2005 Mitsubishi Evo VIII

Look for non-OEM parts on it, listen for odd drivetrain noises (ticking lifters, whine of death from the transfer case, gear grinding, etc). If it was modified - and it's near impossible to find an unmolested Evo at this point - you then have to wonder a) if the owner beat on it, and b) if the previous owner knew what they were doing when they modified it. Shady parts, shoddy shops, and boosting power while not upgrading parts that'll take the extra power, can all lead to problems that'll eventually pop up and yet aren't easy to spot. When you find a car, your best bet is to go to EvolutionM.net and post up asking if anyone knows the history of the car (probably best to do that in the Regional section of the forums). Usually someone will know the history of the car and can share what they know about it.