Evo IX MR TTS build-the hard way
Mar 27, 2010, 09:10 PM
#1
Evolved Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (132)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Evo IX MR TTS build-the hard way
After a few years of tracking my stock '06 Evo, the car began to become less of a daily driver and morphed into this quasi-DD/road course car that was quickly becoming useless as a mode of general transportation.
Most importantly, I was concerned about safety on the track. I'm an "old guy" and gave up on invincability about 20 years ago
. After seeing a few incidents over the past few years I decided there was too much at risk to not protect myself from the many variables that cannot be controlled in such an environment. After three years of open track and HPDE's with the DD EVO, I want to do some Time Trial events with NASA and with the local TT series here at BeaveRun in Pittsburgh.
I decided to put the "morphed DD" back to stock and sell it and look for a project car to be a dedicated track car.
Last March, I picked up a '06 MR wreck that was 100% complete. Given I knew the value of the parts I didn't need (and could sell) were worth the value of the car, I figured I'd take the chance. On the surface, didn't look "too" bad (OK, maybe I was being a bit too optimistic)
So the car was stripped down and I was able to get a closer look at some of the" issues".
The PS frame rail was toast, as was the DS rear quarter, but overall not a disaster. The shop, Domination Chassis, wanted to do a "custom" front IC/rad support, so a long as the car was square coming back from the frame shop, I didn't have to worry about the actual rails as they weren't going to be used.....unknown at the time-this is where the nightmare begins.
So it gets back from the frame shop with a supposed "clean bill of health" and "everything in spec". (This is were my own ignorance really hurt me.)
Cage fabrication begins-
Undercoating gone! The seam sealer also was removed; spot welds were added throughout the car
Rear Quarter panel corrected
Awesome racing seat!
View from the back
Domination Chassis welds
Coming along
Some of the cage and custom work that Domination did
Dimples galore!
Custom mount that never saw the light of day
Overall, I was happy with the construction of the cage.
So progress was being made (albeit at nowhere near the original time estimate) and we were ready to put the engine and drivetrain back into the car.
Mike Sabina from Baierl Mitsu (the Guardian Angel and project Savior) went to put the drivetrain in and finds the front end is wacked. So the car goes over to another shop and sits on their fancy machine and the measurements tell the tale. The original frame shop was so far off it wasn't funny. This was a major blow to the project. There was a lot of finger pointing, but in the end Domination did the right thing and refunded me the cost of the frame work that was done but the net loss of time and money on fabrication built around the bad frame work stopped everything dead in it's tracks.
We're now in a scramble to find another shop to do the work. Finally, another shop with an experienced cage builder steps in, but with the caveat that they can only do the work "when time allows". We have no choice, so the track season was basically lost at that point.
Back to the drawing board, we went back to the OEM set up.
The cage builder at the new shop added some additional reinforcement to some areas, so in the end the cage actually came out better and even safer.
Things remained slow over the Fall and Winter until I got the car into paint in early February, and then Mike stepped up (for the um-teenth time), resurrected the project, and got it back on pace and here is where it stands as of late March; one year after the project started
Mike having Fun with wires!
Guage set up
New (but dirty) CCW's 18x10 on R-1's
Modest engine bay
Front Areo which is a sandwich of an APR splitter, Beatrush undertray and Works Croxx plate...will likely go fully underbelly next year
In all it's "Flyer Orange" glory
Seats and gutted rear door
Jestr and Mike are tuning the car..it runs very well even on the first tune (but geez is it LOUD!) I guess undercoating and carpet actually do deaden sound
The Block and head are stock with some mild mods such as Cosworth Cams, Ported TB/Intake Manifold/Exhaust Manifold, 3" IC and Piping, 3" TBE...The suspension is pretty beefy with KW Gruppe-N triples; also replaced all the suspension bushings and gave it the obligatory Whitleine treatment, etc., etc. We'll start with -3 camber in the front and -1.75 in the rear and see how things go. The real challenge is going to be sorting out the suspension to get the settings as perfect as possible as all the "variables" are happening at once.
I'll stay with the stock Brembo's and continue to use the dba 5000's on the front and 4000's on the rear. I've been using the Pagid RS-29 yellow's for a couple years now, but may look to switch pads...
The car has a new Shep 5-speed and 1.5 rear diff with a rebuilt twin HD. Car hasn't been weighed yet, but I think it should come in around 2800 so we have plenty of wiggle room to make the 8.70:1 ratio.
It still has to go back to paint for some touch up and wetsanding as well as re-installing the side skirts and and APR rear diffuser.
I'll post some more pics as thing progress and put some video up on it's maiden voyage which should be in mid-April.
It's been a long road, but there is light at the end of the tunnel (as long as Mike doesn't say "uncle" to a car that as he describes as his "nightmare")
So, lesson's learned? Trust; but verify. If you don't know something, find someone that does. Have a "subject matter expert" by your side. If it doesn't look or feel right, it likely isn't.
Most importantly, I was concerned about safety on the track. I'm an "old guy" and gave up on invincability about 20 years ago
. After seeing a few incidents over the past few years I decided there was too much at risk to not protect myself from the many variables that cannot be controlled in such an environment. After three years of open track and HPDE's with the DD EVO, I want to do some Time Trial events with NASA and with the local TT series here at BeaveRun in Pittsburgh.I decided to put the "morphed DD" back to stock and sell it and look for a project car to be a dedicated track car.
Last March, I picked up a '06 MR wreck that was 100% complete. Given I knew the value of the parts I didn't need (and could sell) were worth the value of the car, I figured I'd take the chance. On the surface, didn't look "too" bad (OK, maybe I was being a bit too optimistic)
So the car was stripped down and I was able to get a closer look at some of the" issues".
The PS frame rail was toast, as was the DS rear quarter, but overall not a disaster. The shop, Domination Chassis, wanted to do a "custom" front IC/rad support, so a long as the car was square coming back from the frame shop, I didn't have to worry about the actual rails as they weren't going to be used.....unknown at the time-this is where the nightmare begins.
So it gets back from the frame shop with a supposed "clean bill of health" and "everything in spec". (This is were my own ignorance really hurt me.)
Cage fabrication begins-
Undercoating gone! The seam sealer also was removed; spot welds were added throughout the car
Rear Quarter panel corrected
Awesome racing seat!
View from the back
Domination Chassis welds
Coming along
Some of the cage and custom work that Domination did
Dimples galore!
Custom mount that never saw the light of day
Overall, I was happy with the construction of the cage.
So progress was being made (albeit at nowhere near the original time estimate) and we were ready to put the engine and drivetrain back into the car.
Mike Sabina from Baierl Mitsu (the Guardian Angel and project Savior) went to put the drivetrain in and finds the front end is wacked. So the car goes over to another shop and sits on their fancy machine and the measurements tell the tale. The original frame shop was so far off it wasn't funny. This was a major blow to the project. There was a lot of finger pointing, but in the end Domination did the right thing and refunded me the cost of the frame work that was done but the net loss of time and money on fabrication built around the bad frame work stopped everything dead in it's tracks.
We're now in a scramble to find another shop to do the work. Finally, another shop with an experienced cage builder steps in, but with the caveat that they can only do the work "when time allows". We have no choice, so the track season was basically lost at that point.
Back to the drawing board, we went back to the OEM set up.
The cage builder at the new shop added some additional reinforcement to some areas, so in the end the cage actually came out better and even safer.
Things remained slow over the Fall and Winter until I got the car into paint in early February, and then Mike stepped up (for the um-teenth time), resurrected the project, and got it back on pace and here is where it stands as of late March; one year after the project started
Mike having Fun with wires!
Guage set up
New (but dirty) CCW's 18x10 on R-1's
Modest engine bay
Front Areo which is a sandwich of an APR splitter, Beatrush undertray and Works Croxx plate...will likely go fully underbelly next year
In all it's "Flyer Orange" glory
Seats and gutted rear door
Jestr and Mike are tuning the car..it runs very well even on the first tune (but geez is it LOUD!) I guess undercoating and carpet actually do deaden sound
The Block and head are stock with some mild mods such as Cosworth Cams, Ported TB/Intake Manifold/Exhaust Manifold, 3" IC and Piping, 3" TBE...The suspension is pretty beefy with KW Gruppe-N triples; also replaced all the suspension bushings and gave it the obligatory Whitleine treatment, etc., etc. We'll start with -3 camber in the front and -1.75 in the rear and see how things go. The real challenge is going to be sorting out the suspension to get the settings as perfect as possible as all the "variables" are happening at once.
I'll stay with the stock Brembo's and continue to use the dba 5000's on the front and 4000's on the rear. I've been using the Pagid RS-29 yellow's for a couple years now, but may look to switch pads...
The car has a new Shep 5-speed and 1.5 rear diff with a rebuilt twin HD. Car hasn't been weighed yet, but I think it should come in around 2800 so we have plenty of wiggle room to make the 8.70:1 ratio.
It still has to go back to paint for some touch up and wetsanding as well as re-installing the side skirts and and APR rear diffuser.
I'll post some more pics as thing progress and put some video up on it's maiden voyage which should be in mid-April.
It's been a long road, but there is light at the end of the tunnel (as long as Mike doesn't say "uncle" to a car that as he describes as his "nightmare")
So, lesson's learned? Trust; but verify. If you don't know something, find someone that does. Have a "subject matter expert" by your side. If it doesn't look or feel right, it likely isn't.
Last edited by goforwand; Mar 28, 2010 at 06:55 AM. Reason: typo
Mar 28, 2010, 11:49 AM
#6
Evolved Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: East Hampton Ct.
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A lot of people questioned when I caged and built a Super Touring Evolution 8 from my perfect street car. I knew the body was straight. It's proper to start with a square platform. Your doing it right. What a color choice! What was wrong with silver?
Trending Topics
Mar 28, 2010, 04:49 PM
#8
Evolved Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (132)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mar 29, 2010, 11:27 AM
#15
[FONT=Verdana]
New (but dirty) CCW's 18x10 on R-1's
The Block and head are stock with some mild mods such as Cosworth Cams, Ported TB/Intake Manifold/Exhaust Manifold, 3" IC and Piping, 3" TBE...The suspension is pretty beefy with KW Gruppe-N triples; also replaced all the suspension bushings and gave it the obligatory Whitleine treatment, etc., etc. We'll start with -3 camber in the front and -1.75 in the rear and see how things go. The real challenge is going to be sorting out the suspension to get the settings as perfect as possible as all the "variables" are happening at once.
New (but dirty) CCW's 18x10 on R-1's
The Block and head are stock with some mild mods such as Cosworth Cams, Ported TB/Intake Manifold/Exhaust Manifold, 3" IC and Piping, 3" TBE...The suspension is pretty beefy with KW Gruppe-N triples; also replaced all the suspension bushings and gave it the obligatory Whitleine treatment, etc., etc. We'll start with -3 camber in the front and -1.75 in the rear and see how things go. The real challenge is going to be sorting out the suspension to get the settings as perfect as possible as all the "variables" are happening at once.
1) I know you've got 18x10 CCW's. You running custom offsets with spacers to clear? Did you do anything special inside the wheel wells for these? Like pound out some additional space or relocate any of the internal screws?
2) So what is the final story on the frame - is it straightened and/or will it track straight?