Evo 8/9 vs 86/87 Turbo Buick mod costs/results

[GoldT]

I work with a guy who is trying to convince me to give up my car and buy an Evo 8/9. He basically claims that the money/power ratio for mods on an Evo beats anything out there. Is there anyone on here that owns or has owned both an Evo and a Turbo Buick, and can tell me their experience?

 

[charlief1]

One of my customers has a WRZ STI and he spent some serious money to get the thing moving. Above the cost of the car he's spent about 5K to make it to the competitive level it is. It is fast and handles great, but it's not a Buick that will go up in value. I know it's not an evo but it's still down the same idea. He's in the low 12's now I believe, but hasn't had it tuned.

 

[turbo39151]

I run a lightly modded wrx and it's quick. I've been in a mildly modded Evo and it was quick as well.
I have some friends that build monster wrx cars and they are CRAZY quick. (Feel like a buick-quick).

I think the Buicks are tried and true and there's tons of ways to make them fast without having to buy all the latest gadgets. With the Evo and WRX, it's not as easy. Yes, they'll handle better but in the long run I think the TR's are faster, easier to work on, and cheaper to make fast.

 

[GoldT]

Honestly, I don't like the look of the Evolution, the 4cyl noise and lack of cruise control. But the 05 I rode in was stupid fast. E85, 30lbs of boost, big turbo, cams, ported head. He claims to have 500hp+ and very little invested.

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[turbo39151]

That doesn't sound like a little investment. Do the same to a TR and I bet it'll be more than 500hp.

 

[trixdout]

To put serious power down on an evo, you need to build the block just like a TR. E85 just provides no knock so a good tune will make stock parts live, just like a TR. WRX STi's currently suck and sucked since 2007 with piston ring failures. You need to build the motor with better pistons and rings to be able to not blow it up on a stock tune. Evo's haven't heard of problems with them. Know of a local guy who has more money invested in his evo than I have invested in my daily (including the actual purchase) and every day something goes wrong on it. But that evo is in the low 600hp club on e85. You have enough money and know how, and you can make any car quick.

The tried and true statement is this..... Quick, Cheap, Reliable. Pick 2 only.

 

[corsair231]

I don't really believe there is a comparison. If you already own a TR and don't own an Evo chances are you won't get enough out of your TR to purchase the Evo. If you do then it is probably already been rode hard and put up wet. Either way for a A1 condition Evo I think you'll have to put a little extra with it. Take the difference you saved by not having to buy the car and put it in the bank. Now to the mods. Part for part, turbo for turbo, machine work for machine work etc, none of it is cheap but I would say that with patience and good shopping skills I think you would garner better deals and prices for Buick stuff but in the end I think it would just about wash each other out. Where I think you may pull ahead with the TR is in the engine management system. Yes, you could go FAST or some other after market system but with a tunable chip like Eric's the factory computer can carry you a long way for probably much less than one tuning session with the Evo.
Everything else being equal you would still have a car that should just continue to go up in value versus a car, that although limited production, will still probably depreciate a lot before it goes back up, if it goes back up. True, the Evo will out handle the TR but remember the money you put in the bank from not buying the Evo. Well take it out and put it into making the Buick handle. I still think you will come out on top.

Oh, there's one other thing with the TR. No one will ever look at it and think there goes another ricer.

 

[GoldT]

Thanks for the reply corsair231. I never intended to sell my tr. I bought it in 98 for $4k and have run a best of 12.98 at 20lbs of boost on street tires, with just intake, exhaust, chip, and race gas(it came with fmic, bigger turbo, and blue tops). So high 12's for about $5k total isn't bad. I guess there's no point in trying to convince an Evolution enthusiast who has 5 times more invested in their car, that a tr is a better investment.

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[Chuck Leeper]

No amt of mods/money will remove the stigma of even being seen in a rice burner!

 

[bison]

Don't be fooled. It takes a lot of $$$ to fly with an Evo just like a TR. the difference is if an Evo owner wants to go fast they usually know they are spending several thousand if not $10-20k in mods. A TR owner expects to run 9's on 93/alky, expects it cheap, and wants it to last forever. If someone handed me a stock turbo regal and handed me $5000 I know exactly what I'd do and what I wouldn't based on making the quickest pass with the $$$ and or building it for reliability. Big difference. It would be in the 10's for $5000 if it was a solid car to start and reliability wasn't a deal breaker.


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[TurboTnZ06]

Money for power mods? No, the bargain of the century is get high mile 01 Corvette Z06, drop a supercharger, alky, tune, clutch, tires, go fast, handle well and look good.