[s1ngletracker]

I think this guys situation is somewhere in between "tampered with by an idiot" and "just an old car with issues". It definitely was a shady deal either way.

Regardless, people who say old cars will need things fixed are right. I bought a cheap talon, like yourself, a while back. And while the issues it had weren't nearly as bad as yours, I've still spent PLENTY of time and money fixing small things and fixing other things preventatively (such as doing and redoing the timing belt multiple times). It is true these cars are getting really old, and there's just a slew of things that can and will go bad at any moment due to wear and tear on an old car.

Best of luck getting things fixed. You definitely should ask for help around here, there are some VERY knowledgeable folk who can help... though sometimes responses are slim. Feel free to PM me as well, i've been going through and fixing lots of 'old talon' problems so I might be of use.