Atomware Evo IX Race Car Build
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
From: Australia
Atomware Evo IX Race Car Build
Hi Guys,
This is the build up of my (Australian) Evo IX race car.
Quick background... car was purchased brand new off showroom floor in 2006 as a GSR. Plan was to keep it mild and use it as a road car. My wife loved taking the car away on holidays, as it was a sensational car to drive on the road.
Then we did a few track days, lost the back seat, put some roll bars in, some coil overs, few engine mods, bolt in roll cage, harnesses... raced it pretty regularly (and still drove it on the road) until September 3 2007 when I busted the gearbox in a rushed 3-4 change.
September 4, I took the car off the road, put it up on stands, and started the rebuild... it (the rebuild) is STILL going, and I estimate has another few months left - we are intending for the car to be complete somewhere around July 2010.
The Old Car
Video of when the car was 100% stock, about my 2nd or 3rd time on a race track:
The New Car
The day I broke the gearbox. My gorgeous wife drove the car on the race track the day before I broke it. And no, she wasn't at all responsible for it - she's an awesome driver - better than most of the guys that were driving that day, and it was only her first ever time on a race track!!
The day after I broke the gearbox... car went up on stands.
Stripping the OEM parts out of the car. Everything went straight into labelled plastic sandwich bags.
Removing the engine. The engine has been on an engine stand for the last 2 years.
GSR AYC diff coming out.
Made myself a rotisserie, knowing what plans I had in mind for the car... it's not brilliant, but it's done the job.
Using a wire brush on the angle grinder to remove seam sealant and sound deadening. I don't ever want to touch another angle grinder in my whole life after the work I've been doing these last 2 years.
Removing interior brackets... the B pillar has 62 spot welds EACH SIDE.
The chassis generally stripped and now off the rotisserie, ready for roll cage fabrication.
Bought a Sparco FIA kit cage. Good product, but as you'll see later, about the only part I've used is the main and front hoops...
Just some of the metal that has been cut out of the car. I will take this opportunity to say specifically I am NOT building this car to a weight. Safety and stiffness are my number one goals that I'm working to. If anything has been removed, it was either useless on a race car (e.g. brackets) or has been replaced with a substantially stronger and safer component.
Sparco cage legs to rear tower. I hate this pic, and never liked the design of the Sparco cage in the area of the rear towers. I fixed that up later...
Bracing in the engine bay. Bars went through firewall to front hoop. Also never liked this design, and fixed this up later too...
Wasn't happy with how low I could get the seat mounts, so modified the trans tunnel.
Using DMS50 shocks. Will see how these perform, but will most likely end up with MCA custom units.
Lower seat mounts. Much happier with the position of the seat rails. Also, the mounting of these rails can best be described as "industrial". They embody everything about the words "over-engineered".
I'm using a new RS rear diff, so made a new crossmember. Ralliart wanted $1600 for the OEM item... again, I was never completely happy with this, so fixed it up later...
Made up some mounts with 250kg trolley wheels. These will be used when the car goes in for sandblasting.
That's all for now...
This is the build up of my (Australian) Evo IX race car.
Quick background... car was purchased brand new off showroom floor in 2006 as a GSR. Plan was to keep it mild and use it as a road car. My wife loved taking the car away on holidays, as it was a sensational car to drive on the road.
Then we did a few track days, lost the back seat, put some roll bars in, some coil overs, few engine mods, bolt in roll cage, harnesses... raced it pretty regularly (and still drove it on the road) until September 3 2007 when I busted the gearbox in a rushed 3-4 change.
September 4, I took the car off the road, put it up on stands, and started the rebuild... it (the rebuild) is STILL going, and I estimate has another few months left - we are intending for the car to be complete somewhere around July 2010.
The Old Car
Video of when the car was 100% stock, about my 2nd or 3rd time on a race track:
The New Car
The day I broke the gearbox. My gorgeous wife drove the car on the race track the day before I broke it. And no, she wasn't at all responsible for it - she's an awesome driver - better than most of the guys that were driving that day, and it was only her first ever time on a race track!!
The day after I broke the gearbox... car went up on stands.
Stripping the OEM parts out of the car. Everything went straight into labelled plastic sandwich bags.
Removing the engine. The engine has been on an engine stand for the last 2 years.
GSR AYC diff coming out.
Made myself a rotisserie, knowing what plans I had in mind for the car... it's not brilliant, but it's done the job.
Using a wire brush on the angle grinder to remove seam sealant and sound deadening. I don't ever want to touch another angle grinder in my whole life after the work I've been doing these last 2 years.
Removing interior brackets... the B pillar has 62 spot welds EACH SIDE.
The chassis generally stripped and now off the rotisserie, ready for roll cage fabrication.
Bought a Sparco FIA kit cage. Good product, but as you'll see later, about the only part I've used is the main and front hoops...
Just some of the metal that has been cut out of the car. I will take this opportunity to say specifically I am NOT building this car to a weight. Safety and stiffness are my number one goals that I'm working to. If anything has been removed, it was either useless on a race car (e.g. brackets) or has been replaced with a substantially stronger and safer component.
Sparco cage legs to rear tower. I hate this pic, and never liked the design of the Sparco cage in the area of the rear towers. I fixed that up later...
Bracing in the engine bay. Bars went through firewall to front hoop. Also never liked this design, and fixed this up later too...
Wasn't happy with how low I could get the seat mounts, so modified the trans tunnel.
Using DMS50 shocks. Will see how these perform, but will most likely end up with MCA custom units.
Lower seat mounts. Much happier with the position of the seat rails. Also, the mounting of these rails can best be described as "industrial". They embody everything about the words "over-engineered".
I'm using a new RS rear diff, so made a new crossmember. Ralliart wanted $1600 for the OEM item... again, I was never completely happy with this, so fixed it up later...
Made up some mounts with 250kg trolley wheels. These will be used when the car goes in for sandblasting.
That's all for now...
Last edited by bpi; Dec 12, 2009 at 07:34 PM.
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Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
From: Australia
Space is something I'm lucky to have (even though double garage isn't that big) but time is infinite... it's taken me 2 years and 3 months so far, and will be at least another 6 months... so that's almost a 3 year timeframe... my mates take great pleasure in ribbing me about how long it's taken, and that the car will be eligible for historic racing classes when it's finally complete! 
BTW the pics above are work that was done about a year ago. I just have to sort through all the pics from the last year of work, and then I'll post them gradually every few weeks.
BTW the pics above are work that was done about a year ago. I just have to sort through all the pics from the last year of work, and then I'll post them gradually every few weeks.
EXCELLENT BUILD! love the progression you've made so far. two years is a while but you know you like doing it 
our car is going to be getting the same treatment here shortly! cage is next step!
our car is going to be getting the same treatment here shortly! cage is next step!
