Newbie Doing Some Research

[R&C_RallySyTy]

Hi, my name is Roger and I live in central PA. Let me tell you a little bit about my background and why I'm here. Since I was a small child I have always liked speed. Anything in life that gives a adrenaline rush you can bet I'll be involved. Some of the performance vehicles I have owned include 2006 Cobalt SS supercharged(300whp), 1992 Camaro Z-28(390whp), some Hondas. I'm a car fan, so I don't car what someone drives. I'm here as a enthusiast. Through out my life I have worked on old school muscle cars, ricers :rotf: and tuner type cars. GM has always been on my top of the list. Was a huge fan, and still am of Dale E. Sr. (black #3)

So, why I'm I here. I'm looking at a 1993 GMC Typhoon for sale. It was is a one owner with about 60 some k miles. Very good shape and runs well. My main worry is since its such a rare SUV is it very hard to find parts for it. How reliable is the ty. When things break does it cost an arm and leg. As for motor work and installing things I can do nearly anything if I have the tools. So please give me some advice before I make such a purchase. I have always loved Sy and Tys and I would really love to own one. As far as performance, I'm not 100% sure if I would keep it original or not. After all, you only live once so why not have fun right? :tup:

I could for see a turbo swap, dual exhaust, downpipe, high flow cat or car delete, forged motor, small bore job, bigger intercooler, and a dyno tune would be sweet. Btw, I'm not some kid that will by a Ty or Sy and wreck it or trash it. I keep racing at the track. I'm going on 24 years old but I'm married, and have two awesome lil girls. Have my own house and I get along with people older then me :tup:

 

[R&C_RallySyTy]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

Bump, a little help for a newbie...

 

[autoaddictions]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

Welcome!!! You will find the search feature to be your friend on this site. Typhoons are rare and so are the parts that define them. Most body panels are easy to find as they are the same as GMC Jimmys and S 10s. The cladding is very hard to find and expensive as hell if you do. Engine rebuild parts are not that bad to get. As far as upgrades there are a few companys selling SY TY parts on this site. My advise is buy a well kept and sorted out truck, they are very hard to find. A fixer upper is really not for a first time owner and most purchased never get finished. Just like any car 15 years old or older it will need
constant maitnance to keep it reliable. Good luck.

 

[R&C_RallySyTy]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

Welcome!!! You will find the search feature to be your friend on this site. Typhoons are rare and so are the parts that define them. Most body panels are easy to find as they are the same as GMC Jimmys and S 10s. The cladding is very hard to find and expensive as hell if you do. Engine rebuild parts are not that bad to get. As far as upgrades there are a few companys selling SY TY parts on this site. My advise is buy a well kept and sorted out truck, they are very hard to find. A fixer upper is really not for a first time owner and most purchased never get finished. Just like any car 15 years old or older it will need
constant maitnance to keep it reliable. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply. Wow, you have some badass rides.

The Ty I'm looking at is a great cond. It has no rust or problems that I can see. Has about 60k miles. How strong are these trucks? Can they take drag racing and some punishment? Can you upgrade the weak points with ease?

 

[autoaddictions]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

The weakest links are The transmission and the Piston and rods.
The 700r4 even fully built will not take more than 500 hp for a very long time at the track.
They now have a upgrade for them to use a 4L80e but it will cost you 4000 buck for a basic build.
The bottom end is also weak it will not take to much detonation or Knock. Hp limit if tuned to perfection is about 450-500. After that count your blessings. However the cranks are holding up into the 650 hp range.

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

My advise is buy a well kept and sorted out truck, they are very hard to find. A fixer upper is really not for a first time owner and most purchased never get finished. Just like any car 15 years old or older it will need
constant maintenance to keep it reliable.

Agreed. For most people SyTy don't work out well as a daily driver.

The Ty I'm looking at is a great cond. It has no rust or problems that I can see. Has about 60k miles. How strong are these trucks? Can they take drag racing and some punishment? Can you upgrade the weak points with ease?

[shameless plug]I wrote up a little about racing and weak points on my website. Its under SyTy Tech.

http://www.corvetteforum.net/c4/dgoodhue/ [/shameless plug]

 

[R&C_RallySyTy]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

If I do end up buying one I'll keep those weaknesses in mind. To be honest I don't think I'll ever need or want 500whp. I was looking for more like 400-425whp with a built stock tranny. It will not be a DD because I have other cars to drive. Owing a Typhoon or Syclone would be a dream come true, but not only that, I have not seen one in my area for a real long time. Something rare that no one else really has.

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

stay away from northwen trucks unless they've been garage kept. it's just regular s10 sheet metal so it'll rot nicely

 

[NOJIMMY]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

You sound like an avid Car/Truck enthusiast, which means "you'll have emotional attachment",
meaning you may not want to hear all of the facts (which is a common trait with these vehicles)

The Good:
-unique enough to draw attention when running
-strong enough performance to challenge newer, more expensive vehicles on the street
-when properly maintained, can be a real hoot to drive due to power/torque/awd performance
-has a devoted, almost cult like following on this site
-is a rare, production limited vehicle (which means you wont ever see 10 in the parking lot)

The Bad:
-attention means theft (since the parts are scarce or no longer made/available via GM)
-maintenance, maintenance, maintenance (dealerships have no idea how to work on these vehicles)
-the number of SyTy vendors are small and somewhat regional (east coast,
west coast, mid western, overseas, and canadian) being represented by a major vendor
-magazines/sponsors are few since the vehicles were only made 1 or 2 years (91 Sy, 92-93 Ty)
-many of the more affordable vehicles have been mishandled, or butchered with out dated
mods making it difficult to restore/maintain
-even lightly driven vehicles arent immune to issues due to aging/complexity of vehicle

The Ugly
-no true appreciation of the vehicle unless you've owned one that runs decent.
(Many non-owners dont understand the difference in pricing between a high quality build
and a highly modified build)
-the value of these vehicles are very, very low at this point (having a MSRP of $30K for
a Typhoon, and $17K for a Syclone)
-non Syclone owners usually cant tell the difference between vehicles since all (except
rare models such as the marlboros) were black
-statistics for Typhoons (number of specific colors made, etc) is not available, thus
you'll see adds misrepresenting features/options to increase buyer interest.
-while a relative small truck, gas mileage is not all that great and the weight of awd
makes it disadvantageous for a all-out-race-only-vehicle (some folks convert to 2wd)
-due to factory limitations (non forged internals, even fire cranks) and technology
of that period (internal wastegates, intercooler/pump/lines, fuel pump, transmission)
breakage can mean major expense (engine rebuild, transmission replacement/rebuild).

Having said all of this, there is no better, tigher, more supportive (family) than this site.
People will sometime travel to/from destinations to assist, catalog, take pictures, or
just attend members requests. Your not just buying a piece of history, but inheriting
a community (which on their own stage yearly events, tech sessions, and such).

So there is some good, some bad, and some ugly in joining the SyTy Club.
In the end, you'll either "jump in" and be a life-long partner, "opt out", or
"tip-toe" through the many pitfalls (figuring out for yourself its like a marriage on steriods).

-Larry

 

[gaugeprower]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

I can agree with the Typhoon not being a good daily driver, however I've been VERY lucky... Of course its because the motor and trans were just rebuilt... But I've been (knock on wood) daily driving this truck for about 9 months without any problems (except the trans, but thats due to a crappy rebuild job, not me beating on it) Put about 13,000 miles on it since then, its mostly kept out of boost and driven as if it was a blazer (granny driving) with the occasional 10lb launch, or 15lb spool to race a lightning in my area that just refuses to accept that hes slower than me...

Looking around at what the Typhoon's weaknesses are, I can say that if something were to go wrong on my Typhoon today, I wouldn't be able to put it back together, as it would be too costly... over 3,000 for a trans rebuild (700r4 = NOT bulletproof).... idk how much for piston work (as mentioned above those are a weak point too)

I think its just luck of the draw, each truck has its own problems, I got very lucky and picked one up that was running ok and looking pretty much ok for $6,000.... just a broken cladding piece and the trans is just shifting at the wrong time... it still drives, but its just friggn retarded....

Its not like a GNX where parts are impossible to find, the truck is built on the Jimmy platform, its just those rare engine and drivetrain parts that screw you... so I would suggest to get a truck that runs and drives 100% then just go on Ebay and Stylin' Trucks for replacement Jimmy fenders and door shells, tailgates, etc. Also, look for a truck with all the cladding in good shape, those pieces run for 400-500 bucks a piece for an original OEM part... Grab the VIN, and type it into the stolen trucks/carfax section, and get a history report like I did... and then see from there whether you want it or not... also there is a section on SYTY.org (idk where it is now because the site is kinda down) called the SyTY buyers guide... I looked up and down the whole guide before I bought the truck...everything was checked from rust under the doors to "blow-by"

Ok I'm talking too much now, but Good Luck with your truck hunt, and don't be afraid to ask questions on this board, everyone on here is very helpful and there is no stupid question (unless it was asked a million times and you didnt search)

 

[Jimmy]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

Make sure you have a spare car for when the truck breaks.

 

[Baythan]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

If it hasn't been said already, TAKE someone who knows these trucks with you to see the one for sale (or any other you may look). There happens to be a pretty good dude in Central PA, around State College...he has lots of experience with these trucks...especially broken ones. :lol:

 

[R&C_RallySyTy]

Re: Newbie Doing Some Research

These post have been real helpful. As for Baythan, I do know where State College is. You should shoot me a PM and I'll give you my phone number. Maybe you could give me a call sometime and you can give me some helpful info.