2003 evo purchase question and concern
Jan 9, 2010, 12:39 PM
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2003 evo purchase question and concern
went to purchase a blue 2003 evo this morning and its not what i was expecting at all, i have a few questions but first i'll tell you what my intentions are. my purchase didnt have to be in perfect condition, i stumbled upon this sale on craigslist which was fine by me. its was listed for $12500 with 73000k on it. so i was a bit skeptical. pictures looked legit so i drove out to take a look. the exterior of the car was very decent, hardly any blemishes, the only concern i had was with the front bumper. it was a "rap around bumper" (at least thats what he called it). i came out farther than a stock bumper i'm assuming because it didn't bolt up to the front mount.. beyond that the engine wasnt very clean it looked like a kid had tried to mod this for a low cost. hks bov (non recirculating) and a bit of an oil drip coming from a small circular filter on the side of the valve cover. aftermarket hard piping for inlet and front mount. the ac wasnt hooked up because it was missing a hose on the left side of engine bay. i was also informed that the heat did not work because the nob didnt turn to the hot (red) setting on the bezel.
and finally the interior was pretty dirty. just a case of neglect. i'm confident i could turn most of this around and make this car nice again but just wanetd to get everyones opinion. i have a s-10 pick up that is in awesome condition that hes taking in trade as well so my total cost for this 03 is 10,000! which in m eyes is a steal even if i hae to fixe a could problems. i have an appointment monday with a local mitsu dealer so they can check the car over before i buy it. i took some pictures which i'll post here in a minute. any input would be great!
and finally the interior was pretty dirty. just a case of neglect. i'm confident i could turn most of this around and make this car nice again but just wanetd to get everyones opinion. i have a s-10 pick up that is in awesome condition that hes taking in trade as well so my total cost for this 03 is 10,000! which in m eyes is a steal even if i hae to fixe a could problems. i have an appointment monday with a local mitsu dealer so they can check the car over before i buy it. i took some pictures which i'll post here in a minute. any input would be great!
Jan 9, 2010, 01:37 PM
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Yeah.. To me its sounds like the guy is part lazy.. He knew you were coming to look at the car to buy and couldn't even clean the interior?? He might have been lazy and did a hack job on everything else he did..
Jan 9, 2010, 02:01 PM
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some pics..
i know for a fact this guy was lazy and didnt take car of the car but i also know that i can probably make the inside of this car shine like new. what i'm worried about is the engine.. and for 10k or maybe less if i talk him down with all the repairs it needs. if the engine is solid i figured i could work with the rest. but like i said i'm confused and excited to get this car. a couple things i forgot to mention were the oil light was fading in and out durring my test drive, and at about 4500 rpms the car hesitate badly, like there was an air leak. but i think these things are all simple fixes that could be taken care of with a little time and effort. if i'm off my rocker and need to keep looking then by all means let me know but its just hard having the cash in hand ready to buy an evo.. if you know the feeling..
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Jan 9, 2010, 04:23 PM
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Exterior looks alright from the pictures, the interior looks a little neglected (considering the price of these cars new, that would be a red flag for me regarding how he might have treated the engine). That engine bay looks like he's been driving a snow plow on the front through winter season or it has been parked at the bottom of a inlet somewhere.
Any pics of the bumper aside from what you got?
The oil leak from the breather is minor, the interior can be cleaned or even replaced for a reasonable fee. Waxes and rubbing compounds work wonders.
I would worry about the performance concerns that you mentioned. Get it checked out by a qualified mechanic (I mean a qualified perfromance mechanic, not your buddy at the local Mineke shop).
Don't buy it without checking the compression (data log it on a test run for good measure)...you have been warned.
Good luck
Any pics of the bumper aside from what you got?
The oil leak from the breather is minor, the interior can be cleaned or even replaced for a reasonable fee. Waxes and rubbing compounds work wonders.
I would worry about the performance concerns that you mentioned. Get it checked out by a qualified mechanic (I mean a qualified perfromance mechanic, not your buddy at the local Mineke shop).
Don't buy it without checking the compression (data log it on a test run for good measure)...you have been warned.
Good luck
Jan 9, 2010, 06:52 PM
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There is definitely somthing up with that front bumper. Have you gotten a car fax on it? I would be interested to find out what the history is (even though, typically the carfax report wont accurately reflect the history of the car, but you never know what you may find).
Jan 9, 2010, 07:01 PM
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yea i pulled the car fax and it seemed to be clean 3 owners. the guy he bought it from, himself he transfered it into his daughters name making it 3 total. no accidents. just sketchball. haha
if anyone is interested i can give contact info for the car the gy will go 10k or lower all day , hes about to sell it to carmax.
if anyone is interested i can give contact info for the car the gy will go 10k or lower all day , hes about to sell it to carmax.
Jan 9, 2010, 07:07 PM
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Looks like the bumper doesnt line up with the radiator support on the left look theirs a gap... I would assume its been in sometype of wreck.
Check for
Fender bolts being turned/ missing paint on them
vin stickers inside the fenders
Hood gaps.
Has it had the timing belt done?
Also check if its a clean title car not a salvage 10g is cheap though
Check for
Fender bolts being turned/ missing paint on them
vin stickers inside the fenders
Hood gaps.
Has it had the timing belt done?
Also check if its a clean title car not a salvage 10g is cheap though
Jan 9, 2010, 10:09 PM
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one or the other thing going on here..first the bumper doesnt seem to line up with the radiator support and the radiator support color seems a lot fresher that the color on the bumper. OR the reason the car is dirty is because some people DO use these cars as daily drivers not everyone treats them as garage queens so i wouldn't worry about the dirty engine and dirt interior. The bumper is fine its just the mesh grill missing thats why it looks funky...BUT i would def look on every body pane and make sure all the vin numbers on each part match, and look very carefull around the engine bay, for sign of engine swap.