Topic: Switching my Drivetrain

[Jrdn2]

I recently purchased ad Mitsubishi Lancer GTS (2009). And I've looked over the Evo X's etc. and Since my GTS isn't AWD I'd like to make the switch. (You ask why I didn't just get the ralliart or evo, well insurance and financial reasons as well)I was wondering if it will be just like I think it will. Take the drivetrain etc. from the Evo X and put it on my GTS along with anything I need and make my GTS an AWD car. Costing me around 5-7k.... Can anyone tell me if it sounds reasonable, give me a more exact price range or let me know any other details etc. for my GTS? Thanks!

[TheArtofRalli]

Do you know a specialty shop that will do this kind of work? Do you have the ability to be without your car for an extended period of time? If you didnt have the finances to purchase a Ralliart or Evo are you sure you have the finances to cover this project along with having a buffer of another 5 grand or so to deal with any problems that might arise during the project? Is there a reason you need the car to be AWD other than just wanting it to be?

If you can answer yes to all of those first then you should go for it if thats what you truly want. The next problem is finding a donor car which I doubt you will see for a while. You might have better luck looking for a donor Evo 8 or 9 and seeing if that can be fitted.

So lets say you buy the parts straight from Mitsubishi somehow brand new. Thatll cost a ton...I cant even imagine how much. So then lets say you find a donor Evo 8 or 9 that someone is getting rid of. Lets be generous and say the car only had 60k miles on it. So then you are spending up to 10 grand to swap everything around so that your car now has AWD that may or may not have problems at any possible time. You dont know how the last owner treated their car. You could get another 100k out of it or it might die in another 10k. Then you need to swap your original 2WD back in, swap more donor parts in to replace what went bad, or just buy a new car.

You would probably have much more fun doing an engine swap or getting your car turbo'd

[hadeswolf]

I say its way too expensive. And not worth it because you will be losing power and your GTS will be even slower than it already is.

[stefan.bounket]

I know there was a guy taht swapped the AWD system from an endeavour (i think) and turned his 2004-2006 RA into pretty much an Evo IX. Took forever and cost a tonne.

If you're doing it just to have AWD, save your money and get an RA or Evo X when you can afford the jump in insurance. If you're doing it because you love your car and love working on it and this will give you more of a feeling of bonding with your car... i say go for it. But like TheArtOfRalli said, make sure you have enough money to do it in the first place and also enough money to fund any problems.

I can't give you any exact prices..... but im guessing the system itself would cost your range of 5-7k and then you'd be paying another... maybe 2k+ to get it installed and everything. Unless you're doing it yourself that is.

[Nunyas]

I know there was a guy taht swapped the AWD system from an endeavour (i think) and turned his 2004-2006 RA into pretty much an Evo IX. Took forever and cost a tonne.

If you're doing it just to have AWD, save your money and get an RA or Evo X when you can afford the jump in insurance. If you're doing it because you love your car and love working on it and this will give you more of a feeling of bonding with your car... i say go for it. But like TheArtOfRalli said, make sure you have enough money to do it in the first place and also enough money to fund any problems.

I can't give you any exact prices..... but im guessing the system itself would cost your range of 5-7k and then you'd be paying another... maybe 2k+ to get it installed and everything. Unless you're doing it yourself that is.

I say 5-7k is low balling the price of the drive train.  If you're buying it "new" it'll easily be 10k+....  If you're lucky enough to find a totaled RA or EvoX as donor car you might spend 5 to 7K just for the donor car, then you'd have to replace any parts that got broken in what ever totaled the car.  A RA donor car is the ideal car to use for this swap because it has the same track width as our base Lancers.  An EvoX would also require you to swap the fenders because of the wider track.  Swapping the front fenders might be easy, but the rears would require a LOT of work at a body shop.  If you wait 4 or 5 years to start the swap, it'll be a lot less expensive to do because totaled RAs and EvoXs will have come down in price a huge amount.

[blackgts]

not to be am a*, but DUMB idea! buy an Evo or RA. either one will give you AWD AND MORE POWER

[Nunyas]

and it'll cost less money to "build" .....

[stefan.bounket]

nunyas, 5-7k for the set up in my previous post was meant as taking it from a junk yard kinda thing. not brand new. I completely agree that brand new would be much more since there are so many parts involved

He also doesnt want to buy an Evo or RA because of the insurance costs on it. People... read it through.. cmon... (yes, the swap will cost alot too but i think overall he'd be saving. because it'd be cheaper than buying an evo or ra AND his insurance doesnt go up)

[Jrdn2]

Understandable.  I was just getting the input of some of the other intelligent people here on the forums. I have to wait a minimum of 3 years as of insurance reasons and I have other financial things such as school etc. I'm dealing with. But, my other question is should I mod the engine out and do my work with it and make it a first car. (talkin about reenforcing, and turboing etc.) or I was contemplating just keeping it not modding it at all and then in 3-5 years trading in for an Evo X for the AWD Turbo and all the other benefits. But I was just curious what I could get for some of the estimates etc. Thanks for your help. Anything I should look into as far as engine mods etc. I've got my own ideas I've been looking into but once again I'm just curios to hear from other people based on possibly result etc. Thanks again.

[John D.]

Finish school, get a good job, go buy whatever you want

[fox8189]

I was going through the same thing recently...and went to my mechanic and posted and topic here and its definately a no go.....just trade it in eventually for a RA or Evo. I got lucky...my wife wants my lancer so shes trading her car for me next year!! 

[LogicGTS]

Here's the final question that I didn't notice anyone throw up.

Is the piping beneath the car even the same to allow a rear drive shaft and differential to be put in?

If not, your talking modidying the rear suspension, new gas tank (if on the RA's and Evo's the tank is molded around the driveshaft as it sometime is with RWD/AWD cars) and then some.

Does anyone know if the RA's tranny will fit up to a regular lancer? And I'm not just talking about the obvious engine part..

[webzes]

Here's the final question that I didn't notice anyone throw up.

Is the piping beneath the car even the same to allow a rear drive shaft and differential to be put in?

If not, your talking modidying the rear suspension, new gas tank (if on the RA's and Evo's the tank is molded around the driveshaft as it sometime is with RWD/AWD cars) and then some.

Does anyone know if the RA's tranny will fit up to a regular lancer? And I'm not just talking about the obvious engine part..

i dont think so.. i may be wrong.. but i think the pipes on the evo/ralliart run down the passenger side of the car and bend around everything.. but im not 100% sure

[fox8189]

yeah, ive talked to my mechanic....you have to redo almost EVERYTHING.....(waste of money....well, not waste of money...just go buy an evo kind of money) lol