get_schwifty

Hello. I am new. I work in an office. I like to drink beer (sometimes while at the office). I currently drive a rental car.

I had a brand new BRZ for 7 weeks until some genius rear-ended me (in my bright fracking blue car, on a straight-away road, in the middle of the day.) Hard. The structural damage is severe enough to the point where if the car is not totaled, I am probably going to sell it. Certainly it's a great car...I mean...the impact force was so serious I initially thought that the gas tank had exploded...and yet I walked away with only minor bruises to my feet. So while the situation sucks, it sucks a lot less than spinal damage. I certainly think pretty highly of Subaru and am not opposed to getting another BRZ tS. Slow as it was in a straight line, it was fun and I really liked it. However, I want to consider all my options. I drove and liked the STI. I also drive a Civic Type R, which is a cool *** car and is as much fun today as the Integra Type R was in the year 2000. Whole lotta reasonably-priced + fun vehicles in 2018...

But, at the same time, the car I've always loved is the Evo 8 (and the 9/10, although the 8 is the one I absolutely adore). A friend had one. I loved the sheer excitement. I didn't care about the brutal ride quality. I was OK with an interior that made my first car, a PT Cruiser, look like a Duesenberg. The look. The feel. The fun. Good times. No way I could afford one + the insurance + the upkeep when it was new (I was 16, and most of my money I spent chasing girls, unsuccessfully.) Well, now I'm older, perhaps a little wiser, slightly improved at my heel-and-toe, and a hell of a lot balder...and, unfortunately, less impulsive when making purchases.

So, if I buy one, my goal would be a excellent-conditioned stock car with low mileage, one owner, and a clean CarFax (which I know means, A-it will be hard to find, and B-I will pay a significant premium.) I would keep it mostly stock, minus any modifications that would potentially improve reliability and/or fuel economy. I am extremely **** when it comes to keeping the car looking nice, and if I could not correct the paint to my liking, I would probably have it repainted. But even before that, here I am to research the implications of buying a 15 year-old car (e.g., identifying a car that has been well-maintained, learning what maintenance the car will need, learning who I can turn to in keeping the car in optimal shape when it needs work beyond my basic fluid-changing skills, and getting some idea of if I could buy one of these and drive it on a daily basis [yeah, if I have an Evo, a beater might make sense but I am going to want to drive it as much as I can]). For that matter, I would also potentially consider an Evo 9 or Evo X, although I strongly prefer the look of the 8/9.

Given virtually every question I have has probably been answered several times over, I don't see myself posting a tremendous amount of threads unless I actually wind up purchasing an Evo. So I wanted to say hello!

huzzle101

iTrader: (5)

Welcome and you won't regret getting one if you do. There are a few examples in here that look pretty well taken care, check out the for sale section. The really pristine low miles ones go for a premium though so if your willing to pay they are out there.

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iTrader: (3)

Hello

That was a great story & thanks for sharing. Yeah, choosing a sportscar platform & actually making the buy is a tough call.

For me, the EvO is strictly a weekend ride & no way would I daily one

Keep researching & your decision will be made clear

If you have questions, let us know

Thanks, Joe

Jonno99

if you are a bored office guy who drinks beer, you have come to the right place, when you buy an Evo your life will be transformed into an interesting healthy fit good looking guy that all the chicks will want to hang out with, so prepare yourself for a life changing experience :P

six40

That was a good read, welcome to EvoM. If you're planning to keep it stock or even minor bolt-ons, you should really consider the X. It's a full decade newer so finding one in the condition you want is going to be easier. Stock, or mod for mod (until you get to a higher level) it's going to respond better than the 8, and if I'm not mistaken it's also a safer car to be in incase some other dummy decides to hit you. The X also aged very well.

The 8/9 is also a very badass car. Honestly every single Evo from the first to the last are all unique, all have their quirks and a lot of character and they're all ahead of their time - Mitsubishi did an amazing job with all of them. You can't go wrong with any of them. Just make sure whatever you find, is in good shape - which by the sounds of it, you know what you're looking for so I don't need to explain it all. I say go look at a couple 8's and X's if you have time and go from there. My last word of advice is don't buy the first one you see. Go check out a few before making the decision on your first Evo

get_schwifty

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I wanted to update on how things turned out!

So as I need a DD, things like a warranty, the latest in crash survival technology, good insurance rate, and all that good stuff are definitely positive things. So I wound up selling the car after it was repaired (damage wasn't as extensive as it initially appeared and the repair place did a kick-*** job, but even their fine work can't make bad memories disappear), and purchased a new STI (the six pot caliper is nice but what really sold me was the strengthened crash structure.) It's fun, and I'm finding driving an AWD car as such with its heavier clutch/heavier steering to be a very different learning experience from the FWD/RWD stick cars I've had more experience with. I really like it a lot (it would be perfect if it had CarPlay!) But I still have much love for the Evo. In a few months I'm planning to purchase a condo that has two indoor/garage parking spots. Well, any logical person would say that having two spots and one car is a waste, and the only solution is to get another car (or put useless **** in it to store, which is boring and is the opposite of the excitement I seek.)

So rather than getting into the decades argument of, 'should you buy an Evo or an STI?', I think I am just going to own both. This way, I'll have a fun AWD DD I can rack up the miles on, enjoy having the warranty for, and, God forbid some other person decides that they can't wait to tweet about how much they love avocado toast (which admittedly I really like) until they put their SUV in Park, I've got 2018's finest tech on my side. Further, I can look to purchase a low-mileage, stock, and (ideally) garage kept & corrosion free Evo (8, or 9?, maybe even 10?), drive it only on special occasions, not rack up tons of miles on it, and if I get the body completely restored/repainted in a factory color it won't get beaten to crap by soccer moms and their shopping carts (I'm not thrilled about this happening to my STI, but given it's not a 15-year old car where only a limited number of low-mileage stock examples remain, I think I'll survive.) I certainly won't be buying this car for the purpose of an investment, but I won't complain if over the several years the project I am envisioning takes place the Evo's value continues to climb - and I don't see why it wouldn't; it's a cool *** part of automotive history like the Supra (the real one...with that third pedal.)

So I'll be perusing the forms on and off, watching cars for sale, trying to get a better idea on the implications of ownership and whether I want to try to buy a near-perfect example (and pay a crap ton off the bat) or buy a mechanically sound example with less-than-stellar cosmetics (and return the cosmetics back to a flawless, stock, like-new finish).

Oh, and I do vape. How stereotypical is that?
Well, I'm off to hit the car with a ceramic coating and I will then proceed to eat a pizza off of that gigantic wing that doubles as a picnic table...while vaping.

Thanks again for for saying hi!

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iTrader: (3)

You are a good writer & enjoyed reading your story. Yeah, youve got the scenario down. Youve got your Hot DD & to have a 2nd even Hotter weekender is the best.

I kinda do the same thing. My DD is certainly no STI, but I enjoy it for sure & really enjoy the 450 WHP EvO on the weekends

Let us know if you find something & want an opinion

get_schwifty

Hey hey! Hope everyone's been well! - I've got a question for Evo 8 and 9 owners that I've been unable to find a direct answer to...

In regard to the stock clutch, how much weight/effort does it take to use? By that I mean how much physical force does it require to engage/disengage. My BRZ and previous manual cars had clutches that felt lighter and took noticeably less effort than my 2018 WRX STI to engage disengage. As I have a bit of tendonitis in my left leg where the foot meets ankle, I'm finding I prefer the lighter clutch of the BRZ over the heavier clutch in the STI (some of this is presumably the superior driving position of the BRZ enabling easier operation, but even beyond this, the physical amount of force needed to push the clutch in is still less). For someone who may have driven one or both of these cars, how does the Evo 8/9 OEM clutch compare? (I assume there are differences between the 5- and 6-speeds if they are using a different clutch.) Thanks much friends!

MinusPrevious

iTrader: (3)

The OEM clutch or even an upgraded clutch like the ACT HDSS is very stock feeling. The EvO clutch is hydraulic assisted so it is very light

Now, there are upgraded clutch pkgs that have more clutch pressure, but that not necessary for power levels into the 400whp area