So I am finally in the position to buy an 8 or 9 and am pretty stoked.

Ive noticed that multiple people selling on this forum have cars that seem slightly modified in their posting but looking back were pretty beat on.

Is it safe? This seems like a question i shouldn't need to ask but i want some input.

If someone had straight up bolt ons, made <500hp... and put the car back to stock... what could i expect if i bought that car?

 

Can't speak first hand and it would obviously vary depending on the car/previous owner, but I imagine it would involve a lot of headaches.

 

If you search new Evo owners you will see the good and bad. Not every used Evo seller is a douche bag but not every used Evo is a good buy.

First things first I would VERY wary of a Evo that has had multiple owners. Like over 3, especially if the current owner has had the car less then a year. A lot of people come from other platforms that are cheaper or able to cut corners, get into a Evo...rag the car (or it was already tired) and when they research how much it is to fix things properly get sticker shock and basically bandaid the car so they can sell the car for as much as possible without fixing it and saddle the new owner with those repairs to make almost immediately after new used car ownership.

I would say this. Set aside enough money for at a minimum a new clutch (if its under 400 hp a Exedy single should be fine.....there are a lot of fans of the ACT's but after having one in my civic years ago I will never go that route again), money to repair the transfer case at a minimum (To be honest if you can squeeze it out have money set aside for a transmission rebuild), and a possible retune by someone who knows what they are doing.

Is this overkill.............Ab-so-effing-lutely. Wanna know why? Because being prepared for the worst possible scenario will make your Evo ownership enjoyable knowing what you are possibly getting into.

Admittedly rebuilding the transmission is overkill but the reason I listed it is just driving the car around a neighbourhood or a busy street may not reveal bad synchro's or a clutch on its way out and if you do the transfercase, doing the transmission at the same time is cheaper (its kinda pricey I know but it will save you money on labor if you don;t do your own work or time if you do).

I dont want to scare you but I want you to be prepared. As the platform gets older its harder and harder to find good used Evo's that haven't been abused.

I hope you get lucky and find one in the condition the owner says its in and doesn't need a lot of upfront TLC.

And if you listen to nothing else I have written just at least heed this: For the love of all thats holy take your car to a Evo specialty shop. Not one that a buddy owns (amazing how cool you realize you aren't when money is on the line), not a shop that services all types of cars.........a REAL EVO shop. Like that is their bread and butter (like AMS and the GTR or Crawford Perf. and the Scoobies).

It will save you a lot of heartache in the long run. Good luck.

Assume if an Evo has is stock the owner had modified it in some way (Could be minor like a turbo timer and a air filter or major like a big frame turbo). Again it sucks especially for honest sellers. If you are looking at used Evo's on this forum check the prospective sellers history on here. Their posts......get a sense for what kind of Evo owner they are. If its an evo on craigslist or ebay I would still try to find the owner on here or a evo forum local to them. The Evo community is kinda small and it would be hard to find a Evo no knows nothing about.


Good luck.

 

i bought an 06 with 83k miles that was returned to stock..... and even a rally car...... that was a year ago since then i have put on 6k miles and gone to stage one with english and feel like the car is perfect...... i think when buying anything and a sports car to begin with u already know there is gunna be some wear and tear but fixing a transfer case is a way bigger PITA then a clutch so id say read and gather info on what to look fors and LISTEN for....GL man

 

Thank you VERY much, awesome response.

 

Depending on what mods were on it, it can make or break you situation.
It does happen where people through it back together and make it appear stock and try to get rid of it ASAP...

This question does not have a better answer than Smurf

 

Smurf gave you really good advice. All I'll add is that maintenance is high on these cars. Evos eat up tires, and rotors and pads, plus besides engine oil, there is frequent transfer case, rear diff, transmission, and ACD oil changes that require synthetics which are expensive. Don't want to scare just inform.

 

I'd suggest a pre-purchase inspection by an Evo specialty shop for mechanical and tuning issues. The cost to have someone look things over closely who is familiar with the platform would be money very well spent and may well save you many times more in repairs down the road.

Good luck!