ambitiousck

Hey guys, my name is CK and im in the market for a Evo 9. I had a modded 05 STi and a 370z as my last "fun" cars but the STi blew up (surprise right?), and the 370z just didnt do it for me.

I was wondering if you guys could enlighten me on the basics of an Evo and how it will compare to the 05 STi i owned.

What i "think" i know:
-With the Evo 9's you can reach 380-400awhp on stock turbo.
-MR trannies are weaker than GSR/RS/SE 5 speed. I would like a 6MT even if i would have to have Shepp build it later.
-The 4G63 is bulletproof


The car will not be a daily and i will AutoX and take it out on a road course, will like to learn the limits on the stock turbo before going for more power. Maybe between 550-600awhp. Built suspension/brakes ect.

I had the mentality that i'll have to build the motor at some point coming from an STI but my friends who are into Evos and DSMs say that i wont need to. I have my mod lists set and what my goals are.

Anything you fellow enthusiasts could care to add would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

thepoint4life23

iTrader: (3)

people are pushing more then 500 hp on stock block. stock turbo like you said is good to around 400 if you push it maybe a little more. The six speed is the weekest of all evo trans. if your going to have it built you just have to baby it and make sure shepp is still buiding 6 speeds . tc are the weak link and so is the stock clutch

kwanza

Welcome.

Torque kills the motor, under 400 ft-lbs should be ok on stock bottom end.

Lots of stuff to learn on this site.

FERNO

iTrader: (4)

CK, you have it all right.

Check the Thinking About Buying thread, and other stickies, and you should be good to go.

I'd search ACD issues and drivetrain issues, as there are ways to make diffs and such fail, but usually they're talking about abusing the stock components by side-stepping the clutch to launch and "heli" doughnuts and the like. You know, squid stuff.

ambitiousck

Def guys, its so hard to find a stockish unabused Evo these days. I have a feeling i'll be ready to buy and then have one hell of a time finding one.

I will def have to look into if Shepp is still building the 6MT, i wouldnt mind having one built in order to have the sixth gear.

Has another else gone STi to Evo? Or visa versa. I know the cars will feel different but should have some similar concepts with the AWD turbo.

jdlewh

iTrader: (1)

I went 05 sti to evo ix mr and it's the best car decision I have made. The Evo is just the better all around car. My 6 speed and stock clutch are holding up fine after 45k miles and pushing out 340 whp and 390 wtq for over half those miles and the car is not babied lol. Its good to actually have some top end again after having the STI for a few years.

civicej8

iTrader: (8)

i came from an 04 sti, trust me, if you want power they have enough aftermarket mods to handle it.

ambitiousck

Thanks guys, dont miss the boxer rumble? lol. Top end......whats that? lol.


You guys are making this choice easier and easier....i thought that it might be too different and that i would still miss the STI.

My Evo will not be a daily and will see around 1500-3k miles a year so i hope i dont have any problems with the drivetrain.


As far as suspension modding goes....

KW V3
AMS stage 1 kit
Strut bars
some other bushings and camber adjustment parts, anythign else i should look into?

If theres anything else you guys would like to share feel free.

Ive been through the "modding for dummies", "modding $100/time", "buying used evo" ect. threads.

warstang27

iTrader: (11)

ive read that one big failure with the six speed is the lack of cooling. ive read a bigger tranny cooler helps out a lot with reliability but thats just what i read. ive got a 5 speed so wouldnt really know, hopefully another 6 speed guy can chime in. the t-cases you really only have to worry about in 03-04s with the open diff. 05-06s are more reliable. granted the acd pump does go bad often but the t-case still works. its good to see someone doing there research before their purchase and modifying it. what exactly are your plans turbo wise after you max out the 9?

jdlewh

iTrader: (1)

I don't know about the suspension bits since mine is still rolling around on the stock setup. I will say the one thing I miss about my STI is the exhaust note. Besides that the Evo just beats up on the STI in every way.

Good luck with your search.

jdlewh

iTrader: (1)

My 6 speed and stock clutch have been holding up fine on 390 wtq (on a low reading Mustang dyno) for about 25k miles now and I drive the crap out of my car.

All these stories about weak stock clutches, transmissions and ACD issues is what originally scared me into buying an STI instead of the car I actually wanted, an Evo. After owning my Evo I have come to the conclusion most of these clutch, trans and ACD issues are owner caused either by abuse or neglect on maintenance. This is of course on Evos that are stock or that have basic mods like my car.

warstang27

iTrader: (11)

good to see someone else chime in with a 6 speed, and i agree. the parts are going to last as long as you keep them maintained for the most part. ive seen stock t-cases hit single digits in the 1/4 before so its all in the maint.

awdordie

iTrader: (1)

You nailed it with the 4g being bulletproof.

You wont regret making the switch. Just don't push the stock block past 400tq and you will be golden.

CDHoff

Ive never owned an sti. I traded in my gti to get my evo and it was one of the best decisions Ive ever made. Every time I get in the car it puts a huge smile on my face. You will not regret the your decision if you buy one.

Hardware

iTrader: (17)

One thing to keep in mind bud is that when you mod your car there are no guarantees. Make sure you trust your tuner. My stock block threw a rod back in Early June and it was putting down around 370whp/330tq on a Mustang Dyno. I don't blame the tuner as there are many factors that come into play, but once again make sure you work with someone who knows what they are doing.

I'm not trying to be rude, but all you are getting in here are opinions. The people that say you will be fine if you stay under 400tq are not going to buy you a new motor if it blows. Some people have great luck and some people don't.