I'm maybe looking into getting a 90-94 talon/eclipse turbo. I have always loved those things and they make a hella amount of power with minimal mods. I love my Z to death but I'm kinda at a crossroad here.

The Z dosent get the best mpg but I know you dont buy a Z for the mpg even though it is my daily driver, so I guess that was dumb on my part to buy it in the first place.

A DSM would be a decent daily driver and gets a little better mpg but I will always have to be fine tuning the turbo and stuff, I wont be able to just slap on some headers and make some serious hp gains like on the Z.

So do any of you know anyone who have switched to turbo from a muscle car and know if they hate it or not, or have any of you done this? Sorry this is so long i'm just a little right now. Thanks, any comments will help on my decision.

 

You're really going to have to decide for yourself, cause in the end you're the only one that has to be happy with it. But if you really just want opinions, keep the LT1. I'm kinda biased though, I hate imports with a passion.

 

I used to work for a Mitsu dealer years ago, replace timing belt on a regular basis, because if it breaks there goes your engine. Also the transmissions are extremely weak, syncro problems like crazy.
Exhaust manifolds cracking are also a common problem.
Iam also not too crazy about the auto seat belts on the 90-94's, very annoying.
They are fun cars to drive, but would not own one.

 

I'd keep the camaro, everything about it is better. Granted the DSM cars can be rocket ships, but who wants front wheel drive?

 

It takes fuel and air to make power, so if you want something that's got power, you're not going to get much better mileage out of it. And you can't do righteous donuts in an FWD :P

 

keep the lt1!! iso what if you have to spend more money in gas, im pretty sure it would be more fun!

 

If you did get and awd one, they are expensive to fix once things start to break...which 5k clutch drops to get them off line will do.

 

Get a eagle talon TSI awd turbo etc. I would get a 3000gt vr4 i think those look better then the talon but thats just me. They are cheap cars right now so you can prob get a decent one for about 3k. I like the rumble of a v8 so i am pretty sure i would keep the camaro. Plus it makes more hp is newer, less prone to problems etc(well an ls1 car) I toyed with the idea of a dsm but realized that despite the fact it had a turbo and awd there was nothing i liked about the car. Its styleing looked like crap, it felt cheap rideing in it auto seatbelts were a pain,cramped interior. Just wasnt a big fan

 

on mileage, i have a 01 1.8t beetle, it has pretty quick pickup and i average about 30mpg.

As for trading the camaro for a little turbo car, you must be joking. These things dont really feel like they have that much power. They sound weak w/ stock exhaust, and like broken lawn mowers with performance exhaust.

 

like said above, the transmissions and transfer cases are pretty weak, i was all into the dsm cars before i got the z, but i'm glad i went this way. Check out machv.com if you want to do some research on them.

 

I am an import man that loves F-body's. A FI 4 cylinder will get way better MPG than a V8. Your LT1 is constantly sucking gas, the 4G63 MPG will depend on how much boost you run. If you're running 20 PSI and constantly flooring it, you're probably going to get around 18 mpg, still better than the V8.

Somebody said above DSM's break.. YES. And when they do... $$$$$$$$$. Look around some DSM forums and see the problems these guys are having. Timing components shatter around 100K, valves fall into cylinders, pistons get smoked, etc...

Here is a pic of my conquest piston. Conquest is NOT a DSM, but it is a mitsubishi. This was a problem I had related to my valvetrain.
http://home.comcast.net/~carlosg815/damage5.jpg

That is one of a 500 dollar set of JE forged pistons.

That is not very common on a quest, but that is no stranger to the DSM. I am like you, I Love DSM's. It's a great car, and it's a great engine. But don't expect it to be bulletproof like your LT1. They break. Not as bad as the 95-99 cars, but they still do.

And you wanna talk easy HP? My friend, bolting a set of headers on your V8 won't do half of what just a turboback exhaust will do for a turbo car. Get that straw exhaust off your car, and run a 3" pipe from the turbo all the way back with a straight thru muffler. Get a 30 dollar boost controller, and you just made 50 HP. I have seen this on a dyno. Turbo cars are easy to make quick. I shaved 3 seconds off my conquest's stock 1/4 et with some simple cheap bolt ons.

A 12 second DSM is easily and cheaply achieved. Upped boost (30 bucks), turboback exhaust (around 300-400), and you're running twelves. Make your z28 run 12's for under 500 bucks

 

I've thought about your exact situation. Then I realize the Z looks very nice and 1G DSMs look like crap, sorry but they do.

 

You already answered your own question. Your screen name is z28forlife, right?

 

I had a 91 talon awd a few years back and here's what I remember about them.
Cons: The dsm's do have weak trannys. Ecu's have a problem of leaking capacitors so if you get in one turn the key and listen for a bunch of clicks under the dash. It's a sure sign it will need replaced. There is that whole interference engine thing. They are very cramped inside. Expensive to repair. They are 12-15 years old so finding a good one may be a challenge.

Pros
Awd or at least fwd so you if you live where it snows it makes the best choice if it's your only car. Somewhat easier to work on (takes ten min to change sparkplugs!). Better mpg.

Thats my $.02

 

I would do what you think will make you happy.

I remember when I was younger my cousin had a 1st Gen Turbo Talon.
It was all stock and I remember him smacking around a few Fox Mustang GTs.
It was a fun car, but really cramped.