I'll second that recommendation for the TBR bumper set. It's the first thing you should buy for your Evader. The second thing would be this hinge pin brace, it's only $3. It'll keep you from ripping out your front A-arms and front bulkhead if you clip a tree or post. The third thing would be a new servo, the stock one doesn't last long. Just about any servo with metal gears will work fine. I've used cheap $15 servos from HobbyPartz.com and they've lasted years.

The weakest point on the Evader is the front "hinge" that connects the front bulkhead to the front of the chassis. If you hit something hard, chances are that's where it's gonna break. About the only thing you can do about that, again, is the TBR bumper. The aluminum bulkhead has been discontinued.

That's about all you need if your Evader is staying stock, that is, brushed motor, NiMh batteries.

If you're going brushless, like most folks, there are a few more things you'll need to do to so it'll stand up to the power. And speaking of power, the Evader is a light car, only 3.5lbs, so you don't need to put a 120Amp system with a 550-sized motor in it. (There IS such a thing as too much, unless you're just doing speed runs) IMHO, the HobbyWing EZrun B2 Combo is the best fit for the Evader, in power and weight. This system will power your Evader to 40mph on 2S Lipo with enough torque to get you wheelies on asphalt and plenty of power in the dirt. I found, using an IR thermometer that changing the stock 20T pinion to 19T kept the motor temp in the "good" range. You don't want you motor to run too hot (160F+) or it'll damage magnets or windings. Even in the summer, my temps were well under 140F.

Going brushless, you'll want to replace the stock plastic-geared differential with the Brushless Model all-metal diff. You can get just the metal diff gear minus the planetary gears for about half the price of the assembled unit. My buddy has been running the stock plastic one for quite some time, but I guess my driving style had me stripping the diff gear. I like using TrakPower Gear Grease inside the diff and for the tranny gears. MUCH better than the black stuff.

IMPORTANT: when you buy the metal diff, you MUST dis-assemble it, clean out the screw holes, and apply BLUE Locktite to all eight screws, and let it dry thoroughly, like overnite. If those screws come loose, the internal gears loose mesh and will strip out in a hurry.

Behind the large bevel gears in the diff is the end of the drive cup, held in place by a metal pin that engages with the bevel gear. That pin will fail over time. Replace those pins with music wire by K&S Precision Metals stock #502, 0.047in (1.19mm) available at your hobby store or hardware store.

Similarly, the drive pins for the rear wheels are rolled spring pins, and they fail pretty quickly under brushless power. Stock #504 music wire 0.062in (1.57mm) will replace them. They don't fit tight like the spring pins, so you'll loose them before you break them. Music wire comes in 30in lengths in bundles of three for less than $4. So, lifetime supply.

If you can find them, the Aluminum Motor Plate and the Aluminum Tranny brace are good to get. The stock motor plate tended to get bent or warped in nasty crashes. The aluminum motor plate is thick and won't bend, and, it helps keep the motor cool, acting as a heatsink. (As of this writing, the Al motor plate is unavailable)

The stock tires really limit the power to the ground, and I found that I like Proline Gladiators, front and rear. Some guys have had good luck with the stock wheels, but DTX is not known for the quality of their wheels. RPM Slingshots and Talonz will work on the Evader.

The only other thing we did to protect our Evaders was to make crash barriers for all the trees we were racing around. This involves buying a few of those blue foam sleeping pads used for camping, and cutting them into 8-10in wide strips, long enough wrap around the base of the tree. Behind this we'd place several 10-12" orange safety cones available at most sporting goods stores. The cones direct impact energy UP, dissipating it safely.

The only thing sort of odd about the Evader has to do with the tranny case and rear chassis plate. For about a year, DTX sold a Brushless Evader with a re-designed slipper clutch and top gear (and is when, halleluja!, we got the all metal diff). The BL-spec Top Gear, Slipper Assembly, Tranny Case, and Rear Chassis Plate are not interchangeable parts . You have to get all one, or all the other.

That is about all I've learned about, and done to, my Evaders. The Evader is made to be an inexpensive way to get people into the RC hobby with real hobby-grade quality. The Stress-Tech guaranty replaces any part you break in the first year, no one else to my knowledge does that. Is it the BEST RC car out there? No, there are better designs. But you're not going to find a better newby car for the $169 asking price.