Hello all,

I'm new to the forum life and just getting acquainted to how this world works. I was wondering if anyone in the community could shed some light on a few questions. I currently own an 05 Mustang GT and want to make the jump to something else. My budget is around 25k and it seems like an Evo is something I would thoroughly enjoy.

What I am looking for:

1. Awd
2. Turbo
3. Jdm
4. Tuning potenital
5. Daily driver
6. Reliable/affordable (ish)
7. Trackable

Questions

1. Import or buy a USDM?
   1. Is importing more afforable
   2. If importing is more affordable what would be a good evo to buy, 4?
2. What is the worth of an evo ballpark at different mileage milestones (50k,100k, 150k etc.)?
3. How long will an evo last if properly maintained before it outweighs the cost of a new 8 or 9?

I appreciate any advise and look forward to learning more about evo ownership.

 

It will last as long as you are willing to pay for the maintenance. Skimp out, go cheap and you will just hurt yourself in the long run. You can run her hard, but again, just gotta pay for the maintenance if you want it to be reliable. Plenty of guys here track their car and they have lasted.

 

25k will get you a decent 9. RHD cars take some getting used to for a daily and passing on highway will always be a little extra dodgy, so import...meh(or crank up your budget and get a LHD 6 from Europe).
Do you do your own maintenance?

 

When I had a Bigger turbo EVO 8 with over 540whp stuff would break all the time!!
My full bolt on EVO X with over 170000 miles is the most reliable fast car I ever owned!

 

Welcome to the Forums.

If you can find a stock /stockish car its nice to start with a clean canvas and paint the picture you want. I would lean towards the evo 9 since it has mivec, nicer seats and an ACD for better handling. Clean stock cars will go from 20-40K depending on mileage. I recently drove a 30K mile car and it felt much tighter then my 108K mile car. However even a high mileage car has a great steering feel and will be fun to drive.

These cars are trackable with minimal mods but the consumables add up over time. Plenty of tuning potential but go with someone with a long running track record. Here are some power numbers.
A stock evo9 makes about 250whp on a dynojet. If you add Full exhaust and have it tuned on 93 it will make 330whp or so. Add in I/C and lower I/C piping and it will make 340-350whp on 93.

Add E85, bigger injectors (ID1300) fuel pump and it will make 400/400 and be alot of fun. You could drive a well maintained and tuned car for years like that. Adding a bolt on turbo like an Fp red will make 500whp on E85. That is the sweet spot for a reliable daily IMO.

Here are a few links that may be helpful.
A creampuff just sold on BAT.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...olution-ix-33/

 

Pricing is all over the place for these cars so hopefully you have a friend who knows and can help you out. Common listings:

1) "I want it gone ASAP because things in my life changed, got bored, etc." While the reason for selling could be legit, it could also be the car is so FUBAR, they want someone else to take over their problem. Average pricing similar to other listings depending on actual condition of the car.

2) "Car runs and drives great, but has the following problems...". There are likely more problems than is listed and you better proceed with caution. Ask for compression/leakdown numbers, condition of the clutch/tranny/rear diff, and other items known to cost $$$ to fix. Pricing is usually below comparable listings due to the problems.

3) "Over $80k invested". Usually they want money for their mods and the car is priced higher than comparable listings. The car may be fully caged with removed a/c, power steering, abs, and other things that would usually be nice for a daily street car. Finding any stock parts remaining on the car is next to impossible. "Track only" means you will only be driving it on weekends (at best)....and forget about any state inspection, you ain't passing it lol.

4) "Relatively stock with minor ..." . IMO, this is the sweet spot for many buyers. The seller has done the mods (FBO) you probably would have opted for and spent money on anyways. Even if they tack some of that onto the price of the car, it is *usually* not too unreasonable. This is the average selling price you see for most Evo out there.

5) "Completely bone stock". You found a unicorn and it will be priced very high (if low mileage). Or the seller is lying and it is a "return to stock" car, in which case your friend who knows about Evo's will have to poke around the car for signs of previously alterations.

As you can see, it is a pain finding the right one, but good luck in the search!

 

^ Sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent above and ignored your questions. I would suggest USDM over importing, due to federal laws only the oldest Evo's are eligible. They had significant improvements over the generations, and having a RHD on US roads is not ideal. From what I have seen, the costs of importing cars is not any cheaper than buying a USDM car. Given your budget of $25k and the listings I have seen, you could be looking at a bolt on Evo 9 with mileage under 100k miles, or any Evo 8 except maybe the fully built ones. In terms of how long an Evo will last, that is very hard to answer especially if it has been tinkered on by many people and shops. Even with all maintenance receipts, it does not prove repairs were done correctly, or how the car was driven/beat on.