I have 0 level of mechanical experience but is the only way to gain that experience by going to an automotive school?

 

No but a turbo install is a pretty big undertaking, at least have a friend with some mechanical skills help you.

 

ok cool. If I don't go turbo I could just go with some strut bars and some coilivers I guess.

 

Not at all. If you have a passion for it you will catch on in no time. When I first got this car I didnt know squat about anything car related. Now, not even a whole year later, I am confident I could pull off a turbo install. The best way to learn is to do it yourself of have a friend help you. I dont mean help you as in do everything for you but help you as in watch over you and tell you exactly what to do while you are doing it. You have a car that is very easy to work on so use that to your advantage. You definitely shouldnt try anything like installing a turbo kit but something like strut or sway bars should be cake once you look at it.

Another way to learn, also a really good way, is to read these forums. There are lots of How To Writeups and most of them include pictures. I know I learned a lot from just browsing around and looking at different writeups.

 

From what I've seen our cars are easy to work on and I'm sure many would agree that the Lancer is one of the most underated cars out there period.Especially with the price.

 

Installing a turbo kit is one thing. With some simple direction it is fairly simple on a bolt on kit. a custom kit and all the tuning afterward is what is very difficult.

 

I wouldn't go that far. I think as far as handling goes, it's underrated, same with looks and reliability. Performance wise though it's not underrated at all. Part of the problem isn't the car, it's the aftermarket support. With only a handful of companies making parts (and most only making the basics), competition is low and thus diversity is low. If you don't like how one manufacturer does it, tough.

 

I think the car is a good platform for some one to start learning how to to the basic mods. i.e suspension, performance and stylings. but for more power, not such a good platform.

 

I really liked the transmission in my lancer and the general fun factor of the car. Sure it wasn't fast but I still had fun even with coilovers and all that jazz. Some of the best times I've had behind a wheel involve either snow covered roads or gravel roads and my lancer. Oddly enough it was easier to control than my current car even on "bad" roads.

 

I'm sure if I got a different car I couldn't do the things I can with this car. Compared to other cars I have driven I can get the best feel of the road in this one. I guess I'm just glorifying the econobox suspension, lol.

 

It's more a matter of getting used to the new car and the comfort level. I could have fun in my lancer going under the speed limit, the suspension was soft enough that it felt faster than it really was and it was forgiving. Other cars are easy to drive fast, but they don't feel it and if you make a mistake, it's big. Going from FWD to AWD is also really weird, a lot of the things you learn when driving a FWD car are wrong in an AWD car.

 

Ok so if you had a lancer es (auto) would you trade it and get an oz rally (manual) for more fun factor and performance? because I like my lancer but It's got 94,112 miles on it!! I'm thinking about trading it in but I don't know wrether to get a car with more aftermarket support like the mazda miata m-x5 or an old honda civic hatch. I'd like something lightweight and affordable eventually.

 

Well I vastly prefer driving manual so I'd say yes but depending on what you want from the car it might not be worth it. Do you plan of keeping the car for a long time? Do you plan on modding it extensively?

 

I would say a little of both I wan't something with more power but all the NA mods for the lancer from what I hear really don't give that much more power. And I know on my automatic it won't do a whole lot but sound good. I was thinking a mazda3 hatch I like lightwieght and quick accelerating cars, with more aftermarket support you know what I mean?

 

Like your wrx compared to driving an automatic lancer how much more fun is it to drive on a scale of 1-10.