One of the virtues of the CT9A: it was made to be worked on.

Motors and suspension can be rebuilt,
frames can be stiffened,
clutches and turbo's replaced.

With regular maintenance, they are also reliable,
not just high performing.

Question: If you were doing it all over again,
how would you strategically upgrade
to preserve ultimate longevity?

Is it worth it the hassle and can it be done cost effectively?

Opinions, thoughts, Ideas?

Lets hear 'em...

 

was this a poem? lol

rustproof the bottom, do some chassis/frame stiffeners and that would pretty much be it. replace the motor when the motor goes, same for trans etc.. there's not much you'd need to do at the start to "preserve" the car

 

Drive it till it breaks

1) Modular design is about things being fixable.
2) Stock never stays stock...even for OEMs.
3) Mods = fixing now = less fixing later, cheaper fixing later, less downtime, etc

= More Driving, More $$$ in the pocket

=)
....
End Edit.

 

It's an interesting question, though I'm not really sure how to answer it. I bought my IX to keep, so I've been concerned with longevity since literally day-1. My personal approach to this starts with not screwing up the car to begin with. As such, my own car is very close to stock and it's reliable to a fault. I store it every winter to avoid salt-driven corrosion, maintain it religiously, and that's about it. The only thing I plan on doing that will help with longevity is adding a (stronger) locking rear diff. White it's being installed, it's a good time to swap out the bushings for brand new OEMs. To answer your question directly, I wouldn't have done anything differently.

Edit: The part of maintenance often overlooked is the paint. It's the very thing one sees first, it's what presents an immediate impression of the car's condition, yet few bother to actually do something about. Well, except for complaining about "sh/tty Mitsu paint" on the forums. Personally, I made the decision to maintain the paint in better than showroom condition and learned how before buying the car.

 

Take out all the fluids, take out the motor, tranny, diffs, disassemble those items, cover them, keep car covered in garage on jack stands at 50-60 degrees f and 30-40% humidity.....problem solved. Should last till rapture.

If you don't drive it the seals will eventually dry out and need replacement. This way you just have to get new seals and rebuild your respective parts.

OR, drive the car enjoy the car and expect that in the 20 years it takes to become a classic even a perfect item won't be worth what you paid. I plan on doing the regular maintenance, not abusing it, maybe painting it at some point (stock color).....and enjoying it.

 

I couldnt agree more with this guy. Just sucks, spending loads of money and expecting it to look like a honday eventually. But from my DSM days i always have a dd. But i do store mine for the winter. I feel guilty on doing that. I work very hard for my money and it sucks thats its sitting in a garage.

 

This is about driving the car. The OP is asking about maintenance and modifications geared for longevity, so the car can be driven and enjoyed for a long period of time.

 

^^^Thanks FJF. Anyone have any thoughts besides keep it stock/don't drive it =P

 

Drive it, have fun---don't "beat on it" or you just have a beater. Learn how to do your own work, don't scrimp on parts--know enough to know whats good and whats not. Buy cheap and buy it twice-- is something you will learn over time. Do it rt the first time and get the rt tools. Do your own home work and research don't depend on opinions of friends or forums to make decsions for you--be informed. Owning cars isnt cheap and the Evo definitely isnt an exception.

 

Accidents and corrosion are the biggest concerns to longevity. Steel is very durable but it rusts. Steel deforms elastically up to a point that's why springs are made of steel. If the chassis was made of aluminum like the Elise or an NSX I would be concerned about chassis cracking and fatigue over the long haul. Engine and drivetrain are replaceable items.

 

It does not matter if you keep your car stock, or mod it out. The most important thing to do is regular maintenance on your car. There are lots of older car that run just as good today as the day they left the factory. Look
at all the old mustangs, camaros, and cobras running tracks and grand touring events. Evos will be another performance car that will stick around as long as any other desired motor car, given they are loved as much as the other performance cars of the past by their enthusiasts.

N

 

Totally different platform, but a little inspiration: Enduro Prep

 

Well, I guess this is how I see it. Rather mod than Fix.

Suspension Geometry and handling = never go out of style.

Protection. Paint, underbody, flaps, leading edge of the bonnet. Paint pro.

Electronics. Minimal harness mods. perhaps a 12v fuseblock vs a hack.

NVH. Minimize vibration, harmonics, etc esp w. Plastic and ALU components.

Tuning If "tuned" but conservatively, motors do not necessarily have rapid life deterioration (abuse however....).

System Balance. Intake/Exhause mods. Power/Handling. Acceleration/Braking. Short run = more $$. Long run = better deal.

Scale. 100k miles. 10 years. $20K petrol. $15K maintenance. $5K Mods. Repairs = as little as possible.

Devil in Details With running costs @ $330/Month EVO costs as much to RUN as some cars to OWN
...repairs/downtime are on top.

 

Simple the less you drive it the longer it stays flawless. oem or none.

 

100% stock is going to provide the best longevity. I should have stayed stock, I was a much happier person then. It sucks dumping a buttload of $$$ into something and no longer be happy with it.

-Brian