Hello everyone just wanted to kind of chime in here just joining the forum and all. Sitting here in Kuwait right now with $40 worth of Internet and since everyone back home is sleeping I usually just cruise the forums doing research on the car I'm going to buy when I return to the US. The #1 car I want is obviously and evo 8 or 9. My plan is to daily drive it in socal for about a year then when I leave the military drive it home and use it as a Sunday car or a garage queen something to keep and pass on to my kids or something. Other cars I've been thinking about are the ls2 gto's, 02+ BMW m3, Audi s4 but I am 99% sure I want an evo but I just can't believe how expensive they are for being 10 years old. I'll have about 14-17k cash money to buy one so hopefully a good deal pops up. Any tips for someone looking to buy an evo or things to learn about maintaining them never have owned a turbocharged car before. Well a little about myself I am originally from Minnesota then joined the Marines in 2011 got stationed in California and now I'm in Kuwait. My current toys include: 2008 ducati hypermotard 1100, 2002 dodge Dakota, 2005 Kawasaki kx250f, 1998 yamaha vmax 700 triple, 1987 Kawasaki js550. Thanks for any responses and if you decide you want to sell your evo in 4 months look for my ad in the want to buy section

 

Been in your shoes, purchased my evo while I was on R&R from my iraq tour. The key to finding the evo that just calls your name is to be patient, you'll end up with a great evo for a great price.

 

That's the problem they are all so beautiful! Haha it's all I think about over here

 

Haha I hear ya, every evo I saw I thought was a good deal. Just keep going through the classifieds in evom and socalevo. I ended up with a clean 03 with a built block and basic mods for 13.5

 

rahh rahh, u with the new SPMAGTF or the 11th MEU? I just left that place, Kuwait was pretty nice, u on Ali Al Salem or Buehring? check out SoCalEvo.net I used that site alot whenever I was stationed on the west coast.

 

Spent a year in Kuwait on my first deployment. I think I'm still coughing up dust from that place lol

 

I spent time in Ali Al Salem & Talil Air base.
Good luck with finding your evo

 

Be patient and don't jump on the first "good thing" do your research and make sure you read about all the required service that will need to be performed... Good luck on your search... I am just getting back from the middle east myself... I was on the USS Bush in the middle of the Arabian Gulf

 

Currently in camp beuhring with the MEU and I'll go join socal evo and look through there classifieds as well. If I find one that I wanna check out I'll post it here see if it's a members car or if it's a good deal. Thanks guys and happy birthday Marines! First sober one to date haha

 

Since so many chimed in maybe I can get some questions answered. Been looking at Alot of evos and been wondering why some have a sort of front lip on the bumper and some don't is that like a specific model thing or just aftermarket and is putting one on an easy task? Same question for the fin like things on the back of the roof and on the bumper as well? And why do so many people take the stock spoiler off I personally adore the spoiler

 

unless you mean the difference btween an 8 and 9, the front lip you reference is aftermarket parts.

Fins on back of the roof were OEM specific to certain models. But, they were popular and copied by some aftermarket companies, lots of people added them. I've seen them come off in the 150mph+ range (aftermarket ones).

Lastly, the spoiler. For a lot of people, especially original owners, it got really damn old getting all the attention from that spoiler. Take it off, and all of the sudden cops (CHP specifically), teenaged boys, and ricers stopped paying you much attention. Now, it also reduces drag, so drag racers tend to almost all remove it. And a few truely like the look without it. Took me some getting used to, but now I like it without.

 

i'm going through the same anxiety you are around how expensive they are for a 10 yr old car and it will do your head in if you keep looking at other cars for the price you will pay for an evo, theres a few things you wont get with a m3 or S4, you wont get youtubes of guys changing their own cams on evo's or DYI and lots of cheap performance mods. On the other cars you will spend your time blowing your bucks getting them tuned by specialist and if they throw alarms your in real trouble and back to the work shop. Once you make up your mind on the evo just gor for it. If you can afford an evo 9 do it, you get the mivac and some better reliability mods than the evo8 has

 

Be patient and get the best deal possible, you won't regret it they also hold their value and kick ***