Newbie here. Hi everyone!
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Newbie
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6
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From: San Francisco
Newbie here. Hi everyone!
Hey,
This is long, so here is tldr: So I went shopping for an Audi SUV, and accidentally bought an Evo, now found unlimited ways to tuck more dollar bills in her underwear.
Well, what happened was that I decided I was sick of my 2012 Jeep Wrangler (it was really uncomfortable and just too large for a me to deal with on my own - just tires are 40+lbs each, and I can barely straighten out after watching a movie on the couch). I figured I'd get something that was a good all-around car (good towing capacity, comfortable, fast, good features), and scheduled a few test drives at our Audi dealer (I used to have an Audi and I really appreciate their engineering and thinking process when designing). I took out a Q7 (to compare to a Q5 I rented for a day) and was rather disappointed because it was very outdated and was still priced at 75k and there was only one in the entire United States and that means I would not have any wiggle room when it came to price. So I decided I would wait a bit, lay off crazy wake boat ideas, and get a sedan for now - something that fits me and I can easily tinker with. I used to have an Audi S4 B5 that I chipped, and I was really in love with that car (also they are dirt cheap nowadays), but I wanted something newer with bluetooth audio integration and such, so I was going to go look at new S4s. However, before I did that I also stopped by a Mitsubishi dealership because I really liked how Lancer Evo X looked.
So I poke my head into one on the back end of the lot, and a sales rep walks up to me and asks me what I am looking for. I answer that I am looking for a Lancer Evo. He said, "Thats a nice car, but what are you looking for?" After I assured him I was looking specifically for Lancer Evo, he told me I was not qualified nor ready to buy. I asked how he knew if I was neither of those, humphed, and stormed off the lot. I figured I must have looked a fresh 20 in the late evening light, and forced myself to assume it as a compliment.
Well, that following weekend I had an appointment scheduled with an owner of another dealership, in a nicer area where I got my Daytona 5 years ago. I went to look at a new Evo they had even though he warned me they would not have a car for me to drive, but I didn't care and wanted to play with the stereo/nav (electronic comfort is important to me because I don't want to be futzing with my phone looking for contacts or music to play while driving, firstworldproblems). So I get in within 5 minutes of opening, hang out in the car for half an hour and the sales rep tells me he thinks I should drive one. So I drove one on a short but inefficient road in S-Sport mode (read not a "straight shot" to an extreme). When we got back to the lot I had enough adrenaline rushing through my veins to never sleep again. I left that day, without it. I went on a bike ride, thought about it, googled some replacement parts, and called the dealer back. The next day I came in for paperwork and left my trusty Panda/Stormtrooper offroader on their lot.
I am extremely happy with her and with all unnerving electronic clanks, booms, and whirrs she makes - coming from a car that has about 150 lbs worth of sound deadening equipment that is designed for comfort and not excitement, that is a big change. I put a thousand miles on her in some twisties right away, but since she is pre-owned, I guess I should have put her through a shop first. So new tires (I shot through the ones on there right away), alignment, blah blah blah.
Here is what I am doing:
Exterior:
Winter kit: new Sottozero 3 on stock BBS, looking at some flaps for Tahoe winter salty rocks;
Summer kit: after hours of reading a million forum posts, I am going with Direzza Zii 265/35 on Konig Milligram 18x9.5 ET25 with 5mm spacer (and hoping not to have to roll fenders) + EZ-sensors for TPMS (set of those == 1 trip to teach ECU new sensor IDs at the dealer and I get freedom to swap whenever I want) Milligrams will be either silver (if I find discontinued somewhere) or used set sprayed flat gunmetal. I like gold, but worried gold will look weird on her - it looks good on the pictures I found on forums, but that Evo has giant spoiler and tinted headlights. MR seems too classy for that sort of tricks.
Interior:
Sound: JL C5 + 10w3v3-2 in stock RF enclosure + HD900/5 in stock location + new wire + possibly sound deadening on the floor (when i drive over sand it sounds like tin boat on Rubicon trail - the main guy at dealership said "Don't **** with it... Just turn the stereo up!", so its up in the air)
Navi+etc: Remote start from iDataLink (I like getting in the car in 2ft of snow, and using it to plow my way out of the driveway to go to the hill, not plow to the car to start it and then sit in it for 20 minutes because its just too frozen to drive), and ongoing research on best navi option - what I can do to get stock navigation system features + more into an aftermarket nav. I bought a $300 Chinese Android deck off ebay for $50 that I will hack at work to see if I can get CANbus data, TPMS, and Torque reads out on it. If that fails, I will hack at Kenwood's DNN line (local shop has one dead one, I might take it apart, see what burned out in there and mess with JTAG).
Dash: I decided that the decor is a little "patchy" - why have excellent leather seats, shifter skirt, and such and have no leather on, say, dash? Or have rattling thin plastic door pockets? So already had been quoted a full dash/center console update, going in for an in-depth interview with upholsterer tomorrow to get quoted on matching material + stitching, or get my head straight and keep it as is. Hopefully it will not weigh 400lbs more after.
I've had her for 2 and a half weeks. If I could bring her to bed with me, I would die from excitement. I have never gone through twisties on CA35 faster than I have on my Daytona before I got her - I feel extremely solid and safe going through turns. Also proved to be very good for my elderly back.
So I guess I can say I am a junkie and she is a beautiful money pit. Her name is Eve and I'm oksanaut, hello everyone!
Feedback, comments, or just hello are very appreciated.
This is long, so here is tldr: So I went shopping for an Audi SUV, and accidentally bought an Evo, now found unlimited ways to tuck more dollar bills in her underwear.
Well, what happened was that I decided I was sick of my 2012 Jeep Wrangler (it was really uncomfortable and just too large for a me to deal with on my own - just tires are 40+lbs each, and I can barely straighten out after watching a movie on the couch). I figured I'd get something that was a good all-around car (good towing capacity, comfortable, fast, good features), and scheduled a few test drives at our Audi dealer (I used to have an Audi and I really appreciate their engineering and thinking process when designing). I took out a Q7 (to compare to a Q5 I rented for a day) and was rather disappointed because it was very outdated and was still priced at 75k and there was only one in the entire United States and that means I would not have any wiggle room when it came to price. So I decided I would wait a bit, lay off crazy wake boat ideas, and get a sedan for now - something that fits me and I can easily tinker with. I used to have an Audi S4 B5 that I chipped, and I was really in love with that car (also they are dirt cheap nowadays), but I wanted something newer with bluetooth audio integration and such, so I was going to go look at new S4s. However, before I did that I also stopped by a Mitsubishi dealership because I really liked how Lancer Evo X looked.
So I poke my head into one on the back end of the lot, and a sales rep walks up to me and asks me what I am looking for. I answer that I am looking for a Lancer Evo. He said, "Thats a nice car, but what are you looking for?" After I assured him I was looking specifically for Lancer Evo, he told me I was not qualified nor ready to buy. I asked how he knew if I was neither of those, humphed, and stormed off the lot. I figured I must have looked a fresh 20 in the late evening light, and forced myself to assume it as a compliment.
Well, that following weekend I had an appointment scheduled with an owner of another dealership, in a nicer area where I got my Daytona 5 years ago. I went to look at a new Evo they had even though he warned me they would not have a car for me to drive, but I didn't care and wanted to play with the stereo/nav (electronic comfort is important to me because I don't want to be futzing with my phone looking for contacts or music to play while driving, firstworldproblems). So I get in within 5 minutes of opening, hang out in the car for half an hour and the sales rep tells me he thinks I should drive one. So I drove one on a short but inefficient road in S-Sport mode (read not a "straight shot" to an extreme). When we got back to the lot I had enough adrenaline rushing through my veins to never sleep again. I left that day, without it. I went on a bike ride, thought about it, googled some replacement parts, and called the dealer back. The next day I came in for paperwork and left my trusty Panda/Stormtrooper offroader on their lot.
I am extremely happy with her and with all unnerving electronic clanks, booms, and whirrs she makes - coming from a car that has about 150 lbs worth of sound deadening equipment that is designed for comfort and not excitement, that is a big change. I put a thousand miles on her in some twisties right away, but since she is pre-owned, I guess I should have put her through a shop first. So new tires (I shot through the ones on there right away), alignment, blah blah blah.
Here is what I am doing:
Exterior:
Winter kit: new Sottozero 3 on stock BBS, looking at some flaps for Tahoe winter salty rocks;
Summer kit: after hours of reading a million forum posts, I am going with Direzza Zii 265/35 on Konig Milligram 18x9.5 ET25 with 5mm spacer (and hoping not to have to roll fenders) + EZ-sensors for TPMS (set of those == 1 trip to teach ECU new sensor IDs at the dealer and I get freedom to swap whenever I want) Milligrams will be either silver (if I find discontinued somewhere) or used set sprayed flat gunmetal. I like gold, but worried gold will look weird on her - it looks good on the pictures I found on forums, but that Evo has giant spoiler and tinted headlights. MR seems too classy for that sort of tricks.
Interior:
Sound: JL C5 + 10w3v3-2 in stock RF enclosure + HD900/5 in stock location + new wire + possibly sound deadening on the floor (when i drive over sand it sounds like tin boat on Rubicon trail - the main guy at dealership said "Don't **** with it... Just turn the stereo up!", so its up in the air)
Navi+etc: Remote start from iDataLink (I like getting in the car in 2ft of snow, and using it to plow my way out of the driveway to go to the hill, not plow to the car to start it and then sit in it for 20 minutes because its just too frozen to drive), and ongoing research on best navi option - what I can do to get stock navigation system features + more into an aftermarket nav. I bought a $300 Chinese Android deck off ebay for $50 that I will hack at work to see if I can get CANbus data, TPMS, and Torque reads out on it. If that fails, I will hack at Kenwood's DNN line (local shop has one dead one, I might take it apart, see what burned out in there and mess with JTAG).
Dash: I decided that the decor is a little "patchy" - why have excellent leather seats, shifter skirt, and such and have no leather on, say, dash? Or have rattling thin plastic door pockets? So already had been quoted a full dash/center console update, going in for an in-depth interview with upholsterer tomorrow to get quoted on matching material + stitching, or get my head straight and keep it as is. Hopefully it will not weigh 400lbs more after.
I've had her for 2 and a half weeks. If I could bring her to bed with me, I would die from excitement. I have never gone through twisties on CA35 faster than I have on my Daytona before I got her - I feel extremely solid and safe going through turns. Also proved to be very good for my elderly back.
So I guess I can say I am a junkie and she is a beautiful money pit. Her name is Eve and I'm oksanaut, hello everyone!
Feedback, comments, or just hello are very appreciated.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
Welcome, always nice to see new people getting to enjoy an evo. Your story sounds just like my first experience with an evo. My immediate reaction when driving a evo for the first time was "why didn't I buy this car years ago". Drive safe and have fun. 
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