TDSAutoMag

This update has been in the making for some time, largely due to me wanting to capture a bit more content where this project was concerned. The main purpose of this is so you guys can see the car through a bit more stages. However, given Sol’s many projects the post was left dormant in my drafts folder for quite some time. As of recent I’ve decided to make the effort to complete for you guys.

No stranger to the Evo world, Sol has been through several combinations over the years and because of this, It aided in the parts selection with this current build. In this update we’ll be discussing the motor and gearbox assembly and taking a closer look at the parts used to execute the ultimate streetable Evo build. In addition to this, I have also included some photos and a short video of the car fully assembled for you guys. I hope you enjoy this post.

 

For those who may want to view the previous post on this build, I’ve provided the link below:

Sol’s Evo IX Street Build… Introduction

Having his fair share of failures with the OEM Evolution drivetrain, Sol made sure to check all the boxes where this was concerned. And went ahead and purchased a Shep Trans complete gearbox with a brand new casing and shifter mechanism. The box included a custom synchro mesh gear set accompanied by Wavetrac LSD.

To ensure there weren’t issues associated with shifting when the time came, Sol went with a triple plate Quartermaster clutch kit…

Which was inclusive of a hydraulic release bearing and adapter to replace the stock unit. This will convert the troublesome pull-style actuator to a more reliable and smoother feeling push-type release bearing…

With reliability in mind Sol wanted to have zero doubts when it came to the driveline. Not stopping there a stage 3 Shep Trans transfer case with an upgraded ring and pinion was acquired along with a Cusco rear LSD to close things for the drivetrain.

A shot of the Quartermaster clutch assembly installed on the motor…

In an effort to build the ultimate street Evo, Sol wanted to have adequate torque on tap while cruising and enough power to be competitive at the track. With the goal in mind, a decision was made to purchase a Buschur motor capable of giving Sol the best of both worlds where power and torque were considered…

2.3L Buschur rpm motor:

Cosworth camshafts

High compression pistons

Hand ported stage 3 head

Replaced all other engine components ( belts, bearings, studs, gaskets etc.)

Shep Trans gearbox bolted to the motor, here you guys can see the Torque Solutions billet aluminum gearbox mount…

A thing of beauty…

Sol opted to go with a Precision 6466 for this build…

The Precision 6466 has a v-band connection and carries a .82 back end which also has been thermal coated…

A closer look at the thermal coated Map Performance top mounted turbo manifold with external 44mm Turbosmart waste gate…

With everything bolted together Scott mapped out a plan on what to do next…

Scott went to work on mocking up the oil catch can lines and fittings…

Things starting to look good…

A better look at the AMS intake manifold with Boomba Racing 90mm billet throttle body…

Over on fuel duty, Sol went with a Buschur Racing fuel rail and set 2150cc Fuel Injector Clinic injectors, which are E85 compatible. To ensure the fuel is delivered to the motor a Buschur Racing double pumper fuel system complete with -10 fuel feed with -8 fuel return was installed…

Some shots of the rear of the engine, where you can see how the Shep Trans transfer case is bolted in place and also how the huge AMS intake manifold is braced onto the block…

Some final shots of the setup before making its way into the bay…

Scott as he prepares to drop in the motor assembly…

Stainless steel wastegate dump tube installed…

In just a matter of time Scott had the motor fitted, the joys of working with a hoist…

Side shot showing off the Precision 6466 turbo…

The motor install was a success with only a few more things to be taken care of…

An item Sol picked up to complete the interior was a Nardi perforated leather wheel with anodized black spokes…

With the motor and most of the drivetrain fitted, Scott was ready to call that a day and I took one more shot to close out the day…

The front end after Scott went ahead and mounted the intercooler and piping kit…

As for wheels, Sol picked up a set of Advan Racing RG II in 18×9 +25…

The rubber Sol selected to aid in harnessing the 2.3 Buschur built motor was a set of Toyo R888 tyres in a 235/40 profile at all four corners…

Not forgetting to mention the Stop Tech big brake kit that was fitted along with drilled 355mm rotors…

A shot of the rear where you guys can get an idea of the fitment on the new wheels…

As the Evo sat still missing the front end on the newly fitted Advan RG II wheels…

Can’t seem to get enough of these mint Recaro seats, Sol was fortunate enough to acquire a car with relatively low mileage and the interior to match being in immaculate condition…

Close up on the carbon fibre gauge pod which is mounted just behind the steering wheel…

Over time the valve cover was resprayed in a bright red…

A few shots of the completed engine bay…

In the ignition department a Spark Tech unit was installed…

Being a huge fan of the Evo IX appearance from the factory, Sol kept the exterior as simple and basic as possible…

 

The car has been completed for some time and  has been doing some street driving ever so often. The opportunity came up when B.A.D.D held an 1/8 mile event for Sol take the car out and give it shakedown. After completion of the car, it  was never put to the test and this was the perfect time to see what results would be yielded.

The car’s best time in the 1/8 mile was 6.28secs @ 119mph…

After attending the drag event the car suffered some gearbox issues. The plan is to have these issue rectified and return as a the fun street car Sol initially intended on.

Below is a short clip of one of his passes on the 1/8 mile…

 

Fast forward a few months… The car sat for a while before the guys got around to repairs, during this time Sol’s attention was caught elsewhere. That was until B.A.D.D announced there will be a 1/4 mile acceleration test in January. Not having the drag built CT9A up and running at the time Sol decided for the fun of it, he’ll make a push to take the street car to the event. With the event a few weeks away the guys began the prep work to have the car tuned and ready to go…

Upon looking over the car, the guys thought it would be a good idea to shed a few pounds and swapped over the doors from the drag car…

For the streets the Advan RG II wheels were perfect, but as the guys were more about function than form they would be useless for the event…

A look at the Stop Tech big brake kit that is currently on the car; this too would have to go as the guys had in there possession…

The Wilwood drag brake kit which allowed them run a 15″ wheel setup on the car with way more tyre. This will ultimately lead to an increase in traction…

The guys went to work on removing the big brake kit, which unfortunately both the front and rear needed to be swapped out…

The rear was swapped out for the factory Brembo setup which allowed for the wheels to fit…

Sol went with a full set of M & H  Racemaster drag slicks on all 4 corners of the Evo IX…

A look at the untouched front end, which was the only area which didn’t receive any modifications for the event…

As you guys would have noticed in a previous photo, the doors were in the process of being wrapped for the event, as to blend a bit better with the silver hue on the exterior…

A view of how loud the bright yellow paint was on the interior…

Another angle of the interior from through the sliding window in the composite door, where you can see the deep corn Nardi wheel and carbon dual gauge pod…

A close up of the rear wheel and tyre setup up with the factory Brembo calipers that were necessary to bring this package together…

At the rear of the car the wing was removed to keep the weight down…

The rear quarter showing the design that was applied to help tie in the black wrap on the doors…

Moving to the other side where the abstract designed varied…

 

Below is a video of the car as it made one of its two passes…

 

That brings us to a close on this update of Sol’s CT9A street car build. The car returned home safely without any damage with a big thanks to the entire team who came together made this all possible. Those long hours and late nights spent were the key in making this a successful event. Sol piloted the car to a 9.97secs pass @ 141mph, putting him at 2nd fastest vehicle on the day. The goal for next event would ideally be to have the drag car up and running, however knowing Sol it is a high possibility that the street car may return to the track for another B.A.D.D event.

 

For those interested, I’ve included a link to some of the coverage from B.A.D.D We gathering Acceleration Test below…