Buying Stock Vs. Buying with Mods
Feb 13, 2018, 01:58 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Buying Stock Vs. Buying with Mods
Hi Guys,
Still in the market for a 2014 evo gsr rally red metallic with < 50k miles but am unsure whether or not to get an modified one...
I would prefer to get a stock evo because I want to have the fun of installing the modifications myself but am having trouble finding stock evos out there....
Which modifications should I avoid when buying? I am weary of upgraded turbos and modified engines because I would hate to get a used car that has been constantly pushed all the time...
Still in the market for a 2014 evo gsr rally red metallic with < 50k miles but am unsure whether or not to get an modified one...
I would prefer to get a stock evo because I want to have the fun of installing the modifications myself but am having trouble finding stock evos out there....
Which modifications should I avoid when buying? I am weary of upgraded turbos and modified engines because I would hate to get a used car that has been constantly pushed all the time...
Feb 14, 2018, 06:41 AM
#2
Evolved Member
I want to say, every scenario is different. For example, there's clean stock cars and beaten modified cars... but there are also beaten stock cars, and clean, tasteful and well maintained healthy modified cars. For the most part, assume every Evo you go to look at has been pushed and beaten on to some degree. Nobody buys an Evo to drive it to church on a Sunday out of boost. So assume it didn't have an easy life like a Camry or Buick would.
With that being said, they are pretty strong and can handle a lot. Modifications, as long as they are good quality parts and installed properly, can be a bonus as it saves you the money later. Also, sometimes the honesty of present mods is better than having one that was heavily modified and returned to stock. I don't know how heavily modified mine was, but when I bought it, all it had was lowering springs, an intake and BOV. Stock exhaust, or so I thought. When I bought it and immediately went through it, I noticed a slight exhaust leak - and then as I took the inspection cover off to do an oil change I was greeted by a big dirty casting that read AMS. Knowing nobody in their right mind goes through the hassle of doing a downpipe but keeping the stock cat and stock exhaust, I immediately knew the car had a full exhaust that had been removed.
That's my opinion anyways. I say don't turn down a good car with records and some mods. As long as it's not heavily modified, it won't hurt anything if it was tuned for the mods it has
With that being said, they are pretty strong and can handle a lot. Modifications, as long as they are good quality parts and installed properly, can be a bonus as it saves you the money later. Also, sometimes the honesty of present mods is better than having one that was heavily modified and returned to stock. I don't know how heavily modified mine was, but when I bought it, all it had was lowering springs, an intake and BOV. Stock exhaust, or so I thought. When I bought it and immediately went through it, I noticed a slight exhaust leak - and then as I took the inspection cover off to do an oil change I was greeted by a big dirty casting that read AMS. Knowing nobody in their right mind goes through the hassle of doing a downpipe but keeping the stock cat and stock exhaust, I immediately knew the car had a full exhaust that had been removed.
That's my opinion anyways. I say don't turn down a good car with records and some mods. As long as it's not heavily modified, it won't hurt anything if it was tuned for the mods it has
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DesertDog57 (Feb 14, 2018)
Feb 14, 2018, 07:17 AM
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Well said sir. As you stated, there are clean, tasteful, and well maintained healthy modified cars which is a big reason I want to purchase from this website vs a dealership where I have no idea the person who drove the car.
Feb 14, 2018, 07:49 AM
#4
EvoM Community Team Leader
No matter what, when you think you are ready to pull the trigger on a car, pony up the couple hundred bucks to have it inspected by a knowledgeable 3rd party shop. They should preferably specialize in evos or at least the platform. This is known as a Pre-Purchase inspection and unless you are an evo expert you really have no clue what you are getting into until a shop can give it a good inspection. Again just plan on doing it, its worth every penny, and in most cases pays for itself when the inevitable thing that needs to be fixed comes up and you can negotiate the sell price down.
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DesertDog57 (Feb 14, 2018)
Feb 14, 2018, 08:08 AM
#5
As mentioned, it really depends on the scenario. Personally, I like stock because I can modify from scratch. But I certainly wouldn't mind buying modified, especially since you could save in upwards of thousands in mods that are already done. I wouldn't even mind a car with problems. I'm in this for the hobby, a night in the garage is just as fun as time on the street.
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DesertDog57 (Feb 14, 2018)
Feb 14, 2018, 02:46 PM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: New Smyrna Beach, FL USA
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And to throw another issue to worry about is I have read quite a few Evo owners talking about restoring their Evo "back to stock" and re-flashing their ECU back to stock. The only reason I can think of someone doing this is to get a modded Evo ready for a sale as "stock". You really need to be a good judge of people and if anything doesn't smell right be prepared to walk away.
If the seller says it is stock and only his mother drove it, but when he smiles you can see his gold caps on his front teeth spell "Evil Evo" be very suspect.
If the seller says it is stock and only his mother drove it, but when he smiles you can see his gold caps on his front teeth spell "Evil Evo" be very suspect.
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Feb 15, 2018, 02:33 PM
#8
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Also, do you or anyone know if the "history" that is stored in the ECU or where ever it is stored is erased when a car's ECU is flashed back to stock like when it is done with a Cobb AP? Things like how many times the car was red lined, etc?
Feb 15, 2018, 03:27 PM
#9
2 had missing stock heat shields behind the turbo. They also had aftermarket boost controllers, and one still had a test pipe. Maybe it was just basic bolt ons, or it could have been a massive turbo and beat half to death, I just didn't want to take the risk.
Feb 18, 2018, 05:21 PM
#10
Evolving Member
As one of the VERY few (if only) members on here that has a STOCK Evo X, I think most of the advice others have provided is spot on. One of the main ones is not to be CHEAP and spend the $$$ to have it inspected (preferably by someone who SPECIALIZES in Evos). Doesn't matter if you're buying it private sale or from a dealership, come to an agreement where YOU will pay the $$$ to have it inspected and if everything checks out, the seller will agree to knock that money (prob $200 give or take) off of the overall price.
One way (imo) to determine how well an Evo has been maintained is the presence of maintenance records. I know there are many who do their own but if they DO do their own, that's something you really need to take into consideration. I personally would offer less $$ because there is NO proof of what was done, when it was done, and IF it was done correctly. Just go online and look at all of the "tutorial" videos and then look at the comments section and see how many people list things the person in the video did incorrectly.
Another thing would be to have an idea of what are your "no go" items. Engine mods may be something where you're more picky where mods to the suspension may be something you're more willing to accept. In the end it's YOUR money so if I were you, I would give yourself a good timeframe to get an Evo. I remember being in talks for about 2-3 different Evos before I finally found the one I purchased used from a seller down on his luck. One of the main things that made me feel comfortable is that he was perfectly fine with the car being inspected, ME picking the mechanic, AND he had all of the maint. records.
Good luck
One way (imo) to determine how well an Evo has been maintained is the presence of maintenance records. I know there are many who do their own but if they DO do their own, that's something you really need to take into consideration. I personally would offer less $$ because there is NO proof of what was done, when it was done, and IF it was done correctly. Just go online and look at all of the "tutorial" videos and then look at the comments section and see how many people list things the person in the video did incorrectly.
Another thing would be to have an idea of what are your "no go" items. Engine mods may be something where you're more picky where mods to the suspension may be something you're more willing to accept. In the end it's YOUR money so if I were you, I would give yourself a good timeframe to get an Evo. I remember being in talks for about 2-3 different Evos before I finally found the one I purchased used from a seller down on his luck. One of the main things that made me feel comfortable is that he was perfectly fine with the car being inspected, ME picking the mechanic, AND he had all of the maint. records.
Good luck
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DesertDog57 (Feb 20, 2018)
Feb 19, 2018, 03:10 PM
#11
Hi Guys,
Still in the market for a 2014 evo gsr rally red metallic with < 50k miles but am unsure whether or not to get an modified one...
I would prefer to get a stock evo because I want to have the fun of installing the modifications myself but am having trouble finding stock evos out there....
Which modifications should I avoid when buying? I am weary of upgraded turbos and modified engines because I would hate to get a used car that has been constantly pushed all the time...
Still in the market for a 2014 evo gsr rally red metallic with < 50k miles but am unsure whether or not to get an modified one...
I would prefer to get a stock evo because I want to have the fun of installing the modifications myself but am having trouble finding stock evos out there....
Which modifications should I avoid when buying? I am weary of upgraded turbos and modified engines because I would hate to get a used car that has been constantly pushed all the time...
As one of the VERY few (if only) members on here that has a STOCK Evo X, I think most of the advice others have provided is spot on. One of the main ones is not to be CHEAP and spend the $$$ to have it inspected (preferably by someone who SPECIALIZES in Evos). Doesn't matter if you're buying it private sale or from a dealership, come to an agreement where YOU will pay the $$$ to have it inspected and if everything checks out, the seller will agree to knock that money (prob $200 give or take) off of the overall price.
One way (imo) to determine how well an Evo has been maintained is the presence of maintenance records. I know there are many who do their own but if they DO do their own, that's something you really need to take into consideration. I personally would offer less $$ because there is NO proof of what was done, when it was done, and IF it was done correctly. Just go online and look at all of the "tutorial" videos and then look at the comments section and see how many people list things the person in the video did incorrectly.
Another thing would be to have an idea of what are your "no go" items. Engine mods may be something where you're more picky where mods to the suspension may be something you're more willing to accept. In the end it's YOUR money so if I were you, I would give yourself a good timeframe to get an Evo. I remember being in talks for about 2-3 different Evos before I finally found the one I purchased used from a seller down on his luck. One of the main things that made me feel comfortable is that he was perfectly fine with the car being inspected, ME picking the mechanic, AND he had all of the maint. records.
Good luck
One way (imo) to determine how well an Evo has been maintained is the presence of maintenance records. I know there are many who do their own but if they DO do their own, that's something you really need to take into consideration. I personally would offer less $$ because there is NO proof of what was done, when it was done, and IF it was done correctly. Just go online and look at all of the "tutorial" videos and then look at the comments section and see how many people list things the person in the video did incorrectly.
Another thing would be to have an idea of what are your "no go" items. Engine mods may be something where you're more picky where mods to the suspension may be something you're more willing to accept. In the end it's YOUR money so if I were you, I would give yourself a good timeframe to get an Evo. I remember being in talks for about 2-3 different Evos before I finally found the one I purchased used from a seller down on his luck. One of the main things that made me feel comfortable is that he was perfectly fine with the car being inspected, ME picking the mechanic, AND he had all of the maint. records.
Good luck
Feb 20, 2018, 01:02 PM
#12
Evolving Member
I can only speak for myself about the Evo at WOT but MY wants/needs are (most likely) different from many other Evo owners. I am 39 years old, married with two kids. If I was younger with no kids OR single, I'm sure I would have my Evo tuned like crazy to get as much performance out of it as possible. I don't have the luxury to spend thousands of dollars to put performance parts on a car when I have clothes, food, school, vacations, and all the stuff that comes with home ownership. Last thing you want to say to your wife when your A/C unit goes out and it's $1,000 to fix is, "I don't have any $$ because I bought a new exhaust for my car". While the Evo (for me) is perfectly fine stock, I'm sure there is some tweaking that could be done to make the car perform better while also keeping it's reliability. Since I don't race my car on the weekend, stock is MORE than enough for me. My plans are to get some drilled/slotted rotors and catback exhaust and that's enough for me. Once I have a new car and I can treat the Evo as a hobby/weekend fun car, THEN I'll do the intake, hard pipes, ECU flash, etc.
Stock Evo, eh? Maybe you can nail down a solid answer of if you HAVE to have it tuned to optimize what Mitsu apparently botched on their factory tune....I have been reading and talking to an X owner that says under WOT the stock tune falls on it's face.... any truth to this?[/QUOTE]
Stock Evo, eh? Maybe you can nail down a solid answer of if you HAVE to have it tuned to optimize what Mitsu apparently botched on their factory tune....I have been reading and talking to an X owner that says under WOT the stock tune falls on it's face.... any truth to this?[/QUOTE]
Feb 20, 2018, 01:27 PM
#13
I am totally in the same boat as Lando ^^^
I purchased my Evo used with full intentions of turning it in to a track car. but I got married, bought a house, is expecting a baby etc and just don't have the time or money for a fully built project car. I do have the basic bolt ons to give it a bit more pep in its step but that's about it.
It really doesn't take much to gain another 80-90 WHP from this car. I think I spent a total of 1700 dollars (full exhaust, UICP, intake (probably could have skipped this) and tune). Even with the extra HP, the car has been rock solid as a daily driver.
As long as you are not buying a complete project car (built this, built that), quality bolt ons and a tune will not drag down this car. Just get the lowest miles you can afford modded or not.
I purchased my Evo used with full intentions of turning it in to a track car. but I got married, bought a house, is expecting a baby etc and just don't have the time or money for a fully built project car. I do have the basic bolt ons to give it a bit more pep in its step but that's about it.
It really doesn't take much to gain another 80-90 WHP from this car. I think I spent a total of 1700 dollars (full exhaust, UICP, intake (probably could have skipped this) and tune). Even with the extra HP, the car has been rock solid as a daily driver.
As long as you are not buying a complete project car (built this, built that), quality bolt ons and a tune will not drag down this car. Just get the lowest miles you can afford modded or not.
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DesertDog57 (Feb 22, 2018)
Feb 20, 2018, 07:23 PM
#14
I can only speak for myself about the Evo at WOT but MY wants/needs are (most likely) different from many other Evo owners. I am 39 years old, married with two kids. If I was younger with no kids OR single, I'm sure I would have my Evo tuned like crazy to get as much performance out of it as possible. I don't have the luxury to spend thousands of dollars to put performance parts on a car when I have clothes, food, school, vacations, and all the stuff that comes with home ownership. Last thing you want to say to your wife when your A/C unit goes out and it's $1,000 to fix is, "I don't have any $$ because I bought a new exhaust for my car". While the Evo (for me) is perfectly fine stock, I'm sure there is some tweaking that could be done to make the car perform better while also keeping it's reliability. Since I don't race my car on the weekend, stock is MORE than enough for me. My plans are to get some drilled/slotted rotors and catback exhaust and that's enough for me. Once I have a new car and I can treat the Evo as a hobby/weekend fun car, THEN I'll do the intake, hard pipes, ECU flash, etc.
Stock Evo, eh? Maybe you can nail down a solid answer of if you HAVE to have it tuned to optimize what Mitsu apparently botched on their factory tune....I have been reading and talking to an X owner that says under WOT the stock tune falls on it's face.... any truth to this?
Stock Evo, eh? Maybe you can nail down a solid answer of if you HAVE to have it tuned to optimize what Mitsu apparently botched on their factory tune....I have been reading and talking to an X owner that says under WOT the stock tune falls on it's face.... any truth to this?
I am totally in the same boat as Lando ^^^
I purchased my Evo used with full intentions of turning it in to a track car. but I got married, bought a house, is expecting a baby etc and just don't have the time or money for a fully built project car. I do have the basic bolt ons to give it a bit more pep in its step but that's about it.
It really doesn't take much to gain another 80-90 WHP from this car. I think I spent a total of 1700 dollars (full exhaust, UICP, intake (probably could have skipped this) and tune). Even with the extra HP, the car has been rock solid as a daily driver.
As long as you are not buying a complete project car (built this, built that), quality bolt ons and a tune will not drag down this car. Just get the lowest miles you can afford modded or not.
I purchased my Evo used with full intentions of turning it in to a track car. but I got married, bought a house, is expecting a baby etc and just don't have the time or money for a fully built project car. I do have the basic bolt ons to give it a bit more pep in its step but that's about it.
It really doesn't take much to gain another 80-90 WHP from this car. I think I spent a total of 1700 dollars (full exhaust, UICP, intake (probably could have skipped this) and tune). Even with the extra HP, the car has been rock solid as a daily driver.
As long as you are not buying a complete project car (built this, built that), quality bolt ons and a tune will not drag down this car. Just get the lowest miles you can afford modded or not.
solid advice from both of you. I appreciate it. It all depends on finding a buyer for the Z and as spring is coming up it SHOULD get easier. The dweebs that are buying these cars expecting to pay $2k for a sub 75k mile car with modest mods are making me want to just keep it forever! Thanks again
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DesertDog57 (Feb 22, 2018)
Feb 21, 2018, 05:51 AM
#15
Evolved Member
I've seen quite a few stock Xs, but not many. My X is completely stock aside from a drop in filter.
Are there any stock evos out there!!!??? I'm looking (passively) too, and I would love to find one with a little bit of suspension and a decent catback, but it seems like I find a super clean one and I scroll through the pictures and there's 4-15 gauges on the dash/A pillar indicating it was a space shuttle of some sort with previous owner
Stock Evo, eh? Maybe you can nail down a solid answer of if you HAVE to have it tuned to optimize what Mitsu apparently botched on their factory tune....I have been reading and talking to an X owner that says under WOT the stock tune falls on it's face.... any truth to this?
Stock Evo, eh? Maybe you can nail down a solid answer of if you HAVE to have it tuned to optimize what Mitsu apparently botched on their factory tune....I have been reading and talking to an X owner that says under WOT the stock tune falls on it's face.... any truth to this?