Well, hello and let me just say, great site, I read it daily alot of great information.

Now, my story

Im 21, and in college, just moved out of my apartment and back with parents ( broke up with 4 year gf blah blah ) so I have alot of money that was formerly going to bills.. I am currently driving a 95 dodge stealth twin turbo, unmodded except for custom audio system and rims + new paint job.

I've been considering getting a new car for awhile now, and actually had someone offer to buy the stealth from me out of the blue, so i've been in overdrive mode searching for the car that would fit me best.

I've checked everything from Skylines and supras to rx8's and vettes.

Ultimately, the evo lancer and wrx sti were what i decided I really wanted, and what would fit me best. Can seat more then two people, (my stealth cant, its a joke to try) decent gas mileage, fast, and sexy.

Needless to say, I've decided on the evo and have been in contact with a mitsu dealer near me.

Now, I dont intend to race this car, at least not officially. Generally I am pretty conservative, however I do intend to mod it. There are weekly car shows and a criuse strip right up the street from me that I Would like to be involved in.

My father is an auto body man, and my uncle is a mechanic, so its in my blood. One of my major gripes with my stealth (great great car) is that its very hard to find mods from reliable places, if at all. So i've shyed away from it. I intend to do alot to the evo.

However, something (among alot of things) I wanted to ask was, - what are the best bets for performance gains, that dont sacrifice gas mileage / 0-60 power. I'm aware there are a few things that are geared for higher end power, and high rpms. I Dont intend to drive my car like that all the time, but would like to see a general performance gain if/when I begin to work on it.

If/When i race, its going to be red light street racing, so I need power off the bat, without using nitrous. : P

Besides that, any advice for me for when I go to buy this car? Think I might be better off purchasing a car already modded and just customizing it to save money in the long run? (Ill have about 12,000$ to put down, I intend to spend apprx 25,000, so ill be financing apprx 13,000 - which I can afford no proble, but will obviously cut into my budget which is apprx 1200$ monthly) Think im better off going through a private individual then the dealer?

Any other tidbits? Ill be back with more questions im sure

Thanks!


Edit: When I say 1200$ monthly, thats my net income, car payments + insurance + gas + cell phone etc come out of that, figure after all misc stuff + bills i'll have about 300-500$ left per month to mess with

 

If it were me, I would buy something cheaper (used WRX) to prevent myself from getting into a ton of debt. If you think about it, you are at the time in your life where your investments will start to count. (I am at this same stage as well.) A car is certainly not a great investment. So back to what i was saying about a used car. With a used car your payments will be lower, and you will have more money to invest in other things, as well as have a bit more mod money to play around with.

Dont get me wrong, the evo is an amazing car, but its not worth loosing out on your future.

With all of that said, i would like to tell you how hard this is for me to type. Because, like you, i am a total car nut, and would spend all of my money on cars if i could!

If you still do decide to go with an evo, start out with a reflash or an xede, then move onto other mods like exhaust, cam gears, and cams. The retune will give you the best bang for your buck, and everything after that will just keep that smile planted on your face.

 

If you can afford it, get the Evo...you won't regret it...

 

Alright bro, think about it this way. You get the evo. Chicks are checking it out and by extension, you. WHER ARE YOU GOING TO GO NOW?!!! I'm sure this new piece of *** is gonna LOVE meeting the parents when all she wanted was a quick ride and then a quick ride (know what I mean? ) Get your other **** together first- if you're done with school, get a decent job or keep your focus on your classes. get a place of your own. get a car that will do the job from point a to point b, and if you NEED something to tinker with, get a used something or other.

I'm not trying to be an ***, really. I'm trying to keep you from making some of the mistakes I did when my fiancee left me when I was 21, I was laid off from my really cushy government job and then had to move back in with mom- all in the span of three months. It sucks, but now is NOT the time to pad your ego with a car that you can't really afford. Give it a few years.

How much did you plan to put down on the Evo? Have you figured out monthly payments? Have you called your insurance company to get a rate quote?
Probably not because your mind says "that b!tch left me, I'm gonna show her! She'll be PISSED when she sees me in my new Evo. HA! " And then your mind will go over all the clever and hurtful things you'll say to her when you pull up next to her at a random streetlight some lazy afternoon.... Or maybe that's just what me and my friends do....

good luck. Take care and make some good decisions because now's the time when a couple of bad ones are gonna REALLY suck

 

Get a used EVO!!!! F*** a WRX. Evo's respond great to mods. I would look for an Evo and then look at the Vishnu upgrades!!!!! Exed upgrade alone rocks. I like the 5 speed except fpr long highway trips. But a 6 speed is geared too close.

 

Thanks for responses !

And, it has nothing to do with my ex, though I imagine it might have come off that way :P

Im happy with the stealth at the moment, and i've considered the investment option, but frankly, im graduating with a 3.8 gpa shortly, and I intend to make serious money so for now, I just want to have some fun, and spend some nights outside working on my car

I plan to put approximatly 10,000-12,000 down, looking at apprx 25,000 for the car, figure a 15,000 finance @ say, 6% would be apprx 300$ a month payment (already did some scouting on this) Insurance quoted was actually 200$ more then the stealth atm, factoring in collision and theft (im liability only at the moment) because I took defensive driving, + another year with a clean driving recrod. (Apprx 3000$ a year in insurance, which is not too bad, and thats just a quote from my current company, havent shopped around yet)

I was considering used cars, paticularly a 98 vette when I first started searching, but then I thought to myself.. why pay 25,000$ for a car with 60k miles, when i can get one with 10k.. (2003 evo) for the same price : )

Debt is definitly something i've considered, but im only working part time @ 15 an hour right now, which at my age, is fantastic, and I have the ability to pick up extra hours whenever, so if somehow I got in over my head, I could bail out no problem with extra days.

The only thing that would concern me, is with car payment + insurance + misc bills, I would have diminished amounts left for modifications, which is primarily what i'm goaling for, something to toy with. Thats about the only thing holding me back at the moment.

 

If you do get the Evo, definitely pay more than your minimum and pay it off as quickly as you can. At your age circumstances change rapidly, and if you NEED to get in debt, get out as fast as possible. Another thing to consider is your future home purchase. I suffered 8 years in a reliable but slow Tercel, but then I was able to buy my wife a nice Tiffany eng. ring, put a lot down on a house, and then buy my Evo. As far a buying a house, mine's nearly doubled in value in 2.5 years. In other words, it's very easy to max yourself out early, but it's rarely worth it. I only mention this as reference, but I could sell my house now after 2.5 years living there and buy 10 used evos $cash$ with only the profit $.... Something to think about.

 

I would seriously consider purchasing a used evo from a respectable seller, preferably one that has a quality aftermarket clutch with lower mileage on it.

 

Sorry to start the grilling fest, but its good to see that everyone is looking our for another member's good interest. Whatever you decide to do (Evo, WRX, STI), we would love to help you out.

Good luck,