Do what you want with your car. All I'm saying is that when I see person looking for a tt they usually ask first for low mileage stock. I don't particularly care what you do to your car or how many miles you put on it.

 

No I wasn't trying to be an a$$, I was being serious. Because I want a 2015 and if really low milage makes THAT big a difference then that's good to know.

 

For the good stories, there are also plenty of bad stories. Cars with mods that have become instant problems for the new owner. APR is not a huge Porsche tuner, much bigger in VW and Audi. Over revs from the DME will tell a big story on this one. High mileage means that things will fail even on a stock car. Beyond the motor issue, check brakes, tires and suspension components. Car has springs, but no shocks? The shocks and struts are probably worn out. Keep in mind you usually get what you pay for and you don't want to buy someone else's problems. Also, ALWAYS meter the paint. I made the mistake once and i won't do it again. Low mileage modded car, maybe, high mileage, I would pass.

 

I can't say that you should fear a modded car, but it seems that a PPI would be advisable.
And apologies in advance if this is OT, but my indy claims that the preferred cars to purchase, are the stock, unmodified vehicles. He says that in the umpteen years that he has been in business, he recommends stock vehicles when asked for purchase advice.

Good luck in your search and purchase.

 

If you modify something the chance of something going wrong is going to increase, nobody is going to argue with that. If you are willing to deal with the potential headaches because you want the extra power then it's actually a good deal to buy a used modified car because the seller usually only gets a small percentage on what they actually spent on the modifications. Once you set your mind to getting a used modified car then a PPI is essential. Not only will the mechanic thoroughly check out the car but you will also get a dme report(over rev report) which will show how hard the engine was run.

Personally I would not consider a car with an engine modified beyond an ecu tune. I've been modifying cars for decades and I've modified cars to lvls far beyond stock and what I learned is that if the car is not close to the performance you want when it's stock then maybe you need to find a different car.

 

This topic has been beating death, some like it stock and some like to mod to their liking. If you mod your car, make sure you have documentation to back up your progress and future sale. You really can't sell a mod car and not knowing what you or prior owner did. Personally if the mod has been done by professional shop with reputation parts/equipment I prolly would buy it. I wouldn't buy cheap mods or undocumented modded cars.

 

Fear a car with new rims and tyres. To me, thats a give away of a tracked car. Other than that, Minor Mods make the car more enjoyable. I love how some people shy away from modded cars, yet I know so many who mod and beat the crap out of cars, then put them back to stock, throw new rims and tyres on and call the car babied and sell them for lots of $$$$$
. LOL

 

I can offer my personal opinion here - I'm sure most on this forum will agree with the following...

In most cases real enthusiasts are on forums like this, and as such there is complete history of the vehicle you may need in determining the type of questions and problems the owner has had with the car. If they don't want to provide that (or don't have it) then the next step would be to ask for all the service and parts records.

For every component I have added, I have spent considerable time researching it. Hence on that note, if I knew the complete provenance of the car and the owner, would I be interested in buying it, absolutely.

My car as an example, would I buy it - in a second. Would I be selling it, absolutely not!

Which opens up an interesting question. If they "loved" this car, why are they selling?
Personally, my car, and the time and money I have invested into it is PERFECT.
Would I want to part with it. Absolutely not!
...actually I see my kids owning it one day.

So why are they selling?
Or was this a passing hobby for an owner, that didn't work out quite right and now its on the selling block.

 

Short answer - YES (although that fear can be quickly overcome with a complete set of service/maintenance records and a list of modded parts accompanied with which shop did the work).

I can't speak for other but the primary reason why I bought a stock car was that (1) modifications are very personal decisions and I spend quite a bit of time researching the mods I want to do (which tune, which exhaust, to do's or not to do's such as IPD plenum, Y-pipe, suspension mods [who to choose Bilstein vs. KW]- etc). Unless I've done my research beforehand and know exactly which mods I would want on my car, buying a modded car would require me to rely on the prior owner's tastes and judgement! (2) certain mods (specifically engine mods) accelerate wear and tear on certain parts which isn't a deal breaker on its own but why complete service/maintenance records would be critical to me.

 

Is all about who owned it and how it was run.
I've seen some good ones and some really bad ones

 

Very useful info here. Thanks. The dealer didn't reply to my query about who makes the turbo, clutch and wheels. That's a bad sign and I'm not going to bother.