I personally don't like to buy a modded car because then you don't have the fun of putting your own touches on the car. Also some people cut corners when doing mods so the reliability and safeness might not be there.

 

I was in the same boat, I looked for about 6 months to find a good appearing stock evo, with decent miles on it. I was under the impression that if it was modded, it was beat to hell, and who knows if the person modded it right, tuned it, or took care of it. Now that I bought a stock evo, Im taking my time saving up for parts and building it right, and doing it in my garage so I know it is perfect.

 

it more of peace of mine to be honest, there nothing wrong with buying a heavy modded evo but it going to take a little more effort maintaining it and can get very expensive if the mod aren't done correctly. there a ton of info on this forum to keep you occupied for along time.

if you were even interested in getting one eventually, learn as much as you can about them before jumping in head first. since you live in ausy you basically next door to japan, it might be cheaper to import one then buy it in ausy , but don't quote me on that . importing is different topic all together lol

 

To each his own - I agree with you guys about modding the car as your own, making sure it is done right and to your satasfaction. However I sold my Big Turbo LGT modded and the new owner saved quite a bit of $$ while I got more than I initially thought I would.

Long story short buying used whether stock or modded comes with its set of risks and benefits. My LGT lasted quite a while til' it was totaled out, while at the same time 3 days after we sold one of our stock cars the new owner called complaining of transmission issues.

Nothing like buying a freshie, but nothing like saving quite a bit of $$ for a lightly used car as well...

Personally unless I knew the person, or if the vehicle was coming with some sort of warranty, I would stay away from purchasing a modded vehicle. Thats just me though.

 

I agree with to each his own. I bought a modded VIII back in 2009 and have only put on 3,000 miles. Not by choice either. As i write this the block and head are in the machine shop. The previous owner must have spun a bearing and chipped the crank cradle and welded the pieces back together but never had it machined. there was a tiny lip and the main bearings were not sitting flush. and the only reason i found this out was due to the oil pump going. would i do it again, probably not. I have had the car for 4 years and have yet to really enjoy it. I'm sure when everything is all said and done and i'm actually enjoying the car, then i might say i'd buy a modded one again!

 

I bought a modified Evo and it turns out the previous owner installed the cams incorrectly so one snapped on the highway which lead ultimately to the timing belt losing tension, falling off and having piston to valve contact. Good times.

 

This is by far the best comment ive ever read...

Michael.

 

Buying someone else's project can lead to countless hours trying to finish or fix their hack job. I'd rather buy a stock or very close to stock car so I can enjoy driving it and building it exactly how I want.

 

I bought a stock 9 mr for that exact reason, didn't want an evo that may have been improperly modified. Plus like others have said it doesn't allow you to add your own personal touch.

 

A lot of people posting responses joined the forum in the last year or two and are/were likely newbies when they bought their cars. Some of these guys might consider getting PPI's done by a reputable shop before buying if they are going to buy a modded car and don't know what to look for. Actually a PPI on stock cars is a good idea too because so many of these cars people think they're buying that are stock have been returned to stock.

As far as which is better to buy? The car that was taken care of- modded or not. I have seen beat stock cars as well as beat modded cars. I've seen well cared for stock cars and well cared for modded cars.

Best bang for the buck? Buy a quality modded one. You get nice aftermarket parts for a little extra money (or sometimes no extra money) that way. Sell whatever parts you don't want on it. Then take the extra money from the proceeds and modify the car to your liking.

To the OP- that car you put up in the link is very nice. Looks to have many top dollar quality upgrades on it that could easily be resold for a lot of $$$$ if you didn't want them. I don't know what Evo IX's are worth in Oz, but if this is priced relatively reasonably for the Oz market (considering some additional cost for the upgrades), I don't see a reason to not consider buying a car like this. It is beautiful. I'd absolutely consider buying a car like that one.

 

I would rather buy one put back to stock or lightly modified with bolt ons instead of a project doomed for failure. I would sell all the aftermarket parts like a big *** turbo the intercooler can stay

 

Also, even if all mods were done by professionals, carefully thought out using quality parts and all receipts in hand, that doesn't means that a buyer would choose the same mod path or has the same goals for the car.

 

Like everyone else chiming into this thread, reliability is huge. To add onto that note, when it's 100% stock, you can modify it the way you like and see it versus someone else build.

 

I bought a stock one because 10 years ago I owned a DSM. I saw the decline of that platform and ultimately end in the cars being cheap enough for idiots to own and screw up. I wanted to start with a fresh canvas and waited for the perfect car (excluding color). I have specific goals for my car and every part I've put on was chosen by me and for good reason. I've done all the work, including tuning, up to this point. By the time I'm done modding it for 2014 the only thing I won't be able to claim is the transmission rebuild. I trust myself but do not trust others or their interpretations of "clean" or "properly done".

 

i truly believe there is no such thing. Only Evo's that have been returned to stock.