Sell S15 to buy EVOIII?

[qik_shift]

Hello all,

For many years and still until today I am an EVO I-III fan. Many times I have contemplated purchasing one, however I have always been turned off due to lack of parts supply, as this car would replace my daily driven car (currently an S15 200sx).

I know the evo's are wider than a GSR so some panels don't even fit.

So I guess in summary I need the following answers to decide wheter I am going to sell my S15 and buy an early EVO or do further mods to the S15 instead (forged internals, bigger turbo etc.):

- Are there still very clean examples of early model EVO's out there? I want one with clean bodywork and interior but willing to pay for it.

- How are these cars for reliability? My mild s15 has an FMIC, Motec, 740cc injectors, air filter and exhaust and has been perfectly reliable for years!! Would the EVO give me the same kind of experience reliability wise?

- What is parts availability like? Things like panels, unique engine parts with no aftermarket replacements (heads, blocks, valves, manifolds etc.) are important. I can't afford to wait weeks for a part to arrive from Japan!!!!!

I am situated in Melbourne, so anybody who lives in Melbourne with local shop info would be greatly appreciated. I would be willing to travel interstate to buy the right example.

I regret not buying one when I had the opportunity back in 96 when I was in Ballarat and saw an immaculate EVOIII, pulled him on the side of the road and it turned out this person imported EVO's!!!! I wonder if he's still around????

Any info would be great on the above points. I know EVO's are getting on the old side now, but this is one car I feel I have to own some time in my life. The car just does it for me.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[Entaran]

First off...

Yes Phillip is still around in Ballarat, but he doesn't really import evo's anymore.


Point two: Wrong model evo. Any old car (like an e123) will have reliability issues unlike your 2000+ s15. If you want something you can mod and still retain really good reliability, get a e6 or e7. Having said that, most evo's are still reliable.

Finding a genuine e123 is like finding a needle in a haystack. Most are reshelled GSR's. Something you'd probably just have to settle for because those with genuine ones generally won't part with them.

The only evo/gsr panels that "misfit" are the guards/front bar. If you have a frontal collision in an e123 more than likely you'll need more than this but there's at least 4 sets of guards/front bars for sale right now so I suppose nonissue.

You just missed Dinesh's car (PASHN8).. one of the cleanest around. Sold last week.

Parts... see our business directory. You can get anything without exception. Just a matter of where you gotta ship it in from (in aus).

 

[qik_shift]

Yes Phillip is still around in Ballarat, but he doesn't really import evo's anymore.

That's right the guy's name was Phillip and I remember going to his yard too!

Point two: Wrong model evo. Any old car (like an e123) will have reliability issues unlike your 2000+ s15. If you want something you can mod and still retain really good reliability, get a e6 or e7. Having said that, most evo's are still reliable.

Hmmm I thought age was going to be an issue. If the e123 car was to be driven on weekends or I had a backup car in case something goes wrong, then I would have no problems. My rx3 is my weekend car(not selling this beast!) and there's no garage space for a third car!!! The E6789's are nice cars, but my heart was set on an e123.

Finding a genuine e123 is like finding a needle in a haystack. Most are reshelled GSR's. Something you'd probably just have to settle for because those with genuine ones generally won't part with them.

I am sure if I was patient, a good example would come my way. If it took 2 years to find a good example and it was $35,000...I'd buy it.

Parts... see our business directory. You can get anything without exception. Just a matter of where you gotta ship it in from (in aus).

Really I do need fast access to parts (ie. for collection in Melbourne, as the car would be daily driven and i'd be stuffed without a car!

In conclusion, I think I need to let my head jump in front of my heart and stick with the S15. Although a commonish car, it has been great to me. Hopefully the evo X release in '08 is awesome and I purchase one then 8) .

Thanks for your help Entaran

 

[CLuTZ]

Hey, welcome to T4G.

Your making the right decision by going for the E3. They're by far the quickest out of any EVO's in a straight line. There are guys in N.Z who do mid 11 second quarters with stock bottom ends, and stock turbos!!

If your looking for a VERY clean example i'd suggest getting hold of Darren @ AFAS rallysport in croydon, he has one out there for sale. He can also look after you when it comes to servicing/maintenance etc.

Here's a link to to the ad


Parts are alot easier to find for these cars than what they were a year or 2 ago. More and more cars are coming in from japan to be used as parts. There's not much that the sponsors of this club couldn't find you!!! EVO guards DO fit onto GSR's. All panels do AFAIK.

One thing to look out for though if your seriously looking into buying one, is roof rust in the darker darks.

If you have any more questions, dont hesitate to ask!

Goodluck,

dre

 

[Entaran]

By shipping from Aus I mean... shipping in from shepparton (overnight) or from various corners of melb or sydney (also overnight).

The vast majority of Australia's evo-stock is in melb or victoria as a whole. Parts backup is good, but don't expect it to be walk in, pick up, walk out. It will almost always be overnight freight. (unless you live next to Andrew Vibert!)