Sol’s Evo IX Street Build… Introduction
After recording the fastest 1/4 mile time in his once street-able Mitsubishi Evolution IX – what’s next on the list of things to do? Build a fully street-able version. Already being aware of the limits for both the motor and drivetrain, Sol decided he would take on another Evolution project.
This time minus the aggressiveness of a sequential gearbox, the road noise associated with a gutted interior and the inconvenience of being dependent on race fuel. On a quest to find a balance between being fast, reliable and comfortable, similar to the goal he set in mind for the Supra. The Evo IX would require many of the usual creature comforts such as air-conditioning and power steering whilst running pump gas and packing some serious punch for an AWD sedan.
After formulating a plan it was time to execute, Sol went on the hunt for a Evo IX in relatively good condition. In a short span, his efforts yielded results in the form of a pristine condition Apex Silver Evolution IX.
We take a closer look at the recently acquired Evolution IX and what would kick start the beginning of another epic build.
The Evo IX back from paint and the rear end looks great fitted together…
The exposed front end, missing the front bumper and headlights; this won’t be a problem as most of the work would be done within the engine bay…
The stock Evolution IX radiator will be pulled and replaced with something to more suit the cooling capacity required for this build…
A close look at the engine bay, where it’s mostly populated with various wire harnesses, lines for air-conditioning, power-steering and ABS. An APR Performance Flex Control 3 point strut tower brace is matted to the chassis to add some additional rigidity…
Adjustable camber plate for the Ohlins road & track coilovers…
Working our way onto the immaculately kept interior…
The first thing that caught my attention was how well maintained the Evo IX Recaro seats were; but when I started to look a bit closer I noticed this level of care was extended throughout the entire interior…
In the rear, a few things still needed to be completed before the seats could be fitted…
Scott decided to roll it onto the hoist so I could get a better look at the newly acquired shell. Scott has a keen eye for details which is displayed as he is taking a closer look at the fitment of the hood…
As expected the underside of the car had no serious damage. Its always great to start with a clean base that you can then mould to your likings…
The Evo is currently on a set of Team Dynamics Pro Race wheels in a 17×9″ configuration. These wheel are temporarily being used to have the shell transported. Peeking behind the matte black wheels are a set of Stop Tech twin pot calipers with 328mm drilled rotors…
With the shell in the air it was time to get to work…
Scott as he wrenched to get the chassis ready for the motor assembly…
At the front the Evo is currently utilizing the OEM 4 pot Brembo calipers and rotors. These will later be swapped out for an upgraded Stop Tech equivalent…
Having previously driven on a set of Ohlins Road and Track coilovers, Sol chose them for this build due to the comfort they provided on the street coupled with their handling capabilities. Being mindful of the goal for this build, they are the perfect fit; comfortable for the road but still capable enough to be taken to the track and perform.
The engine bay just about ready for things to come with the necessary harnesses, linkages and lines in sight…
Working our way to the rear of the car where its almost impossible to not notice a few suspension components…
H & R sway bar which will be used for more than just eye candy. Coming in as a noticeable upgrade from the factory sway bar, this H&R unit will help with turn in. Evos have a high front bias power distribution ratio and have a tendency to understeer while cornering. The H&R sway bar helps where this is concerned by adding an oversteer characteristic and in such improving the handling.
Agency Power Rear Control Arm which would allow for some extra camber and toe settings for the rear of the vehicle. Unlike the factory control arms, Agency Power has designed an arm that allows for a much more aggressive setup, offering two ways of adjustability from the spherical rod ends. And as expected these arms are also lighter than the OEM pieces.
Thats brings us to the end of the introduction to Sol’s Evo IX street build. If you guys pay close attention something is lurking in the back ground. Be sure to stay tuned for more on this build, you won’t want to miss what happens next.
Street Kingz: DC2-K Build… Part 2
It has been a while since any content was posted on the site. A considerable amount has happened during that time both in the car scene and with me working on a strategy to consistently deliver content for you guys. With that plan in mind, I’ll be giving you guys weekly content on current builds and some fresh new content on builds under construction, in addition to some special features from time to time.
Starting with an update on the rebuild of Meagus’ famed DC2 Integra; in the last post we dived into the swap setup along with some chassis upgrades. Moving forward, we’ll be taking a look at how it all comes together and a few subtle changes Meagus made to the appearance of the car.
For those who may want to view this build from the start I’ve provided the links below:
Street Kingz: DC2-K Build… Introduction
Street Kingz: DC2-K Build… Part 1
K24 motor and gearbox assembly bolted into the DC2 chassis…
The best OEM upgrade for the K series is the RRC intake manifold from the FD2 Type R; Meagus went a step further by adding K-Tuned’s 72mm throttle body which is a direct fit onto the RRC manifold…
Meagus also went with a K-Tuned fuel rail and their liquid filled fuel pressure gauge…
Working what appears to be his way through their catalog, a K-Tuned slave cylinder kit inclusive of a braided clutch line was installed and bled…
Those paying close attention would notice the power steering pump and lines installed; one of the objectives for this build was the ability to remain a street car being capable of daily duties…
Prior to this rebuild the battery was neatly relocated to the trunk…
At this point it should be no surprise to see more K-Tuned goodies; a shot of their race spec shifter cables and bracket…
It was time to move to the interior and start the preparation for the K-Tuned billet shifter…
Amongst the chaos of the interior, there is slight glimpse of the Mugen rear strut brace…
Those of you familiar with Hondas would know the D & B series shifters run under the car and up through the tunnel. Even though it is possible to maintain this look, Meagus decided to go with the billet RSX shifter which needs to be mounted above the tunnel….
To accommodate the use of the RSX shifter, the tunnel was cut, plated…
And then drilled to accommodate the bolts to keep the shifter securely in place…
To retain the use of the power steering a custom high pressure line needed to be fabricated…
With the shifter in place it was time to secure the K-Tuned shifter cables…
Meagus decided to use a dual core aluminum half sized radiator…
An intake pipe and air filter that have seen better days were temporarily used to get the car running…
A quick glance at the completed engine bay…
Here is a first look at the mounted K-Tuned billet shifter…
And it goes without saying that Meagus extended his love for K-Tuned products and added a shift knob…
A few angles in all its billet glory with the centre console fitted in place…
In true street car fashion, the factory GSR seats remained along with the full interior…
The Michelin tyres Meagus will be using to hopefully get the power to the ground while in daily mode…
With the tyres mounted it gives the car somewhat of an aggressive appearance in comparison to the low profile street tyres Meagus previously ran on the car…
Since the completion of the car, Meagus has been driving around and getting used to the new setup. It didn’t take long before the guys thought they would make an adjustment to the intake setup…
A look at the custom intake now routed through the headlight along with an upgraded full size radiator…
With the car in full working order, lets take a look at some of the highlighted K-Tuned goodies littered throughout the bay…
A close up of the fuel rail…
Billet throttle body…
Slave cylinder…
Shifter cables…
Fuel pressure regulator and gauge…
As it sits with the newly routed intake setup…
After working on getting the car mechanically sound and having the swap performing as it should, Meagus decided it was time to refresh the exterior…
The car was sent to Chris Auto Paint to have a few things resprayed in the metallic silver hue…
While he was at it he also had the Enkei wheels sprayed in a matte bronze which worked well in contrast with the bright red from the Wilwood calipers…
A look at the bay where the valve cover also received a coat of the matte bronze…
The contrast between the valve cover and fuel rail works so well together, topped off with a K-Tuned sticker…
Closing out today’s post with a shot of both man and machine. Thanks for taking a look and stay tuned for more on this build series.
