hey im new to mitsubishi eclipse's and really am looking at getting one between 97-99 turbo version. i was wondering if any of you would name out some problems with these years mainly on the engine performance. im wondering if the engines are strong and the block was built good. i see a few of them but all of them have 100 thousand miles plus and with a turbo thats alot of wear and tear so i was wondering how many miles do these go without blowing the head casket or blowing something else up. thanks for the help

 

Just take care of it, and you will be fine. lol!

 

yeah that can be applied to anycar lol. seriously though what flaws are in these engines, and i dont want to hear about the turbo lag i already know about that

 

The motors themselves are pretty strong. They hold can up to 400-500chp with stock internals, then again some can only manage 300chp before they're destroyed. You obviously won't be the first owner so chances are, a rebuid would be the best thing you can do for it and yourself. Don't think that you can just stack on boost though, in order for the stock motor to hold up, supporting mods are a must and just as important is the tune.
Yes, the motors are strong, yes they are turbo'd and yes, the turbo does wear them out....however; starting with a fresh rebuild gives you a peace of mind. A good tune is very critical to any healthy turbo motor and that can be a determining factor on whether the motor lasts or devours itself, of course so does the initial health of the motor.
I'll bottom line it for you.
If you buy a high milage car, just know that you have a chance that it can fall apart on you more so than a new or rebuilt motor. In stock form it's pre-tuned from the factory so that's not so critical, but once you start to modify it, the tune needs to stay level with the modifications. A turbo'd car will always be "driven", whether it's all the time, every-so-often, or even once in a blue moon. Point is, it's a turbo motor, don't expect a stock Honda or stock Toyota's reliability

 

Just research crankwalk so you know what it is before hand and you know what to look for when buying so you dont buy a car that is on its way out

 

I've had my '99 Eclipse GS-T for 3 1/2 years now and have not had one problem with it..I only have 51,800 miles on it now...bought it with only 45,600 miles on it...I have quite a few mods done to mine and I've had not one problem at all... of course I work for a dealership and know a lot of the right people that help me out too so if you know the right people and maintain the vehicle right then you shouldn't have any problems...It's been a strong running lil car for me and I have been extremely happy with it..I can't say enough about it actually.