Need some car advice

[AutoEuphoria]

OK...I'm probably going to sound like a dumbass on this one, but please bear with me.

I'm almost done with school...this semester should be my last, and then it'll be time to start the career, meaning I will more than likely need to move somewhere. Now this is where it gets a little messy.
For those of you who don't know me, I own two cars at the moment...a daily driver (05 Scion xA) and a 00 Turbo ITR that I drive around when it's nice outside.
Now, if I'm going to have to move somewhere I'm not going to take two cars, nor am I going to pay to store one car until I can find a house. I'm probably going to either be living in an apartment or a small condo at first, neither of which will have space for two cars. On top of that, I really just want to get down to one so I can have ONE insurance bill and ONE registration bill to worry about. I'm getting tired of paying insurance and crap on a car I never drive. So, I've been trying to think of solutions:
I am looking for a car I can drive all year round...something I can drive in the hot weather and the cold weather, and still be fun. I've thought a lot about it, and have decided that going back to the Evolution would probably be a very good choice. It has plenty of cargo room, plus room to fit more than 2 people comfortably. That being said, someone has offered me their 2003 Evo with some really good mods, brand new paint job (a very dark red from Porsche and clear coat), wheels, etc as a trade.
My two cars are worth apporoximately $30 - $32000 combined. This car is probably worth around $28,000. If he were to pay the balance, or pay, say $2000 plus deliver the car to me (he lives down south) would this be a good trade? What are your thoughts? The car has a brand new transmission and turbo, and hasn't been driven hard since he got it. It has 50,000 miles on it, which is a little high, but all of them are from commuting from school and back. Like I said it has brand new paint (literally finished this week), and it will come with the following mods:
- Brand new transmission and clutch (stock clutch)
- Brand new turbo (stock turbo)
- Varis FRP Fenders w/ CF Air Guides (10mm wider)
- Stock 04 Headlights
- 15% tint on all side/rear windows, 30% on windshield (tint will be removed)
- Custom done EvoVII Tails
- 18x9.5 5Zigen FN01RC Bronze wheels +35mm offset w/ Rays Aluminum Lugs
- 255/35/18 KDW2s w/ ~85% tread
- Megan Racing Springs
- Megan Racing Turboback, Test Pipe, Turbo Manifold and 02 housing
- HKS 272s
- Vishnu Cam Gears
- Buschur Deluxe FMIC w/ licp, uicp and mini battery kit
- Blitz DD BOV and 1st Gen Crushed BOV
- Walbro 255L/h
- NGK step colders
- Samco Radiator Hoses
- Vishnu X-Flash
- BLITZ FATT turbo timer
- Stoptech Stage 2
Also get:
-Stock manifold
-Stock 02 housing
-Stock IC and upper/lower piping
-extra set of floor mats (the evolution VIII ones and the normal mitsu ones)
-stock exhaust/downpipe/cat if i can find it at my buddies house...which might prove difficult.
-stock cams/cam gears/fuel pump if you want them
-extra set of foglight bulbs for the headlights
-stock springs

He ran a 12.42 @112 on 93 octane w/ only the reflash and the turboback w/ testpipe, so the car with the new mods should run mid-high 11s. It's also been professionally tuned by the owner of Vishnu to have perfect AFRs and no boost spiking or creeping. It should also make for a decent daily driver, with nothing too crazy like a cage or harnesses or rediculous power to make it a PITA for every day driving.

Here are some pics of the painting process...the engine bay HAS been painted and I'm going to get updated pics soon.

So what do you think? It would allow me to own ONE car that would be fun to drive everyday in any weather condition, plus maintain functionality and some decent gas mileage (not 32 like the Scion, but somewhere around 22-25mpg). I won't be driving as much as I have been either, when school's over. It will cost as much as or less than the two cars I have now to insure, cost 1/2 as much to register one car as opposed to two, and I only have to fill one gas tank. I would still be able to haul around 5 people, like the scion, and still be able to fit a good amount of stuff in the trunk. It will be as fast as if not faster than the Integra and handle better too. It will cost more to fuel up and there won't be a warranty, but if I drive it like I drive everything else (like a pussy, I admit) then I shouldn't run into many problems anyway.
The reason I want to TRADE the cars is because I know that if I tried to sell them, I wouldn't be able to get what I think they are worth. If I can trade them for something I know has a value equal to what I value them to be then I know I'm getting a good deal.

So VOTE, and please explain your choice. I really apprecate it!

 

[TyraNSX]

Sell both cars, get a used Subaru cheap (AWD, can haul people & stuff, won't get stuck in snow), save up & buy a house. Wait a few years, then buy the hot car of your dreams. Do a search, this question has been asked repeatedly in one form or another and always comes back with pretty much what I just wrote. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ashman]

You only live once, if you want the Evo DO IT

 

[AutoEuphoria]

I understand both sides, and appreciate the input. The guy has accepted my offer so pending pictures I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it. I just think it's a better decision. I don't really want to buy an older car...and I don't want to go down as far as performance. I would like to keep the Evo as a Daily driver later on and buy an NSX for a fun car, but a house is more important than 2 cars...I also won't mind living in an appartment for a while.

 

[OneRedNSX]

what would be the difference in insurance costs if you were to put the ITR on some sort of 'infrequently driven' policy, ditched the scion, and bought a nice older legend sedan or accord or something?

I can't imagine the evo insurance being all that cheap...

 

[AutoEuphoria]

Yeah, but then i'd still be dealing with two cars, which I don't want to do. I just wanted ONE good all-around car. I had an Evo before, and insurance wasn't too bad...it was bad when I had to pay for both the xA and the Evo together, but the Evo's wasn't all that bad by itself...definitely manageable, and definitely around the same price or lower than what I'm currently paying now.

 

[zahntech]

I have worked on everything from Ferrari 512TRs to Hyundai Excels in the last 16 years and if you were to choose a sports compact car the WRX STI is the only option IMO...JZ

 

[4AU4LIFE]

why is it being total repaint? accident?
why all the new parts? trans, clutch, turbo,etc.?
sounds like this car has been driven HARD !!!!

 

[AutoEuphoria]

if you were to choose a sports compact car the WRX STI is the only option IMO...JZ

I drove an STI and Evo before buying my last Evo (I owned a RR Evo VIII before the ITR) and from personal experience I couldn't disagree more. The STI looks a little nicer and feels nicer on the inside, but the Evo has a more muscular feel, handles better, and is easier to work on (not a fan of the boxster).

why is it being total repaint? accident?
why all the new parts? trans, clutch, turbo,etc.?
sounds like this car has been driven HARD !!!!

Sorry, I know I left a few things out.
He ran it at the track when he first got it (with just the exhaust and reflash). He was the second owner of the car. He heard a whine from the TC and decided to get the turbo and transmission replaced under warranty. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind the turbo (I'll have to ask him that, thanks!). He does know that the original owner beat on it a little, and suspects this is where the transmissoin whine was coming from. He then had his car keyed and backed into in the same night (crazy, but true...saw the thread). It damaged the front left side of the car, mostly the front end, headlight, and fender (which is why it has the Varis fenders and new headlights now). He paid his deductable and insurance paid for the rest, and he decided to get it painted a different color. It was a complete panel-off paintjob...everything visible was painted...door jams, under hood, trunk, outside, etc. I'm sure he has run it hard...we all do...but he hasn't with the new parts (which aren't on yet...he's getting a reflash from Vishnu next week when he goes back home, then having the new parts put on). He was straight forward and answered all of my questions promptly. I think his run at the track was just a fun thing...like when I took the ITR to the track...and that he normally drives very reasonably (like me)...this is what he's telling me, anyway, and I am a little skeptical, but I also don't have to make any decision until I actually see the car in person. Thanks for the input!

Part of one of the PMs I got from him:

when i felt that the spark plugs were going, i replaced them w/ the NGKs from Vishnu, the fuel filter was replaced about 7000 miles ago and it should probably be replaced after the next oil change(last oil change was 100 miles ago). The turbo and tranny are amazing, they always were fine, i just got them to replace those too, probably because the dealership was a little behind on their Evo tech . i heard a whine from the TC which is why i took the car in for warranty, at the time i just took off my exhaust and put the stock one back on so my only mod was the bov and ecu and mitsu honored it like it had just come off the lot, i had a PERFECT experience with them.

So far he's been very straight forward with me, answered every question I have given him both through PMs and through AIM quickly and thoroughly...I mean, I'm always maintaining a bit of skepticism, especially in deals like this (this would be the 3rd trade I've done), but he's been one of the most thorough and genuinely honest (seeming) person I've dealt with so far.

 

[zahntech]

I drove an STI and Evo before buying my last Evo (I owned a RR Evo VIII before the ITR) and from personal experience I couldn't disagree more. The STI looks a little nicer and feels nicer on the inside, but the Evo has a more muscular feel, handles better, and is easier to work on (not a fan of the boxster).
:

Humm..easy to work on?...I can have the entire motor out of an STI in 38mins.

Timing belt takes about 25mins doesn't get much easier than that..:smile:

 

[AutoEuphoria]

Yes...but that's you You are obviously more mechanically inclined than I am...I prefer to work on the I4s