Evolución7

We've all been agonizing over this question regardless of EVO version, I know I am as I'm presently in the market for a reliable daily driver. Love the car, however how can a buyer trust they're not getting a lemon /salvage / mod to stock for sale /'clean' title? I appreciate a reliable build with quality parts however after reading numerous horror stories of enthusiasts purchases where within days /weeks there was a mechanical failure requiring repeated repairs causing financial hardship and ultimately a rebuild or sale of their prized 1st EVO, it is quite discouraging for the first time buyer like myself. In the end can you really trust anyone other than a reputable dealer of a stock EVO? Like others I remain skeptical about buying a modded EVO. I would truly appreciate guidance from the experts with this vehicle on the forum on the pitfalls and benefits of owning another enthusiasts built EVO otherwise I'm going to feel the best bet is always to go for a stock version from a dealer at a premium and do the build myself. Not to mention insurance rates for a built EVO. In anticipation of your insights.

sujinX

iTrader: (22)

easy, look to buying an evo that the owner DAILY DROVE. no one daily drives a lemon.
i'm sure u have noticed that many evo's for sale are those that have just built their motors with a few k miles. why? well im sure u know why.
only look for mods consisting of suspension and that sort. any major engine mods are questionable.
quality parts are good but quality has to be paired with good tuning.
also dont be so sure that a dealer HAS a stock evo. anyone can mod then de-mod and trade in to dealership.
of course everyone has their own opinion.

theres nothing wrong with rebuilt or salvage title cars. just look at the reason for that title.
some are from theft which is nothing compared to a wrecked one.

Biggiesacks

If your new to the evo you need to pair up with a knowledgeable third party regardless of who is selling the car. Try and locate a reputable shop that specializes in Evo's or at least similar platforms so you can have them do a pre-purchase inspection on any vehicle you are serious about purchasing. The couple hundred bucks you will pay will be money well spent. The evo being what it is, you will have to just assume that it is a can of worms until otherwise verified.

kaj

iTrader: (60)

it's a crap shoot. i don't know anyone that ever babied their evo before selling.
personally, i stay away from car with built engines. not re-built. but just built with forged internals, etc. i've had nothing but bad experiences with them. Let say I’ve never seen one go 100k miles like an OEM engine will.
These cars are pretty tough. I beat the crap out of mine, but it’s hanging in there just fine.
Bottom line is, you never know. All you can do is check it out best you can. I do a comp test on every car I buy along with wearing dirty clothes to get under it. I put it on a rack, if there is a place close enough. Mods or not mods.. as mentioned above “100% stock” could have been heavily modded the day before. None of it really means anything.

Ev0ikon

iTrader: (18)

Stock cars are like VS models without their make ups. So it's up to you. Do you like them plain/fresh-facd or decked out like it's their lingerie show?

SmurfZilla

iTrader: (33)

I baby my car because I dont want to break anything. I have Ohlin's suspension and never went to a track. I have a 650+ HP monster and I drive the speed limit. I have a race clutch in a car I daily drive.

LOL. I dont know why.

njboy

iTrader: (1)

Because you can and there is nothing wrong with that.

Jonno99

dont think about modded v original, just go and look at alot of them, make sure you let the owner take you for a drive see how he treats it and talks about it, ask about maintenance and how its looked after, you will get a feel on who slams their car and who doesnt.....soon you will find some **** guy like I did who wouldnt rev it over 4 grand in traffic and wouldnt even let me take it for a test drive which means he wouldnt let anyone else take it for a drive too, this was and still is the best Evo I have seen but I payed a bit more for it ok. It has a basic tune and pipe with filter. But those mods are in the standard range nothing to big to make it un reliable so just get out there and meet the people

B Roharik

if it has slight mods it wont be bad but definitely look for stock if you want to enjoy building the car for yourself. if it is built I would trust the car if the work was done by a known shop/tuner and has the paper work. I think paper work is very important to see in these cars and helps a little bit to feel confident in your purchase. also get a carfax and a shop to look over the car if that's possible for you. it took me a year to find the right one. there's definitely quality evos still out there. take your time and don't go for a car you aren't confident in.

SmurfZilla

iTrader: (33)

Assume at this point any evo you are looking at has been modded. Sellers aren't always honest. And if you arent familiar you wont be able to tell if its had a different turbo set up, head/valve cover has come off.

The scammers far outweigh the good sellers. Go into any transaction for an evo assuming its been modded and make sure you have someone check out EVERYTHING. You are rolling the dice otherwise.

Evolución7

Brilliant advice! Thank you all for sharing your insights and personal experiences; these will prove fruitful when making the ultimate buying decision.

nemsin

iTrader: (19)

IMO, replacing stock parts with better than OEM is always a good thing. Sadly, this is not how all people "mod" their cars.

Evolución7

Sacrilege if you ruin stock with anything less than quality parts installed by a reputable EVO shop. Couldn't agree more. Either you do it right or don't do the EVO a disservice.

Evolución7

Meant to comment on this before, my sentiments exactly!

kaj

iTrader: (60)

To be honest, there's not a lot of parts that are better than OEM.