Evo 2 Importing
 

Hi Guys,

I'm seriously considering importing an Evo2 to use as a daily driver. I have owned my Evo8.5 since I bought it new in 2005.

Is there anyone out there who can provide feedback or experience with owning an Evo2 in the states? Now that they are legal for import due to the 25yr rule I would LOVE to own a white low mileage mostly stock one for street duties.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.evo...03d990c29f.jpg


Thanks for any feedback in advance.

Any specific reason to get one of these vs a 2g Eclipse GSX? I personally think the GSX looks better, and parts will be easier to get, especially body parts in the case of an accident..

I agree 100 percent.
Just think of how hard it is to find certain parts for Evo 8/9. Now imagine that, plus the fact that the car was never available here.

Plus I would never daily a RHD car for it being inconvenient to every drive thru in America.

Yeah Austin made the same argument regarding parts availability.

Im kinda in love with the earlier evos.

I also have a friend with a low mileage (under 50k miles)1988 JDM Galant VR4 also available to me for between 10 and 14 grand, but im not a fan of the styling.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.evo...a0124ad87.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.evo...37e6bbad9f.jpg

I love me some earlier Evos, as well as galant vr4s.

the Evo 1-3s would interchange a lot of DSM parts, I’m just know sure if the suspension stuff or rear diff are different though.

DO NOT daily drive an Evo 1-3. You will have a ton of downtime waiting for parts to be shipped in, because it has a lot of unique parts that were never sold here and don't have equivalents. And things go wrong frequently, not to mention they don't hold up against winter very well - they rust easily because longevity was not their purpose. They were cheap and disposable cars with a good engine, built on a bad chassis. It's not a car you want to rely on.

Also, for the price of a clean, low mileage Evo II, you could have a clean and reliable Evo VIII, maybe IX. They aren't cheap.

Well i have a newer truck and my wifes car. So i would never really rely on it per se. And my 05 Evo is a garage queen. I hate driving the truck 40m round trip to work just coz its boring and a huge waste to use as a commuter. So Ive been driving my wifes Honda CRZ which is equally boring. Wanted something fun just for my work commute basically. And winters here are nothing compared to Chicago where I came from.

Two-way highways aren't great, but manageable. Left turns across busy intersections could also get you badly hurt if you're not careful.
If you're dead-set on it, buy the best example of a driver you can find. Anything with under 70,000 kms on it is investor grade these days, you won't get much value from it. Anything with over 70k and with auction grade 3.5 or 4.0 in Japan would be a decent buy because it would be a machine that was cared for, but not a garage queen. Watch out for roof rust, cracked firewalls, transmission grinds/whines/popouts, soggy suspension bushings and crash damage. If you maintain it and have alternative transportation, it's not a bad car. The right fit for you would probably be around $15,000 direct from Japan, and budget another $3,000 for repairs and maintenance once it gets here. Be extremely cautious in traffic since the hood, bumpers and fenders are practically impossible to find in North America.

Also, it goes without saying, but buy this car for YOU. People will look at you very strangely in traffic, but it's otherwise invisible except for a very rare few people who know what it is. Gas mileage isn't great, but it would be okay on freeways. Racking up mileage would hurt the value, but again, buy it for yourself, not anyone else.

Thats kinda where im at. My 05 is built to the point its no longer a street car and only has 22k miles on the chassis. So i would never use it in the way Im describing. Wanted something cool, fun, and rare/different that still fulfils the awd turbo WRC car ive always loved.

Drive one if you can. Most people like the experience, but some just can't get used to it. It's a very unrefined, raw and communicative car, which is a lot different than the later cars. It is great for tinkering, though.

I sent a message to the importer regarding this car. Looks super clean. Decent mileage. Underbody looks fantastic given its age.


http://jdm-expo.com/vehicle-inventor...vo-3-sale.html

That looks like a very nice car, the price reflects that of course. It's not legal until the beginning of 2020, but it shows very well in the pictures. I would still budget a few dollars for replacement items (have a bushing kit on standby, maybe a clutch), and change the headlights to LHD-compliant units, but buying a good example is the way to get a fun Evo123.

Marc I am in the same exact boat as you. My evo is far from a street car at this point but she was originally my DD for 10 years. The past few years I have instead been using my truck as my DD and while is nice and comfy its just not exciting to drive. I've been toying with the idea of picking up another evo or perhaps something else as a fun DD. Originally just figured I'd get another CT9A bc, well they are far more prevelont and I have lots of parts that I've hoarded over the years. Not to mention since I already have one in the garage I could always steal parts from the racecar if needbe.

However, a few months back I had the opportunity to drive an evo 1 and started to consider an earlier evo, not necessarily 1st gen but you get the point. I freakin love evos (duh!) but like part of me feels silly about having the same car so by getting an older gen it fits the bill of having variety. Kinda want to hold out for a CP but I guess time will tell. Driving RHD takes some getting used to and might be annoying for merging but things like a drive thru dont bother me at all bc Im not that fat so I can walk inside thank you very much :)

Yeah I love me some 90s Japanese cars. Early evos are just so cool. And with rear seats I can take my sons around with me. I would leave it essentially stock but a few tasteful upgrades and modernizations. Would also strip/neutralize any and all rust on the suspension arms, subframes, and shell where needed. I would garage keep it and just drive my truck if I thought the weather or salt conditions were too bad.

The more I think about it, the more obsessed I get haha. Look out for me to have a nice clean example by mid next year...

A buddy of mine has an Evo 2 for sale, here is the link below with info and pictures.
Also, his Instagram


http://www.japstarimports.com/detail/index.php?p=168