Hey guys I'm lookin into gettin myself a evo soon. I was jus curious what info I should find out??? I know to check carfax n any reciepts the owner has but what sort of questions should I be asking to make sure it's the right car to buy??? I dont want to screw myself over by not geting all info before the buy. Any tip or ideas are welcome...happy driving.

 

There's plenty I would have done different when I bought mine.

Be patient, don't hop on the first or second one that you find.
Drive a stock or nearly stock one before you go look at and test drive your potential purchase.
Regardless if you ask if it's been modified it will be up to you to see if it's been taken apart or not. Look under the hood for things out of place and such. If it has been modified that opens up a whole different range of questions to ask.
Check the trunk lid closely where the wing meets it for any sign of rust.
Look under the trunk liner for any sign of water, especially in the spare tire well.

These aren't all things that I messed up, just some. It's all I can remember off the top of my head right now.

 

-Make sure that you bring a heavy duty floor jack so that you can take a look under the car. A lot of people that I know that bought used cars never jacked up the car and missed severe damage from wrecks that could have been avoided if they just had a jack with them before purchase.

-Take it to a Mitsubishi dealership or local mechanic and pay them for a pre purchase inspection. It could be around $50 or more, depending on where you go, but it's worth it for peace of mind/the mechanics may catch something that you didn't.

-Don't assume Carfax is 100% correct. It's not. Sometimes things don't show up on Carfax, and it is your responsibility to look for anything suspicious.

-I agree with the poster above me who said test drive a few stock ones, that way you can make sure you know how a properly running Evo feels.

-Make sure to check around the car for any places that look repaired/repainted or just look odd in general, and take a closer look just for good measure. Also, check the radiator support area and the inside of the fenders inside the engine bay carefully. I completely missed a spot that was bent and repaired when buying a car one time.

-If possible, see if you can get the owner to take you for a drive before you drive it yourself. See how they drive it. If they beat on it or do things like take turns/shift like they are an f1 driver, you may want to reconsider the purchase. If they are that comfortable with beating on the car, it means they probably did it a lot. Not to say that this is necessarily bad if the preventative maintenance is done, but a lot of people forget normal maintenance and only buy modifications. Just look out for it.

-Check the heatshield and areas where parts are commonly replaced and see if it looks like it has been messed with before (look for tool marks on the bolts/screws/etc.) It may seem ****, but you don't want to get someone else's half-finished project.

-When it comes time to test drive the car, make sure to leave the radio OFF. You want to be able to hear everything going on. Forget the radio until you are satisfied with the test drive and are in a parking lot stopped for another inspection. During the test drive, make sure there is nothing abnormal going on. Squeaks from the inside of the car may or may not be fine, but are usually not going to harm anything. However, squeaks from miscellaneous parts on the outside of the car may be cause for concern. Also make sure the engine does not hesitate, stutter, idle weird, or do anything abnormal of course. Make sure the transmission has no grinds or any weird problems. Make sure brakes work as they should and pedal feels decent; not squishy and doesn't need to be pressed too hard for the brakes to work.

-Make sure tags/registration are up to date.
-Make sure all bulbs are working and not burnt out.
-Make sure A/C and heat work properly.
-Make sure windows and locks all work properly.

-Check all underhood fluids and make sure they are not low. If they are low, be aware that this usually indicates a leak in the system.

-Look at the brakes and see how much pad life is left (Just estimate. You'll be able to tell if they're worn out to the point that they almost need to be replaced. Use common sense.)
-Look at the tires and make sure that you won't be needing new tires as soon as you buy the car.

-Open the trunk and make sure the spare is there with all the tools. This is very handy, because if you do not check and one day you have a spare, you will have a huge hassle on your hands, and I have seen cars sold without them before. You never know, so check it.

-If it would make you feel better and you know how to do it/have the tools to do it, do a compression test. I did it one time to a car I was checking out, and it only took around 10 minutes to complete. It gave me peace of mind and I knew how to do it, so I did it. Make sure to bring all the tools for this job if you plan on doing this though.

-Check the accessory belts for cracking.

-Check body panels and underneath the car for signs of rust or rust.

-MAKE 100% SURE that you get ALL of the keys that the person has for the car. If they lie to you, that sucks, but at least ask if you have all the keys in case they forget, because it could save you some money in certain cases. (for example, when I had a car, I had 3 brand new keys made just in case, so the person that bought my car had 4 keys to the car)

-Ask for all receipts for prior work, repairs, maintenance, etc. done.

Of course, some of these are personal preference, but use your best judgment. Set aside a couple hundred dollars for possible repairs or to replace parts that may need reconditioning. Don't spend every last dollar you have on the car itself, because you never know.

When you get your car, make sure to post pictures and enjoy it! Welcome to the site!

 

pretty much all these guys are right! whatever you do, dont get a MR! the transmission is weak! although its good for DD! if you want to drag or race whatever, its best to get a 5 speed. i would recommend you to get the 06 Evo IX rs! its the best and you wont regret it

 

wow thanks for the tips guys...that is soo helpful and will def refer back to those posts when I get closer to purchasing the car. dRiFtInG mR....I agree with not getting the MR due to the weaker transmissions but I cant agree with you on getting the rs. Crank windowms and manuel locks would drive me insane. It might not bother some people but it would for me.

Thatguybryan...thanks for putting in the time to type up that beast of a post. I appreciate the tips and will get those pics up when I finally buy it. Anytime after the first of march is when I'm in the market so it shouldnt be long!!!

 

Wow really good write up, I'm also looking at an evo too and you helped a ton w some of the questions I had

 

glad I could help...any idea what year n model your looking into getting???

 

You'll find the car you want, just take your time and don't get all excited and wrapped up with the first one you see.

 

iv been looking for an evo since i turned 16..im turnng 19 this april and still haven't founf one i like/ can afford lol. iv looked at multiple 8s and 9s and recently some 10s, some have been close but no cigar. im leaning towards an 8 or 9 with kind of low mileage. you can get lucky sometimes and find a nice 8 with 25-40k miles for around $20,000. just dont rush yourself is wat im really trying to say. rushing causing irrational thinking and bad decisions. keep your eyes open and dont lose hope if you find one and cant get it, odds are theres another one just like it but cheaper


but dammit do i wish i could find one already

 

ouch that sucks but is good at the same time. I've been looking and theres a few out there that i'd strongly consider but havent talked to the owner for more info about it so i know there are some out there. I hope it just doesnt take me 3 years to find it but if it does so be it.

 

haha yea 3 years is a bit long but trust me the feeling i'll have when i find THE ONE it will be like losing my virginity

 

No problem man. I've bought quite a few used cars, and I just hope that my post helps you learn from my previous mistakes.

EDIT: i added a few more things, they're general but could possibly be helpful.