's max air through and is water proof, i use this system on my quad and at first it sounds like crap but i have proven it works, many streems and bogs later. any one want to buy a raptor 660R lol.

You can get just as much of a power gain from a short ram as a cold air. But remember the more air able to go it you need to let as much if not more air OUT. I'm fairly sure they make a 2.5" header back exhaust setup for the car. I'd also look into possibly port and polishing the intake exhaust and head or get a higher flow exhaust manifold if you're going to be putting a good amount of $ into the car. As for just east bolt on mods go with a lowering spring set, 2.5" exhaust, ram air setup, and some good rubber and rims. I'm a bit of a show off myself when it comes to my car so I'd do a body kit that'll be noticed, and a spoiler that matches the lines of the car (Not one of those aluminum wing things that makes the car look like a grocery cart...). And of course don't forget the bumping stereo system LOL.

^^ricer with body kits. Im just kiding. Some look good just none for the 2g do.

I'll agree I haven't seen any REALLY good looking ones for the 2G. Perhaps something from a 1G can be altered? Or someone could make one from scratch? Probably be expensive though...

ok man i got a 2g so dont start dogin! plus it's all what you like youre self if you like it then its cool who cares what every one els thinks, i sure dont! i like my car with a body kit gives it some style and personality!

first thing I must say is that the car really isnt an "import". Although its obviously made by mitsu, its using a chrysler powertrain (from mexico) installed in a chassis built in normal, illinois. The transmission choices are either a new-venture 5 speed manual (used by chrysler, GM, and others), or a chrysler built automatic.
The RS and GS models differ from the GST and GSX models in this way, as both the latter use 100 percent mitsubishi drivelines.
second thing to know is that the engine is actually a solid and very good design. the head gaskets are prone to external oil leaks, and were updated twice in the lifetime of the engine. However, it is not harmful to the engine to have this issue... its just a little messy. Often, the minor oil leaks can be rectified by re-torqueing the head bolts, which have a tendency to loosen over time (especially the 4 corner bolts).
otherwise, the driveline is pretty much identical to a Dodge Neon, but with a few small changes. The intake and exhaust manifolds are on opposite sides, etc.etc.
Its a "harsh" engine compared to mitsus (louder, much more vibration, etc), but it is reliable provided you do normal maintence.