Well, when I was first looking at buying a used car, preferably with mods, I came along a few problems. The biggest was the condition of the car. Usually when a car is modded you should pay extra close attention the engine/tranny to detect any problems. The other downside is that sometimes the mods, be it appearance or performance, have to fit your preference, otherwise you'll end up hating the car. I would choose an Evo over an STi due to the overabundance of the STi, be unique. :dsm:
is this the car for me?
im looking at evos. but im also looking at sti. my goal for either of these cars is to get them into the 400+hp to the wheels, along with 1/4 times at low 12 high 11. this car will be a daily driver, along with being driven about 50 to 100 miles a day. also i want whatever car to be able to be able if not to be able to beat an srt 4 from a roll, along with from a stop. i live in washington, so it will be driven in rain, snow, sleat, and just about any other kinda condition possible. witchever one i buy im going to try and buy it with as much hp as i can find. what are the downsides id buying an already modded car? how much will it cost me, and how much work would it cost to get the 11 second 1/4 mile or 400hp goal in the evo?
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im looking at cars with performance mods, the real problem i have with finding out any problems with these cars that im looking at is that there very far away, so i cant go and look at them drive them. whats some questions to ask, and things to be suspicious about when looking at a modded evo?
Well, what year is a start. If newer, like an 05, I would guess that it's financial problmes that they're getting rid of it or something is about to fail.
ive found mostly 03-04 with about 20xxx miles or so?
thats an interesting prospect. or more appropriately, an expensive proposition.
a daily driver, maybe 20k a year commuting, plus weekend drives, plus track days. all this on a high hp evo...............
straight away, in stock form the evo gets pretty bad gas milage. modified it gets even worse. you may find that a $35 tank of gas lasts only 2 days with that type of milage if you are pushing 400+whp. and thats on 91 octane. if you were running higher, prices increase accordingly. you're also looking at ~8 oil changes a year at ~$25-30/each if you do them yourself. 2 or so full drive train fluid changes a year. brake pads might last only a year of commuting (helluva lot less if you track) and race pads will chew up your rotors, no time flat.
my serious advice: get a beater and the evo. only use the evo on the weekends and at the track, no matter how much fun it is to drive.
unless of course money is no object to you because by my calculations you would be spending ~$5k on gas for commuting alone. plus any weekend driving that you do (either on pump of 100) if you are pushing lots of hp, a clutch might last a year especially if you're in the 400+whp range. beater tires would be a must with R coumpound reserved for the track only (the stock tires would last you maybe a year of comuting only if you took it easy - but you wont, believe me). oil changes would be over $200, other fluids would be ~$50 or so per year. a clutch (especially if you wear them once a year) will be cost prohibitive since you'll probably have to use a twin plate ~$1500 each.
lets not forget modifying your evo, because that process will never end.
however its not all rain on this parade. there are a couple of evos in socal that have 500whp and daily drive them. they just work at home, or work less than 10 miles from home.
a daily driver, maybe 20k a year commuting, plus weekend drives, plus track days. all this on a high hp evo...............
straight away, in stock form the evo gets pretty bad gas milage. modified it gets even worse. you may find that a $35 tank of gas lasts only 2 days with that type of milage if you are pushing 400+whp. and thats on 91 octane. if you were running higher, prices increase accordingly. you're also looking at ~8 oil changes a year at ~$25-30/each if you do them yourself. 2 or so full drive train fluid changes a year. brake pads might last only a year of commuting (helluva lot less if you track) and race pads will chew up your rotors, no time flat.
my serious advice: get a beater and the evo. only use the evo on the weekends and at the track, no matter how much fun it is to drive.
unless of course money is no object to you because by my calculations you would be spending ~$5k on gas for commuting alone. plus any weekend driving that you do (either on pump of 100) if you are pushing lots of hp, a clutch might last a year especially if you're in the 400+whp range. beater tires would be a must with R coumpound reserved for the track only (the stock tires would last you maybe a year of comuting only if you took it easy - but you wont, believe me). oil changes would be over $200, other fluids would be ~$50 or so per year. a clutch (especially if you wear them once a year) will be cost prohibitive since you'll probably have to use a twin plate ~$1500 each.
lets not forget modifying your evo, because that process will never end.
however its not all rain on this parade. there are a couple of evos in socal that have 500whp and daily drive them. they just work at home, or work less than 10 miles from home.
i dont know how wise it would be to fully modify an '03, someone here would probably be of more help on that, but '03's notoriously have problems (especially with p0300 codes)haggard0101 said:ive found mostly 03-04 with about 20xxx miles or so?
i dont always drive 100 miles, im just the most that i normally drive. most the time my driving consists of just like home school, and bought it. but when i have to work i drive up to like 100 or so miles. other than that, i drive to the mountains maybe 1-3 times a week, but by the time i get this car i wont be going to hte mountain anymore. so daily driving isnt really 100 miles, more like 20 but 100 for worse case. i no the gas will be alot and whatnot, and insurance too probably.
Dollar for dollar your going to get more out of the Evo than the sti and hit that 400 whp mark sooner too.
I would stay away from one that is already modded. Hold out for the one you can see and drive that is still in stock condition. Maybe one with a catback and a panel filter tops. Shoot, if I was in the market for a used Evo, I wouldn't even buy my own car. :laugh:
Since you are looking at a modded Evos;
Stay away from ones that don't include the stock replacement parts.
Get under the glovebox and see if the main harness has been spliced into.
Look at the oil, make sure it's clean, slippery, and doesn't smell like gas.
Drive it.
I would stay away from one that is already modded. Hold out for the one you can see and drive that is still in stock condition. Maybe one with a catback and a panel filter tops. Shoot, if I was in the market for a used Evo, I wouldn't even buy my own car. :laugh:
Since you are looking at a modded Evos;
Stay away from ones that don't include the stock replacement parts.
Get under the glovebox and see if the main harness has been spliced into.
Look at the oil, make sure it's clean, slippery, and doesn't smell like gas.
Drive it.
should i also ask for any reciepts, pictures and if it was profesionally installed? also it seems to me that a evo only needs about 400 hp to do 11 1/4 and sti need about 500+ to get in the 11's is this right? or am i just not observing thing right?
"Professionally installed." :laugh: There are so many hacks trying to cash in on the custom car/import tuning scene that "professionally installed" means nothing. If it was done at a shop, go to the shop, see what kind of work they do, do they specialize in :dsm: 's, and talk to them about the car. If the owner couldn't do basic work, than the shop probably knows the car better than the owner.haggard0101 said:... and if it was profesionally installed?
someone said something about 03 having problems.... what kind of problems did the 03 have and when did they stop happening? whats a good price for a 350+hp 03 evo? also how often do things break, or get ruined just with normal driving. and how much do these problems cost to fix? i really want an evo now, just have to make sure that its not going to break down or cost to much money in fixing it.
It depends on the condition of the car. Not it's hp rating.haggard0101 said:whats a good price for a 350+hp 03 evo?
With just normal driving, nothing will get ruined and just starts breaking. You need to be realistic though; Who upgrades their car to 350hp for "normal driving?"haggard0101 said:also how often do things break, or get ruined just with normal driving.
Are you handy with a good set of tools?haggard0101 said:and how much do these problems cost to fix? i really want an evo now, just have to make sure that its not going to break down or cost to much money in fixing it.
Do you have a torque wrench and a breaker bar?
Have you had a turbo car before?
Can you change oil, tranny fluid, and differential fluid?
If the answers to these questions are no, then it's going to cost you a lot.
ive never had a turbo car before but everything else is a yes.
haggard0101 said:ive never had a turbo car before but everything else is a yes.
You should do fine then with an EVO. Most expensive part of ownership of a stock EVO is for the people who do not do their own maintenance since the dealership service schedual is rediculusly strict and expensive as well.
Keep the oil changed on a regular basis (full synthetic every 5,000 miles works fine for most people) transmission and transfer case fluid every 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Not sure on the rear differential because this is the first clutch pack style limited slip unit I have had, I am used to viscouse coupleing units and a 25,000 to 30,000 mile rear diff fluid change.
If you stay with the stock tires be ready to change them about every 15,000 miles and do not even consider driving on snow with the stock tires. You will need either a set of snow tires or at minimum all season tires for winter use.
I had an 03 EVO putting out aprox 525 crank HP (445 dynojet, 395 Mustang dyno) and ran it that way for about 2 years and had zero problems with the car.
Keith
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