i browse the FOR SALE section often and i always laugh to myself when i see a thread that says, "this car is stock...except for [insert mods here]." and it's always things like rims, tires, intakes, interior/exterior mods, coilovers, et cetera. c'mon, guys, just because your engine hasn't been modified don't mean your car is stock. i think the word "stock" gets thrown around a little too often and it's lost its meaning. anyone else notice this?

 

Its because those are light "mods" which really do not make the car perform any different than stock.

 

Those things are easily taken off. I do agree "stock" shouldn't be thrown around as much but at least the motor hasn't been torn apart and tinkered with.

 

i somewhat agree. i mean, "pretty much stock" is like you said: things that don't make the car's performance that much greater. in my eyes, an aftermarket air filter or european-spec emblems means your car ain't stock. if it ain't OEM parts and parameters, it ain't stock. then again, that's just how i look at it. i guess it depends on your definition of "stock."

 

Light mods on a evo are common.. BONE STOCK ones are very few and far between anymore

 

I'm with ya. If a car is advertised at stock it should be 100% stock down to the stock wheels, not 90%, not 99%, 100% bonestock and any wear or maintenance items that have been replaced should be OEM or OEM equivalent. I also hate when people list previously modded, then de-modified, cars as stock since that's nothing more than a lie.

There's nothing wrong with buying modified cars, just make sure it was done (with paperwork for proof) properly, professionally, tastefully, and to your personal liking.

 

this.

it's very misleading to sell a car as "stock" when thousands of dollars were spent on modding it...but the stock components were put back on just before selling it, and advertised as such.

 

I don't believe ANY evo is stock when someone is selling. I always assume its been modded and put back to stock. How many times have we seen someone who JUST bought an Evo only to have something fail shortly after ownership.

 

good point^

 

I think this is a confusion of terms and their usage, really.
If someone modifies the car and returns it to stock, the car is stock.
I think you need to ask the seller if the car has ever been modified. Asking them if the car is stock still allows them to tell you the truth, which is not the answer your actually looking for in this case I think.

Whenever I buy a used performance car, I always ask them if the car has ever been modified, to what extent, by whom, if there is any paperwork and what state the car is in now.



Really though, all one needs to do is pop the hood and look at the heads on the bolts and the condition of the nuts around the parts often modified. If there are any signs of marring, wear or anything other than effects caused by weather or the environment, it is highly likely the part had modified. Obviously this isn't always 100% true as parts are often removed during normal maintenance and service.

 

/TRUTH.

Bought my IX and everything looked great on the lot.... 30 miles down the road after I bought it, a tire blew out. Later realized it was due to tire rot. $700+ mistake

 

inspection inspection inspection

there's no reason not to spend $200 to inspect a $15,000 purchase!

 

i seen ads people say Bone Stock, what ever they are referring to lol

 

If you don't have a Evo Specific shop nearby you don't have that choice. Ive learned taking these cars to Joe Mechanic is little better then doing it yourself.

Evo's have quirky issues that only an experience owner or mechanic will know to look for.

 

So it seems the only Stock evos are on the dealer lot