I am looking at buying a new car (new to me) this fall. I was looking at the EVO X but I am finding that for a track car the evo 8 might be better? my budget for the car is about 25k and I can afford about 6k a year (tires maint. anything that breaks) does anyone have a suggestion?

 

get an evo 8. I have seen guys that buy evo x but then see how difficult and expensive it is to build for their goals. They end up selling the x to get a 8 or 9

 

I would also get an 8 or 9. Just due to the availability of parts, and prices currently. I personally would lean more towards the 9 right now.

 

yeah, get the 5 speed 8 or 9 and you will be fine.

 

Ishii Motor Industries is a shop near me that does a lot of work on EVO'S and they said they have a evo 8 for sale with a stage 2 clutch upgraded turbo and some other performance parts I cant remember.

I know I should look for non melested but if a well known performance shop has completly gone through it and replaced some things would it still be a worry? still not sure if I am going to buy it I am assuming that they are going to want 20+k for it which seems a little much for a EVO 8.

 

In my area on craigslist the 9's are more than the X. Would it be worth it to spend more for a used 9 than a X? according to what I can find from searching it seems like the 9 is the best to go with but which one? the GSR or the MR? I heard to get the 5 speed is the 6 speed no good?

I really appreiciate everybody's responses I have been going crazy trying to figure out the right car to get!

 

I personally would go with the 9 over the X. That's just me though and others might disagree. The 9 is probably the best base you get everything they 8 has plus MIVEC, ACD, better turbo, etc. Also I would get a GSR or if you really are wanting something to track find yourself a nice RS. I would avoid the 6 speed for sure.

 

Thank you! That's kind of what I am finding with my research and at first was worried that with the 9 only being in production for 2 years would be hard to find parts for but from what I can find the 8 and 9 parts are all interchangeable?

Also I am a little confused about the models. I guess there is a SE GSR RS and the MR? But according to some sites the GSR is only a european car? I believe I want the RS anyways because it is a little lighter than the GSR and only the 5 speed because the 6 speed cant handle the power?

Any suggestions on what to look out for when buying the car? common problems? Check diff fluid? see car when left over night so its cold for idle? or any suggestions like that?

Sorry for all the questions its kinda hard to find these answers directly on the other forums I have been reading for weeks and still feel like there's a lot I don't know about the car! Thank you for you advice on the car!

 

A highly recommended shop that I found on Yelp called Ishii motors suggested a car for me that one of their customers is selling. Lots of mods but is it worth the price? and its not the EVO 9 but they say its better? I mean it has more power but is it really better? For the price that is. Here is what they sent me about it.


25,743 miles (I just looked). 1 owner. Never painted or damaged. New ACT Stage 2 Clutch and OEM Flywheel (all seals & bearings replaced at same time).

Exterior

Stock Electric Blue paint job
Seibon carbon fiber hood
APR low-profile carbon fiber mirrors
Volk Racing Wheels

Cusco Upper Tower Strut
Cusco Rear Tower Strut
Cusco Front Sway Bar
Cusco Rear Sway Bar
Cusco Center Carriage Lower Chassis Support
Cusco Suspension System and Struts
(Spanner Wrenches in Trunk)

Car Cover w/ Locks in Trunk

Engine
Apexi Isamu RX6 Turbo Kit
Turbo
Headers
Intake Pipe
Down Pipe
Waste Gate
Apexi Oil Overflow Cache
Apexi N1 Exhaust Piping
Custom Throttle Body Piping with SARD BOV
Injen Intake Filter
ARC Intercooler
ARC Airflow Guide
SARD 750CC Fuel Injectors
SARD High Performance Fuel Rail
SARD Fuel Pump
Hyper Dimensions Electronics Controller
Kinectics Battery
HKS 275 Camshafts

Interior
Apexi Turbo Timer + Air Flow Monitor
Defi Gauges and custom gauge pod
Pioneer DVD w/ Touchscreen and 30-pin iPod/iPad interface
Sparco Racing Wheel
Sparco Shift Knob
Sparco 4-point harness (stock belts in pillars)
Sparco harness bar
Stock Recaro Seats
AEM V1 ECU

$28,000 OBO

 

if you want a track car get a evo RS there already light from factory no radio, power window ect.

 

If you are looking for a track car you can definitely get more for the money if you get a 8. $28k is high for a stock motor car but it also has low miles. I bought my RS for wayyy less with 26xxx miles on it but it was fairly stock. It's your choice but you should test drive all models before you purchase if you are undecided. Or test drive that evo and get them to lower the price.

 

Buy an X.

Why spend so much money on a car that's just about ten years old.

Loved my VIII when I had it and looked into a IX before I bought my GSR but prices were definitely not worth it IMO.

 

There are so many things I love about the X and that is why I am on here getting advice. From what I can find it seems replacement parts are going to be high (racing I am going to be breaking things) and I only have about 4k a year to spend including tires. The X weighs more but handles better especially with the S-AWC which the 9 doesn't have. I test drove the evo MR X and liked it but have to go with the manual because those dual clutch transmission are expensive to replace. I am sure that I either want a EVO 9 GSR or RS or the EVO X GSR. Saving money is a big thing but will it weigh out not having the amenities of the X? I like the challenge of the drive but to have the option for S-AWC would be nice but I dont know if I can afford to maintain it.

Sorry for going on forever i'm just torn I wish i could afford to buy both!!

 

4k a year is not enough to race any car. Maybe a few HPDEs but racing isn't going to happen with that budget. As you have mentioned you will be breaking things, do you have a way to trailer the car to and from the track? Also keep in mind insurance does not cover any kind of racing. Even something like timing your laps would prevent you from being covered in the event of an accident. Best advice, be realistic with your goals. Its gonna take a few grand a year just to keep the thing on the streets.