Just got the report back from the shop, and the details of the report weren't too bad, but definitely something that is changing my mind. Here are the essential details of the inspection:




So most of the issues look correct for the age of the vehicle, but the mention of the "jerkiness" under acceleration definitely has me worried. Also the tech that I talked with on the phone said that the rear differential has excessive play, but did not have the time to further diagnose the issue under the time constraints of the inspection itself, another "check mark" on the negative side. Given the distance I'd have to travel in order to get the the car home, the question I'd have for you guys would be: WOULD YOU CONSIDER BUYING THIS VEHICLE FOR $13,800, AND IS THE PRICE WORTH JUSTIFYING THE ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE??

 

One way or another, consider yourself extremely lucky. The diagnosis is a thorough one and we don't easily find great techs working in a thorough manner these days.

Still, there is insufficient information to make a call. If we assume the engine is in good shape, then even if the AWD drivetrain needs work, it shouldn't cost you more than several thousand bucks, which would make it an average or above average deal. If we assume the engine needs a rebuild, then it's a below average deal.

If I were you, I might either pay a bit more out of my own pocket for a master tech to check the engine, or continue shopping to see more Evo's. Evo's are great, but do you know what's really wonderful about them? There are plenty of them.

 

My EVO has over 154000 miles and in no where near as bad shape as that EVO.
Frint liner was removed probably because he had huge tires before.
That EVO needs thousands of dollars in repairs, dont waste your hard rarned miney on a pos!

Look someplace else!

 

Does he have service history? Most important, is SST fluid / filter change. If he doesn't have record of that, I would run. Replacing a SST is ~$10,000. You can go through someone like Jacks Transmissions to get them rebuilt in most cases for much cheaper, but there is going to be some manual labor involved.

Will this be a hobby car? If it is a hobby car you could do most of the above yourself. If it is going to be a car you rely on every day, do not do it.

 

luckily jacks is in colorado near where u live, colorado springs to be exact.
that is some pretty good testing done by that shop, fairly surprised.
the jerkiness could be slipping clutches in the sst which sounds expensive.
all those leaking stuff is pretty worrisome.
as i posted before, see if he has service records.
it appears he never did any of the fluid intervals in the drivetrain.

what really catches my eyes on that list aside from typical crap for that much mileage and abuse.

the leaking transfer case. need to find the cause and where its leaking from. internal seal or cracked casing. (jacks can take care of that) expect like 2500 + for rebuild
jerkiness sounds like slipping clutches (jacks again) a few gs
loose rear end, not sure on this one, pretty vague, worn bushing diff mounts? could be easy breezy

for 13800, if i was sure the engine was good and the sst transmission was in good shape (clutches aside) AND i lived in colorado where jacks is, i would try for 10-12k.
now that u have the inspection u can negotiate with him on repair costs.
if i didnt live in colorado then i wouldnt pick it up.
im sure a lot of people here in texas would pick it up since kozmic does all that stuff as well.

just my opinion

 

As a (albeit new) MR owner, and former X GSR owner I would pass. That's a lot of big ticket parts to fix even at the offered price. There are cleaner cars out there.


No, too many known issues. Would be a hell of a lot of money, time, and effort to get that thing up to par. Pass.

 

Try lower.


Just bought a theft recovery MR swapped manual for less than 10k$ as a project. 48k miles.

Needs some work but at that price I'm willing to do it.

 

What is the history of the car from the owner? Is "It is completely stock besides lowering springs" the way it was for the past 120k miles, or was this a heavily modded car put back to stock to sell?

If you are looking to build a big power track car, you might be able to get a good deal on this one. If you are looking for a daily driver as the car is today, then you might be looking at the wrong car.