What's this crap about 03s? nothing wrong with em.

 

everyone hates on the 03's cause their the first and original EVO in America,
and each year they updated it to be better.

I would check the paint, the door jambs, leaks by the transfer case and rear diff.
compression check and leakdown test from a mechanic would help you tell if the motors weak or not.

wow!!! 28k miles!!

 

appreciate the shared story and advice. i will avoid ebay to buy a vehicle at all costs!

 

yes! that's what i was thinking!

 

sorry to ask but what is door jambs? what does this check out again? sorry if it's a dumb question....

 

My 03s tcase went bye bye at around 15K miles but then again I was not a saint with that car. Ok, I beat the hell out of it

Seriously though stick with an 05 if you can. You'll get the bigger hotside, front diff... You can probably pick one up for a couple grand more than a 03...

 

If money is tight, just get a 03' and save yourself some cash to mod. Honestly, if you haven't driven a EVO with the ACD and front LSD then you wouldn't know what your missing. A 10.5 hotside can be had for $200 or cheaper. I just bought my EVO 9 two weeks ago and honestly really don't see a difference YET with it having the front LSD. I haven't even touched the ACD button. Its been on Tarmac since I bought it.

 

I think the concerns over the transfer case on any Evo are important to note. As long as the oil has been changed frequently even if the car was driven hard there shouldn't be a problem. Beware of abuse. There is a difference between "enjoying" the car and just plain abuse. A car with maintenance records is a better buy than something a little cheaper from a dealer or ebay. These engines are strong and if not modded should be ok. Look for dimples in the roof this may indicate a heavey accident. Enjoy!

 

theres nothing wrong with 03's, you can upgrade the transfer case/front diff if you really miss the 05 front diff.

my motor/tranny/tcase have been strong since the day i bought it, never a single problem as long as you take care of it.

 

69k on my '03. The only problem i have had is the transfer case and the vehicle speed sensor just went out. Other than that, I am very happy with it.

 

You want to check all the door jams for signs of body work. Overspray likes to hide in door jams, it's usually the first place you will see it. Also, Evo's come with VIN stickers on all the body panels, if these are missing chances are it's been hit.
No it's not a dumb question... A lot of people are clueless to this.

 

I to have an 03...had the normal 4th - 5th grind goin...make sure you test it out first ..espeically if from private and there is no warranty....my 03 i paid 24k for it from a dealer with 42k miles...yes dealer was a little more, but i wanted to keep a warranty (100kmiles). silver ftw!

 

i had a 05 s2k and that had a lsd. dont know if it's the same feeling though in the EVO.

 

i will also keep this in mind. thanks for the clarification.

 

The 03/04 transfer cases are identical. 47k on my 03 Evo, and I've been pounding the **** out of an Exedy twin plate for most of the Evo's life without ANY problems.