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897 views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Herbie07 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello there!

I'm AJ, out of Maryland, US.

Just joined the club with a 2009 Eclipse Spyder GS. I've always had a crush on the Eclipse since I was younger and Fast and the Furious came out. The body style was so sleek and smooth looking. I was elated to see that this 4G was the only car in my pricerange that wasn't some old Civic with 200k+ miles on it.

Car has almost no detectable issues from the minimal prodding I've done since I got it this weekend, aside from being slow to turn over on startup and some intermittent E COM issues on the stereo display (stock Rockford Fosgate receiver so I'm not sure why it's throwing E COM yet but the evidence says there was an aftermarket unit at some point). I suspect a spark plug and battery change might alleviate both issues for me but we'll see.

I did see your warning about the timing belt and it's now on my list. Checking the CarFAX I don't see any record of a belt change so I'll make it a high priority (I'm at 135k). Not sure what the price would be to change that out and get general maintenance/tune-up done, but after buying the car outright I've only got around $500-$700 maximum to throw down. Maybe some Maryland-based 4G owners can direct me to a good value to get this stuff done?




Note: I did take the bra off the front today and it honestly wasn't too bad, some minor chips/scratches that I can probably fix myself, except for THIS MONSTER:



Win some, lose some. The chips on the hood around the rust look worse than they are because my car is absolutely coated in pollen and it seems to have caught the light funny in the photo.

I'm so happy to be an Eclipse driver. Feels awesome to drive and hopefully I can get my minor issues worked out soon. I had to start it up today next to a car meet in a parking lot and the sound was super embarrassing. :blush:

Hope I can get my GS in fighting shape so I can be here a while!

Cheers.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Welcome! Sweet ride! Is it auto or manual? Any plans on performance side?

Regarding the E-Com error i have it. You're right, aftermarket unit. I ignore mine since i was told it was normal.

Regarding your rust on the hood either try to fix it or buy a new hood.

Once i get home i'll check how thick the hood is. I was thinking drill and wire brush to remove rust, if the rust is deep enough that if removing it will make the hood look like a chipped tooth then i would replace. But if it isnt deep, after cleaning abit of bondo to recreate the shape, sand it down to make it smooth and paint it.

Maybe Saber or Pcfreak have a better idea. But i use that method and anti rust paint on semi truck frames.
 
#3 ·
Automatic. I haven't really had a chance to get the lay of the land as far as what types of performance upgrades are practical. First things first, I want to fix the slow starting problem, timing belt replacement and the blemish on my hood. If I've got any money left I'll start in on the performance researching haha.

I did order an AUX adapter, so that's first on the modification list. It actually has the optional Apple 30 pin adapter connected already, but it doesn't seem to have sound. My best guess is that the OG owner had an aftermarket stereo, removed it before selling, and did a hasty job reconnecting the Rockford Fosgate receiver. That would explain both the E COM issues and the adapter not functioning.

If you look at the pics, there's an empty drill hole in the rear bumper, which pretty much seals for me that there was an aftermarket unit with a rear camera. He actually had one in the front too, so my next project might be spraypainting some plugs with body color paint.
 
#5 ·
Great looking ride man! Hood rust is no big deal. You got that taken care of for sure. As per timing belt, it’s pretty easy. I believe there are write ups. Just search “4g69 timing belt change” and you’ll def find something! Keep us posted on your progress and welcome to the club!
 
#6 ·
Welcome to the club.

I suspect your e com and starting issues are both a bad battery, if the e com is intermittent with shutting the car off especially. If not, they may not have connected the wiring back. Spark plugs are nice to have fresh, but if they're still good when you pull them, don't bother wasting your money


For the hood, that looks a lot nastier than a drill and wire wheel. You'd be wanting one on an angle grinder to chew all that out, and it's gonna leave a big section of missing sheet metal. It's gonna suck, it's gonna get worse, and unless it can be fixed properly, that hood is fairly toasted and gonna look worse after it's touched. The big issue is going to be paint. Colour matching is nearly impossible on a panel like that with a rattle can, and it's highly visible.

If you can change your own oil, you can do a timing belt. It's scarier and has more things to do than an oil change, but the principals are there. Just be methodical, and if the belt doesn't line up properly when you add tension, don't say "close enough" and call it a day. It has to be done right, and you can do it yourself for $200. First try, it varies, most people do it in about 2 hours. Once you get used to it, it gets down to about 45 minutes.
 
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