**Phil from Madison (and other people interested) -- read the bottom of this update.
Hello all again.
It’s nice to see that people actually read this post and comment on it too. Gee, the Talon has a back seat? I keep an extra cue ball back there for when someone walks off with one from the bar. The backseat is there to keep it a four-passenger car, which helps out with insurance. I doubt they could sell the car today with its lack of car seat anchors and lack of rear headrests. When I was 16 my buddy had a Talon and I would sit in the back sometimes with my head pressed against the rear window, sure he would drive like a nut and my head smacked the rear window numerous times! The back seat is just that – a seat in the back. – Cars that should have had a backseat and didn’t: Subaru XT DL, Ford EXP, Mercury LN7, and the Chrysler TC.
To Chris - I’m sorry, but I don’t have any advise about the clutch. I’m still using the original clutch and it is getting worn, but not worn out by far. Yep, mine still grinds into second gear sometimes. I think I’ll fix it when I lose second.
I’ve only put about 4,000 miles on my Talon since my last post. I had to have a ball joint, axle boots, and rear brakes replaced.
Currently, Tal has 214,700 miles on the odometer. The car is showing its age here and there. Still rust free under the body with most all original parts too. The interior is looking quite nice, despite a Coke can exploding on the front seat showering the interior with boiling hot soda. I had to deep clean the seats and carpet; unfortunately the headliner and my sound system got the worst of it. The headliner was cleaned, but in doing so, the glue dissolved and now the headliner droops. I fixed it with staples, but ick, it looks nasty. I’ll fix it for real sometime. The weather strip on the two front doors is coming apart and letting in some water seep in during heavy rain. The plastic mat molded into the carpet on the driver side is breaking up and cracking. I still haven’t fixed the AC. I missed it twice this summer. I think I was the only car on Route 1 sitting in Delaware en route to OCMD without the windows rolled up. I spent most of the time with the Sirius radio cranked and the sea breeze blowing in my happy face!
Like I say on every update, it is getting to be an old car! When I park or drive down a highway I look for other cars of the same vintage, but finding an early 1990s car is getting tough. I’m proud that my Talon is still kicking and running fine – thanks to my regular oil changes and careful driving.
Note:
I had stated on previous posts that due to oil leaks I have been adding about a half quart every 3,000 miles. The leak has yet to get worse and only drips on the road depending how I park the car. A half-quart is not too bad. My Astro eats about a quart and a half, but it is also sitting at the 175,000-mile mark. I also read in either Road and Track or Car and Driver that new Audis eat a quart between oil changes and that is normal?! GO TALON!
When I go to a junkyard I usually look around for anything that could enhance my Talon or just take a gander at the ones that haven’t made it as far as mine. I’d have to say that the majority of the DSM cars like mine are automatic (broken expensive transmission) and the stick shift cars are going to have a (assumed) jumped timing belt and broken expensive motor job. I hate that flaw. If Mitsubishi had used a timing chain instead of a timing belt and cam belt, there would be a lot more on the road. I had spent a few hundred dollars a few years ago to replace the belts and water pump as part of its maintenance schedule. It will be due again at 237,000 miles, about two years. In two years from today it will be 2009. Tal will be 16 years old and hopefully still be worth the $500 job. From how it looks today, with new brakes and its get-up-and-go good attitude I’m sure it will be!
That’s it for now. I will keep this posting up-to-date. Thanks for adding your comments and taking care of your “Tal”.
LOCKS AND WINDOWS:
I wrote about the locks binding up in my Talon last year. Yes it was a pain in the butt and it took forever to do, but it cost me zero dollars and fixed the problems 100%.
The lock on the outside of the car would not work, and the lock switch on the interior would move half-way in one direction and bind.
To fix the problem, gather the following:
Tool kit
Tape
A buddy
A warm garage
Lots of light
Silicone spray
Key graphite
Case of beer
One day devoted to working on it.
Take the door panel off – If you never did it before there are a lot of screws (but much less than a similar year GM or Ford)
Peel the plastic sheet off.
Locate the rods that connect the lock switch to the lock.
If your problem is only on that spot spray the areas that work the mecanisim.
If your problem is with the lock you have to keep removing parts to get the lock out. The job stinks, even if you have experience working in tight, poorly lit spaces.
Remove the window guides (make sure the window is up and you have it secured so it won’t fall down and shatter, I used packing tape, but suggest using the proper suction cup window holds) and latch mechanism.
You have to remove a bunch of tight fitting metal rods with plastic connectors.
Once the lock is out you will be holding a cylinder shaped object where the key fits in your palm. There will be some blood and lots of dirty grease too. Grab a beer.
My lock cylinder had visible exposed tumblers that no longer fell into the lock cylinder causing it to bind up. I used a grinder to grind down some of the tumblers and make the lock usable again. I used key graphite in the lock and silicone spray on the outside portion.
Next is really tough – getting it back in the door without messing it up too much.
Get it all back in and before your put the plastic sheet back on the door spray the cable that moves the window up and down.
Once the door trim is back on, spray the exterior window sides (where the window meets the seal) with silicone spray.
Finally go wash your hands and arms, use plenty of hydrogen peroxide on the cuts and scrapes.
Sit down and think about the fact that you can lock and unlock your car. Sip some more beer – it worked for me!
I just wanted to say that it is actually quite enjoyable to read your posts because if more people were to actually take good care of their cars, then cars would probably last at least twice as long.
I have a 96' Tacoma- the small econo version with power nothing. So far it has 203,000 miles on it. I wax it probably once every 2 months and change the oil religiously every 3,000 miles. So despite the age and miles, the paint looks essentially like it was brand new. In fact, just this past weekend I was out replacing the sir filter when a guy and his little kid walked by and he asked me if Toyota was still producing small trucks like mine. He actually thought it was a new truck, not a twelve year old truck.
One thing that you mentioned very early on in your original post was the gear oil causing second gear to be difficult to shift into place. I've had this same problem. By switching to a full synthetic gear oil, that pretty much solved the problem because it seems that synthetic oil is less affected by temperature, which can make regular oils to become more viscous prior to warming up. You might want to give that a try and see if that improves the shifting.
Hi all again.
Well at 215,555 miles the radiator finally called its quits! Amazing though, considering it has been getting really bad for the past three years and never leaked.
I will post the info about removing and installing a new radiator. How much everything costs (hoses, radiator, hoagie, and a six pack).
Other sad facts about my (soon to be) 15 year old Talon:
Rust on the outer passenger side rear fender... never got to it as of yet.
A large circle worth of clear coat shed off the rear on the hatch.
The fresh air intake tube (factory) developed a large tear (fixed with black silicone sealer)
The chime/buzzer finally died.
Rear tires are finally in OK condition. They have been "living" on the rear rims since 2003. Great Telstar tires. However, the reason they have been on the back of the car is because they were horrible on the front. Very slippery. But all they do in the back is follow the front.
Fuel mileage went down a bit due to winter blend gas and cold weather.
Positives:
Still looks great
Still runs great
Still comfortable
Cruise still works
HOT heat!
It keeps racking up the miles without a fight!
What is due soon:
Radiator / Hoses (ASAP)
Oil change (ASAP)
Complete Tune-up - plugs, rotor, distributor, all belts excluding timing and cam belts (10,445 miles)
Complete Timing/Cam belt change / water pump (21,445 miles)
New information:
I have been using ONLY MITSU/MOPAR oil filters every 6,000 miles. I use the filters twice due to the mileage I put on the car, unless it actually takes three months to warranty an oil change. I change the oil (Vavoline 10/40) every 3,000 miles.
The old style (FAT) filters that I use are discontinued through MOPAR. The genuine Mitsubishi ones are smaller, but not as small as the old (thin) version. The new style is an "in between" size with a check valve. I'm not sure how many other Talon owners have a Talon as picky as mine, but if I don't use the right filter it will either tap or run too high oil pressure.
The new filter is made in Thailand and I've had it in my car since its last oil change. Seems to work just fine. I stocked up and bought a case, so I should be good for a few years. (Is that faith?!)
Final words for today:
I've said it before and I'll say it again - Maintain your car and it will treat you right.
It's winter. Did you check your antifreeze, oil level, brake fluid, tire pressure, windshield wipers/washer level, tires?
You didn't? - Grab a coat and check that car out now!!
Hello all.
I installed the new radiator today with my dad - rather, my dad installed it with my help!
Parts and Prices:
ReadyRad radiator
DriveRite hoses.
I didn't buy any clamps or fluid because I had some already, but if you don't have those - pick them up too.
I paid $213.02 for the radiator and hoses.
Difficulty:
Well any job on a car basically stinks and this was no exception.
I let the car cool down and then we opened the radiator cap (next to the motor) then loosened (broke) all of the factory clamps that held the old hoses on.
The hoses came off nicely and I actually kept them for emergency spares because though old - they are in great shape for being 15 years old.
Next we took the bolts out that hold the radiator in place. They all broke off because of the amount of rust that is setting in to the front of the car. Typical for all imports that live in a salty climate. Once the radiator was disconnected it slid out nicely.
ReadyRad brand radiator:
Well. I don't have much to say about this product. It is made in China, made of plastic and aluminum, and states to meet or exceed OEM specifications. If that means that having half the mounting points in the wrong spot, I guess they are that great. I actually feel I was ripped off. But I had no other cost effective option and I needed a new one. We had to fabricate some better holders were the screw holes didn’t line up – and they didn’t line up at all in some spots – BAD. It does fit in and seems to be working just fine.
Fans:
We had the new radiator next to the old one complete with the fans and wiring. We moved each part one at a time to the new one. As I stated above – the fit was far from being OEM or better engineered.
Once the new radiator was put together we snuck it back in. Not without some trouble. I will explain later.
Hoses:
The hoses I purchased were almost $10 a piece. I opted for anything made in USA and the DriveRite brand is what Advance Auto Parts carries. They are high quality, however the fit of the lower hose was not correct and I had to cut about half an inch off. I think they make that hose to fit both automatic and standard shift models. The clutch was in the way of the hose and that is why I had to shorten it.
Completion:
After it was all said and done we filled it with green long life antifreeze that was in concentrate form and then filled the rest with tap water. We changed the oil - Vavoline 10/40. I let it idle with the heat on full blast. Within twenty minutes it was making its good old HOT heat and the temperature gauge was at its happy medium - in the middle.
Time Factor:
My dad is an experienced mechanic and even though he has the know-how, working on a car at home is a lot different than working on one in the house garage. We spent about an hour from parking it in the garage to having it idle in the driveway.
Fun Facts:
Make sure you have your metric drivers, screwdrivers, and at least one ¼” extension.
The absolute worst part of this job was putting the new radiator back in. The air filter / cold air intake jumble is really in the way. So take that out before doing the job. Also, remove the overflow bottle. It is placed horribly and has to slide on to a brace at an angle. There is a bracket (to hold the cold air intake) that is rusted to the sheet metal and we couldn’t take it out to properly reinstall the overflow tank – so we just bent it over then bent it back. Not pretty, but it worked.
Need an alternator? If you think you should replace yours – now is the time. Without the radiator in place the alternator is very easy to get at.
The condition of the old radiator was absolutely appalling! I felt bad knowing that I always preach about keeping your car in good shape – but geez! I knew it was bad when it started to leak the other week (after I bought tons of gifts for everybody), and I knew it was getting bad years ago, but I just didn’t want to replace it until it started to leak. From the time it started to leak until today, it only lost about two cups of antifreeze. The overflow tank was never empty, so the car never had a cooling issue. It was only leaking when I would turn it off and it would percolate for a few seconds. When the old (copper) radiator was out all of the fins were dissolved. Dad dropped it and most of the fins fell out like broken accordions.
Well there you go. $213.02 will get you the parts you need. You can do this, but a friend will help out too. I bought dad a hoagie for $4.00 and thanked him again for all his help with everything in the past 27 years!
I’ll let all who care to know about the durability of the new radiator and everything else with the Talon.
Thanks again,
Mike.
Hi, My name is Joseph Schott. I am currently stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ar. I just purchased my first DSM motor, a 1993 Eagle Talon DL. It currently sits at only 144,216 miles!!! The only major problem is when it is cold outside I have a hard time starting her. Have to turn her over 5 or six time to get her started. But after she's warmed up, i'll turn her off the back on and she starts up fine. I checked the alternator, changed the battrey, and I don't think it is the starter because of the fact that it starts right up after its warmed up. HELP!!! I already love this car and don't want to lose this soon. Also, WHO WORKS ON THESE THINGS? I took her to the Mitsubishi Dealer and they sent me to dodge and dodge sent back...lol. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
Thanks,
A1C Schott.
Hi Joseph and all who care to read.
I just went to check on my post to see if anybody posted anything today and see that you left one for all of us!
You might be able to fix the cold start issue by adjusting your throttle. Use a screwdriver to tighten or loosen the screw that adjusts the throttle.
My Talon is a bit finicky in the winter and I need to give it more gas (throttle adjustment) to run better. It will stall out if it isn’t warm enough when I put a load on it. For example I just start and drive off while it is cold, come to a stoplight and put my foot on the brakes – dead. It is like that sometimes. I just have to give it a bit of gas (pedal) while sitting and idling for the first two minutes of driving.
For the time being though, adjust the throttle! It might be more involved than that, but I have almost 220,000 miles on mine with no major troubles. In fact, Tal never let me down one time in the past 140,000 miles.
Who can fix your car?:
Any shop can. Go to ebay and buy a real factory shop manual and leave it in the car if you have work done on it. When you have the timing and cam belt replaced, I suggest that you have somebody who knows how. That is the heart of the car. One bad move in the belts or timing will cause severe pains to the wallet.
The Talon is a product of DSM (Diamond Star Motors). It was a collaboration of Mitsubishi and Chrysler. I’m sure Wikipedia will have the answer, but in my own opinion, Chrysler needed to create a sporty image and developed the “Eagle” brand without spending any more money on tooling except for special details like tail lights and smaller details like the Eagle logo on the steering wheel. The only reason I bought an Eagle over an Eclipse or a Laser was because it looked really sharp!
Check out the Mitsubishi Raider and the Dodge Dakota. Same truck, both Chrysler products. One has a Mitsubishi logo, one a Dodge logo.
When it comes to having a dealer service your Eagle I would recommend having it done at a Mitsubishi dealer. Underneath the defunct Eagle logo breathes a Mitsubishi. A Chrysler mechanic could care less about the Mitsubishi and is probably not trained to work on it. Remember, if you have read through all my updates, you will find that I state the fact over and over – THE CAR IS OLD! Most parts are becoming harder to get and a lot of parts that are in stock are getting renumbered and wholesaled to make room for newer parts.
Finally, good luck fixing up your Talon! Please read through my updates (the really lengthy ones are mine) and learn some fun facts. You might use my knowledge and experience to help yourself when you come across a problem.
I'll add more updates in the near future. Thanks for checking everyone!
Joseph again,
Well the trouble with the cold start up was fixed with new spark plugs. I am going to be making a trip down to Houston, Tx at the end of February (1200 miles round trip). This Friday I am going to take her in to get all 5 belts changed, a new water pump, and valve cover gasket. I have already given her new spark plugs, distributor cap, distributor rotor, and a oil change. Do you have any other recommendations on what to get checked out or changed before making that long of a trip? Thanks for the advice.
-A1C Schott.
Chris Erickson reporting again from the far frozen North of Alaska.
Well, I have sold my beloved Talon on Craig's List and am now driving an AWD Chevy Astro passenger van. It sure is nice for hauling people and stuff but I sure miss the power and handling of my Talley.
I figured out that the clutch problem was actually a problem with the keyed shaft at the top of the clutch pedal arm. The nut had come loose and the keyed end of the shaft and the square hole in the top of the clutch pedal arm were wearing each other out. I had to take the dash COMPLETELY apart and even then I was BARELY able to get at the nut and tighten it a bit through a narrow gap and a bad angle. It helped a bit but wasn't a complete fix. The shaft and arm are both rounded out a bit and only replacing them will completely fix the problem. I told the new owner all about Talley and gave him my factory service manual as part of the deal.
I wish Talons were still being made. I would buy a new one if they were. The latest Mitsubishi's just aren't the same.
Mitsubishi seems to be really losing their vision.
Hey, I have a 1993 Eagle Talon 1.8 Liter, 5-speed manual. I love this car so much! I always enjoy driving it, but I recently had a scare and thought I would have to get rid of it. My oil pressure was dropping whenever I would come to a stop, and immediately I thought my oil pump was going out, which is about 700 with labor. After bringing the car back to where I originally bought the car, they informed me that if it were the oil pump, the engine would be making a knocking noise and it wouldn't have lasted very long. And he also said something about the oil pressure in older cars, such as Chevy's, will drop, but whenever you hit the gas and go, it will climb back up. Mine does this for some reason.
The engine ticks, and has since I bought it back in September. I know it is one of the lifters going out, but I wanted to know how much it would cost to replace. I can't do it myself because I am more of a computer guy and I don't know much about cars. It has about 137, XXX miles on it. I am planning to get some stuff fixed on it, and I just wanted some recommendations. So far I am planning to replace the air filter, corner light (from hitting a guard rail), headlights, new tires, belts, and the lifter. Anything else I should look into?
My Talon also grinds into 2nd gear sometimes. If im getting ready to slow down and come around a corner, I wait until im below 20 MPH and then shift to 2nd, which most of the time shifts easily. But shifting from 1st to 2nd, I never really have any problems. Also, when I come to a stop, shift to neutral, let off the clutch, push the clutch in, and try to shift into first, I can feel and hear the gear grinding. The only way I stop it from happening is to shift into 2nd and then to first, and that somehow works.
All in all, my Talon has been good to me. It is comfortable and fun to drive. I don't know if I would take it on a long trip, but it gets me to where I need to be. Now I feel like going on a drive, haha.
Hi all again!
I’m happy to report that my Talon has made it to the 220,000 mile mark with no (huge) problems.
Still no AC, and I don’t care. Still has rust on the passenger side rear fender (have to fix sometime before holes form). Still has the same tires on the rear for over four years now and are wearing just fine. Still grinds into second (sometimes). Still as comfortable has the day I bought it!
Service done since last update – besides oil changes:
Changed front tires
Replaced fuel filter (Please read below about fuel filter replacement)
I was having a minor problem with my car stuttering while accelerating from 35mph – 70mph (pulling onto the highway) and having some lugging issues while accelerating in 3rd gear climbing hills – normally not a problem. Since I avoided my own words about good car maintenance, I realized I had never changed my fuel filter since I bought the car! Over 120,000 miles on a fuel filter is not good. I purchased a new one (made in China – ugh!) at Advance Auto Parts for under $15 and I was going to install it at home, but for some reason Mitsubishi decided to place the filter at a God-awful location – next to the battery behind the firewall under the car. My dad replaced it at work and even on a lift with enough light and a dozen special wrenches, had a very difficult time. This is a job for a garage – not you.
The old filter was packed full of dirt, water, and other assorted crust. I left the dealership where he works and noticed a difference right away. The 1.8 never made much power, but I can feel the extra “pep” that wasn’t there two weeks ago.
Service needed soon:
Tune up (plugs, wires, cap, and rotor)
Chris from Alaska:
Thanks so much for the info. I will look into doing that with my Talon. I know if I really jam the clutch down it will always work. Since my clutch is still original and I have never needed to adjust it I figured something must have been getting worn out. New Astro? I got one too. Read about my old one under 1986 Chevy Astro – Never Dies and my new (to me) 1997 Astro – The Van That Can.
To the April 16th commenter:
Check out the other comments / advice given by me or some of the others who have taken the time to ad to this review.
I believe I added this tidbit when I first started to keep track of my car on this site, but I’ll share again. The web space is free. -- I bought my car from a small used car lot and it obviously had an issue with tapping and the oil pressure light coming on because after I changed the oil (with my dad at a dealership) we found that the oil was tainted with heavy gear oil (to shut the lifters up and compensate for the wrong oil filter size that was on the car). Like I always say, I only use Valvoline oil and either a factory oil filter or a good (at least a Fram*) oil filter. Never go cheap when it comes to a filter! After my first oil change the car ticked loudly and the oil light would come on at stops and when slowing down while getting off the highway. The free warranty that came with the car was not honored at any garage due to the difficult times they had dealing with the company. My dad replaced the lifters and bought FACTORY oil filters for it. Once the lifters were replaced, Mitsubishi / Mopar filter in place, and the correct oil in the car – it was fixed.
Oil filter issues:
My Talon has had three non-genuine oil filters on it in all the miles I have driven it. The first would have been in 2001 when whoever filled the crankcase with heavy gear oil and the second time was the week after I bought the car and put a Purolator filter (which made my oil pressure too high) and the next day when I put a Fram filter on (which did the same thing). * Fram filters work fine on everything else I’ve owned, mostly GM products.
I learned that Chrysler has discontinued the Mopar filter for the Talon/Laser, and Mitsubishi stopped making the US made filter. Mitsubishi does still offer the oil filter, only now it is white and a bit smaller than the larger black one that they used to make.
Filter size:
Two Mitsubishi filters fit on the Talon. One works. Don’t get stuck with the short, skinny filter because it raises the oil pressure too high.
Why buy genuine?:
If you change your own oil just go to the dealer and shell out double for the right filter. If you are like me, buy a case of filters. If you take it to an oil change chain, take your filter with you and watch them put it in or mark it and look at it when you get the car back. I have enough for the next 30 oil changes. The genuine filter has a check valve, which is needed in this car, and regulates pressure very accurately. Other than a damaged filter from the dealer, I’ve never had any issues with the right Mitsubishi oil filter.
Oil changes:
If you have over 100,000 miles on your Talon, switch to 10/40 Valvoline motor oil. I don’t work for that company; I just trust the product and so does my dad, a 35-year veteran mechanic. CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES and CHANGE THE FILTER EVERY 6000 MILES. 220,000 miles on a car that was built 15 years ago that still gets 35 MPG is great!
Oil Light:
The oil light should always light up on startup and go off and then turn on if there is a problem. However a problem might just be a bid sender wire. Mine corroded and wouldn’t turn on and I had to put new wires on the sender and solder it back. Don’t assume it will cost you $700 to fix an oil pump when $1.00 worth of wire is all that is needed!
Yep, I’m still talking to the April 16th guy and anybody else who still wants to read!
If it has 137,XXX miles on it, it probably needs a lot of stuff now, or later. Besides the obvious oil, brakes, and filters have the CV (Axle) boots checked (boots and grease are cheap, new axles are not), ball joints (keeps the wheels straight), check the belts, coolant, radiator and its hoses – mine crapped out a few months ago and it was much worse than I had thought, but wasn’t leaking a whole lot. Breeze through my updates and you will find that I also stress the importance of the timing belt and cam belt. If you don’t know when either was replaced, you have been driving on borrowed time! When you replace those belts (get USA or Canadian made), go ahead and replace the water pump too since that will all be out of the car at the same time. If it hasn’t been tuned up – go for that too.
My car still has all original exhaust parts except for the braided pipe. As long as nobody took your Talon to Midas and got a new system, yours should stay good for quite some time!
Parts in General:
Always buy good parts – USA, Canadian, Mexican made parts are better than the Asian counterparts – but some parts like CV boots are all being made in China by good name brands like BeckArnley. So you just get what you get.
I prefer to shop at AdvanceAuto Parts. I’ve never had trouble with returns or faulty parts, save the radiator that I just put in.
Ebay is a good place (sometimes) to buy parts. Know who you are dealing with before you make a payment.
The junk yard is my favorite place, perhaps because I just enjoy walking around looking at all the cars from my youth or to make my Talon seem that much more rare these days! You can only get door handles and other body parts. Headlights and turn signals are numerous there too.
It boils down to personal economics. If it is worth $1,500 to you to get your Talon in good shape do it. I don’t think these cars are worth anything anymore. I checked out mine on kbb. com and it has a private party value of N/A! If you have your car paid for in full and you want to get the fuel mileage that it can offer at its best running condition it is worth it. I just dropped $40 in the gas tank on mine (which didn’t fill it), but I know I won’t be going back to the pump for about 400 miles!
Find a good garage that will let you buy your own parts or at least that is a place that has good reviews. Just write up a request on Craigslist under the automotive or wanted section. You will get responses.
Keep ‘em rolling because they don’t build them like this anymore!
Thanks for reading.
Mike.
(The 6’ 3” big guy who is most comfortable in his Talon DL!)
Is there a child's car seat that will fit into the back seat of an Eagle Talon? My son weighs 30 pounds. Grandma drives the car these days, so it is not very often that we would need the car seat - but I need to find something to keep my son safe. Any advise would be greatly appreaciated.
Hi Everyone again!
To the last posted comment - I have no idea. This car was built to safety standards of 1993 and we all know how "unsafe" a child safety seat of even five years ago is. The Talon has no tethers or anchors for a baby seat and is hardly a "usable" rear seat for a person of any size!
Anyway -- I've, well, Tal, has made it to the 223K mile mark and is still working fine. My dad and I fixed the jagged rusted out fender (for under $10)! New sheet metal, Bondo, and some "Bright Red" spray paint, and a few hours of cutting, bending, and sanding, sanding, sanding have done it wonders.
As for anything going bad on the car now - just the rear tires. They have last almost five years, but will go away when it is time to put the studded tires up front in a few months. The clear coat is really fading bad too. A bunch of spots on the fenders and especially the spoiler and hatch are getting spotty. Tal will get waxed before winter and hopefully I'll spend some time painting next year.
Thanks for reading again, and I'll keep you all posted for anything major!
-Mike.
The names Mitchell and I just purchased a 1993 eagle talon dl for 600 dollars.
I was searching the net for websites on my car and this is the best one I've come across. Everything on here so far has given me some really good information on the car. I've had it for 2 days and so far the only complaints I have is when the car goes over 30 mph the steering wheel starts to shake and I can't really crank up the a/c since it drags the car down and if I don't keep the engine reved then it dies.
Other than that I love the car. I can't wait to see more updates from you.
Hi all again.
For the Sept. 10th poster:
You need to have your tires balanced and have your rims checked. A bent rim/wheel will make the car shake too. If you have a bent wheel/rim purchase a good used one at a junkyard or buy a new one from a tire retailer.
There is a screw near the throttle body (under the hood) that advances or retards the throttle. It should be advanced just a bit to keep it from stalling. I keep mine so it revs at about 1200 RPM at idle. When it gets colder I advance it some more and then back to where it is now in the spring time. I've been running my Talon like that for a long time.
You may have gotten a good deal on your Talon - but please read through my updates. It is cheap to maintain, but you might be spending more on parts and maintenance the first year you own the car than what you spent on it.
MAKE SURE you have the timing / cam belt checked before it is too late.
Not to much else to update about my Talon. Currently is is sitting in the rain - still looking good!
-Mike.
Just bought a '93 1.8L Talon 3 days ago and LOVING it "but"... I WISH I would have found this site earlier! I changed my oil last night (not having ANY idea what oil was in it before, etc) and used Castrol GTX High Mileage 10-30 with a Fram (ph3950) filter. I've used Castrol and Fram combo in pretty much EVERY car/truck I've ever owned so I felt confident using it. The car has 181k on it and ran completely quiet prior to the change but now has the lifters "ticking". Oil pressure seems fine (perhaps a little on the low side as it's sitting (at idle) JUST to the left of the "middle" mark which I'm assuming is the low side) and my oil pressure light is not coming on at all. I did notice that, at first start-up after the oil change, it was smoking (even after a few minutes of idling) but couldn't tell the color as it was getting dark outside. It has stopped smoking after driving into work today (approx 33 miles) but the lifters are still ticking. Any suggestions?