Well we all have been working on our used cars before and come across things that are missing right. Usually its just a bolt, clips, washers, little things here and there but really no harm in it. Right.

So for about the last week I have been wrenching on my used 03 viii that I have had for awhile. I have been stocking up parts of things that need to be fixed or things that I want upgraded. So one of those things on my list was the timing belt and tensioner kit made by gates. Well I get about half way into it and I notice something doesnt seem right. I am following the how to on evom when all of a sudden I see that there is no TIMING BELT AUTO TENSIONER.

Yes you read that correct, the timing belt auto tensioner is not there. How in the world someone for gets that is beyond me. Im surprised or just luck that no damage was done. So not only was the tensioner not there well the bolts were missing too. So had to stop and get some bolt ordered.

Lets here your stories of major things missing that you didnt find till later

 

Wow thats pretty scary. How long have you been the owner of your car and how many miles do you have? I have 05 evo 8 that I purchased brand new and have just passed 30000 miles. I going to have my timing belt replaced also seeing the car is going on 8 years on the original timing belt. I hope my tensioner is in their. lol

 

Wow. You're really lucky. Good to hear everything's alright

 

I bought by bone stock car or so what I thought. While changing the air filter I found a vaccum line leading somewhere it shouldn't have. It was a MBC and there was no boost gauge or anything. I freaked out thanking god my engine didn't blow. Then when running my boost gauge I ended up finding a siruis fm translator thing under the steering wheel. I was excited thinking I had sirius at first lol. Glad you caught that though.

 

I bought the car in Feb '12 and have only put about 1500 miles on it. I have had problems with it from the get go and really havent taken it out of the garage much. I really shouldnt have bought it. (paid $10,500) wish I would have waited to find another one. Just one problem after another. But im am impulse buyer so I couldnt resist. thought i was getting a really good deal.

 

It really amazes me what some people do and how they half *** thing. My car had the intercooler sprayer bottle removed when I bought it, which I was ok with but instead of just disconnecting the harness plug someone thought it was a better idea to just cut the wires. I had these sort of things.

 

Weight reduction !

 

I bought my car with supertech dual valve springs already installed. A few weeks ago i had blue smoke coming out of my exhaust so i was freaking out. Long story short while we were installing my gsc single valvesprings and new valve seals we found 15 valves had reduced O.D. seals, and 1had an oem seal. The innerspring has no clearance with the oem seals. Half *** crap. On top of that, i do have the tensioner, but whoever installed the aftermarket crap belt broke the tool inside ...we had to take off the pulleys to put an oem belt on. My car only has 49k on it now...

 

I bought an Evo on Ebaymotors and after buying it I drove it home only to find out it only had three wheels?

 

Actually three wheels was an option - you could buy one new that way.

 

I had a pretty bad experience once. I picked up a used 09 Black MR from Texas and drove it all the way back to Indiana. It handled great on the highway! When I pulled in the driveway I decided to put the hood and check it out and guess what....no motor...

 

Hahahahaahahahahhaah dying here

To op, that's nuts, count your self very lucky.

Nothing like this has happened to me, but I did find a boost gauge tucked under the passenger side panel that connects to the center console haha that was a nice surprise. Also found about 52 sugar packets from dunkin donuts under the spare, I was like wtf hahaha

 

Bought my 06 Evo with 35,000 miles. Car fax clean everything seemed great. Seemed to develop a small boost leak. Pulled front bumper, found licp was very dented and very large dent in front frame as well as suspiciously new hood latch assembly. Guess I'll be showing up to car purchases with socket wrenches from now on ha

 

Yeah I dont trust carfax. Not everyone reports damage done to their insurance company and just fixes it themselves. Thus leading to some of the problems with buying used cars. Though I also know of some stories of people getting their wrecked cars fixed buy shop provided by the insurance companies and things getting half ***ed

 

Its tough to find an evo that hasn't been abused though, especially now that they are becoming cheaper and more younger kids are getting a hold of them. Your lucky no damage was done, and just like any evo you would buy it seems the first mods are always to 'get it running like oem',haha.

When I bought my evo it had some basic issues, but I knew that the frame was straight and anything mechanical I could fix. It had some not really well thought out mods, perrin crank pulley, evo 8 dv installed backwards, a ebay licp with torn couplers, and a few boost leaks, and a seibon crappy fitting cf hood. I got it at a good deal so it was worth it.