Hey all, first of all i'm new to the forums. I'm 16, live in detroit metropolitan area. Looking to get my first car and really considering an 03-04 3rd Gen. I've been reading all through these forums for the past two weeks and finally became a member.

Now, I've been reading a lot about the different trims (mainly the GS, GT, and GTS) and i'm not sure which to get. (Yes, i have done a search but have not found what i'm looking for)
What i want out of the car, is to have something thats fun to drive..decently quick..and responds to bolt ons (such as cai, exhaust etc etc).

Here is my dilemma. I've been getting different opinions on which trim (4cyl or V6) is better. I've read that the 4cyl is only about a car length behind the V6 since the V6 weighs much more. and I've also read that the 4cyl responds better to bolt ons, and handles better.
On the other hand, i've read that it's pointless to get a 4cyl and put any money/time into performance seeing that its a waist\. And the V6 is the only 3gen eclipse that performance parts should be put on. but, i've read that the V6 lags alot, and doesn't handle as well.

I realize that the 3gen is far from being a race car. but it i love the look of it, and it seems like owners of it/ppl who've driven it say it's a very fun car.

So basically, i would like to see what u guys recommend, and to know which trim has better mod capabilities. If the 4cyl is worth the money for bolt ons, or if it responds better to them. Im not looking to turbo the car or anything. I just want to make it a little quicker.

thanks a lot in advance

Wow... you are misinformed completely.

The 4cyl will run a 15.4-16.0 in the 1/4
The 6cyl will run a 14.7-15.0 in the 1/4
Way more than a car length.

The 4cyl is the only thing worth your time if you want a fast car. The 4cyl can easily put out about 350hp... the V6 can only do about 300hp without needing an engine overhaul.

The 4cyl and 6cyl have about the same handling.

If you are seriously thinking of spending the money to mod a vehicle, the 4cyl is your best choice. For about $4,000 you can make a car that will run in the low 14's.

The 6cyl is a different story. You will pay about 4k more for the car, then have to pay at least 6k in mods to run a low 14.

If you are not looking to mod the car heavily, and are only looking into doing the basics, i.e intake, complete exhaust, and those sorts of things... the 6cyl will be your better choice.

What bobthecow said is right.

But in addition if you're looking to get either of them, go with a 00-02, because you can still get the Fed Spec version which has 7hp more in the 4cyl and 5-10hp more in the V6. I would strongly recommend the 4cyl though, less maintenance, and when it does need it it's much easier to work on than the 6cyl, and like you said, it's not that much slower. Plus you get better launches cause it doesn't suffer from wheelspin/wheelhop nearly as bad, and it does handle a bit better cause of less weight in the front, although if you want really good handling, get the stock strut tower bar of the V6 version and put it on the 4cyl.

But overall the 4cyl should be your choice.

oh ok thanks a ton for clearing all that up.

so it looks likes i will be looking for a 4 cyl! the insurance must be a lot cheaper than with the V6 too.

also, can u find a selection of bolt ons for the 4cyl? because i was on i think andyautosports(?).com and i noticed a lot of the intakes, exhausts, headers etc etc were all for the V6.

and last, i really like the spyder. is there any major difference between the spyder and the regular performance wise?

Spyder has 147hp instead of 154hp.

And check all over. Don't buy from andy's. Ebay, craigslist, ptuning, maybe even sc-customs.

+1 on what bobthecow said plus the fact that the spyder weighs a little bit more than the hatchbacks.

And yes insurance is cheaper on the 4cyl than the V6.

The car will always be slow unless you plan on spending over 10k, which I seriously doubt a 16yr old will do. I personally would suggest a GT or GTS, Coupe or Spyder (your preference), and just do intake/exhaust and a few other mods.. lower it, decent wheels, and enjoy the car for what it is.

A simple modded clean Eclipse is a reasonable car for a 16yr old kid.

Your basic bolt ons can be found at www.wesellcarparts.com and a few other more unique goodies are at http://store.sc-customs.com

Best of luck.

Great, thanks a lot for all the useful info.
whatever i get (4cyl, V6), i think i will choose the spyder.
then i think i'll just get intake and exhaust, new rims and tires, drop, tints, aftermarket head/tail lights, and a sound system..maybe eventually a body kit
from my estimation it looks like thatll all be around ~5k
i wont get it all at once though, but throughout this year and next.
that should hold me through highschool and once im in college i'll look at some more performance mods.

but again, thanks for all the useful information.
i just started looking at club3g.com

man get the spyder, even though it weights 150 pounds more its worth it, it looks better, and its alil lower with a bigger wheel base.. plus its 152 hp not 147, its the same exact engine.. depends on what year though

Spyder has 147. All were cali-spec.
Fed spec was 152, no spyder was fed-spec.

Just make sure what you get is solid. no reason to spend the money on the car and then have it fall apart. Craigslist is a great place to look, if you're smart enough to spy the scams. I got a GT Coupe and it's a great car. You will like either one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDKAXReASu0

This v6 puts out 380 horses. Much more than 300

Did you not read the rest of the quote of his you posted. Without needing a complete engine overhaul. Meaning new pistons, new internals, pretty much everything in the engine has to either be strengthened or replaced if you want to handle more than 300hp. That and you can run more than 300hp on stock internals, but it's just not safe.

So let me put it this way, any car can handle alot of power, but some cars, including the GT, have to have alot of money put into them in order to safely handle that power. That's what he is saying.

Hey dumbass, you do realize the stage 3 comes with pistons and a hole bunch of other shit right?

And 380hp is worthless on a fwd. anything more than 350 and you are "that guy" who spins his tires everywhere

That's a true story. And as if our cars don't spin the tires enough off the line.

The Man said he did not want a Turbo on his car! Dig?!!! He said Bolt-Ons!

Some of you guys are "Turbo Junkies" and really need to look into rehab you guys got it real bad!!!

Now you guys faild to speak on cost of gas which is very high these days so a 4 banger will do just fine since he needs to get through school on a budget ya know girls cost more than gas these days! :)

Second a rag top is just a magnet for an A** hole to cut up should he run into a playa hata who don't hava car.

Guys use ya head for more than a Turbone!!! Will ya?!!!