The first potential buyer who comes to see my 8 breaks not 1, but 2 parts!!

my evo 8 was in flawless mechanical condition until this kid comes from long Island to Riverdale Sunday morning and went thru the usual visual inspection. My mistake was not telling him that I would drive my car and show him anything that he would like to see. At the first light (very slight uphill) he burned my clutch trying to take off, so bad that it stalled twice, followed right after by burning clutch smell. He fast apologized but needless to say I was beyond upset. He continues to drive and gets in the interstate and shifts to 3rd when around 4.5- 5k rpm I felt slippage. His friends ask me why is it slipping, I replied "I can thank your friend for that, test drive is over, I'd take it from here. Car isn't for sale" Drove them to their truck and as pissed as I was I contained myself and went home. On my way home i got on it in 3rd and sure enough, it's slipping.

The clutch grabs just as before, pedal travel and tension is the same, no noises, no shatter or vibration, the engagement is the same etc. There's no change other than the slippage. I even did the clutch test where I put the car in higher gear (did it in 3rd, 4th & 5th) and slowly ease off the clutch and the car instantly shut off. (Good sign)

My car has never slipped, ever. I drive it spirited and aggressively and it has never slipped...ever! I think the flywheel might have hot spots or grooves that may require resurfacing.

The clutch was replaced about a year ago and although I drive spirited, I never launch my car, I have never abused the drivetrain.

The other **** that happened, I didn't realize til I got home. His buddy opened the sunroof and somehow got it off track. The motor turns but it doesn't close. Furious is an understatement.

 

I dont mean to come off sounding like i dick..but its actually ur fault buddy..why in the hell would u let a 18 year old kid test drive the car in the first place?? you just asked the whole Evom to basically cut your ***.

 

honestly sometimes these things happen when trying to get a potential sale, i for one would never let a kid test drive my car unless i have in my hand a significant amount of cash as a deposit from the potential buyer in case something goes wrong like a crash for instance or in your case damage to the car from incompetence from lack of experience.

just cut your losses and get the stuff fixed, if the clutch was burnt badly you may end up replacing the pressure plate incase its warped or worn in certain areas.

take this as a lesson

 

you let an 18 year old test drive your evo..wow. just wow. lol

 

Doubtful it was his fault about the sunroof. There are 4 screws that hold the motor in place. They probably backed out, so the motor turns but it isn't engaging with the gear.

Pretty common issue. Happened to me. You'll have to take off the headliner and put them back in. I put on some blue threadlock for good measure.

 

Also if your clutch smelled bad from being slipped once and then started slipping after that, it was on it's last legs anyways. Yea it sucks, but it shouldn't have been a huge surprise.

 

Best case scenario the clutch was just glazed and will go back to normal after a little while or street driving. Had this happen on my 6 puck act clutch multiple times and after a while of the chattery grabby feel the clutch would go back to normal after a couple of weeks of normal driving.

 

Best to use caution when letting someone you have never met before drive your car. Age has nothing to do with it. I made the mistake of letting a former SCCA "Champ" drive my Evo at an event. The next morning I was replacing the clutch and flywheel. He was easily in his 40's, maybe 50's.

 

Yep happened to me, no way he could have messed it up. The screws just come loose and the motor falls off the tracks.

 

Cash in hand or GTFO, is what i would have said.

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you are being a little dramatic. Be reasonable, there is no way his friend could have broken your sun roof by just using it. Also what did you expect from an 18 year old, who could at most have 2 years of stick driving experience. As others have said, if your clutch couldnt handle a couple of bad engagements then it was almost dead anyway. Look at it from the other side, you test drive a car and find it has a bad clutch and a broken sun roof with a dick owner who flips out because you discovered these facts.

Also back in the day Dealers didn't even let people test drive. If they are sketched out by no test drive tell them they can get a PPI performed on it.

 

Perhaps...but understand that it was working minutes prior to him touching it. Maybe the screws indeed came loose, I'll give credit there...but the clutch was NOT on its last leg as someone mentioned. I know my car, im very meticulous and picky regarding abnormal or strange odd noises and behavior, I know where every single imperfection is, in others words, I know my car inside out and it certainly was not on its last leg. But you are all right, it has definitely been a lesson learned.

My bets are on the pp or flywheel

 

What kind of clutch/flywheel do you have?

 

Act hdss

 

Slipping the clutch a few times and all the sudden it's dead, you honestly believe it wasn't on its last leg? That's like saying he killed your brakes from stopping one too many times and now you have to replace them.